Category: Finance

MIL-OSI Security: Omaha Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

Source: US FBI

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Carinda M. Blair, 39, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 11, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Blair to 78 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Blair’s release from prison, she will begin a two-year term of supervised release.

Blair was charged as a result of her involvement with a Mexico Source of Supply (SOS) of methamphetamine and was a local courier who was distributing the SOS’s methamphetamine in Nebraska and Iowa.

On August 17, 2023, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration surveillance observed a suspected drug courier go to Blair’s Omaha apartment and conduct a drug deal. In a subsequent search warrant on the Mexico SOS’s phone number, messages confirmed that Blair had arranged the drug deal with the SOS. Messages indicated that Blair was a regular customer of the SOS beginning in March of 2023 and was consistently buying ounces of methamphetamine from the SOS on a weekly basis.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

MIL Security OSI –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Take Back America Task Force Operation in South Omaha

Source: US FBI

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that a federal civil search warrant was executed on June 10, 2025, at an Omaha, Nebraska, business in relation to a Take Back America Task Force worksite enforcement operation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and with other federal law enforcement partners entered the Glenn Valley Foods facility in search of workers who were not authorized to work in the United States.

HSI performed an audit of Glenn Valley Foods’ employee I-9 Forms to verify the authenticity and validity of employee identity documents. The audit revealed a large number of suspected fraudulent identification documents or documents that did not authorize certain identified employees to legally work in the United States. The audit also revealed that multiple identities of United States citizens were being fraudulently used by workers at that location, and numerous victim complaints were received at HSI in connection with those stolen identities prior to the enforcement operation.

During the operation, HSI encountered approximately 76 unlawfully present aliens at the facility. These workers were using Social Security numbers that had not been issued to them. HSI referred several criminal allegations to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska. Among the criminal allegations referred are allegations of fraudulent use of Social Security numbers, assaults on federal officers and damage to federal property, illegal reentry of previously deported aliens, and other criminal concerns.

Possible charging determinations have not been made at this time as this is an active and ongoing investigation.

This case is part of the Take Back America Task Force, led by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

MIL Security OSI –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI: Greenway Technologies Announces Uplisting to OTCQB Venture Market

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

ARLINGTON, TX, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Greenway Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: GWTI) (“Greenway”), an advanced gas-to-liquids (“GTL”) and gas-to-hydrogen (“GTH”) technology development company, announced today that it has successfully uplisted its common stock from the OTC^® Pink Market to the OTCQB^® Venture Market (“OTCQB”). The uplisting was processed and approved by OTC Markets Group Inc., and Greenway’s common stock commenced trading on the OTCQB on June 20, 2025. Greenway will continue to trade under the ticker symbol “GWTI.” To be eligible for the OTCQB, companies must be current in their reporting and must undergo an annual verification and management certification process.

“This is a significant milestone supporting the growth of Greenway with our uplisting to the OTCQB,” said Kevin Jones, President of Greenway. “This reflects our commitment to enhancing transparency, increasing market visibility and providing enhanced opportunities for our shareholders. We expect our uplisting to the OTCQB^® to allow access to a broader investor base, attract institutional investors and improve liquidity for our stock.”

About Greenway Technologies, Inc.

Based in Arlington, Texas, Greenway, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Greenway Innovative Energy, Inc., is engaged in the research and development of proprietary GTL and GTH syngas conversion systems that can be scaled to meet oil and gas field production requirements, or the requirements of various processes where natural gas is produced or available. Greenway’s patented technology has been integrated into its recently completed first-generation commercial G-Reformer^™ unit, a unique component used to convert natural gas into synthesis gas (a mixture of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide). In the case of hydrogen creation, an additional new technology, the H-Reformer^™, has been created which creates synthesis gas consisting of Hydrogen gas and CO₂. When combined with an FT reactor and catalyst, G-Reformer^™ units can be deployed to process a variety of natural gas streams, including pipeline gas, associated gas, flared gas, vented gas, coal-bed methane, and biomass to produce fuels including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and methanol as well as valuable chemical outputs. When derived from natural gas, these fuels are incrementally cleaner than conventionally produced oil-based fuels.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, are forward-looking statements. These statements are only current predictions or expectations, and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Greenway’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in subsequent filings with, or submissions to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except as otherwise required by law, Greenway disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

Contact:

Kevin Jones, President
Greenway Technologies, Inc.

Investors & Analysts Contact:
Greenway Investor Relations
ir@gwtechinc.com
SEC filings can be found at:
http://gwtechinc.com/SEC-filings/

For more information, visit GWTI’s website: www.gwtechinc.com

The MIL Network –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Victor Counted, Associate Professor of Psychology, Regent University

What does it mean to live a good life? Psychologists and social scientists have been focusing on a new idea called flourishing – a sense of well-being that goes beyond just happiness or success. It’s about your whole life being good, including how you interact with other people and your community. So then, how do Africans fare when it comes to flourishing?

Victor Counted is a psychological scientist whose research across 40 African countries offers a data-rich rethinking of flourishing on the continent. His findings challenge the dominant narrative that Africa is “lagging behind” in development by showing a more nuanced picture of what it means to live a good life. We asked him more.

What is flourishing?

Flourishing is more than economic growth or individual happiness. It’s a multidimensional state of being that reflects how people feel about their lives and how well their lives are actually going. So it also measures people’s values within their community.

The idea of well-being often carries a Eurocentric emphasis on the individual – personal satisfaction, autonomy, achievement. Flourishing accounts for how whole a person is in relation to their environment.

It includes the social, spiritual and ecological contexts in which one lives. So, it’s not just about how one feels, but how one lives – fully, meaningfully and in a satisfying relationship with the world around us.

What’s the Global Flourishing Study?

The Global Flourishing Study tries to measure global patterns of human flourishing. It’s an ongoing five-year longitudinal study in over 200,000 participants across 22 countries.

I was one of the team of global scholars brought together to examine the trends on what it means to live well across cultures and life circumstances.

Read more:
What makes people flourish? A new survey of more than 200,000 people across 22 countries looks for global patterns and local differences

The study identifies six key dimensions of flourishing:
- Happiness and life satisfaction
- Mental and physical health
- Meaning and purpose
- Character and virtue
- Close social relationships
- Financial and material stability
Participants rate how they’re doing in each of these areas on a scale from 0 to 10. Further questions capture experiences related to trust, loneliness, hope, resilience, and other related well-being variables.

CC BY-ND

Of the 22 nations, five were African: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Egypt.

While these countries didn’t top the global rankings (Indonesia and Mexico did), Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt all reported relatively high flourishing scores, especially when well-being was considered apart from financial status.

Nigeria, for example, ranked 5th globally in flourishing scores that excluded financial indicators – ahead of many wealthier nations. Nigerians indicated strengths in social relationships, character and virtues (like forgiveness or helping others). But potential areas of growth included financial well-being, housing, ethnic discrimination and education.

Overall, this suggests that while material resources matter, they’re not the only thing that determines well-being. Kenya ranked 7th, Egypt 10th, Tanzania 11th and South Africa 13th. Each showed unique strengths in areas like meaning, social connection or mental health.

You did a separate study on flourishing in Africa. What did you find?

In a 2024 study we analysed data from the Gallup World Poll (2020–2022) to explore 38 indicators of well-being across 40 African countries.

This study offered a more detailed and culture-sensitive picture of how Africans experience and prioritise flourishing. The dimensions explored were derived from both local and universal sources, allowing for regionally relevant insights.

We found that African populations often score high in meaning, character and social relationships – despite economic hardship. This offers an important corrective to western assumptions about well-being.

Some of our key findings were:

● There is significant diversity between and within African countries. Mauritius consistently ranked highest in life evaluations (overall satisfaction with their lives), while countries like Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe scored lowest.

● East African countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia showed strong performance in social well-being indicators (like feeling respected or learning new things daily) even when economic indicators were low.

● Countries in West Africa, such as Senegal and Ghana, scored high in emotional well-being, with many people reporting positive daily emotions like enjoyment and laughter.

● Southern African nations, despite challenges like income inequality, displayed resilience through strong community ties and cultural practices rooted in the philosophy of ubuntu.

The results reinforced that flourishing in Africa cannot only be reduced to gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (a measure of the average economic output per person in a country) – nor to western norms of success.

What can African countries focus on to flourish?

In my view, the path to greater flourishing lies in embracing local knowledge and investing in culturally relevant development priorities. Instead of following western pathways – centred on individual advancement – Africa can model alternative flourishing pathways that reflect what matters most to African people.

1. Prioritise local knowledge systems

African ideas about a connected society – like ubuntu (southern Africa), ujamaa (east Africa), teranga or wazobia (west Africa), and al-musawat wal tarahum (north Africa) teach people to care for each other and live in peace. These values help people live meaningful lives and can inform leadership and legislation.

2. Redefine development metrics

Western development models focus on individual achievement, economic output and material consumption. GDP per capita fails to capture the everyday realities and aspirations of African communities. We should also measure things like how happy people are, how hopeful they feel about the future, how strong and resilient their communities are, and how clean, safe and dignifying their living environments are.

This is not a new idea – for years development scholars have called for a shift away from narrow economic indicators toward a focus on human dignity, agency, and the real opportunities people have to pursue the lives they value. What’s new is the growing availability of data and the momentum to take these alternative metrics seriously in shaping national policies and priorities.

3. Invest in education for character development

Quality education is essential to unlocking the continent’s potential to flourish. But Africa needs more than just academic skills and workforce readiness – it needs a strategy for intentional development of values and habits that shape how a person thinks, feels, and acts with integrity.

Part of the problem lies in how the humanities – fields like history, literature, philosophy, and religious studies – are often undervalued or underfunded in education systems. But it is precisely these disciplines that nurture moral imagination, critical reflection, and civic responsibility. We need educational models that form not just workers, but whole persons – people who can think ethically, act responsibly, and lead with character in their communities.

Read more:
What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think

What does Africa offer the world in terms of flourishing?

Africa is not waiting to be saved. Across the continent, people are building communities of care, cultivating joy amid hardship, and passing on values of unity, faith, and compassion. This is what development looks like when rooted in human dignity.

Africa flourishing goals offer an alternative vision for development – one that starts with what Africa already has, not what it lacks. These are locally emic aspirations for well-being. They are shaped by Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems, cultural values, and religious/spiritual traditions. Pursuing these goals means prioritising wholeness over wealth, community over consumption, and resilience over rescue.

The continent has so much to offer the world: wisdom, strong community values, and ways of staying resilient and living fully even in hard times. But many of these local insights are missing in the global science of well-being.

Victor Counted consults for Africa Flourishing Initiative

– ref. Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being – https://theconversation.com/which-african-countries-are-flourishing-scientists-have-a-new-way-of-measuring-well-being-257458
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Victor Counted, Associate Professor of Psychology, Regent University

What does it mean to live a good life? Psychologists and social scientists have been focusing on a new idea called flourishing – a sense of well-being that goes beyond just happiness or success. It’s about your whole life being good, including how you interact with other people and your community. So then, how do Africans fare when it comes to flourishing?

Victor Counted is a psychological scientist whose research across 40 African countries offers a data-rich rethinking of flourishing on the continent. His findings challenge the dominant narrative that Africa is “lagging behind” in development by showing a more nuanced picture of what it means to live a good life. We asked him more.

What is flourishing?

Flourishing is more than economic growth or individual happiness. It’s a multidimensional state of being that reflects how people feel about their lives and how well their lives are actually going. So it also measures people’s values within their community.

The idea of well-being often carries a Eurocentric emphasis on the individual – personal satisfaction, autonomy, achievement. Flourishing accounts for how whole a person is in relation to their environment.

It includes the social, spiritual and ecological contexts in which one lives. So, it’s not just about how one feels, but how one lives – fully, meaningfully and in a satisfying relationship with the world around us.

What’s the Global Flourishing Study?

The Global Flourishing Study tries to measure global patterns of human flourishing. It’s an ongoing five-year longitudinal study in over 200,000 participants across 22 countries.

I was one of the team of global scholars brought together to examine the trends on what it means to live well across cultures and life circumstances.

Read more: What makes people flourish? A new survey of more than 200,000 people across 22 countries looks for global patterns and local differences

The study identifies six key dimensions of flourishing:
- Happiness and life satisfaction
- Mental and physical health
- Meaning and purpose
- Character and virtue
- Close social relationships
- Financial and material stability
Participants rate how they’re doing in each of these areas on a scale from 0 to 10. Further questions capture experiences related to trust, loneliness, hope, resilience, and other related well-being variables.

CC BY-ND

Of the 22 nations, five were African: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Egypt.

While these countries didn’t top the global rankings (Indonesia and Mexico did), Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt all reported relatively high flourishing scores, especially when well-being was considered apart from financial status.

Courtesy Victor Counted

Nigeria, for example, ranked 5th globally in flourishing scores that excluded financial indicators – ahead of many wealthier nations. Nigerians indicated strengths in social relationships, character and virtues (like forgiveness or helping others). But potential areas of growth included financial well-being, housing, ethnic discrimination and education.

Overall, this suggests that while material resources matter, they’re not the only thing that determines well-being. Kenya ranked 7th, Egypt 10th, Tanzania 11th and South Africa 13th. Each showed unique strengths in areas like meaning, social connection or mental health.

You did a separate study on flourishing in Africa. What did you find?

In a 2024 study we analysed data from the Gallup World Poll (2020–2022) to explore 38 indicators of well-being across 40 African countries.

This study offered a more detailed and culture-sensitive picture of how Africans experience and prioritise flourishing. The dimensions explored were derived from both local and universal sources, allowing for regionally relevant insights.

We found that African populations often score high in meaning, character and social relationships – despite economic hardship. This offers an important corrective to western assumptions about well-being.

Some of our key findings were:

● There is significant diversity between and within African countries. Mauritius consistently ranked highest in life evaluations (overall satisfaction with their lives), while countries like Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe scored lowest.

● East African countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia showed strong performance in social well-being indicators (like feeling respected or learning new things daily) even when economic indicators were low.

● Countries in West Africa, such as Senegal and Ghana, scored high in emotional well-being, with many people reporting positive daily emotions like enjoyment and laughter.

● Southern African nations, despite challenges like income inequality, displayed resilience through strong community ties and cultural practices rooted in the philosophy of ubuntu.

The results reinforced that flourishing in Africa cannot only be reduced to gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (a measure of the average economic output per person in a country) – nor to western norms of success.

What can African countries focus on to flourish?

In my view, the path to greater flourishing lies in embracing local knowledge and investing in culturally relevant development priorities. Instead of following western pathways – centred on individual advancement – Africa can model alternative flourishing pathways that reflect what matters most to African people.

1. Prioritise local knowledge systems

African ideas about a connected society – like ubuntu (southern Africa), ujamaa (east Africa), teranga or wazobia (west Africa), and al-musawat wal tarahum (north Africa) teach people to care for each other and live in peace. These values help people live meaningful lives and can inform leadership and legislation.

2. Redefine development metrics

Western development models focus on individual achievement, economic output and material consumption. GDP per capita fails to capture the everyday realities and aspirations of African communities. We should also measure things like how happy people are, how hopeful they feel about the future, how strong and resilient their communities are, and how clean, safe and dignifying their living environments are.

This is not a new idea – for years development scholars have called for a shift away from narrow economic indicators toward a focus on human dignity, agency, and the real opportunities people have to pursue the lives they value. What’s new is the growing availability of data and the momentum to take these alternative metrics seriously in shaping national policies and priorities.

3. Invest in education for character development

Quality education is essential to unlocking the continent’s potential to flourish. But Africa needs more than just academic skills and workforce readiness – it needs a strategy for intentional development of values and habits that shape how a person thinks, feels, and acts with integrity.

Part of the problem lies in how the humanities – fields like history, literature, philosophy, and religious studies – are often undervalued or underfunded in education systems. But it is precisely these disciplines that nurture moral imagination, critical reflection, and civic responsibility. We need educational models that form not just workers, but whole persons – people who can think ethically, act responsibly, and lead with character in their communities.

Read more: What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think

What does Africa offer the world in terms of flourishing?

Africa is not waiting to be saved. Across the continent, people are building communities of care, cultivating joy amid hardship, and passing on values of unity, faith, and compassion. This is what development looks like when rooted in human dignity.

Africa flourishing goals offer an alternative vision for development – one that starts with what Africa already has, not what it lacks. These are locally emic aspirations for well-being. They are shaped by Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems, cultural values, and religious/spiritual traditions. Pursuing these goals means prioritising wholeness over wealth, community over consumption, and resilience over rescue.

The continent has so much to offer the world: wisdom, strong community values, and ways of staying resilient and living fully even in hard times. But many of these local insights are missing in the global science of well-being.

– Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being
– https://theconversation.com/which-african-countries-are-flourishing-scientists-have-a-new-way-of-measuring-well-being-257458

MIL OSI Africa –
June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Business Confidence Index 2025: Ambition high but barriers to growth must be tackled

Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

Pictured L-R: Paul Tamati (Director of Development, Community and Wellbeing, ABC Council), Cllr Paul Berry, Alderman Paul Greenfield, Cllr Joy Ferguson, Adrian Farrell (Chair of BPA), Nicola Wilson (Head of Economic Development, ABC Council), Cllr Tim McClelland (Chair of Economic Development and Regeneration Committee), Cllr Kyle Savage, and Ethna McNamee (Invest NI). Adrian Farrell Ð Chairperson, BPA with Paul Tamati Ð Director of Development, Community & Wellbeing, ABC Council; Cllr Paul Berry, Cllr Paul Greenfield, Cllr Joy Ferguson, Nicola Wilson – ABC Council, Cllr Tim McClelland, Cllr Kyle Savage and Ethna McNamee Ð Regional Manager, Western Office, Invest NI 20 June 2025 SRC Banbridge Co.Down CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has welcomed the latest Business Confidence Index for the borough, which highlights strong entrepreneurial ambition among local firms—but also underlines the need to remove key barriers to growth.

The 2025 Index, launched by the Business Partnership Alliance (BPA) at an event in Southern Regional College, Banbridge on Friday 20^th June, provides a vital insight into business sentiment and trading conditions across the area. Now in its second year, the research is a valuable tool for the Council and its partners as they work together to shape future economic priorities.

Despite a challenging economic backdrop, nearly half (49%) of businesses in the borough still plan to grow—demonstrating remarkable resilience and optimism. However, findings also show that a lack of available land and suitable premises is increasingly stalling progress. More than one-third of surveyed businesses said they expect to move premises in future, with a further 10% needing to relocate urgently but struggling to find suitable space.

Councillor Tim McClelland, Chair of the Council’s Economic Development and Regeneration Committee, said: “This year’s Business Confidence Index clearly demonstrates the resilience and ambition of our local business community—despite the economic headwinds, nearly half of our firms are still planning for growth. That’s an incredibly encouraging sign. However, the findings also highlight structural barriers that we must address. As a Council, we are committed to working with partners through the Business Partnership Alliance and beyond to create the right conditions for growth, investment, and long-term economic success across the borough.”

Chairperson of the BPA, Adrian Farrell, opened Friday’s event by highlighting that this research forms the foundation of the BPA’s lobbying priorities for the year ahead. “We’ll use these findings to engage with local, regional and central government on the real issues affecting businesses in our borough,” he said. “Top of the list is the need for action on space to grow—without it, businesses are being held back.”

The findings were presented to attendees and prompted a lively panel discussion featuring councillors Joy Ferguson, Kyle Savage and Tim McClelland. Invest NI’s Ethna McNamee welcomed the research and emphasised the need for more creative thinking around workspace solutions, while ABC Council’s Director of Development, Community and Wellbeing, Paul Tamati reaffirmed the Council’s support for growing and ambitious businesses.

The Index shows that the ABC borough continues to be seen as a desirable location for business, with high scores for quality of life, education, infrastructure, and workforce availability.

Concluding the event, Adrian Farrell reinforced the importance of working together:

“The message from today was clear—collaboration is key. In these uncertain times, we must support one another and maintain the shared ambition to grow. BPA is committed to keeping up the pressure, and to working with our partners to ensure that the Borough continues to thrive.”

To find out more about the work of the BPA, visit: www.facebook.com/bpaabc/

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: GUU at the competition “My country – my Russia”: the rector presented awards, and a graduate became the winner

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

On June 21, 2025, as part of the Youth Day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), a solemn awards ceremony was held for the winners of the XXII season of the All-Russian competition “My Country – My Russia”.

Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev presented awards to the winners in the nomination “Transport. Communication routes of my country”. The coordinator of experts in this area, including teachers of our university, was the director of the Institute of Economics and Finance of the State University of Management Galina Sorokina.

“For many years now I have been taking part in the award ceremony and in the competition as a whole. Our teachers and students also actively participate. Every year during the selection and evaluation of works, we are all inspired by the ideas of the children. I am convinced every time that there are many passionate, beautiful and good people in our country,” said Vladimir Stroyev.

In addition, Victoria Kostikova, a graduate of the Institute of Economics and Finance of the State University of Management this year in the International Management program, became the winner of the competition in the nomination “My Hospitable Russia” with the International Educational Project “Teleport”.

“The project provides an opportunity for foreign students to become researchers of Russian culture, tell their stories, and share them with the world. Behind this project is friendship, which is stronger than borders and prejudices. We study the past through cultural heritage, explore the present through travel and dialogue, and together we shape a multipolar future where Russia is perceived not as an abstraction, but as a country of people to which one wants to return,” Victoria said about her project.

Let us recall that 183 participants aged 18 and over made it to the final stage of the “My Country – My Russia” competition, and the prize places were taken by 39 authors of the best projects aimed at the socio-economic development of Russian territories.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Founder of Lender Service Provider Convicted for Role in Multimillion-Dollar PPP Fraud Scheme

Source: US State of California

A federal jury convicted Stephanie Hockridge, a founder of the lender service provider Blueacorn, on Friday in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hockridge, also known as Stephanie Reis, 42, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and previously of Arizona, conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications, including by fabricating documents that falsified income and payroll in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible.

“This defendant exploited a national emergency to personally profit from a taxpayer-funded program intended to support vulnerable individuals and small businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This conviction demonstrates the Department’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the government and wasting taxpayer money.”

“During a time of crisis in our country, this defendant abused the generosity of the American people by stealing money dedicated to the survival of small businesses to fraudulently enrich herself,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas. “We are proud of the diligent work of our law enforcement partners to hold her accountable and bring her to justice. Make no mistake, our efforts to bring such fraudsters to justice are ongoing.”

“Hockridge’s conviction demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs from fraud and abuse,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This program was designed to provide critical funds to those struggling during a national crisis, not line the pockets of people seeking to exploit government assistance. The FBI remains committed to pursuing anyone who abuses the public trust for personal gain.”

“Ms. Hockridge defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds for her own personal gain and has been brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jon Ellwanger of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Western Region. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners to hold Ms. Hockridge accountable.”

“Exploiting the Small Business Administration’s pandemic relief programs for personal gain is an egregious theft of taxpayer funds,” said Deputy Inspector General Sheldon Shoemaker of the SBA Office of Inspector General. “SBA OIG will aggressively root out fraud to protect the integrity of SBA’s programs, which are intended to provide vital assistance to the nation’s small businesses. I want to thank the U. S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

“This verdict is a victory for justice, accountability, and the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “In a time of crisis, the Paycheck Protection Program was created as a lifeline to keep small businesses afloat and families fed. Ms. Hockridge saw it as an opportunity to enrich herself. Driven by greed, she used her business to steal millions of dollars intended for those in need. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to protect what’s right and stand firmly with the honest business owners who play by the rules.”

As proven at trial, Hockridge co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. To get larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Hockridge and her co-conspirators fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation, and bank statements. Hockridge and her co-conspirators charged borrowers kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.

As part of the scheme, Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to their clients called “VIPPP” to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Hockridge recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. To get more kickbacks from borrowers and a higher percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Hockridge and her co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information. In total, Hockridge and her coconspirators processed tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loans. Hockridge was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and acquitted of four counts of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI, IRS-CI, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board-CFPB Office of Inspector General, and SBA OIG investigated the case.

Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U. S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www. justice. gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud

MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

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

MIL OSI USA News –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Founder of Lender Service Provider Convicted for Role in Multimillion-Dollar PPP Fraud Scheme

Source: US State of California

A federal jury convicted Stephanie Hockridge, a founder of the lender service provider Blueacorn, on Friday in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hockridge, also known as Stephanie Reis, 42, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and previously of Arizona, conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications, including by fabricating documents that falsified income and payroll in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible.

“This defendant exploited a national emergency to personally profit from a taxpayer-funded program intended to support vulnerable individuals and small businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This conviction demonstrates the Department’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the government and wasting taxpayer money.”

“During a time of crisis in our country, this defendant abused the generosity of the American people by stealing money dedicated to the survival of small businesses to fraudulently enrich herself,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas. “We are proud of the diligent work of our law enforcement partners to hold her accountable and bring her to justice. Make no mistake, our efforts to bring such fraudsters to justice are ongoing.”

“Hockridge’s conviction demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs from fraud and abuse,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This program was designed to provide critical funds to those struggling during a national crisis, not line the pockets of people seeking to exploit government assistance. The FBI remains committed to pursuing anyone who abuses the public trust for personal gain.”

“Ms. Hockridge defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds for her own personal gain and has been brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jon Ellwanger of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Western Region. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners to hold Ms. Hockridge accountable.”

“Exploiting the Small Business Administration’s pandemic relief programs for personal gain is an egregious theft of taxpayer funds,” said Deputy Inspector General Sheldon Shoemaker of the SBA Office of Inspector General. “SBA OIG will aggressively root out fraud to protect the integrity of SBA’s programs, which are intended to provide vital assistance to the nation’s small businesses. I want to thank the U. S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

“This verdict is a victory for justice, accountability, and the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “In a time of crisis, the Paycheck Protection Program was created as a lifeline to keep small businesses afloat and families fed. Ms. Hockridge saw it as an opportunity to enrich herself. Driven by greed, she used her business to steal millions of dollars intended for those in need. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to protect what’s right and stand firmly with the honest business owners who play by the rules.”

As proven at trial, Hockridge co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. To get larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Hockridge and her co-conspirators fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation, and bank statements. Hockridge and her co-conspirators charged borrowers kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.

As part of the scheme, Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to their clients called “VIPPP” to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Hockridge recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. To get more kickbacks from borrowers and a higher percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Hockridge and her co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information. In total, Hockridge and her coconspirators processed tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loans. Hockridge was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and acquitted of four counts of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI, IRS-CI, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board-CFPB Office of Inspector General, and SBA OIG investigated the case.

Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U. S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www. justice. gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud

MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

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

MIL OSI USA News –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI: Aster launches Hidden Orders: Invisible orders, visible advantage
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VICTORIA, Seychelles, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aster, the next-generation decentralized perpetual exchange (perp DEX) backed by YZi Labs, proudly unveils its latest upgrade on Aster Pro: Hidden Orders. Hidden orders empower traders with powerful stealth execution when trading perpetuals.

With this launch, Aster – ranked second globally by perp DEX trading volume – becomes the first perp DEX to introduce fully integrated hidden orders, once again pushing the frontier of DeFi innovation.

On Aster, traders who select hidden orders place limit orders without revealing any size, price, or presence on the public Aster Pro order book. Trades are placed directly into the main matching engine and only become visible after execution.

“In high-speed, high-stakes perp trading, being seen is often a disadvantage,” shared Leonard, CEO of Aster. “Hidden orders empower traders with full anonymity without compromising liquidity, privacy and fairness.”

Why decentralized perp trading needs hidden orders

In cryptocurrency trading, the ability to place large trades without spooking the market is a privilege that separates professionals from amateurs. Institutions and sophisticated traders often rely on advanced order execution strategies like dark pools and hidden orders to hide their intentions and reduce slippage.

Recent debates among industry leaders have also spotlighted a key tension in current DEX infrastructure: while transparency enables trust, it also exposes large traders to predatory tactics due to real-time order visibility. This underscores a rising demand for privacy-preserving solutions in the perpetual DEX space, ones that can shield traders from front-running and exploitation while still upholding market integrity.

High-volume traders on centralized exchanges already rely on tools like dark pools or iceberg orders to mask intent. However, each has its drawbacks. Dark pools keep trades completely invisible and with no impact to main markets because trades execute via a separate order book. That said, because of the separate infrastructure, dark pools fragment liquidity and can be less liquid than the main order book. Iceberg orders are anonymous and access deep market liquidity, but will partially reveal intent as a portion of the total order is exposed on the public order book at any one time.

Hidden orders solve these challenges:
- Full Privacy: Orders remain invisible until filled, defending price points without signaling intent.
- Stealth Execution: Slippage is reduced and front-running is avoided in volatile markets.
- Integrated Liquidity: Hidden orders operate directly inside the main matching engine, preserving centralized liquidity and tight spreads.
- Superior Speed: Often faster to execute than iceberg orders, with no visible trail.
Built for anonymity, visible advantage

The launch of Hidden Orders on Aster Pro marks a major milestone for the industry: Aster is now the first perpetual DEX to natively support hidden orders—a feature previously exclusive to centralized platforms or fragmented DeFi workarounds.

This upgrade is more than a product release. It’s a clear statement of intent: Aster leads by building—pioneering tools that empower traders with greater control, precision, and privacy in onchain markets.

With Hidden Orders, traders can now:
- Defend key price levels without tipping off competitors
- Enter or exit large positions without front-running risks
- Execute with full anonymity while still benefiting from Aster’s deep, unified liquidity
In a market where visibility often works against you, Aster gives traders the power to operate on their own terms.

Redefining the standard for onchain perpetual trading

This launch reinforces Aster’s position as an industry leader—not just in volume, but in innovation, execution quality, and trader-first design. From the successful introduction of email login for frictionless onboarding, to the debut of Aster Chain Beta, a privacy-preserving ZK Layer 1 built for high-performance perp trading, Aster is consistently raising the bar for what’s possible in DeFi.

And while others focus on replicating centralized tools, Aster focuses on protecting its users—by prioritizing:
- Privacy, with ZK-powered infrastructure
- Fairness, with MEV-resistant execution
- Control, with pro-grade tools like Hidden Orders and integrated liquidity
Aster redefines onchain trading, making it fast, fair, private, and powerful. Experience Hidden Orders now on Aster Pro.

About Aster

Aster is a next-generation decentralized perpetual exchange built for everyone. It offers MEV-free, one-click trading with up to 1001x leverage in Simple Mode (BNB Chain, Arbitrum), and pro-grade tools including Hidden Orders in Pro Mode (BNB Chain, Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum). Aster Chain is a high-performance blockchain engineered to deliver private and non-custodial onchain orderbook trading. Backed by YZi Labs, Aster is building the future of DeFi: fast, flexible, and community-first.

Learn more at Aster official website, or connect with Aster on the official X account

Contact:
Leonard
CEO
business@asterdex.com

Disclaimer: This content is provided by Aster. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

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The MIL Network –
June 24, 2025

MIL-OSI: LET Mining launches new smart cloud mining service, making mining simple and efficient

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

London, UK, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LET Mining, at the forefront of cutting-edge cryptocurrency cloud mining, has unveiled its upgraded smart cloud mining service. We combine green energy and cutting-edge smart technology to maximize the profits of cryptocurrency mining. This improved service promises a safer, more efficient, and eco-friendlier cryptocurrency mining experience for users globally.

LET Mining Intelligent Cloud Mining Service Advantages

1. Core intelligence drive:
◆Smart contract automation: Your mining operations (currency selection, switching algorithms to achieve the best returns, and revenue payment) are automatically managed by transparent and secure smart contracts, allowing the system to serve you.
◆Dynamic resource allocation: Our AI platform continuously analyzes market conditions (currency prices, network difficulty) and intelligently allocates your computing power to the highest-yielding currencies in real time to maximize your potential returns.
◆Predictive maintenance: Advanced monitoring systems can predict problems before hardware failures cause downtime, ensuring that your mining is online 24/7 and running at maximum efficiency.

2.Excellent efficiency and environmental protection:
◆ Cutting-edge hardware: Using the latest generation of ASIC miners and high-performance graphics cards, their performance and energy efficiency far exceed the level of home mining.
◆ Global strategic layout: Our data centers are located in areas with abundant renewable energy (hydropower, solar power, wind power) and the lowest electricity prices, significantly improving your net income while reducing environmental impact. Lower costs mean higher returns for you.
◆ Economies of scale: Benefit from bulk electricity prices and optimized cooling solutions that can only be achieved at a large-scale industrial level, significantly reducing the operating costs per unit of computing power.

3. Transparent and Trustworthy:
◆ Real-time Data Dashboard: Monitor your mining activities and earnings 24/7 through our intuitive online dashboard or mobile app. No surprises, only clear and stable data.
◆ Flexible and Competitive Pricing: Choose the right package based on your budget and goals, and provide clear and transparent pricing based on computing power and duration. Transparent fee structure, no hidden fees.

◆Bank-level security: Enterprise-level physical security and advanced cybersecurity protocols (including asset cold storage) ensure the safety of your investment and earnings.

How to start using LET Mining
1. Visit the official website to register an account and get a $12 reward for free
2. Choose a cloud mining contract that suits you

contract	Investment Amount	Contract duration	Total income
Experience Contract	$100	2 days	$100 + $6
BTC Classic Hash Power	$500	6 days	$500 + $35.1
DOGE Classic Hash Power	$3,000	22 days	$3,000 + $904.2
BTC Advanced Hash Power	$5,000	30 days	$5,000 + $2,265
BTC Advanced Hash Power	$10,000	40 days	$10,000 + $6,720
DOGE Super Hash Power	$31,000	50 days	$31,000 + $27,900

For more details, please visit the official website
3. Automatically get income every day
4. You can withdraw funds at any time

Conclusion
Are you ready to start a smarter mining journey? Don’t be left behind in this cryptocurrency revolution. Come and experience the power, convenience and intelligence of LET Mining 2025 smart cloud mining service. Register now to get a $12 reward and $0.6 in daily income. The opportunity to easily earn cryptocurrency income starts here.
Name：Lillian Austen
Company name：LETMining
Email ：info@letmining.com
Address：21 Mansell Street, London, U.K.
Website：https://letmining.com/
Register now and start your mining journey!

Attachment

The MIL Network –

June 24, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Founder of Lender Service Provider Convicted for Role in Multimillion-Dollar PPP Fraud Scheme

Source: United States Attorneys General 7

A federal jury convicted Stephanie Hockridge, a founder of the lender service provider Blueacorn, on Friday in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hockridge, also known as Stephanie Reis, 42, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and previously of Arizona, conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications, including by fabricating documents that falsified income and payroll in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible.

“This defendant exploited a national emergency to personally profit from a taxpayer-funded program intended to support vulnerable individuals and small businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This conviction demonstrates the Department’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the government and wasting taxpayer money.”

“During a time of crisis in our country, this defendant abused the generosity of the American people by stealing money dedicated to the survival of small businesses to fraudulently enrich herself,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas. “We are proud of the diligent work of our law enforcement partners to hold her accountable and bring her to justice. Make no mistake, our efforts to bring such fraudsters to justice are ongoing.”

“Hockridge’s conviction demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs from fraud and abuse,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This program was designed to provide critical funds to those struggling during a national crisis, not line the pockets of people seeking to exploit government assistance. The FBI remains committed to pursuing anyone who abuses the public trust for personal gain.”

“Ms. Hockridge defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds for her own personal gain and has been brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jon Ellwanger of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Western Region. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners to hold Ms. Hockridge accountable.”

“Exploiting the Small Business Administration’s pandemic relief programs for personal gain is an egregious theft of taxpayer funds,” said Deputy Inspector General Sheldon Shoemaker of the SBA Office of Inspector General. “SBA OIG will aggressively root out fraud to protect the integrity of SBA’s programs, which are intended to provide vital assistance to the nation’s small businesses. I want to thank the U. S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

“This verdict is a victory for justice, accountability, and the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “In a time of crisis, the Paycheck Protection Program was created as a lifeline to keep small businesses afloat and families fed. Ms. Hockridge saw it as an opportunity to enrich herself. Driven by greed, she used her business to steal millions of dollars intended for those in need. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to protect what’s right and stand firmly with the honest business owners who play by the rules.”

As proven at trial, Hockridge co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. To get larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Hockridge and her co-conspirators fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation, and bank statements. Hockridge and her co-conspirators charged borrowers kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.

As part of the scheme, Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to their clients called “VIPPP” to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Hockridge recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. To get more kickbacks from borrowers and a higher percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Hockridge and her co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information. In total, Hockridge and her coconspirators processed tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loans. Hockridge was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and acquitted of four counts of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI, IRS-CI, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board-CFPB Office of Inspector General, and SBA OIG investigated the case.

Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U. S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www. justice. gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud

MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

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

MIL Security OSI –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Multiple Mexican Prison Gang Members Sentenced to Decades in Federal Prison

Source: US FBI

DEL RIO, Texas – Seven members of the Partido Revolucionario Mexicano (PRM) prison gang were sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to a combined 137 years in prison for their roles in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

According to court documents, Victor Hinojosa aka Zuko, 35; Martha Gonzalez Ritchie, 64; Jesus Espinoza, 33; and Francisco Espinoza, 29; Ernesto Magdaleno, 56; Armando Ramirez aka Mando, 36; and Danny Suarez, 41, all from Eagle Pass, trafficked cocaine in and around Eagle Pass and Del Rio daily between March 1, 2019, and June 1, 2021. Hinojosa, identified as a sergeant of the PRM, conspired with others by communicating with them through Facebook messenger or cell phone to discuss cocaine distribution activities. Jesus and Francisco Espinoza, Suarez, and another co-defendant would regularly supply Hinojosa with the cocaine. Drug Enforcement Administration agents conducted multiple controlled purchases from Hinojosa throughout their investigation.

All seven defendants were arrested on June 11, 2021. Hinojosa, Jesus Espinoza and Francisco Espinoza each pleaded guilty in 2022 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Ritchie also pleaded guilty in 2022 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin.

On June 5, Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses sentenced Hinojosa and Ritchie each to 30 years in prison, Jesus Espinoza to 17 ½ years in prison, and Francisco Espinoza to 19 ½ years in prison. The following week, on June 13, Chief Judge Moses sentenced Magdaleno and Ramirez each to 14 years in prison, and Suarez to 12 years.

“This criminal conspiracy extends way beyond the bounds of narcotics distribution,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “PRM is a violent prison gang that operates on both sides the U.S.-Mexico border. These PRM members who have been convicted and sentenced should reemphasize to other narcoterrorists the level of our resolve when it comes to the eradication of transnational criminal organizations and providing safer border communities.”

Other co-defendants in this case who continue to await their sentence hearings include Rodolfo Jimenez Jr., Eduardo Gloria, Saul Sanchez-Rosas, Yvonne Rodriguez-Torres, Luis Alberto Torres-Marquez, Paulino Ramirez, Louis Iglesias, Martha Perez, and Randy Crioyos.

Co-defendant Carlos Eduardo Saldana Jr. was sentenced in August 2023 to 10 years in federal prison; Kevin Ritchie was sentenced in October 2023 to 35 years imprisonment; Clinton Ritchie was sentenced in July 2024 to 19 ½ years in federal prison; and Carlos Daniel Rodriguez-Urrabazo was also sentenced in July 2024 to 7 years in prison.

The DEA and FBI led the investigation, known as Operation Tequila Sunset. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, the Eagle Pass Police Department, and the Sheriff’s Offices from Maverick, Dimmitt and Val Verde counties assisted.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case.

These cases are 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 –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club Pleads Guilty for Assault Against a Rival Motorcycle Club Member

Source: US FBI

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays for his involvement in an assault against a member of a rival motorcycle club.

Jarrid A. Hammer, also known as “Hammer,” 45, of Blue Springs, Mo., pleaded guilty today to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering.

On July 20, 2023, Hammer and two other members of the Pagan’s assaulted a lone rival motorcycle gang member at a bar & grill in North Kansas City, Mo. Hammer told the victim that they were there to shut the victim’s club down, then flipped a table over knocking the victim to the ground. Once on the ground, Hammer and the other two Pagan’s began stomping, kicking and punching the victim. The victim later told law enforcement that those who assaulted them were wearing steel-toed boots. Hammer and the two others fled the bar & grill before any law enforcement arrived. The victim was later transported by ambulance to a local hospital, suffering from a head contusion (bruise on the brain), rib fracture, hemothorax (accumulation of blood in the area between the chest wall and lungs), a left pulmonary contusion (bruising of the lung), pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and a traumatic brain injury.

Under federal statutes, Hammer is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

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

MIL Security OSI –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Founder of Lender Service Convicted for Role in Multimillion-Dollar PPP Fraud Scheme

Source: United States Attorneys General 7

A federal jury convicted Stephanie Hockridge, a founder of the lender service provider Blueacorn, on Friday in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hockridge, also known as Stephanie Reis, 42, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and previously of Arizona, conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications, including by fabricating documents that falsified income and payroll in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible.

“This defendant exploited a national emergency to personally profit from a taxpayer-funded program intended to support vulnerable individuals and small businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This conviction demonstrates the Department’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the government and wasting taxpayer money.”

“During a time of crisis in our country, this defendant abused the generosity of the American people by stealing money dedicated to the survival of small businesses to fraudulently enrich herself,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas. “We are proud of the diligent work of our law enforcement partners to hold her accountable and bring her to justice. Make no mistake, our efforts to bring such fraudsters to justice are ongoing.”

“Hockridge’s conviction demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs from fraud and abuse,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This program was designed to provide critical funds to those struggling during a national crisis, not line the pockets of people seeking to exploit government assistance. The FBI remains committed to pursuing anyone who abuses the public trust for personal gain.”

“Ms. Hockridge defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds for her own personal gain and has been brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jon Ellwanger of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Western Region. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners to hold Ms. Hockridge accountable.”

“Exploiting the Small Business Administration’s pandemic relief programs for personal gain is an egregious theft of taxpayer funds,” said Deputy Inspector General Sheldon Shoemaker of the SBA Office of Inspector General. “SBA OIG will aggressively root out fraud to protect the integrity of SBA’s programs, which are intended to provide vital assistance to the nation’s small businesses. I want to thank the U. S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

“This verdict is a victory for justice, accountability, and the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “In a time of crisis, the Paycheck Protection Program was created as a lifeline to keep small businesses afloat and families fed. Ms. Hockridge saw it as an opportunity to enrich herself. Driven by greed, she used her business to steal millions of dollars intended for those in need. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to protect what’s right and stand firmly with the honest business owners who play by the rules.”

As proven at trial, Hockridge co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. To get larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Hockridge and her co-conspirators fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation, and bank statements. Hockridge and her co-conspirators charged borrowers kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.

As part of the scheme, Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to their clients called “VIPPP” to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Hockridge recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. To get more kickbacks from borrowers and a higher percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Hockridge and her co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information. In total, Hockridge and her coconspirators processed tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loans. Hockridge was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and acquitted of four counts of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI, IRS-CI, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board-CFPB Office of Inspector General, and SBA OIG investigated the case.

Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U. S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www. justice. gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud

MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

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

MIL Security OSI –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Founder of Lender Service Convicted for Role in Multimillion-Dollar PPP Fraud Scheme

Source: United States Attorneys General 7

A federal jury convicted Stephanie Hockridge, a founder of the lender service provider Blueacorn, on Friday in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hockridge, also known as Stephanie Reis, 42, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and previously of Arizona, conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications, including by fabricating documents that falsified income and payroll in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible.

“This defendant exploited a national emergency to personally profit from a taxpayer-funded program intended to support vulnerable individuals and small businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This conviction demonstrates the Department’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the government and wasting taxpayer money.”

“During a time of crisis in our country, this defendant abused the generosity of the American people by stealing money dedicated to the survival of small businesses to fraudulently enrich herself,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas. “We are proud of the diligent work of our law enforcement partners to hold her accountable and bring her to justice. Make no mistake, our efforts to bring such fraudsters to justice are ongoing.”

“Hockridge’s conviction demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs from fraud and abuse,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This program was designed to provide critical funds to those struggling during a national crisis, not line the pockets of people seeking to exploit government assistance. The FBI remains committed to pursuing anyone who abuses the public trust for personal gain.”

“Ms. Hockridge defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds for her own personal gain and has been brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jon Ellwanger of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Western Region. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners to hold Ms. Hockridge accountable.”

“Exploiting the Small Business Administration’s pandemic relief programs for personal gain is an egregious theft of taxpayer funds,” said Deputy Inspector General Sheldon Shoemaker of the SBA Office of Inspector General. “SBA OIG will aggressively root out fraud to protect the integrity of SBA’s programs, which are intended to provide vital assistance to the nation’s small businesses. I want to thank the U. S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

“This verdict is a victory for justice, accountability, and the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “In a time of crisis, the Paycheck Protection Program was created as a lifeline to keep small businesses afloat and families fed. Ms. Hockridge saw it as an opportunity to enrich herself. Driven by greed, she used her business to steal millions of dollars intended for those in need. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to protect what’s right and stand firmly with the honest business owners who play by the rules.”

As proven at trial, Hockridge co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. To get larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Hockridge and her co-conspirators fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation, and bank statements. Hockridge and her co-conspirators charged borrowers kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.

As part of the scheme, Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to their clients called “VIPPP” to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Hockridge recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. To get more kickbacks from borrowers and a higher percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Hockridge and her co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information. In total, Hockridge and her coconspirators processed tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loans. Hockridge was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and acquitted of four counts of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI, IRS-CI, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board-CFPB Office of Inspector General, and SBA OIG investigated the case.

Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U. S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www. justice. gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud

MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

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

MIL Security OSI –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI: Mizuho Americas Hires Yaron Kinar as Managing Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst Covering the Insurance Sector

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mizuho Americas today announced the hiring of Yaron Kinar as Managing Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst covering the Insurance sector. Based in Chicago, Kinar reports to the Head of Equity Research, Bill Featherston.

Kinar has two decades of equity research experience in the insurance and financial sectors. He joins Mizuho from Jefferies, where he was lead Equity Research Analyst for North America P&C Insurance and Insurtech and named runner-up in the 2023-4 Institutional Investor (now Extel) All-America Research Team surveys.

“Yaron’s reputation as an insightful and influential insurance industry equity analyst is a great addition to our team,” said Featherston. “His extensive experience will greatly benefit our clients and Mizuho as a whole as we build out our coverage of the Financials sector.”

Prior to Jefferies, he held lead analyst roles at Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, where he was recognized as an All-America Research Team survey Rising Star.

Kinar began his career in underwriting at AIG and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and an LL.B. from Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

About Mizuho Americas
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. is one of the largest financial institutions in the world as measured by total assets of ~$2 trillion, according to S&P Global 2024. Mizuho’s 65,000 employees worldwide offer comprehensive financial services to clients in 36 countries and 850 offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia.

Mizuho Americas is a leading Corporate and Investment Bank (CIB) that provides a full spectrum of client-driven solutions across strategic advisory, capital markets, corporate banking, and fixed income and equities sales & trading to corporate, government, and institutional clients in the US, Canada, and Latin America. Through its acquisition of Greenhill, Mizuho enhanced its M&A, restructuring, and private capital advisory capabilities across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Mizuho Americas employs approximately 4,000 professionals. For more information visit www.mizuhoamericas.com.

For inquiries, please contact:
Jim Gorman
Executive Director, Media Relations, Mizuho Americas
+1-212-282-3867
jim.gorman@mizuhogroup.com

The MIL Network –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI: Introducing Canada’s first national portfolio lending to community bond issuers

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TRADITIONAL TERRITORIES OF THE ANISHINAABEG PEOPLE, TORONTO (T’KARONTO), June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new private credit fund has been established with a $30 million target size and an investment focus on lending to issuers of community bonds across Canada. The fund is expected to formally launch with an anchor investment by Realize Capital Partners.

Weave Community Capital Fund LP (the Fund or Weave) is the first of its kind in Canada. It’s designed to provide accredited investors exposure to loans provided to charities, nonprofits and cooperatives that are also issuing community bonds — as a way to both finance meaningful projects and inspire retail investment in issuers’ community bond campaigns. Organizations issue community bonds to finance socially beneficial projects like affordable housing development, community-owned renewable energy infrastructure, the acquisition of arts and culture spaces, and more.

Community bonds are primarily targeted toward retail investors, or everyday members of communities who come together to finance meaningful projects. But increasingly, values-aligned institutional investors are interested in supporting this growing market — aligning their investments with their values, supporting the growth of a socially-conscious investment market, and crowding in retail investors in the process.

In particular, institutional and other accredited investors are interested in larger ticket sizes and diversified investments. That’s where the Weave Community Capital Fund comes in, offering a fund that centralizes due diligence, allowing investors to support charities, nonprofits, and cooperatives across Canada with one investment in Weave.

Weave Community Capital Inc., the fund’s general partner, was established by the team at Tapestry Community Capital, a non-profit supporting organizations through the process of issuing community bonds.

“Over our six years of working in community finance, we’ve heard from investors of all kinds looking for ways to move their money into alignment with their values — and not just to do less harm, but to do more real, tangible good in their communities. Community investment is the answer, and Weave will accelerate the growth of the market.” – Ryan Collins-Swartz, co-executive director of Tapestry Community Capital

Weave expects Realize Capital Partners to be its first and lead investor. Realize Capital Partners works to grow Canada’s social finance sector and is one of three organizations chosen by the Government of Canada to distribute funds from the $755 million Social Finance Fund.

“Through Realize Fund I, we are excited to play a role as an anchor investor in the Weave Community Capital Fund. The Fund has the potential to accelerate the development of community-based investments across the country and in a variety of sectors ranging from affordable housing to the arts. Having seen many individual community bond offerings, we were excited by the innovative opportunity for a diversified vehicle to invest in this market while complementing individual, retail impact investors.” – Lars Boggild, Portfolio Manager, Realize Fund I

“To build Canada strong, we must invest in what matters most: Canadians. Investments in the Social Finance Fund are making a real difference by providing Canadians with equitable opportunities to launch and scale their mission-driven businesses, like Weave Community Capital Fund. In only two years, the Social Finance Fund has supported over 80 businesses, with investments totalling more than $250 million, and this is just the beginning.” – The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

Weave plans to close its first round of funding in July, with a second round to close out the $30 million target in fall 2025.

About Tapestry Community Capital
Tapestry supports nonprofits and cooperatives through the process of raising community bonds, financing affordable housing, community arts venues, community-owned renewable energy infrastructure, and more. Launched six years ago, to date Tapestry has helped issuers raise over $110 million from more than 4,000 community investors. Learn more at tapestrycapital.ca.

About Weave Community Capital
Weave Community Capital Inc., founded by the team behind Tapestry Community Capital, is the general partner of Weave Community Capital Fund LP. Learn more at weavefund.ca.

About Realize Capital Partners
Realize Capital Partners is a fund-of-funds manager for the Government of Canada’s Social Finance Fund, an initiative to strengthen social purpose organizations and accelerate the growth of Canada’s social finance market. Realize Capital Partners is powered by impact investment management firm Rally Assets. Learn more at realizecapitalpartners.ca.

This press release is not, and under no circumstance is to be construed as an offering memorandum, an advertisement or a public offering of any securities described herein. Under no circumstances is this press release is to be construed as an offer to sell securities or the provision of advice in relation to any securities. Any offer or sale of any securities described in this press release will be made pursuant to through definitive legal documentation, which may differ from the information provided in this press release. No Canadian securities regulatory authority has reviewed or in any way passed upon the information contained in this press release or the merits of any securities described in this press release, and any representation to the contrary is an offence. The Fund is not subject to the same or similar regulatory requirements as mutual funds or other more regulated collective investment vehicles.

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking Information in this press release include, without limitation, the size of the Fund, the investment from Realize Capital Partners, statements regarding the launch of the Fund, including the date of the first or any subsequent closings and the Fund’s ability to identify opportunities for investment by the Fund. With respect to the forward-looking information contained in this press release, the Fund has made numerous assumptions regarding, among other things, the availability of community bond and community loan opportunities for investment. While the Fund considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, market and social uncertainties and contingencies. All forward-looking information herein are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Fund disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.

The information herein is subject to change without notice, and while it is believed to be accurate as of the date presented, no representations or warranties are made regarding its completeness or accuracy.

The MIL Network –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI: Navigate the Crypto Bear Market with 100x Leverage, Double Deposit Bonus and No KYC on BexBack
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SINGAPORE, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In recent weeks, the cryptocurrency market has experienced a sharp downturn. Bitcoin briefly dipped below the $100K mark, and many altcoins saw their value halved within a month. While the bear market can be unsettling, it also offers unique opportunities for experienced traders who know how to navigate through volatility.

To help traders take full advantage of the current market conditions, BexBack offers powerful tools like 100x leverage, 100% deposit bonus, and no KYC trading. Whether you want to profit from falling prices or manage risks, BexBack has you covered.

100x Leverage: Profiting from Both Bull and Bear Markets

With 100x leverage, BexBack allows traders to amplify their potential profits by controlling larger positions with smaller amounts of capital. But what makes leverage especially powerful in a bear market?

For instance, let’s say Bitcoin is priced at $100,000. If you use 100x leverage and open a position with 1 BTC, you effectively control 100 BTC worth of market exposure. If the price drops to $95,000 the next day, your potential profit is:
- (100,000 – 95,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC.
- At the current price of $95,000, this translates into a 5 BTC profit (an up to 500% return).
But that’s not all. With 100x leverage, you can also short the market (bet on falling prices). In a bearish market, you can profit when prices are dropping, which is something traditional spot traders cannot achieve.

How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?

In addition to 100x leverage, BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus to enhance your trading potential. If you deposit 1 BTC, you’ll receive an additional 1 BTC bonus, effectively doubling your available capital.

For example:
- Deposit: 1 BTC
- Bonus: +1 BTC
- Total Trading Capital: 2 BTC
While the deposit bonus cannot be withdrawn, it can be used as margin to open larger positions and maximize your profits. It also provides extra protection against liquidation, especially during market volatility.

Why Choose BexBack for Crypto Futures Trading?

BexBack offers a competitive edge for traders looking to profit in both bull and bear markets:
- 100x Leverage: Control larger positions and maximize your profit potential in volatile markets.
- No KYC Required: Start trading immediately without complex identity verification. Your privacy is guaranteed.
- 100% Deposit Bonus: Double your trading capital instantly and increase your ability to profit.
- Trade Both Long and Short Positions: With 100x leverage, you can profit from both rising and falling markets.
- Low Fees: BexBack offers competitive trading fees with no spread fees and no deposit fees, ensuring more of your profits stay in your pocket.
- 24/7 Support: BexBack provides global customer service at any time to assist with any queries.
- Demo Account: Practice your trading strategies risk-free with a demo account loaded with 10 BTC and 1M USDT.
- Seamless Platform: Whether you prefer to trade on desktop or mobile, BexBack’s platform provides a smooth trading experience.
- Advanced Security: BexBack employs state-of-the-art security features, including multi-signature cold wallets and 2FA, to protect your funds.
How to Start Trading on BexBack

Getting started with BexBack is fast and simple:
1. Sign Up: Just create an account using your email. No KYC is required.
2. Deposit Funds: Deposit BTC, USDT, or other supported cryptocurrencies.
3. Claim Your Bonuses: Use your 100% deposit bonus to instantly double your trading capital.
4. Start Trading: Leverage 100x to open long or short positions and maximize your potential profits.
Take Advantage of the Crypto Bear Market

The crypto market may be down, but with 100x leverage and a 100% deposit bonus, BexBack gives you the tools you need to turn a volatile market into a profitable opportunity. Whether you’re looking to hedge against price drops or capitalize on the next bull run, BexBack’s 100x leverage, no KYC policy, and bonuses make it easier than ever to get started.

Sign up with BexBack today, claim your 100% deposit bonus, and start trading with 100x leverage to unlock new profit potential, no matter what direction the market moves!

Website: www.bexback.com
Contact: business@bexback.com

Contact:
Amanda
business@bexback.com

Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

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The MIL Network –
June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Founder of Lender Service Convicted for Role in Multimillion-Dollar PPP Fraud Scheme

Source: US State of North Dakota

A federal jury convicted Stephanie Hockridge, a founder of the lender service provider Blueacorn, on Friday in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hockridge, also known as Stephanie Reis, 42, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and previously of Arizona, conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications, including by fabricating documents that falsified income and payroll in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible.

“This defendant exploited a national emergency to personally profit from a taxpayer-funded program intended to support vulnerable individuals and small businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This conviction demonstrates the Department’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the government and wasting taxpayer money.”

“During a time of crisis in our country, this defendant abused the generosity of the American people by stealing money dedicated to the survival of small businesses to fraudulently enrich herself,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas. “We are proud of the diligent work of our law enforcement partners to hold her accountable and bring her to justice. Make no mistake, our efforts to bring such fraudsters to justice are ongoing.”

“Hockridge’s conviction demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs from fraud and abuse,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This program was designed to provide critical funds to those struggling during a national crisis, not line the pockets of people seeking to exploit government assistance. The FBI remains committed to pursuing anyone who abuses the public trust for personal gain.”

“Ms. Hockridge defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds for her own personal gain and has been brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jon Ellwanger of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Western Region. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners to hold Ms. Hockridge accountable.”

“Exploiting the Small Business Administration’s pandemic relief programs for personal gain is an egregious theft of taxpayer funds,” said Deputy Inspector General Sheldon Shoemaker of the SBA Office of Inspector General. “SBA OIG will aggressively root out fraud to protect the integrity of SBA’s programs, which are intended to provide vital assistance to the nation’s small businesses. I want to thank the U. S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

“This verdict is a victory for justice, accountability, and the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “In a time of crisis, the Paycheck Protection Program was created as a lifeline to keep small businesses afloat and families fed. Ms. Hockridge saw it as an opportunity to enrich herself. Driven by greed, she used her business to steal millions of dollars intended for those in need. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to protect what’s right and stand firmly with the honest business owners who play by the rules.”

As proven at trial, Hockridge co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. To get larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Hockridge and her co-conspirators fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation, and bank statements. Hockridge and her co-conspirators charged borrowers kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.

As part of the scheme, Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to their clients called “VIPPP” to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Hockridge recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. To get more kickbacks from borrowers and a higher percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Hockridge and her co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information. In total, Hockridge and her coconspirators processed tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loans. Hockridge was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and acquitted of four counts of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI, IRS-CI, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board-CFPB Office of Inspector General, and SBA OIG investigated the case.

Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U. S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www. justice. gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud

MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

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

MIL OSI USA News –

June 24, 2025

MIL-OSI: The Government of Barbados Announces the Final Results of its Offer to Purchase for Cash its 6.500% Notes due 2029

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Government of Barbados (the “Offeror”) announces today the final results of its offer (the “Offer”) to holders (the “Noteholders”) of any and all of its outstanding 6.500% Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) to purchase any and all of such Notes for cash on the terms and subject to the satisfaction of the New Financing Condition (as defined below) and the other conditions set forth in the tender offer memorandum dated 13 June 2025 (the “Tender Offer Memorandum”).

The Offer was made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Tender Offer Memorandum. Capitalised terms used in this announcement but not defined herein have the meanings given to them in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

Final Results

The table below sets forth information with respect to the Notes that were validly tendered at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on 20 June 2025 (the “Expiration Deadline”), acceptance of which by the Offeror remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the New Financing Condition on or prior to the Settlement Date and the other terms and conditions described in the Tender Offer Memorandum. The Offer expired at the Expiration Deadline, and no further Notes may be tendered for purchase pursuant to the Offer.

Description of the Notes

Outstanding Principal Amount of the Notes shown in the records of The Depository Trust Company and subject to the Offer

ISINs/CUSIP No.

Aggregate Principal Amount of Notes shown in the records of The Depository Trust Company that were Validly Tendered

Purchase Price⁽³⁾

6.500% Notes due 2029

U.S.$452,936,300⁽¹⁾

Rule 144A Notes: US067070AH54 / 067070 AH5

Regulation S Notes: USP48864AQ80 / P48864 AQ8

U.S.$378,263,800⁽²⁾

U.S.$1,000

⁽¹⁾	A 10% amortization payment was made on the Notes on 1 April 2025, meaning that the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Notes following such amortization payment is U.S.$407,642,670.

⁽²⁾	The aggregate principal amount of the Notes validly tendered at their amortized value is U.S.$340,437,420.

⁽³⁾	Offered as Purchase Price per each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Deadline (as defined below) and accepted for purchase. Equates to U.S.$900 at the amortised value of the Notes. The Purchase Price does not include Accrued Interest (as defined below). On 26 June 2025 (subject to the right of the Offeror, at its sole discretion, to extend, re-open, amend and/or terminate the Offer) (the “Settlement Date”), Noteholders will also receive Accrued Interest on all Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase.

Tender Offer Consideration

The Offeror will, on the Settlement Date (subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the New Financing Condition on or prior to the Settlement Date and the other terms and conditions described in the Tender Offer Memorandum), pay for the Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or before the Expiration Deadline pursuant to the Offer and accepted by it for purchase pursuant to the Offer a cash amount (rounded to the nearest U.S.$0.01) equal to the sum of (i) the Purchase Price for such Notes, as set forth in the table above; and (ii) interest accrued and unpaid on the Notes from (and including) the interest payment date for such Notes immediately preceding the Settlement Date to (but excluding) the Settlement Date in respect of such Notes (the “Accrued Interest” and the payment thereof, the “Accrued Interest Payment”) (the “Tender Offer Consideration”).

Payment of Tender Offer Consideration

Payment of the Tender Offer Consideration for the Notes accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer is expected to be made on the Settlement Date, as described in the Tender Offer Memorandum (subject to satisfaction or waiver of the New Financing Condition on or prior to the Settlement Date and the other terms and conditions described in the Tender Offer Memorandum and subject to change without notice).

Conditions to the Offer

The Offeror is not under any obligation to accept any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to the Offer. Tenders of Notes for purchase may be rejected in the sole discretion of the Offeror for any reason and the Offeror is not under any obligation to Noteholders to furnish any reason or justification for refusing to accept a tender of Notes for purchase. For example, tenders of Notes for purchase may be rejected if the Offer is terminated, if the New Financing Condition is not satisfied or if the Offer does not comply with the relevant requirements of a particular jurisdiction or for any other reason. Subject to the New Financing Condition being satisfied or waived, no assurance can be given that any Offer will be completed. In addition, the Offeror may, in its sole and absolute discretion, waive any of the conditions to the Offer after this announcement.

New Financing Condition

Whether the Offeror will accept for purchase any Notes validly tendered in the Offer is subject to (unless such condition is waived by the Offeror in its sole and absolute discretion), among other things, the prior closing of the issuance by the Offeror of one or more series of debt securities (the “New Notes”) in the international capital markets (the “New Notes Offering”) in an aggregate principal amount, and at a price and on terms and conditions acceptable to the Offeror in its sole and absolute discretion, a portion of the net proceeds of which will be used by the Offeror to purchase any Notes tendered and accepted pursuant to the Offer (the “New Financing Condition”).

The New Notes Offering is being made solely by means of an offering memorandum relating to the New Notes Offering (the “New Notes Offering Memorandum”), and this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the New Notes. You may not participate in the New Notes Offering unless you have received and reviewed the New Notes Offering Memorandum, and not in reliance on, or on the basis of, this announcement or the Tender Offer Memorandum. The New Notes will be offered only to qualified institutional buyers in the United States in reliance on Rule 144A and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act, and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction.

Even if the New Financing Condition is satisfied, the Offeror is not under any obligation to accept for purchase any Notes tendered pursuant to the Offer.

Each of the foregoing conditions is for the sole benefit of the Offeror and may only be waived by the Offeror, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, in its discretion. Any determination by the Offeror concerning the conditions set forth above (including whether or not any such condition has been satisfied or waived) will be final and binding upon the Noteholders, the Information and Tender Agent and all other persons.

Notes that are not tendered or accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will remain outstanding.

Announcements

The Offeror will announce, promptly after the New Financing Condition has been met or waived, (i) the aggregate principal amount of Notes validly tendered that will be accepted for purchase, and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Notes remaining outstanding following the completion of the Offer.

Unless stated otherwise, announcements in connection with the Offer will be by the issue of a press release through the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and by the delivery of notices to the relevant Clearing Systems for communication to Direct Participants. Such announcements may also be made by the issue of a press release to a Notifying News Service. Copies of all such announcements, press releases and notices and will be available on the Offer Website or alternatively they can also be obtained upon request from the Information and Tender Agent, the contact details for which are below. Significant delays may be experienced where notices are delivered to the Clearing Systems and Noteholders are urged to contact the Information and Tender Agent for the relevant announcements. In addition, Noteholders may contact the Dealer Managers for information using the contact details below.

Disclaimer

This announcement does not contain the full terms and conditions of the Offer. The terms and conditions of the Offer are contained in the Tender Offer Memorandum, and are subject to the Offer and distribution restrictions set out below and more fully described therein.

Further information

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Standard Chartered Bank have been appointed by the Offeror to serve as dealer managers (the “Dealer Managers”) for the Offer. D.F. King (the “Information and Tender Agent”) has been appointed by the Offeror to act as the information and tender agent in connection with the Offer.

For additional information regarding the terms of the Offer, please contact J.P. Morgan Securities LLC by telephone at (866) 846-2874; Collect: (212) 834-7279 and Standard Chartered Bank by telephone at (212) 667-0351 (U.S.) or +44 20 7885 5739 (U.K.) and by email at liability_management@sc.com.

Requests for documents and questions regarding the tender of Notes may be directed to the Information and Tender Agent D.F. King & Co., Inc. via:

Banks & Brokers Call: (212) 269-5550

Toll free: (866) 342-4881

Email: barbados@dfking.com

No Recommendation

The relevant Purchase Price, if paid by the Offeror with respect to the Notes accepted for purchase, will not necessarily reflect the actual value of such Notes. Noteholders should independently analyse the value of the Notes and make an independent assessment of the terms of the Offer. None of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent has or will express any opinion as to whether the terms of the Offer are fair. None of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent makes any recommendation that Noteholders should submit an offer to sell or tender Notes or refrain from doing so pursuant to the Offer, and no one has been authorised by any of them to make any such recommendation.

Offer and Distribution Restrictions

Neither this announcement nor the Tender Offer Memorandum constitutes an offer to participate in the Offer in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or for there to be such participation under applicable securities laws. The distribution of the Tender Offer Memorandum in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession the Tender Offer Memorandum comes are required by the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions

Nothing in this announcement or the Tender Offer Memorandum or the electronic transmission thereof constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the New Notes in the United States or any other jurisdiction.

In addition, each Noteholder participating in an Offer will also be deemed to give certain representations in respect of the other jurisdictions referred to above and generally as set out in “Procedures for Participating in the Offer” of the Tender Offer Memorandum. Any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to an Offer from a Noteholder that is unable to make these representations will not be accepted. Each of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to investigate, in relation to any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to an Offer, whether any such representation given by a Noteholder is correct and, if such investigation is undertaken and as a result the Offeror determines (for any reason) that such representation is not correct, such tender shall not be accepted. The acceptance of any tender shall not be deemed to be a representation or a warranty by any of the Offeror, the Dealer Manager or the Information and Tender Agent or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates that it has undertaken any such investigation and/or that any such representation to any person underwriting any such Notes is correct.

United Kingdom

The communication of this announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer are not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorised person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the “FSMA”). Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials is exempt from the restriction on financial promotions under section 21 of the FSMA on the basis that it is only directed at and may be communicated to (1) those persons who are existing creditors of the Offeror within Article 43(2) of the FSMA (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended, and (2) to any other persons to whom these documents and/or materials may lawfully be communicated.

Belgium

None of this announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer have been, or will be, submitted to or notified to, or approved by, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autorité des services et marchés financiers/Autoriteit voor Financiële Diensten en Markten) and, accordingly, the Offer may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Article 3 of the Belgian Law of 1 April 2007 on takeover bids (loi relative aux offres publiques d’acquisition/wet op de openbare overnamebiedingen), as amended or replaced from time to time.

Accordingly, the Offer may not be, and is not being advertised, and this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum, as well as any brochure, or any other material or document relating thereto (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar document) may not, have not and will not be distributed, directly or indirectly, to any person located and/or resident within Belgium, other than those who qualify as qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés/qekwalificeerde beleggers), within the meaning of Article 2, e), of the Prospectus Regulation acting on their own account. Accordingly, the information contained in the Tender Offer Memorandum or in any brochure or any other document or material relating thereto may not be used for any other purpose, including for any offering in Belgium, except as may otherwise be permitted by law, and shall not be disclosed or distributed to any other person in Belgium.

France

This announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer are only addressed to and are only directed at qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation in France. Each person in France who receives any communication in respect of the Offer contemplated in this announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with the Dealer Managers and the Offeror that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation.

European Economic Area

In any European Economic Area (“EEA”) Member State, this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum are only addressed to, and are only directed at, “qualified investors” (as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017, as amended (the “Prospectus Regulation”)) in that Member State.

Each person in a Member State of the EEA who receives any communication in respect of the Offer contemplated in this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with each Dealer Manager and the Offeror that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation.

The MIL Network –

June 24, 2025

MIL-OSI Africa: SIU strikes on former Lotteries Commission official

Source: South Africa News Agency

Monday, June 23, 2025

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has obtained a court order preventing former National Lotteries Commission (NLC) senior manager, Sanele Dlamini, from accessing his pension benefits until the finalisation of a civil case against him.

The civil case relates to the alleged illegal disbursement of some R6 million in NLC funds signed off by Dlamini to the Motheo Sports and Entertainment Foundation.

“The SIU’s investigation revealed that an NLC-funded project – a sports complex – was never initiated, and supporting documents, including progress reports and financial statements, were falsified.

“Mr Dlamini, who facilitated the irregular disbursement of R3 million to the Motheo Sports and Entertainment Foundation, co-signed the fraudulent progress report without verifying the site or documentation, enabling the unlawful payout,” the SIU said in a statement.

The corruption busting unit explained that it turned to the courts for a freezing order to “limit the risk of a hollow judgment if funds were released, noting concerns that Mr. Dlamini may lack sufficient assets to satisfy future claims”.

“The interdict bars Mr. Dlamini from accessing his pension benefits until the SIU’s main case, a civil recovery action tied to the misallocation of R6 million in NLC grant funds, is concluded.

“The fourth respondent, Liberty’s Corporate Selection Umbrella Retirement Fund, has been directed to assess and disclose the value of Dlamini’s pension within 60 days. This preservation is intended to ensure that funds remain available for potential recovery should the SIU succeed in its claim,” the statement read. – SAnews.gov.za

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MIL OSI Africa –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Former Governors in Senate: GOP Reconciliation Bill will Slash Medicaid Services, SNAP

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) led a number of his Senate colleagues who previously served as state governors to communicate to Republican leadership the devastating impacts of the Senate reconciliation bill on states. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo and Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman John Boozman, the former governors lay out their significant concerns about how this partisan bill will place incredible burdens on state budgets, ultimately reducing critical services like Medicaid and SNAP.
The former Governors began, “We write as a group of former governors to share our perspective on the impact that the Senate reconciliation bill will have on state budgets. We have significant concerns about how this bill passes incredible burdens onto state budgets in order to finance tax cuts that disproportionately benefit ultra-wealthy taxpayers and ultimately reduce long-term economic growth.”
“The impact of these cuts – some of which are even deeper in the reconciliation bill released by the Senate Finance Committee – will also be especially felt by hospitals, nursing homes, and other health facilities particularly in rural communities,” the group continued. “More uninsured patients mean reduced revenues, increased costs for services, and a greater burden of uncompensated care for hospitals, all of which may result in staff or service reductions. And when costs for uncompensated care go up, states and localities often must step in and provide additional funds to keep these vital community health providers afloat. Estimates suggest that 338 rural hospitals nationwide are at risk of closing due to the House reconciliation bill, including two in Maine, two in South Dakota, two in Nevada, three in Idaho, six in Virginia, and five in North Carolina.”
“The reconciliation bill also cuts over $200 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through 2034—the largest reduction in the program’s history— and shifts billions in benefit costs from the federal government to states for the first time. States, which have historically only overseen eligibility, are unprepared to absorb this financial burden. Based on data from 2023, states would be responsible for substantial new costs: $36 million in Maine, $984 million in Florida, $176 million in Virginia, $84 million in West Virginia, $130 million in Colorado, and $16 million in Nebraska. The reconciliation bill also shifts the majority of administrative cost burden onto states, requiring them to cover 75% of the cost-share instead of 50%, further straining state budgets. Many states will be forced to reduce access to food assistance, cut other essential services, raise taxes, or potentially opt out of SNAP altogether,” the Senators highlighted.
The former Governors concluded, “Red and blue states alike must balance their budgets, which means every dollar in added federal cost must be made up by either raising new revenues or making harmful cuts. If the reconciliation bill is passed, even in the best of times, states would need to spend billions more to provide similar or equal Medicaid and SNAP services and benefits. Should a severe economic downturn occur, states will be faced with an even more dire budgetary outlook. Tax increases at the state level would have to be considerable to fully fill the gap, something most states will not be able to do. If unemployment rises, our constituents will be reliant on these services more than ever — a failure to provide them or limit their scope would only result in pushing more people into poverty. This outcome, however, is avoidable. It is not too late to reverse course instead of cutting critical programs and shifting massive costs on to state taxpayers to offset tax cuts benefiting the wealthiest taxpayers.”
Joining King on the letter are Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
+++
Dear Majority Leader Thune, Chairman Crapo, and Chairman Boozman:
We write as a group of former governors to share our perspective on the impact that the Senate reconciliation bill will have on state budgets. We have significant concerns about how this bill passes incredible burdens onto state budgets in order to finance tax cuts that disproportionately benefit ultra-wealthy taxpayers and ultimately reduce long-term economic growth.
The reconciliation bill proposes what would be the largest Medicaid cut in history. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of the similar House passed reconciliation bill, cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, along with the failure to extend enhanced premium tax credits, will result in at least $1 trillion in cuts to health coverage and lead to 16 million people losing access to healthcare coverage. Across the country, more than 78 million people rely on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program – all of whom will be affected by these cuts in some capacity, and it is disingenuous to insist otherwise.
As Medicaid is a joint federal-state program, states will see cuts to their Medicaid programs totaling nearly $800 billion. For example, under the House-passed bill, state cuts over the next 10 years would total $2 billion in New Hampshire, $13 billion in Missouri, $19 billion in New Jersey, $5 billion in Iowa, $10 billion in Colorado, and nearly $5 billion in West Virgina. States will be forced to raise taxes or make cuts to these critical healthcare services or other important priorities, like education, childcare, housing, or disaster relief and recovery efforts. In fact, recent evidence shows that when states lose Medicaid funding, it is often Medicaid benefits that help seniors and people with disabilities, like coverage for home- and community-based care, that are first to be cut.
The impact of these cuts – some of which are even deeper in the reconciliation bill released by the Senate Finance Committee – will also be especially felt by hospitals, nursing homes, and other health facilities particularly in rural communities. More uninsured patients mean reduced revenues, increased costs for services, and a greater burden of uncompensated care for hospitals, all of which may result in staff or service reductions. And when costs for uncompensated care go up, states and localities often must step in and provide additional funds to keep these vital community health providers afloat. Estimates suggest that 338 rural hospitals nationwide are at risk of closing due to the House reconciliation bill, including two in Maine, two in South Dakota, two in Nevada, three in Idaho, six in Virginia, and five in North Carolina.
The reconciliation bill also cuts over $200 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through 2034—the largest reduction in the program’s history— and shifts billions in benefit costs from the federal government to states for the first time. States, which have historically only overseen eligibility, are unprepared to absorb this financial burden. Based on data from 2023, states would be responsible for substantial new costs: $36 million in Maine, $984 million in Florida, $176 million in Virginia, $84 million in West Virginia, $130 million in Colorado, and $16 million in Nebraska. The reconciliation bill also shifts the majority of administrative cost burden onto states, requiring them to cover 75% of the cost-share instead of 50%, further straining state budgets. Many states will be forced to reduce access to food assistance, cut other essential services, raise taxes, or potentially opt out of SNAP altogether.
As former governors, we are concerned that state governments will be forced to absorb both the administrative burden and the human cost of implementing and enforcing these changes, all while attempting to meet the basic needs of constituents left without assistance. SNAP currently supports 42 million Americans—including children, seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans—and provides vital economic stability during downturns. If these changes are enacted, millions of people—including families with children, seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans—would see their food assistance either eliminated entirely or reduced significantly. This will destabilize state budgets and unravel the basic assistance program that helps people weather economic hardship.
Red and blue states alike must balance their budgets, which means every dollar in added federal cost must be made up by either raising new revenues or making harmful cuts. If the reconciliation bill is passed, even in the best of times, states would need to spend billions more to provide similar or equal Medicaid and SNAP services and benefits. Should a severe economic downturn occur, states will be faced with an even more dire budgetary outlook. Tax increases at the state level would have to be considerable to fully fill the gap, something most states will not be able to do. If unemployment rises, our constituents will be reliant on these services more than ever – a failure to provide them or limit their scope would only result in pushing more people into poverty. This outcome, however, is avoidable. It is not too late to reverse course instead of cutting critical programs and shifting massive costs on to state taxpayers to offset tax cuts benefiting the wealthiest taxpayers.
We stand ready and willing to work with you and Congressional Republicans on bipartisan legislation that is fiscally responsible, provides relief for middle-class taxpayers and their families, and spurs economic growth and investment. We understand that difficult tradeoffs are often necessary, however, we believe that these goals can be achieved without making cuts to essential services that everyday Americans rely upon.
Sincerely,

MIL OSI USA News –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Man at Center of Alien Kidnapping and Smuggling Conspiracy Pleads Guilty

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendants Kidnapped Two Women, Demanded Ransom, Instigated Shootout in Charlottesville’s Belmont Neighborhood

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Texas man, who conspired to kidnap and transport aliens and held multiple victims for ransom before instigating a deadly shootout in a quiet, Charlottesville neighborhood, pled guilty recently to federal charges as part of Operation Take Back America.

Ricardo Franco Ordaz, 26, of Cedar Creek, Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to kidnap and one count of transporting an alien resulting in death. At sentencing, Ordaz faces a maximum possible penalty of life in prison.

“Human trafficking and human smuggling generate violence and are real threats to our community and the Justice Department will take all appropriate steps to hold accountable those who attempt to profit off of others trying to enter the country illegally,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “This case serves as an example of the deadly consequences that can occur when individuals use human beings as currency. I am grateful to the Department of Homeland Security and our state and local partners for their work to bring this case to justice.”

According to court documents, in early January of 2023, Ordaz, his co-defendant Jordan Perez, and other co-conspirators, kidnapped multiple victims and held them for ransom, knowing these individuals had entered the United States illegally.

As part of the scheme, Ordaz arranged to pick up two victims from an area near the United States-Mexico border and bring them to a house near Austin, Texas. Once there, Ordaz, and others, held both victims against their will and under armed guard, then called and messaged the victims’ families and friends demanding cash ransom in exchange for their release.

Ordaz exchanged one of the victims in Texas for $5,000 cash, and on January 8, 2023, Perez and a co-conspirator transported another victim to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they arranged to exchange that victim for $10,000 in cash.

During the exchange, when it was revealed that the full $10,000 ransom was not available, an argument and shootout ensued, during which Perez, and another coconspirator, brandished firearms that resulted in the death of one of the kidnappers.

Perez is scheduled to go to trial in December 2025.

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

Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg investigated the case with assistance from the Charlottesville Police Department, Albemarle County Police Department, and HSI Austin, Texas.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Man at Center of Alien Kidnapping and Smuggling Conspiracy Pleads Guilty

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendants Kidnapped Two Women, Demanded Ransom, Instigated Shootout in Charlottesville’s Belmont Neighborhood

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Texas man, who conspired to kidnap and transport aliens and held multiple victims for ransom before instigating a deadly shootout in a quiet, Charlottesville neighborhood, pled guilty recently to federal charges as part of Operation Take Back America.

Ricardo Franco Ordaz, 26, of Cedar Creek, Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to kidnap and one count of transporting an alien resulting in death. At sentencing, Ordaz faces a maximum possible penalty of life in prison.

“Human trafficking and human smuggling generate violence and are real threats to our community and the Justice Department will take all appropriate steps to hold accountable those who attempt to profit off of others trying to enter the country illegally,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “This case serves as an example of the deadly consequences that can occur when individuals use human beings as currency. I am grateful to the Department of Homeland Security and our state and local partners for their work to bring this case to justice.”

According to court documents, in early January of 2023, Ordaz, his co-defendant Jordan Perez, and other co-conspirators, kidnapped multiple victims and held them for ransom, knowing these individuals had entered the United States illegally.

As part of the scheme, Ordaz arranged to pick up two victims from an area near the United States-Mexico border and bring them to a house near Austin, Texas. Once there, Ordaz, and others, held both victims against their will and under armed guard, then called and messaged the victims’ families and friends demanding cash ransom in exchange for their release.

Ordaz exchanged one of the victims in Texas for $5,000 cash, and on January 8, 2023, Perez and a co-conspirator transported another victim to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they arranged to exchange that victim for $10,000 in cash.

During the exchange, when it was revealed that the full $10,000 ransom was not available, an argument and shootout ensued, during which Perez, and another coconspirator, brandished firearms that resulted in the death of one of the kidnappers.

Perez is scheduled to go to trial in December 2025.

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

Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg investigated the case with assistance from the Charlottesville Police Department, Albemarle County Police Department, and HSI Austin, Texas.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Seven Georgians Indicted for Operating Online Fentanyl, Meth Marketplace

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendants Allegedly Distributed Illegal Drugs on Dark Web’s “WallStreetBets” Vendor Account

ATHENS, Ga. – Seven Georgia residents are charged by federal indictment with allegedly conspiring to ship thousands of parcels containing fentanyl and methamphetamine across the United States and in the Middle District of Georgia utilizing the dark web vendor account “WallStreetBets.” The final defendants were arraigned in federal court this week following arrests and seizures resulting from the ongoing investigation.

The following defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and face a maximum of life in prison: Steven Ehizojie Oboite, 32, of Conyers, Georgia; Eric Xavier Bechet, 31, of Dunwoody, Georgia; Jabari Ayinde Cooper, 29, of Atlanta, Georgia; Rashad Cortese Kinloch, 28, of Dunwoody; Myron Ned Stodghill, 31, of Fairburn, Georgia; Reginald Tyrone Douglas, 31, of Dunwoody; and Joshua Jamal Charles, 25, of Atlanta.

Stodghill and Cooper were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Weigle on June 18; the remaining defendants had arraignment hearings between May 22 and June 12. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on May 14 and was unsealed on May 19. All defendants were remanded to federal custody except Cooper and Kinloch, who were released on bond.

Search warrants were executed on May 19 at locations in the metro Atlanta area, with federal agents seizing the following: approximately five kilograms of fentanyl-based powder; approximately one kilogram of cocaine; a pill press with multiple die casts and molds; six firearms; several pounds of marijuana; approximately 200 pills; two cold cryptocurrency wallets; a Jeep Wrangler; and a Tesla Model S.

The indictment alleges that a dark web vendor controlled by Oboite and Bechet called WallStreetBets—first operating on the White House Market on the dark web as WallStreetBets and later operating on the Darkode Market on the dark web as WallStreetBet—began distributing large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other controlled substances sometime before March 2021 by shipping parcels of the illegal drugs from Georgia to many other locations within the United States, including in the Middle District of Georgia. The “Previous Vendor Feedback” section on the Darkode Market reported 2,777 previous sales with a 95% vendor rating for WallStreetBets/WallStreetBet.

The WallStreetBets packages shared common characteristics like padded or bubble-wrap lined mailing envelopes of varying colors; prepaid shipping labels generated by a third-party postage provider that accepts cryptocurrency as a form of payment; the sender’s name was a business name that did not exist; the return address was the address of seemingly random single-family residences or apartment complexes in Georgia; and the packages typically contained pieces of candy in addition to the controlled substances. The WallStreetBets/WallStreetBet vendor page offered pills for sale that were purported to be oxycodone, Adderall and Percocet, in addition to crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl-based powders.

The indictment alleges that Oboite and Bechet controlled the WallStreetBets/WallStreetBet vendor accounts across several dark web markets, including Darkode, Bohemia and Dark Matter. It is alleged that Oboite and Bechet obtained illegal drugs on behalf of WallStreetBets from several sources, including Stodghill. Oboite and Bechet directed co-conspirators Cooper, Kinloch, Douglas and Charles to package the orders, print shipping labels and ship the parcels via the United States Postal Service to customer addresses throughout the United States, including addresses in the Middle District of Georgia. The indictment alleges that the seven co-conspirators shipped thousands of packages containing illegal drugs.

If anyone has information about this case, including potential overdoses related to purchases made from WallStreetBets, they are urged to contact the FBI Atlanta Field Office at 770-216-3000.

The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) are investigating the case, with assistance from the IRS, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Athens-Clarke County Police. This case is being investigated as part of an FBI-led interagency Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) operation. J-CODE brings together experts from the DEA, the Postal Inspection Service, the Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Department of Defense and the Customs and Border Protection, along with the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach is prosecuting the case for the Government.

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

MIL Security OSI –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Seven Georgians Indicted for Operating Online Fentanyl, Meth Marketplace

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendants Allegedly Distributed Illegal Drugs on Dark Web’s “WallStreetBets” Vendor Account

ATHENS, Ga. – Seven Georgia residents are charged by federal indictment with allegedly conspiring to ship thousands of parcels containing fentanyl and methamphetamine across the United States and in the Middle District of Georgia utilizing the dark web vendor account “WallStreetBets.” The final defendants were arraigned in federal court this week following arrests and seizures resulting from the ongoing investigation.

The following defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and face a maximum of life in prison: Steven Ehizojie Oboite, 32, of Conyers, Georgia; Eric Xavier Bechet, 31, of Dunwoody, Georgia; Jabari Ayinde Cooper, 29, of Atlanta, Georgia; Rashad Cortese Kinloch, 28, of Dunwoody; Myron Ned Stodghill, 31, of Fairburn, Georgia; Reginald Tyrone Douglas, 31, of Dunwoody; and Joshua Jamal Charles, 25, of Atlanta.

Stodghill and Cooper were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Weigle on June 18; the remaining defendants had arraignment hearings between May 22 and June 12. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on May 14 and was unsealed on May 19. All defendants were remanded to federal custody except Cooper and Kinloch, who were released on bond.

Search warrants were executed on May 19 at locations in the metro Atlanta area, with federal agents seizing the following: approximately five kilograms of fentanyl-based powder; approximately one kilogram of cocaine; a pill press with multiple die casts and molds; six firearms; several pounds of marijuana; approximately 200 pills; two cold cryptocurrency wallets; a Jeep Wrangler; and a Tesla Model S.

The indictment alleges that a dark web vendor controlled by Oboite and Bechet called WallStreetBets—first operating on the White House Market on the dark web as WallStreetBets and later operating on the Darkode Market on the dark web as WallStreetBet—began distributing large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other controlled substances sometime before March 2021 by shipping parcels of the illegal drugs from Georgia to many other locations within the United States, including in the Middle District of Georgia. The “Previous Vendor Feedback” section on the Darkode Market reported 2,777 previous sales with a 95% vendor rating for WallStreetBets/WallStreetBet.

The WallStreetBets packages shared common characteristics like padded or bubble-wrap lined mailing envelopes of varying colors; prepaid shipping labels generated by a third-party postage provider that accepts cryptocurrency as a form of payment; the sender’s name was a business name that did not exist; the return address was the address of seemingly random single-family residences or apartment complexes in Georgia; and the packages typically contained pieces of candy in addition to the controlled substances. The WallStreetBets/WallStreetBet vendor page offered pills for sale that were purported to be oxycodone, Adderall and Percocet, in addition to crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl-based powders.

The indictment alleges that Oboite and Bechet controlled the WallStreetBets/WallStreetBet vendor accounts across several dark web markets, including Darkode, Bohemia and Dark Matter. It is alleged that Oboite and Bechet obtained illegal drugs on behalf of WallStreetBets from several sources, including Stodghill. Oboite and Bechet directed co-conspirators Cooper, Kinloch, Douglas and Charles to package the orders, print shipping labels and ship the parcels via the United States Postal Service to customer addresses throughout the United States, including addresses in the Middle District of Georgia. The indictment alleges that the seven co-conspirators shipped thousands of packages containing illegal drugs.

If anyone has information about this case, including potential overdoses related to purchases made from WallStreetBets, they are urged to contact the FBI Atlanta Field Office at 770-216-3000.

The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) are investigating the case, with assistance from the IRS, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Athens-Clarke County Police. This case is being investigated as part of an FBI-led interagency Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) operation. J-CODE brings together experts from the DEA, the Postal Inspection Service, the Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Department of Defense and the Customs and Border Protection, along with the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach is prosecuting the case for the Government.

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

MIL Security OSI –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NIST Releases Extensive Video Update on Champlain Towers South Investigation

Source: US Government research organizations

NCST Champlain Tower South Collapse Investigation | Technical Update (June 2025)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) National Construction Safety Team (NCST) has released an extensive video update on its investigation into the June 2021 partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida. The update reviews the investigation’s history and progress, shares preliminary findings, and highlights potential impacts that this complex investigation could have on building codes and standards.

In the video, investigative lead Judith Mitrani-Reiser and co-lead Glenn Bell explain how the team has determined that some of the hypotheses they are considering for how the failure occurred have a higher likelihood than others. The team has reviewed two dozen hypotheses, relying on extensive physical evidence, imagery, historical records, witness interviews, remote sensing data, laboratory testing, computer modeling and more.

“As we have shared in previous updates, there were many design and construction problems that weakened the building from the start,” said Mitrani-Reiser. “These deficiencies posed many potential failure initiation possibilities both in the pool deck and the tower, and each is being carefully considered so that we can narrow our focus to the most likely ones and seek to rule out others.”

The two experts describe the extensive planning and coordination that helped the team systematically work through analyses, testing and modeling to arrive at its preliminary findings. They note that from NIST’s initial deployment of a preliminary reconnaissance team in the first 48 hours after the collapse, this investigation has relied on collaboration with local authorities and expertise from across the federal government, private industry and academia.

Researchers used a saw to cut into a steel-reinforced concrete slab following a slab-column connection test at the University of Washington. The cut reveals shear cracking and failure at the surface.

Credit: NIST

Higher-Likelihood Collapse Hypotheses

Bell walks viewers through three hypotheses with higher likelihood, beginning with the failure of one of the typical slab-column connections in the pool deck. He describes factors that contributed to low margins of safety in the pool deck, including understrength of the building’s original structural design relative to the requirements of the building code. Additionally, he notes that steel reinforcement was not placed where it should have been, leading to significantly diminished strength of the pool deck slab and slab-column connections. He also points to heavy planters that were not in the original design, as well as a rehabilitation of the pool deck decades earlier that added sand and pavers, increasing the load on a system that was already functionally and structurally inadequate. The team also found corrosion of the steel reinforcement in the pool deck concrete, which can weaken the slabs and slab-column connections.

“While there is strong evidence that the collapse initiated in the pool deck, we have not ruled out a failure initiation in the tower,” said Bell. “The fact that the pool deck collapsed before the tower does not preclude the possibility that there was some initiating event in the tower that set off the collapse of the very vulnerable pool deck.”

Some of the design, construction and degradation issues found in the pool deck are also evident in the building tower and present other plausible hypotheses that the team continues to pursue. In addition to the misplacement of steel reinforcement within slabs and columns, some basement columns had prolonged exposure to water due to ponding and flooding in the garage. This can cause corrosion of the steel reinforcement and deteriorate the concrete. The team therefore also considers it a higher likelihood that the collapse was initiated by either the diminished strength of the columns in the tower or the failure of a slab-beam-column joint in the southernmost column line of the east part of the tower, close to where the tower joined the pool deck.

Replicas of Champlain Towers South building components were tested until failure at the University of Minnesota. This image shows a failed connection between the pool deck slab-beam and the slab-drop-beam.

Credit: NIST

Lower-Likelihood Collapse Hypotheses

The investigation team determined that there is a lower likelihood that the partial collapse was initiated by two potential problems beneath the building: voids known as “karst” or pile failure. Mitrani-Reiser explains how satellite data was used to look for gradual settling or sinking of the ground in the general area of Champlain Towers South. None was seen in the area in the five years before the partial collapse, nor was localized sinking observed near the building in the days leading up to the tragedy.

The team found no evidence of karst in the limestone on which the foundation sits, and careful studies of the limestone showed it has features that actually inhibit the formation of karst. Team members calculated that the foundation pile capacity shown on the design drawings was sufficient to carry the building loads and laboratory and nondestructive testing of pile concrete showed adequate material strength. Finally, the basement slab did not show any distress or trauma that would indicate karst formation or pile failure, such as cracking or sinking.

Bell also notes as a lower likelihood scenario the separation of the pool deck/street-level slab from the south basement wall.

Preliminary Findings Rely on Broad Range of Evidence

In the past few months, the team has updated the collapse timeline based on interviews and records, modeling results, and new analyses of audio and digital evidence.

Although there is very little video from the night of the collapse, every image was meticulously analyzed to determine its precise perspective and identify clues that could inform the timeline, such as changes to reflections of light on building surfaces, such as a wall.

Mitrani-Reiser describes how team members made a breakthrough by using a novel approach to analyzing videos. They compared the soundwaves of the audio recorded by two videos from different parts of the building to find and correlate patterns of sounds in each video. This helped pinpoint when the videos overlapped in time and provided insight into what was happening in the building by comparing the building’s movement at the same time on two different floors. All audiovisual evidence in NIST’s possession has now been timestamped.

Mitrani-Reiser also notes the importance of social science research to develop carefully crafted interviews that have helped to elicit important memories not reported elsewhere. Information gained in these interviews has helped confirm the collapse timeline, in tandem with the video evidence.

A NIST NCST investigator examines the underside of a test specimen following a slab-beam-column test at the University of Minnesota.

Credit: NIST

Implications for the Future

“Two clear questions coming out of this investigation are why the design and construction problems were not discovered when Champlain Towers South was built, and how do we evaluate the structural safety of existing buildings?” said Bell.

While the video presentation does not offer recommendations for changes to codes or practice, it does highlight some areas that industry experts could consider. These include how special inspections that are mandated for safety might impact construction quality control by giving builders a false sense of security that someone else will catch their errors later.

Mitrani-Reiser also shares that the investigation found no records from the original construction of the building, and few from its early life, and notes the importance of records retention going beyond initial drawings to include “quality assurance records and, particularly, peer review reports where they exist.”

Finally, Mitrani-Reiser calls on the engineering and construction professions to take seriously the apparent lack of quality control and quality assurance found in the case of Champlain Towers South. She noted that, “this tragic event has revealed flaws in our systems, and quality is at the heart of it.”

The team is finalizing its analysis and has begun drafting its investigation report, which is expected to be completed in 2026.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: DWP appoints new interim Chair of The Pensions Regulator
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Press release

DWP appoints new interim Chair of The Pensions Regulator

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced the appointment of Kirstin Baker as the new Interim Chair of The Pensions Regulator (TPR), effective from 1 August 2025.
Kirstin Baker

Kirstin Baker will succeed Sarah Smart, who has held the post of TPR Chair.

About the TPR:

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is the UK’s statutory body responsible for ensuring the integrity of workplace pensions by making schemes and employers comply with their duties, providing strategic oversight of the pensions market and support innovation to enhance outcomes for savers.

Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell said:

I am pleased to welcome Kirstin Baker as the Interim Chair of The Pensions Regulator (TPR). I look forward to working with her as she brings to bear the wealth of experience from her role as TPR senior independent board member.

Kirstin Baker said:

I am delighted to take on this interim chair role while a competition is undertaken for the next full-term chair of The Pensions Regulator. I would like to thank Sarah Smart for all the work she has done as TPR chair and look forward to building on this.

Kirstin Baker is currently the Senior Independent member of the TPR Board. She was appointed a Panel Inquiry Chair and Panel Member Non-Executive Director of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Board on 1 September 2018 and is also a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. She stepped down from the board in March 2024 but remains a Panel InquiryChair.

Kirstin had a long career in the civil service and was most recently HM Treasury’s Finance and Commercial Director. Earlier in her career she was part of the senior team leading the Treasury’s response to the banking crisis and was awarded a CBE for this work.

The TPR Interim Chair

Kirstin Baker appointment starting from 1 August 2025 for a period of up to 9 months.

In her capacity as Interim Chair, Kirstin Baker is entitled to an annual remuneration of £73,840, based on a minimum time commitment of 104 days per annum.

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Published 23 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI: StoneX Group Inc. Announces Private Offering of $625.0 Million of Senior Secured Notes due 2032

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StoneX Group Inc. (the “Company” or “StoneX”; NASDAQ: SNEX), today announced an offering, subject to market conditions and other factors, $625.0 million in aggregate principal amount of Senior Secured Notes due 2032 (the “Notes”) to be issued by its wholly-owned subsidiary, StoneX Escrow Issuer LLC. The Notes and the related Note guarantees will be offered in a private offering to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and to certain persons outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act.

StoneX Escrow Issuer LLC, which was created solely to issue the Notes in connection with the Merger (as defined below), will deposit the gross proceeds of the offering into a segregated escrow account (the “Escrowed Proceeds”) until the date that certain escrow release conditions are satisfied. Upon the closing of the Company’s proposed acquisition (the “Merger”) of R.J. O’Brien (“RJO”), StoneX Escrow Issuer LLC will merge with and into the Company, and the Escrowed Proceeds will be released. The Company will thereupon assume the obligations under the Notes. Upon the closing of the Merger and release of the Escrowed Proceeds, the Company intends to use the proceeds from the offering together with cash on hand to pay the purchase price and related fees, costs, premiums and expenses in connection with Merger.

Until the completion of the Merger, the Notes will not be guaranteed and will be secured only by a senior secured first priority lien on the Escrowed Proceeds. Upon the closing of the Merger, the Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior secured second lien basis by each of the Company’s existing and future subsidiaries that guarantees indebtedness under the Company’s senior secured revolving credit facility and certain other senior indebtedness. The guarantees are subject to release under specified circumstances. Upon the closing of the Merger, the Notes and the related guarantees will be secured on a second priority basis by liens on substantially all of the Company’s and the guarantors’ property and assets, subject to certain exceptions and permitted liens. The liens on the Company’s and the guarantors’ assets that secure the Notes and the related guarantees will be contractually subordinated to the liens on the Company’s and the guarantors’ assets that secure the Company’s and the guarantors’ existing and future first lien obligations, including indebtedness under the Company’s senior secured revolving credit facility, as a result of an intercreditor agreement among the collateral agent for the Notes, the agent for the Company’s senior secured revolving credit facility and the collateral agent for the Company’s existing senior secured notes due 2031. The Notes are expected to pay interest semi-annually, in arrears. This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes, the related guarantees or any other security, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Any offers of the Notes and the related guarantees will be made only by means of a private offering memorandum. The Company gives no assurance that the proposed offering can be completed on any terms or at all.

The offer and sale of the Notes and related guarantees have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and the Notes and related guarantees may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemptions from registration requirements.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking” statements and “safe harbor statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and/or uncertainties, including those described in StoneX’s public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and not on historical facts. Examples of these statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the proposed acquisition of RJO, including expected synergies and future financial and operating results, the plans, objectives, expectations and intentions of StoneX after the acquisition, the expected timing to close the acquisition, closing of the offering and expected use of proceeds. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Therefore, we caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements include the risks related to the proposed acquisition and the integration of RJO as well as the risks and other factors described in StoneX’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In providing forward-looking statements, StoneX is not undertaking any duty or obligation to update these statements publicly as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. If StoneX updates one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those other forward-looking statements.

About StoneX Group Inc.

StoneX Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates a global financial services network that connects companies, organizations, traders and investors to the global market ecosystem through a unique blend of digital platforms, end-to-end clearing and execution services, high touch service and deep expertise. The Company strives to be the one trusted partner to its clients, providing its network, product and services to allow them to pursue trading opportunities, manage their market risks, make investments and improve their business performance. A Fortune-100 company headquartered in New York City and listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (NASDAQ: SNEX), StoneX Group Inc. and its more than 4,700 employees serve more than 54,000 commercial, institutional, and global payments clients, and more than 400,000 self-directed/retail accounts, from more than 80 offices spread across six continents.

StoneX Group Inc.
Investor inquiries:
Kevin Murphy
(212) 403 – 7296
kevin.murphy@stonex.com

SNEX-G

The MIL Network –

June 24, 2025

Category: Finance

What is flourishing?

What’s the Global Flourishing Study?

You did a separate study on flourishing in Africa. What did you find?

What can African countries focus on to flourish?

What does Africa offer the world in terms of flourishing?

What is flourishing?

What’s the Global Flourishing Study?

You did a separate study on flourishing in Africa. What did you find?

What can African countries focus on to flourish?

What does Africa offer the world in terms of flourishing?

Higher-Likelihood Collapse Hypotheses

Lower-Likelihood Collapse Hypotheses

Preliminary Findings Rely on Broad Range of Evidence

Implications for the Future

DWP appoints new interim Chair of The Pensions Regulator

About the TPR:

Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell said:

Kirstin Baker said:

The TPR Interim Chair

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