NewzIntel.com

Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • MIL-OSI Security: Acting United States Attorney Fondren Announces Federal Indictment Against Gynecologist for Sexually Abusing Patients, Adulterating Medical Devices for Reuse on Patients, and Health Care Fraud

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

    Memphis, TN – Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced today that Sanjeev Kumar, 44, was arrested this morning and charged with enticing and inducing four victims to travel interstate to engage in illegal sexual activity, adulteration of medical devices, misbranding of medical devices, and healthcare fraud.

    The indictment unsealed today alleges that from at least in or about September 2019 and up to and including at least in or about June 2024, Kumar enticed and induced four victims to travel interstate to his medical offices in Memphis, Tennessee, at least in part for the purpose of subjecting them to a sexual activity for which he could be charged with a criminal offense in violation of Tennessee Code Annotated Section 39-13-503.

    According to the Indictment, between 2019 and 2024, Kumar sexually abused women by conducting medically unnecessary gynecologic procedures with medical devices that he held under insanitary conditions and reused on patients when they were required to be disposed of or properly reprocessed. Kumar did not inform patients that he was reusing “single use” or improperly reprocessed devices before he inserted the devices into their vaginas. He also billed Medicare and Medicaid as if the procedures were medically necessary and as if he had used a new or properly reprocessed device for each procedure.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren said: “Kumar was consistently the top-paid provider in Tennessee for Medicare and Medicaid for hysteroscopy biopsy services, and he profited substantially from these criminal acts. The allegations indicate that Kumar acted as a predator in a white coat and used the cover of conducting medical examinations to put his patients at risk and enrich himself.”   

    “This doctor put profit ahead of patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The abusive behavior alleged here took place over five years, which means there could be many victims out there we have not heard from. We want you to know FBI victim specialists, special agents, and analysts investigating this case are here for each and every one of you, and we are your advocates. It is important to remember nothing Dr. Kumar has done was, or ever will be, your fault. We see time and time again that voices matter, and those who have stepped forward have empowered others to do the same. If you have any information concerning this case, or if you believe you are a victim or may have been affected by these alleged crimes, please visit www.fbi.gov/KumarVictims and complete the questionnaire so that we can contact you.  Your responses are voluntary but would be useful in the federal investigation and would enable us to serve you as a victim.”

    “Physicians have a sworn duty to prioritize the health and safety of their patients,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “HHS-OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who exploit their patients and federal health care programs for personal gain.”

    This case is being investigated by the United States HHS-OIG, the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

    The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.  If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of the factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum, Scott Smith, and Sarah Pazar Williams for prosecuting this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case. 

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    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Lab Operator Convicted of $4 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

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

    A federal jury in Detroit convicted a California man today for his role in defrauding Medicare of over $4 million in fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary urine drug testing for patients receiving pain management treatment.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sherif Khalil, 50, of Redondo Beach, conspired with others to submit claims to Medicare for the highest-reimbursing urine drug testing panels, which doctors did not want or order.

    Sherif Khalil operated Spectra Clinical Labs, a toxicology lab located in Gardena, California. As the owner of Spectra, Khalil implemented a scheme to pay marketers a percentage of Medicare reimbursements and incentivize them to obtain doctors’ orders for expensive drug testing panels. Khalil concealed Spectra’s payments to marketers by routing the payments through nominally independent marketing companies that Khalil secretly controlled. To maximize Spectra’s profits and their own commission payments, Spectra’s marketers then trained staff members at doctors’ offices to send Spectra orders for medically unnecessary urine drug tests that doctors did not actually want or authorize. Khalil also knew that orders Spectra received from physician practices were not supported by documentation of medical necessity.

    The medically unnecessary laboratory tests ordered in exchange for illegal kickbacks to marketers caused Medicare to pay more than $4 million to the Spectra Clinical Labs.

    Khalil was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks. Khalil is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud count and five years in prison on the count for conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

    The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys S. Babu Kaza, Jeffrey A. Crapko, and Kelly Warner and Assistant Chief Shankar Ramamurthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey Woman Pleads Guilty to Producing, Distributing, and Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

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

    Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Alexandria Stevens (20, New Jersey) has pleaded guilty to producing, distributing, and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Stevens faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the production offense, and a minimum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment, up to 20 years, for each of the distribution and receipt offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Stevens remains detained in federal custody pending the resolution of this case.

    According to the plea agreement, while visiting Florida in November 2023, Stevens and co-defendant Michael Taylor, Jr. produced CSAM with an 8-year-old child. They also received and distributed images of CSAM over the internet. 

    Taylor was also charged for his alleged role in this case. His case is pending.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Delaware County Teacher Convicted After Trial of Coercing, Transporting, and Sexually Abusing Students

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Paul Geer was a Teacher at the “Family Foundation” Private Boarding School, Which Operated in Hancock, New York, From Approximately 1992 Until 2014

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Paul Geer, age 57, of Hancock, New York, was convicted today by a federal jury after a two-week-long trial on two counts of coercing and enticing two separate children to travel across state lines to engage in unlawful sexual activity and two counts of transporting the children across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity with those children.  The jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on two additional counts. 

    Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Craig Tremaroli made the announcement.

    The evidence at trial proved that, while Geer was a teacher at the Family Foundation School in Hancock, New York, he imposed various disciplinary sanctions on students that were tantamount to torture. The sanctions Geer imposed on students included depriving children of food or forcing children to eat food that had been regurgitated, binding children in rugs and leaving them in isolated rooms for extended periods of time and forcing children to perform forced physical labor. The evidence at trial further proved that, in 1994 and 2001, Geer used his position of authority and his ability to impose these brutal sanctions to coerce two students to travel with him, on separate occasions, to Maine and Toronto, Canada. The evidence at trial also proved that Geer transported the students across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity with them. While on those trips, Geer raped or otherwise sexually abused each of the two children.

    Geer was taken into custody following the verdict. 

    At sentencing currently scheduled for July 9, 2025, in Albany, New York, the two counts of coercion and enticement each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. The two counts of transporting children across state lines each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

    The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance New York State Police and the Colonie, New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica N. Carbone, Adrian S. LaRochelle, and Michael D. Gadarian prosecuted the case as a part of Project Safe Childhood.

    Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, and led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Sentenced To 26 Years In Prison For Armed Robberies And Assault Of Federal Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who has prior felony convictions was sentenced today in two separate cases to a total of 26 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He admitted to committing armed robberies of two jewelry stores and assaulting a detention officer while in custody.

    According to court documents, on December 12, 2016, Wyatt Scott Peterson (42) entered EZ Pawn in Las Vegas and demanded the keys to the jewelry case. During the course of the robbery, he brandished a 9mm semi-automatic handgun to intimidate employees into not resisting and complying with his demands. The firearm was discharged into a display case during the robbery. Peterson stole at least $40,000 and left the store. Then, on December 21, 2016, Peterson entered Super Pawn in Las Vegas and demanded the keys to the jewelry case. He stole 29 rings, three pairs of earrings, and five bracelets combined worth more than $20,000 before he left the store.

    Peterson has prior felony convictions including identity theft in Colville, Washington; Possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver in Spoke, Washington; and Attempt carrying concealed firearm or other deadly weapon in Clark County, Nevada. He is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.

    In December 2016, Peterson was charged and detained pending trial for the armed robbery case. He was housed at Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump, Nevada. While in custody, he confronted a detention officer at the stairwell and began punching the detention officer.

    Peterson pleaded guilty to one count each of commerce by robbery, possessing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, felon in possession of a firearm, and assault on a federal officer.

    Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jim Fang prosecuted the cases.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Prosecutors Charge 126 Previously Removed Illegal Aliens, Many with Felony Criminal Records, with Illegally Re-Entering the U.S.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement partners, federal prosecutors in recent weeks filed charges against 126 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States after being removed, the Justice Department announced today.

    Many of the defendants charged in this operation were previously convicted of felony offenses before they were removed from the U.S., offenses that include manslaughter and crimes against children.

    Filed as part of immigration enforcement activities  across the region over the past week, the criminal cases charge each defendant with being an illegal alien found in the United States following a previous removal from the United States. The criminal complaints and indictments were filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Riverside. The recently filed illegal re-entry cases resulted in nearly three dozen arrests over the past week.

    The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison, defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year sentence, and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

    “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is enforcing long-standing immigration laws, and Illegal aliens who defy lawful removal orders by returning to this nation will be prosecuted,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “These charges promote respect for the immigration laws. The individuals charged over the past week include sex offenders, narcotics dealers, violent criminals, and others who pose a danger to the public.”

    “This result represents a brand new, whole-of-government approach to immigration enforcement,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “Our primary goal, along with our federal law enforcement partners, is to ensure those who commit transnational crimes such as drug trafficking, financial fraud and child exploitation can no longer commit it in the U.S.”

    Some of the recently filed cases are summarized below with information contained in court documents. Most of these defendants were arrested February 23. Each of these defendants are Mexican nationals.

    • Ricardo Reynoso-Garcia, 59, of Arleta, was convicted in federal court of illegal reentry into the United States in September 2013 and sentenced to 46 months in prison. He was separately removed four other times between 1984 and 2018. Reynoso-Garcia was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court of voluntary manslaughter in January 1995 and sentenced to 24 years in prison. He also was convicted in U.S. District Court of fraud and misuse of visas in April 2017 and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
    • Oscar Parra-Reyes, 50, of El Monte, was removed four previous times between 1995 and 2006. He was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court in February 1993 for sale/transportation of marijuana and sentenced to two years in prison. He subsequently was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, corporal injury to a child’s parent and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
    • Luis Roberto Calderon Collantes, 52, of Rialto, was removed from the United States in August 2021 following his February 2017 conviction in San Bernardino County Superior Court for transporting methamphetamine, a felony offense for which he was sentenced to five years in California state prison. In March 2024, Collantes was found in the United States when FBI agents identified his fingerprints on a package of fentanyl they obtained through an undercover purchase on the dark web, a package investigators believe originated from his Rialto home.
    • Valentin Vidal-Lopez, 35, of Granada Hills, was removed from the United States in April 2018. He was convicted of attempted murder in January 2011 in Los Angeles County Superior Court and was sentenced to 10 years in California state prison. According to court documents, immigration authorities were notified on January 26 that Vidal-Lopez was in the custody of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office after his arrested on the charges of resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer, DUI alcohol, and possessing a forged driver’s license. At the time of his arrest, Vidal-Lopez allegedly ignored officer commands to step out of his vehicle and then began to drive away. Vidal-Lopez allegedly continued to ignore officer commands and verbally threatened to fight the officers. When taken into custody, Vidal-Lopez allegedly possessed a driver’s license and a Social Security card in other people’s names, along with a bogus lawful permanent resident card, commonly known as a “green card.”
    • Erasmo Hermosillo-Martin, 69, of Inglewood, was removed from the United States to Mexico in March 1994. He was convicted of kidnapping and terrorist threats in May 1991 in Los Angeles County Superior Court and was sentenced to five years and eight months in California state prison. On January 14, law enforcement was notified via the HSI Tipline that Hermosillo-Martin had returned to the United States.
    • Angel Navarro-Camarillo, 42, was removed from the United States four times between 2007 and 2021. He was convicted in Orange County Superior Court in August 2004 for lewd and lascivious acts upon a child under 14 and sentenced to five years’ probation and 202 days in jail. In October 2005, but his probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to three years in prison. Navarro-Camarillo was convicted in U.S. District Court in February 2019 for being an illegal alien found in the United States following removal and was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
    • Isidro Jimenez-Ibanez, 51, of Coachella, was arrested February 24. Jimenez-Ibanez was removed in 1995 following a conviction for possession for sale of methamphetamine in Riverside County Superior Court. According to the criminal complaint, Jimenez-Ibanez returned to the United States and was convicted in 2023 of assault with a deadly weapon in Riverside County.

    Criminal complaints and indictments contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The illegal re-entry cases filed as part of the past week’s immigration enforcement activities are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations.

    The FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service provided substantial support during the enforcement activities this week.

    The criminal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section and the General Crimes Section.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Malden Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Malden man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.

    Logan Pierre, a/k/a “LO,” 33, pleaded guilty conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine, 40 grams and more of fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2025. Logan Pierre was charged along with his brother and co-defendant, Isaiah Pierre in June 2024. Isaiah Pierre fled apprehension and is a fugitive.

    In the fall of 2023, an investigation began into drug trafficking activities conducted by Logan and, allegedly, Isaiah Pierre. The investigation revealed that the Pierre brothers were allegedly actively selling methamphetamine in the greater Boston area. Between October 2023 and May 2024, Logan Pierre and, allegedly, Isaiah Pierre sold or arranged the sale of a pound methamphetamine on at least five separate controlled purchases. During a search of Logan Pierre’s apartment, an additional 1000g of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine was recovered.

    The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine, 40 grams and more of fentanyl, and cocaine provides for a sentence of a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. 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 of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Malden Police Chief Glenn Cronin; and Revere Police Chief David Callahan made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbus men sentenced to decades in prison for their roles in drug & human trafficking rings, overdose & violent deaths

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two Columbus men were sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 25years and 23 years in prison for drug crimes, sex trafficking crimes and their roles in the deaths of a local man and woman. The defendants are two of nearly two dozen individuals charged in a case involving large-scale drug and human trafficking rings, the overdose death of at least one individual and the violent death of a second victim.

    Dustin A. Speakman, 35, of Columbus, was sentenced to 276 months in prison. He pleaded guilty in March 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances within 1,000 of an elementary school. As part of his plea, Speakman admitted to his role in the violent death of one victim that occurred during the time he was operating a drug distribution house.

    Tyler Bourdo, 31, of Columbus, was sentenced to 300 months in prison. He also pleaded guilty in March 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances within 1,000 of an elementary school, as well as distributing fentanyl and cocaine that resulted in death and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

    Speakman and Bourdo are two of 23 defendants charged in a narcotics and human trafficking case that involves at least two deaths. Two of the defendants were found guilty following a jury trial last month. All 23 defendants have been convicted or pleaded guilty.

    According to court documents, from 2008 until June 2022, lead defendants Patrick Saultz and Cordell Washington ran a large-scale drug trafficking organization in Columbus that included sex trafficking, labor trafficking and money laundering.

    Court documents detail that the drug trafficking organization brought large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, alprazolam and marijuana into Columbus. These drugs were sold or used to coerce individuals into sexual activity for some members of the drug ring and their profit.

    Speakman joined the drug trafficking organization after being released from jail in 2022, where he was housed with Saultz. Speakman was a mid-level drug distributor for the group out of residences on South Ogden and South Warren.

    As part of his guilty plea, Speakman admitted to severely beating one of his drug runners in May 2022 and then providing him with free drugs to make up for the attack. Witnesses said the male was beaten by Speakman and then given cocaine and fentanyl as compensation. Shortly after, the victim began to seize and foam at the mouth and did not respond to Narcan. The victim was driven to an alley near Grant Hospital where he was found unconscious by Columbus Fire Department personnel with severe trauma to the face and head. His cause of death was ultimately determined to be blunt force trauma caused by Speakman.

    Bourdo supplied and oversaw the drug distribution at one of the stash houses on North Warren. He was providing the property’s owners approximately $100 in illegal narcotics per day for use of the residence.

    According to Bourdo’s plea agreement, on Oct. 14, 2021, an individual was found deceased in an alley between Bourdo’s primary residence and a drug distribution house. The woman was found with a needle in her hand and another needle in her pocket and had been dead for approximately 18 hours.

    Further investigation revealed that, on Oct. 10, 2021, the woman had overdosed on crack cocaine and fentanyl at one of the organization’s drug houses that Bourdo supplied on North Warren. Witnesses on site immediately placed the woman in a bathtub and soaked her in cold water. The witnesses provided multiple rounds of Narcan, CPR and chest compressions, eventually resuscitating her. The woman left and, over the next 48 hours, met up with Bourdo on more than one occasion to get and use more drugs.

    Video surveillance of the alley shows Bourdo walking to the deceased woman’s body just moments before police personnel arrived to attempt (unsuccessfully) to obtain her phone to prevent further investigation into her death.

    As part of his plea, Bourdo admitted to coercing adult drug-addicted females into performing commercial sex acts by using violence as well as providing and then withholding or threatening to withhold narcotics and lodging.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris commended the investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Jared Murphey , Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, HIDTA Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.

    This investigation 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. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Oahu Physical Therapy Clinic Sentenced to Nine Months in Federal Prison for Health Care Fraud

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

    HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Stephen Timothy Wells, 41, of Waialua, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake to 9 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release for health care fraud. Wells, the owner of Oahu Spine and Rehab, a physical therapy clinic with locations in Kailua and Aiea, pleaded guilty to the charge on September 27, 2024. As part of his sentence, Wells was also ordered to pay restitution to TRICARE, a healthcare program for United States military service members and their families, and Medicare totaling $392,157.20.

    In his plea agreement, Wells admitted that from July 2013 through early 2020, he submitted false claims for payment for physical therapy services to TRICARE and Medicare. Wells used individuals not trained in physical therapy, including massage therapists, athletic trainers, personal trainers, and an individual who had no professional licenses or certifications whatsoever, to provide physical therapy services to patients. Wells admitted that he knew these individuals were not authorized providers and that he could not legitimately bill TRICARE and Medicare for physical therapy services rendered by them, even under supervision. Nevertheless, Wells billed the programs as though the services had been provided by licensed practitioners.

    “Tens of billions of dollars are lost to health care fraud each year, robbing Americans of vitally needed quality health services,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Over a nearly seven-year period, the defendant endeavored to bilk our nation’s taxpayer-funded TRICARE and Medicare programs out of as much money as possible. He diverted scarce program dollars from military service members and their families, as well as elderly and disabled Americans—some the most deserving and physically and financially vulnerable members of our society. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to those who attempt to cheat our taxpayer funded insurance programs: you will be caught and when you are, a prison sentence awaits.”

    This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mohammad Khatib and Rebecca Perlmutter prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Temple Terrace Man Indicted for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death

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

    Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Charles Zumbahlen (31, Temple Terrace) with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. If convicted, Zumbahlen faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Zumbahlen that the United States intends to forfeit all assets which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

    According to the indictment, on November 24, 2024, Zumbahlen distributed a lethal amount of fentanyl that resulted in the death of Victim-1. 

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

    This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements Under Oath in a Bankruptcy Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Travis Lee Harry, 40, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to making false statements under oath in a bankruptcy case.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Harry had owned and lived in a house in Princeton, West Virginia, which he sold on December 23, 2019. On February 5, 2020, Harry filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. On the Statement of Financial Affairs he submitted as part of the bankruptcy filing, and which he signed under penalty of perjury, Harry falsely stated that he and his spouse co-owned the house and sold it together. At a March 6, 2020, meeting of creditors as part of the bankruptcy proceeding, Harry falsely testified under oath that he had co-owned the house with his spouse. Harry admitted as part of his guilty plea that he solely owned the house, and that his spouse was never a co-owner. Harry further admitted that he falsely indicated during the creditors’ meeting that all of the proceeds from selling the house went to pay taxes.

    Harry 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.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.

    Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage 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-143.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Paul W. Brown Named Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office

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

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation has named Paul W. Brown as the special agent in charge of the Atlanta Field Office. Mr. Brown most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Mobile Field Office.

    Mr. Brown joined the FBI as a special agent in 2006 and was first assigned to the Bedford Resident Agency in New Hampshire.

    In 2012, Mr. Brown was promoted to supervisory special agent and moved to the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters. He was promoted to unit chief in 2013 and served as a program manager over U.S.-based international terrorism investigations.

    Mr. Brown transferred in 2015 to the Jacksonville Field Office, where he led the North Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force.

    In 2018, Mr. Brown was selected to serve as the assistant special agent in charge of cyber, counterintelligence, and crisis response programs of the Phoenix Field Office. He left in 2019 when he was promoted to section chief and appointed director of the FBI’s High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group.

    Mr. Brown was promoted again in 2020 to deputy assistant director of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate. In 2022, he moved to Alabama to serve as the special agent in charge of the Mobile Field Office.

    Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Brown served as an officer in the U.S. Army and worked as a business consultant for a multinational professional services company.  He earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University and an MBA from Tarleton State University in Texas.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Cartel Boss Tied to Southlake Murder-for-Hire Among Defendants Expelled From Mexico

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

    Among the 29 cartel bosses expelled from Mexico and transferred to the custody of the United States on Thursday was Northern District of Texas defendant Jose Rodolfo Villarreal Hernandez, aka “El Gato,” announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham. 

    Mr. Villarreal Hernandez, a Mexican national who held a high-level position in the Beltran-Leyva Organization (BLO) Drug Cartel, was charged in June 2018 with interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in the brutal slaying of a 43-year-old Southlake, Texas lawyer in 2013. 

    He was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List in October 2020 and arrested by Mexican law enforcement agents in Atizapán de Zaragoza, Mexico in January 2023.

    Attorney General Pam Bondi announced his successful extradition yesterday, pledging to prosecute all extradited cartel bosses “to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels.” 

    Mr. Villarreal Hernandez will make his initial appearance in federal court next week.

    According to evidence presented at the trial of his coconspirators, Mr. Villarreal Hernandez allegedly directed and financed a multi-year effort to locate and assassinate his victim, an attorney with ties to a rival cartel. Testimony revealed that Mr. Villarreal Hernandez allegedly believed the attorney was involved with the death of Mr. Villarreal Hernandez’s father and wanted revenge. 

    The victim was shot while sitting in the passenger seat of his vehicle outside an upscale shopping center in  Southlake on May 22, 2013. His wife was standing near the driver’s side door when her husband was killed. 

    Three men who, acting on orders from Mr. Villarreal Hernandez, tracked the victim prior to his death were convicted and sentenced in 2016: Jose Luis Cepeda-Cortes and Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Cepeda were convicted at trial of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire; Mr. Cepeda-Cortez was also convicted of tampering with documents or proceedings. Both men received life sentences. Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Campano, son of Mr. Ledezma-Cepeda, pleaded guilty prior to trial to one count of interstate stalking and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

    A fourth defendant, Ramon Villarreal-Hernandez, the brother of Jose Rodolfo, was arrested in Mexico and extradited to the United States in 2020. He pleaded guilty to interstate stalking in June 2022 and was sentenced to ten years in prison.

    According to the U.S. State Department, in addition to allegedly ordering the Southlake murder, Mr. Villarreal Hernandez is believed to have overseen the importation of large quantities of cocaine into the United States as well as committing violent acts within the Republic of Mexico and the United States to maintain his organization’s power and status.

    “After more than a decade, Mr. Villarreal Hernandez will have to answer for his alleged crimes in an American courtroom,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Since the victim was gunned down in a public parking lot in 2013, law enforcement’s commitment to this case has never wavered. I extend my sincere thanks to the federal, state, local, and international partners who have pulled together to ensure this defendant will be brought to justice.”

    “FBI Dallas and the Southlake Police Department have been determined to bring this individual to justice since he orchestrated a brutal murder in one of the many communities we serve in North Texas,” said R. Joseph Rothrock, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Dallas Field Office. “We would like to thank the United States Marshals Service for ensuring that Villarreal-Hernandez arrived safely and is now in federal custody on U.S. soil.”

    “An investigative success such as this one does not come easily or through individual efforts.  Policing is a team sport,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Eduardo A. Chávez. “We are proud to stand hand-in-hand with our colleagues from the FBI to secure Villarreal Hernández’ indictment, arrest, and transfer.  Violence and drug trafficking are evil bedfellows, but together we will ensure communities remain safe and criminals face justice.”

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Villarreal Hernandez is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    The statutory maximum penalty for interstate stalking is life in prison; the statutory maximum for the murder-for-hire charge is life in prison or death.

    The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, with assistance from the Southlake Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, the Fort Worth Police Department, and the Grapevine Police Department. The  Mexican Secretariat of the Navy, Fiscalía Generalde la República (FGR), Coordinación Nacional Antisecuestro (CONASE) coordinated in the arrest of Mr. Villarreal-Hernandez.  The U.S. Marshal Service for the Northern District of Texas assisted in securing the defendant upon his arrival in Texas. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Mexico City, and the U.S. Marshals Mexico City Foreign Field Office provided valuable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Burgess (fmr) and Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case against Mr. Luis Cepeda-Cortes, Mr. Ledezma-Cepeda, and Mr. Ledezma-Campano. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn Smith and Laura Montes are prosecuting the case against Mr. Villarreal Hernandez.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Vermont Man Sentenced to 132 Months for Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gabriel Charron, age 53, of Milton, Vermont, was sentenced today to 132 months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for the attempted online enticement of a minor.

    Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    As part of his prior guilty plea, Charron admitted that between May 2022 and March 4, 2023, he exchanged sexually explicit messages online with people he believed were a mother and an 11-year old girl, in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him.  Charron also admitted that on March 4, 2023, he traveled from Vermont to a hotel in Albany County, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the 11-year old girl.  Charron was arrested by law enforcement shortly after arriving at the location. 

    Charron will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

    FBI Albany investigated this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Brothers from Youngstown, Ohio, Each Sentenced to at Least a Decade in Prison for Participation in Interstate Cocaine Trafficking Operation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Two Youngstown, Ohio, residents were sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh on February 26, 2025, for their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and related firearms and drug trafficking charges, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendants were among 17 individuals from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; and Youngstown, Ohio, indicted in March 2024 for violating federal narcotics, firearms, and racketeering laws by conspiring to distribute cocaine throughout Western Pennsylvania and Youngstown (read the Indictment news release here).

    Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentences on brothers Ruben Noel Sanchez, 29, and Rubel Sanchez, 22. Ruben was sentenced to a total of 13 years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, with the latter two charges having been filed by Information in the Northern District of Ohio. Rubel was sentenced to 10 years of prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

    According to information presented to the Court, the Sanchez brothers were part of an organized drug trafficking group that shipped kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico, often mailing drug parcels through the U.S. Postal Service to co-conspirators responsible for selling the cocaine in Western Pennsylvania; Youngstown, Ohio; and elsewhere. This included the Sanchez brothers receiving kilograms of cocaine directly through the mail as well as receiving and paying for cocaine that was shipped to Philadelphia and then transported across Pennsylvania to Youngstown, Ohio. Upon receipt of the cocaine, the brothers and their co-conspirators distributed the drugs to customers and multiple other co-conspirators, who then distributed the cocaine in Youngstown, Ohio, and throughout Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.

    In March 2024, investigators executed a federal search warrant at a Youngstown residence utilized by the brothers in connection with their drug distribution operations, where investigators seized three Glock pistols—including one equipped with a machinegun conversion device known as a Glock switch and another loaded with ammunition; three unattached Glock switches; assorted ammunition; baggies of powder and pills that included separate mixtures and substances containing 1) fentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine, 2) fentanyl and xylazine, 3) cocaine, 4) fentanyl, 5) methamphetamine, and 6) heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine; a kilo press plate used in connection with the packaging and distribution of large quantities of powdered controlled substances; and the brothers’ cell phones. Evidence, including from these cell phones and other surveillance, established that the brothers knowingly possessed the drugs with the intent to distribute them and possessed the firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking. The brothers each were responsible for distributing and/or possessing with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine, at least 40 grams of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and methamphetamine.

    Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Drug Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service, as well as the New Castle Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and United States Department of Agriculture for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sanchez brothers.

    Lawrence County is one of six Western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Over 30 individuals sentenced to federal prison following Angelina County drug trafficking investigation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BEAUMONT, Texas – Over 30 individuals have been sentenced to federal prison following a five-year investigation into drug trafficking in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    According to information presented in court, in 2019, law enforcement in Angelina County began investigating numerous individuals for trafficking methamphetamine into and through East Texas.  As of February 2025, over 30 individuals have been sentenced to federal prison for offenses including conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and other related offenses.  The investigation and prosecution of individuals from East Texas, Houston, and elsewhere, resulted in the dismantling of a drug trafficking organization that operated between Mexico, Houston, Angelina County, Tyler County, and other areas.

    The following individuals were sentenced for various roles in the methamphetamine distribution conspiracy:

    • Jesus Sanchez-Rueda, 33, of Houston – 360 months
    • Jesse Canseco, 35, of Houston – 292 months
    • Oscar Negrete, 26, of Humble – 68 months
    • Adolfo Lopez-Lemus, 35, of Houston – 57 months
    • Ryan Canseco, 35, of Houston – 120 months + 60 months for a firearms violation (for a total of 180 months)
    • Jason Thompson, 44, of Lufkin – 210 months + 60 months consecutively for a firearms violation (for a total of 295 months)
    • Krista Thompson, 38, of Lufkin – 95 months + 60 months for a firearms violation (for a total of 155 months)
    • Rogers Williams, 31, of Houston – 135 months
    • Edgar Reyes, 26, of Houston – 57 months
    • Edwin Galicia, 26, of Houston – 150 months
    • Joel Hernandez, Jr., 30, of Humble – 57 months
    • Matthew Rogers, 43, of Houston – 70 months
    • Robert Rogers, 68, of Woodville – 120 months + 60 months for a firearms violation (for a total of 180 months)
    • Dustin Dauzart, 32, of Alexandria, LA – 140 months
    • Everett Charles Lutz, 67, of Lufkin – 235 months
    • Amanda Jane Lorentz, 37, of Lufkin – 235 months
    • Kevin Edward Hughes, 30 of Lufkin – 120 months
    • Aaron Dewberry, 52, of Lufkin – 120 months
    • Charles Gregory Runnels, 46, of Zavalla – 137 months
    • Richard Lyles, 44, of Lufkin – 84 months
    • Shane Gammons, 44, of Lufkin – 96 months
    • Andrea Bosley, 49, of Lufkin – 37 months
    • Paul Smith, 62, of Lufkin – 77 months
    • Joshua Gilpin, 37, of Lufkin – 121 months + 60 months consecutively for a firearms violation (for a total of 181 months)
    • Martin Deanda, 32, of Houston – 121 months
    • Lorenzo Hernandez, 24, of Houston – 121 months
    • Larry Sanchez, 30, of Houston – 121 months
    • Eric Copaus, 44, of Houston – 135 months
    • Autumn Farley aka Autumn Sheppard, 30, of Houston – 57 months
    • Santos Navarro, 50, of Houston – 130 months
    • Fernando Arias, 26, of Humble – 87 months
    • Lamarcus Morris, 38, of Houston – 235 months
    • Luke Bridges, 49, of Missouri City – 235 months
    • Brian Jones, 45, of Pensacola, FL – 48 months

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

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Lufkin; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Angelina County Sheriff’s Office; Lufkin Police Department; Harris County Sheriff’s Office; Houston Police Department; and the Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigations Division.  These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Gaston.                                                                                                                                  

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jacksonville Man With Domestic Violence And Felony Convictions Sentenced For Illegally Attempting To Buy A Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Jose Fernando Dominguez (51, Jacksonville) to 10 months in federal prison for making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm. Dominguez entered a guilty plea on October 1, 2024.

    According to court documents, in February 2024, Dominguez completed ATF Form 4473 while attempting to purchase a Springfield XD pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Jacksonville. On the form, Dominguez indicated that he had not been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and that he had not been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. Both statements were false. Dominguez had previously been convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery in Duval County and three crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment in Miami-Dade County, including grand theft, possession of cocaine, and sale, manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent a controlled substance. Dominguez was on probation for the domestic battery conviction at the time he made the false statement on the form. Because of his prior convictions, Dominguez is prohibited from possessing or purchasing firearms under federal law.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.

    This is another case uncovered through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). All NICS denials are reported to federal law enforcement and are reviewed daily for potential criminal prosecution. Federal law makes it a felony offense to make a false statement to a firearms dealer when trying to buy a gun.   

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former D.C. Public Official Sentenced to 15 Months for Bank Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Stole $844,000 in Funds from Pandemic Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

                WASHINGTON – Wendy Nicole Villatoro, 40, formerly of Washington, D.C., was sentenced February 28, 2025 in U.S. District Court to 15 months in federal prison for submitting fraudulent applications seeking money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that netted her $844,000.

                The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG) Northeast Region, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region.

                Villatoro, a former D.C. Homeland Security Commissioner and current employee with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pleaded guilty November 14, 2024, to bank fraud. In addition to the 15-month prison sentence, the Honorable Carl J. Nichols ordered Villatoro to serve two years of supervised release.

                According to the government’s evidence, between March 31, 2020, and August 4, 2021, Villatoro submitted eight PPP loan applications with various financial institutions and 15 Economic Injury Disaster (EID) loans with the Small Business Administration (SBA), all of which contained materially false statements. In order to get money from PPP lenders or the SBA, Villatoro submitted loans on behalf of fake businesses and inflated the number of employees, the average monthly payroll, the gross yearly revenue, or the cost of goods sold. In doing so, she tried to steal between $2.6 million and $5.5 million. While most of Villatoro’s loan applications were denied, she successfully secured over $844,000 in PPP and EID funds. Villatoro used the funds to pay off her student loans, pay off the car loan on a BMW SUV, and buy luxury items.

                As part of her plea agreement, Villatoro agreed to pay $844,415.24 in restitution to the U.S. Government and to forfeit items purchased with proceeds of the offense, including over 70 pieces of designer clothing and jewelry and a BMW SUV.

                The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

                The PPP allowed qualifying small-businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds were required to be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and used at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.

                The EIDL program was designed to provide economic relief to small businesses that were experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds were intended for a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities and fixed debt payments. If an applicant also obtained a loan under the PPP, the EIDL funds were not to be used for the same purpose as the PPP funds.  

                The case was investigated jointly by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, USDA-OIG, and SBA-OIG. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Washington Field Office Asset Forfeiture Unit.

                This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared English and Rick Blaylock, Jr. Valuable assistance was provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Connor Mullin, Anna Forgie, and Paul V. Courtney.

                Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Dangerous Firearms and Drugs the Focus of Two Takedowns in Vallejo

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

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two Vallejo Public Safety Partnership (PSP) investigations have resulted in arrests and federal charges for eight individuals for various gun and drug offenses. The PSP investigations are a part of a larger collaborative effort to address violent crime in the city of Vallejo. Making this announcement are Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith, Chief Jason Ta of the Vallejo Police Department, Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani.

    “The application process to join the U.S. Department of Justice’s Public Safety Partnership Program is competitive, and the United States Attorney’s Office is proud of the Vallejo Police Department’s selection as a participant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “This program is focused on maximizing scarce resources to increase Vallejo’s ability to fight violent crime, especially crime related to gang activity involving gun violence and drug trafficking. Our office is honored to partner with Vallejo through this unique initiative to provide focused, data-driven, and evidence-based resources and expertise to promote public safety in this city. The prosecutions announced today show our commitment to that partnership, as we bring federal resources to bear in the fight make Vallejo safer for all its residents.”

    “Every community member deserves to feel safe and secure in their home,” stated Vallejo Police Chief Jason Ta. “We are overcoming our resource limitations through law enforcement and community partnerships. We must work together as a team to make Vallejo safer.”

    “Today’s announcement is yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to collaborative investigations, leveraging the skills and talents of local, state, and federal partners to disrupt violent criminal networks that threaten the success and safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Drug and weapons trafficking conducted by criminal networks exploits and slowly erodes communities unless law enforcement and the public stand together against it. Every family should have the opportunity to live, work, and thrive in a safe, crime-free community and the FBI remains firmly committed to disrupt and dismantle gangs and criminal networks that endanger neighborhoods and threaten the potential of all citizens.”

    “ATF is proud to be a part of a collective effort to prevent and reduce violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The city of Vallejo is a safer community today because of programs like the National Public Safety Partnership or PSP. This investigation serves as a great example of the effectiveness of this program. ATF continues to stay focused on the commitment that we made to the communities we serve, and we hope to continue to have more investigations like this one.”

    Super 8

    According to court documents, since July 2024 until the present, the ATF’s Oakland Field Office has been investigating members of a loosely affiliated group that was illegally selling dangerous, high-powered weapons in Vallejo using a Super 8 motel on Solano Avenue as the hub of their criminal activity. On Feb. 20, 2025, ATF arrested four Vallejo residents charged with federal firearms offenses. Zuryess Anthony Roberts, 24, was charged with possession and transfer of a machine gun. Taezon Laurece Sanderson, 23, was charged with being felon in possession of a firearm. Divaya James Talley, 18, was charged with transfer and possession of a machine gun. Anderson Thurston, 66, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    Brown Brotherhood (BBH)

    According to court documents, the Brown Brotherhood gang is a subset of the Sureño gang and has been a frequent target of investigations of the Vallejo Police Department and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. The primary criminal activities of this gang have included murder, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, burglary, and stolen vehicles. The current investigation began in February 2024 through today’s arrests and takedown. FBI arrested four people today on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.

    Leo Alonso-Medina, 32, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Carlos Higuera-Aldana, 23, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Jeremiah Salanoa, 22, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Doroteo Suastegui, 47, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

    These cases are the product of investigations by the ATF, the FBI, the Vallejo Police Department, and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, R. Alex Cardenas, Nicole Vanek, Douglas Harman, Charles Campbell, and Adrian Kinsella are prosecuting the eight federal cases arising out of this collaborative PSP effort.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Business Partner Brothers Sentenced to Federal Prison for their Roles in $2.8M COVID Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Three brothers have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud. Two brothers, William Chan, 40, and Siu Chan, 32, both of Georgia, pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy. The third brother, Ka Ho Chan, 33, who also resides in Georgia, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. The brothers, along with other family members, operate a string of restaurants in the Charleston area.

    Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that beginning in March 2020, the Chan brothers applied for Paycheck Protect Program (PPP) and Emergency Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) funds using false representations and fraudulent documentation. 

    The evidence presented for William and Siu Chan revealed that at least 22 PPP and EIDL loans were applied for and received totaling more than $2.5 million. The investigation further revealed that a handful of the loans applied for by William and Siu were legitimate applications but the funds we not used for legitimate business purposes once funded. For example, the Government uncovered evidence that the brothers used PPP and EIDL loan funds to make personal car purchases and pay personal credit card expenses.

    Ka Ha Chan pleaded to a separate information charging him with wire fraud for an EIDL loan and grant he received. Moreover, in Ka Ha Chan’s plea agreement, he agreed to a restitution figure between $300,000 to $350,000 based on his receipt of fraudulent loan proceeds applied for by his brothers during their conspiracy. The evidence revealed that all the funds received by Ka Ho, though his own wire fraud scheme, and the funds he received from his brothers were not used for legitimate business purposes and were used for personal expenses, such as vehicle purchases and personal credit cards.

    “These defendants exploited a program intended to help struggling businesses during a critical time. Their greed led them to defraud the government and taxpayers, diverting millions of dollars intended for legitimate economic relief,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “This sentencing sends a clear message: those who attempt to profit from pandemic aid through fraud will be held accountable.”

    “We will not tolerate those who exploit programs designed to support small businesses, and these defendants are now facing the consequences for their actions,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office.  “The FBI remains committed to identifying, investigating, and holding accountable those who attempt undermine our financial institutions for personal gain.”

    United States District Richard M. Gergel sentenced William Chan to 24 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Siu Chan was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Ka Ho Chan was sentenced to 12 months and one day imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. 

    There is no parole in the federal system. The total amount of fraudulent loans and misuse of EIDL and PPP loan funds presented to the court during sentencing exceeded $2.8 million. In advance of sentencing, efforts had been made by the brothers to pay restitution. As a result, the outstanding restitution owed in the amount of $1,268,386.50 was ordered. 

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

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and Small Business Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In siding with Russia over Ukraine, Trump is not putting America first. He is hastening its decline

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor (Adj), Griffith Asia Institute; and Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University

    Has any nation squandered its diplomatic capital, plundered its own political system, attacked its partners and supplicated itself before its far weaker enemies as rapidly and brazenly as Donald Trump’s America?

    The fiery Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday saw the American leader try to publicly humiliate the democratically elected leader of a nation that had been invaded by a rapacious and imperialistic aggressor.

    And this was all because Zelensky refused to sign an act of capitulation, criticised Putin (who has tried to have Zelensky killed on numerous occasions), and failed to bend the knee to Trump, the country’s self-described king.

    The Oval Office meeting became heated in a way that has rarely been seen between world leaders.

    What’s worse is Trump has now been around so long that his oafish behaviour has become normalised. Together with his attack dog, Vice President JD Vance, Trump has thrown the Overton window – the spectrum of subjects politically acceptable to the public – wide open.

    Previously sensible Republicans are now either cowed or co-opted. Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is gutting America’s public service and installing toadies in place of professionals, while his social media company, X, is platforming ads from actual neo-Nazis.

    The FBI is run by Kash Patel, who hawked bogus COVID vaccine reversal therapies and wrote children’s books featuring Trump as a monarch. The agency is already busily investigating Trump’s enemies.

    The Department of Health and Human Services is helmed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine denier, just as Americans have begun dying from measles for the first time in a decade. And America’s health and medical research has been channelled into ideologically “approved” topics.

    At the Pentagon, in a breathtaking act of self-sabotage, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered US Cyber Command to halt all operations targeting Russia.

    And cuts to USAID funding are destroying US soft power, creating a vacuum that will gleefully be filled by China. Other Western aid donors are likely to follow suit so they can spend more on their militaries in response to US unilateralism.

    What is Trump’s strategy?

    Trump’s wrecking ball is already having seismic global effects, mere weeks after he took office.

    The US vote against a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia for starting the war against Ukraine placed it in previously unthinkable company – on the side of Russia, Belarus and North Korea. Even China abstained from the vote.

    In the United Kingdom, a YouGov poll of more than 5,000 respondents found that 48% of Britons thought it was more important to support Ukraine than maintain good relations with the US. Only 20% favoured supporting America over Ukraine.

    And Trump’s bizarre suggestion that China, Russia and the US halve their respective defence budgets is certain to be interpreted as a sign of weakness rather than strength.

    The oft-used explanation for his behaviour is that it echoes the isolationism of one of his ideological idols, former US President Andrew Jackson. Trump’s aim seems to be ring-fencing American businesses with high tariffs, while attempting to split Russia away from its relationship with China.

    These arguments are both economically illiterate and geopolitically witless. Even a cursory understanding of tariffs reveals that they drive inflation because they are paid by importers who then pass the costs on to consumers. Over time, they are little more than sugar pills that turn economies diabetic, increasingly reliant on state protections from unending trade wars.

    And the “reverse Kissinger” strategy – a reference to the US role in exacerbating the Sino-Soviet split during the Cold War – is wishful thinking to the extreme.

    Putin would have to be utterly incompetent to countenance a move away from Beijing. He has invested significant time and effort to improve this relationship, believing China will be the dominant power of the 21st century.

    Putin would be even more foolish to embrace the US as a full-blown partner. That would turn Russia’s depopulated southern border with China, stretching over 4,300 kilometres, into the potential front line of a new Cold War.

    What does this mean for America’s allies?

    While Trump’s moves have undoubtedly strengthened the US’ traditional adversaries, they have also weakened and alarmed its friends.

    Put simply, no American ally – either in Europe or Asia – can now have confidence Washington will honour its security commitments. This was brought starkly home to NATO members at the Munich Security Conference in February, where US representatives informed a stunned audience that America may no longer view itself as the main guarantor of European security.

    Vice President JD Vance delivers a strong message to European leaders.

    The swiftness of US disengagement means European countries must not only muster the will and means to arm themselves quickly, but also take the lead in collectively providing for Ukraine’s security.

    Whether they can do so remains unclear. Europe’s history of inaction does not bode well.

    US allies also face choices in Asia. Japan and South Korea will now be seriously considering all options – potentially even nuclear weapons – to deter an emboldened China.

    There are worries in Australia, as well. Can it pretend nothing has changed and hope the situation will then normalise after the next US presidential election?

    The future of AUKUS, the deal to purchase (and then co-design) US nuclear powered submarines, is particularly uncertain.

    Does it make strategic sense to pursue full integration with the US military when the White House could just treat Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul and Canberra with the same indifference it has displayed towards its friends in Europe?

    Ultimately, the chaos Trump 2.0 has unleashed in such a short amount of time is both unprecedented and bewildering. In seeking to put “America First”, Trump is perversely hastening its decline. He is leaving America isolated and untrusted by its closest friends.

    And, in doing so, the world’s most powerful nation has also made the world a more dangerous, uncertain and ultimately an uglier place to be.

    Matthew Sussex has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Atlantic Council, the Fulbright Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the Lowy Institute and various Australian government departments and agencies.

    – ref. In siding with Russia over Ukraine, Trump is not putting America first. He is hastening its decline – https://theconversation.com/in-siding-with-russia-over-ukraine-trump-is-not-putting-america-first-he-is-hastening-its-decline-251140

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hardin County, Kentucky, Man Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Mailing Threats to Kill and Extort

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

    Louisville, KY – A Hardin County, Kentucky man was sentenced yesterday to 4 years in prison for mailing letters with threats to kill and extort.

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Chief Jeremy Thompson of the Elizabethtown Police Department made the announcement.

    According to court documents, Kyle Miller, 21, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years supervised release, for mailing threatening communications with threats to kill and extort. On July 6, 2023, August 28, 2023, and October 16, 2023, Miller mailed letters to a victim containing threats to kill. On January 28, 2024, Miller mailed letters to a victim containing threats to kill and extort. On October 13, 2023, Miller mailed a letter to a victim containing a threat to kill.

    There is no parole in the federal system.   

    This case was investigated by the FBI, KSP and Elizabethtown Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts prosecuted the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Fort Campbell Soldier Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offenses

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

    Paducah, KY – A former Fort Campbell soldier was sentenced last week to 5 years and 4 months in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.     

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

    According to court documents, Brett Nicolas Ellison, 24, was sentenced to 5 years and 4 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Between November 2019 and June 2022, Ellison received and possessed child sexual abuse material while he was a soldier stationed at the Fort Campbell Army Post, possessing over 90 images and 70 videos containing child sexual abuse material.

    Ellison was also ordered to pay $57,000 in restitution to victims.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Hopkinsville Satellite Office and Army CID.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Jury in Louisville Indicts Three Illegal Aliens

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

    Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned indictments on February 19, 2025, charging 3 illegal aliens with federal criminal offenses.   

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, Police Chief Mike Canon of the Calvert City Police Department, and Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement made the announcement.

    According to the indictments:

    Juan Baltazar Felipe-Pedro, age 26, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about January 23, 2025, Felipe-Pedro was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about April 25, 2019. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI and ICE/ERO.

    Jhoandiris Jimenez-Barrio, age 26, and Yirvel Yonaker Rios-Castro, age 20, citizens of Venezuela, were indicted for conspiracy to commit bank larceny and attempted bank larceny. On or about January 31, 2025, they conspired with each other and others to break into and steal money from an automated teller machine (ATM). They traveled to a bank in Calvert City, Kentucky and attempted to open an ATM to steal money. Homeland Security Investigations verified that Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro are Venezuelan and entered the United States illegally. If convicted, the men face a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison. The case is being investigated by the FBI, Calvert City Police Department, and HSI.

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

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Spencer McKiness, Seth Hancock, and Raymond McGee are prosecuting the cases.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas Man Sentenced for Crimes Related to Child Sexual Abuse

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

    KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man received a combined sentence of 87 months in prison after pleading guilty in two separate cases related to criminal misconduct involving minors.

    According to court documents, Daniel Paul Prekopa, 46, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of attempted travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. In a separate case, Prekopa pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child sexual abuse materials.

    In September 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) notified the Wichita Police Department about a cybertip concerning child sexual abuse materials uploaded to a Dropbox account. Law enforcement confirmed through investigation that the account to belonged to Prekopa.  The materials depicted children under the age of 12 years old engaged in sexual conduct. 

    In a separate investigation in September 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Child Exploitation Task Force engaged in covert chat sessions on platforms known to be frequented by adults attempting to lure children into sexual acts. An undercover agent posing as a minor received a direct message from a user later to be confirmed as Daniel Prekopa. Prekopa sent provocative photos of himself and made sexually illicit comments during multiple exchanges with whom he thought to be a minor, at one point writing, “I could get in major trouble since you’re under 16. But idc either” and “And you have damn cops online trying to catfish people to get them in trouble”.

    FBI agents arrested Prekopa after he traveled from Kansas City, Missouri, to Overland Park, Kansas, for the intended purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a person under the age of 18.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC),  and the Wichita Police Department investigated the cases.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra prosecuted the cases.

    Project Safe Childhood
    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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. 
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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Slams Trump for Weaponizing FBI to Target National Climate Bank Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Senator is co-author of the provision that created the National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator

    Funds for programs have been frozen for past two weeks with no explanation from Citibank or the EPA

    Washington (February 28, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today released the following statement after revelations that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been questioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. These programs, which are part of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, leverage private capital to cut energy bills for families and small businesses, improve resiliency against climate change-fueled disasters, and create local economic opportunity while combatting climate change. The affected $20 billion in funding was lawfully passed by Congress, based on Senator Markey’s National Climate Bank Act, and awarded to grantees around the country.

    Earlier this month, the head of the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney’s office in the District of Columbia, Denise Cheung, was pressured to find evidence of a crime as a justification for freezing the release of the congressionally approved federal funds for the National Clean Investment Fund and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. When Cheung declined to pursue an unwarranted criminal investigation due to insufficient evidence, she was forced to resign. Trump Justice Department officials then took additional unprecedented steps to formally freeze this funding—steps which were subsequently rejected by a federal judge and refused by other federal prosecutors. Now, the Trump Justice Department has sent in the FBI.

    “The Trump administration is carrying out a literal bank heist right now, and weaponizing the FBI to do so. First freezing funding, then cravenly searching for a non-existent crime, and now utilizing the FBI to target the climate bank is unfounded and is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to dismantle the programs that keep Americans safe, healthy, and create jobs. A freeze on these investments would be, by far, the U.S. government’s largest confirmed financial seizure.

    “This kind of illegal and unethical witch hunt is McCarthyesque and shows the Trump administration to be both un-American and deeply worried about the power of clean energy and climate investments. Grantees are already starting to distribute funding to finance projects that will cut energy bills, improve resiliency, and create local economic opportunity around the country.

    “The FBI must immediately stop following the groundless, politicized directives of Trump and Musk and instead return to the important work of protecting the American people, not serving as Trump’s personal corrupt police force. And Citibank must immediately restart the flow of funds to recipients so they can continue to leverage private dollars for projects that will benefit Americans nationwide.”

    Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, Senators Markey and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06), the House lead on the climate financing legislation, welcomed the launch of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in April 2023.

    Since the start of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s unfounded attacks on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund this month, Senator Markey issued a statement urging Citibank not to give into fearmongering, wrote a letter to the Department of Justice Inspector General about revelations that Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Cheung was forced to resign after declining to pursue a criminal investigation, and signed onto a letter with the entire Environment and Public Works Committee Democrats demanding answers from the EPA.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Oahu Physical Therapy Clinic Sentenced to 9 Months in Federal Prison for Health Care Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Stephen Timothy Wells, 41, of Waialua, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake to 9 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release for health care fraud. Wells, the owner of Oahu Spine and Rehab, a physical therapy clinic with locations in Kailua and Aiea, pleaded guilty to the charge on September 27, 2024. As part of his sentence, Wells was also ordered to pay restitution to TRICARE, a healthcare program for United States military service members and their families, and Medicare totaling $392,157.20.

    In his plea agreement, Wells admitted that from July 2013 through early 2020, he submitted false claims for payment for physical therapy services to TRICARE and Medicare. Wells used individuals not trained in physical therapy, including massage therapists, athletic trainers, personal trainers, and an individual who had no professional licenses or certifications whatsoever, to provide physical therapy services to patients. Wells admitted that he knew these individuals were not authorized providers and that he could not legitimately bill TRICARE and Medicare for physical therapy services rendered by them, even under supervision. Nevertheless, Wells billed the programs as though the services had been provided by licensed practitioners.

    “Tens of billions of dollars are lost to health care fraud each year, robbing Americans of vitally needed quality health services,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Over a nearly seven-year period, the defendant endeavored to bilk our nation’s taxpayer-funded TRICARE and Medicare programs out of as much money as possible. He diverted scarce program dollars from military service members and their families, as well as elderly and disabled Americans—some the most deserving and physically and financially vulnerable members of our society. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to those who attempt to cheat our taxpayer funded insurance programs: you will be caught and when you are, a prison sentence awaits.”

    This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of Inspector General.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mohammad Khatib and Rebecca Perlmutter prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oakland Man Who Worked As A Substitute Teacher Charged With Mailing Threatening Letters To East Bay Elementary School

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OAKLAND – A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Lester Dale Lee, 69, of Oakland, with mailing threatening communications to Dayton Elementary School in San Leandro.  Lee made his initial appearance in federal district court this morning.  

    According to the criminal complaint and court documents, Lee allegedly mailed threatening letters to Dayton Elementary School on three occasions in May 2023.  All three letters were sent in similar envelopes bearing the same typewritten address label.  On May 3, 2023, the school received a letter addressed to one of its teachers.  In the letter, Lee, posing as the parent of a student in the teacher’s classroom, allegedly used a racial slur to describe some students and threatened to shoot the students and teacher if the school did not remove the African American students from the class.  On May 18, 2023, the school received a second mailing that was addressed to the principal and contained an unidentified white powder.  On May 19, 2023, the school received a third letter that addressed to the same teacher as the May 3 mailing.  Lee again allegedly posed as the parent of a student in the class, used a racial slur to refer to students in the class, and threatened to shoot the African American students and the teachers if they were not removed from the school because he wanted “them all dead.”  

    Lee had worked through a staffing agency as a substitute teacher at numerous school sites within the San Lorenzo Unified School District during the 2022 to 2023 school year, including at Dayton Elementary School.  According to the complaint, Lee was terminated from his substitute teaching position in April 2023, following reports of conflicts between Lee and students at the elementary school.  

    Lee is next scheduled to appear in federal court on March 28, 2025 for a status hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.      

    Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin made the announcement.

    A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $100 fine for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 876(c) and 18 U.S.C. § 1038(a)(1)(A).  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.  

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Mateer is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the San Leandro Police Department.

    Lester Dale Lee Complaint
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Joins Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Ban High-Capacity Gun Magazines

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    A similar law prohibiting semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines was in place from 1994-2004
    Washington (February 28, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), joined Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and colleagues in introducing the Keep Americans Safe Act (KASA) to reinstate a nationwide ban on the sale, transfer, possession, import, or manufacture of high-capacity gun magazines that hold more than ten rounds. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives by Diana DeGette (CO-01), Dina Titus (NV-01), and Brad Schneider (IL-10).
    A federal law prohibiting semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines was in place from 1994 to 2004. While research showed this regulation reduced the likelihood of mass shooting fatalities by 70 percent, this federal law has not been renewed since 2004. In mass shootings with four or more people killed between 2015 and 2022, high-capacity magazines led to more than twice as many people killed, and nearly 10 times as many people wounded, per incident on average.
    Specifically, the Keep Americans Safe Act would:
    1. Ban the sale or transfer of high-capacity gun magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds to anyone other than law enforcement;
    2. Ban the possession of a high-capacity gun magazine manufactured after the date of enactment by anyone other than law enforcement;
    3. Authorize high-capacity magazine buyback programs; and
    4. Authorize law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and ATF, to seize and destroy high-capacity magazines possessed illegally.
    “The common denominator in nearly every mass shooting is large-capacity magazines (LCMs), dangerous accessories that allow shooters to continuously fire without reloading, robbing victims of an opportunity to flee or intervene,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady: United Against Gun Violence. “Regardless if they are paired with handguns or assault weapons, when LCMs are used in shootings, 155% more people are shot and twice as many people are killed. Brady is grateful to Sen. Blumenthal, Sen. Hirono, and Rep. DeGette for their leadership and is proud to endorse the Keep Americans Safe Act to regulate these dangerous accessories and make America safer.”
    “High-capacity magazines enable shooters to cause devastating harm in a short amount of time and restricting them will help prevent mass shootings that have tragically become too common,” said Nick Wilson, Senior Director of gun violence prevention at Center for American Progress. “If enacted, the Keep Americans Safe Act would save lives because it is working in states who’ve adopted similar laws. When a mass shooting occurred, states with a large-capacity magazine ban had 38 percent fewer fatalities and 77 percent fewer nonfatal injuries.”
    “High-capacity magazines were designed for war, but have become a favored tool for mass shooters looking to inflict maximum carnage,” said John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety. “We applaud Senator Hirono for introducing this legislation, which will keep high-capacity magazines out of civilian hands.”
    The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
    The full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: El Salvador National Previously Convicted Of Double Homicide Charged With Illegally Reentering The United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A citizen of El Salvador who was previously convicted for double homicide and sentenced to 50 years in prison in El Salvador, was charged with illegally reentering the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    César Eliseo Sorto-Amaya, 28, was charged today by complaint with illegally reentering the United States and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal Court.

    According to documents filed in this case, public statements and statements made in court:

    Since 2015, Sorto-Amaya was deported from and illegally returned to the United States three separate times, including one time where he was deported after being convicted of weapons possession charges in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In April 2024, Sorto-Amaya was convicted in abstentia in El Salvador of double aggravated homicide and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, and law enforcement authorities in El Salvador, with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.

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

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    Defense counsel: Carol Dominguez, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –