NewzIntel.com

Category: Finance

  • MIL-OSI Security: Parents of Former Boone County Schools Maintenance Director Plead Guilty to Evading Financial Reporting Requirements

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

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael P. Barker, 68, and Lana Barker, 66, both of Foster, pleaded guilty today to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, starting on or about November 7, 2023, through on our about November 28, 2023, the Barkers made or caused to be made 11 cash deposits to their bank accounts in amounts ranging from $8,000 to $9,500 and totaling $97,215. The Barkers admitted that these transactions were specifically designed to avoid currency reporting requirements. Financial institutions are required to report cash deposits of more than $10,000, and federal law prohibits structuring multiple cash deposits to avoid this reporting requirement.

    The Barkers furthered admitted that they used the $97,215, a $30,000 bank loan, and $50,000 provided by their son, former Boone County Schools Maintenance Director Michael David Barker, to purchase property in Foster.

    Michael P. Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025, and Lana Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1, 2025. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a forfeiture money judgment.

    Today’s guilty pleas result from an investigation that led to the indictment of Michael David Barker, 47, of Foster, by a federal grand jury on December 10, 2024. The 18-count indictment alleges that Michael David Barker entered into a scheme to defraud the Boone County Board of Education out of approximately $3,400,000 while serving as maintenance director. The charges against Michael David Barker are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Jesse Marks, 65, of Rush, Kentucky, pleaded guilty on February 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Marks was the sole owner and operator of Rush Enterprises when Michael David Barker contacted him in November 2019 about Rush Enterprises selling custodial and janitorial supplies to Boone County Schools. Marks admitted that he and Barker entered into the overbilling scheme at that time. Marks is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2025.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Department of Education.

    United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price is prosecuting the cases.

    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 Nos. 2:25-cr-4 (Michael P. Barker) and 2:25-cr-5 (Lana Barker).

    ###

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Final Defendant Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

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

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jermaine Antoine Johnson, 34, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl as well as cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson participated in the DTO conspiracy in April and May 2024. Johnson admitted to supplying others with controlled substances that they distributed. Johnson further admitted that he spoke to co-conspirators about obtaining and distributing fentanyl during May 2024 phone calls that were intercepted by law enforcement.

    During a May 15, 2024, phone call, Johnson told a co-conspirator about a supplier prepared to sell controlled substances to them, and the two discussed providing $6,000 to this supplier for drugs they planned to distribute in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. Johnson admitted that he was picked up by the co-conspirator on May 20, 2024, and the two traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, where they purchased approximately $6,000 worth of fentanyl. Johnson further admitted that he and his co-conspirator returned to West Virginia the next day and discussed increasing the volume of the purchased fentanyl by adding such cutting agents as sugar and brown sugar.

    Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

    Johnson is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. All 12 have pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment.

    “Today’s guilty plea marks a major milestone in this case, which has disrupted a significant drug trafficking operation in the Beckley area,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The fact that all 12 defendants have pleaded guilty is also a testament to the teamwork of our law enforcement partners and this office and to our shared dedication to protecting our communities.”

    Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

    United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over today’s hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.

    The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

    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. 5:24-cr-90.

    ###

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: OKX Pleads Guilty to Violating U.S. Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Agrees to Pay Penalties Totaling More Than $500 Million

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

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that Aux Cayes Fintech Co. Ltd, d/b/a “OKEx,” d/b/a “OKX” (“OKX”), a Seychelles-based entity, that since at least 2017 has operated OKX, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, pled guilty today to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. In connection with today’s guilty plea and sentencing, OKX agreed to pay monetary penalties totaling more than $504 million.  The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, who presided over today’s guilty plea and sentencing.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For over seven years, OKX knowingly violated anti-money laundering laws and avoided implementing required policies to prevent criminals from abusing our financial system. As a result, OKX was used to facilitate over five billion dollars’ worth of suspicious transactions and criminal proceeds.  Today’s guilty plea and penalties emphasize that there will be consequences for financial institutions that avail themselves of U.S. markets but violate the law by allowing criminal activity to continue.”

    FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “For years, OKX flagrantly violated U.S. law, actively seeking customers in the United States—including here in New York—and even going so far as to advise individuals to provide false information to circumvent requisite procedures. Furthermore, in their failure to adhere to U.S. law, significant illicit transactions which furthered other criminal activity went undetected on their platform. Blatant disregard for the rule of law will not be tolerated, and the FBI is committed to working with our partners across government to ensure that corporations that engage in this type of conduct are held accountable for their actions.”

    According to court documents and admissions: 

    OKX is one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange platforms, with billions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency transactions occurring daily on its platform.  OKX allows registered users to place orders for spot trades in over three hundred cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. OKX users can also place orders for derivative products, including futures contracts, tied to the value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. 

    Financial institutions that operate wholly or in substantial part in the United States must register with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) as a money services business (“MSB”) and comply with federal anti-money laundering (“AML”) laws, including the Bank Secrecy Act.  These laws require the filing of suspicious activity reports and the maintenance of an adequate AML program, including an effective know-your-customer (“KYC”) program. AML programs are critical to ensure that entry-points into the U.S. financial system do not become tools criminals can use to profit from illicit activity.

    Since 2017, OKX has had an official policy preventing U.S. persons from transacting on its exchange. But contrary to this official policy, OKX sought out customers in the United States, including in the Southern District of New York. 

    From in or about 2018 through in or about at least early 2024, OKX served U.S. retail and institutional customers that engaged in over one trillion dollars’ worth of transactions through OKX. Transactions from those U.S. customers generated hundreds of millions of dollars in trading fees and profits for OKX. 

    Because OKX served U.S. retail and institutional customers, OKX knew it was required by U.S. law to register as a money services business with FinCEN, but OKX chose not to do so.[1] In fact, despite OKX’s official policy prohibiting U.S. persons from transacting on the exchange, OKX was fully aware that individuals in the United States could, and did, easily create and use OKX trading accounts.  From OKX’s founding in approximately 2017 through approximately November 2022, OKX allowed retail customers the option to create an account, receive and transfer funds, and place trades without completing a KYC process. This meant that OKX, a large financial institution, facilitated transactions on behalf of customers that it could not identify. Further, while OKX implemented a policy blocking customers with U.S.-located IP addresses from trading or depositing assets onto OKX (the “IP Ban”), OKX knew that the IP Ban could be circumvented through cheap, widely available VPN technology.  Also, through at least early 2023, OKX allowed existing accounts to continue to receive and transfer funds, and place trades, all without completing a KYC process.  And until approximately early 2024, OKX also allowed customers to place trades on the exchange through third-party entities known as “non-disclosure brokers” without the third-party entity disclosing any identifying information to OKX about the customers on whose behalf the trades were placed. 

    Even after OKX began requiring all customers to provide some KYC information to trade, OKX employees on certain occasions advised customers how to provide false information to circumvent the company’s KYC process and official policy prohibiting U.S. customers.  For example, in April 2023, an OKX employee encouraged a potential U.S. customer to open an account by providing false information about the customer’s nationality during the KYC processing, writing “I know you’re in the US, but you could just put a random country and it should go through. You just need to put Name, nationality, and ID number. You could just put United Arab Emirates and random numbers for the ID number.”  At that time, OKX did not verify the information that customers provided to open an account to trade.  In January 2024, the same employee wrote to another potential U.S. customer and asked if the individual had “any workaround on KYC outside of the US to make it potentially work.”

    During the relevant period, OKX advertised in the United States, sponsoring the Tribeca Film Festival, for example, and used affiliate marketers based in the United States to promote the exchange. OKX also allowed existing customers to promote the exchange, and provided such customers benefits for recruiting additional users. At least one such OKX customer produced a publicly-available, step-by-step instructional video educating U.S. customers about how to register with OKX using a VPN to conceal their U.S. presence.

    OKX also focused its efforts on attracting and retaining certain U.S. institutional customers, including large institutions who could provide liquidity and help OKX become one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges by making a broad range of cryptocurrencies available at competitive rates.  OKX’s U.S. institutional customers were some of OKX’s largest customers, with one such firm alone generating more than a trillion dollars in spot and derivatives transactions on OKX during the relevant period.  They provided significant liquidity, volume and trading fees for the platform, despite OKX’s knowing failure to register as an MSB and OKX’s “official” policy banning U.S. customers.

    Until approximately May 2023, OKX did not adequately or consistently use commercially available software to monitor and detect suspicious activity, including money laundering, and OKX did not have adequate controls to determine whether either party to transactions on the exchange was potentially subject to sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department. As a result, through at least early 2024, OKX was used by numerous customers as a vehicle for laundering the proceeds of suspicious and criminal activities, including more than five billion dollars of suspicious transactions and illicit proceeds, based on a review of third-party transaction data.

    In early 2024, OKX retained an external compliance consultant (the “Consultant”) to advise OKX on policies and controls reasonably designed to prevent U.S. persons from engaging in transactions on OKX’s platform through accounts held at OKX.  As part of the plea agreement, OKX is continuing to retain the Consultant, at its own cost, through February 2027, and has agreed to continue to cooperate with the United States Attorney’s Office.

    *                *                *

    In addition to the guilty plea, OKX, a Seychelles-based entity, also agreed to criminally forfeit $420.3 million and pay a criminal fine of approximately $84.4 million.  OKX received credit for its cooperation with the investigation and timely engaging in remedial measures, resulting in a 25% reduction off the bottom of the otherwise applicable recommended fine range.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Field Office. 

    This matter is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance & Money Laundering Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher D. Brumwell, Eli J. Mark, and Vladislav Vainberg are in charge of the prosecution.

    [1] OKX has an affiliate U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange named OKCoin USA, Inc. (“OKCoin”) which, in contrast with OKX, has registered with FinCEN as a MSB. OKCoin serves customers globally, including in the United States, and offers retail and institutional customers the ability to spot trade, including purchasing cryptocurrency using U.S. dollars. The conduct described herein that gives rise to the charge in the Information, and to which OKX pled guilty, is solely that of the unregistered MSB, Aux Cayes Fintech Co. Ltd., d/b/a “OKEx,” d/b/a “OKX,” the defendant.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Wyden Lead Colleagues in Reaffirming Congress’ Authority to Maintain Trade Restrictions on Russia

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) led eight of their Senate colleagues in a letter to President Donald Trump reaffirming Congress’ authority to maintain trade restrictions on the Russian Federation while it continues its war of aggression against Ukraine. Their letter follows the devolution of talks between the United States and Ukraine last Friday, just two weeks after the President claimed that Ukraine “should have never started [the war].”
    “Vladimir Putin is a ruthless dictator who has led the Russian Federation into a war of aggression against Ukraine with the explicit goal of denying Ukraine and its people their collective rights to independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” wrote the Senators. “Our country, in coordination with our allies and partners and with bipartisan support has imposed sweeping financial sanctions, stringent export controls, and aggressive trade restrictions on the Russian Federation.”
    In 2022, Congress passed the Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act which revoked Russia’s permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status to ensure Russian goods and services do not enjoy privileged, “most-favored nation” access to the U.S. market. Congress also passed the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act which banned the importation of all energy products from the Russian Federation.
    According to these laws, the Russian Federation must reach an agreement relating to the withdrawal of its forces and cessation of military hostilities that is accepted by the free and independent government of Ukraine, recognize the right of the people of Ukraine to independently and freely choose their own government, and pose no immediate military threat of aggression to any NATO member before the President can restore normal trade relations.
    “In light of your worrisome statements, we wish to remind you that you must not—and cannot, under statute—attempt to restore normal trade relations or lift the import ban on Russian energy products unless and until Ukraine’s peace demands are met and their free and independent government has accepted a peace agreement,” continued the Senators. “Ukraine must be at the table to determine its future, and conditions for peace cannot be imposed on Ukraine.”
    Additional signatories to the letter include Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
    The full letter can be found here.
    Senator Cortez Masto has consistently advocated for the U.S. to stand up to Russian aggression and support Ukrainian sovereignty. Earlier this year, Senators Cortez Masto and Cornyn (R-Tex.) introduced the HONOR Act to prevent businesses from claiming a foreign tax credit or deduction against taxes paid to fund the Russian government’s war machine. She has voted to pass bipartisan legislation to support Ukraine and helped pass bipartisan economic sanctions that were signed into law to hold Russia accountable for its illegal invasion of Ukraine. She voted in support of sanctions against Russia and its Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and she supported similar sanctions in the 2020 and 2021 National Defense Authorization Acts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation, Cyberstalking, and Sextortion Offenses

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

    Jackson, MS – A Jackson man entered a guilty plea to federal charges relating to a “sextortion” scheme that targeted multiple victims, including minors, across several states.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Marquez Cameron Jones Weston, 22, operated a “sextortion” scheme in which he engaged in cyberstalking, interstate threats, extortion, attempted production of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography over the internet. As part of the scheme, Weston attempted to and did extort money and sexually explicit photographic images and videos from numerous female victims, some of whom were minors, over the internet.

    Weston pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography over the internet, extortion, and cyberstalking. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, 2025 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

    The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Sam Houston State University Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and Dave Fulcher are prosecuting the case.

    The FBI provides the following six tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes:

    • Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
    • Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
    • Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
    • Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
    • Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
    • Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone.

    If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources can found at Sextortion and Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI.  If you believe you are a victim in this particular case, please also contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pitt County Man Pleads Guilty in Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme that Defrauded Eastern North Carolina Investors

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

    WILMINGTON, N.C. – Willard Timothy Sutton, age 64, pled guilty to one count of mail fraud today for running a Ponzi scheme that resulted in more than 60 investors suffering net losses in excess of $8 million.  At sentencing later this year, Sutton faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.  Sutton will also be required to pay restitution to victims.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, between approximately 2019 and 2023, Sutton operated a largescale Ponzi scheme in connection with an investment program offered through Greenville Auto World, LLC (GAW), a car dealership located in Greenville.  GAW was a “buy here pay here” (BHPH) dealership.  BHPH dealerships enable customers with poor or no credit history to finance the purchase of a vehicle directly through the dealership, rather than through a bank or credit union.  Such loans typically carry significantly higher interest rates than traditional car loans.  Between approximately 2012 and 2023, as part of an investment program sponsored, promoted, and administered by GAW, Sutton sold BHPH finance contracts to outside investors through direct solicitation, referrals, and word-of-mouth advertisement.

    Beginning in approximately 2019, Sutton falsely and fraudulently led BHPH investors to believe that their investments were safe and secure, and that GAW was collecting sufficient repayments from loan customers to be able to fully pay the principal and interest owed to them.  In truth, GAW was collecting millions from investors, but it did not have the means to service the debt through BHPH revenue or any legitimate business income.  Between approximately October 2018 and August 2023, the FBI estimates that GAW collected investor funds in excess of $60 million.  However, GAW’s gross receipts were a small fraction of the total.

    In order to conceal GAW’s financial condition, and avoid the collapse of the business, Sutton operated the BHPH program as a Ponzi scheme in which he would (in a typical transaction) sell a legitimate loan contract to one investor and then sell one or more false and fabricated versions of that same contract to other investors without their knowledge.  Sutton then used the proceeds of the fraudulent sales to pay off earlier investors.  Among other things, Sutton forged loan customer signatures to the fake contracts and, in some instances, provided fake title documents to investors to convince them that their investments were appropriately secured.   

    In approximately 2022, in order to generate additional funds to meet GAW’s mounting debts to investors, Sutton solicited some BHPH investors to help finance GAW’s vehicle inventory.  Sutton falsely and fraudulently represented to these investors that he was using their funds to purchase vehicles when, in fact, Sutton was using their funds to conceal and perpetuate the Ponzi scheme.

    “Over the course of years, instead of helping so-called investors, this defendant bilked his victims out of millions of dollars of their hard earned money,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “Fraudsters should know that they will be held accountable for their crimes in the Eastern District of North Carolina.”

    “Mr. Sutton ran a local business for many years, purporting to help those with poor or no credit get much needed vehicle loans. When he ran into financial trouble, rather than admitting his business was failing, he resold those loans over and over again to outside investors to protect his own reputation at the expense those who trusted he was legitimately investing their hard earned money,” said Robert M. DeWitt the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.    

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after Chief Judge Richard E. Myers, II accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charlotte Field Office, investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-83-M.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Boston man has pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a drug distribution offense involving fentanyl. Defendant is currently awaiting trial on murder charges in Massachusetts state court.

    Csean Skerritt, a/k/a “Shizz Grimmy,” a/k/a “Black,” 36, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 6, 2025. In March 2023, Skerritt was indicted by a federal grand jury.

    As part of a drug trafficking investigation, on Feb. 1, 2023, Skerritt agreed to sell 50 grams of fentanyl to an individual in exchange for $1,500. Following a series of communications, Skerritt met the individual at a pre-arranged location. There, Skerritt entered the individual’s car and provided approximately 52.3 grams of fentanyl in exchange for the agreed-upon amount.

    On March 9, 2023, Skerritt was indicted for murder in the Massachusetts Superior Court and is awaiting trial.

    The charge of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Plutus Financial Group Limited Announces Exercise of Underwriter’s Over-Allotment Option

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Hong Kong, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plutus Financial Group Limited (“the “Company”) (NasdaqCM: PLUT), a Hong Kong-based financial services company today announced that R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc., who acted as lead underwriter for the Company’s underwritten initial public offering (the “IPO”), has exercised a portion of the over-allotment option and purchased an additional 150,000 ordinary shares of the Company at the IPO price of $4.00 per share. As a result, the Company has raised an additional $600,000 as result of the over-allotment, for a total of $9 million in gross proceeds, before underwriting discounts and other related expenses, through the issuance of a total of 2,250,000 ordinary shares in the IPO.

    R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc. acted as lead underwriter for the IPO offering, with Revere Securities LLC acting as co-underwriter. The Crone Law Group, P.C. served as lead counsel to the Company. Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP served as lead counsel to the underwriters with respect to the Offering.

    A registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-276791) relating to the IPO was previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) by the Company and subsequently declared effective by the SEC on February 4, 2025. The IPO offering was made only by means of a prospectus, forming a part of the registration statement. A final prospectus relating to the IPO offering was filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the final prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained from R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc., 40 Wall Street, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10005, or by telephone at (212) 293-9090.

    Before you invest in the Company, you should read the final prospectus and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the Offering. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About Plutus Financial Group Limited

    Plutus Financial Group Limited is a Hong Kong-based financial services holding company operating through two wholly-owned primary subsidiaries – Plutus Securities Limited (“Plutus Securities”) and Plutus Asset Management Limited (“Plutus Asset Management”). Plutus Securities, a securities broker licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong (the “SFC”) and a Participant on the HKEx stock exchange in Hong Kong, provides quality securities dealing and brokerage, margin financing, securities custody, and nominee services. As a licensed securities broker, Plutus Securities provides a range of financial services, including:

    • Hong Kong stock trading through the internet, mobile app, and customer phone hotline
    • Margin financing;
    • Securities custody and nominee services; providing secure and reliable clearing and settlement procedures;
    • Access to debt capital markets; and
    • Equity capital markets for issuers, offer underwriting for IPO and other equity placements, and marketing, distribution and pricing of lead-managed and co-managed offerings.

    Plutus Asset Management, a wealth management and advisory firm licensed by the SFC, provides wealth management services including:

    • Professional funds management;
    • Discretionary accounts with strategies developed for customers based on individual risk tolerance and investment preferences;
    • Investment consulting and advisory services for funds managed by other companies; and
    • Investment funds, including a real estate fund, a fixed income fund, a private equity investment, and a hedge fund.

    For more information, visit the Company’s website at http://www.plutusfingroup.com./en/index.php.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the Company’s proposed Offering. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, including the expectation that the Offering will be successfully completed. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and in its other filings with the SEC.

    For more information, please contact:

    Investor Relations:
    Plutus Financial Group Limited
    Attn: Jeff Yeung
    ir@plutusfingroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Firearm Violations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to committing firearm and drug trafficking crimes, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Marvin Tymous, 25, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine between September 2023 and December 2023 and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on December 15, 2023.

    Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2025. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

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

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Tymous.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Police in Northern Ireland unlawfully spied on journalists – this is not how covert policing is meant to work

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Steve Christopher, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice (Police Programmes), De Montfort University

    At the end of last year, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (an independent judiciary body) made a shocking landmark judgement. The tribunal found that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Metropolitan Police had unlawfully conducted surveillance into two investigative journalists.

    The PSNI was forced to pay £4,000 in damages to Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney, producers of No Stone Unturned, a 2017 documentary about alleged police collusion in the unsolved Loughinisland massacre in 1994.

    The two journalists were arrested in 2018 by the PSNI over leaked documents that appeared in the film. Their arrest was later ruled unlawful. Suspecting that this was one of multiple attempts by the police to identify their sources, McCaffrey and Birney brought a complaint. The tribunal’s subsequent investigation and ruling has revealed the extent of the surveillance on the pair, and drawn attention to more examples of surveillance on journalists. These are now being investigated by a review set up after the tribunal’s ruling.

    The PSNI admitted last year to making 823 applications for communications data for journalists and lawyers over 13 years. Additionally, more than 4,000 phone communications between 12 journalists were monitored by police over three months.

    The force also admitted employing covert tactics against 320 journalists while intercepting over 4,000 telephone calls and texts between McCaffrey, Birney and a dozen BBC journalists. This is espionage on an industrial scale.

    The treatment of the journalists has rightly raised concerns about press freedom. But as a senior detective who specialised in covert policing, and who now lectures criminal investigation students about the practice, I find this case extremely worrying for the future integrity of covert policing in the UK.

    Covert policing and human rights

    Covert policing refers to a combination of clandestine policing tactics used to
    lawfully access information and evidence that may not otherwise be obtainable. These tactics are an essential investigative tool in tackling contemporary organised and serious crime – they are not intended to police the 4th estate.

    Journalistic confidentiality is a privilege legally protected from covert policing, other than in exceptional circumstances. These privileges (along with legal and medical) are basic and sacrosanct, and cannot simply be ignored or trampled upon. Hence, the reason for the checks and balances in the process of authorising covert policing.

    With the advent of the UK Human Rights Act in 1998, an accountability framework was necessary for covert policing to satisfy the rights set out in the European convention on human rights.

    I was a member of various national working groups which worked tirelessly around the turn of the millennium to legitimise and regulate clandestine tactics through the introduction of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and its associated codes of practice.

    To comply with human rights, the deployment of covert policing must be justified, necessary, proportionate and lawful. Law enforcement agencies employing theses tactics are held accountable through oversight by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

    This framework has largely proved to be very effective and compliant with the relevant laws and human rights. Although there has been a rise in the number of complaints by private individuals to the IPT since 2017, less than 4% were actually found to have failed to comply with the framework.

    UK law enforcement and the public are still coming to terms with serious and systematic abuses by undercover police officers targeting campaigners over a period of 40 years. Against that backdrop, it is imperative that the deployment of covert policing by law enforcement agencies complies with the governance regime put in place.

    The tribunal found that in the case of Birney and McCaffrey, the former PSNI chief constable did not comply with the necessary legal requirements to authorise the surveillance operation. They said that the constable failed to “consider whether there was an overriding public interest justifying an interference with the integrity of a journalistic source”. Clearly, there is public interest in identifying who was responsible for the Loughinisland massacre, which is what the journalists were seeking to do with their documentary.

    Trust in police

    At the heart of this calamity lies public confidence and legitimacy in policing. The British public believes in press freedom to expose unacceptable behaviour, especially by public servants, and greatly dislikes the abuse of power by the police to prevent that.

    In this case, the police service has again overstepped the mark by its egregious conduct. And I am concerned that it is merely the tip of the iceberg. Given the collaboration between the PSNI and Met police reported in this case, it would be very surprising if such proactive “monitoring” of journalists was not underway in many forces.

    McCaffrey, Birney and others are right to call for a public inquiry to establish the extent of such covert operations by the police service. There is a clear and significant danger when the police extend their clandestine reach to unjustifiably and unnecessarily spy on journalists. A review of the extent of such operations across the UK would be in the interests of transparency and accountability. It would also go a long way to repairing the damage caused to public trust in the police and covert policing by this case.

    Steve Christopher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Police in Northern Ireland unlawfully spied on journalists – this is not how covert policing is meant to work – https://theconversation.com/police-in-northern-ireland-unlawfully-spied-on-journalists-this-is-not-how-covert-policing-is-meant-to-work-247628

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Gow School Administrator Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography

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

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Matthew Fisher, 51, of South Wales, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that between June 2022, and November 2023, Fisher was employed as the Associate Director of Enrollment and Management at the Gow School, a private boarding school in South Wales, NY. Fisher resided on the Gow School campus. He utilized hidden cameras to create and attempt to create videos of at least five minor males engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During the investigation, several of Fisher’s electronic devices were seized and found to contain child pornography depicting the five victims and several yet to be identified minor individuals.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Transit Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Patterson, and the East Aurora Police Department, under the direction of Chief Patrick Welch.

    Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Superseding Indictment Charges Two Brothers and a City Mayor’s Assistant with Tax Fraud, Public Corruption, and Money Laundering

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

    CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury returned a 32-count superseding indictment charging Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq Al Zubair, 42, recently of Bratenahl, Ohio, his brother Muzzammil Muhammad Al Zubair, 31, recently of Pepper Pike, Ohio, and their associate Michael Leon Smedley, 56, of Cleveland, with multiple fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, and public corruption schemes. The initial 22-count indictment was issued Jan. 24, 2024.

    All three defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and Hobbs Act conspiracy. The Al Zubair brothers were both charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, four counts of money laundering, theft of government funds, and aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Zubair Al Zubair was also charged with harboring a fugitive and willful failure to file a tax return.

    According to court documents, from June 2020 through August 2023, the Al Zubair brothers allegedly employed several deceptive strategies to obtain money and property from victims. Their schemes involved investment fraud, a Small Business Administration COVID-19 relief Emergency Income Disaster Loan, cryptocurrency mining, and commercial and residential real estate transactions.

    One scheme was international in scope and involved military munitions. After the Al Zubair brothers found a buyer who was looking to purchase military-grade weapons, they made contact with individuals in Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and New York about finding sources to supply the munitions their buyer was seeking. The true intent was not the actual sale of the munitions, but rather to convince the purchaser to transfer a commission to the brothers for arranging the transaction.

    The Al Zubair brothers’ ill-gotten proceeds allowed them to acquire a trove of jewelry, luxury timepieces and vehicles, as well as more than 80 firearms. Zubair Al Zubair also leased a high-end residential property in Bratenahl, Ohio, before being evicted in August 2023.

    The superseding indictment alleges that the two made exorbitant claims about their extraordinary wealth and government connections. Zubair Al Zubair said he was a member of the royal family of the United Arab Emirates through his marriage to a princess. His brother, Muzzammil, claimed to be a hedge fund manager. According to the superseding indictment, he was not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or as a broker with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and his only education on hedge funds came from watching YouTube videos. Using the illusion of being extremely educated, successful, and well-connected, the brothers befriended a public official employed with the city of East Cleveland to help them to carry out their elaborate and deceptive plots.

    As the chief of staff and executive assistant to the mayor of East Cleveland, Smedley allegedly used his position to help navigate red-tape bureaucracy and obtain specific outcomes for the Al Zubair brothers in return for things of value including checks, food and meals at high-end restaurants, and offers of future employment. For example, Smedley secured official letters on city letterhead to sway administrative and judicial proceedings, helped obtain appointment of Zubair Al Zubair as an International Economic Advisor to the city, obtained city business cards in Zubair Al Zubair’s name, and even provided the brothers with City of East Cleveland Police Badges.

    An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of actors unique to this case. These include each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

    This case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and the IRS−Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Shepherd and Om Kakani for the Northern District of Ohio. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Three Appointments to Various Boards, Fills Two County Office Vacancies 

    Source: US State of Missouri

    MARCH 4, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced three appointments to various boards and filled two county office vacancies.

    Scott Albers, of Country Club, was appointed to the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors.

    Mr. Albers is the president of Public Refrigerated Warehousing at Nor-Am Cold Storage and has served in leadership roles at the company since 2009. Active in the community, he serves on the board of the Global Cold Chain Alliance and previously held roles with the Greater St. Joseph United Way and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. Albers earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Business.

    Kathy Lambertz, of Harrisonville, was appointed as the Cass County Clerk.

    Ms. Lambertz currently serves as the chief deputy clerk in the Cass County Clerk’s Office, a position she has held since 2019. She previously served as Cass County clerk from 1999 to 2012 and worked as a senior appraiser in the assessor’s office from 2012 to 2019. With more than 30 years of experience in county government, she is also active in civic organizations, serving on the University of Missouri Extension Board and as an active member of the Harrisonville Kiwanis Club.

    William “Blaine” Luetkemeyer, of St. Elizabeth, was appointed to the University of Missouri Board of Curators.

    A retired U.S. Congressman, Mr. Luetkemeyer represented Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District from 2013 to 2025 and the 9th Congressional District from 2009 to 2013. During his tenure in Congress, he played a key role on the House Financial Services Committee, chaired multiple subcommittees, and helped secure $20 million for the NextGen MU Research Reactor at the University of Missouri. Before serving in Congress, Luetkemeyer was a Missouri State Representative, and as the Director of the Missouri Division of Tourism. Mr. Luetkemeyer has decades of experience as a small businessman, having worked as a community banker and bank examiner. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration from Lincoln University. In recognition of his contributions to higher education, Mr. Luetkemeyer received the Henry S. Geyer Award from the Mizzou Alumni Association in 2023.

    Todd Michalski, of St. Joseph, was appointed to the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors.

    Mr. Michalski is the senior vice president of sales and marketing at Gray Manufacturing Company, Inc. He serves as a board member for the Missouri Western State University Foundation and the Automotive Lift Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and minor in Marketing and Management from Missouri Western State University.

    Dave Schatz, of Sullivan, was appointed as the Franklin County Presiding Commissioner.

    Mr. Schatz is the vice president of Schatz Underground and the former president of Schatz Construction. He previously served as Missouri Senate President Pro Tem and was a State Senator from 2015 to 2022 and a State Representative from 2011 to 2014. A longtime business owner and community leader, Schatz remains active in local government, education initiatives, and community service throughout Franklin County.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Nova Scotia Advancing Critical Mineral Opportunities

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Premier Tim Houston attended a major international mining conference to tell developers and investors that Nova Scotia is open for business and eager to advance critical minerals opportunities.

    The Premier spoke at the annual Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto today, March 4.

    “Nova Scotia has the critical minerals that the world needs for clean energy, food production, defence, healthcare and more. We can be a reliable, ethical, sustainable source of these materials and reap the economic rewards for Nova Scotians,” said Premier Houston. “We are lifting bans, breaking down barriers and inviting good companies to come talk to us about investing in Nova Scotia. We’re also taking steps in the province to better understand the full potential of our critical mineral resources.”

    The Department of Natural Resources is using $1 million from Natural Resources Canada for two projects to learn more about how the province’s critical minerals can be developed.

    The Department will use half the funding to study how critical minerals can be extracted from greenfield and brownfield sites, such as historic mine tailings sites. The study will also look at opportunities for turning the raw materials into finished products. Keeping the full value chain in the province – from exploration and mining to finished products – means more jobs and other economic benefits for Nova Scotians.

    The Department will use the rest of the money to create a model of the critical mineral potential in Nova Scotia. It will be used to encourage investment and inform development decisions in the private sector. It will also help the Department with effective land management.

    Also at the conference today, Canada’s energy and mines ministers met to discuss the country’s opportunities with critical minerals. Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton joined virtually. The ministers confirmed their commitment to working together to advance priority resource projects and to streamline regulatory processes while still upholding strong environmental and labour standards.

    Quotes:

    “The effective management of our natural resources starts with good data and ends with jobs for Nova Scotians. We are dedicated to understanding every opportunity to responsibly develop and use the critical minerals we have beneath our feet. We’re also committed to breaking down barriers within Nova Scotia and across the country to strengthen our position as we face the threat of tariffs. We’re at a pivotal moment in time where we can attract more good paying jobs, become more self-reliant and create a brighter future for everyone.”
    — Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources

    “Nova Scotia has tremendous potential for the critical minerals that are essential to achieving climate goals, such as lithium copper, and many more. Premier Houston’s attendance at Canada’s biggest mining industry event will help us attract investment in our critical minerals sector, create more jobs for Nova Scotians and generate more government revenue to help pay for programs like health and education. It tells the world that the Government of Nova Scotia supports our industry, and the province is a good place to invest.”
    — Sean Kirby, Executive Director, Mining Association of Nova Scotia

    Quick Facts:

    • Nova Scotia launched its critical mineral strategy in 2024; it lists 16 critical minerals that are critical because of their importance to global supply chains
    • Nova Scotia has a long and rich history in mining; today’s regulatory frameworks keep people and the environment safe through responsible, sustainable mining practices
    • on average, jobs in Nova Scotia’s mining industry pay more than $100,000 in wages and benefits; the industry employs at least 2,500 people in the province
    • the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference attracts 130 mining companies and more than 30,000 delegates each year

    Additional Resources:

    Nova Scotia’s Critical Mineral Strategy: https://novascotia.ca/natr/meb/docs/critical-minerals-strategy.pdf

    Investing to Make Canada a Global Critical Minerals Superpower (Natural Resources Canada): https://www.canada.ca/en/natural-resources-canada/news/2025/03/investing-to-make-canada-a-global-critical-minerals-superpower.html

    Natural Resources on the X platform: https://x.com/NS_DNR

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Colleagues Blast Trump and Musk’s Plans to Gut Social Security Administration, Threaten Americans’ Social Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Murray: “Donald Trump and Elon Musk are taking a wrecking ball to the Social Security Administration and putting your Social Security benefits at risk.”

    Murray: “When you make it impossible for people to meet or talk to anyone about their Social Security benefits, that’s a benefits cut. Maybe making it impossible to talk to a real person is a good business model in Silicon Valley, but it’s not how our government should treat taxpayers.”

    ICYMI: Co-President Elon Musk on Friday: “Social Security is the Biggest Ponzi Scheme of All Time

    ICYMI: FACT SHEET: Trump and Musk’s Plot to Make It Harder for Americans to Get Their Social Security Benefits

    ***VIDEO HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations, joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in blasting President Trump and Elon Musk’s plans to gut the Social Security Administration (SSA) and make it harder for Americans who’ve paid into Social Security their whole lives to get the benefits they have earned.

    The Trump administration’s plans to gut the Social Security Administration come as Elon Musk calls Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”

    Last Thursday, the Social Security Administration announced it will “soon implement agency-wide organizational restructuring that will include significant workforce reductions.” Reports indicate SSA may eliminate up to 50% of its workforce in what the agency calls “massive reorganizations,” which agencies were directed to draw up plans for in a recent Executive Order. SSA has now offered all employees incentives to leave the agency, and Trump’s acting SSA commissioner has boasted of firing employees. 90% of SSA staff work across the country outside of the agency’s headquarters. SSA staff who are not providing direct service support perform critical work that keeps the agency and Social Security system operational, including supporting SSA’s IT infrastructure.

    SSA staff ensure 73 million Americans get their Social Security benefits each month–which is more beneficiaries than ever before. They do so even though SSA’s 57,000 staff level is already at the lowest level in 50 years. Customer service at SSA has long suffered from historically low staffing levels and inadequate discretionary funding, which Democrats have pushed to increase each year while congressional Republicans push to cut non-defense funding. 

    Meanwhile, Elon Musk and DOGE are eager to close SSA field offices across the country that Americans count on. DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts” lists dozens of SSA field offices they have or will terminate leases for. In 2023, SSA field offices had nearly 120,000 Americans visit per day.

    Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below:

    “We’re here today because Donald Trump and Elon Musk are taking a wrecking ball to the Social Security Administration and putting your Social Security benefits at risk. 

    “People need help getting Social Security at some of the most vulnerable points in their lives—whether that’s the death of a spouse, the onset of a disability, or the loss of income that comes with retirement.

    “And despite what Elon Musk says—Social Security is not a Ponzi Scheme.

    “Social Security is a promise that the American people should be able to count on after paying into it their entire lives.

    “And part of that promise means being able to get on the phone with an actual human being without having to wait on hold for an hour, being able to visit an office in-person to get help with your benefit without having to jump through hoops or drive hundreds of miles.

    “But Trump and Elon are decimating the Social Security Administration, and without adequate staff at the agency, there will be people who can’t get their benefits—period. 

    “The American people should realize the Social Security Administration is already at its lowest level of staffing in fifty years!

    “That’s why fewer than 40% of people who call to talk to a Social Security agent can get through to talk to someone.

    “That’s why it takes on average 240 days to process a disability claim.

    “That’s why, last year, an estimated thirty thousand Americans died while waiting on a decision for their disability benefits.

    “Yet Trump and Elon are loudly declaring they want to significantly reduce staff further.

    “They told SSA to draw up plans to cut staff by 50% and their hand-picked Acting Commissioner is proudly declaring he wants to cut at least 7,000 Social Security Administration workers.

    “And Trump and Elon are now pushing all Social Security Administration employees out of the door.

    “They’re threatening all employees with future firings and forced reassignments while offering financial incentives to leave—that’s an  ‘offer’ that went to everyone at the agency.

    “I want to make sure everyone understands a few things: ninety percent of SSA staff work across the country outside of the agency’s headquarters at over 1,200 field offices to help people in every part of this country.

    “Staff who are not providing direct service support perform critical work that keeps the agency and Social Security system operational—including supporting the agency’s IT infrastructure.

    “Elon and DOGE are positively gleeful in touting these staffing reductions—and they are working to close as many Social Security offices as they can get away with.

    “DOGE has proudly listed 45 Social Security offices on their ‘Wall of Receipts’ as leases they have terminated.

    “When you make it impossible for people to meet or talk to anyone about their Social Security benefits—that’s a benefits cut.

    “Maybe making it impossible to talk to a real person is a good business model in Silicon Valley, but it’s not how our government should treat taxpayers.

    “Year after year, Democrats fight to boost funding for the Social Security Administration so they can hire more staff and modernize their systems. 

    “Elon Musk almost certainly doesn’t care, but for the friends and neighbors I grew up with—Social Security is the most important reason they could retire with some basic dignity.

    “Before he called Social Security a ‘Ponzi scheme,’ it was just last month that Elon called the American people who rely on federal programs like Social Security ‘parasites.’

    “Well maybe Elon could use a little refresher on American history. For decades, our federal tax code has said: if you have a higher income, you are going to chip in more. The radical thing is that right now, Social Security actually works in the opposite way.

    “If you make around $160,000 a year—you are paying the same amount into Social Security each year as a billionaire like Elon Musk.

    “Someone can make over 12 thousand times your salary—and yet their Social Security tax rate is a fraction of a fraction of what your rate is.

    “Think about that: billionaires like Elon are putting just a half a cent of every hundred thousand dollars they make into Social Security.

    “So, someone is leeching off the American taxpayer for sure but it’s not hard-working Americans who need Social Security to help them retire—it’s billionaires like Elon Musk, someone who is right now smugly breaking government agencies he knows nothing about, all to enrich himself with more tax cuts.

    “This is not a left or right issue—Americans of all political affiliations rely on Social Security. This is about whose side you’re on.

    “Democrats are with the workers, middle-class families, seniors—and that’s why we are telling Elon to get his hands off Social Security.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wyoming County Ambulance Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Christopher J. Smyth, 49, of Pineville, was sentenced yesterday, March 3, 2025, to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,616,704.76 in restitution for not paying the taxes withheld from employees’ wages at an ambulance service he operated and obstructing the IRS’ efforts to collect those taxes.

    According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from 2012 through part of 2017, Smyth operated Stat EMS LLC, an ambulance service located in Pineville. Smyth created Stat EMS after a previous ambulance business Smyth operated accrued millions of dollars of employment tax liabilities and filed for bankruptcy. Smyth caused Stat EMS to be founded in the name of a nominee owner but continued operating the business in the same manner as before.

    At Stat EMS, Smyth was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying them to the IRS.  For years, however, Smyth did not fully pay the taxes to the IRS. Instead, he paid various personal expenses and transferred funds to businesses held by his friends and family. The IRS determined that Stat EMS accrued approximately $3.3 million in unpaid taxes.

    Eventually, the IRS assessed the unpaid taxes against Smyth personally and attempted to collect those assessments from him. When interviewed by an IRS revenue officer attempting to collect Smyth’s unpaid tax debts, Smyth stated that he had no personal bank accounts and denied that he used anyone else’s. In reality, however, he regularly deposited his paychecks into an account in a relative’s name. He also attempted to mislead the revenue officer by representing that he had nothing to do with several other businesses, even though he had signature authority over their bank accounts.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.

    “The jury found that Mr. Smyth failed to pay more than $4.6 million withheld from his employees’ wages and obstructed efforts to recover those withholdings,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Ambulance services are critical to our communities, and Mr. Smyth repeatedly chose to jeopardize his by engaging in a 15-year scheme that was immense in its scope and scale. The sentence in this case serves to deter others who seek to break the law at the expense of the American taxpayer.”

    The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) investigated the case.

    Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorneys Kavitha Bondada and Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Goes for the Southern District of West Virginia, prosecuted the case.

    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.

    ###

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Seven Defendants in Armed Transnational Cocaine and Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracies

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

    Four Defendants Arrested in Three U.S. States, Along With the Seizure of More Than 350 Kilograms of Methamphetamine, 100 Kilograms of Cocaine, and Four Firearms

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Francis J. Russo, the Director of Field Operations for the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging seven defendants with narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.

    Since at least in or about October 2023, SHEHNAZ SINGH, a/k/a “SHAWN,” along with his co-conspirators, AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “AMRIT,” a/k/a “Bal,” AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “CHEEMA,” TAKDIR SINGH, a/k/a “ROMY,” SARBSIT SINGH, a/k/a “SABI,” and GURLAL SINGH (“GURLAL”), operated a transnational conspiracy to import cocaine into the U.S. from Colombia and distribute the drug in cities across the U.S. and into Canada.  Beginning in or about April 2024, a subset of these conspirators—led by ROMY and SABI, and joined by co-conspirators including FERNANDO VALLADARES, a/k/a “FRANCO”—stole a cache of cocaine from their original co-conspirators and agreed to distribute it out of, among other places, hotels in New York City.  Members of the two armed drug trafficking conspiracies hunted each other down, brandished a firearm, and threatened the lives of each other and innocent family members. 

    Four defendants are in custody after arrests made on the morning of February 26, 2025.  Searches of various of the defendants’ residences and vehicles conducted at the time of arrest resulted in the seizure of four firearms, approximately 391 kilograms of methamphetamine, and approximately 109 kilograms of cocaine. CHEEMA was arrested in the Eastern District of California and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher D. Baker and detained; ROMY and SABI were arrested in the Northern District of Ohio and were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Grimes Jr. and detained; and FRANCO was arrested in the Eastern District of New York, presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo, and released on certain conditions.  AMRIT and GURLAL are in custody in Pennsylvania after prior arrests.  SHAWN remains at large. 

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For more than a year, Shehnaz Singh and his associates not only imported dangerous drugs to sell across the United States but also armed themselves with deadly weapons and endangered communities here in New York City and around the country.  This week, we and our law enforcement partners halted that dangerous activity and took drugs and guns off the street.  I commend the career prosecutors of the Southern District of New York, and our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, for their tireless efforts to disrupt this dangerous distribution network and to keep communities safe for our country and our neighbors, too.  We hope that today’s charges bring accountability to those who push drugs and use violence to protect their criminal organizations.”

    CBP Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo said: “Every day our CBP officers and law enforcement partners relentlessly pursue the most vicious and brutal criminal drug organizations in the world who do business globally and right here in our local communities and neighborhoods. We will not stop until networks such as this one and their criminal facilitators are off the street and brought to justice. CBP will continue its unwavering commitment to keeping Americans safe from the dangers of drugs and the violence they often bring.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Indictments, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:[1]

    Since at least in or about October 2023, a group of conspirators led by SHAWN—a Canada-based drug trafficker who holds himself out as a corrupt police officer—operated a drug trafficking organization that imported cocaine into the U.S., transported it to stash houses and other distribution sites using networks of trucking companies and drivers, and sold it in communities across the U.S. and into Canada (the “Original Cocaine Conspiracy”). AMRIT and CHEEMA, served as, among other things, SHAWN’s enforcers, and helped operated the drug trafficking organization by safekeeping and distributing cocaine while armed with guns.

    Members of the Original Cocaine Conspiracy imported cocaine into the U.S. from Colombia and delivered the drug to coconspirators in the midwestern U.S., including a vacant home used by AMRIT and others in Indiana. From there, the cocaine was distributed across the U.S. and to Canada, including through and to California, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.  This cross-border trade, from Colombia to the U.S. and Canada, was lucrative. As AMRIT described it: “It costs roughly about two, four, or five thousand dollars per [kilo in Colombia]. When it reaches America, it’s worth twelve to thirteen thousand. When it reaches Canada, it’s thirty thousand.”  In total, this organization was moving more than 600 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine a week.

    Beginning in or about April 2024, a subset of the Original Cocaine Conspiracy’s members—ROMY and SABI—stole a large cache of cocaine from their co-conspirators in the Original Cocaine Conspiracy and worked with others, including FRANCO—to distribute the stolen cocaine from, among other places, two hotels in New York City (the “Stolen Cocaine Conspiracy”).  After a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) crashed a truck carrying approximately 10 kilograms of the group’s cocaine and abandoned his cargo, members of the Original Cocaine Conspiracy announced plans to travel to New York with weapons to reclaim their stolen drugs and serve vengeance on members of the Stolen Cocaine Conspiracy and their families.  As AMRIT put it: “We need our stuff.  We aren’t letting anyone go.  We are going to kill them all.”  The day before arriving in New York City, AMRIT and CHEEMA, took photos of themselves displaying weapons over a large cache of stacked cocaine.

    Once in New York, AMRIT and CHEEMA threatened members of the Stolen Cocaine Conspiracy and their family members with violence.  In just one such incident, at a meeting in front of a home on suburban Long Island, AMRIT thrust a handgun into CC-1’s teenage brother’s neck while demanding to know the location of the stolen cocaine.

    While executing arrests of certain of the defendants and searches of various residences and vehicles, law enforcement agents seized four firearms, approximately 391 kilograms of methamphetamine, and approximately 109 kilograms of cocaine.  CHEEMA was stopped while fleeing a residence in Bakersfield, California, and arrested in possession of a loaded handgun.  Three additional firearms were seized from residences or vehicles belonging to or controlled by ROMY and SABI in Cleveland, Ohio, where agents also seized approximately 391 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately 109 kilograms of cocaine.  The seized firearms and narcotics are shown below.

    Cocaine intercepted en route to ROMY and SABI

    Methamphetamine seized from SABI’s residence

    *                *                *

    A chart containing the charges and minimum and maximum penalties each defendant faces is attached. The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and CBP. Mr. Podolsky further thanked the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the Cleveland Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) Strike Force, the Cleveland Division of Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office and Bakersfield Resident Agency, the FBI’s Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, & Laundering Task Force, the Cleveland Division of Police Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Bakersfield (Calif.) Police Department, for their assistance and cooperation in the investigation.

    This prosecution is part of an OCDETF operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Kinder and Justin Horton are in charge of the prosecution.

    The charges in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    Defendant

    Age

    Charges

    Minimum and Maximum Sentences
    SHEHNAZ SINGH, a/k/a “Shawn”

    34

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “Amrit,” a/k/a “Bal”

    30

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of seven consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “Cheema”

    26

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    TAKDIR SINGH, a/k/a “Romy”

    33

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    SARBSIT SINGH, a/k/a “Sabi”

    32

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    GURLAL SINGH

    29

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    FERNANDO VALLADARES, a/k/a “Franco”

    36

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison

    [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictments and the description of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: 10/2025・Trifork Group AG – Reporting of transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announcement no. 10 / 2025
    Schindellegi, Switzerland – 4 March 2025


    Reporting of transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities

    Pursuant to the Market Abuse Regulation Article 19, Trifork Group AG (Swiss company registration number CHE-474.101.854) (“Trifork”) hereby notifies receipt of information of the following transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities in Trifork.

    1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
    a) Name Jørn Larsen
    2. Reason for the notification
    a) Position/status CEO
    b) Initial notification/
    Amendment    		 Initial notification
    3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
    a) Name Trifork Group AG
    b) LEI 8945004BYZKXPESTBL36
    4.1 Details of the transaction(s)
    a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

    Identification code

    		 Shares

    ISIN CH1111227810
    b) Nature of the transaction Sale
    c) Price(s) and volume(s) Price(s) Volume(s)
    DKK 83.55 60,000
    d) Aggregated information
    —
    Aggregated volume —
    Price    		 Total volume: 60,000

    Total price: DKK 83.55

    Total value: DKK 5,013,000
    e) Date of the transaction 3 March 2025
    f) Place of the transaction Nasdaq Copenhagen (XCSE)


    Investor and media contact
    Frederik Svanholm, Group Investment Director, frsv@trifork.com, +41 79 357 73 17


    About Trifork
    Trifork is a pioneering global technology partner, empowering enterprise and public sector customers with innovative solutions. With 1,229 professionals across 73 business units in 16 countries, Trifork delivers expertise in inspiring, building, and running advanced software solutions across diverse sectors, including public administration, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, energy, financial services, retail, and real estate. Trifork Labs, the Group’s R&D hub, drives innovation by investing in and developing synergistic and high-potential technology companies. Trifork Group AG is a publicly listed company on Nasdaq Copenhagen. Learn more at trifork.com.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján: Trump’s Trade War Will Increase Costs for New Mexicans, Have Devastating Consequences for American Industries and Jobs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    WSJ: “Economists say American importers and businesses will likely pass along the cost of tariffs to consumers, meaning individuals are likely to see higher prices at grocery stores and car dealerships.”
    POLITICO: “The agriculture industry will take a major hit from the new 25 percent duties on Mexico and Canada that went into effect at midnight.”
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, issued the following statement on President Trump imposing sweeping tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China:
    “President Trump’s reckless Trade War will lead to higher prices for New Mexicans on groceries, energy, cars, electronics, and more. Instead of strengthening our economy, he’s putting American jobs and businesses at risk while pushing the Tax Scam 2.0 for the wealthy and gutting essential programs. These tariffs could cost American families up to $2,000 a year in higher prices.
    “We’ve seen this before. During his first term, President Trump’s tariffs cost the agriculture industry billions of dollars. Now, our farmers and ranchers are once again paying the price. Despite President Trump’s claims, it’s American families and businesses who will bear the brunt of these tariffs.
    “President Trump is doing nothing to lower costs for hardworking Americans.”  
    Fact sheets on New Mexico trade with Canada, Mexico, and China are available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: AI-powered sales journeys: Personalization for exceptional customer experiences

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: AI-powered sales journeys: Personalization for exceptional customer experiences

    Personalized customer engagement is no longer just an advantage; it’s an expectation. Sales teams are increasingly tasked with delivering real-time, tailored interactions across multiple touchpoints, all while managing a growing number of prospects and customers. The challenge is maintaining that high level of personalization without overwhelming the team or losing the quality of engagement. 

    We see that many businesses encounter significant challenges when attempting to scale personalized interactions to meet the needs of a diverse and growing customer base. Traditional methods that worked well with smaller datasets and pipelines simply can’t keep up with the demands of a modern, fast-paced sales environment. Companies are looking for better ways to manage and orchestrate customer journeys to deliver relevant, personalized experiences at every stage. 

    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales

    Elevate your customer experiences by personalizing them at scale. 

    The complexity of personalizing at scale 

    Using outdated CRM systems or doing things manually often means sales teams have to send out generic messages that don’t really connect with individual customers. This makes the engagement feel off, and opportunities slip through the cracks. 

    The main issue here is that most systems don’t provide real-time insights into what customers are doing. Without up-to-date data, sales teams end up reacting to customer actions instead of anticipating them. As the number of leads grows, it’s nearly impossible to maintain the kind of deep engagement needed to really connect with customers at every stage. 

    Orchestrating seamless customer journeys with Microsoft AI-driven insights 

    AI helps companies take a proactive approach to personalizing customer journeys. By analyzing customer behaviors in real-time and delivering actionable recommendations, AI gives sales teams the insights they need to anticipate customer needs and offer solutions before prospects even ask for them. 

    Beyond insights, AI orchestrates the entire customer journey, helping to ensure that interactions across channels are cohesive and relevant. Whether a prospect first interacts with a brand through email, social media, or a sales meeting, AI helps to ensure that their journey is connected, personalized, and moves them further down the funnel. 

    Dynamics 365 optimizes every step of the customer journey 

    Let’s explore how AI-powered insights optimize key stages of the sales journey, enabling sales teams to focus on high-value tasks while still delivering tailored customer experiences.

    Enhancing customer interactions with Microsoft 365 Copilot

    Effective customer interactions are built on understanding the customer’s history, preferences, and current pain points. However, gathering that information can be tedious and fragmented when done manually, leading to inconsistent and incomplete preparation. 

    With AI-generated opportunity summaries, sales teams can walk into every meeting fully prepared. Real-time insights about the customer’s journey—including previous interactions, product interests, and engagement history—help to ensure that each interaction is tailored to the customer’s needs. Instead of scrambling to piece together information, sales teams can focus on building relationships and delivering value from the outset. 

    Investec is a great example here. By using Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales, they have been able to improve their client relationships while saving about 200 hours a year. This allows them to redirect efforts from routine tasks towards providing a personalized customer experience. 

    Streamlining post-sale engagement and follow-ups 

    Maintaining customer satisfaction post-sale is critical for retention, but many organizations struggle with post-sale engagement. Inconsistent follow-ups or delayed CRM system updates lead to disengaged customers and missed upsell opportunities. 

    AI-powered systems automate the process, ensuring timely follow-ups and engagement reminders. For example, sales reps can receive real-time notifications when a customer interaction is needed—whether it’s a check-in call, a product recommendation, or a renewal reminder. This automation helps to ensure that no opportunity falls through the cracks, supporting teams to strengthen customer relationships and increase long-term value. 

    Just look at the work that Lynk & Co is doing to transform car usage by offering flexible options for customers to buy, borrow, or subscribe to vehicles. Using Microsoft Dynamics 365 customizable tools, they were able to quickly build an infrastructure that could create unique processes and drive highly personalized experiences. 

    Creating a cohesive, multi-channel experience 

    We know that customers engage across multiple channels—email, phone, social media, webinars, and more. Managing these touchpoints individually often results in a fragmented customer journey. Customers can feel disconnected from the brand if interactions on different platforms don’t align. 

    AI-powered tools help orchestrate seamless interactions across channels, ensuring that customers receive consistent messaging regardless of how they choose to engage. Whether it’s a follow-up after a demo, a personalized offer via SMS, or an email post-webinar, AI helps to ensure that the message is both relevant and timely. Sales teams can manage more channels without sacrificing personalization, improving the customer experience and keeping prospects engaged. 

    An interesting story here is Zurich Insurance Group. To optimize processes and handle increasing customer data, they chose Microsoft solutions, including Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, to help them find new ways to reach customers and shape customer journeys. As a result, they’ve been able to increase their lead quality by over 40%. 

    AI’s role in optimizing customer journeys 

    By continuously analyzing real-time customer behavior, AI provides sales teams with recommendations on what to do next—whether that’s sending a follow-up email, scheduling a demo, or offering a personalized discount. 

    For sales leaders, this means moving beyond surface-level engagement to deep, data-driven interactions that anticipate customer needs. Rather than reacting to each customer interaction as it happens, AI supports proactive strategies that keep prospects moving smoothly through the sales funnel. 

    Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Copilot: Delivering personalization at scale 

    The challenges of scaling personalization can be daunting, but solutions like Dynamics 365 and Copilot allow businesses to turn customer data into actionable strategies, delivering relevant, personalized interactions from the first touchpoint to post-sale follow-up.  

    With Dynamics 365 and Copilot, organizations are experiencing the following benefits: 1 

    • 15% increase in revenue per customer journey. 
    • 75% time savings on customer journey development.
    • 50% reduction in physical marketing spend.

    Here’s how Dynamics 365 addresses the key challenges of scaling personalized engagement: 

    • Natural language data exploration. Sales teams can instantly access customer insights by asking questions in simple language, such as “Which customers are nearing their renewal date?”. This streamlines data access and empowers quick, targeted action.1 
    • Segment creation with Query Assist. Easily create customer segments by describing desired traits, helping sales teams target high-value groups with precision.2 
    • AI-assisted journey creation. Define customer journey goals in plain language, and Copilot builds personalized journeys across channels, boosting engagement and conversions.3 
    • Content generation and refinement. Quickly draft messages or emails with Copilot, using tone and key point inputs to tailor content. This speeds up customer response and helps to ensure alignment with brand goals.4 

    AI can scale personalized customer engagement  

    When talking to customers, it is recommended that businesses consider personalizing engagement across their large pipelines. This can indeed be a major challenge, but with AI-powered tools like Dynamics 365 and Copilot, sales teams can effortlessly maintain meaningful, personalized interactions at every stage of the customer journey. By turning data into actionable insights, AI empowers companies to create proactive and tailored experiences that drive both loyalty and growth. Using AI allows you to scale engagement without sacrificing the personal touch, making it a valuable investment for enhancing customer relationships.  

    Access the resources below to get started on your AI journey today. You can also stay connected on LinkedIn with more information about innovation and AI transformation. 

    Learn more about how to personalize at scale with Microsoft Dynamics 365. 

    Sources:

    1 “Dialog with Data.” Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights Documentation. Microsoft, Inc., 2024.  

    2 “Copilot Overview.” Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights Documentation. Microsoft, Inc., 2024. 

    3 “Use Copilot to Create a Journey.” Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights Documentation. Microsoft, Inc., 2024. 

    4 “Content Rewrite.” Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights Documentation. Microsoft, Inc., 2024. 

    Jonathan Hunt

    Corporate Vice President, Business Applications, Commercial Solution Area

    Jonathan Hunt is Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President, Business Applications. In this role, Hunt’s focus is on helping Microsoft’s customers and partners successfully navigate their digital transformation by harnessing the power of technology to understand their data, their customers, and their systems – and to achieve more within an ethical, inclusive, and secure framework. Hunt has spent 20+ years helping organizations scale through technology, process, and change management. Prior to joining Microsoft, he led Go-to-Market Strategy & Operations for Databricks and spent 11 years at Salesforce, most recently serving as COO, North America. Hunt has a wealth of knowledge and experience in optimizing and scaling Go-to-Market models, building high-performing teams and strategic partnerships, and driving business growth, both regionally and globally. Hunt lives in the San Francisco Bay area and enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and three children. He is an aspiring runner and cyclist and enjoys seeking adventures in the backcountry when time permits.

    See more articles from this author

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbus Man Sentenced for COVID Fraud

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

    OXFORD, MS – A Columbus man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining a $200,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ramirez Ivy, of Columbus, Mississippi conspired with Lakeith Faulkner, Norman Beckwood and others to each receive $200,000 from the Small Business Administration (SBA) based on a fraudulent loan application.  The loan applications contained fictitious documents and claimed business revenue that did not exist.

    In September 2024, after a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills, the jury found Ivy and Smith guilty on all counts.

    Judge Mills sentenced Ivy to 18 months to be followed by five years supervised release and ordered him to pay $200,000 in restitution to the SBA.

    On January 23, 2025, Felicia L. Smith, Ivy’s co-defendant at the September trial, was sentenced serve six months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. Smith was ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution to the SBA.

    On December 7, 2022, Faulkner, a former SBA employee, entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On May 24, 2023, U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Faulkner to serve sixty-two (62) months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. Faulkner was also ordered to pay $10,620,452.26 in restitution to the SBA.

    On January 17, 2023, Beckwood entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Beckwood to serve 62 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. In addition to prison time, Faulkner was ordered to pay $10,620,452.26 in restitution to the SBA. In connection with his guilty plea, Beckwood also forfeited $700,147.74, a 2018 Mercedez Benz C Class and a 2020 Mercedes Benz G63.

    Thirty (30) other individual borrowers have also been charged in connection with the same scheme.

    “Ramirez Ivy was a law enforcement officer when he deceptively obtained funds that were intended to provide emergency financial relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he absolutely knew better than to engage in this type of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner.  “Today’s sentence should reinforce the fact that the prosecutorial and law enforcement partnership on display in this case will continue until the stolen money is recovered and the perpetrators have been brought to justice.”

    “Abusing a federal program designed to assist Americans in a time of need has, and will continue to be, aggressively investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. What makes this crime even more egregious is that Mr. Ivy was a police officer in a position of public trust,” stated Assistant Inspector General Gary Smith for Investigations for the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “This sentencing demonstrates our commitment to investigating and bringing to justice anyone who victimizes the American taxpayer. I want to thank TIGTA’s Special Agents, our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their unwavering dedication to this goal.”

    “Today’s sentencing of former police officer, Ramirez Ivy, demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating those who defraud the federal government, no matter their position within the community,” remarked Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff for the FBI Jackson Division. “The FBI, alongside our partners, will continue to investigate and hold individuals accountable, like Mr. Ivy, who commit fraudulent crimes against the U.S. Government.”

    “The abuse of programs designed to assist small businesses is unacceptable. This sentencing underscore the SBA Office of Inspector General’s unwavering commitment to holding fraudsters accountable and ensuring justice is served,” said Sophia Curtis Acting Special Agent in Charge of the SBA OIG’s Central Region.

    This scheme was initially uncovered during a civil investigation, led by the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Harland Webster.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton A. Dabbs, Parker S. King and Samuel D. Wright of the Northern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the criminal case.

    The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Coface SA: Disclosure of trading in own shares (excluding the liquidity agreement) made on February 24, 2025 to February 28, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COFACE SA: Disclosure of trading in own shares (excluding the liquidity agreement) made on February 24, 2025 to February 28, 2025

    Paris, 4 March 2025 – 17.45

    Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of 16 April 2014 on market abuse1

    The main features of the 2024-2025 Share Buyback Program have been published on the Company’s website (http://www.coface.com/Investors/Disclosure-requirements, under “Own share transactions”) and are also described in the 2023 Universal Registration Document.

    Trading session
    of (Date)    		 Number
    of shares    		 Weighted
    average price    		 Gross amount MIC Code Purpose
    of buyback
    24/02/2025 10,000 15.8885 € 158,885 € XPAR LTIP
    25/02/2025 10,000 16.0764 € 160,764 € XPAR LTIP
    26/02/2025 10,000 16.0722 € 160,722 € XPAR LTIP
    27/02/2025 10,000 16.2278 € 162,278 € XPAR LTIP
    28/02/2025 10,000 16.3557 € 163,557 € XPAR LTIP
    Total 24/02/2025 – 28/02/2025 50,000 16.1241 € 806,206 €   LTIP

    CONTACTS

    ANALYSTS / INVESTORS
    Thomas JACQUET: +33 1 49 02 12 58 – thomas.jacquet@coface.com
    Rina ANDRIAMIADANTSOA: +33 1 49 02 15 85 – rina.andriamiadantsoa@coface.com

    FINANCIAL CALENDAR 2025
    (subject to change)

    Q1-2025 results: 5 May 2025 (after market close)
    Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting: 14 May 2025
    H1-2025 results: 31 July 2025 (after market close)
    9M-2025 results: 3 November 2025 (after market close)

    FINANCIAL INFORMATION
    This press release, as well as COFACE SA’s integral regulatory information, can be found on the Group’s website: http://www.coface.com/Investors

    For regulated information on Alternative Performance Measures (APM), please refer to our Interim Financial Report for H1-2024 and our 2023 Universal Registration Document (see part 3.7 “Key financial performance indicators”).

      Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust.
    You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.

    COFACE: FOR TRADE
    As a global leading player in trade credit risk management for more than 75 years, Coface helps companies grow and navigate in an uncertain and volatile environment.
    Whatever their size, location or sector, Coface provides 100,000 clients across some 200 markets. with a full range of solutions: Trade Credit Insurance, Business Information, Debt Collection, Single Risk insurance, Surety Bonds, Factoring.
    Every day, Coface leverages its unique expertise and cutting-edge technology to make trade happen, in both domestic and export markets.
    In 2024, Coface employed ~5,236 people and registered a turnover of €1.84 billion.

    www.coface.com

    COFACE SA is listed in Compartment A of Euronext Paris
    ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

    1 Also in pursuant to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (and updates); Article L.225-209 and seq. of the French Commercial Code; Article L.221-3, Article L.241-1 and seq. of the General Regulation of the French Market Authority (AMF); AMF Recommendation DOC-2017-04 Guide for issuers on their own shares transactions and for stabilization measures.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Coface SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at 28 February 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COFACE SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at 28 February 2025

    Paris, 4 March 2025 – 17.45

    Total Number of
    Shares Capital    		 Theoretical Number of Voting Rights1 Number of Real
    Voting Rights2
    150,179,792 150,179,792 149,677,830

    (1)   including own shares
    (2)   excluding own shares

      Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.

    About Coface

    COFACE SA is a société anonyme (joint-stock corporation), with a Board of Directors (Conseil d’Administration) incorporated under the laws of France, and is governed by the provisions of the French Commercial Code. The Company is registered with the Nanterre Trade and Companies Register (Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés) under the number 432 413 599. The Company’s registered office is at 1 Place Costes et Bellonte, 92270 Bois Colombes, France.

    At the date of 31 December 2024, the Company’s share capital amounts to €300,359,584, divided into 150,179,792 shares, all of the same class, and all of which are fully paid up and subscribed.

    All regulated information is available on the company’s website (http://www.coface.com/Investors).

    Coface SA. is listed on Euronext Paris – Compartment A
    ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Congo and the African Development Bank celebrate the strengthening of their strategic partnership for inclusive and sustainable development

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    BRAZZAVILLE, Congo (Republic of the), March 4, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Talks held by the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) in the Republic of Congo from 24 – 28 February 2025 marked a significant step forward in strengthening the strategic partnership between the Bank and the Central African country.

    Led by Solomane Koné, Acting Director General for Central Africa, the discussions reinforced cooperation to accelerate national development priorities.

    They also coincided with the signing of two grant agreements (apo-opa.co/41HG8HS) totalling $1.5 million to address Congo’s energy challenges:

    • A $585,000 grant from the Middle Income Country Technical Assistance Fund to fund feasibility studies for hydroelectric infrastructure on the Congo River.
    • A $995,000 grant from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Trust Fund (KOAFEC) to enhance the electrical transmission line between Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville.

    “The projects funded by these agreements will help us to open up power pools with neighbouring countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. The African Development Bank will again play an essential role, since it is a stakeholder in numerous initiatives, including the new Mission 300 (apo-opa.co/41qMj1F), which our country welcomes,” commented the Congolese Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Integration, Ludovic Ngatsé, who is also the Bank Group’s governor for his country.

    “This financial support illustrates the Bank’s willingness to support Congo in modernizing its energy infrastructure, which is essential for diversifying its economy,” added Koné.

    In the digital sector, a visit to the Data Center (https://apo-opa.co/3XrGmjT), currently being built in Congo as part of the Central African Backbone fibre optic project, highlighted the country’s technological advances. This strategic centre will help improve national and regional connectivity, while supporting the emergence of an inclusive digital economy and sovereignty.

    Strategic discussions for stronger cooperation

    The Bank Group’s mission was also punctuated by high-level meetings, including with the Prime Minister, Anatole Collinet Makosso, and the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Integration, Ludovic Ngatsé, and other members of the Congolese government. The talks were an opportunity to reiterate the Bank’s commitment to supporting the structural reforms and implementation of Congo’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2022-2026.

    The Bank Group’s mission encouraged the government to pursue the satisfactory implementation of major reforms, particularly in terms of debt management, to allow the Bank to provide funding, from 2025 onwards, for core projects that have already been planned or are in preparation, particularly in the energy sector.

    “You can be reassured by the fact that we are going to keep our commitments and will continue to count on the Bank’s valuable support,” stated the Congolese Prime Minister.

    The Bank’s representatives were welcomed by the Ministers of Agriculture, Livestock Farming and Fishing; Technical and Vocational Education; Finance, the Budget and Public Holdings; and Energy and Water, among others. The talks with ministers helped consolidate the strategic dialogue on key questions, review the progress of current projects – some of which are approaching completion, with tangible results – monitor commitments and discuss the prospects of the partnership between the African Development Bank Group and the Republic of Congo.

    A meeting with United Nations representatives also provided an opportunity to explore synergies with the Bank to maximize the impact of interventions, particularly in energy. The working meeting with the Central Africa Power Pool highlighted the importance of regional integration in this sector to respond to the country’s energy security and access challenges.

    Outlook for positive cooperation

    The Bank Group’s mission to Congo also opened prospects for mobilizing new funding to support strategic sectors, especially energy, digital infrastructure and roads.

    The Bank Group’s mission to Congo explored new funding opportunities for key sectors, including energy, digital infrastructure, and roads.

    The Bank plans to provide technical assistance to help Congo reassess its GDP, incorporating natural capital—a key step in unlocking climate funding.

    Congo has also expressed interest in joining the second cohort of Energy Compacts under Mission 300 (https://apo-opa.co/41qs981), a joint initiative by the African Development Bank and World Bank.

    Lastly, discussions covered Congo’s hosting of the Bank’s 2026 Annual Meetings, with the Prime Minister reaffirming the country’s readiness to ensure a successful event.

    The Bank is planning to provide technical assistance to support Congo in “reassessing” its gross domestic product to take account of its natural capital, creating a genuine opportunity to mobilize climate funding.

    Moreover, Congo has expressed its interest in being part of the second cohort of countries committed to Energy Compacts in the context of Mission 300 (https://apo-opa.co/3Xvrd15), an unprecedented initiative by the African Development Bank and World Bank. Finally, the mission discussed the organization by Congo of the Bank Group’s 2026 Annual Meetings. The Congolese Prime Minister offered reassurance as to his country’s preparedness and promised a successful outcome.

    “The relationship between the African Development Bank and the Republic of the Congo is excellent. The Bank has always been at our side, providing various forms of support, both operationally and in terms of strategic advice. It exerts its influence to back initiatives to support Congo, and it has my sincere thanks for that,” concluded Anatole Collinet Makosso.

    Cooperation between the African Development Bank and the Republic of the Congo is based on the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) 2023-2028 (https://apo-opa.co/41EiyMo), which focuses on two priority areas: the development of sustainable infrastructure to strengthen value chains with high growth potential, and improving human capital and economic governance to support social inclusion.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Illegal alien who threatened ICE agent’s life arrested in connection with human smuggling ring, deaths of 7

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    LOS ANGELES — An illegal alien from Guatemala was arrested on a four-count indictment alleging he led one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States. The ring allegedly smuggled approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants from Guatemala to destinations nationwide over a five-year span. The defendant held some victims in stash houses as hostages and is responsible for the deaths of seven illegal immigrants — including a 4-year-old child — who were killed in a November 2023 car accident in Oklahoma. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Inglewood Police Department are investigating the matter.

    “These arrests illuminate the dangers and victimization associated with aliens attempting to unlawfully enter our country,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “Every day, similar human smuggling organizations put profits ahead of safety in these reckless and illegal endeavors. ICE Los Angeles and our partners are committed to continue identifying and dismantling these organizations so no further lives are lost and our borders are secure.”

    Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul aka Turko, 51, of the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, was arrested Feb. 28 with his alleged right-hand man, Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, 49, also of the Westlake neighborhood. The defendants were arraigned the same day and ordered to stand trial April 22. A federal magistrate judge also ordered them jailed without bond.

    Renoj-Matul allegedly led one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States, moving approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants from 2019 through July 2024.

    Also charged in the indictment are Helmer Obispo-Hernandez aka Xavi, 41, a lieutenant in the criminal organization who is a fugitive, and Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, 44, a driver for the smuggling organization who is incarcerated in Oklahoma in connection with the fatal November 2023 car accident.

    All the defendants are Guatemalan nationals who are or were illegally living in the United States at the time of the alleged offenses.

    All four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, transporting aliens in the United States, and harboring aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death.

    Additionally, Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj are charged with two counts of hostage-taking. Obispo-Hernandez and Paxtor-Oxlaj also are charged with one count of transporting aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death.

    A separate federal criminal complaint filed March 2 charges Obispo-Hernandez with threatening to cut off the heads of an ICE task force officer and members of his family. The threats were allegedly made to the federal law enforcement office Feb. 28 in the wake of search warrants being executed at Obispo-Hernandez’s residence.

    “These smuggling organizations have no regard for human life and their conduct kills,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Their members pose a danger to the public and law enforcement. We must vigorously enforce our immigration laws so that these organizations cannot operate. The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations. This work saves lives, and the members of the organization will now face significant consequences.”

    According to the indictment returned Feb. 25 and unsealed Feb. 28, the Renoj-Matul transnational criminal organization operated for at least a dozen years and specialized in smuggling illegal immigrants from Guatemala to the United States, the transportation and movement of those illegal immigrants within the United States — especially between Phoenix and Los Angeles — and harboring, concealing and shielding of illegal immigrants within the United States.

    Renoj-Matual was assisted by associates in Guatemala who solicited illegal immigrants to come to the United States, accepted payment of between $15,000 and $18,000 for each illegal immigrant smuggled into the United States, and coordinated the illegal immigrants’ journeys from Guatemala to the United States.

    Mexican smuggling organizations transported the aliens through Mexico and across the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, where they were held in stash houses and eventually picked up by Renoj-Matul’s lieutenants. The illegal immigrants then — for an additional fee — were transported and moved to various destinations in the United States, including Los Angeles. The immigrants who had not paid their fees were held hostage in a stash house in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles.

    Renoj-Matul directed that the transportation of proceeds from human smuggling be transported from Los Angeles to Phoenix, where they were given to the Mexican smuggling organization to pay the expenses incurred by Renoj-Matul’s transnational criminal organization.

    In November 2023, Paxtor-Oxlaj caused a car accident in Elk City, Oklahoma, while he was smuggling illegal immigrants from New York to Los Angeles. That car accident resulted in the deaths of seven passengers in the vehicle he drove. Of the seven people killed, three were minors, including a 4-year-old child.

    Paxtor-Oxlaj was arrested in connection with the accident and was charged in the Western District of Oklahoma with being an illegal alien found in the United States following removal. He previously had been removed from the U.S. to Guatemala in 2010 and did not have legal permission to reenter the United States.

    The indictment further alleges that, from April 2024 to July 2024, Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj held hostage two Guatemalan nationals smuggled into the United States who had not paid smuggling fees. The defendants allegedly threatened to kill the victims until third parties paid for their release.

    An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

    If convicted of all charges, the defendants each face a statutory maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.

    Also arrested Feb. 28 was Rolando Gomez-Gomez aka Chaka, 39, of South Los Angeles, who is charged with one count of being an illegal alien found in the United States following removal, and Juan Lopez Garcia aka Boxer, 41, of Downtown Los Angeles, who was arrested on a civil removal matter. Both defendants are alleged lieutenants in the Renoj-Matul transnational criminal organization.

    Assistant U.S. attorneys Shawn J. Nelson and Elia Herrera of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. attorney Tara B. Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling the asset forfeiture portion of this case.

    Anyone with information related to human smuggling are encouraged to call the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).

    Learn more about ICE HSI’s mission to protect the U.S. economy in your community on X at @HSILosAngeles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: West Virginia Ambulance Business Owner Sentenced for Tax Crimes

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A West Virginia man was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for not paying the taxes withheld from employees’ wages at an ambulance service he operated and obstructing the IRS’ efforts to collect those taxes.

    According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from 2012 through part of 2017, Christopher Jason Smyth operated Stat EMS LLC, an ambulance service located in Pineville. Smyth created Stat EMS after a previous ambulance business Smyth operated accrued millions of dollars of employment tax liabilities and filed for bankruptcy. Smyth caused Stat EMS to be founded in the name of a nominee owner but continued operating the business in the same manner as before.

    At Stat EMS, Smyth was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying them to the IRS.  For years, however, Smyth did not fully pay the taxes to the IRS. Instead, he paid various personal expenses and transferred funds to businesses held by his friends and family. The IRS determined that Stat EMS accrued approximately $3.3 million in unpaid taxes.

    Eventually, the IRS assessed the unpaid taxes against Smyth personally and attempted to collect those assessments from him. When interviewed by an IRS revenue officer attempting to collect Smyth’s unpaid tax debts, Smyth stated that he had no personal bank accounts and denied that he used anyone else’s. In reality, however, he regularly deposited his paychecks into an account in a relative’s name. He also attempted to mislead the revenue officer by representing that he had nothing to do with several other businesses, even though he had signature authority over their bank accounts.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorneys Kavitha Bondada and Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Goes for the Southern District of West Virginia, prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: West Virginia Ambulance Business Owner Sentenced for Tax Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A West Virginia man was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for not paying the taxes withheld from employees’ wages at an ambulance service he operated and obstructing the IRS’ efforts to collect those taxes.

    According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from 2012 through part of 2017, Christopher Jason Smyth operated Stat EMS LLC, an ambulance service located in Pineville. Smyth created Stat EMS after a previous ambulance business Smyth operated accrued millions of dollars of employment tax liabilities and filed for bankruptcy. Smyth caused Stat EMS to be founded in the name of a nominee owner but continued operating the business in the same manner as before.

    At Stat EMS, Smyth was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying them to the IRS.  For years, however, Smyth did not fully pay the taxes to the IRS. Instead, he paid various personal expenses and transferred funds to businesses held by his friends and family. The IRS determined that Stat EMS accrued approximately $3.3 million in unpaid taxes.

    Eventually, the IRS assessed the unpaid taxes against Smyth personally and attempted to collect those assessments from him. When interviewed by an IRS revenue officer attempting to collect Smyth’s unpaid tax debts, Smyth stated that he had no personal bank accounts and denied that he used anyone else’s. In reality, however, he regularly deposited his paychecks into an account in a relative’s name. He also attempted to mislead the revenue officer by representing that he had nothing to do with several other businesses, even though he had signature authority over their bank accounts.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorneys Kavitha Bondada and Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Goes for the Southern District of West Virginia, prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Key Member of Drug Distribution Ring Linked to Aryan Prison Gangs Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

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

    Defendant served as transporter, pill maker, and muscle for the leader of drug distribution cell

    Tacoma – A key member of a drug distribution ring selling fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and heroin throughout the Puget Sound region was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 14 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy and for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Michael Slocumb, 46, attempted to evade law enforcement and helped move the drug ring activities to Arizona after the Shelton, Washington, stash house he and his partners operated was raided in December 2022. When law enforcement moved in on the multi-faceted drug conspiracy in March 2023, Slocumb was arrested in his new home in Arizona.

    At today’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said about fentanyl pills, “People become addicted to these drugs . . . they end up taking a bad dose and that ends their time on this Earth.” Remarking on Slocumb’s guns, Judge Estudillo said, “The firearms involved here are extremely serious and the types of firearms make me wonder what they may have been used for.”

    According to records filed in the case, in the fall of 2022, Slocumb made multiple trips to Arizona to pick up and transport narcotics to the Shelton stash house. Slocumb used the stash house to manufacture fentanyl pills using two different pill presses. When the stash house property was searched on December 9, 2022, law enforcement

     seized more than 640,000 pills containing fentanyl, as well as a kilogram of fentanyl powder and 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with more than $81,000 in cash proceeds from drug trafficking. Slocumb was a key partner for the leader of the drug conspiracy.

    The stash house property also contained 23 firearms, including a shotgun kept where the drugs were stored, and the pills manufactured. In his car, Slocumb kept several firearms including a loaded .40 caliber pistol behind the front seat. In a suitcase in the trunk were a 9mm handgun with a high-capacity magazine and an AR-15 type rifle with a folding shoulder stock and a loaded 115-round drum magazine. Also in the suitcase was a 9mm firearm silencer.

    During this conspiracy, law enforcement intercepted Slocumb and the ringleader Bryson Gill discussing kidnapping a rival drug dealer. Slocumb was surveilling the target’s apartment when law enforcement made a show of being in the vicinity to get Slocumb to leave and ward off any violence.

    Following the stash house raid, Slocumb was heard on the wiretap discussing his plan to move drug operations to Arizona. Slocumb and Gill continued their drug trafficking in Arizona until they were arrested in March 2023. When law enforcement searched the Arizona property, they seized approximately 70 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

    Slocumb pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    In asking for a 15-year sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Slocumb’s conduct in the drug conspiracy involved massive numbers of firearms, as well as ammunition, firearms accessories, large capacity magazines, and a firearm silencer. It is clear that he played a trusted role in partnership with Gill in not just distributing drugs but acting as an enforcer—he took direction from Gill in picking up guns following a trip to get drugs from the stash house, and on another occasion, he conspired with Gill to kidnap a co-conspirator who was a drug redistributor.”

    Bryson Gill entered a guilty plea February 7, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and is scheduled for sentencing on May 9, 2025.

    Law enforcement made two dozen arrests on federal charges on March 22, 2023. The coordinated takedown involved ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers. On that day law enforcement seized 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Earlier in the investigation law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms.

    The top-level leader of the drug trafficking ring, Jesse Bailey, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2025, and his wife and co-conspirator Candace Bailey, is scheduled for sentencing on June 13, 2025.

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

    This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Skycorp Solar Group Limited Announces Pricing of Its Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Ningbo, China, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Skycorp Solar Group Limited (the “Company”), a solar PV product provider engaged in the manufacture and sale of solar cables and solar connectors, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 2,000,000 ordinary shares (the “Ordinary Shares”) at a public offering price of $4.00 per share for total gross proceeds of $8,000,000, before deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses. The Ordinary Shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and are expected to commence trading on March 4, 2025, under the ticker symbol “PN.”

    The Company has granted the Underwriter (as defined below) an option, within 45 days from the closing date of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 300,000 Ordinary Shares at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts, to cover the over-allotment option, if any.

    The Offering is expected to close on March 5, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

    The Offering is being conducted on a firm commitment basis. Cathay Securities, Inc. is acting as the underwriter (the “Underwriter”) for the Offering. Ortoli Rosenstadt LLP is acting as U.S. securities counsel to the Company, and Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC is acting as U.S. securities counsel to the Underwriter, in connection with the Offering.

    The Company intends to use 30% of the net proceeds for expanding product lines and services; 30% of the net proceeds for strengthening research and development capabilities; 20% of the net proceeds for improving brand recognition through multi-channel marketing; 20% of the net proceeds for working capital and general corporate matters.

    A registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-282996) relating to the Offering, as amended, has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC“) and was declared effective by the SEC on March 3, 2025. The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus related to the Offering may be obtained, when available, from Cathay Securities, Inc.: 40 Wall St Suite 3600, New York, NY 10005, United States, Attention: Shell Li, or via email at service@cathaysecurities.com or telephone at +1 (855) 939-3888, or via the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Before you invest, you should read the prospectus and other documents the Company has filed or will file with the SEC for more information about the Company and the Offering. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About Skycorp Solar Group Limited

    Skycorp Solar Group Limited is a solar photovoltaic (PV) product provider focused on manufacturing and selling solar cables and connectors. We also partner with various IC chip manufacturers to offer new and used GPU and HPC servers. Our operations are managed through our subsidiaries, including Ningbo Skycorp Solar Co., Ltd., in China.

    The Company’s mission is to become a green energy solutions provider for data centers by utilizing solar power and delivering eco-friendly solar PV products. By leveraging the Company’s expertise in solar technologies and relationships with HPC server clients, it aims to expand offerings of solar PV products and server solutions for enterprise customers. For more information, please visit: https://www.ir.skycorp.com.

    Forward-Looking Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may, “will, “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s statements regarding the expected trading of its Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market and the closing of the Offering. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the initial public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the registration statement filed with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

    For more information, please contact:

    Investor Relations
    WFS Investor Relations Inc.
    Connie Kang
    Partner
    Email: ckang@wealthfsllc.com
    Tel: +86 1381 185 7742 (CN)

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Magic Empire Global Limited announces that the bid price deficiency concern raised by Nasdaq has been successfully resolved

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Hong Kong, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Magic Empire Global Limited (NASDAQ: MEGL) (“MEGL”, or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that the bid price deficiency concern raised by Nasdaq has been successfully resolved.

    The Company has received written notification (the “Nasdaq Notice”) from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that it has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in the rules for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Listing Rules”).

    On February 26, 2025, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq notifying the Company that it has not regained compliance with Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). Accordingly, its securities will be delisted from the Capital Market. The Company may appeal Staff’s determination to the Panel, pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5800 Series.

    On March 4, 2025, the Company received formal notification from Nasdaq, that the Company has regained compliance with the Nasdaq Minimum Bid Price Requirement. Nasdaq made this determination of compliance after the closing bid price of the Company’s ordinary shares was at $1.00 per share or greater for the last 10 consecutive business days from February 18, 2025 to March 3, 2025. Accordingly, the Company has regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) and Nasdaq considers the prior bid price deficiency matter now closed.

    MEGL remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance and compliance. The company appreciates the support of its shareholders.

    About Magic Empire Global Limited

    Magic Empire Global Limited is a financial services provider in Hong Kong which principally engage in the provision of corporate finance advisory services and underwriting services. Its service offerings mainly comprise (i) IPO sponsorship services; (ii) financial advisory and independent financial advisory services; (iii) compliance advisory services; (iv) underwriting services; and (iv) corporate services. For more information, visit the Company’s website at http://www.meglmagic.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov.

    Hong Kong:

    Magic Empire Global Limited
    Ms. Vivien Tai
    Tel: +852 3577 8770
    E-mail: meglir@giraffecap.com

    The MIL Network –