Category: Finance

MIL-OSI Submissions: Africa – Invest Africa and United Kingdom (UK) Government Announce Strategic Partnership for The Africa Debate – London

SOURCE: Invest Africa

As the UK’s leading forum for high-level dialogue on Africa’s economic trajectory, The Africa Debate 2025 will convene over 500 senior leaders from government, finance, and industry to explore this year’s theme: “Harnessing Natural Capital for Growth”

LONDON, United Kingdom, May 8, 2025 – Invest Africa (www.InvestAfrica.com), the leading platform for promoting trade and investment across the African continent, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with the UK Government for the 11th edition of The Africa Debate, taking place on Wednesday, 2 July 2025 at the historic Guildhall in the City of London.

As the UK’s leading forum for high-level dialogue on Africa’s economic trajectory, The Africa Debate 2025 will convene over 500 senior leaders from government, finance, and industry to explore this year’s theme: “Harnessing Natural Capital for Growth”. The agenda will examine how African nations can leverage their abundant resources – from critical minerals and biodiversity to human capital – to build globally competitive industries, enhance intra-African value chains, and deliver inclusive, sustainable development.

The event comes at a strategically important moment: just over one year into the new UK Government, as it sets out a renewed international agenda focused on trade, investment, and strategic partnership with Africa.

The Rt Hon. the Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa, commented: “The UK recognises the critical role Africa plays in the global economy and in shaping a sustainable, inclusive future. We are proud to support The Africa Debate as a strategic platform to deepen trade and investment ties with African partners and boost mutual economic growth between our countries. Our ambition in our new approach to Africa is to support the scale-up of transformative green growth across the continent – and the UK stands ready to be a long-term, trusted partner in that journey.”

Chantelé Carrington, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Africa, added: “Our collaboration with the UK Government is a major milestone for The Africa Debate. With a new administration in place, this is a crucial opportunity to shape a modern and meaningful UK-Africa relationship centred on mutual benefit. As African economies focus on industrialisation, value addition, and sustainable investment, we are proud to offer a platform that connects the UK’s financial expertise and private sector strength with Africa’s vast economic potential.”

The Africa Debate 2025 will feature head of state and ministerial keynotes, alongside high-level plenaries and curated side events that convene senior leaders from across Africa and the global investment community. This year’s agenda will examine how the continent can harness its natural capital – through the lenses of finance, industrialisation, and digital innovation – to drive long-term value creation and sustainable development. Our strategic partnership reflects the UK’s commitment to forging deeper, future-oriented relationships with African partners – focused on mobilising investment at scale, promoting inclusive economic growth, and co-creating resilient solutions to shared global challenges.

Websites:
Invest Africa (https://apo-opa.co/4k2YU2U)
The Africa Debate (https://apo-opa.co/43u2xbJ)

About The Africa Debate:
The Africa Debate is London’s premier investment forum dedicated to shaping the future of African trade, investment, and economic transformation. Now in its 11th year, the event serves as a critical platform for global businesses, investors, policymakers, and thought leaders to engage in high-level discussions on Africa’s evolving role in the global economy.

About Invest Africa:
Invest Africa is a leading pan-African business and investment platform, that drives trade and investment across the continent. With over sixty years’ experience in Africa, we provide our network with trusted market insights, tailored business support, and platforms for meaningful engagement. Our network includes more than 400 multinational corporations, investors, policy makers, and entrepreneurs, united by a shared commitment to building sustainable opportunity across Africa.

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NITI Frontier Tech Hub Organizes a Workshop for States on Accelerating AI Datacentre Investments
Source: Government of India

Posted On: 08 MAY 2025 5:46PM by PIB Delhi

Recognizing the critical role of AI infrastructure in shaping India’s economic future, the NITI Aayog Frontier Tech Hub hosted a high-level workshop on May 8, 2025, focused on accelerating investments in AI-ready datacentres across Indian states. The workshop brought together senior officials from key state governments, central ministries and industry leaders to chart a strategic roadmap for positioning India as a global hub for AI infrastructure.

The deliberations spotlighted the widening gap between India’s digital ambitions and its current compute capabilities. Although India generates nearly 20% of the world’s data, it accounts for just 3% of global datacentre capacity. With AI adoption surging across sectors, the need for reliable, scalable, and sustainable AI infrastructure has never been more urgent.

The workshop urged states to move beyond land- and real estate-centric models and embrace a new paradigm anchored in access to clean energy, high-performance computing, and streamlined policy environments. Key themes included:
- The projected doubling of global electricity demand from datacentres and AI by 2026
- India’s unique advantages in renewable energy, deep engineering talent, and rapidly growing digital economy
- The need for coordinated reforms in power, policy, and regulation to attract hyperscale and sovereign AI investments
Participants discussed the six critical pillars essential for AI datacentre readiness—land, power, network, compute, talent, and enabling policies. The conversation highlighted the urgency for states to think not just competitively within India, but globally, as countries like Vietnam, UAE, and Indonesia aggressively pursue AI investments.

Speaking at the workshop, Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, said:

“India has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a global AI datacentre hub. With our clean energy leadership, unmatched tech talent, and strong policy momentum, we are well-positioned to deliver the world’s greenest and most cost-effective AI compute. But the competition is global. States must stop thinking only in terms of land and start thinking in terms of AI ecosystems — anchored in energy, innovation, and execution.”

The workshop was organized in partnership with Deloitte, the Knowledge Partner, and featured participation from ten states and representatives from defense, ministries of MNRE, Finance, DoT and Power. Distinguished attendees included Shri Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog; Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog; Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog; and Mr. Romal Shetty, CEO, Deloitte South Asia.

A strategic report titled “Accelerating AI Infrastructure Investments in India”, providing a comprehensive blueprint to unlock national-scale AI infrastructure investments was also launched in the workshop.

This workshop is part of the NITI Frontier Tech Hub’s ongoing efforts to drive frontier technology awareness, readiness, and policy innovation across states and ministries—strengthening India’s journey to becoming a global leader in the AI-powered intelligence economy.

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MJPS/SR

(Release ID: 2127731) Visitor Counter : 2

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Budget 2025 invests in care system and improving redress for survivors of abuse in state care

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

The Government will strengthen the care system and improve redress for survivors in Budget 2025 in response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was conducted over six years and found widespread abuse and neglect across many state and faith-based organisations. The final report made 138 recommendations.
“We know there is nothing we can do to take away the pain of survivors, but the Government has committed a significant investment of $774 million in Budget 2025 to improve the redress system and strengthen the care system to prevent, identify, and respond to abuse in the future,” says Ms Stanford.
Improvements to the redress system over this year will include:

Increasing the average redress payments for new claims from $19,180 to $30,000;
Providing for higher payments for the survivors who experienced the most egregious abuse;
Providing “top up” payments of 50% to survivors who have already settled claims to ensure consistency with increased payments for new claims;
Introducing a common payments framework so that survivors receive the same financial redress for similar experiences of abuse, regardless of where in state care that abuse occurred;
Increase system capacity to process claims from 1,350 to 2,150 per year from 2027 to reduce wait times for current claimants;
Implementing a seamless service so that survivors with claims with multiple agencies have those claims managed by one point of contact;
Introducing a single-entry point for survivors wanting to register new claims;
Introducing an independent review for people who are unhappy with their redress offer; and
Funding for redress agencies to provide survivors with access to supports and services.

“I acknowledge that a key recommendation of both the Royal Commission and the Redress Design Group was for a new independent redress entity.
“The Government was faced with a difficult choice: do we spend more time and money on setting up a new scheme, or do we provide more to survivors now through the current redress process?
“For Budget 25 we have prioritised improving the current system as quickly as possible for survivors and investing in changes that have a direct impact for them,” Ms Stanford says.
Investments in the wider care system over the next four years include:
·      Up to $71.5 million to build a capable and safe care workforce for children and vulnerable adults;
·      Over $50 million to make mental health inpatient units safer and improve privacy and dignity for patients;
·      $25 million towards funding initiatives with evidence of an ability to prevent the entry of children and vulnerable adults into care;
·      $16 million for Oranga Tamariki for improvements to safeguarding to reduce abuse and harm to children and young people in remand homes and in the care of individual caregivers;
·      $9.4 million to bolster oversight of compulsory mental health and addiction care by increasing the capacity, expertise, and availability of independent statutory roles including District Inspectors and Review Tribunals; and
·      Almost $9 million for Disability Support Services to strengthen processes that recognise and respond to instances of abuse in care, by introducing additional audits on the quality of services delivered by contracted care providers and improving the systems that support the management of critical incidents and complaints.
There is also funding for the continuation of the Survivor Experiences Service who provide an important survivor-led service, better record keeping and access to records, and for an independent review of the changes to the redress system in 2027.
Cabinet has also decided that for new claims from survivors who are also serious sexual and/or violent offenders who have been sentenced to five years or more in prison a new process will apply. Modelled on similar approaches in Australia and Scotland, this will involve an independent decision maker who will need to assure themselves that a redress payment would not bring the scheme into disrepute. Legislation establishing this will be introduced later this year.
The Government will also establish a Ministerial Advisory Group of survivors and advocates in the coming months to provide relevant Ministers with advice on the Government’s response, including implementation of these changes and the next phase of the wider response.
Redress decisions, at this point, do not include claims that currently sit with school boards, faith-based organisations, or other non-state providers. The Government will be receiving further advice on this later this year.
“The wider work on the Crown response to the Royal Commission’s recommendations continues to be a priority. I expect to release our full response plan in the coming weeks,” Ms Stanford says.Note to editors:

On average, previous payments from the Ministry of Health were significantly lower than other agencies for similar types of abuse (excluding the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit). “Top up” payments to these previous claimants will also account for this disparity.
Survivors with a settled claim can register for a top-up payment from today. To register visit: www.abuseincaretopups.govt.nz

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Delhi South CGST officials bust GST ITC fraud worth ₹7.85 crore; Chartered Accountant arrested

Source: Government of India

Delhi South CGST officials bust GST ITC fraud worth ₹7.85 crore; Chartered Accountant arrested

Investigations reveal misuse of over 80 GSTINs with a core group of 31 GSTINs engaged in circular trading, with no actual supply of goods or services

Posted On: 08 MAY 2025 5:26PM by PIB Delhi

In a major crackdown on Goods and Service Tax (GST) fraud, the CGST Delhi South Commissionerate has uncovered a fraud on a large-scale involving fraudulent Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims amounting to Rs. 7.85 crore (approx.) by a South Delhi based Chartered Accountant.

Investigations revealed misuse of over 80 GSTINs (Goods and Services Tax Identification Numbers), mainly in the Palam/Dwarka area, linked to the Chartered Accountant’s email IDs and contact numbers. A core group of 31 GSTINs engaged in circular trading was identified, with no actual supply of goods or services.

Search proceedings were conducted at 12 premises and multiple firms were found non-existent. During searches, several electronic devices relevant to investigation were seized, and statements of the relevant people were recorded. Multiple taxpayers admitted to have been relying entirely on the Chartered Accountant for GST filings, with login credentials and filings centrally controlled by him.

The offences committed by the accused are covered u/s 132(1)(b) and 132(1)(c) of the CGST Act, 2017 which is cognizable and non-bailable offence under Section 132(5) and punishable under Section 132(1)(i) of the Act ibid. Accordingly, the said Chartered Accountant was arrested under Section 69(1) of the CGST Act, 2017 and produced before Duty Magistrate on 07.06.2025 who remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days till 21.05.2025.

The case highlights a systemic abuse of the GST framework through impersonation, credential misuse, and collusive circular trading. Investigations are ongoing under CGST Act, 2017 to uncover the full scale of the fraud and identify all beneficiaries of the ineligible Input tax credit.

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NB/KMN

(Release ID: 2127723) Visitor Counter : 2

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 9, 2025

MIL-OSI: Atlanticus Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

First Quarter 2025 net margin growth of 26.4% over prior year, with 3.8 million accounts served ⁽¹⁾

ATLANTA, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Atlanticus Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: ATLC) (Atlanticus, the Company, we, our or us), a financial technology company that enables its bank, retail and healthcare partners to offer more inclusive financial services to millions of everyday Americans, today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. An accompanying earnings presentation is available in the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.atlanticus.com or by clicking here.

Financial and Operating Highlights

First Quarter 2025 Highlights (all comparisons to the First Quarter 2024)

Managed receivables² increased 16.7% to $2.7 billion
Total operating revenue and other income increased 18.9% to $344.9 million
Return on average equity of 22.0 %³
Purchase volume of $661.0 million
Over 415,000 new accounts served during the quarter, 3.8 million total accounts served¹
Net income attributable to common shareholders of $27.9 million, or $1.49 per diluted common share

¹⁾^{In our calculation of total accounts served, we include all accounts with account activity and accounts that have open lines of credit at the end of the referenced period}^.^{2) Managed receivables is a non-GAAP financial measure and excludes the results of our Auto Finance receivables. See}^Calculation^of^{Non-GAAP Financial Measures for important additional information}^.³⁾^{Return on average equity is calculated using Net}ⁱ^{ncome attributable to common shareholders as the numerator and the average of Total equity}^a^s^of^March³¹^,²⁰²⁵^and^{December 31,}²⁰²⁴^{as the denominato}^{r, annualized.}

Management Commentary

Jeff Howard, President and Chief Executive Officer at Atlanticus stated, “We are pleased to start the year with prudent growth and achieving our profitability targets while adding over 400,000 new customers served. This quarter’s performance continues to highlight our priorities of providing an invaluable service to the consumers we serve, unit level profitability, and finally, growth. On behalf of our bank partners, we now facilitate access to everyday needs through credit to nearly 4 million consumers. The largest purchase volumes on our general-purpose credit card solutions are for food and gas, indicative of the role the services we provide play in the daily lives of everyday Americans. We are proud to partner with these consumers on their financial journey.

“We have built a diversified, tech-enabled, credit-as-a-service platform that brings together banks, retail and health-care partners, to meet their customers where they are. This diversified platform capability provides us with significant opportunities for long-term, sustained growth as we work to offer financial solutions to the almost 100 million everyday Americans looking to build or improve their credit. Our analytics, technology, and access to ample capital allow us to offer a best-in-class solution to our partners and their customers. It is this opportunity that leads to our belief that we can deliver above market rates of growth while achieving our targeted return on capital.”

Financial Results	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in thousands, except per share data)		2025		2024	% Change
Total operating revenue and other income	$	344,873	$	290,174	18.9%
Other non-operating income		293		532	nm
Total revenue and other income		345,166		290,706	18.7%
Interest expense		(47,530)		(35,063)	35.6%
Provision for credit losses		(1,068)		(2,944)	nm
Changes in fair value of loans		(178,345)		(159,171)	12.0%
Net margin	$	118,223	$	93,528	26.4%
Total operating expenses	$	77,355	$	60,707	27.4%
Net income	$	31,122	$	25,819	20.5%
Net income attributable to controlling interests	$	31,520	$	26,170	20.4%
Preferred stock and preferred unit dividends and discount accretion	$	(3,574)	$	(6,292)	(43.2%)
Net income attributable to common shareholders	$	27,946	$	19,878	40.6%
Net income attributable to common shareholders per common share—basic	$	1.85	$	1.35	37.0%
Net income attributable to common shareholders per common share—diluted	$	1.49	$	1.09	36.7%

^{*nm = not meaningful}

Managed Receivables

Managed receivables increased 16.7% to $2.7 billion with over $388.7 million in net receivables growth from March 31, 2024 driven by growth both in the private label credit and general purpose credit card products offered by our bank partners. Total accounts served increased 8.1% to 3.8 million. The addition of large private label credit retail partners and ongoing purchases of receivables arising in accounts issued by our bank partners to customers of our existing retail partners helped grow our private label credit receivables by $345.8 million in the twelve months ended March 31, 2025. Our general purpose credit card receivables grew by $42.8 million during the twelve months ended March 31, 2025. While some of our merchant partners continue to face year-over-year growth challenges, others are benefiting from continued consumer spending and a growing economy and have expanded their relationship with us. We expect continued growth in 2025 in our managed receivables when compared to prior periods in 2024.

Total Operating Revenue and Other Income

Total operating revenue and other income consists of: 1) interest income, finance charges and late fees on consumer loans, 2) other fees on credit products including annual and merchant fees and 3) interchange and servicing income on loan portfolios and other customer related fees.

We are currently experiencing continued period-over-period growth in private label credit and general purpose credit card receivables — growth that we expect to result in net period-over-period growth in our total interest income and related fees for these operations throughout 2025. During 2024 we experienced higher growth rates for our private label credit receivables than for our general purpose credit card receivables. We expect growth in our private label credit receivables to exceed growth in our general purpose receivables through the second quarter of 2025. Future periods’ growth is dependent on the addition of new retail partners to expand the reach of private label credit operations as well as growth within existing partnerships and the level of marketing investment for the general purpose credit card operations.

During the quarter ended March 31, 2025, total operating revenue and other income increased 18.9% to $344.9 million. General purpose credit card receivables tend to have higher total yields than private label credit receivables (and corresponding higher charge off rates). As a result, in periods where we have declines in rates of growth of these general purpose credit card receivables, as was noted in 2024 (relative to growth in private label credit card receivables), we expect to have slightly lower total managed yield ratios. We currently expect increases in the rates of acquisition of our general purpose credit card receivables relative to private label credit receivables in the third and fourth quarters of 2025 and correspondingly higher period-over-period operating revenue and other income for all periods in 2025. This growth includes an expected seasonal shift in our mix of acquired private label receivables to higher FICO receivables that have lower gross yields (and correspondingly lower charge-off expectations) in the third quarter each year, which may result in marginally lower managed yield ratios when compared to the corresponding periods in 2024.

Interest Expense

Interest expense was $47.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to $35.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The higher expenses were primarily driven by the increases in outstanding debt in proportion to growth in our receivables coupled with increases in the cost of borrowing.

Outstanding notes payable, net of unamortized debt issuance costs and discounts, associated with our private label credit and general purpose credit card platform increased to $2,137.6 million as of March 31, 2025 from $1,795.4 million as of March 31, 2024. The majority of this increase in outstanding debt relates to the addition of multiple credit facilities in 2024 and 2025 coupled with the issuance of our 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029. Recent increases in the effective interest rates on debt have increased our interest expense as we have raised additional capital (or replaced existing facilities) over the last two years. We anticipate additional debt financing over the next few quarters as we continue to grow coupled with higher effective interest rates on new debt compared to rates on maturing debt. As such, we expect our quarterly interest expense for these operations to increase compared to prior periods.

Changes in Fair Value of Loans

Changes in fair value of loans increased to $178.3 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 compared to $159.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. This increase was largely driven by growth in our acquisition and relative mix of receivables, offset by improvements in the fair value assessment for receivables due to improvements in the underlying performance in the form of improved delinquencies and improved net returns.

We include asset performance degradation in our forecasts to reflect both changes in assumed asset level economics and the possibility of delinquency rates increasing in the near term (and the corresponding increase in charge-offs and decrease in payments) above the level that current trends would suggest. Based on observed asset stabilization, implementation of product, policy, and pricing changes and general improvements in U.S. economic expectations due to the improved inflation environment, some expected degradation has been removed in recent periods. Tightened underwriting standards have resulted in improved overall credit performance of our acquired receivables. When coupled with those existing assets negatively impacted by inflation gradually becoming a smaller percentage of the outstanding portfolio, we expect to see overall improvements in the measured fair value of our portfolios of acquired receivables.

Total Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses increased 27.4% in the quarter when compared to the same period in 2024, driven primarily by increases in variable servicing costs associated with growth in our receivables and costs associated with the implementation of product, policy and pricing changes. In addition, we experienced growth in both the number of employees and inflationary compensation pressure, partially offset by decreases in certain other nonrecurring accounting and legal expenditures as compared to the first quarter of 2024.

We expect some continued increase in salaries and benefits in 2025 compared to corresponding periods in 2024 as we continue to add resources across our business and as a result we expect to increase our number of employees.

We expect increased levels of expenditures associated with anticipated growth in private label credit and general purpose credit card operations. These expenses will primarily relate to the variable costs of marketing efforts and card and loan servicing expenses associated with new receivable acquisitions. Offsetting a portion of this increase are significant reductions in our servicing costs per account, resulting from the realization of greater economies of scale and increased use of automation as our receivables have grown.

In addition, as we continue to adjust our underwriting standards to reflect changes in fee and finance assumptions on new receivables, and allow for overall increases in the cost to successfully market to consumers, we expect period over period marketing costs for 2025 to increase relative to those experienced in 2024, although the frequency and timing of increased marketing efforts could vary and are dependent on macroeconomic factors such as national unemployment rates and federal funds rates.

Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders

Net income attributable to common shareholders increased 40.6% to $27.9 million, or $1.49 per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2025.

Share Repurchases

We repurchased and retired 27,252 shares of our common stock at an aggregate cost of $1.25 million, in the quarter ended March 31, 2025.

We will continue to evaluate the best use of our capital to increase shareholder value over time.

About Atlanticus Holdings Corporation

Empowering Better Financial Outcomes for Everyday Americans

Atlanticus™ technology enables bank, retail, and healthcare partners to offer more inclusive financial services to everyday Americans through the use of proprietary technology and analytics. We apply the experience gained and infrastructure built from servicing over 20 million customers and $43 billion in consumer loans over more than 25 years of operating history to support lenders that originate a range of consumer loan products. These products include retail and healthcare private label credit and general purpose credit cards marketed through our omnichannel platform, including retail point-of-sale, healthcare point-of-care, direct mail solicitation, internet-based marketing, and partnerships with third parties. Additionally, through our Auto Finance subsidiary, Atlanticus serves the individual needs of automotive dealers and automotive non-prime financial organizations with multiple financing and service programs.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company’s current views with respect to, among other things, its business, long-term growth plans and opportunities, operations, return on capital, financial performance, revenue and other income, amount and pace of growth of managed receivables, mix of receivables, underwriting approach, total interest income and related fees and charges, managed yield ratio, debt financing, liquidity, interest rates, interest expense, operating expense, marketing efforts and fair value of receivables. You generally can identify these statements by the use of words such as outlook, potential, continue, may, seek, approximately, predict, believe, expect, plan, intend, estimate or anticipate and similar expressions or the negative versions of these words or comparable words, as well as future or conditional verbs such as will, should, would, likely and could. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those risks described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and include, but are not limited to, bank partners, merchant partners, consumers, loan demand, the capital markets, labor availability, supply chains and the economy in general; the Company’s ability to retain existing, and attract new, merchant partners and funding sources; changes in market interest rates; increases in loan delinquencies; its ability to operate successfully in a highly regulated industry; the outcome of litigation and regulatory matters; the effect of management changes; cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities in its products and services; and the Company’s ability to compete successfully in highly competitive markets. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and, except to the extent required by federal securities laws, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there is no assurance that the events or results suggested by the forward-looking statements will in fact occur, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Contact:
Investor Relations
(770) 828-2000
investors@atlanticus.com

Atlanticus Holdings Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
*(Dollars in thousands)*

	March 31,		December 31,
		2025		2024
Assets
Unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (including $164.3 million and $140.2 million associated with variable interest entities at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively)	$350,390		$375,416
Restricted cash and cash equivalents (including $86.9 million and $98.8 million associated with variable interest entities at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively)		111,059		124,220
Loans at fair value (including $2,622.4 million and $2,542.9 million associated with variable interest entities at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively)		2,668,503		2,630,274
Loans at amortized cost, net (including $4.8 million and $4.9 million of allowance for credit losses at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively; and $20.1 million and $19.8 million of deferred revenue at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively)		81,238		84,332
Property at cost, net of depreciation		12,401		10,519
Operating lease right-of-use assets		13,844		13,878
Prepaid expenses and other assets		34,730		32,068
Total assets	$3,272,165		$3,270,707

Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	$81,108		$72,088
Operating lease liabilities		24,145		24,188
Notes payable, net (including $2,137.6 million and $2,128.0 million associated with variable interest entities at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively)		2,174,632		2,199,448
Senior notes, net		299,656		281,552
Income tax liability		123,775		114,068
Total liabilities		2,703,316		2,691,344

Commitments and contingencies
Preferred stock, no par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized:
Series A preferred stock, 400,000 shares issued and outstanding (liquidation preference – $40.0 million) at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024(1)		40,000		40,000
Class B preferred units issued to noncontrolling interests		–		50,000

Shareholders’ Equity
Series B preferred stock, no par value, 3,314,840 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2025 (liquidation preference – $82.9 million); 3,301,179 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 (liquidation preference – $82.5 million) (1)		–		–
Common stock, no par value, 150,000,000 shares authorized: 15,097,243 and 14,904,192 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively		–		–
Paid-in capital		110,138		98,278
Retained earnings		422,574		394,628
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to Atlanticus Holdings Corporation		532,712		492,906
Noncontrolling interests		(3,863)		(3,543)
Total equity		528,849		489,363
Total liabilities, shareholders’ equity and temporary equity	$3,272,165		$3,270,707

(1) Both the Series A preferred stock and the Series B preferred stock have no par value and are part of the same aggregate 10,000,000 shares authorized.

Atlanticus Holdings Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
		2025		2024
Revenue and other income:
Consumer loans, including past due fees	$247,655		$230,374
Fees and related income on earning assets		78,341		47,905
Other revenue		18,877		11,895
Total operating revenue and other income		344,873		290,174
Other non-operating income		293		532
Total revenue and other income		345,166		290,706

Interest expense		(47,530)		(35,063)
Provision for credit losses		(1,068)		(2,944)
Changes in fair value of loans		(178,345)		(159,171)
Net margin		118,223		93,528

Operating expenses:
Salaries and benefits		(15,503)		(13,312)
Card and loan servicing		(32,152)		(26,822)
Marketing and solicitation		(20,334)		(10,428)
Depreciation		(797)		(654)
Other		(8,569)		(9,491)
Total operating expenses		(77,355)		(60,707)
Income before income taxes		40,868		32,821
Income tax expense		(9,746)		(7,002)
Net income		31,122		25,819
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		398		351
Net income attributable to controlling interests		31,520		26,170
Preferred stock and preferred unit dividends and discount accretion		(3,574)		(6,292)
Net income attributable to common shareholders	$27,946		$19,878

Net income attributable to common shareholders per common share—basic	$1.85		$1.35
Net income attributable to common shareholders per common share—diluted	$1.49		$1.09

Additional Information

Additional trends and data with respect to our private label credit and general purpose credit card receivables can be found in our latest Form 10-Q filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Calculation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release presents information about managed receivables, which is a non-GAAP financial measure provided as a supplement to the results provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). In addition to financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP, we present managed receivables, total managed yield, combined principal net charge-offs, and fair value to total managed receivables ratio, all of which are non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures aid in the evaluation of the performance of our credit portfolios, including our risk management, servicing and collection activities and our valuation of purchased receivables. The credit performance of our managed receivables provides information concerning the quality of loan originations and the related credit risks inherent with the portfolios. Management relies heavily upon financial data and results prepared on the managed basis in order to manage our business, make planning decisions, evaluate our performance and allocate resources.

These non-GAAP financial measures are presented for supplemental informational purposes only. These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures may differ from the non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures or the calculation of the non-GAAP financial measures are provided below for each of the fiscal periods indicated.

These non-GAAP financial measures include only the performance of those receivables underlying consolidated subsidiaries (for receivables carried at amortized cost basis and fair value) and exclude the performance of receivables held by our former equity method investee. As the receivables underlying our former equity method investee reflect a small and diminishing portion of our overall receivables base, we do not believe their inclusion or exclusion in the overall results is material. Additionally, we calculate average managed receivables based on the quarter-end balances.

The comparison of non-GAAP managed receivables to our GAAP financial statements requires an understanding that managed receivables reflect the face value of loans, interest and fees receivable without any consideration for potential loan losses or other adjustments to reflect fair value.

A reconciliation of Loans at fair value to Total managed receivables is as follows:

	At or for the Three Months Ended
		2025		2024								2023
(in Millions)	Mar. 31		Dec. 31		Sep. 30		Jun. 30		Mar. 31		Dec. 31		Sep. 30		Jun. 30

Loans at fair value	$2,668.5		$2,630.3		$2,511.6		$2,277.4		$2,150.6		$2,173.8		$2,050.0		$1,916.1
Fair value mark against receivable (1)		37.8		94.5		142.5		137.7		167.5		237.5		265.2		257.9
Total managed receivables (2)	$2,706.3		$2,724.8		$2,654.1		$2,415.1		$2,318.1		$2,411.3		$2,315.2		$2,174.0

Fair value to Total managed receivables ratio (3)		98.6%		96.5%		94.6%		94.3%		92.8%		90.2%		88.5%		88.1%

(1) The Fair value mark against receivables reflects the difference between the face value of a receivable and the net present value of the expected cash flows associated with that receivable.

(2) Total managed receivables are equal to the aggregate unpaid gross balance of loans carried at fair value.

(3) The Fair value to Total managed receivables ratio is calculated using Loans at fair value as the numerator, and Total managed receivables as the denominator.

A reconciliation of our operating revenues, net of finance and fee charge-offs, to comparable amounts used in our calculation of Total managed yield is as follows:

	At or for the Three Months Ended
			2025		2024								2023
(in Millions)		Mar. 31		Dec. 31		Sep. 30		Jun. 30		Mar. 31		Dec. 31		Sep. 30		Jun. 30
Consumer loans, including past due fees		$238.5		$242.1		$245.3		$232.1		$220.0		$214.6		$214.6		$210.3
Fees and related income on earning assets			78.3		83.8		78.5		59.5		47.9		71.7		59.8		62.9
Other revenue			18.7		17.5		16.8		13.6		11.7		12.0		10.2		7.6
Total operating revenue and other income – CaaS Segment			335.5		343.4		340.6		305.2		279.6		298.3		284.6		280.8
Adjustments due to acceleration of merchant fee discount amortization under fair value accounting			0.1		0.7		(15.1)		(12.6)		4.0		6.5		(6.8)		(10.6)
Adjustments due to acceleration of annual fees recognition under fair value accounting			(4.2)		(10.5)		(8.0)		1.1		10.1		(12.6)		(3.1)		(9.8)
Removal of finance charge-offs			(70.0)		(64.9)		(60.6)		(62.9)		(63.7)		(59.5)		(47.1)		(54.2)
Total managed yield		$261.4		$268.7		$256.9		$230.8		$230.0		$232.7		$227.6		$206.2

The calculation of Combined principal net charge-offs is as follows:

	At or for the Three Months Ended
		2025		2024								2023
(in Millions)	Mar. 31		Dec. 31		Sep. 30		Jun. 30		Mar. 31		Dec. 31		Sep. 30		Jun. 30
Charge-offs on loans at fair value	$233.5		$213.1		$201.5		$217.0		$231.7		$215.2		$173.5		$180.0
Finance charge-offs (1)		(70.0)		(64.9)		(60.6)		(62.9)		(63.7)		(59.5)		(47.1)		(54.2)
Combined principal net charge-offs	$163.5		$148.2		$140.9		$154.1		$168.0		$155.7		$126.4		$125.8

(1) Finance charge-offs are included as a component of our Changes in fair value of loans in the condensed consolidated statements of income.

The MIL Network –

May 9, 2025

MIL-OSI: Pieridae Announces Voting Results From Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders and Approval of Name Change to Cavvy Energy Ltd.

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR
DISSEMINATION IN UNITED STATES

CALGARY, Alberta, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pieridae Energy Limited (“Pieridae” or the “Company”) (TSX: PEA) today announced the voting results from its Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) held on May 8, 2025. Each of the matters voted upon at the Meeting is described below and additional information on such matters is set out in the 2025 Notice of Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders and Management Information Circular dated March 27, 2025 (the “Circular”), a copy of which is available on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. All resolutions brought forward at the Meeting were approved by shareholders, including to change the Company’s name to Cavvy Energy Ltd.

The Company expects to effect the name change on May 9, 2025 and to begin trading its common shares under the stock symbol “CVVY” on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) within three business days of the completion of the name change, subject to receipt of final regulatory approvals. The Company also intends to launch its new website at www.cavvyenergy.com following completion of the name change.

At the Meeting, shareholders also approved the continuance of the Company out of the federal jurisdiction of Canada under the Canada Business Corporations Act (the “CBCA”) and into the provincial jurisdiction of Alberta under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) (the “ABCA”). The Company expects to effect the continuance immediately following the name change on May 9, 2025.

Charles Boulanger, Gail Harding, and Richard Couillard did not seek re-election to the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) at the Meeting. The Board and management team would like to thank them for their valued contributions and guidance to the Company over the years and wish them well in their future endeavours. The Board and management team would also like to welcome the Company’s two new directors, Michael Backus and Harvey Doerr, to the Board.

The Company had 290,483,281 common shares outstanding and eligible to vote at the Meeting, of which 205,689,497 (70.81%) were voted.

VOTING RESULTS

1. Number of Directors: By ordinary resolution, the number of directors of the Company to be elected at the Meeting was fixed at seven. The results of the vote were as follows:

Votes For		Votes Against
Number	Percent	Number	Percent
202,833,661	98.612%	2,855,836	1.388%

2. Election of Directors: Each of the following seven nominees were elected as a director of the Company to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Company, or until their successors are elected or appointed. The results of the vote were as follows:

Nominee	Votes For		Votes Against
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Michael Backus	188,069,901	92.418%	15,429,072	7.582%
Harvey Doerr	200,365,870	98.460%	3,133,103	1.540%
Doug Dreisinger	180,729,122	88.811%	22,769,851	11.189%
Andrew Judson	187,854,912	92.312%	15,644,061	7.688%
Patricia McLeod	188,384,113	92.573%	15,114,860	7.427%
Darcy Reding	200,753,750	98.651%	2,745,223	1.349%
Kiren Singh	168,669,540	82.885%	34,829,433	17.115%

A biography of each director is available in the Circular.

3. Appointment of Auditor: By ordinary resolution, Ernst & Young LLP was appointed as the auditor of the Company to hold office until close of the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Company. The results of the vote were as follows:

Votes For		Votes Withheld
Number	Percent	Number	Percent
205,559,438	99.938%	127,891	0.062%

4. Executive Compensation: By non-binding ordinary resolution, the advisory vote on executive compensation, also known as “say on pay”, as described in the Circular, was approved. The results of the vote were as follows:

Votes For		Votes Against
Number	Percent	Number	Percent
177,804,106	87.373%	25,694,867	12.627%

5. Ratification of Options: By ordinary resolution, the ratification and approval of all stock options granted after May 27, 2024 and approval of all unallocated options under the stock option plan, as described Circular, was approved. The results of the vote were as follows:

Votes For		Votes Against
Number	Percent	Number	Percent
165,379,341	81.268%	38,119,632	18.732%

6. Name Change: By special resolution, the amendment to the Company’s articles to change its name to “Cavvy Energy Ltd.” was approved. The results of the vote were as follows:

Votes For		Votes Against
Number	Percent	Number	Percent
192,942,421	93.803%	12,747,076	6.197%

7. Continuance: By special resolution, the continuance of the Company out of the federal jurisdiction of Canada under the CBCA and into the provincial jurisdiction of Alberta under the ABCA, as described in the Circular, was approved. The results of the vote were as follows:

Votes For		Votes Against
Number	Percent	Number	Percent
183,699,320	90.270%	19,799,653	9.730%

ABOUT PIERIDAE

Pieridae is a Canadian energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The Company is a significant upstream producer and midstream custom processor of natural gas, NGLs, condensate, and sulphur from western Canada. Pieridae’s vision is to provide responsible, affordable natural gas and derived products to meet society’s energy security needs.

For further information, visit www.pieridaeenergy.com or please contact:

Darcy Reding, President & Chief Executive Officer	Adam Gray, Chief Financial Officer
Telephone: (403) 261-5900	Telephone: (403) 261-5900

Investor Relations
investors@pieridaeenergy.com

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain of the statements contained herein may constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively “forward-looking statements”), including, without limitation: the Company’s intention to change its name from “Pieridae Energy Limited” to “Cavvy Energy Ltd.”, including the anticipated timing thereof; the Company’s intention to begin trading its common shares under the stock symbol “CVVY” on the TSX and the anticipated timing thereof; the receipt of the required regulatory approval in respect of the name change and the new stock symbol; [the Company’s intention to continue under the ABCA;] and the Company’s strategy and vision. Words such as “will”, “intend”, “expect”, “vision”, “strategy” and similar expressions may be used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such forward-looking statements, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although Pieridae believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because Pieridae can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. A number of risk factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. For more information about the assumptions and risks associated with the forward-looking statements contained herein, see “Forward Looking Information” and “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024 and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information” in the Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2024, each of which can be accessed through the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Although the forward-looking statements contained herein are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, management cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Pieridae assumes no obligation to update or review them to reflect new events or circumstances except as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The MIL Network –

May 9, 2025

MIL-OSI: Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2025 Results and 17% Increase in Quarterly Cash Dividend

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

OAK RIDGE, N.C., May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. (“Oak Ridge”; or the “Company”) (OTCPink: BKOR), the parent company of Bank of Oak Ridge (the “Bank”), announced unaudited financial results for the first three months of 2025 and an increase of $0.02, or 17%, in its quarterly cash dividend to $0.14 per common share.

First Quarter 2025 Highlights

Earnings per share were $0.57, up from $0.56 in the fourth quarter of 2024 and $0.50 in the first quarter of 2024.
Return on equity of 10.04%, compared to 9.63% for the prior quarter and 9.31% for the first quarter of 2024.
Net Income was $1.6 million, up from $1.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2024.
Tangible book value per common share of $23.50 as of period end, compared to $23.02 at the end of the prior quarter, and $21.80 at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
Dividends declared per common share of $0.14, up 17% from $0.12 for the prior quarter and the first quarter of 2024.
Net interest margin was 3.97%, increasing from 3.92% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and from 3.79% in the first quarter of 2024, representing a sequential increase of 5 basis points and a year-over-year increase of 18 basis points.
Efficiency ratio of 66.8%, compared to 64.6% for the prior quarter and 68.3% for the first quarter of 2024.
Loans receivable of $528.5 million at quarter end, up 11.7% (annualized) from $514.3 million as of the prior quarter end, up 10.7% from $477.4 million at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
Nonperforming assets to total assets of 0.67% at quarter end, compared to 0.44% as of the prior quarter end and 0.07% at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
Nonperforming assets were $4.6 million at quarter end, compared to $3.5 million as of the prior quarter-end and $461,000 as of the prior year quarter end. $4.0 million of the $4.1 million increase in nonperforming assets from the prior year quarter-end to the current quarter end is due to the guaranteed and nonguaranteed balances of eight Small Business Administration (“SBA”) 7(a) loans that moved to nonaccrual status during the third and fourth quarters of 2024, and the first quarter of 2025. The balances as of March 31, 2025, of SBA nonperforming loans guaranteed and unguaranteed by the SBA were $3.1 million and $858,000, respectively.
Securities available-for-sale and held-to maturity of $98.9 million at quarter end, representing an annualized decrease of 21.1% from $104.4 million at the prior quarter end, and a decrease of 8.3% from $107.8 million at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
Total deposits of $542.5 million at quarter end, representing annualized growth of 8.6% from $531.3 million at the prior quarter end, and an increase of 9.2% from $496.9 million at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
Total short and long-term borrowings, junior subordinated notes, and subordinated debentures of $59.7 million at quarter end, representing an annualized increase of 10.5% from $58.2 million at the prior quarter end, and a decrease of 7.0% from $64.2 million at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
Total stockholders’ equity of $64.3 million at quarter end, up 8.6% (annualized) from $63.0 million as of the prior quarter end, up 8.0% from $59.6 million at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
On March 31, 2025, the Bank’s Community Bank Leverage Ratio (CBLR) was 11.1%, up slightly from 11.0% on December 31, 2024. A bank or savings institution electing to use the CBLR will generally be considered well-capitalized and to have met the risk-based and leverage capital requirements of the capital regulations if it has a leverage ratio greater than 9.0%.

We are pleased to report a strong start to 2025, marked by solid financial performance and a significant 17% increase in our quarterly cash dividend to $0.14 per share. Our first quarter earnings demonstrated positive momentum, showing improvement both sequentially from the fourth quarter of 2024 and year-over-year. We continued to experience healthy loan growth, achieving a double-digit annualized rate, supported by a robust deposit base and strategic use of borrowings. While we noted a manageable increase in nonperforming assets predominantly related to specific SBA loans, our overall asset quality remains sound, and our net interest margin strengthened during the quarter. Our capital and liquidity positions remain robust, providing a strong foundation for continued growth and the ability to deliver enhanced value to our shareholders. At Oak Ridge, our commitment to building strong client relationships through tailored financial solutions remains paramount, and we appreciate the dedication of our team in consistently serving our customers and managing the Bank effectively.

The $0.02, or 17% increase in the Company’s quarterly cash dividend to $0.14 per share of common stock will be paid on June 9, 2025, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 23, 2025. “We are proud of our record of regularly increasing our quarterly cash dividend to our stockholders,” said Mr. Wayne. “Paying stockholders a portion of our earnings reflects our continuing commitment to enhance stockholder value.”

For the three months ending March 31, 2025 and 2024, net interest income was $6.3 million and $5.6 million, respectively. For the three months ending March 31, 2025, the net interest margin increased 18 basis points to 3.97%, compared to 3.79% for the three months ending March 31, 2024.

For the three months ending March 31, 2025, the Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $304,000, compared to a provision for credit losses of $264,000 in the same period in 2024. The allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans was 1.05% and 1.03% on March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. As highlighted earlier, nonperforming assets increased during the quarter and represented 0.67% of total assets on March 31, 2025, compared to 0.07% on March 31, 2024. The recorded balances of nonperforming loans were $4.6 million on March 31, 2025, compared to $461,000 on March 31, 2024. The $4.1 million increase in nonperforming loans from March 31, 2024 to March 31, 2025, was primarily attributable to eight SBA 7(a) loans totaling $4.0 million moving to nonaccrual status during the third and fourth quarters of 2024, and the first quarter of 2025, of which $3.1 million is guaranteed by the SBA. The SBA loans are also secured by real estate and personal guarantees.

Noninterest income experienced a decrease from $918,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024, to $784,000 for the comparable period in 2025. This net decrease of $134,000 was driven by offsetting trends within its components. A significant increase was observed in service charges on deposit accounts, which rose from $628,000 in the first quarter of 2024 to $836,000 in the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to the implementation of a new deposit account fee in 2024. Conversely, income from Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) investments decreased. The Company recorded $209,000 in income from these investments during the three months ended March 31, 2024, but recognized no comparable income in the same period of 2025 due to no income distributions received.

Noninterest expense increased from $4.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, to $4.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, representing a net increase of $400,000. Several categories contributed significantly to this rise. Salaries increased by $188,000 to $2.4 million in the first quarter of 2025, up from $2.2 million in the first quarter of 2024, primarily due to higher salaries and incentive payments. Employee benefits also saw an increase of $100,000, rising to $370,000 in the first quarter of 2025 from $270,000 in the corresponding 2024 period, mainly due to increased expenses related to the Bank’s employee stock ownership plan and overall employee benefits. Occupancy expenses rose by $47,000 to $321,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $274,000 in 2024, largely due to higher property maintenance costs. Partially offsetting these increases was a decrease in equipment expense of $80,000, falling to $134,000 in the first quarter of 2025 from $214,000 in the same period of 2024, primarily due to lower equipment depreciation expense. Data and items processing expense also increased by $108,000 to $602,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2025, up from $494,000 in 2024, mainly due to higher software licensing fees paid to the Bank’s core processing vendor.

About Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc., and Bank of Oak Ridge
At Bank of Oak Ridge, we pride ourselves on knowing your name when you walk through our door. Whether in-person or through our digital offerings, managing your financial well-being is easy, safe, and convenient. We are the longest-running employee-owned community bank in the Triad and have served community members, local businesses, and non-profit organizations since 2000. Learn more about what makes Bank of Oak Ridge the Triad’s community bank by visiting one of our convenient locations in Greensboro, High Point, Summerfield, and Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. (OTC Pink: BKOR) is the holding company for Bank of Oak Ridge. Bank of Oak Ridge is a member of the FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.

Awards & Recognitions | Best Bank in the Triad | Triad’s Top Workplace Finalist | 2016 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Business Ethics | Triad’s Healthiest Employer Winner

Let’s Talk | 336.644.9944 | www.BankofOakRidge.com | Extended Interactive Teller Machine Hours at all Triad Locations

Forward-looking Information This earnings release contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Company. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of the Company and on the information available to management at the time that these disclosures were prepared. These statements can be identified by the use of the words “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate” and “believe,” variations of these words and other similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, (1) competition in the Company’s markets, (2) changes in the interest rate environment, (3) general national, regional or local economic conditions may be less favorable than expected, resulting in, among other things, a deterioration in credit quality and the possible impairment of collectability of loans, (4) legislative or regulatory changes, including changes in accounting standards, (5) significant changes in the federal and state legal and regulatory environment and tax laws, and (6) the impact of changes in monetary and fiscal policies, laws, rules and regulations. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.


OAK RIDGE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Dollars in thousands, except share data)

	March 31,			December 31,			March 31,
		2025			2024			2024
ASSETS	(unaudited)			(audited)			(unaudited)
Cash and due from banks	$	10,641		$	8,075		$	6,688
Interest-bearing deposits with banks		14,614			13,102			16,862
Total cash and cash equivalents		25,255			21,177			23,550
Securities available-for-sale		80,291			85,714			89,132
Securities held-to-maturity, net of allowance for credit losses		18,653			18,662			18,690
Restricted stock, at cost		3,616			3,439			2,692
Loans receivable		528,521			514,292			477,448
Allowance for credit losses		(5,558	)		(5,388	)		(4,941	)
Net loans receivable		522,963			508,904			472,507
Property and equipment, net		8,740			8,664			8,596
Accrued interest receivable		3,478			3,135			2,841
Bank owned life insurance		6,290			6,268			6,200
Right-of-use assets – operating leases		2,165			2,166			2,393
Other assets		5,218			5,553			5,010
Total assets	$	676,669		$	663,682		$	631,611
LIABILITIES
Noninterest-bearing deposits	$	124,274		$	119,851		$	99,666
Interest-bearing deposits		418,245			411,464			397,220
Total deposits		542,519			531,315			496,886
Short-term borrowings		41,500			18,000			34,000
Long-term borrowings		–			22,000			12,000
Junior subordinated notes – trust preferred securities		8,248			8,248			8,248
Subordinated debentures, net of discount		9,993			9,983			9,953
Lease liabilities – operating leases		2,165			2,166			2,393
Accrued interest payable		956			709			1,729
Other liabilities		6,970			6,546			6,848
Total liabilities		612,351			600,692			572,057
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Common stock		26,881			26,733			26,854
Retained earnings		38,562			37,771			34,458
Net unrealized loss on debt securities, net of tax		(1,118	)		(1,771	)		(1,942	)
Net unrealized loss on hedging derivative instruments, net of tax		(7	)		257			184
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss		(1,125	)		(1,514	)		(1,758	)
Total stockholders’ equity		64,318			62,990			59,554
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	676,669		$	663,682		$	631,611
Common shares outstanding		2,747,920			2,736,770			2,761,870
Common shares authorized		50,000,000			50,000,000			50,000,000


OAK RIDGE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Dollars in thousands, except share data)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,			December 31,			March 31,
		2025			2024			2024
Interest and dividend income:
Loans and fees on loans	$	8,276		$	8,212		$	7,230
Interest on deposits in banks		166			217			151
Restricted stock dividends		49			64			45
Interest on investment securities		1,282			1,279			1,445
Total interest and dividend income		9,773			9,772			8,871
Interest expense
Deposits		2,714			2,700			2,351
Short-term and long-term debt		767			786			899
Total interest expense		3,481			3,486			3,250
Net interest income		6,292			6,286			5,621
Provision for credit losses		304			514			264
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		5,988			5,772			5,357
Noninterest income:
Service charges on deposit accounts		227			234			172
Gain (loss) on sale of securities		–			19			–
Insurance commissions		150			125			135
Gain on sale of Small Business Administration loans		–			–			–
Debit and credit card interchange income		272			285			288
Income from Small Business Investment Company		–			–			78
Income earned on bank owned life insurance		22			23			22
Other Service Charges and Fees		88			98			98
Total noninterest income		759			784			793
Noninterest expenses:
Salaries		2,354			2,198			2,166
Employee Benefits		335			370			312
Occupancy		300			321			296
Equipment		164			134			163
Data and Item Processing		615			602			520
Professional & Advertising		219			298			314
Stationary and Supplies		31			21			32
Telecommunications		80			65			80
FDIC Assessment		120			118			114
Other expense		491			441			383
Total noninterest expenses		4,709			4,568			4,380
Income before income taxes		2,038			1,988			1,770
Income tax expense		469			461			403
Net income and income available to common shareholders	$	1,569		$	1,527		$	1,367
Basic income per common share	$	0.57		$	0.56		$	0.50
Diluted income per common share	$	0.57		$	0.56		$	0.50
Basic weighted average shares outstanding		2,761,870			2,744,609			2,743,611
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding		2,761,870			2,744,609			2,743,611

OAK RIDGE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
Selected Financial Data

	As Of Or For The Three Months Ended,
	March 31,			December 31,			September 30,			June 30,			March 31,
		2025			2024			2024			2024			2024
Return on average common stockholders’ equity¹		10.04	%		9.63	%		9.56	%		8.57	%		9.31	%
Tangible book value per share	$	23.41		$	23.02		$	22.78		$	21.95		$	21.56
Return on average assets¹		0.95	%		0.91	%		0.91	%		0.80	%		0.88	%
Net interest margin¹		3.97	%		3.92	%		3.81	%		3.81	%		3.79	%
Efficiency ratio		66.8	%		64.6	%		67.9	%		70.0	%		68.3	%
Nonperforming assets to total assets		0.67	%		0.53	%		0.45	%		0.08	%		0.06	%
Allowance for credit losses to total loans		1.05	%		1.05	%		1.06	%		1.06	%		1.03	%
¹Annualized

Contact: Skylar Mearing, Marketing Director
Phone: 336.662.4840

The MIL Network –

May 9, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Capito Discusses Clarksburg FBI Center, Drug Cartels with FBI Director

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
[embedded content]
Click here or the image above to watch Senator Capito’s questions.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, questioned Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel during a hearing to consider the president’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request, as well as the many priorities of the bureau.
HIGHLIGHTS:
ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION SYSTEM (CJIS) FACILITY IN CLARKSBURG
SENATOR CAPITO: “I know on April 17th, you traveled to West Virginia to visit the CJIS facility…for those of you are unaware, this is where all the background checks, but also the fingerprints for purchase of firearms. And the numbers are quite staggering when you see how many applications are processed every month. I think it’s amazing the work that they do out there. The employees out there really appreciated your visit. You’ve already mentioned that maybe some of the diffusing of some of the D.C. FBI would be going to hopefully into the Clarksburg facility. What was your impression when you were there, or did they have the resources to do everything they need to do? There’s a DOD facility right next door where they share information. What was your general impression, and how can we get the resources there that they might need through this budget?”
DIRECTOR PATEL: “My general impression aligns with yours. I was wildly impressed with the work that’s done out there. It’s the unsexy work that the FBI does on a daily basis, whether it’s gun background checks, national criminal information background checks. State and local law enforcement relies on us, and every time they have a traffic stop, they’re calling and adjudicate the individual they’re confronting or when they’re going to get a search warrant. We have about 1,000 acres out there, it’s a beautiful property. It is available for expansion. We are almost maxed out when it comes to how many people we can currently put there. We are putting some more folks there throughout this reorientation program. But you can never have enough computer data being ingested. And what I’m working on specifically to improve CJIS, which will improve the work that happens in every single state, is the reporting in data cycle from state and local authorities, because without that, CJIS doesn’t work. It only works as well as with our state and local law enforcement. So, I’m working on that to move to some of those folks and make sure they are reporting in but we would love to continue to expand the footprint there.”
SENATOR CAPITO: “Well, anything we can do there, I think the work they do is phenomenal.”
ON COMBATTING DRUG CARTELS
SENATOR CAPITO: “I would encourage you to do everything – and you are – to prevent the drug smuggling and working against the transnational criminal organizations.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: National Nurses Week

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
Q: What is National Nurses Week?
A: Efforts to honor and celebrate nurses in the United States first got underway during the Eisenhower administration. In 1974, President Nixon issued a proclamation to honor the expanding role nurses were taking on in the health care system, such as nurse practitioners and those specializing in pediatric, cardiac, oncology and geriatric care. In 1982, President Reagan signed a proclamation to mark “National Recognition Day for Nurses” that observed the indispensable role nurses have in patient care, from intensive care in trauma and burn units to community health and home care, nursing homes and schools. Since then, grassroots-led efforts expanded the observance to National Nurses Week that continues today during the week of Florence Nightingale’s birthday, who is celebrated as the founder of modern nursing. Since 1991, I’ve supported an annual joint resolution of Congress to reflect on the important contributions nurses make in our society. With an estimated 4.7 million registered nurses in the United States, nurses are on the front lines treating sick and injured patients, including during natural disasters and public health emergencies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses put their own lives on the line to care for the sickest among us. The nursing profession continues to meet the moment in scientific inquiry, medical research and team-based delivery of care. With limited faculty and spots available for prospective nursing students across the country, I support efforts to strengthen workforce development and academic training programs. I value the feedback I get from Iowans to solve problems and improve the delivery of health care in communities across our state. I’m pleased the University of Northern Iowa last year launched a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that will help address the nursing shortage across the state, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Q: How do Iowa nursing professionals inform your work at the policymaking table?
A: As former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I led efforts to ensure fairness for Medicare reimbursements that directly impact providers delivering essential health care in communities across our state. For example, requiring Medicare to directly reimburse nurse practitioners and other specialists is an important tool in rural areas to expand access to health care services. More recently, I’m pushing to improve advanced practice nurses and clinical nurse reimbursement for nurse practitioners in their diagnosis and treatment for diabetic patients. I’m also spearheading bipartisan efforts to provide rural hospitals with financial stability. My Rural Hospital Support Act would help prevent rural hospital closures by extending and modernizing critical Medicare programs for rural hospitals. Specifically, my bill would permanently extend the Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) and the Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) programs. For many hospitals located in rural areas, costs often outpace their revenue. If hospitals can’t pay their bills and are forced to close their doors, nurses are out of work and patients would have to travel further for life-saving care. I’ve also led efforts to improve maternal and infant health across our state. At a roundtable discussion in Bettendorf in 2022, I heard first-hand accounts from health care professionals about the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. Home visits from a nurse and other health care professionals provide important support and resources to improve health outcomes for at-risk pregnant moms and families with children from birth to kindergarten. My advocacy for this home visiting program reflects my longstanding support for health care professionals in our communities who provide evidence-based services to improve childhood development, reduce post-partum depression and help families thrive.
During National Nurses Week, I applaud the labor of love and patient-centered care that legions of nursing professionals provide around-the-clock, year-round to loved ones of all ages and all walks of life. Nurses are ranked among the most honest and ethical professions in society. I thank nurses for their tireless commitment to their vocation and encourage Iowans to celebrate those in your lives who have answered the call to this noble profession.
National Nurses Week is May 6-12, 2025.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Smith, Schneider, Stevens Introduce Bill To Address Teaching Shortages In High-Need Schools

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
May 08, 2025
The Retaining Educators Takes Added Investment Now (RETAIN) Act would create a fully refundable tax credit for educators
WASHINGTON – During Teacher Appreciation Week, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), along with U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), today introduced bicameral legislation, the RETAIN Act, that would address the severe nationwide shortage of early childhood and K-12 teachers that disproportionately impacts students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and students from rural communities. Exacerbated by low pay, school leadership instability, and poor teaching conditions, schools in low-income communities struggle to retain experienced, qualified education professionals. On average, teachers are paid 23.5 percent less than other college graduates working in nonteaching fields, and teachers in low-income schools are paid less than teachers in more affluent schools.
The RETAIN Act creates a fully refundable tax credit for teachers, paraprofessionals, school-based mental health providers, and school leaders in Title I schools, as well as for educators, program providers, and program directors in early childhood education programs funded by Head Start, Early Head Start, and Child Care and Development Block Grants. The tax credit increases at key points in a teacher’s career to incentivize retention.
“Each day, teachers are shaping the minds of the next generation, but they are not paid enough for the valuable work they’re doing. Hoping to make ends meet for their families, high-quality and experienced teachers are incentivized to move to more affluent, higher paying districts. The impact on Black and Brown students and low-income and rural communities is particularly drastic, with many students in the greatest need having the least resources available to them,” Durbin said. “This Teacher Appreciation Week, I’m introducing the RETAIN Act to help address teaching disparities by incentivizing teachers and other educational professionals to make careers in areas with the most need.”
“Schools across the nation are facing teacher shortages that need to be met with decisive action. We must invest in those who teach our kids and attract the talent that will provide high quality education for future generations. I’m proud to join Sen. Durbin and Rep. Stevens in uplifting educators, enriching classrooms, and fostering a thriving school system that empowers teachers and students alike,” said Schneider.
“Every student should have access to a quality K-12 public education and part of that is paying teachers more,” said Smith. “Teachers rise to the challenge, working hard to meet the academic and emotional needs of their students, but they remain largely underpaid. This contributes to teacher shortages, which disproportionately affect students from low-income backgrounds. That is just wrong. The RETAIN Act will help raise teacher pay, help schools overcome these shortages and ultimately help ensure students get the best education possible.”
“Across my home state of Michigan, we have felt the devastating effects of teacher shortages,” said Stevens. “Low-income schools in particular struggle to retain and recruit the teaching talent that their students so desperately need. I am proud to be a part of this bicameral effort to support and retain teachers and other professional in our Title I schools.”
Educators increasingly are unwilling to teach in difficult working conditions at current compensation levels. Across the nation, the average teacher salary in 2023-2024 was $72,030—though this average masks variation in pay across regions and the income level of the school district. In 2023-2024, the average salary for a first-year teacher was $46,526, and in 2024, early childhood educators made $37,120—barely above the federal poverty line for a family of four. While federal data shows inflation-adjusted teacher pay has been stagnant since 1990, the inflation-adjusted cost of college has nearly doubled, leaving teachers with large amounts of student loan debt and low pay.
To receive modest increases, teachers must obtain expensive graduate degrees—adding student loan debt that dwarfs the accompanying pay raise. Further, schools consistently struggle to attract and retain effective teachers who reflect the diversity of students, particularly with respect to teachers of color.
A one-pager on the bill is available here.
The RETAIN Act has earned the endorsement of Advance CTE; Association for Career and Technical Education; All4Ed; American Federation of Teachers; American Association of School Personnel Administrators; American School Counselor Association; Association of Educational Service Agencies; Council of Administrators of Special Education; Council of the Great City Schools; Deans for Impact; Education Leaders of Color; Educators for Excellence; First Five Years Fund; Illinois Associate for the Education of Young Children; Illinois Education Association; Illinois Federation of Teachers; Illinois Head Start; Illinois Principals Association; Learning Forward; National Association of Elementary School Principals; National Association of School Psychologists; National Council for Languages and International Studies; Joint National Committee for Languages; National Education Association; National Parent Teacher Association; Save the Children; AASA, The School Superintendents Association; Teach For America; and Teach Plus.
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MIL OSI USA News –

May 9, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: NEW SCHUMER ANALYSIS: TRUMP’S BUDGET PROPOSAL IS ALL-OUT ASSAULT ON FEDERAL PROGRAMS UPSTATE NY RELIES ON MOST, RAISING COSTS FOR SENIORS, FAMILIES, & SMALL BUSINESSES AND SLASHING CRITICAL INVESTMENT…

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

Trump Just Released His “Skinny Budget” Blueprint Of Next Year’s Spending – And It Completely Zeroes Out And Slashes Many Of The Programs Most Important To Communities From Albany, To Buffalo, To Watertown, To Westchester

Schumer Data Shows Upstate NY Families Would Lose BILLIONS – Ripping Away Support For Seniors & Families To Heat Their Homes In The Winter, Community Grants Our Cities Rely On For Economic Development, Decimating Support To Reduce Housing Costs, Ending Funding To Fight Opioid Crisis, Slashing Funding For Removing Lead Pipes, Cutting Support For Rural Air Service, & More

Schumer: Trump’s Budget Is All-Out Assault On Upstate NY Families, Seniors & Communities

After President Trump released his “skinny budget” plan for the next year, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer revealed how these devastating cuts would totally eliminate and slash many of the federal programs Upstate NY relies on the most. Schumer is sounding the alarm on the most dangerous and severe of these cuts for Upstate NY, which could cost our seniors, families, local governments, and small businesses billions.

“Trump’s budget proposal is an all-out assault on hardworking Upstate New York families and seniors and the programs our communities rely on most – from totally eliminating funding to help our seniors keep the heat on during cold winters, to slashing funding to fight the opioid crisis, to cutting funding for rural air service in the North Country, to decimating the CDBG and HOME grant programs that deliver tens of millions of dollars every year for cities from Buffalo to Rochester to Albany to reduce housing costs and create local jobs. The chaos and cruelty of these cuts to incredibly effective, popular and essential federal programs show no one is safe from government by chainsaw,” said Senator Schumer. “Donald Trump’s budget is dead on arrival in the Senate, and all NY House Republicans should stand up and be vocal against these cuts, which are so damaging to Upstate NY, and get them reversed and removed from this misguided budget proposal.”

Schumer highlighted some of the most severe and alarming cuts proposed in Trump’s budget that would hit Upstate NY hardest:

Totally Eliminates LIHEAP – Ripping Away Nearly $400 Million Per Year For NY Seniors & Families To Heat And Cool Their Homes

Trump’s budget proposal completely eliminates all federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), zeroing out the funding. LIHEAP is the program that provides federal support to seniors & families to help pay their winter heating bills or summer cooling bills.

Schumer said, “We all know Upstate winters can be harsh, and it is beyond cruel Trump could turn off the heat for thousands of seniors who rely on this program to stay safe and warm in their homes.”

Last year, more than 1.8 million families across New York State received nearly $400 million in funding thanks to LIHEAP. A full county-by-county breakdown of New Yorkers receiving LIHEAP can be found HERE, with some of the largest counties highlighted below:

Upstate NY Major Counties LIHEAP Benefits

Counties	Households	Benefits
Erie	119,693	$41.7 million
Monroe	65,920	$19.7 million
Onondaga	41,559	$15.1 million
Oneida	28,545	$13.8 million
Albany	19,603	$6.7 million
Westchester	34,060	$3.3 million
Broome	20,166	$9.6 million
St. Lawrence	13,940	$8.6 million

Cuts $4.2+ Billion for CDBG and HOME Grants, Eliminating the Programs – These Investments Are Some of the Main Tools Local Governments Use To Reduce Housing Costs And Revitalize Neighborhood

Trump’s budget proposal eliminates the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Programs. Schumer said CDBG and HOME have long been cornerstones of funding for building new housing to reduce costs and increase access, economic development, and community revitalization creating jobs for Upstate NY.

Below is a breakdown of the CDBG and HOME funding levels Upstate NY communities are receiving for Fiscal Year 2025 that would be eliminated under the Trump budget proposal:

Upstate CDBG and HOME Grant Breakdown

Grantee	2025 CDBG Award	2025 HOME Award	Total Combined
State of New York	$47,644,860	$23,805,148	$71,450,008
Buffalo	$13,103,636	$3,092,955	$16,196,591
Rochester	$8,068,072	$2,316,840	$10,384,912
Syracuse	$4,795,536	$1,278,624	$6,074,160
Westchester County	$4,646,543	$1,027,065	$5,673,608
Yonkers	$3,248,745	$1,223,019	$4,471,764
Erie County	$2,994,630	$921,687	$3,916,317
Albany	$3,043,143	$857,575	$3,900,718
Rockland County	$2,691,786	$970,993	$3,662,779
Schenectady	$2,050,241	$1,187,096	$3,237,337
Monroe County	$1,842,072	$1,146,571	$2,988,643
Onondaga County	$2,272,403	$673,565	$2,945,968
Utica	$2,320,311	$590,075	$2,910,386
Orange County	$1,645,340	$1,110,380	$2,755,720
Niagara Falls	$2,150,047	$449,818	$2,599,865
Dutchess County	$1,497,550	$884,623	$2,382,173
Binghamton	$1,790,607	$442,780	$2,233,387
Mount Vernon	$1,548,930	$591,829	$2,140,759
New Rochelle	$1,385,726	$446,046	$1,831,772
Troy	$1,725,397	$0	$1,725,397
Union Town	$1,253,674	$390,411	$1,644,085
Tonawanda Town	$1,592,983	$0	$1,592,983
Amherst	$625,669	$838,600	$1,464,269
Jamestown	$1,105,265	$313,260	$1,418,525
Elmira	$1,095,403	$239,101	$1,334,504

Ends The Northern Border Regional Commission, Great Lakes Authority, and Economic Development Administration – Federal Investments Aimed Specifically At Spurring Economic Growth and Job Creation In Upstate NY

Trump’s budget proposal would completely get rid of the Northern Border Regional Commission, which has delivered more than $48 million for 78 projects across Upstate NY since its creation, and the Great Lakes Authority which specifically benefit NY counties. These agencies provide targeted help for Upstate NY infrastructure, rural health care, child care access, workforce training, small business support, and community projects that otherwise would go unfunded. The Trump budget also eliminates the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which has delivered well over $320 million for New York State projects since 2018 alone. These EDA investments have created or supported nearly 40,000 New York jobs and spurred more than $4.4 billion in private investment.

At the end of last year, the Economic Development Administration was reauthorized with wide bipartisan support. This bill that passed into law also reauthorized the Northern Border Regional Commission for another 5 years, increasing funding and expanding the critical grant program.

The Northern Border Regional Commission includes: Cayuga, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Orleans, Oswego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Sullivan, Washington, Warren, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.
The Great Lakes Authority includes: Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Allegany, Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming, Jefferson, Orleans, Oswego, Wayne, Monroe, Cayuga, Lewis, Herkimer, Hamilton, Oneida, Seneca, Onondaga, Tompkins, Schuyler, Yates, Ontario, Madison, Cortland, Chemung, Steuben, Livingston, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Essex, and Clinton counties.

Slashes $1 Billion For Fighting The Opioid Epidemic And Combating Addiction

Trump’s budget slashes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMSA) budget by over $1 billion, a nearly 15% reduction. This will make it harder for Upstate NY to fight the opioid epidemic reducing critical treatments and mental health care, especially rural programs that uniquely rely on this funding.

New York State-based institutions received nearly $650 million in grant funding in FY2024. A 15% reduction would rip away nearly $100 million from NY’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

Devastating 40% Cut to NIH Funding – Harming Medical Research On Cancer, Alzheimer’s And More: Hurting Healthcare and Jobs In Upstate NY

Trump’s budget slashes the National Institutes of Health budget by approximately $18 billion, a roughly 40% reduction. Every corner of New York is using this funding to study cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other life-threatening diseases.

Schumer said, “These extreme cuts will lead to layoffs in Upstate NY and make it more difficult for sick people to receive care, and set our country back decades in developing lifesaving medical treatment.”

New York State institutions received more than $3.5 billion in grant funding in FY2024. A 40% reduction in the total NIH budget means that all of the money New York receives is at risk. Institutions could see millions of dollars ripped away for research efforts across NY. A full list of NIH grant recipients and federal funding awards can be found here.

Examples of Upstate NIH Cut Subsidy Summary

Recipient	FY2024 Grants
University of Rochester	$187,470,266
University at Buffalo	$90,062,504
Roswell Park Cancer Institute	$48,999,339
Albany Medical College	$13,233,444
University at Albany	$11,007,516

89% Slash For Federal Funds For Clean Drinking Water And Eliminating Lead Pipes

Trump’s budget proposal cuts nearly $2.5 billion from the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds, amounting to an overall budget of $305 million which is a nearly 89% cut. The SRFs are one of the primary federal tools for municipalities to get low-cost financing for water and sewer infrastructure projects that ensures the water New Yorkers rely on is safe and clean.

Schumer said, “Upstate NY has some of the oldest water infrastructure, and our cities like Buffalo and Troy have more lead pipes than most places in the country. No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for our children, and these cuts would leave communities high and dry when it comes to upgrading their water and sewage infrastructure.”

According to the EPA, New York State received more than $368 million in funding from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and nearly $294 million from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for a total of more than $662 million in FY2024. Under Trump’s proposed FY2026 funding levels, New York State would see a reduction of nearly $580 million.

Cutting Rural Air Service Support For North Country Airports

Trump’s budget proposal slashes funding for FAA’s Essential Air Service (EAS) program by 50%. The EAS provides federal support to bring air service to underserved & rural communities, and specifically all five of the North Country’s major airports. All of NY’s airports that rely on EAS are in the North Country: Ogdensburg, Massena, Plattsburgh, Watertown, and Adirondack Regional Airport.

Cuts Funding For Programs That Help Seniors And People With Disabilities Pay Rent

Trump’s budget proposal would consolidate funding for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Public Housing, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Housing for the Elderly, and Housing for Persons with Disabilities into a new State Rental Assistance Block Grant, cutting nearly $27 billion across these programs and foisting responsibility over these programs onto state and local governments, reducing their ability to help people in need. Over half a million New Yorkers rely on this assistance, the vast majority of whom are seniors, people with disabilities, and children. Schumer explained that as rent costs continue to go up across the country, the administration is slashing funding for rental assistance.

In FY2023, New York State received more than $7.4 billion across these programs that would not be consolidated into a new State Rental Assistance Block Grant and receive a massive cut of 42.8%. Below is a breakdown of funding for each program and how much would be allocated to New York State if Trump’s major cuts to the programs were to go through.

NY State Rental Assistance Block Grant Breakdown

Grant	FY2023 Funding Levels	Award Based on Proposed FY2026 HUD Funding Levels	Amount Cut Based on Proposed FY2026 HUD Funding Levels
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance	$140,182,508	$80,184,395	$59,998,113
Public Housing	$5,239,042,468	$2,996,732,292	$2,242,310,176
Project-Based Rental Assistance	$1,907,344,837	$1,091,001,247	$816,343,590
Housing for the Elderly	$122,626,159	$70,142,163	$52,483,996
Housing for Persons with Disabilities	$14,109,993	$8,070,916	$6,039,077
Total	$7,423,305,965	$4,246,131,012	$3,177,174,953

Cancels $1.3 Billion For NOAA- Essential To The Health Of Great Lakes & Weather Monitoring

Trump’s budget proposal eliminates more than $1.3 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants and research programs which uniquely support the Great Lakes, including programs which helps identify storm water infrastructure in need of upgrades to ensure community safety during extreme weather events.

In addition, Trump wants to cancel $209 million for weather satellites and infrastructure critical for Upstate NY communities to get timely and accurate forecasts, and without could put safety at risk.

Senator Schumer said, “Trump’s seismic cuts to the NOAA Great Lakes programs are the equivalent of wandering outside during a blizzard in Buffalo without a jacket. It’s not just dumb, it’s dangerous. NOAA Great Lakes scientists are how we monitor the health of Lake Erie, how we keep our waterways clean, how Western NY gets daily weather reports and this funding is one of our best tools for knowing when a lake effect snow will drop and how extreme it will be.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 9, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Merkley Lead Bipartisan Effort to Expand Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) teamed up to introduce the bipartisan Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) Program Reauthorization Act of 2025. This legislation would reauthorize and expand the CFLR program, which helps fund collaborative and community-based forest management. The CFLR program has a proven track record of improving forest health, reducing wildfire risk and supporting rural communities.

“Shared, active forest management plays a vital role in reducing the risk of wildfires and fire suppression,” said Crapo. “Ensuring long-term reauthorization of the CFLRP will promote Idaho’s forest health, encourage the responsible stewardship of our public lands and foster resilient, rural economies. Reauthorizing the CFLRP results in stronger relationships on the ground, more effective projects and a decreased risk of conflict and litigation.”

“When people come together to develop collaborative plans to manage our forests, we can thin overgrown forests, strengthen our timber stands, support diverse ecosystems, increase fire resilience and boost workforce development,” said Merkley, Ranking Member of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. “This is a proven, bipartisan model that delivers healthier forests and stronger communities instead of litigation and conflict. Investing more in collaborative solutions will make a real difference in rural communities across Oregon and beyond.”

In addition to Crapo and Merkley, this legislation is supported by U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Steve Daines (R-Montana) and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado).

“Cooperation is vital to effectively managing our forests and reducing wildfire risk across the West,” said Risch. “Reauthorization of the CFLRP ensures the longevity of collaboratives that make our forests healthier and Idaho’s communities safer.”

“Forest collaboratives are a proven tool to reduce wildfire risk as well as to head off needless litigation, with the end result in Oregon and elsewhere being jobs and more resilient woodlands,” said Wyden. “The proof of this productive forest formula can be seen in the fact that this legislation has earned bipartisan support in the Senate along with backing from conservationists and lumber companies alike.”

“Collaborative forest projects help create jobs throughout Colorado while restoring wildlife habitat and managing fuel for wildfires. In Colorado, they bring together people across local government, industry and conservation advocacy to make our forests more resilient and help our communities adapt to a changing climate,” said Bennet. “As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, I’ll work to expand this valuable program for Colorado in the upcoming Farm Bill.”

“In Montana, we’re tired of breathing in smoke. I’m glad to work with my colleagues on this bipartisan measure to streamline commonsense forest management programs and increase collaboration between state and federal partners, so that we can keep our communities safe from catastrophic wildfires,” said Daines.

The CFLR program brings stakeholders from all walks of life together to create solutions aimed at reducing wildfire risk across the West. Requirements of this program ensure that various local stakeholders collaborate, resulting in stronger relationships on the ground, better, more effective projects, and a decreased risk of conflict and litigation. Then-Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Merkley pushed to double funding for the program in the Fiscal Year 2022 Interior spending bill, which funds the U.S. Forest Service. This funded all five collaboratives in Oregon, including the new Rogue River CFLR. The program was last reauthorized by Senators Crapo and Merkley in the 2018 Farm Bill.

CFLR was first authorized in 2009, and in the first ten years of the program, CFLR projects treated and restored 5.7 million acres of forestland, and have helped improve 1,000 miles of trails and maintain 25,000 miles of roads. The lawmakers’ bipartisan bill would extend the program for another ten years, increase the size and scope of the Collaborative to reduce wildfire risk and make other program improvements.

U.S. Representatives Joe Neguse (D-Colorado), Andrea Salinas (D-Oregon) and Kim Schrier (D-Washington) are expected to introduce companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The full text of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program Reauthorization Act can be found by clicking here.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Warren, Wyden, Senators Slam Social Security for Improperly Declaring Thousands Dead, Call for Watchdog Investigation

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
May 08, 2025
Trump administration abused Death Master File to purge at least 6,300 Social Security numbers, including children and seniors
Letter to SSA Acting Commissioner | Letter to SSA Assistant Inspector General for Audit
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and 11 Senate Democrats, slammed the Social Security Administration (SSA) for transferring thousands of Social Security numbers associated with immigrants to the SSA’s Death Master File, marking them as dead to pressure “self-deportation,” and demanded the agency’s watchdog launch a full investigation into the decision.
Exploiting Social Security’s Death Master File to terminate the SSN of living individuals without full due process violates bedrock constitutional rights. The Trump administration’s actions, which amount to falsifying government records, also violate the Privacy Act. Even Trump’s lawyers reportedly agreed.
“This decision will result in the ‘financial murder’ of living individuals improperly placed in the file, with everything from their credit cards and banking to their ability to access healthcare and housing being ripped out from under them,” wrote the senators.
The senators also called on the SSA Office of the Inspector General to launch a full investigation into the agency’s decision to begin using the Death Master File for this purpose, including how an individual gets targeted, who at the agency has decision-making authority, and how those who have had their SSNs nullified through this process can get it fixed if there is a mistake.
The Trump administration’s abuse of Social Security and its flagrant violation of constitutional guarantees of due process set a precedent that could endanger the rights of all Americans. It also undermines the accuracy of the Social Security Administration’s data, which could lead to more mistakes that limit a person’s access to benefits, regardless of their immigration status.
“The purpose of SSA is to provide for the welfare of number-holders and their dependents, not to serve as an arm of President Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. This move degrades the solvency, reliability, and accuracy of SSA systems and programs. It is as cruel as it is thoughtless—the impact will be felt in communities across the country and in the future of SSA programs themselves,” concluded the senators to Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek.
The letter was signed by Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Angus King (I-Maine), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

MIL OSI USA News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Tucson Residents Charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

TUCSON, Ariz. – Hassan Omar Kassim, 19, and Alexandra Brooke Wisdom, 19, of Tucson, were arrested on May 6, 2025, and charged by criminal complaint for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, Aid and Abet, and Conspiracy to commit the same offense.

On April 20, 2025, a Tucson Police Department officer assigned to the Operations Division West (“ODW”) Community Response Team (“CRT”) was conducting operations in the area of Stone Avenue and Fort Lowell in Tucson, Arizona. The officer was dressed in plain clothes and driving an unmarked City of Tucson vehicle when he observed a dark colored car traveling southbound at a high rate of speed. The officer followed the vehicle and broadcast its license plate number to other members of ODW CRT. The vehicle then turned, and an individual leaned out of the rear passenger window of the car and fired a gun at the officer’s unmarked vehicle. The occupants of the car continued to engage the officer, including making a U-turn during which additional shots were fired by the rear passenger. The officer was unharmed. A marked patrol vehicle responded to the area and attempted to stop the car, but the occupants failed to yield and after a short pursuit, officers lost sight of the car. Through a subsequent investigation, detectives and special agents identified Kassim as one of the occupants of the car during the shooting. They also determined that Wisdom was in the car before and after the shooting, and that Wisdom drove and abandoned the vehicle sometime after fleeing from police.

The National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) was established by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide an innovative framework to enhance federal support of state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution authorities in enhancing public safety. PSP began as a pilot program, the Violence Reduction Network, in 2014 and is designed to promote interagency coordination by leveraging specialized law enforcement expertise with dedicated prosecutorial resources to promote public and community safety. PSP serves as a DOJ-wide program that enables participating sites to consult with and receive expedited, coordinated training and technical assistance, and an array of resources from DOJ to enhance local public safety strategies. This model enables DOJ to provide jurisdictions of different sizes and diverse needs with data-driven, evidence-based strategies tailored to the unique local needs of participating cities to build their capacities to address violent crime challenges. PSP has engaged with more than 60 sites since the program’s inception.

A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Tucson Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam D. Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-05951
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-074_Kassim, et al.

# # #

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

MIL Security OSI –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National Sentenced for Passport Fraud and Stealing U.S. Citizen’s Identity

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

BOSTON – A Dominican national, residing in Fall River, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to charges related to passport fraud and other offenses.

Hector Eduardo Arias Mejia, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to two years and one day in prison and one year of supervised release. The defendant is also subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In March 2025, Arias Mejia pleaded guilty to misuse of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft and making a false statement in an application for a United States passport. In December 2023, Arias Mejia was indicted by a federal grand jury.

According to the charging documents Arias Mejia unlawfully used the identity of a United States citizen from Puerto Rico since at least 2011. In 2011, using that stolen identity, Arias Mejia was convicted in the Fall River District Court of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, for which he served an 18 month jail sentence. In 2016, again using the stolen identity, Arias Mejia was convicted in the Fall River District Court of three counts of possession with intent to distribute drugs and was sentenced two years in jail.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo; Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

May 9, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: San Diego Fentanyl Supplier Sentenced in the District for Role in Nationwide Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Edgar Balderas, 27, of San Diego, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 148 months in prison for participating in a massive fentanyl trafficking conspiracy that distributed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills from Southern California to destinations throughout the United States, including the District. Balderas was one of more than two dozen co-defendants arrested over the course of 2023 in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy.

The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division.

Balderas, aka “Nano,” pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 148-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Balderas to serve five years of supervised release.

The impetus for this investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in Southeast D.C. In addition to investigating and prosecuting the death-resulting case, law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of traffickers who transported fentanyl from Mexico to Los Angeles to the District of Columbia. Since then, investigators have seized more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms.

According to court documents, Balderas conspired with a Los Angeles-based fentanyl trafficker to supply him with fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills, which the trafficker would, in turn, supply to his D.C.-based customers. He began supplying the trafficker with fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills in Fall 2022 and continued until the L.A.-based trafficker’s arrest in late-February 2023.

After the Los Angeles-based trafficker’s arrest in late-February 2023, Balderas attempted to begin dealing fentanyl directly to D.C.-based fentanyl distributors. For example, Balderas began communicating via Instagram with a D.C.-based co-defendant in this case the month after the Los Angeles-based trafficker’s arrest. The purpose of these communications was to arrange for the direct sale of fentanyl pills to the D.C.-based co-conspirator, along with other D.C.-based clients of the Los Angeles-based fentanyl trafficker.

DEFENDANT	AGE	LOCATION	CHARGES/SENTENCE
Hector David Valdez, aka “Curl”	27	Santa Fe Springs, California	Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Craig Eastman	21	Washington, D.C.	Sentenced Feb. 6, 2025, to 165 months for conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.
Charles Jeffrey Taylor	21	Washington, D.C.	Pleaded guilty Feb. 28, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Raymond Nava, Jr.	20	Bell Gardens, California	Sentenced Sept. 17, 2024, to 14 years for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Ulises Aldaz	28	Bell Gardens, California	Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 95 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Max Alexander Carias Torres	27	Bell Gardens, California	Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; Conspiracy to commit international money laundering
Teron Deandre McNeil, aka “Wild Boy”	34	Washington, D.C.	Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Marvin Anthony Bussie, aka “Money Marr”	22	Washington, D.C.	Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Marcus Orlando Brown	29	Washington, D.C.	Sentenced Oct. 3, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Columbian Thomas, aka “Cruddy Murda”	27	Washington, D.C.	Sentenced Oct. 22, 2024, to 160 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden	30	Washington, D.C.	Sentenced April 29, 2024, to 45 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Andre Malik Edmond, aka “Draco”	23	Temple Hills, Maryland	Sentenced July 22, 2024, to 130 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Treyveon James Johnson, aka “Treyski”	20	Alexandria, Virginia	Sentenced Sept. 5, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Karon Olufemi Blalock, aka “Fat Bags”	30	Alexandria, Virginia	Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Ronte Ricardo Greene, aka “Cardiddy”	29	Washington, D.C.	Pleaded guilty Feb. 27, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., aka “21”	39	Washington, D.C.	Pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Darius Quincy Hodges, aka “Brick”	34	Glen Allen, Virginia	Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Lamin Sesay, aka “Rock Star”	28	Alexandria, Virginia	Pleaded guilty Feb. 7, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Paul Alejandro Felix	26	Glendale, California	Sentenced Nov. 12, 2024, to 164 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Omar Arana, aka “Frogs”	27	Cudahy, California	Sentenced May 2, 2025, to 93 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Edgar Balderas, Jr., aka “Nano”	27	San Diego, California	Sentenced May 8, 2025, to 148 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Raul Pacheco Ramirez	30	Long Beach, California	Sentenced Nov. 26, 2024, to 95 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Giovani Alejandro Briones	30	Victorville, California	Sentenced Feb. 20, 2025, to 90 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Alfredo Rodriguez Gonzalez	26	Rosarito, Mexico	Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.

The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris Y. McCranie of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section.

23cr73

MIL Security OSI –

May 9, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Two Honduran Men Sentenced to Prison for their Roles in International Human Smuggling Conspiracy

Source: United States Department of Justice 2

Note: See superseding indictment here.

Two Honduran men were sentenced today to three years in prison for their roles in a scheme to illegally smuggle Honduran nationals into the United States.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, for almost a year, Hennessy Devon Cooper Zelaya, 29, and Rudy Jackson Hernandez, 38, both of Utila, Honduras, conspired with at least six others to bring Honduran nationals from Honduras to the United States via two vessels, the Masita III and the M/V Pop. The vessels sailed from Utila, Honduras to Louisiana. The aliens and/or their family members paid thousands of dollars to be brought illegally into the United States by boat. Upon arrival, the aliens were picked up by co-conspirators and driven further into the United States. The co-conspirators then placed some of the aliens in jobs at U.S. factories and other businesses knowing that the aliens lacked authorization to enter, remain, or work in the United States. The defendants were part of the vessels’ crew on multiple voyages.

In February 2022, the defendants attempted to illegally bring 23 Honduran nationals from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, aboard the M/V Pop, a 65’ sportfishing vessel. During the voyage, the M/V Pop developed engine trouble and lost power. The co-conspirators then chartered a boat to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Before the chartered boat reached the disabled vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the vessel approximately 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana and towed it to shore. Inside the vessel, law enforcement officers also found 24 kilograms of cocaine.

Cooper Zelaya and Jackson Hernandez were convicted after trial of conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.

The lead defendant in the case, Carl Allison, previously pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. Three additional co-conspirators, all Honduran nationals, pleaded guilty last year for their roles in the scheme: Darrel Martinez, 41, and Josue Flores-Villeda, 36, pleaded guilty to the same charges as Allison; and Lenord Cooper, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and assist aliens to enter the United States unlawfully and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. A fifth man, Honduran national Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado, was extradited from Honduras in April and is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Maldonado’s trial is scheduled for June 16. An indictment is merely an allegation, and Maldonado is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.

The HSI Houma, Louisiana Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the HSI Pittsburgh Field Office, HSI Atlanta Field Office, and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police, and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance.

Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) in Honduras provided assistance.

The sentencings are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and OPDAT, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.

This case is also supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

MIL Security OSI –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison For Federal Civil Rights Crime in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia Jail

Source: United States Department of Justice 2

A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Steven Nicholas Wimmer, 25, of Bluefield, was sentenced to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

With his guilty plea, Wimmer acknowledged that he responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Officers, including Wimmer, then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Wimmer admitted that officers struck Q.B. in the interview room in order to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Wimmer further admitted that he was a member of the conspiracy who injured Q.B. inside the interview room while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed, and posed no threat.

Wimmer and former Southern Regional Jail corrections officer Andrew Fleshman pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2023, to conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against Q.B. Fleshman, 22, of Shady Spring, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14. On Nov. 29, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted six other defendants in connection with the death of Q.B. In November 2024, former correctional officers Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled for June 16. On Aug. 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Q.B.’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled for June 9.

On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. Lester is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.

Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-134.

MIL Security OSI –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Tennessee Man Indicted on Arson and Explosive Charges for Setting Fire to Nonprofit Organization

Source: United States Department of Justice 2

A federal grand jury in Knoxville, Tennessee returned an indictment on May 7, charging Regan Darby Prater, 27, with arson for firebombing the Highlander Center, a nonprofit research and education center in New Market, Tennessee; and with carrying an explosive device during the commission of the arson. Prater appeared in court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill E. McCook and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in the indictment. He was held pending trial, which has been set for July 15 in United States District Court, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

According to court documents, on March 29, 2019, Prater used an explosive to firebomb the Highlander Center’s administrative building, resulting in a fire that consumed the entire structure. Court documents also allege that Prater was inspired by the March 15, 2019, mass shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, and left a symbol of the Iron Guard, a World War II-era Romanian Nazi organization, spraypainted in the Highlander Center’s parking lot. The same symbol appeared on the Christchurch gunman’s rifle as he livestreamed his attacks.

If convicted, Prater faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison on the arson charge, and an additional ten years in prison on the explosive charge.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Knoxville Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Anne-Marie Svolto of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Kyle Boynton and Katherine McCallister of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

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

MIL Security OSI –

May 9, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes the 2025 Discussions on Common Policies of Member Countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union

Source: IMF – News in Russian

May 8, 2025

Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation^[1] with member countries on common policies of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The Board considered and endorsed the staff appraisal without a meeting.^[2]

The currency union has provided a strong anchor for macroeconomic stability. In 2024, strong tourism performance and continued infrastructure investments have supported robust growth of 3.9 percent, and inflation moderated to below 2 percent in tune with global trends. This has facilitated a moderate reduction in the currency union’s fiscal and external imbalances, although public debt remains high at above 71 percent of GDP and the post-pandemic trend of narrowing of sizable current account deficits has stalled. The ECCB’s stable reserves underpin a strong currency backing ratio. The ECCU financial system has remained stable, though exhibiting legacy asset quality and credit condition weaknesses.

The union’s recent growth momentum is projected to wane. Increasing constraints to tourism capacity and completion of major infrastructure projects are set to slow real GDP growth to around 2½ percent over the medium term. Modest growth prospects reflect weak productivity and local investment, as well as headwinds from ageing populations, a shrinking labor force, and constrained fiscal space for public investment in most union members. Fiscal and external imbalances are projected to narrow over the medium term, reflecting in part completion of import-intensive public investment projects.

Risks to the outlook remain mostly on the downside amid a highly uncertain external environment. As reported in the April World Economic Outlook, the escalation of trade tensions and high levels of policy uncertainty are a major negative shock to global economic activity. For ECCU economies, increased global trade and geopolitical tensions could give rise to disruptions to tourism and FDI inflows and renewed inflationary pressures. High public debt, persistent current account deficits and weaknesses in the local financial system amplify vulnerability to recurrent ND shocks alongside the uncertain outlook for future citizenship-by-investment inflows.

Executive Board Assessment^{^[3]}

The ECCU has achieved a strong rebound from successive adverse shocks. Strong tourism performance and continued infrastructure investments have supported robust post‑pandemic growth, while inflation has moderated in tune with global trends. This has facilitated a moderate reduction in the currency union’s fiscal and external imbalances, although public debt levels and current account deficits remain high in several members. The ECCU’s external position is assessed as weaker than implied by fundamentals and desirable policies, but the current account deficits remain fully financed and the stability of the ECCB’s reserves underpin a strong currency backing ratio. The financial system has remained stable, albeit exhibiting continued asset quality and credit condition weaknesses.

Growth momentum is nonetheless projected to wane and risks to the outlook remain mostly on the downside. Increasing constraints to tourism capacity and completion of major infrastructure projects are set to slow growth to around 2½ percent over the medium term. This modest growth potential reflects weak productivity and local investment, as well as headwinds from ageing populations, a shrinking labor force, and constrained fiscal space for public investment in most union members. Downside risks to the outlook are significant amid a highly uncertain external environment, where increased trade and geopolitical tensions could give rise to renewed inflationary pressures and disruptions to tourism and FDI inflows. High public debt, persistent current account deficits, and weaknesses in the local financial system amplify vulnerability to recurrent natural disaster (ND) shocks alongside the uncertain outlook for future Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) inflows.

Achieving more robust, resilient, and inclusive long-term growth would support the currency union’s fiscal and external sustainability and raise living standards. To support this objective, common regional policies should be anchored in building economic, fiscal, and financial resilience and addressing supply bottlenecks that underpin the recent decades’ downward trend in the region’s growth potential.

A key policy priority is alleviating the region’s structural growth impediments, which calls for a coordinated multipronged approach. Addressing frictions to employment and skills development requires a renewed effort to attune human capital to economic needs and development priorities through vocational training and modernized education systems, complemented by active labor market policies and improved access to child and elderly care. Common policies can also enhance the scale, resilience, and efficiency of the region’s capital stock by helping to accelerate energy transition to local renewables, optimize the CBI funding model, and increase ND preparedness. Substantial productivity gains may also be achieved through cooperative efforts to address bottlenecks to innovation and allocative efficiency, including by digitalizing key services, streamlining licensing and administrative processes, and strengthening financial intermediation.

Fiscal policies should remain closely focused on rebuilding buffers, reducing public debt consistent with the regional debt anchor, and improving resilience to shocks. Region‑wide adoption of strong medium-term fiscal frameworks (MTFFs) embedded with well-designed fiscal rules and credible policy plans would support sustainability objectives and create policy space for growth-enhancing social and resilience investment. Comprehensive fiscal resilience strategies, including adequate disaster-financing frameworks, can help alleviate periodic ND disruptions to debt sustainability and support the region’s growth resilience. Strengthening fiscal management of uncertain CBI revenues can similarly alleviate risks and facilitate fiscal planning. These efforts can be supported by more institutionalized regional oversight and continued strengthening of national fiscal institutions.

Enhancing financial system resilience and reducing persistent credit-frictions can support a more conducive environment for growth-supporting local investment. Regional policy priorities include reducing vulnerabilities from legacy bank balance sheet weaknesses, mitigating risks from rapid credit union expansion, building readiness to manage risks from high dependency on global reinsurance, and strengthening national AML/CFT frameworks. Common minimum NBFI regulatory standards under the planned Eastern Caribbean Financial Stability Board (ECFSB) will be an important step toward their more unified oversight, although a more centralized supervisory structure would better facilitate management of regional stability risks. Coordinated efforts to reduce institutional frictions in local credit markets and support small ECCU businesses’ bankability can help address structural challenges in financial intermediation, revive local credit and investment, and foster development of a more vibrant private sector.

Strengthening economic data could significantly improve regional policy design and risk management. Priorities include addressing shortcomings in coverage, quality, and timeliness of key national and external accounts and reducing significant blind spots in areas such as the regional labor markets and CBI flows. Greater leveraging of synergies in regional data compilation and processing could help address persistent resource and capacity gaps.

Table 1. ECCU: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 2020-2026 1/
					Est.	Proj.
	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
	(Annual percentage change)
Output and Prices
Real GDP	-17.6	6.5	11.8	3.7	3.9	3.5	2.7
GDP deflator	-2.2	4.4	4.1	3.3	2.7	1.7	2.1
Consumer prices, average	-0.6	1.7	5.6	4.0	2.3	1.9	2.0
Monetary Sector
Net foreign assets	6.1	16.5	-0.7	11.5	4.8	1.7	4.1
Central bank	3.6	11.6	-4.8	5.4	12.3	5.9	4.4
Commercial banks (net)	8.5	21.1	2.8	16.3	-0.5	-1.7	3.7
Net domestic assets	-16.5	1.2	13.0	-5.8	7.9	11.0	6.1
Of which: private sector credit	-0.9	1.5	1.6	3.6	4.7	5.1	2.5
Broad money (M2)	-4.7	10.1	4.6	4.3	6.0	5.3	4.9
	(In percent of GDP, unless otherwise indicated)
Public Finances
Central government
Total revenue and grants	29.0	30.5	29.7	30.0	30.8	28.3	27.3
Total expenditure and net lending	35.8	33.4	32.5	31.2	32.2	32.8	27.8
Overall balance 2/	-6.8	-2.9	-2.7	-1.3	-1.4	-4.5	-0.5
Of which: expected fiscal cost of natural disasters	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7
Excl. Citizenship-by-Investment Programs	-11.5	-8.7	-9.3	-8.0	-7.3	-8.4	-3.6
Primary balance 2/	-4.3	-0.6	-0.5	0.9	1.1	-1.8	1.7
Total public sector debt	89.2	84.5	76.2	73.9	71.2	70.8	69.9
External Sector
Current account balance	-19.1	-18.5	-12.3	-10.3	-10.4	-9.9	-8.3
Trade balance	-29.5	-30.1	-33.3	-32.0	-34.2	-34.1	-32.7
Exports, f.o.b. (annual percentage change)	-28.5	31.5	40.5	21.9	-9.7	13.9	11.4
Imports, f.o.b. (annual percentage change)	-23.2	15.2	29.7	5.3	11.0	5.8	1.9
Services, incomes and transfers	10.4	11.6	20.9	21.8	23.9	24.2	24.5
Of which: travel	17.1	20.5	34.6	39.8	42.1	42.2	42.5
External public debt	47.9	47.6	42.6	42.7	42.1	43.7	44.8
External debt service (percent of goods and nonfactor services)	21.3	14.8	10.3	9.0	10.3	9.1	8.6
International reserves
In millions of U.S. dollars	1,747	1,952	1,869	1,972	2,202	2,332	2,435
In months of prospective year imports of goods and services	5.7	4.8	4.0	4.0	4.2	4.4	4.4
In percent of broad money	28.1	28.5	26.1	26.4	27.8	28.0	27.9
REER (average annual percentage change)
Trade-weighted 3/	-.07	-2.8	3.1	-1.1	-1.0	…	…
Sources: Country authorities; and IMF staff estimates and projections. 1/ Includes all eight ECCU members unless otherwise noted. ECCU consumer price aggregates are calculated as weighted averages of individual country data. Other ECCU aggregates are calculated by adding individual country data. The staff report projections are based on the information available as of March 31, 2025. It, therefore, does not reflect the impact of the escalation of trade tensions on and after April 2, 2025. 2/ Projections include expected fiscal costs of natural disasters. 3/ Excludes Anguilla and Montserrat.

[1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. Staff hold separate annual discussions with the regional institutions responsible for common policies in four currency unions—the Euro Area, the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, the Central African Economic and Monetary Union, and the West African Economic and Monetary Union. For each of the currency unions, staff teams visit the regional institutions responsible for common policies in the currency union, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the currency union’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis of discussion by the Executive Board. Both staff’s discussions with the regional institutions and the Board discussion of the annual staff report will be considered an integral part of the Article IV consultation with each member.

[2] The staff report reflects discussions with the authorities during January 8-16 and January 27-February 10, 2025, and is based on the information available as of March 31, 2025. It, therefore, does not reflect the impact of the escalation of trade tensions on and after April 2, 2025. Based on information available until April 29, 2025, and covered in the Staff Supplement, the thrust of the staff appraisal remains unchanged.

[3] The Executive Board takes decisions under its lapse-of-time procedure when the Board agrees that a proposal can be considered without convening formal discussions.

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/05/08/pr-24135-caribbean-imf-concludes-2025-discussions-on-policies-of-east-carib-currency-union

MIL OSI

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Tenney Announces FY26 Community Project Funding Submissions
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today announced the 15 projects she has submitted to the House Appropriations Committee in the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Community Project Funding (CPF) process.

The CPF process allows municipalities and non-profits to submit federal funding requests for high-priority community projects with strong local support in New York’s 24th Congressional District. Each application was subjected to a rigorous review process to ensure that it is a sound use of taxpayer dollars and that applicants have a clear and accountable plan to spend funds on targeted projects within a year.

A list of Rep Tenney’s submitted FY26 projects can be found below:
- $2,000,000 for the City of Lockport’s Phase III – Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks
- $1,000,000 for the City of Oswego Police Department’s New Police Station
- $4,275,000 for Jefferson County’s Installation of Runway 10 Omni-Directional Approach Lights at Watertown International Airport
- $2,000,000 for Orleans County’s Public Safety Building Vital Improvements for Safety and Security
- $2,000,000 for Schuyler County’s Emergency Operations Center
- $5,000,000 for the Town of Lyons’ Resurgence of the Town of Lyons Canal Street District
- $3,300,000 for the Town of Phelps’ Sanitary Sewer Distribution Project
- $1,000,000 for the Town of Throop’s Water Improvements Project
- $2,475,000 for the Town of Torrey’s Water District #2 Resource Improvements
- $10,000,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ work on Genesee County’s water needs
- $3,000,000 for the Village of Geneseo’s Water and Sewer System Improvements
- $1,500,000 for the Village of Mexico’s Water System Improvements
- $3,000,000 for the Village of Waterloo’s Sewer System Improvements and Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades
- $4,000,000 for Wayne County’s Rural Health Services Building Renovation
- $3,000,000 for Wyoming County’s Silver Lake Dredging Project
“The Community Project Funding Process allows Congress to hear directly from municipalities and community leaders about their needs. This year, I submitted 15 projects on behalf of our district to improve essential infrastructure, enhance public safety, and revitalize our local communities. I remain committed to advocating for these projects throughout the appropriations process and will continue to be a strong voice for protecting your hard-earned tax dollars while representing our district in Congress,” said Congresswoman Tenney.

Community leaders who submitted and worked with Rep Tenney’s office on various funding proposals expressed their appreciation for her advocacy:

“On behalf of Genesee County, I extend our sincere thanks to Congresswoman Tenney for championing this critical investment in our region’s infrastructure. The proposed water project will play a vital role in strengthening our water system—not only for the City of Batavia, but for communities, farms, and businesses throughout Genesee County. This funding brings us one step closer to securing long-term reliability, capacity, and growth potential for the entire county,” said the Genesee County Legislature Chair, Shelley Stein.

“The Town of Lyons and the Wayne County Regional Land Bank greatly appreciate Congresswoman Tenney’s commitment to our Resurgence of the Town of Lyons Canal Street District project. This neighborhood revitalization addresses legacy community needs by transforming blighted properties in the heart of downtown into quality housing, commercial space, enhanced infrastructure, and improved access to essential services,” said the Town of Lyons Supervisor, Jim Brady.

“The Flight of Five is more than a historic marvel — it’s the beating heart of Lockport’s canal heritage and a cornerstone of our tourism future. With possible Phase III funding on the horizon, we’re poised to take the next critical step in fully restoring this 19th-century engineering wonder. This investment not only honors the legacy of the Erie Canal, but positions Lockport as a must-see destination for millions of visitors exploring the Niagara region,” said the President/CEO Greater Lockport Development Corporation, Vicki Smith.

“We sincerely thank Congresswoman Tenney for selecting Oswego as one of 15 projects in the FY26 Appropriations Bill. This vital support moves us closer to replacing our 150-year-old police station with a modern facility that will enhance public safety, support emergency response, and provide space for community outreach and critical services. This project will help build a stronger, safer Oswego for all,” said the City of Oswego Police Chief, Phil Cady.

“On behalf of the residents of the Town of Phelps, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Congresswoman Claudia Tenney for her support of our Route 14 wastewater infrastructure project. We deeply appreciate Congresswoman Tenney’s efforts in advancing our funding request to the Appropriations Committee for review and consideration. Her advocacy brings us one step closer to a much-needed sewer line project that will significantly enhance development opportunities not only within our town but in the Town and City of Geneva. Federal funding is essential to ensure the timely construction of this project, which will serve thousands of visitors to the Finger Lakes region while supporting long-term growth for our community. We are especially grateful for Representative Tenney’s commitment, hard work, and her willingness to listen to the needs of our residents. Her support reflects a strong partnership between federal leadership and local priorities,” said the Town of Phelps Town Supervisor, Bill Wellman.

“We are thankful for Congresswoman Tenney continuous support of Watertown International Airport, these lights are so important to airport users. The runway 10 lights help decrease delays and keep airplanes landing when visibility is limited. It’s vital for our residents, tourism, business, and DOD communities that rely on the airport for safe and reliable air transportation,” said the Watertown International Airport Director of Aviation, Grant Sussey.

“This investment in critical infrastructure keeps villages like Geneseo moving forward while keeping tax rates and housing affordable. Most importantly, you are replacing lead water service pipes and ensuring that our sanitary sewer is safe, and keeping it separate from our storm sewer. Finishing the project will leave us ADA compliant and offer enhanced walkability to our village,” said the Geneseo Village Mayor, Christopher Ivers.

“First, we would like the thank Congresswoman Tenney for including us in the Appropriations bill. We are deeply grateful for her advocacy, commitment, and unwavering support of our community. This funding will have a transformative impact on our community that will enable us to expand critical infrastructure, enhance resources, and provide greater opportunities for those we serve. The project we are looking to fund will foster long-term growth and positive changes for Waterloo,” said the Mayor of Waterloo, Walt Bennett.

“The Town of Torrey is thrilled to have been selected by Congresswoman Tenney to provide funding through the Congressional Appropriations process for the Town’s Water District #2 serving the Perry Point area. This funding will provide the residents of the district with a reliable and safe supply of water at a reasonable cost while protecting the waters of Seneca Lake. The Town of Torrey is very appreciative of the eﬀorts that Congresswoman Tenney has made on behalf of Torrey residents and the 24th Congressional District,” said the Supervisor of the Town of Torrey, Peter Martini.

“On behalf of the residents of Wyoming County, especially those living around Silver Lake, and the Board of Supervisors, I extend our sincere appreciation for Congresswoman Tenney’s selection of the Silver Lake dredging project to submit to the House Appropriations Committee. Congresswoman Tenney understands and shares the values we hold as part of our proud agricultural heritage. An integral part of the environmental stewardship we are tasked with is to fulfill our mission of a healthier and more resilient Silver Lake. It is not only an essential component of our county’s robust tourism industry, but is also a prime drinking water source for multiple communities spanning Wyoming and Livingston counties. This important funding will help to preserve sensitive habitats, protect water quality and enhance public waterway access. We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Tenney for her unwavering support in this project and for Wyoming County,” said the Chairwoman of the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors, Rebecca Ryan.

“The Village of Mexico would like to take this opportunity to express their appreciation for Congresswomen Claudia Tenney’s continued support of the Village and Town of Mexico. This project if awarded would help insure continued safe and accessible water far into the Future,” said the Mayor of the Village of Mexico, Terry Grimshaw.

“Wayne County is humbled and so very grateful by this support from Congresswoman Tenney’s office to be selected as one of the 15 projects submitted for consideration. The House Appropriations funding opportunity provides a meaningful modernization of a rural facility offering healthcare and behavioral health treatment and services. Wayne County Health Building renovations would help expand support and treatment to all ages for critical outpatient treatment and support services in our rural community,” said Wayne County Public Health Director Diane Devlin, Aging & Youth Director Amy Haskins, and Interim County Administrator Mark Humbert.

“The town of Throop is incredibly grateful to Congresswoman Tenney for selecting Throop’s Water District #3 project as a candidate for Community Project Funding. This investment will provide safe, reliable drinking water, as well as fire protection to residents who’ve long relied on aging private wells with poor water quality. Investing in this project will significantly improve the quality of life, health, and public safety for residents within this proposed water district. This project also has broader implications to the entire water system. This water district will vastly improve the area’s water infrastructure resiliency by completing a critical loop to an existing main line, creating essential system redundancy that benefits the broader network. Congresswoman Tenney has a steadfast commitment to ensuring all communities are supported, especially those in rural areas. Rural communities are the backbone of this region, and Congresswoman Tenney’s continued support for them is invaluable. Her support for this project is a powerful example of how by working together, elected officials can strengthen our infrastructure, safeguard our future, and impact the lives of our residents,” said the Town of Throop Supervisor, Eric Ridley.

“On behalf of Schuyler County, I want to say thank you to Congresswoman Tenney for supporting our project submission to improve our county’s Emergency Operations Center. This new Emergency Operations Center will house our county’s Emergency Management department, 911/Dispatch, Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office, and the Schuyler County Public Health Office to improve emergency response times and recovery efforts for our taxpayers and visitors. Thank you again to Congresswoman Tenney for advocating for the project. We are appreciative of your efforts in supporting critical emergency infrastructure projects NY-24,” said the Chairman of the Schuyler County Legislator, Carl H. Blowers

“We very much appreciate the fact that Congresswoman Tenney recognizes the infrastructure needs of local governments and is working to secure $2 million in funding for the Orleans County Public Safety Building. Fixing a roof may be not be the most exciting project, but it was very necessary to maintaining that building and ensuring safe working conditions for our public safety team. We are very thankful Congresswoman Tenney delivered for us,” said the Orleans County Legislature Chairman, Lynne Johnson.

###

MIL OSI USA News –
May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: One Former Federal Bureau of Prisons Official Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Violation for Failing to Obtain Medical Care for an Inmate Who Died

Source: US State of North Dakota

She and a Second Official Also Sentenced for Making False Statements in the Federal Investigation

Former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lieutenant Shronda Covington, 49, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months in prison followed by 12 months of home confinement and three years of supervised release for violating the civil rights of an inmate in her custody and control by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in the inmate suffering, bodily injury, and for lying to federal investigators about the offense. The inmate later died of injuries he sustained over the course of a 30-hour period spanning Jan. 9 and 10, 2021.

Former BOP nurse Tonya Farley, 54, was also sentenced today to six months in prison, six months of home confinement, and three years of supervised release for lying to federal investigators about the circumstances of the death of the inmate, who was entrusted to her care.

According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Covington was on duty and working in her official capacity at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg, Virginia, on Jan. 9, 2021. She willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care during her shift, even though she knew that W.W. had serious medical needs, and W.W. suffered bodily injury as a result. Covington was also found guilty of making false statements to federal agents about the incident.

Another BOP official, former lieutenant Michael Anderson, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the inmate’s death and was sentenced to three years in prison.

“Federal correctional officials who fail to do their jobs at the cost of inmate safety should be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Further, officials who obstruct investigations of their misconduct violate the public’s trust.”

“Custody includes a responsibility for safety and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Corrections staff must uphold that responsibility for persons in their care – or they will be held accountable for their failure to do so, like the defendants in this case.”

“This case is a powerful reminder that BOP officials who disregard their responsibility to provide a humane environment for inmates will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Tim Edmiston of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region.

Evidence presented at trial established that, in the early morning hours of Jan. 9, 2021, W.W.’s cellmate reported to facility staff that W.W. was exhibiting unprecedented behavior, including that he was suddenly disoriented, unable to talk, unable to stand or walk without falling, and unable to control his bladder. Over the course of two days, BOP officials knew of but disregarded W.W.’s symptoms.

Without medical attention to address his medical crisis, W.W. fell into walls and other objects numerous times, causing significant bruising and bleeding to his head and body. Although BOP policy requires staff to provide necessary medical care to inmates, defendant Covington failed to respond to repeated calls for help from the officers she supervised during her shift on the morning of Jan. 9, 2021.

On the morning of Jan. 10, 2021, W.W. finally fell head-first into a wall and then to the floor in an observation cell, where — despite inmate-observers’ continued calls for help — he lay for an hour and 40 minutes before officers rendered aid. An autopsy concluded that W.W. died of blunt force trauma to his head and that the lack of medical assistance he received during his series of falls and after his last fall contributed to his death.

Farley was the last medical provider to see W.W. before his death. Despite BOP policies requiring her to confer with a physician about W.W.’s care, and despite Farley’s admission that she should have conferred with a physician and sent W.W. to the hospital, Farley failed to take these steps. She then falsely told federal investigators that she had conferred with a physician, even though she had not done so. Farley also misled investigators about her conversations with another prison official.

The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Katherine McCallister of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison For Federal Civil Rights Crime in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia Jail

Source: US State of North Dakota

A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Steven Nicholas Wimmer, 25, of Bluefield, was sentenced to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

With his guilty plea, Wimmer acknowledged that he responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Officers, including Wimmer, then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Wimmer admitted that officers struck Q.B. in the interview room in order to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Wimmer further admitted that he was a member of the conspiracy who injured Q.B. inside the interview room while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed, and posed no threat.

Wimmer and former Southern Regional Jail corrections officer Andrew Fleshman pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2023, to conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against Q.B. Fleshman, 22, of Shady Spring, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14. On Nov. 29, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted six other defendants in connection with the death of Q.B. In November 2024, former correctional officers Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled for June 16. On Aug. 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Q.B.’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled for June 9.

On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. Lester is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.

Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-134.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Two Honduran Men Sentenced to Prison for their Roles in International Human Smuggling Conspiracy

Source: US State of North Dakota

Note: See superseding indictment here.

Two Honduran men were sentenced today to three years in prison for their roles in a scheme to illegally smuggle Honduran nationals into the United States.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, for almost a year, Hennessy Devon Cooper Zelaya, 29, and Rudy Jackson Hernandez, 38, both of Utila, Honduras, conspired with at least six others to bring Honduran nationals from Honduras to the United States via two vessels, the Masita III and the M/V Pop. The vessels sailed from Utila, Honduras to Louisiana. The aliens and/or their family members paid thousands of dollars to be brought illegally into the United States by boat. Upon arrival, the aliens were picked up by co-conspirators and driven further into the United States. The co-conspirators then placed some of the aliens in jobs at U.S. factories and other businesses knowing that the aliens lacked authorization to enter, remain, or work in the United States. The defendants were part of the vessels’ crew on multiple voyages.

In February 2022, the defendants attempted to illegally bring 23 Honduran nationals from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, aboard the M/V Pop, a 65’ sportfishing vessel. During the voyage, the M/V Pop developed engine trouble and lost power. The co-conspirators then chartered a boat to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Before the chartered boat reached the disabled vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the vessel approximately 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana and towed it to shore. Inside the vessel, law enforcement officers also found 24 kilograms of cocaine.

Cooper Zelaya and Jackson Hernandez were convicted after trial of conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.

The lead defendant in the case, Carl Allison, previously pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. Three additional co-conspirators, all Honduran nationals, pleaded guilty last year for their roles in the scheme: Darrel Martinez, 41, and Josue Flores-Villeda, 36, pleaded guilty to the same charges as Allison; and Lenord Cooper, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and assist aliens to enter the United States unlawfully and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. A fifth man, Honduran national Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado, was extradited from Honduras in April and is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Maldonado’s trial is scheduled for June 16. An indictment is merely an allegation, and Maldonado is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.

The HSI Houma, Louisiana Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the HSI Pittsburgh Field Office, HSI Atlanta Field Office, and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police, and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance.

Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) in Honduras provided assistance.

The sentencings are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and OPDAT, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.

This case is also supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: FBI Chicago Announces Arrest of Eight Alleged Child Sex Abuse Offenders, Part of Nationwide Operation Restore Justice

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

CHICAGO—As part of a national surge of resources to arrest accused child sex abuse offenders and combat child exploitation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Chicago Field Office has announced the arrest of seven (7) Chicago-area subjects and one (1) Florida-based subject. These arrests were part of a nationwide effort by all 55 FBI field offices for Operation Restore Justice, which led to the apprehension of more than 205 subjects last week.

Operation Restore Justice, which launched on April 28 and concluded on May 2, marked a national FBI effort between federal, state, and local partners. FBI Chicago’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF), which includes Task Force Officers (TFO) from local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, was responsible for the investigation and apprehension of the accused. The defendants in Chicago’s investigations are charged with various child abuse or exploitation crimes, including possession, receipt, and distribution of child pornography; transferring obscene material to a minor; or coercion and enticement. One of these investigations required the support of FBI Chicago’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team during the execution of an arrest warrant on April 30.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

“Predators who seek to exploit or abuse our children are a danger to society and will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta. “Combatting child sexual abuse stands as one of our top criminal investigative priorities. As Child Abuse Prevention Month comes to a close, the FBI reaffirms our commitment of utilizing every tool in our arsenal to keep our children and communities safe.”

“The charges announced today are the result of a collaborative law enforcement effort led by the FBI that seeks to hold these defendants accountable and provide justice for vulnerable victims,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will never waver in our commitment to protecting our nation’s children.”

As the nation marked National Child Abuse Prevention month in April, Operation Restore Justice was the result of a dedicated and targeted effort, reflecting countless hours of work by hundreds of special agents, intel analysts, and other FBI personnel. It further emphasizes the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Bureau works relentlessly to investigate these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of prevention, community education, and the FBI’s never-ending pursuit of criminals who exploit our children.

The FBI proactively identifies individuals involved in child sexual exploitation and the production of child sexual abuse material through our far-reaching, nationwide network of personnel and law enforcement partners. The Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program provides a rapid, proactive, and comprehensive capacity to counter all threats of abuse against children. The FBI also leads a Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force which includes nearly 100 international TFOs representing over 60 countries to expand our ability to address the threat worldwide. The FBI also partners with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 at 1-800-THELOST and on missingkids.org. In further partnership and collaboration with NCMEC, the FBI launched the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) in 2004 to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. To date, ECAP has identified 36 individuals.

For more information about the crimes investigated by the FBI as well as the variety of resources we provide to protect and keep children safe, please visit:

As always, the FBI urges the public to remain vigilant and report any suspect crime against a child to 9-1-1 and local law enforcement immediately, as well as the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), online at tips.fbi.gov, or by contacting the Chicago Field Office at (312) 421-6700.

MIL Security OSI –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: FBI Director Shows Up to Budget Hearing With “No” Timeline for Budget, Walks Back His Criticism of Trump’s Plan for Big Cuts at FBI

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Asked about FBI budget, Patel tells Senate Appropriations Committee: “I’m not asking you for anything at this time.”
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks and questioning***
Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee hearing on the FY26 budget for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, grilled Director Kash Patel on President Trump’s proposed budget for the FBI, the Department of Justice’s sweeping cancellation of grants to local law enforcement, and how the FBI is focusing its resources.
In opening comments, Vice Chair Murray said:
“The FBI does really crucial work to keep our nation safe—whether it’s stopping criminal organizations, or domestic terrorists. It protects our nation’s secrets, prevents cyber attacks, keeps our children safe from harm, and a lot more. So, this is really sober work with extremely high stakes.
“And I’m concerned that instead of focusing on the incredibly important mandate—to keep Americans safe and to help impartially enforce our laws—under your leadership, Director Patel, the FBI has been weaponized to go after Americans who disagree with the President. FBI resources have been diverted away from combatting terrorism to focusing on immigration requests.
“All of this—the diverted mission, fewer resources, fewer agents, heightened politicization—is happening now under your watch, and it is, I believe, making Americans less safe.”
[LACK OF FBI SPEND PLAN AND FULL FY26 BUDGET]
Senator Murray began her questioning by pressing Director Patel on where the FBI’s statutorily-required spend plan and its full FY26 budget is.
“As Ranking Member Van Hollen noted earlier, this hearing is being held without the FBI’s fiscal year 2025 spend plan and a full budget request for fiscal year 2026. The spend plan, is required by law, it was due to Congress over a week ago, we have not yet seen it. That is really absurd. The FBI is our nation’s leading law enforcement agency, with a budget of $10.7 billion dollars—and it is critical that we understand how you are spending taxpayer dollars. So, Director Patel, when should we expect the FY25 spend plan for the FBI? Have you seen it, have you reviewed it, when will we get it?”
“I will get you an answer ma’am. I don’t have a timeline on that,” replied Director Patel.
Senator Murray noted, “It was due last week, by law.”
“I understand,” said Director Patel.
Senator Murray asked for clarification, “And your answer is you just understand, you’re not going to follow the law?”
Director Patel dodged, stating: “My answer is that I am following the law, and I’m working with my interagency partners to do this and get you the budget that you are required to have.”
“And you have no timeline?” Senator Murray inquired.
“No,” stated Director Patel.
Senator Murray then asked Patel about when the full FY26 FBI budget will arrive, stating: “Well we also need a full budget request—not a single paragraph full of wild talking points that we saw with the ‘skinny’ budget proposal. We’re now having a budget hearing without a budget request. So, Director Patel, where is the FY 2026 budget request for the FBI?”
“It’s being worked on ma’am,” said Director Patel.
“Have you reviewed it? Have you approved it?” Senator Murray continued to press.
Director Patel responded, “Not yet.”
Senator Murray asked for more details, “When will you get it?”
“As soon as I can get it from my interagency partners and get it approved,” Director Patel replied.
“Six months from now?” Senator Murray pressed.
Director Patel continued to provide no details, stating: “I don’t know ma’am. I’m not going to make up a timeline.”
Senator Murray pushed back, “Well, how do we as a Congress do our budget and our work without that request and without the spend plan?”
Director Patel demurred, stating, in part: “I’m doing the best I can.”
Senator Murray emphasized, “That is insufficient and deeply disturbing. No response?”
Director Patel stated, “I have given my response.”
[PATEL WALKS BACK CRITICISM OF TRUMP BUDGET REQUEST]
Senator Murray then asked Director Patel about his apparent disagreement with President Trump’s budget request for the FBI. On Wednesday, Patel told House appropriators that he disagreed with the more than half a billion dollar proposed cut to the FBI budget that President Trump asked Congress to make in his preliminary request submitted last week. Patel told House lawmakers: “We have not looked at who to cut. We are focusing our energies on how not to have them cut by coming in here and highlighting to you that we can’t do the mission on those 2011 budget levels.” On Wednesday, Patel said the FBI actually requested an increase in the request it submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
“Well, the FBI is already down 1,900 employees since 2023 as a direct result of the Fiscal Responsibility Act. And under the Trump administration, FBI agents, analysts, linguists, cyber experts, and scientists are being asked to do a lot more in order to keep us safe. Director Patel, we all know that budget cuts will reduce the FBI’s ability to counter threats of terrorism, and it will hinder its ability to keep pace with firearm background checks, and shutter operations that combat violent crime, drugs, gangs, and transnational organized crime,” said Senator Murray. “Now, I understand that you told our House colleagues yesterday that you don’t want to reduce the FBI workforce—meaning that you disagree with what President Trump is proposing?”
“No, I agree that we can sustain the mission with the proposed budget, and I agree with the budget,” replied Director Patel—walking back his sharp criticism of the funding levels for FBI in President Trump’s proposed budget.
“That’s different than what you told the House yesterday. What are you communicating to the President and the White House about what you need, and again, we don’t have a budget request from you, so I’m not sure what you are asking us for,” pressed Senator Murray.
Director Patel said, “I’m not asking you for anything at this time.”
Senator Murray asked, “You can operate without a budget?”
“I never said that,” replied Director Patel.
Without further details, Senator Murray said, “Well, this is unprecedented. Ok, well, let me just go to another topic, since you are not going to answer that.”
[CUTS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT]
Senator Murray then asked Director Patel about how the FBI’s mission is affected by the sweeping cuts in funding the Trump administration has already made for its local law enforcement partners, stating: “The FBI partners with state, local, and Tribal law enforcement organizations. They provide critical intelligence and operational capabilities to combat violent crime, gangs, terrorist threats, and fentanyl trafficking—challenges that our local communities really can’t face alone. I’m going to give you an example. A few years ago, the Southeast Washington Safe Streets FBI task force worked with our Benton County and Franklin County Sheriff’s Offices, multiple Tri-Cities’ police departments, and the state corrections department to carry out one of the largest-ever drug seizures in the region’s history. Now we’ve got an administration already cutting more than $800 million in assistance in 2025 to local law enforcement organizations while proposing a half billion dollar cut for the FBI. Director Patel, can you explain to this Committee how cutting resources for our local law enforcement partner agencies the FBI relies on to help your bureau keep people safe, how do you expect the FBI and local law enforcement to do more without those significant resources they need?”
“The FBI will continue to do what it does, which is work with embedded state and local law enforcement officers in our joint terrorism task force, the street task force, and our gang task forces. Those are a priority. Those billets have been maintained. Those billets have not been reduced. And with my reorientation, reprogramming—that we’ve notified congress to—you will see an augmentation in the field in every single state in this country,” replied Director Patel, dodging the question in its entirety.
Senator Murray noted, “Again, we need to see the numbers and we need to see that budget from you.”
[BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM]
She continued her questioning by pressing Director Patel on whether he will maintain the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)and support adequate funding for it, stating: “The FBI is really on the front lines of keeping guns out of the hands of very dangerous criminals. The NICS serves a really critical role in enhancing national security and public safety by conducting background checks, you know this. They are supported by the vast majority of American people. And I wanted to ask you this morning: will you commit to continuing to fund and run the FBI background check system?”
“Yes,” replied Director Patel.
[POLITICIZATION OF FBI]
Senator Murray concluded her questions by grilling Director Patel on how the FBI is focusing its resources: “President Trump has turned the Department of Justice into a tool to go after his perceived enemies, and many of the actions we have now seen at the FBI are alarming. The FBI has reassigned and pushed out career FBI agents for political reasons. We’ve seen fear and intimidation promoted throughout the Bureau, including by polygraphing your own staff. We’ve seen the arrest of a sitting judge in Wisconsin. During your confirmation hearing, you committed that there would be no politicization, no retribution at the FBI under your leadership. You have reportedly placed FBI employees responsible for investigation January 6th cases on leave. Is that keeping up your promise of no politicization, no retribution?”
Director Patel avoided the question, saying, “It is because that is wildly inaccurate. Let me tell you what the FBI has done since I got there…—”
Senator Murray interjected, “Well, that is not my question.”
Director Patel again demurred.
“But you have placed on leave FBI employees responsible for the investigation of January 6, that sounds political to me,” Senator Murray pressed.
“I have not placed anyone on leave who has not violated their ethical obligation or their oath to the constitution,” Director Patel said.
Senator Murray asked, “So, if they were investigating January 6, you believe they were violating an ethic obligation?”
“Nope, I think the common theme here is you putting words in my mouth and I am not going to tolerate it, nor will the men or women of the FBI,” Director Patel said.
“Well, you did place on leave an analyst responsible for investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election. Is that politicization, is that retribution?” Senator Murray pushed back.
Director Patel continued to dodge the question, “No, not if she broke the law or the ethical guidelines. I don’t know which case you are talking about but that’s the standard. We will hold ourselves inordinately accountable and we will not be strayed from our mission because people think we are politicizing the bureau. If you want to talk about someone who is attacked by a weaponized bureau, you are looking at him and now he’s the director of the FBI and he’s cleaning it up.”
Senator Murray concluded by emphasizing: “Well, I would just say to everyone who is listening, The FBI needs to be focused on its mission to keep the entire country safe, it should not be weaponized for partisan political gain.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Property Market – Renters could be $700/year better-off with decade-high rental stock
Source: Brainchild for RealEstate.co.nz

Supply of rental properties the highest for any April since 2016

Weekly rent softens by an average of $14/week nationally

Cost of living crisis keeps would-be renters at home while investors retain properties

Friday 9 May, 2025 – Renters have more money in their pocket and more properties to choose from as latest data from realestate.co.nz shows the supply of rental properties in New Zealand reaches the highest level for any April in almost a decade.

April abundance: market awash with rentals

The total number of new rental listings on the market last month was 5,868, up 24.1% year-on-year from 4,729. But we need to look back as far as April 2016 (6,836) to see numbers that can match the current level of supply.

Regions leading the charge with the greatest number of new listings are, to be expected, New Zealand’s big three: Auckland (2,375, up 8.6% year-on-year), Canterbury (704, up 39.4% year-on-year), and Wellington (691, up 196.6% year-on-year).

Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz, says three key trends over the past 18 months have contributed to this rental market:

Short to long-term rentals: “The number of holiday homes and Airbnbs that are being converted back from short-term rentals into long-term rentals.”
Cost of living crisis: “When we look at our typical rental demographic (those aged 18-25), they’re doing one of two things: staying at home with their parents because of the cost of living or departing New Zealand shores and moving overseas.”

Investors holding tight: “A slower sales market over the last 2.5 years has seen investors holding onto their properties.”

Renters reap benefits as rates reduce

Further good news for renters is the softening in rental price, with the national average down by $14 per week year-on-year. The capital city had one of the highest falls in rental prices, with a year-on-year reduction of 7.2% or $50 per week ($647/week in April 2025 compared to $697/week in April 2024).

Subsequent rate falls occurred in the Central North Island, down 6.9% on April last year, and Taranaki, down 5.7% year-on-year.

Williams says $14 extra in a tenant’s pocket per week over a 52-week period can result in a saving upwards of $700.

“That’s a nice three-seater sofa for the flat or a weekend away. In today’s current economic climate, $700 can go a long way.”

Central Otago and Lakes bucks the trend

As to be expected there’s always a region that bucks the trend. Central Otago and Lakes reported an all-time high with an average rental price of $870 per week in April, a 3.0% increase year-on-year.

Although the region’s 148 new listings reported in April was a 22.1% drop from the 190 listings in March, the region’s April numbers reflect a 35.8% year-on-year increase.

“Central Otago and Lakes’ rental activity corresponds with our sales property data, which confirms the region’s reputation as one of the most highly valued markets in the country,” says Williams. “It’s not surprising to see this region continue to command top dollar with its beautiful homes, attractive lifestyle, and strong tourist market.”   

About realestate.co.nz 

We’ve been helping people buy, sell, or rent property since 1996. Established before Google, realestate.co.nz is New Zealand’s longest-standing property website and the official website of the real estate industry.

Dedicated only to property, our mission is to empower people with a property search tool they can use to find the life they want to live. With residential, lifestyle, rural and commercial property listings, realestate.co.nz is the place to start for those looking to buy or sell property.

Market insights: Search by suburb to see median sale prices, popular property types and trends over time.

Sold properties: Switch your search to sold to see the last 12 months of sales and prices.

Valuations: Get a gauge on property prices by browsing sold residential properties, with the latest sale prices and an estimated value in the current market. 
MIL OSI New Zealand News –
May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: One Former Federal Bureau of Prisons Official Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Violation for Failing to Obtain Medical Care for an Inmate Who Died

Source: United States Attorneys General 1

She and a Second Official Also Sentenced for Making False Statements in the Federal Investigation

Former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lieutenant Shronda Covington, 49, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months in prison followed by 12 months of home confinement and three years of supervised release for violating the civil rights of an inmate in her custody and control by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in the inmate suffering, bodily injury, and for lying to federal investigators about the offense. The inmate later died of injuries he sustained over the course of a 30-hour period spanning Jan. 9 and 10, 2021.

Former BOP nurse Tonya Farley, 54, was also sentenced today to six months in prison, six months of home confinement, and three years of supervised release for lying to federal investigators about the circumstances of the death of the inmate, who was entrusted to her care.

According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Covington was on duty and working in her official capacity at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg, Virginia, on Jan. 9, 2021. She willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care during her shift, even though she knew that W.W. had serious medical needs, and W.W. suffered bodily injury as a result. Covington was also found guilty of making false statements to federal agents about the incident.

Another BOP official, former lieutenant Michael Anderson, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the inmate’s death and was sentenced to three years in prison.

“Federal correctional officials who fail to do their jobs at the cost of inmate safety should be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Further, officials who obstruct investigations of their misconduct violate the public’s trust.”

“Custody includes a responsibility for safety and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Corrections staff must uphold that responsibility for persons in their care – or they will be held accountable for their failure to do so, like the defendants in this case.”

“This case is a powerful reminder that BOP officials who disregard their responsibility to provide a humane environment for inmates will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Tim Edmiston of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region.

Evidence presented at trial established that, in the early morning hours of Jan. 9, 2021, W.W.’s cellmate reported to facility staff that W.W. was exhibiting unprecedented behavior, including that he was suddenly disoriented, unable to talk, unable to stand or walk without falling, and unable to control his bladder. Over the course of two days, BOP officials knew of but disregarded W.W.’s symptoms.

Without medical attention to address his medical crisis, W.W. fell into walls and other objects numerous times, causing significant bruising and bleeding to his head and body. Although BOP policy requires staff to provide necessary medical care to inmates, defendant Covington failed to respond to repeated calls for help from the officers she supervised during her shift on the morning of Jan. 9, 2021.

On the morning of Jan. 10, 2021, W.W. finally fell head-first into a wall and then to the floor in an observation cell, where — despite inmate-observers’ continued calls for help — he lay for an hour and 40 minutes before officers rendered aid. An autopsy concluded that W.W. died of blunt force trauma to his head and that the lack of medical assistance he received during his series of falls and after his last fall contributed to his death.

Farley was the last medical provider to see W.W. before his death. Despite BOP policies requiring her to confer with a physician about W.W.’s care, and despite Farley’s admission that she should have conferred with a physician and sent W.W. to the hospital, Farley failed to take these steps. She then falsely told federal investigators that she had conferred with a physician, even though she had not done so. Farley also misled investigators about her conversations with another prison official.

The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Katherine McCallister of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison For Federal Civil Rights Crime in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia Jail

Source: United States Attorneys General 1

A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Steven Nicholas Wimmer, 25, of Bluefield, was sentenced to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

With his guilty plea, Wimmer acknowledged that he responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Officers, including Wimmer, then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Wimmer admitted that officers struck Q.B. in the interview room in order to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Wimmer further admitted that he was a member of the conspiracy who injured Q.B. inside the interview room while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed, and posed no threat.

Wimmer and former Southern Regional Jail corrections officer Andrew Fleshman pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2023, to conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against Q.B. Fleshman, 22, of Shady Spring, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14. On Nov. 29, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted six other defendants in connection with the death of Q.B. In November 2024, former correctional officers Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled for June 16. On Aug. 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Q.B.’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled for June 9.

On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. Lester is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.

Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-134.

MIL Security OSI –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Honduran Men Sentenced to Prison for their Roles in International Human Smuggling Conspiracy

Source: United States Attorneys General 1

Note: See superseding indictment here.

Two Honduran men were sentenced today to three years in prison for their roles in a scheme to illegally smuggle Honduran nationals into the United States.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, for almost a year, Hennessy Devon Cooper Zelaya, 29, and Rudy Jackson Hernandez, 38, both of Utila, Honduras, conspired with at least six others to bring Honduran nationals from Honduras to the United States via two vessels, the Masita III and the M/V Pop. The vessels sailed from Utila, Honduras to Louisiana. The aliens and/or their family members paid thousands of dollars to be brought illegally into the United States by boat. Upon arrival, the aliens were picked up by co-conspirators and driven further into the United States. The co-conspirators then placed some of the aliens in jobs at U.S. factories and other businesses knowing that the aliens lacked authorization to enter, remain, or work in the United States. The defendants were part of the vessels’ crew on multiple voyages.

In February 2022, the defendants attempted to illegally bring 23 Honduran nationals from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, aboard the M/V Pop, a 65’ sportfishing vessel. During the voyage, the M/V Pop developed engine trouble and lost power. The co-conspirators then chartered a boat to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Before the chartered boat reached the disabled vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the vessel approximately 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana and towed it to shore. Inside the vessel, law enforcement officers also found 24 kilograms of cocaine.

Cooper Zelaya and Jackson Hernandez were convicted after trial of conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.

The lead defendant in the case, Carl Allison, previously pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. Three additional co-conspirators, all Honduran nationals, pleaded guilty last year for their roles in the scheme: Darrel Martinez, 41, and Josue Flores-Villeda, 36, pleaded guilty to the same charges as Allison; and Lenord Cooper, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and assist aliens to enter the United States unlawfully and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. A fifth man, Honduran national Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado, was extradited from Honduras in April and is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Maldonado’s trial is scheduled for June 16. An indictment is merely an allegation, and Maldonado is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.

The HSI Houma, Louisiana Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the HSI Pittsburgh Field Office, HSI Atlanta Field Office, and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police, and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance.

Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) in Honduras provided assistance.

The sentencings are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and OPDAT, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.

This case is also supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

MIL Security OSI –

May 9, 2025

Category: Finance

Delhi South CGST officials bust GST ITC fraud worth ₹7.85 crore; Chartered Accountant arrestedInvestigations reveal misuse of over 80 GSTINs with a core group of 31 GSTINs engaged in circular trading, with no actual supply of goods or services

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Delhi South CGST officials bust GST ITC fraud worth ₹7.85 crore; Chartered Accountant arrested

Investigations reveal misuse of over 80 GSTINs with a core group of 31 GSTINs engaged in circular trading, with no actual supply of goods or services