NewzIntel.com

Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Releases Information on Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure Elections

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today is providing information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division (NSD), and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.

    Civil Rights Division

    The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. This work is often performed in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; National Voter Registration Act; Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; Help America Vote Act; and Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:

    • Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status;
    • Prohibit intimidation of voters;
    • Allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union);
    • Require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions;
    • Require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities;
    • Require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books;
    • Require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and
    • Require covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail, and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter interference based on race, color, national origin, or religion.

    • Throughout the election cycle, Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. The Civil Rights Division will work closely with counterparts at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other department components to review and take appropriate action concerning these complaints.
    • Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and can also submit complaints at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
    • Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.

    Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted.

    Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices

    The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.

    The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election crimes, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. See Justice Manual 9-85.210 (discussing requirements regarding election crime matters); 9-85.300 (discussing approach to ballot fraud); 9-85.400 (discussing application of 18 U.S.C. § 592); 9-85.500 (discussing timing of actions).

    The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division often in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices).

    U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.

    The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election crimes are handled appropriately. Specifically:

    • In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
    • Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/districts. A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us.
    • Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.

    All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department.

    National Security Division

    The department’s National Security Division (NSD) supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context:

    • NSD oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt.
    • NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes.
    • NSD’s National Security Cyber Section oversees such matters when they are cyber-enabled (i.e., when online platforms, such as social media and other online services, are central to the commission of the offense), as well as those involving computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure.
    • NSD’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security.

    As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI field offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats.

    Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should be reported also to the department.

    Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities.

    For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit www.justice.gov/voting and www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-pin/election-crimes-branch.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Louisville Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking Resulting in Death

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Louisville, KY – This week, a Louisville, Kentucky, man pleaded guilty to carjacking which resulted in the death of teenage motorist.  

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Shelby County Sheriff Mark Moore made the announcement.

    According to court documents, Michael Dewitt, pleaded guilty to a single count indictment charging him with carjacking resulting in death. According to court records, Dewitt committed a carjacking at gunpoint on March 1, 2021, and stole a 2011 Ford F350 from its owner in Simpsonville, Kentucky. During the immediate flight from the carjacking, and while still in possession of the stolen truck, Dewitt collided with a vehicle on Dixie Highway in Louisville, causing the death of 17-year-old.

    Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2025. The maximum penalty is life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. If the plea agreement in the case is accepted by the court, the defendant will be sentenced to serve 29 years and 4 months in prison.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case is being investigated by the FBI Louisville Field Office, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Bonar and Mac Shannon are prosecuting this case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Atlantic County Doctor Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, doctor was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in defrauding New Jersey state and local health benefits programs and other insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.

    Brian Sokalsky, 46, of Margate, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel imposed the sentence on Oct. 29, 2024, in Camden federal court. 

     Sokalsky, pharmaceutical sales representative Vincent Tornari, 50, of Linwood, New Jersey, and former advanced nurse practitioner Ashley Lyons-Valenti, 67, of Swedesboro, New Jersey, were charged in a 33-count indictment in June 2020. Tornari pleaded guilty on March 14, 2023, and Lyons-Valenti pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2023, to their respective roles in the conspiracy. Tornari and Lyons-Valenti are both awaiting sentencing.

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

    Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient.

    The conspirators learned that certain medications made by compounding pharmacies reimbursed for up to thousands of dollars for an individual’s one-month supply. They learned that certain insurance plans – including insurance plans for state and local government employees and certain other insurance plans – covered these medications.

    Sokalsky agreed to authorize prescriptions for former pharmaceutical sales representative Matthew Tedesco, 49, of Linwood, New Jersey, who pleaded guilty to health care fraud conspiracy in June 2017, and others working with Tedesco. In exchange for authorizing those prescriptions, Tedesco referred approximately 30 patients to Sokalsky’s new medical practice.  Sokalsky, in turn, billed insurance for patient visits for those people steered to his practice by Tedesco. Sokalsky also authorized prescriptions for the medications for existing patients of his practice, which he did to financially benefit Tedesco and encourage him to refer more patients to his new practice. Sokalsky authorized medically unnecessary medications, including libido creams for young females and excessive quantities of the medications with the maximum number of refills selected. When insurance stopped covering certain formulations of the medications, Tedesco informed Sokalsky that he needed to authorize new prescriptions.  Sokalsky did so, often without seeing the individual for a follow-up visit or informing the person of the change in medication. In total, insurance paid more than $5 million for fraudulent prescriptions authorized by Sokalsky.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Sokalsky to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $5.13 million.

    Attorney for the United States Khanna credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.

    The government is represented by R. David Walk Jr., Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the Camden office.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Dallas Unveils Public Service Announcements in Different Languages to Increase Hate Crime Reporting

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

    DALLAS, TX—The FBI Dallas Division developed a series of videos in five different languages to urge the community to report hates crimes to the FBI. The languages represented in the videos are English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, and Urdu. The goal is to reach people throughout the Dallas Division’s territory where English is not the first language.

    Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. The FBI defines a hate crime as a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.

    The FBI is the lead investigative agency for criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes and works closely with local, state, tribal, and other federal law enforcement partners in many of these cases, even when federal charges are not pursued.

    “The FBI is committed to increasing awareness of how to report hate crimes. It is important for the communities we serve to understand this message. This is why we decided to translate our call to action into multiple languages,” said P.J. O’Brien, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Dallas Division. “We want to reassure the public that the FBI will hold people accountable for committing these serious crimes.”

    The FBI protects all victims of crimes, regardless of their country of national origin or immigration status. If you believe you are a victim or a witness of a hate crime, you are encouraged to report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting an online tip at tips.fbi.gov. You may remain anonymous, and reports can be made in an individual’s preferred language.

    Hate Crime Video Links

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Over Three Years for Involuntary Manslaughter

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter.

    Devin White Calf, age 23, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    White Calf was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in December of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 5, 2024.

    In September of 2023, White Calf consumed alcohol with a group of friends and relatives. At some point, White Calf drove his group to a place called “Top of the World.” This location is just west of Pine Ridge. At this location, the group continued to drink alcohol. While leaving “Top of the World,” White Calf lost control of the vehicle. One of the passengers, a 16-year-old female, was ejected from the vehicle and sustained fatal injuries. Multiple other passengers were also ejected from the car and sustained bodily injuries. Law enforcement was dispatched to the scene because individuals nearby could hear screaming and crying. When law enforcement arrived on scene, White Calf told them that he was not driving and that someone with the last name “Titus” was driving. Several months later, White Calf eventually admitted to law enforcement that he was the driver.

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

    This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe – Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug Dealer Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MOBILE, AL – An Elberta man was sentenced on October 28, 2024, to 15 years in federal prison for his possession with intent to distribute of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Baldwin County, Alabama.  Marcus Allen Heaton, 38, was identified during several encounters with Baldwin County sheriff’s investigators from 2019 through 2021.  

    Court documents show that in May of 2021, Heaton was driving a vehicle displaying improper rear lights. Baldwin County sheriff’s deputies stopped the vehicle and initiated an investigation. A drug detecting dog was used to walk around the outside of the vehicle, and the dog gave a positive alert for the odor of drugs emanating from the vehicle. The deputies searched the vehicle and found 132.6 grams of methamphetamine divided among five plastic bags, packaged in that manner for resale. The deputies also found 6.58 grams of fentanyl divided among three other plastic bags, also packaged for resale.  Heaton’s phone was seized during the stop and deputies obtained a search warrant to examine the contents. In the phone, deputies found numerous texts and electronic messages relating to Heaton’s distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Heaton pled guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one for methamphetamine and one for fentanyl, in June of 2024.  

    United States District Court Judge Jeffery Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 15 years imprisonment for Heaton’s illegal possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was the minimum mandatory sentence under federal law based on the amount of methamphetamine involved in the offense and Heaton’s prior convictions for serious drug felonies. On the charge for Heaton’s illegal possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, the judge imposed a sentence of 130 months imprisonment, which will run concurrently with the sentence on the methamphetamine charge. When Heaton is released from custody, he will serve 5 years of supervised release. Heaton’s supervision includes a set of standard conditions as well as a special condition requiring drug testing and treatment and permitting the probation officer to search his person or property upon a showing of reasonable suspicion that he is in violation of any of the conditions of his supervision. No fine was imposed but Heaton was ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments.  

    The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $135,000 from Dupo School District

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A Waterloo woman admitted guilt to a federal charge Monday for embezzling more than $135,000 as a former employee of Dupo Community Unit School District #196.

    Linda J. Johnson, 58, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of theft from a federally funded program.

    According to court documents, Johnson committed the embezzlement while employed in an administrative support role in the superintendent’s office between 2020 and 2022. In this role, Johnson was responsible for depositing cash and checks into the district’s activities account intended to support student athletics, clubs, and extracurriculars.

    To conceal her crime, she would prepare bank deposit slips reflecting the correct amount of cash and checks received, but later she prepared a second set of fraudulent deposit slips that only accounted for the checks, while she kept the cash.

    “Stealing funds from student activities directly deprives children of opportunities within their extracurriculars,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Although the defendant tried to conceal her crime from school officials by preparing two sets of records, her deceit was discovered, and she will be held accountable.”

    The loss to the school district is $135,566.80.

    “The FBI works to protect the well-being of our children on many levels, and investigating the embezzlement of school funds is no different,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “FBI Springfield would like to thank the Dupo Police Department for their vital role in this investigation.”

    Theft from a federally funded program convictions are punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment and fines up to $250,000. Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 27, 2025, at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.

    Officials with the Dupo School District said the plea agreement reached Monday represents accountability for a serious breach of public trust that impacted their students, staff, and the entire Dupo School District community. They said they are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent work in securing justice for our students and taxpayers.

    The Dupo Police Department and the FBI Springfield Field Office are directing the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Weinhoeft is prosecuting the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pembroke Township Man Sentenced to 6 ½ Years in Prison for Filing False Tax Returns

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    URBANA, Ill. – Larry Dean Gibbs, 63, of Pembroke Township in Kankakee County, Illinois, was sentenced on October 28, 2024, to 6 ½ years of imprisonment for filing false tax returns.

    Gibbs was convicted of filing three false federal tax returns following a jury trial held at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana in March of this year. During the trial, the government presented evidence to establish that, in January 2017, Gibbs filed three federal income tax returns for the tax years 2012, 2013, and 2014, each falsely claiming that he had earned $10 million in annual income from the “Larry Dean Gibbs Estate.” Gibbs further falsely claimed that the IRS withheld over $3 million per year from his earnings each year and that he was entitled to refunds totaling over $6.8 million. In contemporaneous filings, Gibbs claimed that he had changed his name to Mulumbua Humraukn El Taikem Bey and that he was the Ambassador for the Al Moroccan Empire National Republic, which is not officially recognized by the U.S. State Department. At the time Gibbs filed the three false tax returns, he had just been released from federal prison for a prior conviction for filing a false federal tax return in 2005, when he had obtained a $66,282 refund to which he was not entitled.

    At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce found that Gibbs had obstructed justice during the trial by falsely claiming that he was a member of the Maipuri Arauan Nation and that a treaty between that tribe and the United States required tribal members to be seated on his jury. Judge Bruce found that Gibbs “continues to file nonsensical sovereign citizen documents with the court, despite the court’s clear warnings against such frivolous, docket-clogging activity.”

    The statutory penalties for filing a false tax return are up to three years of imprisonment and up to a $100,000 fine on each of the three counts of conviction. In addition to imprisonment, Judge Bruce sentenced Gibbs to serve one year of supervised release following his release from the federal Bureau of Prisons.

    Judge Bruce directed Gibbs to report to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence of imprisonment on January 7, 2025. In the meantime, Gibbs remains released on conditions of bond, which include home detention.

    “Fraud upon the government ultimately harms honest taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “Our office will vigorously prosecute these important cases, including those involving repeat offenders such as the defendant. We are grateful to our federal law enforcement partners for their dedicated work on this case.”

    “Tax fraud undermines the trust between taxpayers and their government,” said Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “By filing false tax returns, Larry Gibbs not only cheated the system but also imposed an unjust burden on honest taxpayers. His frivolous court filings further clogged our legal system, wasting valuable resources that could be better used to serve the community. IRS Criminal Investigation and its fellow law enforcement partners remain committed to holding accountable those who seek to exploit our tax laws for personal gain.”

    “The FBI is proud to work with its law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to ensure that taxpayer dollars aren’t used to line the pockets of repeat offenders,” said Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. “Our tax system is predicated on the principal that every American pays their fair share, and this sentencing reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring equity for hardworking Americans.”

    The IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office, and FBI, Chicago Field Office, investigated the case. Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty of Defrauding UConn

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Hartford has found DICKSON ALORWORNU, also known as “Dixon Al,” 35, a citizen of Ghana residing in Greenwich, guilty of fraud offenses.  The trial before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala began on October 23 and the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts of an indictment this afternoon.

    According to the evidence presented during the trial, in December 2017, Alorwornu used other individuals’ names, fake Social Security numbers, and email addresses to submit two non-degree student applications to the University of Connecticut (“UConn”).  He then used American Express card information that had been stolen from three victims to fund the two student accounts with a total of more than $62,000 in fraudulently obtained funds.  In early 2018, Alorwornu withdrew from the courses and requested that UConn refund the money he had deposited.  UConn subsequently transferred tens of thousands of dollars to bank accounts Alorwornu controlled.  The investigation revealed that the email accounts that Alorwornu used to defraud UConn were also used to commit fraud at other universities.

    The jury found Alorwornu guilty of two counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.  Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for February 19.

    Alorwornu was arrested on February 1, 2023.  He is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

    This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the UConn Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Chang and Elena Coronado.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts Belgrade man of unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MISSOULA — A federal jury on Monday convicted a Belgrade man of a firearms crime after he was accused of illegally possessing two handguns and ammunition while he was the subject of a court restraining order, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    After a one-day trial that began on Oct. 28, the jury found the defendant, Jordan Charles Kirsch, 34, guilty of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Kirsch faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

    U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for March 12, 2025. Kirsch was detained pending further proceedings.

    “Firearms involved in domestic disputes often lead to tragic results. Here, Kirsch was under a court order of protection restraining him from any violence against the petitioner, and yet he illegally possessed two guns in violation of federal law. I am pleased the jury agreed with us and convicted him, and I am grateful to our prosecution team and law enforcement partners for their work to protect the safety of our fellow Montanans,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

    In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on Dec. 19, 2023, a state district court judge in Gallatin County conducted a hearing and issued a final Order of Protection for 10 years against Kirsch. The court’s order found that the petitioner was in danger of harm, restrained Kirsch from committing or threatening to commit any acts of violence to the petitioner and ordered Kirsch not to threaten, harass, abuse, follow, stalk, annoy or disturb the petitioner.

    In April 2024, a court order was issued for Kirsch to be removed from a Belgrade residence and for possession of the residence to be delivered to the petitioner. A sheriff’s office detective conducting surveillance observed Kirsch exit the residence with a black semi-automatic handgun and fire it 10 to 20 times toward a berm near the property. On May 2, 2024, Kirsch was arrested and evicted from the property. A search warrant was executed on the property, and law enforcement found two firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in various calibers.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Missouri River Drug Task Force and Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Crystal Springs Man Sentenced to over 9 Years in Prison for Brandishing a Firearm During a Carjacking in Jackson

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, Miss. – A Crystal Springs man was sentenced today to 110 months in prison for brandishing a firearm while carjacking a woman in front of her home in Jackson.

    According to court documents, Christopher Lawrence Murray, 31, brandished a pistol during a carjacking in the Jackson area. In May of 2021, Murray and another man approached a woman sitting in her car in front of her home.  Working in tandem, both men pointed pistols at the woman and demanded she hand over her cellular phone and the keys to her car. The woman, at gunpoint, complied with the demands and the men left in the woman’s car.

    Murray was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 6, 2023, and he pled guilty on July 31, 2024, to brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.   

    U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

    The Jackson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway prosecuted the case.

    In an effort to focus resources on carjacking in Jackson, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jackson Police Department and the Capitol Police Department formed a carjacking task force in April of 2024.  In keeping with the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, the task force represents a strategic enforcement priority for the department, focusing federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader And Three Members of Poly-Drug Trafficking Organization Are Sentenced To Prison

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

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The leader and three members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) were handed down sentences ranging from 70 months to 27 years in prison today for the bulk distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other narcotics, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    Led by the FBI, ATF, and CMPD, this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation successfully dismantled a poly-drug network that trafficked large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Mecklenburg County.

    The investigation identified nine members of the DTO who were prosecuted federally in connection with this case. The four sentenced today are:

    George Irving Rivens, 38, of Charlotte, and leader of the DTO, was sentenced to 27 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.

    Paul Alexander Kaber, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 172 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin.

    Christopher Ahmad Townsend, 32, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 130 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.

    Joseph Earl Connor, 34, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl.

    The five DTO members previously sentenced and the charges they pleaded guilty to are as follows: 

    Daneon Hansen, 47, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.

    Deion Rashaad Thompson, 30, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl; distribution of methamphetamine; and two counts of distribution of fentanyl.

    Joseph Stewart, 36, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl.

    Naliyah Tekayla Herd, 26, of Charlotte, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison followed by three years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.

    Alexis Taylor, 27, of Mount Holly, N.C., was sentenced to four months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.

    According to court documents and court proceedings, from at least January 1, 2021, to June 3, 2022, Rivens supplied the members of the DTO with methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine for local distribution in Charlotte. During the investigation, law enforcement identified a residence in Charlotte the DTO was using as a wholesale stash house to store and traffic drugs. On June 3, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at the stash house, seizing 16.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 5.7 kilograms of fentanyl, over 2.6 kilograms of cocaine, over a kilogram of heroin, 37 kilograms of marijuana, and more than half a kilogram of cocaine base. In addition, 10 firearms and nearly $30,000 in cash drug proceeds were seized. Court record show that, when law enforcement conducted the search warrant, it appeared that some of the occupants of the stash house had been attempting to destroy evidence by flushing methamphetamine down the toilet.

    On the same day, investigators also executed a search warrant at another location, seizing 3.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.1 kilograms of heroin, three firearms, and $60,000 in cash. From another residence used by Rivens, law enforcement seized $30,303 in cash and two more firearms. In total, over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized over a quarter million dollars in drug cash proceeds and other assets, including over $100,000 worth of jewelry, a 2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack, and a residence used by the DTO to facilitate drug trafficking. 

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI, ATF, and CMPD for leading this OCDETF operation.

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Six Charged in Scheme to Defraud the Federal Government

    Source: United States Attorneys General 8

    Six defendants have been charged for their roles in schemes to rig bids, defraud the government and pay bribes and kickbacks in connection with the sale of IT products and services to federal government purchasers, which resulted in overcharges of millions of dollars to the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense (DoD). 

    On Oct. 9 and Oct. 16, a federal grand jury in Baltimore returned indictments against two additional defendants. Four other defendants were also charged. These are the first charges in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into IT manufacturers, distributors and resellers who sell products and services to government purchasers, including to the intelligence community. 

    “Antitrust crimes can undermine competition for products and services that are vital to our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “When fraudsters siphon taxpayer funds, the Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) partners across the government will hold accountable those who collude to subvert competition, line their pockets with federal procurement dollars and compromise the integrity of our intelligence community programs.”

    “This office and our partners will use all available resources to hold accountable those who would undermine and distort the government’s procurement of goods and services, especially those related to our cybersecurity infrastructure,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. 

    “This investigation demonstrates the vital need to protect the DoD procurement process, particularly within the Intelligence Community,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to identifying fraudsters who abuse public trust and enrich themselves through criminal schemes.”

    “There is no place for fraudsters and crooks scheming to manipulate the government bidding process for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfastly committed to identifying, investigating and bringing to justice those conspiring to enrich themselves by cheating taxpayers.”

    “Investigating complex fraud schemes is a top priority of ours,” said National Security Agency Acting Inspector General Kevin Gerrity. “I commend our team, our law enforcement partners and the Justice Department for their work protecting the integrity of federal contracting.”

    “Each part of the government must do its part to detect and prosecute instances of waste, fraud and abuse, and CIA’s Office of Inspector General was pleased to join its law enforcement partners in investigating this egregious case,” said CIA Inspector General Robin C. Ashton.

    United States v. Victor Marquez

    Victor M. Marquez, a Maryland resident and owner of two IT companies with significant government contracts, was charged in a four-count indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and major fraud against the United States for rigging bids and inflating the amount of money obtained from valuable IT contracts. 

    Antwann C.K. Rawls, an employee of one of Marquez’s companies, and Scott A. Reefe, an IT sales executive, have been charged for their respective roles in the conspiracy.

    As alleged in the indictment, Marquez, Rawls, Reefe and their co-conspirators used their positions of trust to learn sensitive, confidential procurement information, including procurement budgets for large U.S. government IT contracts. The co-conspirators used that inside information to craft bids at artificially determined, non-competitive and non-independent prices, ensuring Marquez’s company would win the procurement. 

    According to court documents, the co-conspirators shared their bids in advance of submitting them to the government, with one co-conspirator emailing that he would submit a “high price third bid.” Marquez and his co-conspirators submitted their collusive bids despite knowing the government sought independent, competitive bids for the valuable contracts, and despite Marquez’s certification of independent bidding.

    If convicted, Marquez faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each conspiracy and wire fraud count and 10 years in prison for the major fraud charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States v. Breal L. Madison Jr.

    Breal L. Madison Jr., a Maryland resident, was charged in a 13-count indictment with conspiracy, bribery of a public official, mail fraud and money laundering for orchestrating a years-long scheme to defraud his employer and the United States out of over $7 million in connection with the sale of IT products to various government agencies.

    Brandon Scott Glisson, an IT contractor providing IT services to the U.S. government, and Glisson’s supervisor, Lawrence A. Eady, a former senior government employee, have also been charged for their respective roles in the scheme.

    According to court documents, through multiple misrepresentations, Madison and his co-conspirators conspired to steal money from Madison’s employer and government agencies, illegally siphoning over $9 million in stolen proceeds to Madison’s shell company, Trident Technology Solutions, and another shell company. They used the money to purchase luxury items and to pay approximately $630,000 in bribes to Eady in exchange for Eady’s ensuring the purchase of additional products sold by Madison. 

    Madison used his ill-gotten gains to buy a Vanquish VQ58 yacht, 2020 Lamborghini Huracan and multiple other vehicles, all of which the United States seeks to forfeit in the indictment. 

    If convicted, Madison faces maximum penalties of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, 15 years in prison for each bribery count, 20 years in prison for each mail fraud count and 10 years for each money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The DCIS, the FBI Baltimore Field Office, CIA Office of Inspector General and NSA Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

    Acting Assistant Chief Michael Sawers and Trial Attorneys Zachary Trotter and Elizabeth French of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, Sean M. Delaney and Darren Gardner for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. 

    Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

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

    View the Rawls information.

    View the Eady information.

    View Reefe information.

    View the Glisson information.

    View the Madison indictment.

    View the Marquez indictment.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alabama Man Sentenced for Threatening Fulton County Sheriff and District Attorney

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ATLANTA – Arthur Ray Hanson, II has been sentenced to federal prison for transmitting interstate threats to injure Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis because of their connections to the Fulton County, Georgia investigation and prosecution of former President Donald Trump. 

    “Public servants have a responsibility to enforce our criminal laws, and anyone who threatens to harm or intimidate them will face the consequences of their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.  “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners who diligently worked to ensure public officials are free to perform their essential work without the threat of physical attack.”

    “Threats against public servants are not only illegal, but also a threat against our democratic process,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. We take this responsibility very seriously and seek to punish those who engage in this type of criminal behavior, and to send the message that such conduct will not be tolerated.”

    According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: On August 6, 2023, Hanson called the Fulton County Government customer service line twice and left two voicemails—the first for Sheriff Labat and the second for District Attorney Willis. During both calls, Hanson threatened violence against these officials.

    In his message for Sheriff Labat, Hanson made statements that included the following:

    • “If you think you gonna take a mugshot of my President Trump and it’s gonna be okay, you gonna find out that after you take that mugshot, some bad [expletive]’s gonna happen to you;”
    • “If you take a mugshot of the President and you’re the reason it happened, some bad [expletive]’s gonna happen to you;”
    • “I’m warning you right now before you [expletive] up your life and get hurt real bad;” and
    • “Whether you got a [expletive] badge or not ain’t gonna help you none;” and “you gonna get [expletive]ed up you keep [expletive]ing with my President.” 

    In Hanson’s message for District Attorney Willis, he made statements that included the following:

    • “Watch it when you’re going to the car at night, when you’re going into your house, watch everywhere that you’re going;”
    • “I would be very afraid if I were you because you can’t be around people all the time that are going to protect you;”
    • “There’s gonna be moments when you’re gonna be vulnerable;”
    • “When you charge Trump on that fourth indictment, anytime you’re alone, be looking over your shoulder;” and
    • “What you put out there, [expletive], comes back at you ten times harder, and don’t ever forget it.”

    Arthur Ray Hanson, II, 59, of Huntsville, Alabama, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge U.S. District Judge J. P. Boulee to one year, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $7,500 fine. Hanson was convicted on these charges on July 3, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting interstate threats.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray prosecuted the case.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Turtle Creek Man Indicted on 18 Counts of Violent Robberies of Multiple Businesses, Carjackings, and Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Hobbs Act robbery, carjacking, and firearms violations, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

    The 18-count Indictment named Jamal Martel Brooks, 33, as the sole defendant. Brooks was previously prosecuted and convicted in the Western District of Pennsylvania in 2019 for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and sentenced to 17 months of incarceration.

    According to the Indictment, from January 3, 2023, to January 2, 2024, Brooks committed numerous violent crimes, including robberies of multiple businesses in the greater Pittsburgh area and two carjackings. Brooks is alleged to have brandished and possessed a firearm in connection with each of these crimes.

    The law provides for a maximum sentence of not less than seven years and up to life in prison for each count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and the sentence on each such count must be imposed consecutively to any other sentence. Due to the number of robberies alleged to have been committed by Brooks, he is facing a maximum total sentence of not less than 63 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $4.5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

    Brooks also is currently facing charges in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in relation to his alleged shooting of a Monroeville Police Sergeant on January 3, 2024.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas C. Maloney and DeMarr W. Moulton are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Monroeville Police Department, and Robinson Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

    An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Men Arrested in Connection with Methamphetamine Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUCSON, Ariz. – Jose Gracia-Vega, 28, of Tucson, was arrested on October 17, 2024, by members of the Arizona Strike Force for Possession with Intent to Distribute 27 Pounds of Methamphetamine and was charged by criminal complaint on October 18, 2024. Ulises Yescas-Garcia, 23, of Tucson, and Sebastian Higuera-Fuentes, 22, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico were also arrested for their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and the distribution of methamphetamine in Tucson beginning in February of this year. Yescas-Garcia and Higuera-Fuentes were both charged earlier by indictment.

    On October 2, 2024, Yescas-Garcia and Higuera-Fuentes were charged in a seven-count indictment with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, and Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Methamphetamine in United States District Court, case CR-24-6720-TUC-RCC. The indictment alleges that they conspired with one another and others to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in Tucson beginning in February 2024, and distributed that methamphetamine on at least six occasions during the time of the conspiracy.

    On October 17, 2024, Gracia-Vega was arrested after being found in possession of approximately 27 pounds of methamphetamine destined for sale in Tucson. According to the complaint, Gracia-Vega met with Higuera-Fuentes that morning and provided him methamphetamine for later distribution. Higuera-Fuentes and Yescas-Garcia were arrested that same day on the charges set forth in the October 2nd indictment.

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

    The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Marana Police Department, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-6720-TUC-RCC
                                          24-mj-9730-N/A-EJM
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-146_Gracia-Vega, Yescas-Garcia, Higuera-Fuentes

    # # #

    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 USA: Six Charged in Scheme to Defraud the Federal Government

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Six defendants have been charged for their roles in schemes to rig bids, defraud the government and pay bribes and kickbacks in connection with the sale of IT products and services to federal government purchasers, which resulted in overcharges of millions of dollars to the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense (DoD). 

    On Oct. 9 and Oct. 16, a federal grand jury in Baltimore returned indictments against two defendants. Four other defendants were also charged. These are the first charges in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into IT manufacturers, distributors and resellers who sell products and services to government purchasers, including to the intelligence community. 

    “Antitrust crimes can undermine competition for products and services that are vital to our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “When fraudsters siphon taxpayer funds, the Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) partners across the government will hold accountable those who collude to subvert competition, line their pockets with federal procurement dollars and compromise the integrity of our intelligence community programs.”

    “This office and our partners will use all available resources to hold accountable those who would undermine and distort the government’s procurement of goods and services, especially those related to our cybersecurity infrastructure,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. 

    “This investigation demonstrates the vital need to protect the DoD procurement process, particularly within the Intelligence Community,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to identifying fraudsters who abuse public trust and enrich themselves through criminal schemes.”

    “There is no place for fraudsters and crooks scheming to manipulate the government bidding process for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfastly committed to identifying, investigating and bringing to justice those conspiring to enrich themselves by cheating taxpayers.”

    “Investigating complex fraud schemes is a top priority of ours,” said National Security Agency Acting Inspector General Kevin Gerrity. “I commend our team, our law enforcement partners and the Justice Department for their work protecting the integrity of federal contracting.”

    “Each part of the government must do its part to detect and prosecute instances of waste, fraud and abuse, and CIA’s Office of Inspector General was pleased to join its law enforcement partners in investigating this egregious case,” said CIA Inspector General Robin C. Ashton.

    United States v. Victor Marquez

    Victor M. Marquez, a Maryland resident and owner of two IT companies with significant government contracts, was charged in a four-count indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and major fraud against the United States for rigging bids and inflating the amount of money obtained from valuable IT contracts. 

    Antwann C.K. Rawls, an employee of one of Marquez’s companies, and Scott A. Reefe, an IT sales executive, have been charged for their respective roles in the conspiracy.

    As alleged in the indictment, Marquez, Rawls, Reefe and their co-conspirators used their positions of trust to learn sensitive, confidential procurement information, including procurement budgets for large U.S. government IT contracts. The co-conspirators used that inside information to craft bids at artificially determined, non-competitive and non-independent prices, ensuring Marquez’s company would win the procurement. 

    According to court documents, the co-conspirators shared their bids in advance of submitting them to the government, with one co-conspirator emailing that he would submit a “high price third bid.” Marquez and his co-conspirators submitted their collusive bids despite knowing the government sought independent, competitive bids for the valuable contracts, and despite Marquez’s certification of independent bidding.

    If convicted, Marquez faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each conspiracy and wire fraud count and 10 years in prison for the major fraud charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States v. Breal L. Madison Jr.

    Breal L. Madison Jr., a Maryland resident, was charged in a 13-count indictment with conspiracy, bribery of a public official, mail fraud and money laundering for orchestrating a years-long scheme to defraud his employer and the United States out of over $7 million in connection with the sale of IT products to various government agencies.

    Brandon Scott Glisson, an IT contractor providing IT services to the U.S. government, and Glisson’s supervisor, Lawrence A. Eady, a former senior government employee, have also been charged for their respective roles in the scheme.

    According to court documents, through multiple misrepresentations, Madison and his co-conspirators conspired to steal money from Madison’s employer and government agencies, illegally siphoning over $9 million in stolen proceeds to Madison’s shell company, Trident Technology Solutions, and another shell company. They used the money to purchase luxury items and to pay approximately $630,000 in bribes to Eady in exchange for Eady’s ensuring the purchase of additional products sold by Madison. 

    Madison used his ill-gotten gains to buy a Vanquish VQ58 yacht, 2020 Lamborghini Huracan and multiple other vehicles, all of which the United States seeks to forfeit in the indictment. 

    If convicted, Madison faces maximum penalties of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, 15 years in prison for each bribery count, 20 years in prison for each mail fraud count and 10 years for each money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The DCIS, the FBI Baltimore Field Office, CIA Office of Inspector General and NSA Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

    Acting Assistant Chief Michael Sawers and Trial Attorneys Zachary Trotter and Elizabeth French of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, Sean M. Delaney and Darren Gardner for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. 

    Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

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

    View the Rawls information.

    View the Eady information.

    View Reefe information.

    View the Glisson information.

    View the Madison indictment.

    View the Marquez indictment.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Statement Regarding Fires at Ballot Boxes

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

    The following statement may be attributed to U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman and Greg Austin, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle field office:

    “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI want to assure our communities that we are working closely and expeditiously together to investigate the two incendiary fires at the ballot boxes in Vancouver, Washington, and the one in Portland, Oregon, and will work to hold whoever is responsible fully accountable.”

    Anyone with information is asked to contact the nearest FBI office, provide information through tips.fbi.gov, or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Orleans Parish Man Sentenced For Attempted Bank Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHRISTOPHER DONNELLY (“DONNELLY”), age 46, was sentenced on September 18, 2024 to 57 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. DONNELLY previously pled guilty to attempted bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).

    According to court documents, on March 26, 2024, DONNELLY entered a Capital One bank located in New Orleans. and presented a demand note to the teller, that read “$1,000 OR YOUR LIFE U DECIDE?”  The teller retreated to an area behind the teller stations, activated a silent alarm, and alerted her co-workers and security. New Orleans Police Officers responded shortly after and took DONNELLY into custody.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Calogero of the General Crimes Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former prosecutor goes to prison for extorting money

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – The former elected Starr County Attorney has been sentenced for extortion under color of law, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

    Victor Canales Jr., 51, pleaded guilty Sept. 5, 2023.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Canales to serve 37 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard testimony from an auditor with the Texas Attorney General’s Office describing the cash deposits made into Canales’s personal accounts and his use of funds from the Starr County Attorney’s account. In imposing the sentence, the court determined the amount of the bribes at $44,000. The court also noted comments about the culture of corruption in Starr County, and said today’s sentence would act as a deterrent to that corruption.

    “Prosecutors of all stripes, whether at the federal, state or city level, are defined by an oath, one to serve and protect their communities. It’s an oath that seeks only one thing—justice,” said Hamdani. “Victor Canales Jr. violated that oath and the trust of Starr County’s residents in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribes. As an office of dedicated public servants, including 200 prosecutors, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District has little patience for corrupt officials, especially when a prosecutor trades his authority, his oath, for personal gain.” 

    “Today’s sentencing highlights the FBI’s commitment to combat public corruption at every level. Citizens in the Rio Grande Valley deserve local government officials who can be trusted,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “The FBI would like to thank our Operation Ice River partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as Texas Office of the Attorney General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Department of Public Safety – Texas Rangers for their continued collaboration in rooting out corruption and keeping our communities safe.”

    Canales was the Starr County Attorney from 2005 to 2022. In that role, he was responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor crimes.

    In September 2021, a woman reached out to Canales for assistance because her son had been charged with three misdemeanor offenses in Starr County. He said he could help her and that for $1500, he could take care of the Starr County tickets.

    The mother gave Canales three money orders totaling $1500. He deposited the proceeds into his own checking account and used it for his own personal needs rather than depositing the monies into the Starr County account.

    Canales then sent a series of letters to Cameron County indicating the three charges against the woman’s son would be dropped.

    Canales was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    The FBI worked in partnership with the Texas Attorney General’s Office to conduct the Border Corruption Task Force investigation with the assistance of Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations and Texas Rangers.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Cook Profit prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Joins International Action Against RedLine and META Infostealers

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RedLine and META Infostealers stole information from millions of victims around the world; U.S. complaint charges developer and administrator; U.S. law enforcement seizes infrastructure

    AUSTIN, Texas – The Department of Justice joined the Netherlands, Belgium, Eurojust and other partners in announcing an international disruption effort against the current version of RedLine Infostealer, one of the most prevalent infostealers in the world that has targeted millions of victim computers, and the closely-related META Infostealer.

    The Justice Department, FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Army Criminal Investigation Division joined international partners in the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (“JCAT”) Operation Magnus (supported by Europol) to seize domains, servers, and Telegram accounts used by the RedLine and META administrators to disrupt the operations of the infostealers.

    International authorities have created a website at www.operation-magnus.com with additional resources for the public and potential victims.

    Infostealers are a prevalent form of malware used to steal sensitive information from victim’s computers including usernames and passwords, financial information, system information, cookies, and cryptocurrency accounts. The stolen information—referred to as “logs”—is sold on cybercrime forums and used for further fraudulent activity and other hacks. RedLine has been used to conduct intrusions against major corporations. RedLine and META infostealers can also enable cyber criminals to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) through the theft of authentication cookies and other system information.

    RedLine and META are sold through a decentralized Malware as a Service (“MaaS”) model where affiliates purchase a license to use the malware, and then launch their own campaigns to infect their intended victims. The malware is distributed to victims using malvertising, e-mail phishing, fraudulent software downloads, and malicious software sideloading. Various schemes, including COVID-19 and Windows update related ruses have been used to trick victims into downloading the malware. The malware is advertised for sale on cybercrime forums and through Telegram channels that offer customer support and software updates. RedLine and META have infected millions of computers worldwide and, by some estimates, RedLine is one of the top malware variants in the world.

    Through various investigative steps, law enforcement has collected victim log data stolen from computers infected with RedLine and META. While an exact number has not been finalized, agents have identified millions of unique credentials (usernames and passwords), email addresses, bank accounts, cryptocurrency addresses, credit card numbers, etc. The United States does not believe it is in possession of all the stolen data and continues to investigate.

    The Department has unsealed a warrant issued in the Western District of Texas that authorized law enforcement to seize two domains used by RedLine and META for command and control.

    In conjunction with the disruption effort, the Justice Department unsealed charges against Maxim Rudometov, one of the developers and administrators of RedLine Infostealer. According to the complaint, Rudometov regularly accessed and managed the infrastructure of RedLine Infostealer, was associated with various cryptocurrency accounts used to receive and launder payments and was in possession of RedLine malware. For his actions, he has been charged with access device fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029, conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1030 and 371, and money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956.

    If convicted, Rudometov faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for access device fraud, five years in prison for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, and 20 years in prison for money laundering. The complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The FBI Austin Cyber Task Force is investigating the case. The Task Force participants include the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Army Criminal Investigation Division, among other agencies.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Karthik Srinivasan is prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Cybercrime Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust and Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.

    The disruption effort announced today was in conjunction with Operation Magnus, a JCAT law enforcement operation to investigate RedLine and META Infostealers. The participating agencies included the Dutch National Police, Belgian Federal Police, Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office, United Kingdom National Crime Agency, Australian Federal Police, Portuguese Federal Police, and Eurojust.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Darnell Bishop Sentenced To 15 Years For Role In Benton Harbor Dunham’s Store Handgun Theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

              GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Darnell Bishop, 32, of Benton Harbor, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for kidnapping and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 

              “Mr. Bishop’s criminal scheme, had it succeeded, would have flooded the streets of southwest Michigan with illegal guns,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “The proliferation of illegal guns is one cause behind the gun violence epidemic we are experiencing in Benton Harbor, across the state, and across the nation. I am grateful to our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for their swift and smart response that prevented the worst from happening. Moving forward, we will continue to focus our efforts on those few individuals who are driving gun violence in their communities.”

              Bishop was charged along with his brother and codefendant, Dontrell Nance, for the theft of 123 handguns from Benton Harbor Dunham’s Sports Store. Bishop and Nance kidnapped the Dunham’s manager from outside the manager’s home using a pistol, blindfolded and handcuffed him, took him to a second location, and threatened the manager into providing the alarm code for Dunham’s. Bishop then went to the store and stole 123 pistols, which he carried away in two large coolers. Law enforcement has since recovered all the firearms.  

              Nance previously pled guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  He was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

              “Today’s sentence is an example of our commitment to our industry partners and their employees, that their safety and security is one of ATF’s top priorities,” said Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Mr. Bishop and his cohorts need to be held accountable for their actions and represent the most deserving of Federal prosecution. They are criminals who put personal greed before the safety of Dunham’s employees and their families. Now, they will have plenty of time in prison to reflect on their wrongdoing.”

              “Mr. Bishop’s sentencing brings closure to a community left rattled by a violent attack against Dunham’s Sports and its manager in a plot to traffic over 100 illegal guns into our streets,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I am thankful for the cooperation of our law enforcement partners, especially the Benton Harbor Safe Streets Task Force, whose prompt response thwarted this plot and averted potentially devastating consequences.”

              This case was investigated by the Benton Charter Township Police Department, Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, Berrien County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police, ATF, and FBI.

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              The previous press releases, complaint, and press conference can be viewed at the following links here, here, here, here, and here. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Holland Man Sentenced For Sexual Exploitation Of A Child, Penalties For Registered Sex Offenders

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

              GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Jared Hanner, 32, of Holland, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Penalties for Registered Sex Offenders. Hanner previously pleaded guilty to the charges and faced a mandatory 35-year prison sentence.

              “Sexual exploitation crimes against our children are especially egregious,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We will continue to hold sexual predators and their coconspirators accountable by working with our law enforcement partners to secure a measure of justice for the minor victims and prevent future harm.”

              Last year, Hanner met Tasha Erin Blake, 38, of Grand Haven, online and convinced her to text him explicit photos of a minor in her care and custody, under 13 years of age. Blake complied, but subsequently confessed her actions to the police. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Hanner’s phone and found the explicit photos and his request for them. Blake pleaded guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography earlier this year and was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.

              “Anyone who means to manipulate and sexually exploit children should face severe consequences, and the FBI will never stop seeking justice for victims,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This sentencing would not be possible without the dedicated work of our FBI West Michigan Based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX) and collaboration with our law enforcement partners who we remain committed to working alongside to protect our communities.”

              The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, and Kent County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Doaa Al-Howaishy prosecuted it.

              This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Convicted in Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy Trial

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

    MOBILE, AL – Following a three-week trial, a federal jury convicted three defendants of a murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder for hire, a carjacking conspiracy, interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, evidence tampering, and witness tampering.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, John Fitzgerald McCarroll, Jr., 30, Darrius Dwayne Rowser, 20, and Lyteria Isheeia Hollis, 30, each of Mobile, were part of a plot to murder an individual as retribution for a prior killing. Jurors reviewed evidence that McCarroll, aided by Hollis and others, directed payments to hired shooters, including Rowser and others, to carry out the intended murder. The evidence included text messages, social media evidence, financial records, surveillance videos, firearm and toolmark evidence, DNA evidence, and cell tower data, among other things.

    As part of the murder plot, evidence showed that McCarroll’s hired shooters attempted but failed to kill the intended target during multiple nightclub shootings. In September 2022, Reginald Dennis Alan Fluker, who pleaded guilty to the conspiracy, opened fire in the Bank Nightlife club using a gun provided to him by McCarroll. Fluker shot the wrong person, who later died of his injuries. In November 2022, Rowser used a machinegun provided to him by McCarroll to shoot at the intended target inside the Paparazzi Lounge. Rowser likewise missed the target and instead hit four victims, one of whom was rendered paralyzed.

    The evidence also showed that as part of the conspiracy, Rowser and others, at McCarroll’s direction, traveled to Mississippi to steal cars for use in surveilling the target of the plot. In September 2022, during an attempted carjacking in D’Iberville, Mississippi, Rowser shot and killed a victim. As part of that murder, Rowser and a coconspirator traveled back to Mobile and burned the stolen car they were using during the attempted carjacking.

    The evidence further showed that in December 2022, at McCarroll’s direction, Rowser and other coconspirators traveled to the Walmart on I-65 Service Road South in Mobile to purchase a GPS tracker for the target’s vehicle. During that trip, Rowser and a coconspirator opened fire into the self-checkout area of the store, striking two victims.

    Finally, evidence showed that following the arrests of McCarroll, Fluker, and other members of the conspiracy, the defendants attempted to tamper with evidence and a witness. Specifically, McCarroll directed Hollis to hide a weapon that he had previously purchased for Fluker because of Fluker’s participation in the murder plot. Federal agents seized that gun from Hollis’s house. Additionally, the jury convicted McCarroll of attempting to tamper with Fluker’s testimony by having him sign a sham affidavit, which was filed in state court to earn McCarroll a bond from jail.

    U.S. District Judge Terry F. Moorer scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2025. Under federal law, each defendant faces a mandatory life sentence.

    U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mobile Police Department, and the D’Iberville, Mississippi Police Department are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Roller, Gaillard Ladd, and Kasee Heisterhagen are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Second Conviction in 2019 Kidnapping

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni woman pleaded guilty in federal court to a count of kidnapping. This crime eventually resulted in the victim’s death at the hands of a co-defendant and the burning of the victim’s body in an attempt by the co-defendant to conceal evidence. Her co-defendant was previously convicted and sentenced to prison for the subsequent killing.

    According to court documents, between July 1 and July 16, 2019, Kendra Panteah, 37, participated in and continued the confinement of John Doe in the trunk of his own vehicle and contacted the co-defendant for assistance in order to avoid getting in trouble.

    Along with the co-defendant, Panteah then drove around for over a day through the Navajo Nation with John Doe locked in the trunk before stopping near Bass Lake, NM. There, John Doe attempted to escape by forcing the trunk open. Before he could get out, however, the co-defendant repeatedly stabbed Doe with a machete. The co-defendant then closed the trunk on the victim, and Panteah and the co-defendant then sat on the trunk until John Doe stopped moving. Doe died as a result of the stab wounds. Panteah and co-defendant then drove the vehicle, with Doe’s body in the trunk to a residence where it was abandoned for several days.

    The co-defendant eventually towed the vehicle to a remote location, doused it with gasoline, and set it on fire with John Doe’s body inside to destroy evidence of the crime. Doe was only identified through hip replacement devices found in the burned vehicle.

    Her co-defendant, Gilbert John Jr., pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

    At sentencing, Panteah faces between a binding range of no less than 10 years up to no more than 18 years imprisonment. Upon her release from prison, Panteah will be subject to up to five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Alexander F. Flores are prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Exposing Himself on an Aircraft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – An Indian man, arrested last week for masturbating and exposing himself on a flight within the view of two other passengers, has pleaded guilty and was sentenced.

    Krishna Kunapuli, 39, pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2024 to one count of committing lewd, indecent, or obscene acts on an aircraft. Kunapuli was also sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy to two years of probation and a $5,000 fine. He was also ordered to delete, in the presence of law enforcement, photographs that he took of a female passenger during the flight and to have no contact with her.  

    According to the charging documents, Kunapuli made unwanted sexual advances towards a female passenger on board a flight from Abu Dhabi to Boston, including touching her hair and taking pictures of her without her permission.  After a crew member intervened, Kunapuli returned to his seat.

    Later in the flight, two male passengers seated near Kunapuli noticed Kunapuli masturbating under a blanket and, at times, with his penis fully exposed. One of the passengers reported this conduct to a flight attendant, who intervened, and alerted law enforcement.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Attorney Announces Election Day Program

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Daniel Tvedt will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Tvedt has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of Iowa, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    United States Attorney Duax said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.  Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).   

    United States Attorney Duax stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Tvedt will be on duty in the Cedar Rapids area while the polls are open.  He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 319-363-6333.  AUSA Ron Timmons will be on duty in the Sioux City area and can be reached at 712-255-6011.”

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 402-493-8688.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    United States Attorney Duax said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.  It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Defendants Charged in Federal Drug Trafficking Probe Targeting Fentanyl and Cocaine Sales in Chicago

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A federal investigation has resulted in federal drug and firearm charges against eight individuals for allegedly trafficking fentanyl and cocaine on the South Side of Chicago.

    An indictment unsealed Friday in federal court in Chicago accuses the eight defendants of conspiring to traffic fentanyl and cocaine from March 2023 to July 2024.  During the conspiracy, the defendants used a residence in the 2000 block of West 69th Place in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago to carry out their illicit activities, the indictment states.  The defendants possessed loaded handguns while engaged in their drug trafficking crimes, the indictment states.

    During the investigation, law enforcement seized distribution quantities of suspected fentanyl-laced heroin and crack cocaine, as well as more than a dozen firearms and associated ammunition.

    Charged with federal drug and firearm offenses are PATRICK TUCKER, 33, THOMAS CUNNINGHAM, 29, DARIUS JOHNSON, 23, KYWANTE SHUMAKE, 26, KEONTIS SHUMAKE, 23, KAMARI ROSS, 26, DREQUAN BASS, 26, and LACOLA WILLIAMS, 26, all of Chicago. The charges in the indictment carry a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.  Tucker and Cunningham also face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, while the others face a mandatory minimum of ten years.  The defendants were arraigned in U.S. District Court in Chicago and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen B. McCurry and Michael Maione.

    The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers and other criminal offenders 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 against criminal networks.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: CAREER ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY TO LEAD DOJ ELECTION DAY PROGRAM IN THE DISTRICT OF NORTH DAKOTA

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Rick L. Volk will lead the efforts of the Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Volk has served as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of North Dakota for the past 20 years, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the Office’s handling of Election Day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington.

    “Lawfully casting a vote without interference or discrimination and having that voted counted in a fair and free election is a fundamental right in North Dakota and across the country,” Schneider said. “There is a history in the District of North Dakota of election officials and staff serving their critical roles without being subject to unlawful threats or violence, and the Department of Justice will do its part to uphold that tradition and protect the integrity of the election process. With an experienced career federal prosecutor as a point of contact on Election Day, our Office stands ready to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns or election fraud in real time while the polls are open.” 

    Volk has led the Office’s Election Day efforts since 2004 and has served as DEO during five presidential elections. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Volk will be on duty while the polls are open in the District of North Dakota.  He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 701-530-2420 and/or 701-297-7400.

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The relevant FBI field office for the District of North Dakota can be reached by the public at 763-569-8000.

    Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Escapee Sentenced to Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A man who was finishing his prison sentence at a residential reentry center for a 2020 escape and then escaped again in 2023 was sentenced on October 28, 2024, to more than two years in federal prison.

    Caleb Lee Olson, age 49, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 15, 2024, guilty plea to one count of escape from Federal Bureau of Prisons custody on November 27, 2023.

    At the guilty plea, Olson admitted that on November 27, 2023, he was completing his sentence for a 2020 escape in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons at Gerald R. Hinzman Center in Cedar Rapids when he left the facility without permission and did not return.  Olson was found in Marion, Iowa, and was arrested on December 5, 2023.    

    Olson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Olson was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    Olson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by United States Marshals Service and the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-CR-00003.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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