NewzIntel.com

Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictment Adds Murder and Other Charges Against Maryland Man Accused of Shooting a DCHA Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Victor Scott Terrill, 41, of Landover, Maryland, was charged in a 10-count superseding indictment, filed yesterday in U.S. District Court, with first-degree murder while armed and related counts, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                The new charges stem from the February 23, 2024, fatal shooting of a man identified as R.C., and the nonfatal shooting of another man, while Terrill was on pre-trial release in a D.C. Superior Court matter.

                Terrill was initially arrested on February 29, 2024, for the shooting of a District Housing Authority Police Officer at a Southeast apartment building in Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood. He was subsequently charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer (felony) while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and related offenses for that conduct. A Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, recovered in a trashcan following his arrest, was also linked to the February 23 murder and nonfatal shooting. 

                With respect to the fatal shooting, Terrill is charged with one count of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. With respect to the nonfatal shooting of the other man, Terrill is charged with one count of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Terrill is further charged with committing these offenses while on pretrial release in a Superior Court matter.

                This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ariel Dean, Justin Song, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan for the District of Columbia.

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

    24cr145

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Career Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Mailing Threats to Federal Officials

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUCSON, Ariz. – Charles Morice Gilmore, 52, of Missouri, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez to concurrent statutory maximum sentences of 10 years in prison for Mailing Threatening Communications, and six years for Influencing Federal Official by Threat. Gilmore pleaded guilty to these crimes on October 1, 2024.

    Between February 28, 2023, and March 27, 2023, while an inmate at the United States Penitentiary in Tucson, Gilmore mailed letters to a federal judge claiming there were bombs in the courthouse where the victim worked and that the bombs could be remotely detonated. The letters to the judge contained religious slurs and asserted ties to the Hells Angels and the Ku Klux Klan. Gilmore also sent a threatening letter to a federal prosecutor who had previously handled one of his cases. Gilmore attached pipe bomb instructions to that letter. He claimed he had mailed the instructions to others outside the prison to carry out his orders. A third letter from Gilmore to a former cellmate with instructions for making pipe bombs and listing locations where the pipe bombs should be placed was also intercepted.

    Gilmore has a lengthy criminal history for violent offenses and is a career offender. Judge Martinez imposed concurrent stipulated sentences of 10 years for each mailing of threatening communications and six years for threatening a federal judge. The sentences will be consecutive to Gilmore’s 10-year federal sentence for mailing threatening communications in 2017; a 10-year sentence for threatening federal officials in 2014; a 90-month sentence in 2013 for mailing threatening communications to a different federal judge; and a 20-year prison sentence for stabbing an inmate in Jefferson City, Missouri in 2018. A separate case against Gilmore for mailing a hoax bomb threat to a state courthouse in Missouri was dismissed as part of the stipulated agreement in this case.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-2122-TUC-AMM
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-020_Gilmore

    # # #

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Career Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

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

    PROVIDENCE – A 49-year-old former Rhode Island man whom court records reflect is a career offender who has spent nearly half of his life incarcerated, has been sentenced to a further ten years in federal prison for trafficking multiple kilos of methamphetamine into Rhode Island, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

    Carl Sharp, 49, of Peoria, Arizona, who formerly resided in Rhode Island, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 120 months of incarceration to be followed by five years of federal supervised release. Sharp pleaded guilty on October 15, 2024, to a charge of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

    Court records reflect that Sharp was previously convicted and incarcerated on unrelated charges involving, among other things: drug trafficking, domestic violence, and assault. Sharp also previously faced a murder charge, but was acquitted of that charge after a key witness in the case died.

    According to court documents and information provided to the court in the current federal case, during an investigation into drugs being shipped through the U.S. Mail to Rhode Island from Western states, the United States Postal Inspection Service identified thirteen packages, six of which were mailed by Sharp. Court-authorized searches of three packages, two of which were mailed by Sharp, resulted in the seizure of a total of 4.44 kilograms of methamphetamine and 249 grams of cocaine.

    One of the packages shipped by Sharp was sent to a Rhode Island residence that he had used previously for his drug trafficking activities, and another parcel was mailed to the residence of an unsuspecting 85-year-old woman who lived alone. After opening the package and finding nearly two kilos of meth wrapped in clothing inside the package, a man knocked on her back door looking for the package.  The woman told the man that she did not have the package, and he left. She then brought the package to the post office.

    A financial investigation into Sharp’s assets determined that between January 2022 and May 2024, he deposited over $320,000 in unexplained cash into his personal bank account.

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

    The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the FBI.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Statement on Kash Patel Ahead of Confirmation Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    Published: February 20 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) released the following statement ahead of the Senate’s vote to confirm Kash Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):
    “One of my top priorities is keeping Americans safe, and that’s why I will vote no on Kash Patel’s dangerous nomination to lead the FBI. The FBI Director should be someone who will prioritize the rule of law and independence from political interference. It’s obvious that Patel is unable and unwilling to do that. The Trump Administration—potentially at Patel’s direction—has already fired career agents and civil servants at the FBI who have led U.S. counterterrorism and counterintelligence efforts, investigated horrific crimes, and safeguarded Americans from threats; I fear that these politically-motivated firings will only accelerate if Patel is confirmed.
    “Senate Republicans’ rubber-stamping of Patel—and other nominees for critical national security and law enforcement roles—shows that they are incapable of prioritizing the safety and security of Americans for fear that they will upset the President. It also sends a terrible message to the men and women of the FBI and other national security and law enforcement agencies who have taken the same pledge that we take as members of Congress: to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”  
    During his time in the U.S. Senate, Kaine has previously voted to confirm all FBI Director nominees, including during President Trump’s first term.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Providence Woman Sentenced in Conspiracy to Smuggle Contraband Inside the Wyatt Detention Center

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE – A Providence woman who previously admitted to a federal judge that she provided contraband that made its way into the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, RI, was sentenced today to two years of federal supervised release, the first six months to be served in home detention with GPS monitoring, and fined $1,500, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Yahaira Cristina Contreras, 32, admitted that in early 2021, she conspired with others to provide 201 suboxone strips containing buprenorphine that made its way to a Wyatt Detention Center correctional officer and into the facility. Contreras admitted that she provided the contraband and that she transferred $3,000 from her bank account to another person’s account to facilitate getting the suboxone strips inside the Wyatt Detention Center.

    Contreras’ sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose.

    Former Wyatt Detention Center correctional officer Kaii Almeida-Falcones, 30, of Smithfield, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to a charge of providing contraband to an inmate. He was sentenced on November 19, 2024, to six months in federal prison to be followed by twenty-four months of federal supervised release – the first six months to be served on home confinement.

    The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin.

    The matter was investigated by the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and the Professional Standards Unit at the Wyatt Detention Center.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tempe Man Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Animal Crushing

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eric Thomas Scionti, 36, of Tempe, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 47 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Scionti pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person and Animal Crushing in two separate cases on October 3, 2024. 

    On January 18, 2023, pursuant to a search warrant, federal agents seized six firearms and 1,826 rounds of ammunition from areas of a residence controlled by the defendant. Scionti had previously been convicted of multiple Arizona state felonies and was consequently prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.

    On September 29, 2023, federal agents received authorization to search records and information associated with Scionti’s email account. During that search, agents seized approximately 168 videos and 89 digital photographs depicting Scionti torturing and mutilating live pigeons.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigations in these cases. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecutions.
     

    CASE NUMBER:            CR-23-00600-PHX-JJT
                                           CR-24-00890-PHX-JJT
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-019_Scionti

    # # #

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Houston Resident Pleads Guilty to Laundering Proceeds From $40 Million Fraud Scheme

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

    HOUSTON – A 43-year-old man has admitted to laundering proceeds from a large-scale bank fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Bun Khath admitted that from 2016 to 2021, he conspired with others in a bank fraud scheme involving dozens of loans totaling at least $40 million in fraudulent loan proceeds.  

    As part of the plea, Khath acknowledged opening and maintaining shell companies and bank accounts to collect money from the scheme and then laundering the fraud proceeds by wiring them to bank accounts other co-conspirators controlled.

    Khath and others accomplished the bank fraud by preparing loan applications that contained false and fraudulent information and documents, including fake equipment sales invoices, income tax returns and financial and bank statements.

    U.S. District Keith Ellison will impose sentencing April 29. At that time, Khath faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 possible fine or twice the amount involved in the transaction.  

    He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

    Another Houston resident charged in the case – Hugo Villanueva, 70, – is considered a fugitive, and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000.

    The Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General (OIG), IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Inmate Given Life Sentence for Brutal Murder of Cellmate at Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TERRE HAUTE— Lawrence Taylor, 44, formerly of Akron, Ohio, and current inmate of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, has been sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

    According to court documents, Taylor and Jan Stevens (“Stevens”) were inmates at the Federal Correctional Complex, in Terre Haute, Indiana, and housed within the Special Housing Unit (“SHU”). Taylor and Stevens were cellmates in the SHU for just three days prior to January 12, 2019.

    On January 12, 2019, at approximately 1:25 a.m., a SHU staff member walked by Taylor’s and Stevens’s cell and observed Stevens lying on the lower bunk, partially covered with a sheet, with his head at the foot of the bed. Taylor was also inside the cell, standing in front of the door window. Upon a second glance, the staff member saw a laceration to Stevens’s neck, along with blood spattered against the wall and pooling on the floor. The next day, a forensic pathologist conducted an autopsy of Stevens and found his cause of death to be 43 stab wounds to his body, most significantly to the neck area, leading him to bleed out. During an interview with FBI agents, Taylor admitted to killing Stevens with a weapon he had possessed for the previous three months.

    At the time of the murder, Taylor was serving a 284-month sentence for a series of bank robberies in 2009.  Prior to the murder of Stevens, Taylor was projected to be released from the Bureau of Prisons in September 2031.

    “This murder extends beyond the taking of a life – it shatters the lives of those closest to the victim.  Taylor’s act was heinous; well justifying the imposition of a life sentence,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I commend the FBI, Corrections Officers and our federal prosecutors who handled this case with such a determination for justice.”

    “This life sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to justice for all victims including those who are incarcerated in federal correctional facilities. The brutality of this violent murder deserves the maximum penalty allowed under the law,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI will continue to work closely with the Bureau of Prisons and all of our law enforcement partners to investigate and apprehend those who commit violent acts and hold them accountable.”

    “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message – those who threaten or harm others will be held accountable,” said a Federal Bureau of Prisons Spokesperson. “The safety and security of our facilities will always be the FBOP’s top priority in our mission to ensure public safety.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath and former Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Warden, who prosecuted this case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Twenty-Nine-Year-Old Arrested, Charged With Threatening to Shoot Up Elementary School

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

    A man who threatened to shoot up a Lubbock elementary school has been arrested and charged, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Stephen Patrick Furr, 29, was charged via criminal complaint with interstate threatening communications and arrested Monday afternoon. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda ‘Amy’ R. Burch Wednesday morning.

    “The foresight of a single tipster – coupled with the prompt action of law enforcement – may have saved dozens of young lives,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The adage holds true: If you see something, say something. You may help law enforcement avert a tragedy.”

    “The defendant’s concerning social media posts were reported to the FBI, and the resulting law enforcement response ensured no one was harmed,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting the communities we serve, and we encourage the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious or threatening behavior to law enforcement.”

    According to the complaint, on Feb. 2, the FBI received a tip about threats posted on BlueSky, a microblogging site.

    “Thinking about going out and buying a gun,” the user posted. “When in Texas, shoot [expletive] [expletive] am I right? Good thing I live next to an elementary school.”

    The posts escalated from musings about a possible future shooting to statements that the user had a gun and intended to carry out a school shooting: 

    “Will be fun to legally shoot up a school,” the user posted. “I can already smell the blood.”

    “Anyone wanna sign my gun?” he added.

    The user also posted images from the March 2019 shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, which killed 51 people and injured 89 more.

    Agents identified the user of the account as Mr. Furr and visited him at his home in Lubbock on Feb. 3.

    According to the complaint, Mr. Furr was “disheveled and unkempt.” He allegedly screamed incoherent profanities and stated that he would not talk to the agents until the President confirmed their identity.

    Officers contacted two of Mr. Furr’s family members, who stated that Mr. Furr had also threatened them.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Furr is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

    If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency conducted the investigation with the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag is prosecuting the case.

    Members of the public can report potential threats to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Secures Pledge from Trump’s Labor Nominee to Put American Workers First, Hold Companies Accountable for Labor Abuses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, February 19, 2025

    Today in a Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Senate Committee hearing with Department of Labor nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer, U.S. Senator Hawley (R-Mo.) secured commitments that, if confirmed, Chavez-DeRemer would implement President Trump’s pro-worker agenda to put American workers first and crack down on mega-corporations that are violating labor laws by exploiting children.

    “Let me just give you an example of bad corporate behavior, Tyson’s Food has closed down two major plants in my state, the state of Missouri, just in the last year and a half. They have cancelled contracts with farmers. They have put thousands of workers in my state out of business, and yet, we know from the investigations done by the New York Times and others, that they huge numbers of illegal child labor in their supply chains,” said Senator Hawley.

    “So, they’re firing American workers, but they are exploiting child workers. Will you go after companies like Tyson’s and anyone else who would violate our labor laws and exploit children while they are firing American workers?” he asked.

    Chavez-DeRemer pledged to “protect, and not exploit” all workers, and not tolerate child labor in the United States, citing the Department of Labor’s enforcement capabilities.

    [embedded content]

    Watch the full exchange here, or click the video above.

    Senator Hawley also highlighted an alarming trend from the Biden Administration: more job growth for foreign workers than American workers.

    “During one month alone, the Biden Administration allowed 370,000 illegal immigrants to cross the border. Many of these people got work permits. And started working, competing with American workers and legal residents. Many of them union members. And of course, illegal immigrants [are] not union members. Companies don’t pay them the same wages. They don’t offer them the same protections. Speak to the danger of out of control illegal immigration when it comes to wages and benefits for American workers,” said Senator Hawley.

    Chavez-DeRemer pledged that protecting American workers was a top priority for President Trump.  

    BACKGROUND

    Recently, Senator Hawley has begun working on his own package of pro-labor legislation to support American workers.
     
    Senator Hawley has long advocated to protect kids and hold mega-corporations accountable for child labor in their supply chains. Following a 2023 New York Times investigation, Senator Hawley questioned Robin Dunn Marcos, Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, about the 85,000 children the Biden Administration lost track of, leaving them vulnerable to human traffickers and dangerous child labor practices. Senator Hawley also sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray demanding a full-scale effort be made to locate the nearly 85,000 missing migrant children.

    In September of 2023, Senator Hawley sent a letter to Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King, demanding answers after a disturbing report from The New York Times exposed unsafe, illegal child labor practices within the company.

    In May of 2023, Senator Hawley introduced the Corporate Responsibility for Child Labor Elimination Act, legislation compelling large corporations to eradicate unlawful child labor from their operations in the United States.

    Senator Hawley previously introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to crack down on child labor in the United States. Last congress, the bill passed out of committee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourteen Members of Bandidos Motorcycle Gang Indicted for Offenses Including Racketeering, Assault, and Murder

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

    HOUSTON – A 22-count indictment has been unsealed in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) following an operation targeting multiple members of an allegedly violent, transnational motorcycle gang in the Houston metropolitan area.

    Current and former members of the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and Mascareros Motorcycle Club are charged for their alleged roles in a criminal enterprise engaged in violent criminal activity in and around Houston. The Mascareros is a support club of the Bandidos.

    Several of those are expected to make their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo at 2 p.m. Feb. 20.

    A federal grand jury returned an indictment Feb. 11 against 14 members and associates of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang accusing them of various crimes, to include engaging in a conspiracy to commit racketeering activity and committing violent crimes in furtherance of the gang such as murder, attempted murder and assault. The indictment alleges the Bandidos are a self-identified “outlaw” motorcycle organization with a membership of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 in the United States and an additional 1,000 to 1,500 members internationally, including in Mexico.

    “Ensuring the safety of the public is SDTX’s paramount concern,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “The indictment here not only alleges shocking crimes of violence, but also alleges that these offenses were committed openly and wantonly, where any innocent member of the public could have been hurt or killed.” 

    “Today’s indictment is an important step in eliminating the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Bandidos declare war on rivals—and they wage that war on our streets. Criminal behavior like this has no place in America, and the Department of Justice is fully committed to bringing peace back to our communities.”

    The indictment alleges that beginning in 2019, a violent turf war erupted between the Bandidos and B*EAST, a rival outlaw motorcycle gang in the Houston area. As part of this turf war, Bandidos national leadership allegedly put out a “smash on site” order to commit physical assaults, including murder, against B*EAST members. The turf war has resulted in gunfire exchanged on public roadways and in public establishments with innocent civilians present, according to the charges.

    John M. Pfeffer aka Big John, 32, Darvi Hinojosa aka 10 Round, 35, Bradley Rickenbacker aka Dolla Bill, 37, all of Katy; Michael H. Dunphy aka Money Mike, 57, Cleveland; Christopher Sanchez aka Monster, 40, Tomball; and Brandon K. Hantz aka Loco and Gun Drop, 33, Crosby; are charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering activity. Pfeffer, Dunphy, Hinojosa, Rickenbacker and Sanchez are further charged with multiple counts of assault in aid of racketeering. Pfeffer, Hinojosa, Rickenbacker and Sanchez are also charged with using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, while Sanchez faces charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hantz is also charged with arson.

    Pfeffer, Hinojosa, Rickenbacker and Sanchez each face up to life in prison if convicted, while Dunphy and Hantz each face up to 20 years on each of their counts upon conviction.

    The indictment also charges David Vargas aka Brake Check and First Time, 33, Houston, with murder in aid of racketeering; using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in death; attempted murder in aid of racketeering; and using, carrying, brandishing, discharging and possessing a firearm during and in relation to the attempted murders. All those charges relate to the killing of a rival and the shooting of two others. Murder in aid of racketeering carries a mandatory life sentence or the death penalty, if convicted.

    Further, Pfeffer and Rickenbacker are also charged with assault in aid of racketeering and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence  along with Marky Baker aka Pinche Guero and Guero, 40, Ronnie McCabe aka Meathead, 56, and Jeremy Cox aka JD, 37, all of Houston; Roy Gomez aka Repo, 50, Richmond; and Marcel Lett, 56, Pearland. These charges are in relation to an alleged assault and robbery that resulted in the death of a rival. If convicted, they face up to life in prison.

    Hinojosa is also charged along with John Sblendorio aka Tech9, 54, Houston, with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in connection with the shooting of a rival gang member. Hinojosa is also charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and three counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Sblendorio and Hinojosa each face up to life in prison, if convicted.

    In addition, Sean G. Christison, aka Skinman, 30, Katy, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. 

    The FBI, Texas Board of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General, Texas Department of Public Safety and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation with the assistance of Harris County Sheriff’s Office; Houston and Pasadena Police Departments; Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; LaMarque and Katy Police Departments; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District Police Department. 

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

    This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Kelly Zenón-Matos of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case in partnership with Trial Attorneys Grace H. Bowen and Christopher Taylor of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division – Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

    An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe for the Southern District of Illinois departs from post

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Rachelle Aud Crowe, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, who has served as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district, has departed from the position, effective Feb. 18. She releases the following statement:

    “It has been my honor to serve the Southern District of Illinois as the United States Attorney. Announcing my departure accompanies many emotions, but my heart is full of gratitude.

    Working for the Department of Justice and leading an office of talented attorneys, dedicated legal staff and supportive administrative employees has been a lifelong dream. It was my privilege to guide the Department on matters of policy, procedure and management as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee.

    I have been fortunate to partner with the local, state and federal law enforcement officers to seek justice for victims and improve public safety. In addition to prosecuting hundreds of criminal cases, the office represented the government effectively in civil lawsuits and recovered millions of taxpayer dollars.

    I will cherish the time I spent at the federal courthouses. I’m thankful to the district judges for their judicial oversight, it’s been my honor to work with and learn from them. The future for the office is bright, and I’m confident the employees will continue to exceed their high standard of excellence, integrity and functionality.

    Thank you for the encouragement during my service.”

    “From the beginning, USA Crowe has been a champion of the FBI mission,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “The combination of the FBI’s investigative efforts and the Southern District of Illinois’ commitment to uphold the law has brought justice for victims and made our communities a safer place to live.”

    “It’s been a pleasure working alongside U.S. Attorney Crowe,” Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “She’s been a tremendous partner and we’re grateful for her service. Her commitment to helping remove the threat of drugs and those who distribute them across Southern Illinois has been invaluable.”

    “U.S. Attorney Crowe has been a tremendous partner for the Illinois State Police,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “U.S. Attorney Crowe supported our Public Safety Enforcement Group and its work, bringing charges and winning convictions in numerous criminal cases, and was instrumental in holding people accountable and bringing them to justice.”

    “United States Attorney Rachelle Crowe has been an engaged and dedicated law enforcement partner, and we thank her for her dedication in the support of ATF’s mission in Southern Illinois,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shannon Hamm. “ On behalf of the men and women of ATF, we wish nothing but the best for United States Attorney Crow now and into the future.”

    Ali M. Summers is the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. She joined the office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2012.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Canadian citizen charged with unlawful aerial photography of defense installation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    ORLANDO, Fla. – A Canadian national has been charged with three counts of using an unmanned aircraft to photograph vital defense installations and equipment without authorization as part of an ongoing multiagency investigation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    In a criminal information filing, Xiao Guang Pan, 71, used an unmanned aircraft to photograph vital defense installations and equipment at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral, Florida. On three separate days in January 2025, Pan took aerial photographs of Space Launch complexes, a payload processing facility, a submarine wharf, and munitions bunkers. Taking unauthorized photographs of vital defense installations or equipment is prohibited under federal law.

    A criminal information filing is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law.

    Pan faces a maximum faces a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison on each count.

    This case is being investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Space Coast, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Air Marshals Service, the NASA Office of Inspector General, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Šiaulių Bankas Invitation to Q4 and FY 2024 Investor Webinar

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AB Šiaulių Bankas invites shareholders, investors, analysts and other stakeholders to join the Investor Webinar on 27 February, 2025 at 8:30 am (EET). The webinar will cover Q4 and FY2024 earnings results and key business highlights. The presentation will be held online in English.

    Vytautas Sinius (CEO), Tomas Varenbergas (Head of Investment Management Division), and Tautvydas Mėdžius (Strategy Partner) will host the event. They will present the financial results, discuss recent developments, and address participant questions.

    Please feel free to submit your questions in advance to investors@sb.lt

    How to join the webinar?

    To join the webinar, please register via following link https://sb.zoomtv.lt. After successful registration You will be provided with the webinar link.

    Additional information:
    Tomas Varenbergas
    Head of Investment Management & Treasury
    tomas.varenbergas@sb.lt

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SBM Offshore Full Year 2024 Earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Amsterdam, February 20, 2025

    Record-level results, increasing total shareholder returns

    Highlights

    • Record Directional1 Revenue of US$6.1 billion (+35%), in line with guidance
    • Record Directional EBITDA of US$1.9 billion (+44%), in line with guidance
    • Record US$35.1 billion Directional backlog; US$9.5 billion or EUR51.6/share2 Directional net cash backlog3
    • 30% increase in cash return to US$1.59 per share4: US$155 million dividend5; US$150 million share repurchase6
    • US$1.7 billion cash return to shareholders over the coming 6 years
    • 2025 Directional Revenue guidance of above US$4.9 billion
    • 2025 Directional EBITDA guidance of around US$1.55 billion
    • Completion of FPSO Prosperity and Liza Destiny sales in Q4 2024
    • FPSO Almirante Tamandaré achieved first oil on February 15, 2025

    SBM Offshore’s 2024 Annual Report can be found on its website under: Annual Reports – SBM Offshore

    Øivind Tangen, CEO of SBM Offshore, commented:
            
    “SBM Offshore has delivered excellent results in 2024 with a record-level directional revenue of US$6.1 billion and record-level directional EBITDA of US$1.9 billion, reflecting three new awards and the purchases of FPSOs Prosperity and Liza Destiny by ExxonMobil Guyana. Thanks to the addition of three new awards, we ended the year with a record US$35.1 billion backlog. From this we expect to generate US$9.5 billion net cash, equivalent to almost 52 euro per share2. Based on this strong performance, we are increasing our fixed cash return by 30% to US$1.59 per share4 through a proposed US$155 million dividend5 and US$150 million share repurchase6 program. At this level we will deliver a minimum US$1.7 billion cash return to shareholders over the next 6 years.

    Our Fast4Ward® program is setting the pace for deepwater developments. FPSO Almirante Tamandaré achieved first oil on February 15, 2025. This vessel, which benefits from emission reduction technologies, is the largest operating unit in Brazil. Two additional units are on track to achieve first oil in 2025. First, FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão which sailed-away at the end of 2024, followed by FPSO ONE GUYANA. These three units have a combined capacity of 655,000 barrels of oil per day. With these achievements, we are further de-risking our construction portfolio.

    We strive for excellence both in terms of project execution and asset management. Our lifecycle approach in the FPSO market is unique and the focus on continuous improvement is setting a strong foundation for success. The outlook for new deepwater projects is strong given their low break-even prices and low emission intensity. In the next three years, we see 16 projects in the
    Company’s core market of large and complex FPSOs, driven by the promising prospects in Brazil, Guyana, Suriname and Namibia. We have ordered our 10th MPF hull giving us two hulls to support tendering activities. We will remain disciplined in selecting the highest quality projects.

    As the world’s ocean-infrastructure expert we are using our experience to further diversify and decarbonize the solutions we offer. In 2024, we created a joint venture, Ekwil, with Technip Energies to enhance our floating offshore wind product offering, and in early 2025 we completed a minority equity investment in Ocean-Power to offer lower-emission power solutions. We are now able to offer a market ready near-zero emission FPSO and were recently awarded a contract by Petrobras to qualify SBM’s Carbon Capture Module technology for FPSOs.”

    Financial Overview7

        Directional   IFRS
                     
    in US$ million   FY 2024 FY 2023 % Change   FY 2024 FY 2023 % Change
    Revenue   6,111 4,532 35%   4,784 4,963 -4%
    Lease and Operate   2,369 1,954 21%   2,074 1,563 33%
    Turnkey   3,743 2,578 45%   2,710 3,400 -20%
    EBITDA   1,896 1,319 44%   1,041 1,239 -16%
    Lease and Operate   1,261 1,124 12%   842 695 21%
    Turnkey   724 296 145%   287 646 -56%
    Other   (89) (101) -12%   (88) (101) -13%
    Profit attributable to Shareholders   907 524 73%   150 491 -69%
    Earnings per share (US$ per share)   5.08 2.92 74%   0.84 2.74 -69%
                     
    in US$ billion   FY 2024 FY 2023 % Change   FY 2024 FY 2023 % Change
    Pro-forma Backlog   35.1 30.3 16%   – – –
    Net Debt   5.7 6.7 -15%   8.1 8.7 -7%

    Directional revenue increased by 35% to US$6,111 million compared with US$4,532 million in 2023. This increase is driven by the Directional Turnkey revenue which rose to US$3,743 million in 2024 compared with US$2,578 million in 2023. This 45% increase stems from (i) the sale of FPSOs Prosperity and Liza Destiny completed respectively in November and December 2024, (ii) the progress on awarded contracts for the FPSOs Jaguar and GranMorgu, (iii) the 13.5% divestment to CMFL completed in October 2024, and (iv) the increased support to the fleet through brownfield projects. This increase was partly offset by a reduction in charter revenues following (i) the sale of FPSO Liza Unity in November 2023, (ii) the completion of FPSO Prosperity during the last quarter of 2023 as well as a delay in the start-up of FPSO Sepetiba early 2024, and (iii) a comparatively lower level of progress on both FPSOs Almirante Tamandaré and Alexandre de Gusmão as those projects approached completion in 2024.

    Directional Lease and Operate revenue stood at US$2,369 million compared with US$1,954 million in the year-ago period. This 21% increase mainly reflects (i) FPSO Prosperity joining the fleet during the last quarter of 2023 and Sepetiba joining the fleet in January 2024, (ii) a higher contribution of FPSOs N’Goma, Saxi Batuque and Mondo following the acquisition of interests held by Sonangol mid-2024, and (iii) an increase in reimbursable scope. This was partly offset by FPSO Liza Unity only contributing in 2024 as an operating contract following the purchase of the unit by ExxonMobil Guyana at the end of 2023.

    Directional EBITDA amounted to US$1,896 million, which is a 44% year-on-year increase compared with US$1,319 million in 2023. This was mostly attributable to the Turnkey segment which increased by over US$400 million to US$724 million in 2024. Directional Turnkey EBITDA was mainly impacted by (i) the same drivers as for Directional Turnkey revenue (except that being at relative early stages of completion, FPSO Jaguar only contributed marginally to Turnkey EBITDA and FPSO GranMorgu not at all), and (ii) a reduced investment on Floating Offshore Wind projects following the implementation of Ekwil Joint Venture in partnership with Technip Energies.

    Directional Lease and Operate EBITDA stood at US$1,261 million for the year-ended 2024 compared with US$1,124 million in the previous year. The 12% increase reflects (i) the same key factors as for Directional Lease and Operate revenue, (ii) the net gain on the acquisition of interests held by Sonangol in 3 FPSOs and the divestment in the parent company of the Paenal shipyard in Angola, and (iii) the dividends related to FPSO N’Goma partially offset by (iv) additional non-recurring maintenance costs for the fleet under operation.

    The other non-allocated costs charged to EBITDA amounted to US$(89) million in 2024, a US$(12) million improvement compared with the previous period mainly due to the one-off impact of US$11 million of restructuring costs in 2023.

    During the last quarter of 2024, the Company performed a review of revised estimates of cash flow, maintenance and repair costs. Based on this analysis, actual values and future cash flows related to FPSO Cidade de Anchieta were re-estimated leading to an impairment charge of US$(39) million, accounted for in the 2024 results.

    Directional net profit increased by over 70% standing at US$907 million in 2024, or US$5.08 per share, mainly reflecting the increase in Directional EBITDA.

    Liquidity, Funding and Directional Net Debt

    The Company’s financial position has remained strong as a result of the cash flow generated by the fleet, as well as the positive contribution of the Turnkey activities.

    Directional Net debt decreased by US$(936) million to US$5,719 million at year-end 2024. This was driven by the repayment of the FPSOs Prosperity and Liza Destiny financings, the proceeds from the sale of the vessels and the Lease and Operate segment’s strong operating cash flow. This was partially offset by drawings on project financing facilities to fund the construction portfolio. The Company drew on the project finance facilities for FPSO ONE GUYANA, FPSO Almirante Tamandaré and FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão; additionally, the US$1.5 billion construction financing for FPSO Jaguar was signed and partly drawn in November 2024.

    More than a third of the Company’s Directional debt for the year-ended 2024 consisted of non-recourse project financing (US$2.2 billion) in special purpose investees. The remainder (US$4 billion) consisted mainly of borrowings to support the ongoing construction of 3 FPSOs which will become non-recourse following achievement of first oil. The project loan for FPSO Jaguar will be repaid following completion of construction. The Company’s RCF was drawn for US$500 million as at December 31, 2024 and the Revolving Credit Facility for MPF hull financing was drawn for US$89 million.

    Directional cash and cash equivalents amounted to US$606 million and lease liabilities totaled US$93 million at December 31, 2024.

    Cash and undrawn committed credit facilities amount to US$2,639 million at December 31, 2024.

    Directional Pro-Forma Backlog

    Change in ownership scenarios and lease contract duration have the potential to significantly impact the Company’s future cash flows, net debt balance as well as the profit and loss statement. The Company therefore provides a pro-forma Directional backlog based on the best available information regarding ownership scenarios and lease contract duration for the various projects.

    The pro-forma Directional backlog at the end of December 2024 increased by US$4.8 billion to a total of US$35.1 billion. This was mainly the result of (i) the FPSO Jaguar contract awarded in April 2024, (ii) the FSO Trion contract awarded in August 2024, and (iii) the FPSO GranMorgu contract awarded in November 2024, partially offset by (iv) turnover for the period which consumed approximately US$6.1 billion of backlog (including the sale of FPSO Prosperity completed in November 2024 and the sale of FPSO Liza Destiny completed in December 2024, in advance of the initial lease terms which were respectively in November 2025 and in December 2029), and (v) the 13.5% divestment to CMFL completed in October 2024, which was not reflected in the pro-forma Directional backlog end of 2023. The Company’s backlog provides cash flow visibility up to 2050.

    in US$ billion   Turnkey Lease & Operate Total
    2025   2.6 2.3 4.9
    2026   1.6 2.6 4.2
    2027   3.3 2.1 5.4
    Beyond 2028   0.2 20.3 20.5
    Total pro-forma Directional backlog   7.7 27.3 35.1

    The pro-forma Directional backlog at the end of 2024 reflects the following key assumptions:

    • The FPSO ONE GUYANA contract covers a maximum lease period of 2 years, within which the ownership of the FPSO will transfer to the client. The impact of the subsequent sale is reflected in the Turnkey backlog.
    • The FPSO Jaguar contract awarded to the Company in April 2024 covers the construction period within which the FPSO ownership will transfer to the client and is reported in the Turnkey backlog.
    • 10 years of operations and maintenance are considered for FPSOs Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, Prosperity and ONE GUYANA following signature of the Operations & Maintenance Enabling Agreement in 2023. Regarding FPSO Jaguar, the pro-forma Directional backlog includes the operating and maintenance scope for 10 years as it has been agreed in principle, pending a final work order. This is consistent with prior years.
    • The FPSO GranMorgu contract awarded to the Company in November 2024 covers the construction period within which the FPSO ownership will transfer to the client and is reported in the Turnkey backlog.
    • The FSO Trion contract awarded to the Company in August 2024 is considered for 20 years in lease and operate contracts at the Company ownership share at year-end (100%).
    • The transaction with MISC Berhad related to the FPSO Espírito Santo and FPSO Kikeh announced on September 6, 2024, and completed on January 31, 2025, has been reflected in the pro-forma Directional backlog.

    Project Review and Fleet Operational Update

    Project Client/Country Contract SBM Share Capacity, Size Percentage of Completion Project delivery
    FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão Petrobras
    Brazil    		 22.5-year L&O 55% 180,000 bpd >75% 2025
    FPSO ONE GUYANA ExxonMobil
    Guyana    		 2-year BOT 100% 250,000 bpd >75% 2025
    FPSO Jaguar ExxonMobil
    Guyana    		 Sale & Operate 100% 250,000 bpd >25% <50% 2027
    FSO Trion Woodside 20-year Lease 100% n/a <25% n/a8
    FPSO GranMorgu TotalEnergies Sale & Operate 52% 220,000 bpd <25% 2028

    Projects are on track with one major delivery achieved in early 2025. After successful completion of the offshore commissioning activities, FPSO Almirante Tamandaré achieved first oil on February 15, 2025. An update on the individual ongoing projects is provided below considering the latest known circumstances.

    FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão – In December 2024, the vessel safely departed from the yard in China after successful completion of the onshore topsides’ integration and commissioning phase. The FPSO is on its way to Brazil. First oil is expected mid-2025.

    FPSO ONE GUYANA – Integration activities are completed and project teams are finalizing commissioning activities. First oil is expected in the second half of 2025.

    FPSO Jaguar – The Fast4Ward® MPF hull has been safely delivered and arrived in Singapore in preparation for the remaining vessel activities. The topside modules fabrication in Singapore continues as planned. First oil is expected in 2027.

    FSO Trion – Engineering and procurement are progressing in line with project schedule.

    FPSO GranMorgu – The Fast4Ward® MPF hull has been safely delivered. Engineering and procurement are progressing in line with project schedule.

    Fast4Ward®MPF hulls – Under the Company’s successful Fast4Ward® program, the 10th MPF hull has been ordered. 4 Fast4Ward® MPF hulls are in operation, another 4 allocated to projects and 2 reserved as part of tendering activities driven by the strong FPSO market outlook.

    Contract extension – The Company has agreed a contract extension related to the lease and operation of FPSO Saxi Batuque up to June 2026.

    Fleet Uptime – The fleet’s uptime was 95.9% in 2024.

    Safety and Sustainability

    Safety – The Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (“TRIFR”) year-to-date was 0.10, 17% below the yearly target of below 0.129, notwithstanding the high level of activity.

    Fleet emissions – For 2024, the Company set a target to further optimize operational excellence on the FPSOs for which it provides operations and maintenance services amounting to a maximum absolute volume of gas flared below 1.57 mmscft/d as an overall FPSO fleet average during the year. As of December 31, 2024, SBM Offshore outperformed this target with the actual being 1.33 mmscft/d, a 15% improvement compared with 2024 target and mainly driven by a continued focus on reducing the number of unplanned events in its operated fleet.

    Sustain-2 Notation – FPSO Liza Unity is the 1st FPSO which has received a Sustain-2 Notation by American Bureau of Shipping. This sustainability certificate recognizes the Company’s efforts in minimizing environmental impacts over the lifecycle of the FPSO including the use of low carbon technologies as well as the focus on workers’ wellbeing.

    ESG ratings – In recognition of the Company’s continued focus on sustainability, MSCI has improved SBM Offshore’s rating from AA in 2023 to AAA in 2024 and Sustainalytics included the Company in its 2024 ESG Industry Top Rated, with the Company ranking 2nd out of 106 industry peers.

    Sustainable recycling – The Deep Panuke Production Field Center recycling project reached completion in Nova Scotia, Canada, in early 2024 with 97% of the waste materials were sold, recycled or reused and the remainder 3% was safely disposed of. As for the FPSO Capixaba project, following the handover to M.A.R.S., the Company continues to monitor the safe execution of the decommissioning which is expected to reach completion in 2026.

    Blue Economy

    SBM Offshore is a blue economy company aiming to manage ocean resources for economic growth while preserving ecosystems. Using its deepwater expertise, the Company is advancing technologies focusing on decarbonizing and diversifying its ocean infrastructure solutions. Ranging from floating offshore wind to offshore hydrogen and ammonia, SBM Offshore remains selective and disciplined in developing innovative solutions and investing in new ocean infrastructure solutions.

    Provence Grand Large – The three floating offshore wind turbines that were installed by SBM Offshore at the end of 2023 for the Provence Grand Large project, jointly owned by EDF Renewables and Maple Power, were fully commissioned and started production in 2024.

    Floventis Energy Ltd – In December 2024, SBM Offshore reached an agreement with Cierco Energy to sell its shares in the joint venture company Floventis Energy Ltd, thus transferring the ownership of both Cademo and Llŷr Floating Wind projects to Cierco Energy. As planned, following the advancement of these pioneering projects and acquiring valuable knowledge in the offshore wind market, the Company will continue to concentrate its efforts on the remaining two larger scale projects in its portfolio.

    emissionZERO®program – SBM Offshore continues to address FPSO emissions reduction through its emissionZERO® program and is offering a market-ready near zero emission FPSO for 2025, featuring advanced technologies such as carbon capture, combined cycle gas turbines and deepwater intake risers.

    Carbon Capture Module – SBM Offshore has been awarded a contract by Petrobras to qualify SBM’s Carbon Capture Module technology for FPSOs. The Carbon Capture Module for post combustion removal of CO2 from gas turbine exhaust gasses on FPSO’s has been developed in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

    Blue Power Hub – With the aim to decarbonize the offshore power generation sector, SBM Offshore signed in December 2024 an investment agreement with the Norwegian company Ocean-Power AS to develop and commercialize offshore power generation units with CO2 capture and storage. This investment has been completed in early 2025.

    Capital allocation and Shareholder Returns

    The Company’s shareholder returns policy is to maintain a stable annual cash return to shareholders which grows over time, with flexibility for the Company to make such cash return in the form of a cash dividend and the repurchase of shares. Determination of the annual cash return is based on the Company’s assessment of its underlying cash flow position. The Company prioritizes a stable cash distribution to shareholders and funding of growth projects, with the option to apply surplus capital towards incremental cash returns to shareholders.

    As a result, following review of its cash flow position and forecast, the Company intends to pay US$1.59 per share through a proposed US$155m dividend5 (EUR150 million equivalent or US$0.88 per share4) and US$150 million (EUR141 million equivalent) share repurchase program6. This represents an increase of 30% compared with 2024. The objective of the share buyback program would be to reduce share capital and provide shares for regular management and employee share programs (maximum US$25 million). Shares repurchased as part of the cash return will be cancelled.

    The share repurchase program will be launched after the current share repurchase program has ended. The dividend will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting on April 9, 2025.

    Guidance

    The Company’s 2025 Directional revenue guidance is above US$4.9 billion of which above US$2.2 billion is expected from the Lease and Operate segment and around US$2.7 billion from the Turnkey segment.

    2025 Directional EBITDA guidance is around US$1.55 billion for the Company.

    Conference Call

    SBM Offshore has scheduled a conference call together with a webcast, which will be followed by a Q&A session, to discuss the Full Year 2024 Earnings release.

    The event is scheduled for Thursday February 20, 2025, at 10.00 AM (CET) and will be hosted by Øivind Tangen (CEO) and Douglas Wood (CFO).

    Interested parties are invited to register prior the call using the link: Full Year 2024 Earnings Conference Call

    Please note that the conference call can only be accessed with a personal identification code, which is sent to you by email after completion of the registration.

    The live webcast will be available at: Full Year 2024 Earnings Webcast

    A replay of the webcast, which is available shortly after the call, can be accessed using the same link.

    Corporate Profile

    SBM Offshore is the world’s deepwater ocean-infrastructure expert. Through the design, construction, installation, and operation of offshore floating facilities, we play a pivotal role in a just transition. By advancing our core, we deliver cleaner, more efficient energy production. By pioneering more, we unlock new markets within the blue economy.

    More than 7,800 SBMers collaborate worldwide to deliver innovative solutions as a responsible partner towards a sustainable future, balancing ocean protection with progress.

    For further information, please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com.

    Financial Calendar   Date Year
    Annual General Meeting   April 9 2025
    First Quarter 2025 Trading Update   May 15 2025
    Half Year 2025 Earnings   August 7 2025
    Third Quarter 2025 Trading Update   November 13 2025
    Full Year 2025 Earnings   February 26 2026

    For further information, please contact:

    Investor Relations

    Wouter Holties
    Corporate Finance & Investor Relations Manager

    Media Relations

    Giampaolo Arghittu
    Head of External Relations

    Market Abuse Regulation

    This press release may contain inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

    Disclaimer

    Some of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those in such statements. These statements may be identified by words such as ‘expect’, ‘should’, ‘could’, ‘shall’ and / or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The principal risks which could affect the future operations of SBM Offshore N.V. are described in the ‘Impacts, Risks and Opportunities’ section of the 2024 Annual Report.

    Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and performance of the Company’s business may vary materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements described in this release. SBM Offshore does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise.

    This release contains certain alternative performance measures (APMs) as defined by the ESMA guidelines which are not defined under IFRS. Further information on these APMs is included in the 2024 Annual Report, available on our website Annual Reports – SBM Offshore.

    Nothing in this release shall be deemed an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. The companies in which SBM Offshore N.V. directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release “SBM Offshore” and “SBM” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to SBM Offshore N.V. and its subsidiaries in general. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

    “SBM Offshore®“, the SBM logomark, “Fast4Ward®”, “emissionZERO®” and “F4W®” are proprietary marks owned by SBM Offshore.

    1 Directional reporting, presented in the Financial Statements under section 4.3.2 Operating Segments and Directional Reporting, represents a pro-forma accounting policy, which treats all lease contracts as operating leases and consolidates all co-owned investees related to lease contracts on a proportional basis based on percentage of ownership. This explanatory note relates to all Directional reporting in this document.
    2 Based on the number of shares outstanding and exchange rate EUR/US$ of 1.039 at December 31, 2024.

    3 Reflects a pro-forma view of the Company’s Directional backlog and expected net cash from Turnkey, Lease and Operate and Build Operate Transfer sales after tax and debt service.
    4 Based on the number of shares outstanding at December 31, 2024. Dividend amount per share depends on number of shares entitled to dividend.
    5 Equivalent of EUR150 million based on the EUR/US$ exchange rate on February 11, 2025. Dividends will be paid in Euro provided that the minimum Euro dividend shall amount to EUR150 million.
    6 Including maximum US$25 million for management and employee share plans.

    7 Numbers may not add up due to rounding.
    8 Project delivery not disclosed by the client.

    9 Measured per 200,000 work hours.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy

    Source: The White House

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

         Section 1.  Purpose.  It is the policy of my Administration to dramatically reduce the size of the Federal Government, while increasing its accountability to the American people.  This order commences a reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary.  Reducing the size of the Federal Government will minimize Government waste and abuse, reduce inflation, and promote American freedom and innovation.

         Sec. 2.  Reducing the Scope of the Federal Bureaucracy.   (a)  The non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law:
    (i)    the Presidio Trust;
    (ii)   the Inter-American Foundation;
    (iii)  the United States African Development Foundation; and
    (iv)   the United States Institute of Peace.
    (b)  Within 14 days of the date of this order, the head of each unnecessary governmental entity listed in subsection (a) of this section shall submit a report to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Director) confirming compliance with this order and stating whether the governmental entity, or any components or functions thereof, are statutorily required and to what extent.
    (c)  In reviewing budget requests submitted by the governmental entities listed in subsection (a) of this section, the OMB Director or the head of any executive department or agency charged with reviewing grant requests by such entities shall, to the extent consistent with applicable law and except insofar as necessary to effectuate an expected termination, reject funding requests for such governmental entities to the extent they are inconsistent with this order.
    (d)  The Presidential Memorandum of November 13, 1961 (Need for Greater Coordination of Regional and Field Activities of the Government), is hereby revoked.  The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM Director) is directed to initiate the process to withdraw the regulations at title 5, part 960, Code of Federal Regulations, thereby eliminating the Federal Executive Boards.  
    (e)  The OPM Director is directed to initiate the process to withdraw the regulations at title 5, part 362, subpart D, Code of Federal Regulations, and to take any other steps necessary to promptly terminate the Presidential Management Fellows Program.  On the effective date of the final regulations promulgated by the OPM Director, Executive Order 13318 of November 21, 2003, is revoked and Executive Order 13562 of December 27, 2010, is amended by:
    (i)    striking from section 2 the words “along with the Presidential Management Fellows Program, as modified herein,”;
    (ii)   striking section 5;
    (iii)  striking from section 6(b) the words “or PMF Programs” and inserting in their place “program”;
    (iv)   striking from section 7(b)(iii) the words “the competitive service of Interns, Recent Graduates, or PMFs (or a Government-wide combined conversion cap applicable to all three categories together)” and inserting in their place “the competitive service of Interns or Recent Graduates (or a Government-wide combined conversion cap applicable to both categories together)”; and
    (v)    redesignating sections 6, 7, 8, and 9 as sections 5, 6, 7, and 8 respectively.  
    (f)  Within 14 days of the date of this order, the following heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall take the following actions with respect to the following Federal Advisory Committees within their respective agencies:
    (i) the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall terminate the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid; 
    (ii)   the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection shall terminate the Academic Research Council and the Credit Union Advisory Council;
    (iii)  the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation shall terminate the Community Bank Advisory Council;
    (iv)   the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall terminate the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Long COVID; and
    (v)    the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shall terminate the Health Equity Advisory Committee.
    (g)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy shall identify and submit to the President additional unnecessary governmental entities and Federal Advisory Committees that should be terminated on grounds that they are unnecessary.  

         Sec. 3.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
     
     
     
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        February 19, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy: if Your Plan is to Destroy the Rule of Law, Kash Patel is the Perfect Person to Lead the FBI

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to sound the alarm on President Donald Trump’s blatant disregard for the rule of law. Murphy condemned Trump’s efforts to use the justice system as a tool to punish his critics and protect his allies, warning the confirmation of Kash Patel to lead the FBI would be a dangerous step toward dismantling American democracy.
    On the dangerous nomination of Kash Patel to lead the FBI, Murphy said: “If your plan is to destroy the rule of law and turn the Department of Justice into a political weapon that rewards loyalty and punishes dissent, then Kash Patel is the perfect person to lead the FBI, and that is likely exactly why he was chosen. […] He has an enemies list. He thinks that people who helped elect Joe Biden are criminals. […] Honestly, how on Earth are we going to let someone lead the world’s most important, most revered law enforcement agency, who is secretly in business with the Chinese Communist Party, who believes that the FBI organized the invasion of the Capitol, who runs a fake charity, who has a brand in order to make money off of his affiliation with Donald Trump?”
    Murphy called out Patel’s sham foundation: “While he believes this, he also knows that there’s a money-making opportunity in all of this. This is his logo: K$H. He’s a brand. He says all these things because he believes them, but also because it makes him a hero to the gullible conspiracy theorists inside MAGA. He uses them. He sells stuff to them: sweatshirts, T-shirts, lapel pins. K$H. Now if you buy this sweatshirt for $55, it says all net profits go to the Kash Foundation. But you know what we found out, unsurprisingly, is that in 2023, by selling all these sweatshirts and merch, the K$H Foundation had $1.3 million in revenues. Now it purports to support heroic whistleblowers with legal services and other support services. You know what percentage of that $1.3 million went to actual services? Less than 15%. Kash Patel pocketed almost all the money that he made from selling these T-shirts.”
    Murphy detailed how President Trump is brazenly using the Department of Justice to curry favor and punish critics: “Trump ordered the Department of Justice to cut a deal with the indicted mayor of New York City, Eric Adams. The deal was simple. If Adams pledged loyalty to Trump and agreed specifically to cooperate with Trump’s immigration raids in the city, Trump would look the other way regarding Adams’ corruption. The charges would be dropped, and Adams could keep stealing money as long as he was politically loyal to Trump. They didn’t hide this deal. Adams and a high-ranking Trump official literally went on TV to announce that they had formed an alliance based upon the release of charges in exchange for political loyalty.
    He added: “There is not a rule of law anymore. There is one set of law for people or entities who are loyal to Donald Trump, and there is one set of law for people who dare criticize him. That is not democracy. And if we don’t find a way, Republicans and Democrats, to come together to defend the rule of law, if we don’t say that what is happening today – deals being cut with corrupt politicians in exchange for their pledges of loyalty to Donald Trump – if we can’t speak with one voice about that kind of corruption, well, then our democracy is cooked.”
    He concluded: “The law loses all meaning when it becomes simply what the president, what the leader, on any given day decides. This is the worst possible moment to put a person like Kash Patel in charge of the FBI. It is heartbreaking to see so many of my Republican colleagues, many of whom I admire, put loyalty to Donald Trump ahead of loyalty to this country, and more specifically loyalty to that sacred principle, the rule of law. My prediction is that if you vote for Kash Patel, more than any other confirmation vote you make, you will come to regret this one to your grave.”
    A full transcript of his remarks can be found below:
    MURPHY: “Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, the idea that men and women citizens are bound by a common set of laws that are applied consistently and universally, regardless of one’s income or political power or political affiliation, it’s a fairly modern invention. Because for thousands of years, laws were simply what rulers used to impose and maintain power, to control people. Laws were applied or crimes were invented for the ruler’s critics, and laws were ignored or waived away for those in favor with the regime.
    “Now early Americans had watched the British kings apply laws selectively, both in Britain and in the colonies, and they sought – our founders sought – to create a nation where all men were equal in the face of the law, and [where] the law was applied uniformly and justly. 
    “That idea – equal justice, the law applies to everybody regardless of who you support politically or who you are aligned with politically – was in many ways the founders’ most vital check against tyranny. That’s the difference between a democracy made of equal citizens and an autocracy where the law is simply whatever the ruler decides. It is a foundational principle of American constitutional democracy. It is not something that we can take for granted. 
    “Now, I will admit, likely every president has made a decision or decisions that compromised that belief in the rule of law. Often those decisions were related to one of the maximalist powers that the president supposes. That’s the power of the pardon. I, for instance, did not agree with President Biden’s decision to issue pardons to his family members. I thought that was excessive. I thought that compromised the rule of law. 
    “But this President’s contempt for the rule of law, Donald Trump’s contempt for the rule of law, is unprecedented. What we are all watching right now is Donald Trump throwing away the idea that laws apply to everyone equally. And it is astonishing to watch so many of my Republican colleagues fall in line. Some of them may be on board for the destruction of the rule of law because they want the Trump family to rule forever, but many of them know that this is wrong, what is happening, and their silence is heartbreaking. 
    “Donald Trump issued a statement over the weekend: quote, ‘He who saves the country does not violate any law.’ That’s a quote attributed to one of the most notorious dictators of the last half millennium: Napoleon Bonaparte. It’s a stunning claim that Trump, not the law or Congress, decides what is legal and illegal. 
    “If he had said that in 2017, maybe we could just write it off as Trump being Trump, as just bluster trolling. But this time he is actually implementing a methodical campaign to seize control of the law and apply it differently depending on whether you support him or oppose him. 
    “Take, for example, what happened on Friday night. Trump ordered the Department of Justice to cut a deal with the indicted mayor of New York City, Eric Adams. The deal was simple. If Adams pledged loyalty to Trump and agreed specifically to cooperate with Trump’s immigration raids in the city, Trump would look the other way regarding Adams’ corruption. The charges would be dropped, and Adams could keep stealing money as long as he was politically loyal to Trump. 
    “They didn’t hide this deal. Adams and a high-ranking Trump official literally went on TV to announce that they had formed an alliance based upon the release of charges in exchange for political loyalty. But when Trump told the highest-ranking Justice Department employees in New York City to execute the corrupt deal, they wouldn’t. The top official resigned rather than take part in the corruption. So did the next in the chain of command. By the time that Trump found someone who would implement the deal, seven DOJ lawyers and four of Adams’ deputy mayors had resigned because what was happening in plain view was a fundamental challenge, a fundamental corruption to the rule of law, a rule of law that up until today Republicans and Democrats had both revered. 
    “Meanwhile, other parts of Trump’s team are engaging on the other side of the ledger, targeting and harassing – using the law – the President’s critics. Because that’s what happens in a nation without the rule of law. Law enforcement lets loyalists like Adams off the hook and is overzealous in targeting critics. 
    “Let me give you just one example of what is happening right now as we speak. Last month, Trump’s new FCC Chairman opened an investigation into a single radio station that had the audacity to simply file a news report about an ICE raid that was happening locally. Multiple other sources filed similar reports with similar footage, but only one investigation was opened, and you guessed it, it was against the radio station that was owned by a high-profile critic of Donald Trump, George Soros. 
    “So the game is clear. Like, we can see it. They’re not even hiding it. There is not a rule of law anymore. There is one set of law for people or entities who are loyal to Donald Trump, and there is one set of law for people who dare criticize him. That is not democracy.  And if we don’t find a way, Republicans and Democrats, to come together to defend the rule of law, if we don’t say that what is happening today – deals being cut with corrupt politicians in exchange for their pledges of loyalty to Donald Trump – if we can’t speak with one voice about that kind of corruption, well, then our democracy is cooked.
    “Which brings us to the pending nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel. If your plan is to destroy the rule of law and turn the Department of Justice into a political weapon that rewards loyalty and punishes dissent, then Kash Patel is the perfect person to lead the FBI, and that is likely exactly why he was chosen.
    “Listen, Kash Patel is a joke. Many of my Republican colleagues know this. He has spent the last four years taking the most extreme positions inside the world of MAGA in order to make money for himself. 
    “For instance, he says that he can provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the FBI was behind the January 6 invasion of this building. Let me say that again. The man that my Republican colleagues are about to vote to lead the FBI believes that there is irrefutable proof that the agency he is about to lead secretly organized the violent assault on the Capitol. That is bananas. My Republican colleagues know that. That is a lie. And we’re about to put this guy in charge of the FBI? An agency that he claims organized a secret plot to invade the Capitol?
    “He wrote a book called ‘Government Gangsters’ and at the end he added an Appendix entitled ‘Enemies List.’ Like, straight out of the McCarthy era. He has a list – he wrote it down – of people he believes are enemies of America. And, shocker, they’re all Democrats, or Republicans who dared speak out and criticize Donald Trump. 
    “You’re going to put at the head of the FBI – the agency that can arrest anyone they want, put people in jail – a man who thinks that anyone who disagrees with Donald Trump politically is an enemy of the United States. Patel has further suggested that anybody who administered the 2020 election could be subject to arrest. Why? Because he believes in his heart that the election was rigged, despite the fact that Joe Biden won by seven million votes – far, far more than Trump won by in 2024. So anybody who helped rig the 2020 election is, in his mind, a potential criminal. 
    “This is off-the-wall stuff. But of course it is, because while he believes this, he also knows that there’s a money-making opportunity in all of this. This is his logo: K$H. He’s a brand. He says all these things because he believes them, but also because it makes him a hero to the gullible conspiracy theorists inside MAGA. He uses them. He sells stuff to them: sweatshirts, T-shirts, lapel pins. K$H.
    “Now if you buy this sweatshirt for $55, it says all net profits go to the Kash Foundation. But you know what we found out, unsurprisingly, is that in 2023, by selling all these sweatshirts and merch, the K$H Foundation had $1.3 million in revenues. 
    “Now it purports to support heroic whistleblowers with legal services and other support services. You know what percentage of that $1.3 million went to actual services? Less than 15%. Kash Patel pocketed almost all the money that he made from selling these T-shirts. 
    “He even hocks a COVID vaccine reversal pill. Let me say that again: the incoming director of the FBI, in addition to selling T-shirts and pocketing most of the proceeds, also sells a vaccine reversal pill that is just pure snake oil. But if there are enough people loyal to Donald Trump to buy anything Trump’s lieutenants sell on the internet, then fair game. 
    “To top it all off, just recently after his confirmation hearing, we also found out that Kash Patel has been a fashion consultant to a shadowy holding company controlled, it seems, by members of the Chinese Communist Party. Honestly, how on Earth are we going to let someone lead the world’s most important, most revered law enforcement agency, who is secretly in business with the Chinese Communist Party, who believes that the FBI organized the invasion of the Capitol, who runs a fake charity, who has a brand in order to make money off of his affiliation with Donald Trump? He has an enemies list. He thinks that people who helped elect Joe Biden are criminals. 
    “This is a really dangerous moment. It’s a really dangerous moment. This deal that Donald Trump just cut with the mayor of New York, it’s a big deal. It’s a big deal. I admit that prior presidents have made decisions that compromise the rule of law. But we’ve never seen anything like this, so brazen and out in the open, that the mayor of New York and a Trump official would go on national TV to announce that they had made an arrangement in which Mayor Adams could continue his corruption as long as he was politically loyal to Donald Trump. 
    “They did that out in the open on TV because it’s a signal to everybody else out there that the law will be applied differently to you if you are loyal to the president and that the law will be zealously applied to you, maybe in excess of the letter of the law, if you are a critic of the president. That’s why they went on TV, to show the world the corruption, as a signal that things are different now, that the law is not the law, the law is what President Trump decides the law is. 
    “The law loses all meaning when it becomes simply what the president, what the leader, on any given day decides. This is the worst possible moment to put a person like Kash Patel in charge of the FBI. It is heartbreaking to see so many of my Republican colleagues, many of whom I admire, put loyalty to Donald Trump ahead of loyalty to this country, and more specifically loyalty to that sacred principle, the rule of law. My prediction is that if you vote for Kash Patel, more than any other confirmation vote you make, you will come to regret this one to your grave. I yield the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis Area Doctor Sentenced for Health Care Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced a doctor who ran two urgent care centers in the St. Louis area to 35 months in prison for defrauding Medicare and Missouri Medicaid and ordered him to repay $742,528.

    Dr. Sonny Saggar, 57, will also be on supervised release for three years after he leaves prison.

    Saggar pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to one count of conspiracy. He admitted that while operating St. Louis General Hospital (SLGH) locations in downtown St. Louis and near Creve Coeur, he and his office manager hired assistant physicians (APs) to see patients but billed Medicare and Missouri Medicaid as if Dr. Saggar had seen them, even when he was out of town. APs are medical school graduates who have not completed a residency program. To legally practice medicine in Missouri, they are required to be closely supervised by a licensed physician under written collaborative practice arrangements (CPAs) that restrict the AP’s ability to provide medical services and limit their practice areas to medically underserved rural or urban areas.

    Dr. Saggar admitted hiring “numerous” APs from July 2018 to July 2023 to work at the SLGH locations, which he and office manager Renita Barringer advertised as both urgent and primary care facilities and as a “residency prep” program and a “stepping stone” for the APs. Dr. Saggar admitted that APs were not properly trained or supervised and that he and Barringer advised them to consult each other on their medical questions. One physician can legally supervise no more than six APs, so Dr. Saggar offered stipends of up to $480 per month to various physicians to induce them to sign up to be collaborating physicians, and then submitted CPA forms to the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts to falsely make it appear as if the APs were being properly supervised. He admitted that the Creve Coeur location is not medical underserved and thus APs are not permitted to work there.

    Finally, Dr. Saggar admitted that in January of 2022, he hired a doctor who had been indicted in another case to be the sole collaborating physician at the Creve Coeur location but did not disclose to Medicaid that the co-conspirator was performing services there. That physician’s billing privileges with Medicaid had been suspended.

    The conduct of Dr. Saggar and Barringer caused a loss to Medicare and Missouri Medicaid of $742,528.

    “Today’s sentencing underscores our commitment to ensuring that providers are held accountable for submitting fraudulent claims for financial gain and for deliberately concealing critical information about healthcare professionals,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “HHS-OIG, in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies, will continue working together to safeguard the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”

    “This crime went beyond bilking taxpayer funded healthcare programs. Dr. Sonny Saggar risked the well-being of patients with urgent medical needs. He knew his assistant physicians were not qualified to see patients without supervision,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “To add further insult to injury, Dr. Saggar falsely claimed he was the one who saw the patients so he could bill Medicare and Medicaid.”

    “Doctors are expected to follow a certain code of conduct and obey the laws and regulations put in place to protect their clients,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “Our investigation shows that Dr. Saggar broke with protocol and endangered lives with his negligence. As a result of his misconduct, he was arrested, surrendered his DEA Certificate of Registration, can no longer prescribe controlled substances and faces nearly three years in federal prison.”

    Barringer, 51, pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22.

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Urges Action at Senate Judiciary Hearing on Children’s Safety Online

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, today delivered the following opening statement at the Judiciary Committee hearing on Children’s Safety in the Digital Era: Strengthening Protections and Addressing Legal Gaps.

    A transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below and a video can be downloaded here. 

    Senator Klobuchar: Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman, and I am truly looking forward to working with Senator Blackburn on this important Subcommittee. As many of you know, Senator Lee and I chaired the Antitrust Subcommittee for a long time, but I actually think this situation right now, with the possibility of moving on these bills, is going to be a very positive development.

    As Senator Blackburn just pointed out, despite the strong support that we have had from Senator Durbin and Senator Grassley and Senator Graham when he chaired this Committee, or was the ranking on this Committee, we’ve just continued to run into roadblocks to passing these laws, and it’s getting absolutely absurd.

    Senator Grassley is well aware of the antitrust tech bill that he and I lead, that hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars are spent against it in TV ads, and despite the fact that the companies, FAANG [Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google] as we call them, have agreed in other countries to some of these consumer protections that did not happen in America.

    I think that this piece of it—whether it’s Instagram’s promotion of content that encourages eating disorders, frightening rise of non-consensual AI-generated pornographic deep fakes, or the tragic stories of kids losing their lives to fentanyl-laced pills—will most likely be leading the way as we continue to push our antitrust and privacy and news bills.

    Just this month, this committee heard from Bridgette Norring of Hastings, Minnesota. Her son, Devin, was struggling with migraines, and bought what he thought was a Percocet over Snapchat to deal with the pain. But it really wasn’t a Percocet, it was a fake pill laced with fentanyl. And with that one pill, as we say, “one pill kills,” he died at age 19.

    For too long, the companies have turned a blind eye when young children joined their platforms; used algorithms that pushed harmful content—they have done that; and provided a venue for dealers to sell deadly drugs like fentanyl.

    We know that social media also increases the risk of mental illness, addiction, exploitation, and even suicide among kids. I will never forget the testimony of the FBI Director telling us that in just one year, I believe it was 2023, over 20 kids had committed suicide just because of the pornography and the images that had been put out there when they were innocently sending a picture to who they thought was a girlfriend or a boyfriend.

    That’s why this committee has taken this on on a bipartisan basis, and I am hopeful that this hearing will be the beginning of actually passing these bills into law.

    Representative Guffey, you and I met through Senator Cruz, and the bill that he and I have, the TAKE IT DOWN Act. We have an additional bill that Senator Cornyn and I have that’s really important, that’s passed through this committee, the SHIELD Act. And as you know all too well, the threat of dissemination alone can be tragic, especially for kids. We need to enact the Kids Online Safety Act, which, thanks to Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn, [has] passed the Senate on a 91-3 vote. As we know, some of these are stalled out in the House.

    We need to get the federal rules of the road in place for safeguarding our data. According to a recent study, social media platforms generated $11 billion in revenue in 2022 from advertising directed at kids and teenagers, including $2 billion in ad profits derived from users age 12 and under.

    I am supportive, as was mentioned by Senator Durbin, of the legislation that he and Senator Graham and Hawley and many others have to open the courtroom doors to those harmed by social media by making those reforms to Section 230. That legislation was enacted long before any of this was going on.

    And somehow, with respect to other industries, we’ve been able to make smart decisions to put more safety rules in place. Just ask those passengers that were on that flight that flipped upside down in Toronto, who were in those seats that were the result of safety rules that were put in place. And yet, when it comes to this, we just put up our hands and say, “no, they’re lobbying against us,” or “they have too [much] money,” or “we like some of the people that work there.” And we do nothing.

    And by doing nothing, instead of reaching some reasonable accommodations of settlements or things we can do on legislation, we just let them run wild at the expense of our kids’ lives. Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Capital Region Man Indicted on Drug and Gun Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Devere Williams, age 36, of Troy, New York, was charged last week by indictment for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  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.  

    The charges filed against Williams carry a prison term of at least 5 year and up to life in federal prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a supervised release term of up to 5 years.  The charges in the indictment are merely accusations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

    Williams was arraigned today in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista, and will continue to be detained pending a hearing on February 21.  The FBI is investigating this case.  Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph S. Hartunian and Nicholas Walter are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Charge Woman with Involuntary Manslaughter

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Casamero Lake woman faces federal charges for involuntary manslaughter following a fatal car crash on tribal lands in New Mexico last summer.

    According to the indictment, on August 6, 2024, Debbie Rojack, 45, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, killed John Doe by operating a motor vehicle with disregard for human life when she knew and should have known that her conduct imperiled the lives of others.

    Rojack will remain in third party custody on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Rojack faces up to 8 years in prison.

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

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Newport Beach Doctor Pleads Guilty to Possession of Hundreds of Images and Video of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SANTA ANA, California – A former Newport Beach gynecologist pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) across multiple personally owned devices.

    Mark Albert Rettenmaier, 72, of Laguna Hills, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography. He is free on $600,000 bond. 

    According to his plea agreement, on June 7, 2020, Rettenmaier uploaded 15 images of CSAM to an Adobe cloud-based storage system. At least four of the images Rettenmaier uploaded depicted two minors, one under the age of 12, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

    On July 22, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of Rettenmaier’s residence and seized his cellphone and a laptop. Upon review of the cellphone, law enforcement identified at least two additional images of CSAM. Review of the laptop revealed at least one video and 209 images of minors engaged in sexual activity.

    Rettenmaier admitted that he knowingly downloaded the images and video of CSAM from the internet and stored them on his personal devices.

    United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett scheduled an August 6 sentencing hearing at which time Rettenmaier will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend that Rettenmaier be sentenced to no more than five years in federal prison.

    Rettenmaier will also be required to pay a mandatory minimum of $3,000 restitution to each of six victims named in this case, for a total of at least $18,000.

    The FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Rabbani of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Drug Robbery Attempt

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDY MARTE, also known as “AD,” 31, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a drug robbery conspiracy.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 28, 2023, Marte, Kareem Porter, and Tyrone Allen drove to a Bridgeport apartment building where they intended to carry out a robbery at an apartment they believed contained a substantial quantity of drugs and drug proceeds.  Marte separately contacted Jermaine Bethel, who arrived to participate in the robbery.  Marte instructed Bethel, Porter, and Allen, who had a crowbar, to carry out the robbery, while Marte remained in the car, with two handguns, to serve as a getaway driver.  After failing to enter the apartment, Bethel, Porter, and Allen returned to the vehicle where they were encountered by law enforcement. Investigators learned of the scheme by monitoring Marte’s phone, which was subject to a court-authorized wiretap related to alleged drug trafficking activity.  Officers searched the vehicle and its occupants and seized the two handguns and the crowbar.

    Marte’s criminal history includes convictions for multiple firearms offenses and a violent robbery.

    Marte has been detained since his arrest on April 28, 2023.  On March 28, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery.

    Porter, Allen, and Bethel pleaded guilty to the same charge.  On October 28, 2024, Porter was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment.  On December 2, 2024, Bethel was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment.  Allen awaits sentencing.

    This investigation was conducted by FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Karen Peck.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wausau Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Bee Her, 45, Wausau, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 8 years in federal prison for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Her pleaded guilty to this charge on November 26, 2024.

    In 2023, investigators with the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force identified Bee Her as a multi-pound methamphetamine dealer operating out of Wausau. On October 13, 2023, a confidential informant purchased one pound of methamphetamine from Her at Her’s residence. On October 23, 2023, a confidential informant received two ounces of methamphetamine from Her at Her’s residence.

    On February 8, 2024, Her was arrested on an active supervision warrant. Information obtained during the investigation suggests that Her was working for the cartels to traffic methamphetamine and that the cartels were trying to establish a line and system near Wausau. Her told investigators that he obtained 5 pounds of methamphetamine every two to three weeks to distribute.

    During this time, Her was on state supervision for two felony cases, one involving a conviction for Child Enticement-Sexual Contact and the other involving convictions for Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her’s supervision on the child sex crime was not revoked. His supervision on the drug case was revoked and he was sentenced to one year in jail.

    At sentencing, Judge Conley said Her was identified as a large-scale trafficker of methamphetamine in Wausau with connections to Minnesota and Mexico and weighed the seriousness of Her’s conduct against his addiction to methamphetamine.

    The charge against Her was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Bay Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President of Insurance Brokerage Firm and CEO of Marketing Company Charged in $161M Affordable Care Act Enrollment Fraud Scheme

    Source: US State of California

    An indictment was unsealed today charging Cory Lloyd, 46, of Stuart, Florida, and Steven Strong, 42, of Mansfield, Texas, in connection with their alleged participation in a scheme to submit fraudulent enrollments to fully subsidized Affordable Care Act insurance plans (ACA plans) in order to obtain millions of dollars in commission payments from insurance companies.

    ACA plans offer tax credits to eligible enrollees. These tax credits, or “subsidies,” could be paid by the federal government directly to insurance plans in the form of a payment toward the applicable monthly premium. According to court documents, Lloyd and Strong conspired to enroll consumers in ACA plans that were fully subsidized by the federal government by submitting false and fraudulent applications for individuals whose income did not meet the minimum requirements to be eligible for the subsidies. Lloyd allegedly received commission and other payments from an insurance company in exchange for enrolling consumers in the ACA plans. In turn, Lloyd allegedly paid commissions to Strong in exchange for consumer referrals.

    As alleged in the indictment, Lloyd and Strong targeted vulnerable, low-income individuals experiencing homelessness, unemployment, and mental health and substance abuse disorders, and, through “street marketers” working on their behalf, sometimes offered bribes to induce those individuals to enroll in subsidized ACA plans. Marketers working for Strong’s company allegedly coached consumers on how to respond to application questions to maximize the subsidy amount and provided addresses and social security numbers that did not match the consumers purportedly applying. As a result of being enrolled in subsidized ACA plans for which they did not qualify, some of these consumers experienced disruptions in their medical care.

    The indictment alleges that Lloyd and Strong used misleading sales scripts and other deceptive sales techniques to convince consumers to state that they would attempt to earn the minimum income necessary to qualify for a subsidized ACA plan, even when the consumer initially projected having no income. Lloyd and Strong also allegedly conspired to bypass the federal government’s attempts to verify income and other information. Lloyd and Strong allegedly engaged in the scheme to maximize the commission payments they received from insurers, resulting in their companies’ receiving millions of dollars in commissions.

    As alleged in the indictment, Lloyd and Strong’s scheme caused the federal government to pay at least $161,900,000 in subsidies.

    Cory Lloyd and Steven Strong are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and two counts of money laundering. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, and 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin Fleck of the FBI Miami Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge Isaac Bledsoe of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI are investigating the case.

    Assistant Chief Jamie de Boer and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting 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.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: President of Insurance Brokerage Firm and CEO of Marketing Company Charged in $161M Affordable Care Act Enrollment Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    An indictment was unsealed today charging Cory Lloyd, 46, of Stuart, Florida, and Steven Strong, 42, of Mansfield, Texas, in connection with their alleged participation in a scheme to submit fraudulent enrollments to fully subsidized Affordable Care Act insurance plans (ACA plans) in order to obtain millions of dollars in commission payments from insurance companies.

    ACA plans offer tax credits to eligible enrollees. These tax credits, or “subsidies,” could be paid by the federal government directly to insurance plans in the form of a payment toward the applicable monthly premium. According to court documents, Lloyd and Strong conspired to enroll consumers in ACA plans that were fully subsidized by the federal government by submitting false and fraudulent applications for individuals whose income did not meet the minimum requirements to be eligible for the subsidies. Lloyd allegedly received commission and other payments from an insurance company in exchange for enrolling consumers in the ACA plans. In turn, Lloyd allegedly paid commissions to Strong in exchange for consumer referrals.

    As alleged in the indictment, Lloyd and Strong targeted vulnerable, low-income individuals experiencing homelessness, unemployment, and mental health and substance abuse disorders, and, through “street marketers” working on their behalf, sometimes offered bribes to induce those individuals to enroll in subsidized ACA plans. Marketers working for Strong’s company allegedly coached consumers on how to respond to application questions to maximize the subsidy amount and provided addresses and social security numbers that did not match the consumers purportedly applying. As a result of being enrolled in subsidized ACA plans for which they did not qualify, some of these consumers experienced disruptions in their medical care.

    The indictment alleges that Lloyd and Strong used misleading sales scripts and other deceptive sales techniques to convince consumers to state that they would attempt to earn the minimum income necessary to qualify for a subsidized ACA plan, even when the consumer initially projected having no income. Lloyd and Strong also allegedly conspired to bypass the federal government’s attempts to verify income and other information. Lloyd and Strong allegedly engaged in the scheme to maximize the commission payments they received from insurers, resulting in their companies’ receiving millions of dollars in commissions.

    As alleged in the indictment, Lloyd and Strong’s scheme caused the federal government to pay at least $161,900,000 in subsidies.

    Cory Lloyd and Steven Strong are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and two counts of money laundering. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, and 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin Fleck of the FBI Miami Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge Isaac Bledsoe of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI are investigating the case.

    Assistant Chief Jamie de Boer and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting 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.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Philip Walker, 39, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.

    In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around November 2019 through in and around April 2022, in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida, and Texas, Walker conspired to recruit and entice persons—namely adult females—knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that means of force, threats of force, fraud, coercion, or any combination of such means would be used to cause those persons to engage in commercial sex acts.

    Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Narcotics Division, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Walker.

    This prosecution is part of Operation T.E.N. (Trafficking Ends Now), an umbrella coalition for law enforcement, community, and non-profit partners in the 25 counties in the Western District of Pennsylvania. This coordinated effort aims to end human trafficking through education and improved cooperation across agencies and service providers, thereby enhancing the office’s ability to empower victims of human trafficking to become thriving survivors.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Memphis Man Sentenced to 270 Months for Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that MACEO ROBERTS (“ROBERTS”), age 25, from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced on February 12, 2025 before United States District Judge Susie Morgan for conspiring to commit sex trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1594(c).

    According to court documents, in about Summer 2020, ROBERTS told his co-conspirators, Dominique Peeples and Jeremy Talbert, that he was making a lot of money acting as a pimp, and offered to teach them how to be pimps, as well.  After Peeples and Talbert agreed, ROBERTS “gave” Minor Victim 2, a minor female born in 2003 who had previously performed commercial sex acts under ROBERTS’s direction, to Peeples.  Thereafter, Minor Victim 2 introduced Talbert to Minor Victim 3, a minor female born in 2003, who began performing commercial sex acts under Talbert’s direction.

    During Summer 2020, ROBERTS, Peeples, and Talbert travelled throughout the southern United States, including the New Orleans area, with multiple females, including Minor Victim 2, Minor Victim 3, and Adult Victim 1, for the purpose of having the females engage in commercial sex acts.  ROBERTS taught Peeples and Talbert techniques to oversee and advertise a prostitution operation, including the amount to charge.  ROBERTS also reminded them to keep all of the proceeds.  During this time period, including while in New Orleans, Adult Victim 1 engaged in commercial sex acts at the direction and supervision of ROBERTS, while Minor Victim 2 worked for Peeples and Minor Victim 3 worked for Talbert.

    In about October 2020, ROBERTS assumed control over Minor Victim 3, and required her, not only, to work approximately fifteen hours per day performing commercial sex acts, but also to give him all the money she earned.  ROBERTS beat Adult Victim 1 in front of Minor Victim 3 to show Minor Victim 3 the consequences for not following his instructions.  ROBERTS also provided drugs and alcohol to the victims to control their behavior.

    In about October 2020, Talbert recruited Minor Victim 1, a fourteen-year-old female, to engage in commercial sex acts under his direction.  In about late October 2020, ROBERTS, Peeples, Talbert, Adult Victim 1, Minor Victim 1, and Minor Victim 2 travelled to New Orleans, where they stayed for several months. During this time, ROBERTS, Peeples, and Talbert supervised the commercial sex work of Adult Victim 1, Minor Victim 2, and Minor Victim 1, respectively.  ROBERTS imposed rules and quotas that Adult Victim 1 had to follow and, when she did not meet those quotas or expressed reluctance, ROBERTS threatened to beat and shoot her.

    In January 2021, ROBERTS beat Adult Victim 1 so badly that she required hospitalization in a New Orleans area facility. After Adult Victim 1’s hospital discharge, ROBERTS and Peeples told Adult Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 that they would bring them home to Memphis.  Instead, ROBERTS and Peeples drove them to Houston and forced them to engage in commercial sex acts until they finally escaped.  ROBERTS and Peeples then returned to Memphis to look for Adult Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 to punish them for escaping.  ROBERTS located Adult Victim 1, hiding in a hotel bathtub, and choked her.  He also threatened Minor Victim 2.

    Additionally, in about late January 2021, ROBERTS met and began recruiting Adult Victim 2 to perform commercial sex acts under his direction.  Adult Victim 2 did so until about April 2022.  During that time, ROBERTS repeatedly beat, threatened, and victimized Adult Victim 2, including in November 2021 at a New Orleans area hotel.  In about April 2022, shortly before his arrest, ROBERTS punched Adult Victim 2 so hard that he shattered her front teeth.

    U.S. District  Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ROBERTS to 270 months’ imprisonment.  Judge Morgan ordered that this sentence be run consecutively to any sentence imposed on a pending case for attempted murder and robbery in Marion County Superior Court in Indianapolis, Indiana.   Judge Morgan imposed a fifteen year term of supervised release following imprisonment. ROBERTS was ordered to pay $666,000 in restitution to the victims.  ROBERTS must also participate in the sex offender registration and notification program.  In addition, Judge Morgan imposed a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    Peeples and Talbert previously pleaded guilty to sex trafficking offenses.  Peeples’s sentencing is set for April 9, 2025, before Judge Sarah S. Vance, and Talbert’s sentencing is set for March 12, 2025, before Judge Lance M. Africk.

    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.”

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Integrity Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Barrasso: Kash Patel Will Restore Transparency at the FBI

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor ahead of voting to confirm Kash Patel, President Donald J. Trump’s nominee to be the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
    Senator Barrasso also discussed how quickly Senate Republicans are confirming President Trump’s nominees. The Republican-led Senate has now confirmed 18 of President Trump’s nominees. That is faster than the pace of confirmations under President Barack Obama in 2009 and President Joe Biden in 2021.
    Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.
    Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:
    “President Trump’s cabinet picks are strong. Senate Republicans are confirming them quickly.
    “By the end of today, we will have confirmed 18 of President Trump’s nominees. These nominees are bold and well-qualified.
    “That is more nominees than President Obama had in 2009. It is more than President Biden had in 2021. More than twice as many.
    “Americans voted for a bold, new direction in Washington. Senate Republicans are delivering it.
    “Yesterday, the Senate confirmed Howard Lutnick to be the Secretary of Commerce. He will kickstart the Golden Age of American Manufacturing.
    “The Senate is also on track to confirm Kelly Loeffler to be the Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Kelly is our former colleague in the Senate. She will be a voice for Main Street America.
    “The Senate will soon vote on the confirmation of Kash Patel. Mr. Patel is the nominee to be the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
    “The United States is seeing increased threats from terrorism.
    “The previous FBI Director told the Senate one year ago, ‘I see blinking lights everywhere.’
    “On New Year’s Day, 14 Americans were killed in a terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana.
    “That is why the Senate must confirm Mr. Patel with speed and urgency.
    “Once confirmed, Mr. Patel will begin working to restore trust in one of America’s premier law enforcement agencies.
    “Today, regrettably, only 2 in 5 Americans say they hold a favorable view of the FBI. This must change.
    “Kash Patel will refocus the FBI on its core mission of fighting crime. He will reshape the Bureau so it is no longer a tool for political attacks. He will rededicate the Bureau to keeping Americans safe.
    “This is a uniquely qualified nominee.
    “Mr. Patel began his career as a public defender in Florida. He defended the constitutional rights of some of the most dangerous people in the country.
    “He later joined the Obama Department of Justice as a counterterrorism prosecutor. He investigated and prosecuted cases that protected our country from the most serious threats.
    “He received several awards for excellence for bringing terrorists to justice.
    “Mr. Patel saw the power of the FBI to keep Americans safe.
    “He also saw how the power of the FBI could be abused.
    “In Congress, Mr. Patel lead the investigation that exposed that the FBI was spying unlawfully on President Trump’s 2016 campaign.
    “Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation later backed up Mr. Patel’s side of the story. Durham found, ‘The FBI failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law.’
    “This abuse of power was a breach of Americans’ trust in the FBI.
    “Kash Patel will restore trust by returning the FBI to its core mission of investigating and fighting crime.
    “At his confirmation hearing, he said he will work to cut in half the number of rapes, drug overdoses, and homicides in our country.
    “This is something that every law-abiding American should welcome.
    “For Democrats, however, this is apparently unacceptable. They claim Mr. Patel wants to weaponize government. That is blatantly false.
    “It was Democrats who turned the FBI into a political attack dog against their political opponents.
    “The FBI pressured social media companies to censor the Hunter Biden Laptop story.
    “It partnered with Joe Biden’s Department of Justice in the targeting of concerned parents who protested woke school board meetings.
    “It targeted Catholics as domestic terrorists and spied on them at church.
    “It put politics and personal gain over service to the country.
    “Mr. Patel will end the weaponization and restore transparency.
    “He believes that crime is bad, that two tiers of justice is unacceptable, and that equal justice under the law is good.
    “To Democrats, that’s taboo. To the rest of the country, it’s common sense.
    “Americans want the FBI to fight crime. Kash Patel is the man to do it.
    “If you want to defend our constitutional rights, confirm Kash Patel.
    “If you want justice and accountability, confirm Kash Patel. If you want to keep our communities safe, confirm Kash Patel.
    “Mr. Patel is a man of integrity and fidelity to the rule of law. I look forward to confirming him.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ecuadorian Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Introduce Misbranded Prescription Drugs in the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., announced that Daniel Pinos, 30, of Ecuador, was sentenced today to one year of non-reporting probation and a $100 special assessment by United States District Court Judge John M. Gallagher for conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.

    Pinos pleaded guilty last week to a one-count information charging him with that offense.

    Since in or about 2022, Pinos, an Ecuadorian dentist, made regular trips to the United States to provide dental care and prescription drugs in return for payment. Pinos did so even though he was not licensed to practice dentistry or prescribe drugs in the United States. Some of the drugs he dispensed while in the United States were shipped from Ecuador.

    On September 10, 2024, law enforcement encountered Pinos and seized misbranded drugs and medical and dental equipment.

    “In the U.S., we regulate health care and medications, to keep people safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Thayer. “Pinos understood that he wasn’t licensed to practice dentistry or provide prescription drugs here, but did so, nonetheless. This office and the FBI will continue to investigate such medical malfeasance and hold those who commit it accountable.”

    “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to protect our citizens and safeguard the integrity of our healthcare systems,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “We applaud the hard work of the Allentown Resident Agency and our partners in this case and in their efforts to keep our communities safe.”

    The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Boscia.

    MIL Security OSI –