NewzIntel.com

Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Sentenced to Over Four Years in Prison for Embezzling $5.8 Million From Employer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant cut his court ordered location monitoring device while on pre-trial release

    BOSTON – The former finance director of a Florida-based company has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for embezzling more than $5.8 million from his employer.

    Paul Schnitzer, 52, of Clermont, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo. T. Sorokin to 54 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Schnitzer was also ordered to pay $5,831,829 in restitution and to forfeit various assets that he obtained through his crime, including the full balances of two financial accounts, subscription ownership shares in certain artwork, and up to $50,000 in cash on deposit with Bulgari, the luxury jeweler.

    Between January 2022 and May 2024, Schnitzer made over 100 transfers, most disguised as “equity distributions,” from his employer’s operating account into his personal account. He also secretly used a line of credit to replenish the company’s operating account after he had stolen from it and to transfer additional funds to his account. To hide these transfers, Schnitzer provided falsified financial reports with inflated cash balances for the company, to the Massachusetts-based investment firm that owned the company. He also spoofed email addresses and posed as representatives of the company’s bank and customers to send falsified confirmations to the company’s audit firms.

    While on pre-trial release, Schnitzer was arrested after cutting his location monitoring device in June 2024 and using a company credit card to make over $10,000 in purchases in August 2024.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit handled the forfeiture aspects of the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Long Beach, California, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Derrick Polk, 62, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to Counts One and Three of the Superseding Indictment on June 4, 2025.

    In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Polk conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Further, in and around April 2021, Polk possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Polk was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others.

    Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for September 24, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 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, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Polk. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: District Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Traffic Stop in Northwest D.C.

    Source: US FBI

                WASHINGTON – Trevon Timothy Vines, 30, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025, to one count of illegal possession of a firearm following his arrest on March 15, 2025, in the District of Columbia.

                According to court documents, on March 15, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the vicinity of 1820 7th Street NW after observing a traffic infraction. It is alleged that during the course of the stop, officers observed several open containers of alcohol and requested that all occupants exit the vehicle.

                Court documents say that Vines was seated in the front passenger seat and holding a cup consistent with the others observed. As officers attempted to place Vines in handcuffs, they felt what they immediately recognized to be a handgun on his person in a front left jacket pocket. Officers eventually recovered the firearm and discovered that it had been reported stolen from a gun dealer in White Plains, Maryland.

                An investigation revealed that Vines is a convicted felon with multiple prior convictions. At the time of the incident, Vines was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal and D.C. law. He did not have a license to carry or own a firearm in the District of Columbia.

                This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, ATF Baltimore Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.

                This case is part of Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful, an executive order surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coral Springs Man Charged with Operating $158 Million Ponzi Scheme Through His Trucking Company, Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    MIAMI – Sanjay Singh, 45, of Coral Springs, Florida, has been sentenced to 23 years in a federal prison for a $158 million investment fraud (Ponzi) scheme run through his over-the-road trucking company, Royal Bengal Logistics, Inc. (“RBL”).

    In November, a jury convicted Singh on all 8 counts of an indictment that alleged that he violated federal laws criminalizing conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds.

    According to the indictment, Singh, RBL’s founder and president, organized and ran a substantial Ponzi scheme with co-conspirators. The conspiracy began in January 2020 and was ongoing at the time of his arrest. Singh and his co-conspirators held RBL out to potential investors as a thriving and successful trucking business, all while RBL’s actual trucking business lost money. In the process, Singh and his co-conspirators made material misrepresentations and material omissions about the riskiness of investing in RBL, the profitability of RBL’s trucking operations, how RBL would pay its investors, and how RBL would use investor funds. Through these material misrepresentations and omissions, Singh and his co-conspirators raised over $158 million from investors, which Singh and his co-conspirators then used in part to pay existing investors promised returns.

    The indictment also alleged that Singh misappropriated millions of dollars of investor funds to renovate his home, make mortgage payments, pay for personal expenses, and trade stocks on margin.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (“DOT-OIG”), Southern Region; and Russell C. Weigel, III, Commissioner, Florida Office of Financial Regulation (“OFR”), made the announcement.

    U.S. Attorney O’Byrne commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, DOT-OIG, and OFR in this matter. He thanked the United States Securities and Exchange Commission Miami Regional Office for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore and Roger Cruz prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60117.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wareham Man Indicted for Child Pornography Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    Defendant allegedly possessed more than 9,000 CSAM files including images of infants being sexually assaulted

    BOSTON – A Wareham man has been indicted for allegedly possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    Brandon Bendall, 49, was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on May 2, 2028.

    According to court documents, Bendall was allegedly a member of an online chat group in which members viewed and posted CSAM. During a search of Bendall’s residence and cell phone, approximately 9,400 images and videos of CSAM, including images of children as young as infants being sexually assaulted, were allegedly located.

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Admit Fraudulently Registering Vehicles in Missouri

    Source: US FBI

    ST. LOUIS –Four people, including three former employees of vehicle and driver license offices, have admitted fraudulently registering motor vehicles in Missouri.

    Gary Wilds, 48, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 22 counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and six counts of making a false statement.

    Three former employees of contract license offices have also pleaded guilty. Ashlyn Graeff, 39, pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024, to three counts of making a false statement. Megan Leone, 42, pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. Michelle Boyer, 53, pleaded guilty on May 21 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

    Wilds’ business, Pinnacle Concierge, assisted customers in registering their vehicles with the Missouri Department of Revenue. Wilds admitted bribing employees of the motor vehicle license offices to falsely represent to the state that the vehicles had passed emissions and safety inspections and that those owners had paid their property taxes and had proof of insurance or other evidence of financial responsibility. Wilds also bribed employees into submitting forged documents claiming that vehicle owners were eligible for sales tax exemptions, thus reducing tax assessments from thousands of dollars per vehicle to as little as $11.

    Some of Wilds’ customers knew that Wilds was going to use deceptive means to register their vehicles because their vehicles could not pass emissions tests, they had outstanding child support arrearages or they had been barred from registering vehicles by another state agency, the plea says. The customers who were unaware suffered financial losses because Wilds sent a fraction of the actual required taxes to the Department of Revenue, and the owners remain liable for those taxes.

    As early as 2015, Boyer met Wilds at a contract licensing office and began assisting him in conducting the illegal motor vehicle transactions. Wilds knew Leone before 2017, when she began working for a licensing office in St. Charles County. After she started work as a title clerk, Wilds began paying her in exchange for her help registering vehicles and exempting vehicles from the payment of state and local taxes. When she was promoted to manager, Leone told Graeff, who was her subordinate and who began working at the office in 2018, to fraudulently complete vehicle registration documents on behalf of Wilds. Wilds paid Graeff $100 for each transaction. Graeff initially conducted one or two fraudulent registrations per week for Wilds but that eventually grew to as many as 10 per day. Graeff’s activities resulted in a loss of state tax revenue of $84,154.96.

    Leone is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and Boyer on August 21. Graeff was sentenced July 17, 2024, to four years of probation and ordered to pay $84,554 in restitution.

    Wilds is scheduled to be sentenced on September 2. The conspiracy and wire fraud charges each carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The charge of making a false statement carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Each aggravated identity theft charge is punishable by two years in prison, consecutive to any other charge.

    The case was investigated by the Missouri Department of Revenue and the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Humbolt, Iowa, Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: US FBI

    Paul William Flett, age 44, from Humbolt, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, on June 3, 2025.  Flett pled guilty January 23, 2025, to one count to sexual exploitation of a child. 

    Evidence in the case showed that Flett sent links and images of child pornography to underage girls and asked them to send images and videos of themselves to him.  On June 6, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Flett’s home and in a consensual interview, Flett admitted to the conduct and that he threw his phone in a closet when law enforcement arrived because he knew they were there for him.  Forensic analysis of Flett’s electronics and Kik account discovered a total of 16 videos and 60 images of child pornography including several that Flett had asked children to record of themselves.  The images and videos contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers.        

    Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Flett was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment, ordered to pay $3,600 in restitution and assessments, and ordered to serve a term of supervised release of 5 years following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Flett remains in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

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

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber-Crime Unit, and Webster County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. 

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

    The case file number is 24-CR-03036.  

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, law enforcement partners arrest 15 gang members, seize 16 firearms

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BATON ROUGE, La. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in collaboration with local, state and federal partners and the Violent Gun Reduction and Interdiction Program, arrested 15 gang members and seized 16 firearms and $44,000 in cash as part of the efforts to make local communities safer.

    “Our communities are safer today because of Homeland Security Investigations and law enforcement partners working together to stop crime on our streets,” said ICE HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune.

    The VGRIP is a multiagency, multijurisdictional approach to target violent gangs in East Baton Rouge Parish through the use of targeted enforcement operations focused on violent gangs and neighborhoods.

    Partnering agencies in the program include the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Agency, East Baton Rough Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Probation and Parole, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana National Guard Air Support and the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office.

    The VGRIP will be working the entire summer of 2025 in the Baton Rouge Capitol Area, working to make local communities safer.

    Members of the public with information about related crimes are encouraged to contact the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or submit information online via the ICE Tip Form.

    For more information about ICE HSI New Orleans and its efforts to enhance public safety in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, follow us on X at @HSINewOrleans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Government Seizes Approximately 145 Criminal Marketplace Domains

    Source: US FBI

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today the seizure of approximately 145 darknet and traditional internet domains, and cryptocurrency funds associated with the BidenCash marketplace. The operators of the BidenCash marketplace use the platform to simplify the process of buying and selling stolen credit cards and associated personal information.

    BidenCash commenced operations in March 2022. BidenCash administrators charged a fee for every transaction conducted on the website. The BidenCash marketplace had grown to support over 117,000 customers, facilitated the trafficking of over 15 million payment card numbers and personally identifiable information, and generated over $17 million in revenue during its operations.

    The BidenCash marketplace domains will no longer be operational and will be redirected to a U.S. law enforcement-controlled server, preventing future criminal activity on these sites. The marketplace also sold compromised credentials that could be used to access computers without proper authorization.

    Between October 2022 and February 2023, the BidenCash marketplace published 3.3 million individual stolen credit cards for free to promote the use of their services. The stolen data included credit card numbers, expiration dates, Card Verification Value (CVV) numbers, account holder names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers.

    According to court records, the United States obtained court authorization to seize cryptocurrency funds that BidenCash marketplace used to receive illicit proceeds from its illegal sales.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; John Szydlik, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Frankfurt Resident Office; and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service’s Frankfurt Resident Office, the U.S. Secret Service’s Cyber Investigative Section, and the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.

    The Department of Justice thanks the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit, The Shadowserver Foundation and Searchlight Cyber for their assistance with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell in these matters.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Newcomb Man Pleads Guilty to Knife Assault Outside Shiprock Grocery Store

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Newcomb man pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious injury following a violent knife assault outside a local grocery store.

    According to court records, on November 12, 2024, Josiah Bodie, 23, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted John Doe with a knife outside Basha’s Grocery Store in Shiprock, New Mexico. As a result of the assault, John Doe suffered serious bodily injury. 

    At sentencing, Bodie faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Bodie will be subject to up to five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE-supported conference in Montenegro tackles challenges of transnational drug crime

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE-supported conference in Montenegro tackles challenges of transnational drug crime

    (l-r) U.S. Ambassador Judy Rising Reinke, Special State Prosecutor Vladimir Novović, acting director of the Police Directorate Lazar Šćepanović, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro Jan Haukaas and Security Co-operation and Governance Programme Manager Stephen Harmon at the opening of the three-day international conference in Budva, 4 June 2025. (OSCE/Marina Živaljević) Photo details

    Transnational organized crime, specifically drug trafficking, remains a critical, shared threat that transcends national borders. It can only be effectively countered through co-ordinated, joint action grounded in international collaboration, sustained strategic commitment, and mutual trust.
    This was emphasized at the opening of a three-day international conference “Connecting the Drugs: Challenges and Threats from Expanding Trans-Atlantic Collusion and Traffic in Drug Crime”, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Police Directorate of Montenegro, with support from the Embassy of the United States of America. The event is taking place from 4 to 6 June in Budva.
    The conference brings together 70 regional law enforcement leaders, investigators, and prosecutors involved in organized crime investigations from countries of the Western Balkans region, Italy, Romania, Spain and the United States.
    Opening the conference, acting director of the Police Directorate of Montenegro, Lazar Šćepanović, noted that the dominant criminal activity of high-risk organized crime groups from Montenegro continues to be cocaine smuggling at the international level, with these structures maintaining links to criminal groups across the Western Balkans. “Despite all the challenges, Montenegro has made significant progress in the fight against transnational organized crime and drug trafficking in the previous period, relying on strengthening police co-operation, adopting European standards, and intensive international co-ordination,” said director Šćepanović. He also emphasized that “the priority of the Montenegrin police will remain the strengthening and intensifying of international police co-operation”, which is one of the underlying themes of the conference.
    Special State Prosecutor Vladimir Novović stated that he was proud that the Special State Prosecutor’s Office had developed relations and intensive co-operation with key international institutions. “Each of them, within their own jurisdiction, is dedicated to fighting this global problem,” said Special Prosecutor Novović. He further noted that this co-operation has already enabled the prosecution to achieve significant results, especially in terms of uncovering and prosecuting international drug trafficking rings.”
    U.S. Ambassador Judy Rising Reinke highlighted that the fight against drug trafficking requires unwavering commitment, collaboration, innovation, and trust.  “Montenegro has been an incredible partner in this fight, and their leadership in this regional event is testament to the effectiveness of the police and prosecutors who work tirelessly to dismantle criminal groups. The positive results are encouraging, but there is still so much more to be done. Thank you for joining us here today so that together we can degrade these criminal networks, protect our communities, and ensure a safer future,” said Ambassador Reinke.
    Head of Mission Jan Haukaas stated that the OSCE’s regional presence and comprehensive mandate made it uniquely positioned to support cross-border co-operation. “The OSCE is well placed to facilitate trust among institutions, and promote holistic, cross-sectoral responses that address both the criminal, institutional, economic and societal risks posed by criminal networks. This conference can contribute to those efforts by bringing together law enforcement and prosecutorial institutions across Southeast Europe and beyond,” said Ambassador Haukaas.
    This three-day conference provides a platform for participants to exchange regional and international expertise in combating drug crime, with a particular focus on emerging collusion between South East Europe and Latin American criminal organizations. It also explores challenges and threats criminal collaboration poses to the region and the rest of Europe. The event brings together representatives from leading international, regional, and national law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, with presentations by UNODC, INTERPOL, EUROPOL, EUDA, DEA and the FBI, among others. The conference also includes an in-depth expert presentation by the Vigilance Project on Latin American drug cartels and the threats they represent for Europe, including Southeast Europe.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Texan Receives Over 17 Years for Attempting to Coerce and Entice International Child Pornography Using Popular Apps

    Source: US FBI

    McALLEN, Texas – A 20-year-old Edinburg man has been sentenced for attempting to coerce and entice the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a Finnish minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Brandon Roy Alvarez pleaded guilty Oct. 9, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton has now sentenced Alvarez to 210 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including that Alvarez would collect child pornography and store it on multiple devices. He would then pose as a minor and utilize the CSAM he collected to entice his victims to produce more. Alvarez will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Alvarez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

    The investigation began after authorities discovered a 10-year-old minor victim residing in Finland had received sexually explicit messages and CSAM videos from an English-speaking individual through various social media and other applications. They identified Alvarez as that person.

    He had attempted to entice the minor victim into sending him a nude photo and/or a video of the victim masturbating from on or about Sept. 17-20, 2023.

    Alvarez admitted he used his accounts to meet underage children online. He said he would pretend to be a minor female child to gain the other user’s trust and then use child pornography he collected to lure minors into sending sexually explicit photographs and videos.

    FBI conducted the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • Trump suspends entry of international students studying at Harvard

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday suspended for an initial six months the entry into the United States of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University, amid an escalating dispute with the Ivy League school.

    Trump’s proclamation cited national security concerns as a justification for barring international students from entering the United States to pursue studies at the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based university.

    Harvard in a statement called Trump’s proclamation “yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights.”

    “Harvard will continue to protect its international students,” it added.

    The suspension can be extended beyond six months. Trump’s proclamation also directs the U.S. State Department to consider revoking academic or exchange visas of any current Harvard students who meet his proclamation’s criteria.

    The directive on Wednesday came a week after a federal judge in Boston announced she would issue a broad injunction blocking the administration from revoking Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, who make up about a quarter of its student body.

    The administration has launched a multifront attack on the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, freezing billions of dollars in grants and other funding and proposing to end its tax-exempt status, prompting a series of legal challenges.

    Harvard argues the administration is retaliating against it for refusing to accede to its demands to control the school’s governance, curriculum and the ideology of its faculty and students.

    Harvard sued after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on May 22 announced her department was immediately revoking Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which allows it to enroll foreign students.

    Her action was almost immediately temporarily blocked by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs. On the eve of a hearing before her last week, the department changed course and said it would instead challenge Harvard’s certification through a lengthier administrative process.

    Nonetheless, Burroughs said she planned to issue a longer-term preliminary injunction at Harvard’s urging, saying one was necessary to give some protection to Harvard’s international students.

    In an internal cable seen by Reuters that was issued a day after that court hearing, the State Department ordered all its consular missions overseas to begin additional vetting of visa applicants looking to travel to Harvard for any purpose.

    Wednesday’s two-page directive said Harvard had “demonstrated a history of concerning foreign ties and radicalism,” and had “extensive entanglements with foreign adversaries,” including China.

    The FBI had “long warned that foreign adversaries take advantage of easy access to American higher education to steal information, exploit research and development and spread false information,” the proclamation said.

    It said Harvard had seen a “drastic rise in crime in recent years while failing to discipline at least some categories of conduct violations on campus,” and had failed to provide sufficient information to the Homeland Security Department about foreign students’ “known illegal or dangerous activities.”

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Security: British Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Nearly $1.9 Million in Romance Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Ore.—A British man was sentenced to federal prison today for stealing nearly $1.9 million from a Portland resident in a romance fraud scheme.

    Oscar Peters, 65, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and 3 years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $1,892,439 in restitution to his victim.

    According to court documents, Peters met his victim through Millionaire Match Maker, an online dating website, and convinced his victim that he was a billionaire living in Denmark seeking long-term commitment. Defendant engaged in daily romantic emails and phone calls with his victim and ingratiated himself with promises of marriage. Defendant then concocted elaborate lies about why he needed financial assistance – ranging from his soon-to-be ex-wife had frozen his assets or needed money to complete business obligations for their future together.  With defendant’s calculated promises to repay the money and move to Portland, over about two years he convinced his victim to send him nearly $1.9 million.

    On June 4, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a seven-count indictment charging Peters with wire fraud. On April 9, 2020, Peters was arrested in the United Kingdom where he remained in custody until he was extradited to the United States on October 23, 2023. On March 26, 2023, Peters pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Meredith Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Castle Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl, Fluorofentanyl

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

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Kailin Stewart, 38, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl between May 2021 and October 2022.

    According to information presented to the Court, Stewart was on state parole in 2022 following his release from an 11- to 40-year Pennsylvania state prison sentence for a conviction for conspiracy to commit homicide. The Court also was informed that Stewart was responsible for the trafficking of between 70 and 100 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl while on state parole.

    Judge Schwab ordered that Stewart’s federal prison sentence be served consecutive to any Pennsylvania state parole revocation sentence Stewart may receive. Judge Schwab also ordered that Stewart serve four years of supervised release following his federal prison sentence.

    Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Stewart.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Boston Man Indicted for Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    BOSTON – A Boston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    Cess Frazier, 32, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Frazier was arrested and charged by complaint on April 29, 2025. The defendant was subsequently released on conditions following a detention hearing and will be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date.

    According to the charging documents, on or about Feb. 20, 2025 through April 29, 2025, Frazier knowingly received and possessed files that depicted CSAM from unknown users on Telegram. It is alleged that the CSAM files depicted the sexual abuse of minor victims who appeared to be between approximately three and 10 years old.

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

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Oversight Unveils Disturbing Extent of FBI’s Anti-Catholic Bias

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today released Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records revealing the Biden FBI’s anti-Catholic Richmond Memo was widely distributed to over 1,000 FBI employees across the country before it was publicly disclosed by a whistleblower in 2023.  
    Per the Grassley-obtained records, the Biden FBI’s targeting of Catholics based on biased sources was more widespread than previously known. In fact, Grassley found the FBI produced at least 13 additional documents and five attachments that used anti-Catholic terminology and relied on information from the radical far-left Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). One FBI agent admitted over email, “[O]ur overreliance on the SPLC for hate designation [of traditional Catholics] is … problematic.”  
    A second FBI memo, released by Grassley, was drafted by the FBI Richmond field office for Bureau-wide distribution. The draft memo repeated the unfounded link between traditional Catholicism and violent extremism, but was never published due to backlash following the Richmond Memo’s public disclosure. The existence of this second memo contradicts former-FBI Director Christopher Wray’s testimony that the Richmond field office only produced “a single product.” 
    Grassley is urging FBI Director Kash Patel to continue producing records related to the Richmond Memo’s origins, as well as former-FBI Director Christopher Wray’s misleading and obstructive response to Grassley’s oversight of the memo. 
    “I’m determined to get to the bottom of the Richmond memo, and of the FBI’s contempt for oversight in the last administration,” Grassley wrote. “I look forward to continuing to work with you to restore the FBI to excellence and prove once again that justice can and must be fairly and evenly administered, blind to whether we are Democrats or Republicans, believers or nonbelievers.” 
    Find Grassley’s letter and the released FBI documents HERE. 
    Related: 
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restricts Foreign Student Visas at Harvard University

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    RESTRICTING FOREIGN STUDENT VISAS AT HARVARD: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to safeguard national security by suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University. 
    The Proclamation suspends the entry into the United States of any new Harvard student as a nonimmigrant under F, M, or J visas.
    It directs the Secretary of State to consider revoking existing F, M, or J visas for current Harvard students who meet the Proclamation’s criteria.
    The Proclamation does not apply to aliens attending other U.S. universities through the Student Exchange Visa Program (SEVP) and exempts aliens whose entry is deemed in the national interest.
    HARVARD HAS A DEMONSTRATED HISTORY OF CONCERNING FOREIGN TIES AND RADICALISM:
    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has long warned that foreign adversaries take advantage of easy access to American higher education to steal information, exploit research and development, and spread false information.
    The University has seen a drastic rise in crime in recent years, while failing to discipline at least some categories of conduct violations on campus.
    Harvard has failed to provide sufficient information to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about foreign students’ known illegal or dangerous activities, reporting deficient data on only three students.
    Harvard is either not fully reporting its disciplinary records for foreign students or is not seriously policing its foreign students.
    Harvard has also developed extensive entanglements with foreign adversaries, receiving more than $150 million from China alone. In exchange, Harvard has, among other things, hosted Chinese Communist Party paramilitary members and partnered with China-based individuals on research that could advance China’s military modernization.
    The Chinese Communist Party has sent thousands of mid-career and senior bureaucrats to study at U.S. institutions, with Harvard University considered the top “party school” outside the country. Xi Jinping’s own daughter attended Harvard as an undergraduate in the early 2010s.

    Harvard has failed to adequately address violent anti-Semitic incidents on campus, with many of these agitators found to be foreign students.
    Harvard has persisted in prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in its admissions, denying hardworking Americans equal opportunities by favoring certain groups, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against its race-based practices.
    These concerns have compelled the Federal government to conclude that Harvard University is no longer a trustworthy steward of international student and exchange visitor programs.
    HOLDING HARVARD ACCOUNTABLE: President Trump wants our institutions to have foreign students, but believes that the foreign students should be people that can love our country.  
    President Trump: “The students? Well, we want to have great students here. We just don’t want students that are causing trouble. We want to have students. I want to have foreign students.”
    President Trump: “We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, they can’t get in because we have foreign students there. But I want to make sure that the foreign students are people that can love our country.”
    President Trump: “We are still waiting for the Foreign Student Lists from Harvard so that we can determine, after a ridiculous expenditure of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, how many radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country. Harvard is very slow in the presentation of these documents, and probably for good reason!”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Enhancing National Security by Addressing Risks at Harvard University

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION
    Admission into the United States to attend, conduct research, or teach at our Nation’s institutions of higher education is a privilege granted by our Government, not a guarantee.  That privilege is necessarily tied to the host institution’s compliance and commitment to following Federal law.  Harvard University has failed in this respect, among many others.
    The Student Exchange Visa Program (SEVP) depends fundamentally on academic institutions’ good faith, transparency, and full adherence to the relevant regulatory frameworks.  This is for crucial national-security reasons.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has long warned that foreign adversaries and competitors take advantage of easy access to American higher education to, among other things, steal technical information and products, exploit expensive research and development to advance their own ambitions, and spread false information for political or other reasons.  Our adversaries, including the People’s Republic of China, try to take advantage of American higher education by exploiting the student visa program for improper purposes and by using visiting students to collect information at elite universities in the United States.
    Protecting our national security requires host institutions of foreign students to provide sufficient information, when asked, to enable the Federal Government to identify and address misconduct by those foreign students.  In my judgment, it presents an unacceptable risk to our Nation’s security for an academic institution to refuse to provide sufficient information, when asked, about known instances of misconduct and criminality committed by its foreign students.  This principle is one reason why SEVP regulations require foreign students to obey Federal and State criminal laws and require universities to keep records about foreign students’ studies in the United States — including records relating to criminal activity by foreign students and resulting disciplinary proceedings — and furnish them to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on request.
    Crime rates at Harvard University — including violent crime rates — have drastically risen in recent years.  Harvard has failed to discipline at least some categories of conduct violations on campus.  Given these facts, it is imperative, in my judgment, that the Federal Government be able to assess and, if necessary, address misconduct and crimes committed by foreign students at Harvard.
    Despite the risks described above, Harvard University has refused the recent requests of the DHS for information about foreign students’ “known illegal activity,” “known dangerous and violent activity,” “known threats to other students or university personnel,” “known deprivation of rights of other classmates or university personnel,” and whether those activities “occurred on campus,” and other related data.  Harvard provided data on misconduct by only three students, and the data it provided was so deficient that the DHS could not evaluate whether it should take further actions.  Harvard’s actions show that it either is not fully reporting its disciplinary records for foreign students or is not seriously policing its foreign students.  In my judgment, these actions and failures directly undermine the Federal Government’s ability to ensure that foreign nationals admitted on student or exchange visitor visas remain in compliance with Federal law.
    These concerns have compelled the Federal Government to conclude that Harvard University is no longer a trustworthy steward of international student and exchange visitor programs.  When a university refuses to uphold its legal obligations, including its recordkeeping and reporting obligations, the consequences ripple far beyond the campus.  They jeopardize the integrity of the entire United States student and exchange visitor visa system, compromise national security, and embolden other institutions to similarly disregard the rule of law.
    Harvard University has also developed extensive entanglements with foreign countries, including our adversaries.  According to The Harvard Crimson, Harvard has received more than $150 million in total contributions from foreign governments over the last 5 years, and over $1 billion from foreign sources.  Over the last 10 years, Harvard has received more than $150 million from China alone.  In exchange, Harvard has, among other things, “repeatedly hosted and trained members of a Chinese Communist Party paramilitary organization,” according to a probe by the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.  Harvard researchers have also partnered with China-based individuals on research that could advance China’s military modernization, according to the same probe.
    Finally, Harvard University continues to flout the civil rights of its students and faculty, triggering multiple Federal investigations.  Harvard’s discrimination against disfavored races in admissions was so blatant that the Supreme Court decision ending the practice nationwide bears Harvard’s name.  Yet even after that Supreme Court decision, Harvard and its affiliated organizations on campus continue to deny hardworking Americans equal opportunities.  Instead of those Americans, Harvard admits students from non-egalitarian nations, including nations that seek the destruction of the United States and its allies, or the extermination of entire peoples.  It is not in the interest of the United States to further compound Harvard’s discrimination against non-preferred races, national origins, shared ancestries, or religions by further reducing opportunities for American students through excessive foreign student enrollment.
    Considering these facts, I have determined that it is necessary to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University.  Such restrictions are authorized under sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), which authorize the President to suspend entry of any class of aliens whose entry would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.  I have determined that the entry of the class of foreign nationals described above is detrimental to the interests of the United States because, in my judgment, Harvard’s conduct has rendered it an unsuitable destination for foreign students and researchers.  Until such time as the university shares the information that the Federal Government requires to safeguard national security and the American public, it is in the national interest to deny foreign nationals access to Harvard under the auspices of educational exchange.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, hereby find that, absent the measures set forth in this proclamation, the entry into the United States of persons described in section 1 of this proclamation would, except as provided for in section 2 of this proclamation, be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and that their entry should be subject to certain restrictions, limitations, and exceptions.  I hereby proclaim as follows:
    Section 1.  Suspension of Entry.  The entry of any alien into the United States as a nonimmigrant to pursue a course of study at Harvard University under section 101(a)(15)(F) or section 101(a)(15)(M) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F) or 1101(a)(15)(M), or to participate in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University under section 101(a)(15)(J) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(J), is suspended and limited, subject to section 2 of this proclamation.  That suspension and limitation shall expire, absent extension, 6 months after the date of this proclamation.
    Sec. 2.  Scope and Implementation of Suspension and Limitation on Entry.  (a)  The suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall apply to aliens who enter or attempt to enter the United States to begin attending Harvard University through the SEVP after the date of this proclamation.
    (b)  The Secretary of State shall consider, in the Secretary’s discretion, whether foreign nationals who currently attend Harvard University and are in the United States pursuant to F, M, or J visas and who otherwise meet the criteria described in section 1 of this proclamation should have their visas revoked pursuant to section 221(i) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1201(i).
    (c)  The suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to any alien who enters the United States to attend other universities through the SEVP.
    (d)  The suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to any alien whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees.
    (e)  No later than 90 days after the date of this proclamation, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall jointly submit to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, a recommendation on whether an extension or renewal of the suspension and limitation on entry in section 1 of this proclamation is in the interests of the United States.
    Sec. 3.  Operational Action to Implement this Order.  The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall coordinate to take all necessary and appropriate action to implement this proclamation.  The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall also consider using their respective authorities under the INA to impose limitations on Harvard University’s ability to participate in the SEVP and the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.  Any such actions should include an exception for any alien whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees.
    Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This proclamation shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                                 DONALD J. TRUMP

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Pfluger, Green Request DHS Documents on Suspect in Boulder Terror Attack

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — In the wake of the antisemitic terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) and Full Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem requesting the alien file for the suspect, an Egyptian national named Mohamed Sabry Soliman, which will include information on his expired visa, work authorization, and asylum application.

    In the letter, the Chairmen wrote, in part, “the Committee on Homeland Security is conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the immigration history of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national now facing felony charges after he carried out a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado. The charges include attempted murder, use of incendiary devices, and federal hate crimes.”

    The Chairmen concluded that, “This tragedy is indicative of a heightened terrorism threat on U.S. soil, signaling an urgent need for increased homeland security measures, particularly with respect to foreign nationals who are unlawfully present in the United States, as Soliman reportedly overstayed a nonimmigrant visa. Our nation has now faced several major acts of antisemitic terror this year alone, including the recent assassination of two Israeli embassy staffers in our nation’s capital.”

    Read more about this letter in the Washington Examiner HERE

    Read the letter in its entirety HERE

    BACKGROUND:

    Soliman is part of a broader pattern. Last May, Chairman Pfluger, Chairman Green, along with other Committee leaders, sent a letter to then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, then-Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, and then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, requesting information on the alleged attempted breach of Marine Corps Base Quantico (MCB). Reports indicate the two individuals involved were Jordanian nationals, one of whom, Mohammad Khair Dabous, had overstayed his student visa. Dabous remains at large, while the other individual involved was recently arrested again for a different crime and is at an ICE detention facility. 

    In March, a pro-Hamas Palestinian protester was arrested at Columbia University after overstaying her student visa. Her visa was suspended in 2022 due to her poor attendance record. She had previously been arrested in connection with her involvement in pro-Hamas protests at Columbia.  

    In April, a Palestinian student was arrested at Columbia University after overstaying her student visa and “participating in anti-American, pro-terrorist activities on campus,” according to DHS. Her visa was suspended in 2022 due to a lack of attendance.

    In February, a foreign national from Hungary was arrested for two counts of murder. He had overstayed his visa waiver and was previously charged with theft and robbery but had been released with an ankle monitor under the Alternatives to Detention Program in 2024. He managed to disable the monitor and remained a fugitive for months, during which he committed the two murders.

    In 2022, a foreign national from Mexico murdered four people, including his three daughters, after overstaying his visa. The man’s non-immigrant visitor visa had expired in 2018. He had previously been arrested for assaulting a California Highway Patrol officer. ICE was not informed of his release from jail for the assault due to California’s 2017 “sanctuary state law.”

    In October 2024, an illegal alien who had been released into the country under the Biden-Harris administration shot a Jewish man on his way to a Chicago Synagogue. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Public Servants Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    MIAMI – Angelo Stephen, 33, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer, and George Arestuche, 47, a former Miami-Dade County Aviation Department employee, were sentenced in separate cases after pleading guilty to defrauding COVID-19 relief programs. 

    Angelo Stephen

    On May 22, Stephen was sentenced to four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $75,513 in restitution by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. Chief Judge Altonaga also entered a forfeiture money judgment against Stephen in the additional amount of $71,166. The sentence follows Stephen’s conviction for wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), as well as his participation in two bank account takeover schemes.

    During his change of plea hearing, Stephen admitted that on August 4, 2020, he submitted a false and fraudulent EIDL application in his own name to the Small Business Administration (SBA), claiming to be an independent contractor and the sole owner of a business that provided event planning and entertainment services with 10 employees.  The EIDL application falsely certified that for the applicable 12-month period, the business had approximately $62,018 in gross revenue and a cost of goods sold of $0. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen received $20,000 in EIDL proceeds from the SBA. 

    Stephen additionally admitted to fraudulently obtaining two PPP loans. On April 24, 2021, Stephen submitted a first-draw PPP loan application, claiming to be the sole proprietor of a non-existent business with $106,554 in gross income in 2020. In support of the application, Stephen submitted a fraudulent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen received $20,833 in PPP loan proceeds from an SBA-approved lender.  On May 11, 2021, Stephen submitted a second-draw PPP loan application, making the same false claims about his nonexistent business that was supported by submission of the identical false Schedule C. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen obtained $20,833 in PPP loan proceeds from a different SBA-approved lender. 

    Stephen also admitted to taking part in two bank account takeover schemes. On March 30, 2023, Stephen received a $20,000 wire transfer from the account of an unsuspecting victim in Virginia. Stephen quickly withdrew all illegally obtained money through a series of cash withdrawals and Zelle transfers to others. In the second takeover scheme, Stephen and his accomplices obtained new checks from the credit union account of a different unsuspecting victim. Stephen subsequently used one of those checks to obtain $8,500 in cash that he was not entitled to. 

    George Arestuche

    On May 28, Arestuche was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck to five years of probation to include 210 days in home detention and ordered to pay $114,679 in restitution, plus community service. The sentence follows Arestuche’s conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent application for an EIDL.

    According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearing, Arestuche and a co-conspirator devised a scheme to defraud the SBA by submitting a false and fraudulent application for Arestuche to obtain an EIDL and EIDL advance. As part of the conspiracy, Arestuche agreed to pay the co-conspirator a large fee.

    On July 9, 2020, Arestuche’s co-conspirator submitted a false and fraudulent EIDL application to the SBA on behalf of Arestuche, claiming that Arestuche was an independent contractor and the sole owner of an automotive repair business with 10 employees. The EIDL application falsely certified that for the applicable 12-month period, the business had $600,000 in gross revenue and a cost of goods sold of $184,000. In reality, Arestuche was not an independent contractor and did not own any type of business.  The EIDL application was supported by a fraudulent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C. As a result of this false and fraudulent EIDL application, Arestuche obtained $149,900 in EIDL proceeds and a $10,000 EIDL advance from the SBA. Arestuche subsequently paid his co-conspirator $17,275 for helping him fraudulently obtain the money from the SBA. Since pleading guilty, Arestuche has paid $50,000 in advance restitution payments. 

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Amber Howell of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s Fraud Detection Office (DOJ-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region; acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami; and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC-OIG) made the announcement.

    DOJ-OIG and SBA-OIG investigated the Stephen case.  SBA-OIG and the FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the MDC-OIG, investigated the Arestuche case. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm prosecuted both cases. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling forfeiture matters in the Stephen case.

    In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred.  EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

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

    On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.

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

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 25-cr-20014 (Stephen) and 25-cr-20001 (Arestuche).

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Sentenced in Eastern Panhandle Fentanyl Drug Trafficking Operation

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

    MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eight people have been sentenced for their roles in an Eastern Panhandle drug trafficking organization.

    The indictment, returned in January 2024 against Gary Brown, Jr. and eighty-one others, charged that the defendants caused substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to be distributed in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.

    Those sentenced this week include:

    • Eric Garner, also known as “Pops,” age 58, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 300 months.
    • Gary Rodriguez, also known as “Mr. T,” age 34, of Lanham, Maryland, was sentenced to 240 months in prison.
    • Benjamin Paul Knotts, age 49, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 235 months in prison.
    • Damian Costello, age 28, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced to 180 months in prison.
    • Michael Bradley Decker, age 44, of Inwood, West Virginia, was sentenced to 97 months.
    • Gary Brown, III, age 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 36 months.
    • Wendy Diane Crites, age 58, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.
    • Michael Regale Luckett, age 47, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison.

    Of the 82 defendants, 81 have been convicted. Including this week’s eight, 70 defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.

    U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.

    Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service;  the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia).

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Meets With Three Federal Judges To Discuss Judicial Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    June 04, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after discussing judicial security with Judge Beth Bloom of the Southern District of Florida, Judge Mark Norris of the Western District of Tennessee, and Judge Esther Salas of the District of New Jersey, whose son was murdered at the family’s home by a former litigant who posed as a deliveryman:

    “President Trump is openly threatening judges with over-the-top rhetoric and even calling for their impeachment for ruling against him. Just as bad: Republicans seem to be keeping quiet about—or even enabling—his threats. If President Obama or President Biden had said these things, Republicans would’ve thrown a fit.

    “Americans are welcome to disagree with judicial decisions on the merits, but we must all agree that we cannot undermine our Constitution by allowing threats to the officers of our judicial branch in an attempt to weaken it.

    “Judges Salas, Bloom, and Norris are helping to shed light on the threats faced by our judges in a heightened political environment, and I thank them for having the courage to speak about their experiences and carry on the legacy of Judge Salas’s son Daniel.”

    New reporting found that USMS has seen a spike in threats against federal judges, including 197 federal judges threatened between March 1 and May 27 of this year. One report identified more than 600 posts on social media and right-leaning message boards since February targeting family members of judges who ruled against the Trump Administration—with the posts viewed more than 200 million times. Another report described federal judges and their family members receiving anonymous deliveries to their homes intended to show that those seeking to intimidate the targeted judge know the judge’s address or their family members’ addresses. Some of these deliveries were made using the name of Judge Salas’s son.

    The spike in threats coincides with escalating, threatening language by President Trump and his allies, including calls for impeaching judges who don’t rule in the President’s favor.

    Durbin has urged Attorney General Bondi and FBI Director Patel to investigate the ongoing and increasing threats against federal judges. Durbin asked for a response by May 20, but has yet to receive one.

    In 2023, the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation provided additional intelligence analysts and deputy Marshals to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and allowed judges to remove sensitive personal information from government websites and private publications.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sterling Heights Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assaults on Federal Officers While Resisting Arrest

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – Carl Emerson Travis, 52, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to aggravated assaults on federal officers, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.

    Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan.

    According to court documents, on March 29, 2024, members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Apprehension Team tried to arrest Travis, who was wanted in multiple jurisdictions. Travis resisted and attempted to escape with a moving car, endangering the surrounding officers. At the end of the struggle, Travis sped his car in reverse, dragging two officers and nearly running over another with his car. The officers sustained injuries during the assault. Travis only stopped resisting when his car slammed into a parked vehicle, pushing it through the wall of an occupied hotel room.

    Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2025. A conviction for assault on a federal officer carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with assistance from Michigan State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nhan Ho and Eaton Brown are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Resident Sentenced for Leading Bank Fraud and ID Theft Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Created Fake Recruiting Website to Steal Identifications; 14 Others Convicted

    ALBANY, Ga. – The final defendant and ringleader of a bank fraud and aggravated identity theft scheme involving stolen checks and a fake online recruiting website was sentenced to federal prison today.

    Jalen Tylee Hill, aka “Roscoe Hill,” 26, of Americus, was sentenced to serve 81 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court will determine restitution at a later date. Hill previously pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to possess stolen mail on May 14, 2024. A codefendant, Victoria Lynn Carter, 25, of Americus, was sentenced to serve one year of supervised release after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. The sentences were handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on June 4. There is no parole in the federal system.

    “Schemes to defraud and steal from citizens will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “This case serves as a reminder for all of us to be as vigilant as possible with what we share online and monitor our financial accounts. I commend the good investigative work of our local and federal law enforcement partners for helping to prevent any more people and businesses from falling victim to this fraud.”

    “The sentencing of this defendant and co-defendants exemplifies the dedication of the investigative efforts which sends a strong message to individuals to consider the consequences of stealing mail and committing financial fraud,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “I commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all of the law enforcement agencies involved, which resulted in the dismantling of this criminal network.”

    According to court documents and statements made in court, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from a local church in December 2021 about mail theft and forged checks. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that numerous checks had been stolen out of mailboxes at residential and commercial locations in Georgia. The checks were then forged and deposited into other bank accounts. Specifically, the checks were often altered by having the “Pay To” designation changed to an individual involved in the fraud. That individual would then

    make a deposit into their banking account. Other times, the checks would be altered by computer software.

    Investigators discovered that Hill directed the scheme and would recruit people via Facebook. Hill would often offer to deposit stolen, forged or duplicated checks into the bank accounts of the recruits on condition that they would split half the funds. Investigators were able to determine that in six months, Hill stole hundreds of pieces of mail, participated in at least 68 incidents of bank fraud, and unlawfully used debit cards belonging to other individuals at least 14 occasions. Hill then deposited, or attempted to deposit, the numerous stolen, forged or otherwise fraudulent checks of more than ten financial institutions into other bank accounts, resulting in an intended loss of approximately $165,743.68. As part of another scheme discovered by investigators, Hill created a fake solar panel installation company recruiting page online from which he stole the identities of 28 individuals, including their driver’s licenses, social security cards, birth certificates, instructional permits and other documents depicting personally identifiable information.

    The following codefendants have been convicted for their participation in the crime:

    Quontavius Markeese Hill, 34, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and after serving more than eight months in custody was sentenced to time served plus three years of supervised release and to pay $10,815.89 restitution on Nov. 8, 2023;

    Accacia Renae Gordon, 24, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve four months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release and to pay $14,970.35 restitution on Jan. 15, 2025;

    Shaneria Sharae Murray, 33, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve 45 days in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and to pay $2,000 restitution on Dec. 2, 2024;

    Chelsea Ja’Nay Tullis, 29, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve one month in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on March 15, 2024;

    LaQuashia Nichole French, 24, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve 15 days in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release and to pay $2,227.91 restitution on Oct. 23, 2024;

    Jazmon Lace Whitehead, 31, of Oglethorpe, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $7,658.59 restitution on March 17, 2025;

    Chasity LaCole Wellons, 31, of Cordele, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,000 restitution on Jan. 22, 2025;

    DeKeyvia Moasha Blackshear, 26, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release on Aug. 16, 2024;

    Janita Bre’Shaye Terry, 24, of Columbus, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release on Dec. 2, 2024;

    Kelbresha Danielle Thomas, 30, of Oglethorpe, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release on Dec. 2, 2024;

    Jenetta Small, 29, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve two years of supervised release on March 14, 2025;

    Tyavia Deashia Richardson, 24, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to one year of supervised release and to pay $4,740 restitution on Aug. 14, 2024; and

    Kimbreyanna Andranique Peeples, 23, of Butler, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve one year of supervised release on Dec. 2, 2024.

    The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the FBI and the U.S Secret Service (USSS).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid prosecuted the case for the Government.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jackson Man Sentenced to Over 18 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – A Jackson man, Marcus Guice, was sentenced on May 30, 2025 to 175 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 175 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, both sentences and terms of supervised release to run concurrently.  Since his criminal conduct was in violation of his federal supervised release, Guice was also sentenced to an additional 46 months in federal prison to run consecutive to the 175-month prison term.      

    According to court documents, in and around December 2019 and continuing through January 2020, communications between Guice and his coconspirators were intercepted wherein they negotiated and conducted the sale of marijuana, cocaine, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), and methamphetamine in the Jackson, Mississippi area.  Guice and his coconspirators are responsible for over 69,000 kilograms of converted drug weight being sold in the Jackson, Mississippi area in a two-month period.

    In addition to the prison sentence, Guice was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Police Department and Ridgeland Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Box Elder man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for child sexual abuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Box Elder man who sexually abused a child was sentenced today to 68 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Brian Lee Bigbow, 48, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of abusive sexual contact by force and of a child.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that in April 2021, a Montana DPHHS centralized intake report came in on an abuse of Jane Doe, who disclosed she was sexually abused by Brian Bigbow. During interviews, Doe provided details of the abuse. Doe said Bigbow hurt her and said the sexual abuse occurred when she was in Bigbow’s bed, and they were watching TV. He turned off the TV and the lights and “raped her” – which she described as sex when you don’t want it. Bigbow took off his pants and clothes and took off her clothes. Doe tried to push him away but could not. His private parts touched her private parts and it, “hurt really bad.” He was laying on her, touching her leg with his hand, and he tried to hold her hand. Bigbow told her not to tell anyone or he would hurt her. Doe did not remember how many times it happened – she just knew it was multiple times.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services

    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.

    XXX

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods in Chicago

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

    CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced an expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”)—a key component of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy—to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city.

    The PSN program is a federally funded, nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  Until today, the PSN program was deployed in seven Chicago neighborhoods on the West and South sides of the city.  The expansion announced today will implement the program in parts of three police districts in downtown financial zones that represent the economic engines of the city and region, as well as on the CTA trains that bring residents and visitors to those areas from every neighborhood of Chicago and from the city’s two international airports.  Today’s announcement represents the first time anywhere in the country that the program will be deployed on mass transit.

    The PSN expansion was announced by U.S. Attorney Boutros and members of the PSN Chicago Task Force, including the Chicago Police Department.  Substantial assistance to the PSN program is provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

    “Downtown Chicago is the capital of the region’s economy and the cultural and civic heart of the Midwest, where interstate commerce runs strong,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros, who was sworn in as the United States Attorney on April 7, 2025.  “Many billions of dollars of revenue, taxes, and investments are anchored in our city’s financial districts, and when violence and criminal activity cause our residents, businesses, and tourists not to feel safe to live, invest, and shop in Chicago, everyone suffers, whether at the federal, state, or local level. By investing PSN resources in our urban economic centers and the public transit system that feeds into them, we will help foster a downtown that is both safe and friendly to economic vitality for everyone.  This initiative could not happen without a deep collaboration and shared commitment between the Department of Justice and our PSN partners to dedicate the resources necessary to support the downtown economic zones and the many millions of people who annually visit them, as well as the scores of businesses both large and small who serve them.”

    “Partnership and collaboration with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners are vital in reducing violence and making Chicago safer for all,” said Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling.  “Project Safe Neighborhoods reflects this spirit of collaboration and serves as an important tool in addressing crime in one of the busiest areas of our city.  The expansion of this program builds on the progress CPD is making in combating crime citywide.”

    “This new investment of federal resources is critically needed to address the threat that crime—including organized retail theft, carjacking, and armed robberies—pose to the heart of Chicago’s economy and to the transportation systems that tens of thousands of Chicagoans use to travel to and from the downtown,” said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart.  “For years, my office has devoted significant resources to aggressively combat crime throughout downtown Chicago, the Magnificent Mile, and the surrounding areas, and we welcome the much-needed expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods to these areas.”

    “ATF is proud to work with our federal, state, and local partners on the expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said ATF Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Amon.  “By combining resources and expertise, we are proactively taking steps to disrupt violent crime in key transit and economic areas to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors.”

    “The FBI remains steadfast in our dogged pursuit of eliminating violent crime,” said FBI Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas S. DePodesta. “We continue to be thankful for the powerful collaboration between our many law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in this fight.  Our combined efforts reflect our unwavering commitment to ensure that anyone who seeks to endanger our community will be held accountable.”

    Originally launched in 2001, PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders, and partners with local prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.  PSN follows four key design elements: focused and strategic enforcement; prevention and intervention; accountability; and community engagement.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with its Chicago PSN Task Force partners to assist with applying for and obtaining federal PSN grants to support anti-violence strategies in Chicago.  By designating the downtown economic centers and CTA trains as PSN Enforcement Zones, PSN funds can now be deployed in various ways to help reduce violent crime in those areas, including:

    • Aggressively prosecuting violent offenders.

    • Hiring law enforcement personnel.

    • Paying certain overtime costs for law enforcement officers and others working downtown and aboard CTA trains.

    • Purchasing equipment to assist with violent crime reduction efforts.

    • Supporting multi-jurisdictional task forces.

    • Providing training and technical assistance under the national PSN program.

    • Expanding messaging to deter violence, including signage aboard CTA trains.

    The enforcement efforts in the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zones will focus on the investigation and prosecution of individuals and organized groups who engage in illegal firearm possession, drug trafficking, robberies, carjackings, and other violent offenses.  For violent offenders arrested downtown or aboard CTA trains, criminal prosecutors will bring appropriate charges to achieve maximum deterrence and will seek pretrial detention and substantial prison sentences for defendants who pose a danger to the community.

    In addition to all of the CTA rail lines in every neighborhood in Chicago, the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zone, depicted on this map (reproduced below), extends from Division Street on the Near North Side, between Lake Michigan and La Salle Drive (e.g., Magnificent Mile and Oak Street shopping corridors, Navy Pier, Loop, and Millennium Park), to I-55 between Clark Street and Lake Michigan on the Near South Side (e.g., Museum Campus and McCormick Place), and extends west to Ogden and Ashland Avenues, between Grand Avenue and I-290 (e.g., Fulton Market and West Loop business corridors).

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  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss Budget Reconciliation, Chinese Nationals’ Arrests

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees, joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to discuss the budget reconciliation package, along with two Chinese nationals charged with smuggling and potential agroterrorism.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*

    Partial Transcript

    Hagerty on the need to pass the budget reconciliation package: “We certainly do respect the effort that Elon undertook with respect to government efficiency. We all want to see cost reductions, but I tell you: my number one goal is to avoid what would otherwise be a greater than $4 trillion tax increase on Americans. I talked with Kevin Hassett yesterday, the National Economic Advisor at the White House. Were that to happen, were we not to pass this, we’d have over $4.2 trillion tax increase on America that would cut GDP growth negative six percent. Certainly, the nation, the world, doesn’t need to see that happen. One of the overarching aims here is to create certainty in our tax code to stimulate more capital investment. That’s exactly what will happen if we pass this. And Leader [John] Thune is right, the Congressional Budget Office essentially conducted malpractice last time in 2017 when they tried to estimate the impact of that Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. They missed it by a trillion dollars of revenue. I’m very optimistic; this will help reduce the deficit.”

    Hagerty on the prospective positive financial impacts of the budget reconciliation package: “As I talk to CEOs around the country, they want to make investments here in America, but they need certainty in terms of the rule set. We can deliver that through this bill. We need to do it quickly. And if we do it quickly, we’ll be able to see a 2026 that’s going to be an incredible move forward, lots more capital investment. That capital investment begets more employment. That employment and jobs begets more economic activity. It’s a positive feedback loop that will make America grow at a great degree, much higher than the 1.8 percent that the Congressional Budget Office predicts. And if we’re at three percent or better, we’re going to see that deficit begin to close much more rapidly.”

    Hagerty on the arrest of two Chinese nationals for smuggling and potential agroterrorism: “We need to be extremely careful, particularly when you think about the movement that we’ve had with Chinese nationals, particularly those affiliated with the [People’s Liberation Army], moving into our university system. That was precisely the case here. And we need to be very, very careful about who comes in, what they’re bringing with them. And make no mistake, and I’m so pleased that [FBI Director] Kash Patel [is] in the position he’s in, because he’s seeing right through all of this. Make no mistake: the Chinese Communist Party is not our friend. This sort of infiltration, this act of agroterrorism is the last thing we need to see on American soil. And the only way to prevent it is by waking up and realizing that we’ve got to be extraordinarily careful as we allow anybody to come into this country.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Washington State Man Arrested on Federal Charges Alleging He Provided Material Support to Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bomber

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Washington state man was arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he provided material support to the Palm Springs fertility clinic bomber by shipping and paying for significant quantities of ammonium nitrate – an explosive precursor – prior to the suicidal terror attack last month.

    Daniel Jongyon Park, 32, of Kent, was arrested last night shortly after his flight from Poland arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Park is charged with providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists and made his initial court appearance today in the Eastern District of New York.

    “This defendant is charged with facilitating the horrific attack on a fertility center in California. Bringing chaos and violence to a facility that exists to help women and mothers is a particularly cruel, disgusting crime that strikes at the very heart of our shared humanity,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are grateful to our partners in Poland who helped get this man back to America and we will prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “Park allegedly sent large amounts of explosive precursors to the man who drove a car bomb to a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, an attack that potentially could have killed innocent people,”  said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our partners work together to find and hold accountable those who engage in domestic terrorism and other illegal activity. I also want to express my thanks to authorities in Poland for their vital assistance in this case.”

    “This defendant is charged with shipping large quantities of explosive precursors to the man whose suicide bombing last month destroyed a fertility clinic in Palm Springs,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “Domestic terrorism is evil and unacceptable. Those who aid terrorists can expect to feel the cold wrath of justice.”

    According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of Twentynine Palms, California, drove a car containing a bomb to a fertility clinic in Palm Springs on May 17. Bartkus detonated the bomb, killing himself, injuring numerous victims, destroying the fertility clinic’s building, and damaging surrounding buildings and areas. Bartkus’s attack was motivated by his pro-mortalism, anti-natalism, and anti-pro-life ideology, which is the belief that individuals should not be born without their consent and that non-existence is best.

    Park – who shares Bartkus’s extremist views – shipped large quantities of explosive precursor materials to Bartkus, including approximately 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate. Days before the Palm Springs bombing, Park paid for an additional 90 pounds (40.8 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate that was shipped to Bartkus.

    Park sent the first shipments of approximately 180 pounds (81.7 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate to Bartkus shortly before traveling to Bartkus’s residence, where he stayed with Bartkus from Jan. 25 to Feb. 8. Three days before Park arrived at Bartkus’s house, records from an AI chat application show that Bartkus researched how to make powerful explosions using ammonium nitrate and fuel.

    During his stay at Bartkus’s residence, Park and Bartkus spent time in Bartkus’s room as well as in a detached garage “running experiments,” according to the affidavit. This was the same garage where law enforcement, during a search after the May 17 bombing, located significant amounts of chemicals commonly used in the construction of homemade bombs.

    Four days after Bartkus conducted the suicide bombing, Park flew to Europe. On May 30, Park was detained in Poland and later was ordered deported to the United States. 

    If convicted, Park would face a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI’s Inland Empire Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this matter. Considerable assistance was provided by the Palm Springs Police Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; the FBI’s legal attaché in Warsaw, Polish authorities, and FBI field offices in Seattle, New York, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Portland.  

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Gerdes and Anna P. Boylan for the Central District of California, and Trial Attorney Patrick J. Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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

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