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Category: Finance

  • MIL-OSI: TWFG Announces Unaudited Preliminary Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TWFG, Inc. (“TWFG”, the “Company” or “we”) (NASDAQ: TWFG), a high-growth insurance distribution company, today announced preliminary unaudited financial highlights for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. The following results are preliminary, unaudited estimates and are subject to change. The Company is currently finalizing its fourth quarter and year end 2024 results, and as a result, these preliminary estimates are based solely on information available to management as of the date of this press release. The Company’s actual results may differ from these estimates due to the completion of its closing procedures, final adjustments and developments that may arise or information that may become available between now and the time the Company’s financial results are finalized.

    Preliminary highlighted results:

    • Expects total fourth quarter revenue to be between $49 million and $51 million, an increase of 23.8% and 28.9% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023
    • Anticipates total full-year 2024 revenue to be between $201 million and $203 million, an increase of 16.5% and 18.2% compared to full-year 2023
    • Expects total fourth quarter written premium to be $361 million, an increase of 20% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 
    • Anticipates total full-year written premium of approximately $1.5 billion, an increase of 18% compared to full-year 2023
    • Anticipates fourth quarter Organic Revenue Growth Rate to be between of 20.2% and 20.8% and full-year 2024 Organic Revenue Growth Rate of between 14% and 15% 

    * Organic Revenue Growth Rate is a non-GAAP measure. A reconciliation of Organic Revenue Growth Rate to total revenue growth rate, the most directly comparable financial measure, is outlined in the reconciliation table accompanying this release.

    Conference Call and Full Earnings Release Date

    TWFG expects to release its full fourth quarter and full-year 2024 results mid-March followed by a conference call and webcast to discuss these results. Details for the call will be provided in the forthcoming earnings release.

    About TWFG

    TWFG (NASDAQ: TWFG) is a leading independent distribution platform for personal and commercial insurance in the United States, representing hundreds of insurance carriers. The Company provides innovative insurance solutions through its network of agents, carriers, and technology-driven distribution models. For more information, visit www.twfg.com.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Key Performance Indicator

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Organic Revenue Growth included in this release is not a measure of financial performance in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and should not be considered a substitute for any GAAP measures, including revenue which we consider to be the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and when assessing our operating performance, you should not consider non-GAAP financial measures in isolation or as substitutes for revenues, net income, or other consolidated financial statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Other companies may calculate non-GAAP financial measures differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures.

    Organic Revenue Growth. Organic Revenue Growth is the change in Organic Revenue period-to-period, with prior period results adjusted to include revenues that were excluded in the prior period because the relevant acquired businesses had not reached the twelve-month-owned milestone but have reached the twelve-month owned milestone in the current period. We believe Organic Revenue Growth is an appropriate measure of operating performance because it eliminates the impact of acquisitions, which affects the comparability of results from period to period.

    A reconciliation of our expected Organic Revenue and Organic Revenue Growth Rate to Total Revenue and Total Revenue Growth Rate, the most directly comparable GAAP measures, is as follows (in thousands):

      Three Months Ended 
    December 31, 2024    		   Twelve Months Ended 
    December 31, 2024
      Low End   High End   Low End   High End
    Total revenues $ 49,000     $ 51,000     $ 200,500     $ 203,400  
    Acquisition adjustments(1)   (100 )     (150 )     (3,650 )     (3,700 )
    Contingent income   (2,700 )     (3,850 )     (6,400 )     (7,550 )
    Fee income   (2,500 )     (3,000 )     (10,400 )     (10,900 )
    Other income   (200 )     (300 )     (1,300 )     (1,400 )
    Organic Revenue $ 43,500     $ 43,700     $ 178,750     $ 179,850  
    Organic Revenue Growth(2) $ 7,323     $ 7,523     $ 22,025     $ 23,125  
    Total Revenue Growth Rate(3)   23.8 %     28.9 %     16.5 %     18.2 %
    Organic Revenue Growth Rate(2)   20.2 %     20.8 %     14.1 %     14.8 %
                   
                   
    (1)  Represents revenues generated from the acquired businesses during the first 12 months following an acquisition.
    (2)  Organic Revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023, and for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, used to calculate Organic Revenue Growth for the three months ended December 31, 2024, and for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, was $36.2 million and $156.7 million, respectively, which is adjusted to reflect revenues from acquired businesses with over $0.5 million in annualized revenue that reached the twelve-month owned mark during the year ended December 31, 2024. Organic Revenue Growth Rate represents the period-to-period change in Organic Revenue divided by the total adjusted Organic Revenue in the prior period.
    (3)  Represents the period-to-period change in total revenues divided by the total revenues in the prior period.
     

    Key Performance Indicator

    Total Written Premium. Total Written Premium represents, for any reported period, the total amount of current premium (net of cancellation) placed with insurance carriers. We utilize Total Written Premium as a key performance indicator when planning, monitoring, and evaluating our performance. We believe Total Written Premium is a useful metric because it is the underlying driver of the majority of our revenue.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These statements reflect management’s expectations based on currently available information and involve significant risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the finalization of the Company’s year-end financial results, economic conditions, and other risks detailed in the Company’s SEC filings. TWFG undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

    Investor Contact:
    Gene Padgett, CAO
    TWFG, Inc.
    gene.padgett@twfg.com

    Media Contact:
    Alex Bunch
    TWFG, Inc.
    alex@twfg.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Announces Eight FBI Subjects from Mexico in U.S. Custody

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

    he FBI is announcing eight men, including two former FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, who were transferred into U.S. custody from Mexico this week. All are key subjects of FBI investigations spanning several states.

    Rafael Caro Quintero is a former FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive wanted for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Enrique Camarena Salazar in 1985. Caro‐Quintero is widely regarded as one of the Mexican godfathers of drug trafficking and helped to form the Guadalajara Cartel in the late 1970s. Allegedly, he became one of the primary suppliers of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana to the U.S., and oversaw the cartel in Costa Rica and the U.S. and Mexico border. Quintero will face charges in the Eastern District of New York. This case was investigated by the FBI San Antonio Field Office.

    Alder Marin Sotelo faces homicide charges related to the killing of law enforcement officer. On August 23, 2022, Marin-Sotelo was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder following the August 11, 2022, death of Deputy Ned Byrd of the Wake County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Office. Sotelo will face federal weapons charges in the Middle District of North Carolina and state murder charges in the North Carolina State Court. This case was investigated by the FBI Charlotte Field Office.

    Jose Rodolfo Villareal-Hernández, also known as “El Gato,” is a former FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive allegedly responsible for stalking and orchestrating the murder-for-hire of a 43-year-old male victim on May 22, 2013, in Southlake, Texas. Villarreal-Hernandez previously held a high-level position in the Beltran-Leyva Organization (BLO) Drug Cartel. He is believed to have overseen the importation of large quantities of cocaine into the United States as well as committing violent acts within the Republic of Mexico and the United States to maintain his organization’s power and status. He was arrested on January 7, 2023, in Atizapán de Zaragoza, Mexico and will face charges in the Northern District of Texas for interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. This case was investigated by the FBI Dallas Field Office.

    Jose Angel Canobbio-Inzunza, also known as “Guerito,” was a key leader and the finance manager of the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Chapitos faction. He allegedly trafficked narcotics, controlled an armed enforcement group, and managed corrupt relationships on the cartel’s behalf. He will face narcotrafficking charges out of the Northern District of Illinois. The subject was arrested last week in Sinaloa by the Mexican Army. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington and San Diego Field Offices.

    Rodolfo Lopez Ibarra is facing drug-trafficking charges with up to life imprisonment out of the District of Columbia. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office.

    Andrew Clark, a Canadian citizen residing in Mexico, allegedly ran and participated in a transnational drug trafficking operation that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia—through Mexico and Southern California—to Canada and other locations in the United States. Clark is being prosecuted for four murders and one attempted murder, and will face charges in the Central District of California. This case was investigated by the FBI Los Angeles Field Office.

    Luis Geraldo Méndez Estevane is facing several federal charges, including murder, racketeering, and drug conspiracy in the Western District of Texas. Mendez was a high-ranking Barrio Azteca lieutenant and responsible for the March 13, 2010, murder of two U.S. consulate employees in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and an El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Detention Officer. Mendez was indicted in the Western District of Texas. This case was investigated by the FBI El Paso Field Office.

    Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, the former leader of the Juarez Cartel, faces narcotrafficking charges in the Eastern District of New York. Fuentes is responsible for the trafficking of narcotics into the United States. He also assisted in perpetrating significant violence throughout Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, area. The case was investigated by the FBI El Paso Field Office.

    “The FBI and our partners will scour the ends of the earth to bring terrorists and cartel members to justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The era of harming Americans and walking free is over.”

    Significant and vital assistance was provided by the FBI’s valued international, federal, state, and local law enforcement partners across the country.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Diego Man Who Ran $35 Million Securities Fraud and COVID-Relief Fraud Scheme Sentenced to Almost 20 Years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Denny Thakorbhai Bhakta, who was convicted by a federal jury in October 2024 of securities fraud, bank fraud and money laundering in connection with a $35 million swindle that left his own elderly uncle bankrupt, was sentenced in federal court today to 235 months in custody. Bhakta was convicted of all 25 charges after a two-week trial.

    The evidence at trial showed Bhakta solicited investors in his companies Fusion Hotel Management LLC and Fusion Hospitality Corporation (collectively “Fusion”). Between at least 2016 and up to 2021, Bhakta falsely told investors that Fusion routinely acquired discounted blocks of hotel rooms from Hilton, which Fusion then sold to United Airlines at a higher price for a significant profit.

    To support these lies, Bhakta provided fabricated bank statements, fake contracts, and profit and loss statements purporting to show millions in revenue and profit. Instead of buying blocks of hotel rooms with investors’ funds, however, Bhakta used the money he obtained from investors for gambling, to make Ponzi-style payments to other investors, and to pay for Bhakta’s personal expenses, including luxury vehicles.

    According to court documents, Bhakta targeted friends, family members and close acquittances during the multi-year fraud scheme. Among the victims was Bhakta’s uncle, who was swindled out of $4.5 million, and who testified during the trial that he came to the U.S. as an immigrant with a suitcase and $8 in his pocket, and because of the defendant, he “lost everything he had worked for in 57 years in America. Everything.”

    Bhakta’s other victims included a childhood friend who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars; his former boss and his wife; a friend of his family who lost $1.6 million; a high school classmate and her father who together lost more than $800,000; and an 88-year-old investor who lost $50,000.

    During the trial, prosecutors introduced evidence that Bhakta was flown to Las Vegas on the Wynn Las Vegas private jet. And in just one 7.5-hour gambling binge in 2018, Bhakta lost $1 million at the casino. Through a trove of casino records, prosecutors demonstrated how Bhakta repeatedly took investors’ money straight to casinos and gambled (and lost) millions of investor money.

    “I haven’t seen a case quite like this,” said U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino, who found Bhakta’s conduct “could not have been more deliberate [and] could not have been more calculated.”  In pronouncing the 235-month prison sentence, Judge Sammartino noted Bhakta’s only apparent motive was “greed and gambling,” his victims included his own friends and relatives, and he showed “nothing resembling remorse” for his criminal conduct that spanned years.

    “This defendant didn’t just betray investors—he callously swindled his own family and closest friends, leaving his elderly uncle bankrupt,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Instead of safeguarding their hard-earned money, he funneled millions straight to casinos, gambling away their futures along with his own. His lies, deceit, and reckless greed have finally caught up to him. Today’s sentence makes clear that those who gamble with other people’s trust and livelihoods will face the consequences.”

    “Denny Bhakta orchestrated an elaborate investment fraud scheme that caused extensive financial harm to unsuspecting victims, including close family and friends, all for his own personal gain,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy.  “Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his greed and deceitful conduct, bringing justice to the victims he exploited.”

    According to the government’s sentencing materials, in 2020, Bhakta doubled down on the fraud. Through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), Bhakta applied for 18 separate PPP loans totaling $4.4 million. To fraudulently obtain the PPP loans, Bhakta created fake W-2 and other IRS documents and used the names and personally identifying information of his victim-investors to claim them as employees of Fusion and other entities under Bhakta’s control.  Bhakta used the more than $4.4 million he received in PPP loans to keep the Ponzi scheme going and to continue gambling and losing money at casinos.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mokhtari and Eric Olah.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 21cr3352-JLS                            

    Denny Thakorbhai Bhakta                             Age: 42                                   San Diego, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Securities Fraud—Title 15, U.S.C. §§ 78j(b), 78ff; Title 17, C.F.R. § 240.10b-5

    Maximum penalty:  Twenty years in prison and $5,000,000 fine

    Bank Fraud—Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1344(2)

    Maximum penalty:  Thirty years in prison and $1 million fine

    Money Laundering– Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1957

    Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and fine twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Cotton, Scott urge SEC to review Consolidated Audit Trail

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today joined Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and colleagues in sending a letter to the acting chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mark Uyeda, urging him to conduct a comprehensive review of the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT). 
    The SEC requires brokers to submit investors’ personally identifiable information (PII) to its CAT database. Earlier this month, the Trump administration’s SEC issued an order that exempts certain PII consisting of investors’ names, addresses and years of birth from CAT reporting.
    “The Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) has been a highly controversial endeavor that has raised many concerns from Members of Congress . . . We are pleased that you and fellow Commissioner Peirce have repeatedly acknowledged these longstanding concerns and applaud the Commission for its recent steps to protect the financial privacy of American investors,” the lawmakers wrote.
    “However, there is more work to be done. The prohibition on collecting investor PII must be formally codified (rather than via rescindable exemptive relief) and already-collected PII must be expunged. Cybersecurity measures for the remaining data must be enhanced. And the CAT’s bloated out-of-control budget must be addressed,” they continued.
    “Given these continuing concerns, the Commission should launch a comprehensive review that covers all aspects of the CAT. In doing so, the Commission should take additional steps to pause the CAT’s most controversial elements—not only the collection of customer PII, but also the problematic funding structure that a majority of the current Commission voted against. Further, it would appear appropriate for the Commission to pause and reconsider its position with respect to ongoing litigation related to the CAT, as it has done for other cases commenced during the Biden administration,” the lawmakers concluded. 
    Background:
    Earlier this month, Kennedy introduced the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act.
    Kennedy’s bill would prohibit the SEC from requiring market participants to submit investors’ personally identifiable information to the CAT. 
    The bill would also require the SEC to delete personally identifiable information once the agency resolves the investigation or issue that required that information. 
    Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Reps. French Hill (R-Ark.), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) and Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) also joined the letter. 
    The full letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: HUMBL, Inc. Announces $2 Million Share Exchange Agreement and Strategic Partnership With NUBURU, Inc. to Accelerate Growth and Shareholder Value

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Diego, CA, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HUMBL, Inc. (OTC: HMBL) announced the execution of a $2,000,000 Equity Swap Agreement and strategic partnership with NUBURU, Inc. (NYSE: BURU) designed to accelerate both companies’ growth strategies and deliver immediate value to shareholders.

    Transaction Details

    Under the terms of the Equity Swap Agreement:

    • NUBURU will issue $2,000,000 in common stock to HUMBL (subject to applicable exchange cap, stockholder approval, and registration requirements); and
    • HUMBL will issue an equal dollar amount of Series C Preferred Stock to NUBURU.

    Following satisfaction of any required stockholder or regulatory approvals and registration requirements, it is anticipated that 70% of the shares of NUBURU will be distributed to the stockholders of HUMBL as a dividend. The issuance of the shares by both parties is contingent upon both parties obtaining any required regulatory or stockholder approval and satisfying any applicable registration requirements.

    The companies have also entered into a Master Distribution Agreement, appointing HUMBL as the exclusive distributor in Brazil for both NUBURU’s existing business and its recently announced defense and security portfolio companies. The parties may also negotiate in the future performance-based incentives that would allow HUMBL to expand its exclusivity to all of Latin America upon achieving certain revenue and market penetration targets.

    Strategic Alignment for Accelerated Growth

    “This partnership represents the convergence of two companies with newly transformed business models and leadership teams,” said Thiago Moura, CEO of HUMBL, Inc. “NUBURU, under its new management team, is expanding its business within its defense and security portfolio into new markets. HUMBL, having divested its Web3 assets and transformed into a Berkshire-inspired holding company in partnership with Ybyra Capital, is now executing a shareholder-centric strategy focused on cross-border strategic partnerships and value creation.”

    Alessandro Zamboni, Executive Chairman of NUBURU, Inc., stated: “This partnership with HUMBL provides NUBURU shareholders with dual benefits – exclusive distribution in Brazil’s robust market with potential for all of Latin America, and exposure to HUMBL and Ybyra Capital’s extensive regional network. Our entirely new management team is focused on rapid expansion, and this partnership enables us to leverage HUMBL and Ybyra’s established presence in Brazil to accelerate the deployment of our defense and security portfolio.”

    The alliance builds on NUBURU’s established track record of technological excellence and HUMBL’s revitalized presence in emerging markets, bolstered by Ybyra’s regional expertise and substantial real assets.

    About HUMBL, Inc. (OTC: HMBL)

    HUMBL, Inc. has transformed into a strategic holding company, operating with a business model focused on high-value joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, and progressive economic structures. Following the divestiture of its Web3 technology assets, HUMBL has pivoted to a shareholder value-centric approach under the leadership of CEO Thiago Moura, principal of Ybyra Capital—a Brazilian holding company with diversified investments in real estate, commodities, and mining. The company’s unique structure enables it to create two-way distribution pipelines throughout Brazil and Latin America, leveraging Ybyra Capital’s established regional presence to offer strategic partners immediate access to these valuable markets.

    About NUBURU, Inc. (NYSE: BURU)

    NUBURU, Inc. was founded in 2015 as a developer and manufacturer of industrial blue laser technology that is transforming the speed and quality of laser-based manufacturing. Under its new management team led by Executive Chairman Alessandro Zamboni, NUBURU is executing a comprehensive growth and diversification strategy, expanding into complementary domains such as defense-tech, security, and operational resilience solutions. Headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, NUBURU is leveraging strategic partnerships and acquisitions to accelerate growth in high-value sectors. For more information, visit www.nuburu.net.

    Investor and Media Contacts

    NUBURU, Inc. (NYSE: BURU)
    Investor Relations: alessandro.zamboni@nuburu.net
    Media Contact: press@nuburu.net
    Website: www.nuburu.net

    HUMBL, Inc. (OTC: HMBL)
    Investor Relations: ri@ybyracapital.com.br
    Media Contact: media@humbl.com
    Website: www.humbl.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include descriptions of the future strategic plans and growth expectations for HUMBL, including the potential benefits of their partnership, anticipated market expansions, and any statements regarding potential uplisting or future exchange listings. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current information and expectations, and actual results may differ materially due to various risks and uncertainties. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the ability of HUMBL to successfully collaborate and realize the expected synergies of the partnership, market acceptance of new initiatives, regulatory approvals and compliance related to registration, exchange listings, economic conditions in the industries in which they operate, and general market volatility. HUMBL disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release, except as required by law. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan citizen charged for failing to register as a sex offender and illegally returning after deportation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TACOMA – A 25-year-old Guatemalan man will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Tacoma today for failing to register or update his sex offender registration and re-entering the U.S. following deportation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Juan Hernandez Zacharias was arrested in Mason County this morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigation agents.

    Zackarias is charged by criminal complaint with two felonies. The first, failure to register or update his sex offender registration, relates to his sentencing in October 2022 for first degree child molestation. The sentencing documents advise Zackarias that should he leave the state, he must register as a sex offender within three days of returning. Zackarias allegedly did not register as required.

    The second charge, reentry of a removed alien, relates to Zackarias’ return following deportation. On January 2, 2024, Zackarias had a removal hearing in Immigration Court. He was ordered removed and on February 4, 2024, he was removed from the United States and transported to Guatemala.

    However, on May 16, 2024, Zackarias registered a white van with Washington State plates in his name – indicating that he had returned to Washington.

    On December 6, 2024, Zackarias was arrested by Mason County Sheriff’s deputies for failing to register as a sex offender. The arrest was logged in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The NCIC system alerted ICE Homeland Security Investigations that Zackarias has an order of removal in place. The federal criminal complaint was sworn and filed with Magistrate Judge David W. Christal on February 21, 2025.

    Failure to register or update sex offender registration is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Reentry of a removed alien is punishable by up to two years in prison.

    The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite and Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Collins. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two brothers from India arraigned on indictment for selling counterfeit cancer drugs and adulterated medications

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Men are extradited from Singapore following their 2023 arrest after FDA and ICE undercover probe

    Seattle – Two brothers from India appeared in court today on a 2022 indictment for multiple counts related to their scheme to sell counterfeit and adulterated drugs in the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Avanish Kumar Jha, 38, and Rajnish Kumar Jha, 35, were arrested in Singapore on April 20, 2023, based on a request from the United States. In January 2025, a judge in Singapore ruled the men could be extradited to the U.S. to face 28 felony charges and the Minister for Law ordered their surrender on February 24, 2025. Both defendants entered pleas of not guilty and trial was scheduled for May 5, 2025, in front of U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez.

    “The defendants in this case allegedly made hundreds of thousands of dollars while defrauding people who were clinging to hope that a late-stage cancer medication could save their life. Because of this fraud, victims received counterfeit medication that contained none of the cancer-fighting substance they thought they were ordering,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This fraud scheme didn’t just steal money; it stole the prospect of more time with loved ones for those battling cancer.”

    The investigation of the Jha brothers began in 2019, when investigators reviewed internet postings and other evidence indicating that the Jha brothers and their company, Dhrishti Pharma International, were offering to sell prescription drugs to buyers in the United States and elsewhere. Undercover agents with the Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began communicating with the Jha brothers and ordered some of their products.  Of particular concern was a “medication” labeled as “Keytruda,” a Merck drug for late-stage cancer. An analysis revealed that the Jha brothers were selling counterfeit Keytruda that contained none of active ingredient that made the authentic product effective. Other products contained contaminants.

    The brothers allegedly shipped the counterfeit and adulterated drugs from India. They accepted various means of payment including wire transfers and direct money exchanges. In some cases, they used intermediaries in the United States to pick up cash payments. The drugs were packaged in such a way to avoid detection by international customs or other regulators.

    Both men had been detained in Singapore since their arrest in April 2023 based on a provisional arrest request from the United States. The United States submitted a formal extradition request to Singapore in June 2023.

    “This case highlights ICE HSI’s commitment to protecting the public from dangerous and fraudulent practices that put vulnerable individuals at risk,” said acting Special Agent in Charge of ICE HSI Seattle Matthew Murphy. “The company in question preyed on those in desperate need of lifesaving treatments by offering counterfeit medications that provided nothing but false hope. Thanks to the diligent work of our special agents and our law enforcement partners, we are taking swift action to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

    The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and ICE HSI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with securing the extradition. Significant assistance was provided by law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the ICE HSI Attaché and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Office of Overseas Criminal Investigations, and Singaporean authorities, particularly the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Stoneham Police Officer Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Bribery Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant defrauded a company to obtain tens of millions of dollars of Mass Save funds through paying bribes and kickbacks to company employees

    BOSTON – A former Stoneham Police Officer has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for a bribery and kickback scheme that netted millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.  

    Joseph Ponzo, 51, of Stoneham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 27 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Joseph Ponzo was also ordered to pay $115,528 in restitution and a $100,000 fine. In November 2024, Joseph Ponzo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud; 24 counts of honest services wire fraud; one count of making false statements to government officials; and four counts of causing false tax returns to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service from 2016 to 2019. Joseph Ponzo was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023 along with his brother Christopher Ponzo.

    “Joseph Ponzo was a sworn officer, who pledged an oath to uphold the law, not violate it. However, he chose greed over integrity,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Joseph Ponzo’s greed came at the cost of consumers who were left paying the bill. A prison sentence is the price he will now pay for taking bribes and kickbacks.”

    “When an officer shrugs off his sworn oath and breaks the law to pad his paycheck like Joseph Ponzo did, he betrays the people of his community – and all of us who wear a badge,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Every year, Massachusetts homeowners spend millions of dollars to fund energy conservation projects for consumers. Joseph Ponzo and his brother cheated them by shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars in a steady stream of bribes and kickbacks to an insider who steered contracts their way, ignoring all ethical boundaries. Know that the FBI will continue to tenaciously investigate such corruption, and bring those involved to justice.”

    “Today’s sentencing of Joseph Ponzo demonstrates IRS-CI’s commitment to routing out corruption from all levels of the government.” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Ponzo orchestrated an elaborate kickback scheme to improperly obtain contracts from a government backed program designed to aid the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Programs like Mass Save are designed to help all citizens of Massachusetts, especially the less fortunate, who otherwise would not be able to afford these upgrades to their homes.”

    Joseph Ponzo, along with his brother and co-conspirator Christopher Ponzo, conspired to pay, and did pay, tens of thousands of dollars in cash bribes, kickbacks, and other in-kind benefits, including a John Deere tractor, a computer, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work, among other things, to Company A employees (Associates 1 and 2) in exchange for the Associates’ assistance in getting the defendants millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.

    Massachusetts law requires utility companies to collect an energy efficiency surcharge on all Massachusetts energy consumers. These funds, which amount to hundreds of millions of dollars each year, are to be disbursed by the utility companies to fund energy efficiency programs and initiatives in Massachusetts. Under the Mass Save program, the utility companies select lead vendors, like Company A, to approve and select contractors to perform energy improvement work for residential customers. This contracting work – performed by contractors at no-cost or reduced cost to the customer – is then paid for by Company A with Mass Save funds.

    On a weekly basis, from 2013 to 2017, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $1,000 in cash. At times, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $5,000 to $10,000 in cash, telling Associate 1 that the extra money was from Joseph Ponzo for his part in the bribery scheme. In return for these payments, Associate 1, among other things, helped Joseph Ponzo set up a shell company, Air Tight, to do insulation work and get approved as a Company A contractor under the Mass Save program. Joseph Ponzo put his spouse’s name on Air Tight incorporation documents and contracting licenses in order to conceal his involvement in his corrupt side business. Despite having no professional experience in residential insulation work, Joseph Ponzo collected over $7 million under the Mass Save program.    

    After Associate 1 left Company A in 2017, Christopher Ponzo and Joseph Ponzo recruited Associate 2 to the bribery-kickback scheme from approximately 2018 to 2022, paying Associate 2 thousands of dollars in cash and hiring a relative of Associate 2 as part of the ongoing scheme.

    During the course of the bribery-kickback scheme, Joseph Ponzo aided in the filing of false tax returns from 2016 to 2019 by claiming hundreds of thousands of dollars in false business deductions. To disguise personal expenses as business deductions, Joseph Ponzo used his company credit card to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in purchases at The Home Depot, Lowes and Staples, claiming to his tax preparers that charges at those establishments were business-related. In reality, Joseph Ponzo used the company credit card at those stores to purchase gift cards that he and his spouse then used to make thousands of dollars in personal expenditures.  

    In April 2022, both Joseph Ponzo and Christopher Ponzo falsely denied making bribe payments to any Company A employees when interviewed by federal agents.

    In February 2025, Christopher Ponzo was sentenced to 27 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Christopher Ponzo was also ordered to pay a $300,000 fine.

    U.S. Attorney Foley; FBI SAC Cohen; and IRS Acting SAC Demeo made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Dustin Chao of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Purpose Investments Announces Temporary Absorption of Series F and Series A Management Fees of Purpose Premium Money Market Fund

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Purpose Investments Inc. (“Purpose”) announced today that it has temporarily absorbed a portion of the management fees on Series F and Series A shares of Purpose Premium Money Market Fund (the “Fund”). Until Purpose confirms otherwise, the annual management fee payable by investors in Series F shares of the Fund will be 0.20%; the annual management fee for Series A shares will be 0.45%.

    There are no changes to the investment objective of the Fund. Current shareholders of the Fund are not required to take any actions as a result of this absorption.

    About Purpose Investments Inc.

    Purpose Investments is an asset management company with over $23 billion in assets under management. Purpose Investments has an unrelenting focus on client-centric innovation and offers a range of managed and quantitative investment products. Purpose Investments is led by well-known entrepreneur Som Seif and is a division of Purpose Unlimited, an independent, technology-driven financial services company.

    For further information, please email us at info@purposeinvest.com

    Media inquiries:
    Keera Hart
    keera.hart@kaiserpartners.com
    905-580-1257

    Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual fund securities are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer. There can be no assurances that the fund will be able to maintain its net asset value per security at a constant amount or that the full amount of your investment in the fund will be returned to you. Past performance may not be repeated.

    Forward-looking information        

    Purpose cautions the reader not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements contained herein, which speak only as of the date they are made. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “on pace”, “anticipates”, or “does not anticipate”, “believes”, and similar expressions or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might”, or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved.

    Forward-looking statements are based on information available to management at the time they are made, management’s current plans, estimates, assumptions, judgments and expectations. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Purpose to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical, technological and social uncertainties. Although the forward-looking information contained in this press release is based on assumptions that Purpose believes to be reasonable at the date such statements are made, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Purpose does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bonita Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 21 Years for Supplying Fentanyl that Resulted in Death of 15-Year-Old Girl

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Marcus Ray Chavez was sentenced in federal court today to 262 months in prison for providing the fentanyl pills that resulted in the fatal overdose of a 15-year-old girl in 2022.

    According to court documents, on at least four occasions between September and November 2022, Chavez provided the girl with “M30” pills he knew were counterfeit and contained fentanyl, in exchange for sex with the girl. Chavez also admitted to knowing the girl was underage. On November 12, 2022, she fatally overdosed from pills that Chavez provided.

    According to the government’s sentencing memo, the victim was in the ninth grade at the time of her death. Family and friends described her as an energetic girl who “brightened any room she entered” and who hoped to one day own her own hair salon.

    “Any loss of life is tragic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “The loss of a child is particularly devastating. While nothing can bring this lost child back, we are committed to holding this dealer and others like him accountable.”

    “Mr. Chavez traded fake fentanyl pills for sex with a vulnerable child,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “Fentanyl’s grip tightens the chains of exploitation. As her family grieves and we honor her memory, Mr. Chavez now has over 20 years to remember his actions stole an innocent life.”

    “The San Diego Police Department mourns with the family and friends of the victim in this case,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. “We must stop the senseless loss of life due to fentanyl overdoses and stand together to hold dealers accountable for the destruction they cause.”

    Fentanyl remains a serious threat. The latest DEA laboratory testing, announced last fall, indicated that five out of 10 pills tested contained a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine McGrath. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen Roth provided substantial assistance in this case.

    DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 23cr1354                                               

    Marcus Ray Chavez                                       Age: 30                                   Bonita, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Sex Trafficking of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1591(a)(1), (b)(2)

    Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, maximum life in prison and $250,000 fine

    Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a), 841(b)(1)(C)

    Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, maximum life in prison and $1 million fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10)

    San Diego Police Department

    San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

    Homeland Security Investigations

    La Mesa Police Department

    National Guard Counterdrug Task Force

    California Department of Health Care Services

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for 11 Years and Three Months for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

    Frank Cotto, age 38, was sentenced on February 28, 2025, to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

    Cotto was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2024, and pleaded guilty on December 11, 2024.

    On November 30, 2023, Cotto was involved in a traffic stop following a trip to Colorado to obtain drugs. During the search of the vehicle law enforcement found over 2,000 fentanyl pills and six pounds of methamphetamine that was intended to be distributed in the Rapid City area. Officers also located a handgun in the door of the vehicle. Cotto is a prohibited person due to his use of methamphetamine and marijuana.

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

    This case was investigated by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Meghan N. Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case.

    Cotto was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Acting United States Attorney Fondren Announces Federal Indictment Against Gynecologist for Sexually Abusing Patients, Adulterating Medical Devices for Reuse on Patients, and Healthcare Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Memphis, TN – Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced today that Sanjeev Kumar, 44, was arrested this morning and charged with enticing and inducing four victims to travel interstate to engage in illegal sexual activity, adulteration of medical devices, misbranding of medical devices, and healthcare fraud.

    The indictment unsealed today alleges that from at least in or about September 2019 and up to and including at least in or about June 2024, Kumar enticed and induced four victims to travel interstate to his medical offices in Memphis, Tennessee, at least in part for the purpose of subjecting them to a sexual activity for which he could be charged with a criminal offense in violation of Tennessee Code Annotated Section 39-13-503.

    According to the Indictment, between 2019 and 2024, Kumar sexually abused women by conducting medically unnecessary gynecologic procedures with medical devices that he held under insanitary conditions and reused on patients when they were required to be disposed of or properly reprocessed. Kumar did not inform patients that he was reusing “single use” or improperly reprocessed devices before he inserted the devices into their vaginas. He also billed Medicare and Medicaid as if the procedures were medically necessary and as if he had used a new or properly reprocessed device for each procedure.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren said: “Kumar was consistently the top-paid provider in Tennessee for Medicare and Medicaid for hysteroscopy biopsy services, and he profited substantially from these criminal acts. The allegations indicate that Kumar acted as a predator in a white coat and used the cover of conducting medical examinations to put his patients at risk and enrich himself.”   

    “This doctor put profit ahead of patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The abusive behavior alleged here took place over five years, which means there could be many victims out there we have not heard from. We want you to know FBI victim specialists, special agents, and analysts investigating this case are here for each and every one of you, and we are your advocates. It is important to remember nothing Dr. Kumar has done was, or ever will be, your fault. We see time and time again that voices matter, and those who have stepped forward have empowered others to do the same. If you have any information concerning this case, or if you believe you are a victim or may have been affected by these alleged crimes, please visit www.fbi.gov/KumarVictims and complete the questionnaire so that we can contact you.  Your responses are voluntary but would be useful in the federal investigation and would enable us to serve you as a victim.”

    “Physicians have a sworn duty to prioritize the health and safety of their patients,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “HHS-OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who exploit their patients and federal health care programs for personal gain.”

    This case is being investigated by the United States HHS-OIG, the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

    The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.  If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of the factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum, Scott Smith, and Sarah Pazar Williams for prosecuting this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case. 

    ###

    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapid City Man Found Guilty of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted William Henry Riese, age 34, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography, and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on February 27, 2025.

    The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in custody and a maximum penalty of up to life in custody, and/or a $250,000 fine, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $400 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

    Riese was arrested and federally indicted in August of 2022, following the undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Following multiple chats and sexually explicit text messages with a person Riese believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, Riese proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Riese went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest.

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

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

    A presentence investigation was ordered, and sentencing has been scheduled for May 30, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: Farm Matters on the Menu

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    Q: What ag policies are on your radar in the new Congress?
    A: While work is underway on writing a new farm bill, I’m also rolling up my sleeves on legislative proposals and oversight efforts to address key issues facing the farm economy and rural communities. Since the new Congress started in January, I’m working on issues that matter to the bottom lines of Iowa farmers, including: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI); Prop 12 restrictions; foreign ownership of U.S. farmland; renewable fuels, including nationwide year-round sales of E15 and sustainable aviation fuel; and tax relief, including a permanent repeal of the death tax.
    Let’s start with the HPAI outbreak that’s ravaging the livelihoods of Iowa’s poultry and egg producers and leading to egg shortages and higher prices for consumers. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I participated in two hearings in February gathering feedback from farmers and ranchers about their operations. I asked representatives from turkey growers and egg producers about the importance of vaccines for egg-laying hens and how USDA’s indemnity program helps producers stay afloat during this crisis in the farm economy. I also pushed for swift confirmation in the U.S. Senate to get Secretary Brooke Rollins at the helm of the USDA. During her first week on the job, Secretary Rollins visited an egg farm in Texas and announced a comprehensive strategy to tackle the crisis that’s wiped out 166 million laying hens since 2022. I’ll continue keeping in touch with Iowa farmers as the USDA rolls out its plan to get this outbreak behind us. I’ll also keep pushing to reduce regulatory burdens that restrict market access and add costly decisions for producers to do business in states like California and Massachusetts. California’s Prop 12, what I call its “War on Breakfast” has jacked up the price for eggs and bacon, making protein-rich nutrition unaffordable for American families. I’ll continue working to restore common sense and economic freedom to the farm economy.
    Q: What is the Farmland Security Act?
    A: Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland has increased 85 percent in the last 15 years. Decades ago, when I represented Iowans in the House of Representatives, I co-sponsored the first-ever reporting requirement called the Agricultural Foreign Investment Act of 1978. It required foreign persons who purchase, transfer or hold interests in crop acres to report transactions to the USDA. They must file an FSA-153 in the local Farm Service Agency office where the land is located, within 90 days of the transaction. Our bipartisan law also directed the Secretary of Agriculture to analyze the information and its impact on family farms and rural communities.
    The upward trend of foreign ownership of U.S. farmland comes up regularly at my annual 99 county meetings. Farmland is finite, once it’s paved over with suburban sprawl or sold to foreign owners, America has one less acre to feed and fuel our people. In addition, foreign buyers needlessly increase competition for young and beginning farmers. There are also serious national security implications if a foreign adversary buys up farmland near U.S. military installations. Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report that showed as foreign investment in U.S. farmland climbs, the USDA’s processes to collect, track and report key information are flawed. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 included my bipartisan proposal that required the USDA to adopt an online submission process and public database by 2025. Currently, real-time data isn’t available for federal agencies, including the Departments of Treasury and Defense and Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review for potential national security risks.
    I’ve teamed up again with Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin to beef up existing federal law. Our Farmland Security Act of 2025 builds on our previous efforts to protect America’s rural communities from shady foreign investments. It would ensure all foreign investors, including “shell companies” who buy U.S. farmland must report their holdings and strengthens penalties for those who evade or misreport their filing obligations. Plus, it invests in research to better understand the impact foreign ownership of farmland has on agricultural production. As a lifelong farmer in the U.S. Senate, I’m proud to champion the livelihoods and way of life in rural America. Food security is national security.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Two Canyon County Men Arrested for Enticing of Children

    Source: US State of Idaho

    [BOISE] – Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced investigators with his Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, working in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, arrested two (2) men in Canyon County. On Wednesday, February 26th, 2025, Jesse Elam (42) and on Thursday, February 27th, 2025, Garrett Vinni (37) were arrested and charged with (1) count each of enticing a child through use of the internet or other communication device.
    Both men were arrested as part of a coordinated undercover operation by law enforcement.  The operation targeted offenders communicating with children via text, social media, and other chat platforms to meet for sexual activity. During the two-night operation, officers worked undercover to expose adults seeking to sexually abuse children and share child sexual abuse material. Both suspects are incarcerated in the Canyon County Jail.
    “I’m grateful to each one of our participating agencies and partners in this ongoing effort to keep kids safe from exploitation,” said Attorney General Labrador. “The ICAC Task Force and our growing statewide network have a singular focus – to remove threats to children from our streets. We will not stop this pursuit.”
    This operation was a cooperative effort that included officers, attorneys, and support personnel from across the State of Idaho. Agencies included the Idaho Office of the Attorney General, Canyon County Sheriff Office, Idaho State Police, Canyon County Prosecutors Office, United States Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), and the Idaho ICAC Unit including affiliate Investigators from the Boise Police Department, Pocatello Police Department, Idaho Falls Police Department, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Rupert Police Department, Moscow Police Department, Coeur d’Alene Police Department and Nampa Police Department.
    “This case is a testament to the power of law enforcement agencies working in unison to take down criminals,” said Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “Thanks to the relentless efforts of those involved, child predators have been removed from our streets, making Canyon County a safer place. We will not stop pursuing justice. Parents, you must remain aware—these predators are out there, and your children are at risk.”
    The Idaho Office of the Attorney General would like to convey appreciation to all who participated and to the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office for hosting the operation.Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the Idaho Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
    To learn more about the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force please visit: icactaskforce.org or ICACIdaho.org.
    The charges listed above are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

    (L to R) Canyon County Prosecutor Chris Boyd, Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue, Attorney General Raúl Labrador, and Boise Police Chief Chris Dennison

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Increase Oversight of Foreign Ownership of American Agriculture

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act to increase scrutiny surrounding the purchase of agricultural land by foreign adversaries like China. The bipartisan bill would permanently add the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to add additional scrutiny of farmland and agricultural industry purchases by foreign adversaries like China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran and help prevent improper foreign disruption to the U.S. agriculture industry.
    “Wisconsin’s farms are the backbone of our state,” said Senator Baldwin. “They’re not just about food, they’re about people’s livelihoods, our economy, and our way of life. That’s why I’m fighting to protect our family farms and agricultural communities from bad actors like China that threaten our food supply, economy, and national security. I’m proud to work with Democratic and Republican colleagues to protect our farmers and rural communities and ensure our Made in Wisconsin agricultural economy stays strong for the next generation.”
    CFIUS is the governmental body that oversees the vetting process of foreign investment and acquisition of American companies. In addition to permanently adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS, the bill would require that the Secretary report any transaction that could threaten national security, specifically concerning purchases made by adversarial nations like China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran.
    Over the past few years, the United States has experienced a rapid increase in foreign investment in the agricultural sector, particularly from China. Growing foreign investment in agriculture and other essential industries, like health care and energy, threatens our country’s national security. 
    According to USDA data from December 2023, foreign investors own approximately 45 million acres of U.S. agricultural land. This represents an increase of over 1.5 million acres in one calendar year. Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land increased modestly from 2012 to 2017 at an average increase of 0.6 million acres per year. However, since 2017, this number skyrocketed to an average of 2.6 million acres annually. Additionally, between 2010 and 2021, entities or individuals from China increased their ownership of U.S. agricultural land more than twentyfold, from 13,720 acres to 383,935 acres.
    Data from the 2023 Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) report shows that Kansas agricultural land with foreign interest totals over 1.3 million acres.
    CFIUS is authorized to oversee and review foreign investment and ownership in domestic businesses as it relates to national security. Currently, the Committee does not directly consider the needs of the agriculture industry when reviewing foreign investment and ownership in domestic businesses.
    Specifically, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act would:
    Add the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of CFIUS
    Protect the U.S. agriculture industry from foreign control through transactions, mergers, acquisitions, or agreements
    Designate agricultural supply chains as critical infrastructure and critical technologies
    Require a report to Congress on current and potential foreign investments in the U.S. agricultural industry from USDA and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
    The bill is led by Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and also co-sponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Todd Young (R-IN), and Deb Fischer (R-NE). U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04) also introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Innovator ETFs® Announces Closure of ETFs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Innovator Capital Management, LLC (Innovator), pioneer and provider of the largest lineup of Defined Outcome ETFs™, today announced its intention to close four ETFs. Please reference the table below for important dates surrounding the closure of each ETF.

    Name Ticker End of ETF
    Outcome Period    		 Trading
    Halts    		 Liquidation
    Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated ETF® – April XDAP 3/31/25 4/1/25 4/4/25
    Innovator Premium Income 9 Buffer ETF™ – April HAPR 3/31/25 4/1/25 4/4/25
    Innovator Premium Income 10 Barrier ETF™ – April APRD 3/31/25 4/1/25 4/4/25
    Innovator Premium Income 40 Barrier ETF™ – April APRQ 3/31/25 4/1/25 4/4/25

    The closing of the ETFs coincides with the end of their respective outcome periods. Shareholders may sell their ETF shares at any point during trading hours prior to the market close on its last day of trading. If investors do not sell their shares before trading is halted, the shares will be automatically redeemed on the liquidation date. After shares are redeemed, shareholders will receive cash equal to the amount of the net asset value (NAV) of their shares on the liquidation date. Payment will be made in the form of a liquidating distribution that is electronically credited to shareholders’ brokerage or other applicable financial-intermediary accounts on or around the liquidation date.

    The ETFs may pay one or more dividends or other distributions prior to, or along with, any redemption payment. As is the case with any redemption of ETF shares, these liquidation proceeds will generally be subject to federal and, as applicable, state and local income taxes if the redeemed shares are held in a taxable account and the liquidation proceeds exceed the shareholder’s adjusted basis in the shares redeemed. Shareholders should consult with their tax adviser for further information regarding the federal, state and/or local income tax consequences of this liquidation that are relevant to their specific situation.

    Innovator also intends to close the July and October series of the funds listed above during the 2025 calendar year. More information about those closures will be released in the coming months.

    The combined assets under management in the four ETFs listed above was $37 million as of February 13, 2025, representing 0.16% of Innovator’s total AUM.

    Media Contact
    Frank Taylor / Stephanie Dressler
    (646) 808-3647 / (949) 269-2535
    Frank@dlpr.com / Stephanie@dlpr.com

    The Funds have characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. For more information regarding whether an investment in the Fund is right for you, please see “Investor Suitability” in the prospectus.

    Investing involves risks. Loss of principal is possible. The Funds face numerous market trading risks, including active markets risk, authorized participation concentration risk, buffered loss risk, cap change risk, capped upside return risk, correlation risk, liquidity risk, management risk, market maker risk, market risk, non-diversification risk, operation risk, options risk, trading issues risk, upside participation risk and valuation risk. For a detail list of fund risks see the prospectus.

    The Funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses should be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus contains this and other important information, and it may be obtained at innovatoretfs.com. Read it carefully before investing.

    The following marks: Accelerated ETFs®, Accelerated Plus ETF®, Accelerated Return ETFs®, Barrier ETF™, Buffer ETF™, Defined Income ETF™, Defined Outcome Bond ETF®, Defined Outcome ETFs™, Defined Protection ETF™, Define Your Future®, Enhanced ETF™, Floor ETF®, Innovator ETFs®, Leading the Defined Outcome ETF Revolution™, Managed Buffer ETFs®, Managed Outcome ETFs®, Stacker ETF™, Step-Up™, Step-Up ETFs®, Target Protection ETF™, 100% Buffer ETFs™ and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are the trademarks of Innovator Capital Management, LLC, its affiliates or licensors. Use of these terms is strictly prohibited without proper written authorization. All rights reserved.

    Innovator ETFs® are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

    Copyright © 2025 Innovator Capital Management, LLC | 800.208.5212

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis County Man Admits Pandemic-Related Unemployment Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Friday admitted possessing stolen identities and engaging in several schemes, including one in which he falsely obtained COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits.

    Daryl Jones Jr., 45, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to three felonies: conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud.

    Between June 22, 2020, and July 15, 2020, the State of Pennsylvania deposited $84,592 in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits on debit cards fraudulently issued in the identities of Jones and four others. Debit cards were issued in the stolen identities of four more people, but no deposits were made.

    Jones obtained some of the personal information to set up the accounts from Cheryl Johnson, his girlfriend, who had supervised the victims while employed at various St. Louis area businesses.

    On June 3, 2021, Jones submitted counterfeit pay stubs from a fake business associated with Johnson to obtain a $31,700 vehicle loan. He and Johnson submitted counterfeit insurance identification cards to accept delivery of the vehicle. On June 25, 2021, they arrived at the St. Louis County home of James Whitiker in that vehicle, as law enforcement was performing a court-approved search. Investigators found a notebook containing the names, Social Security numbers and birthdates of about 35 individuals, two more pieces of paper with the identifying information of 18 others, three stolen identification documents, nine Pennsylvania unemployment insurance benefit debit cards and stolen credit and debit cards.

    Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29.

    Johnson, 44, pleaded guilty February 20 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced in May. Whitiker, 43, pleaded guilty in July to a conspiracy charge and was sentenced in October to three years of prison. He admitted using two debit cards during the conspiracy and knowing that Jones and Johnson were using his home to commit the unemployment fraud.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Gang Members Arrested in Operation Targeting Area Known as “Dead End”

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Eight gang members were arrested Tuesday in ATF-led  “Operation Blue Laces,” announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Monday’s takedown, which occurred in the Wheatley Place Neighborhood in South Dallas, resulted in the apprehension of eight members of the 42 Oakland Crips street gang. They made their initial appearances Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee H. Toliver.

    Those charged in three separate indictments include: 

    • Kendrick Jamal Young, aka “Peanut,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, felon in possession of a firearm (a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol, a Ruger 9mm pistol, and a FedArm AR-15 style pistol), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
    • Christopher Jamiel Love, aka “Black,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, felon in possession of a firearm (a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol, a Ruger 9mm pistol, and a FedArm AR-style pistol) and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
    • Alex Jerome Bowman, aka “Big A,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
    • Victor Scott Wingham, aka “Johnny Joe,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
    • Joshua Jimond Wheatley, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
    • Travion Williams, aka “Traa Savage,” charged with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (a Taurus 9mm pistol and a Glock 9mm pistol)
    • Jihadd Thies Gorree Thomas, charged with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (a Taurus 9mm pistol and a Glock 9mm pistol)
    • Jamarian Augustus Hewitt, charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substances, felon in possession of a firearm (a Ruger 9mm pistol), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime , and using a communication facility (cell phone) to facilitate a drug felony

    At a detention hearing on Friday, prosecutors said defendants had been dealing drugs on a daily basis on Dallas’ Casey Street, in an area known as the “Dead End.” Phone records introduced into evidence showed that several members of the conspiracy texted to warn one another about upcoming law enforcement raids, sent young people in to look for missing dope following the raids, and went right back to dealing drugs after the raids concluded.

    Many of the arrestees had extensive criminal histories, with rap sheets that included drug and gun crimes.

    During the takedown, agents seized 14 firearms, more than a kilogram’s worth of methamphetamine pills, as well as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, alprazolam, marijuana, TXC wax, hash, and more than $47,000 in cash. They also seized six vehicles, several pieces of Crips -themed jewelry, and a caiman alligator, which was transported to the Dallas Zoo. 

    Indictments are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

    If convicted, some defendants face up to life in federal prison. 

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Dallas Police Department, Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, IRS – Criminal Investigative Division, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Game Wardens. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assisted with care and transportation of the seized alligator. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cartel Boss Tied to Southlake Murder-for-Hire Among Defendants Extradited From Mexico

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Among the 29 cartel bosses extradited from Mexico to the United States on Thursday was Northern District of Texas defendant Jose Rodolfo Villarreal Hernandez, aka “El Gato,” announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham. 

    Mr. Villarreal Hernandez, a Mexican national who held a high-level position in the Beltran-Leyva Organization (BLO) Drug Cartel, was charged in June 2018 with interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in the brutal slaying of a 43-year-old Southlake, Texas lawyer in 2013. 

    He was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List in October 2020 and arrested by Mexican law enforcement agents in Atizapán de Zaragoza, Mexico in January 2023.

    Attorney General Pam Bondi announced his successful extradition yesterday, pledging to prosecute all extradited cartel bosses “to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels.” 

    Mr. Villarreal Hernandez will make his initial appearance in federal court next week.

    According to evidence presented at the trial of his coconspirators, Mr. Villarreal Hernandez allegedly directed and financed a multi-year effort to locate and assassinate his victim, an attorney with ties to a rival cartel. Testimony revealed that Mr. Villarreal Hernandez allegedly believed the attorney was involved with the death of Mr. Villarreal Hernandez’s father and wanted revenge. 

    The victim was shot while sitting in the passenger seat of his vehicle outside an upscale shopping center in  Southlake on May 22, 2013. His wife was standing near the driver’s side door when her husband was killed. 

    Three men who, acting on orders from Mr. Villarreal Hernandez, tracked the victim prior to his death were convicted and sentenced in 2016: Jose Luis Cepeda-Cortes and Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Cepeda were convicted at trial of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire; Mr. Cepeda-Cortez was also convicted of tampering with documents or proceedings. Both men received life sentences. Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Campano, son of Mr. Ledezma-Cepeda, pleaded guilty prior to trial to one count of interstate stalking and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

    A fourth defendant, Ramon Villarreal-Hernandez, the brother of Jose Rodolfo, was arrested in Mexico and extradited to the United States in 2020. He pleaded guilty to interstate stalking in June 2022 and was sentenced to ten years in prison.

    According to the U.S. State Department, in addition to allegedly ordering the Southlake murder, Mr. Villarreal Hernandez is believed to have overseen the importation of large quantities of cocaine into the United States as well as committing violent acts within the Republic of Mexico and the United States to maintain his organization’s power and status.

    “After more than a decade, Mr. Villarreal Hernandez will have to answer for his alleged crimes in an American courtroom,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Since the victim was gunned down in a public parking lot in 2013, law enforcement’s commitment to this case has never wavered. I extend my sincere thanks to the federal, state, local, and international partners who have pulled together to ensure this defendant will be brought to justice.”

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Villarreal Hernandez is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    The statutory maximum penalty for interstate stalking is life in prison; the statutory maximum for the murder-for-hire charge is life in prison or death.

    The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, with assistance from the Southlake Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, the Fort Worth Police Department, and the Grapevine Police Department. The  Mexican Secretariat of the Navy, Fiscalía Generalde la República (FGR), Coordinación Nacional Antisecuestro (CONASE) coordinated in the arrest of Mr. Villarreal-Hernandez.  The U.S. Marshal Service for the Northern District of Texas assisted in securing the defendant upon his arrival in Texas. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Mexico City, and the U.S. Marshals Mexico City Foreign Field Office provided valuable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Burgess (fmr) and Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case against Mr. Luis Cepeda-Cortes, Mr. Ledezma-Cepeda, and Mr. Ledezma-Campano. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn Smith and Laura Montes are prosecuting the case against Mr. Villarreal Hernandez.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Co-Leader of Transnational Drug Trafficking Organization Arrives in the U.S. to Face Federal Narcotics and Murder Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – An alleged leader of a transnational drug trafficking enterprise co-helmed by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been sent to the United States from Mexico to face federal charges alleging that he ran a continuing criminal enterprise, committed murder and attempted murder, and conspired to possess, distribute, and export cocaine, the Justice Department announced today. 

    Andrew Clark, 34, a Canadian citizen who was residing in Mexico, was arrested by Mexican authorities in October 2024 and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in United States District Court in Phoenix on charges contained in a 16-count superseding indictment out of the Central District of California. Alongside Wedding, Clark allegedly controlled a billion-dollar drug enterprise with supply routes that transported ton-quantities of cocaine from Colombia to Canada by way of Mexico and Southern California.

    From March to August 2024, Wedding and Clark allegedly conspired with others to export, possess, and distribute more than 1,800 kilograms of cocaine. In addition, using a network of virtual currency wallets, Wedding, Clark, and their co-conspirators transferred approximately a quarter of a billion dollars from April to September 2024. In one day, investigators seized more than $3 million dollars from one cryptocurrency wallet. 

    “The defendant, as described in the superseding indictment, played a key role in running a violent, international drug trafficking organization that was responsible for multiple murders,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “We are grateful to have him in the United States where he will face justice. When law enforcement officials around the globe work together, there is nowhere criminals can hide.”

    The superseding indictment alleges that Wedding and Clark, whose aliases include “The Dictator,” directed the November 20, 2023, murders of two individuals and the attempted murder of a third victim in Ontario, Canada. Wedding and Clark also allegedly ordered the murder of a fourth individual on May 18, 2024. Clark and another co-defendant are also charged with the April 1, 2024, murder of a fifth individual in Ontario, Canada.

    Clark is the second-named defendant in the superseding indictment that charges a total of 16 defendants. With Clark’s expected court appearance, a total of eight defendants will have been arraigned in this case. Clark’s co-conspirators are scheduled to begin trial on May 6.

    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, Clark would face a mandatory minimum penalty of life in federal prison on the continuing criminal enterprise charge. The murder and attempted murder charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The drug trafficking charges carry mandatory minimum penalties of 10 years in prison.

    The FBI investigated this matter with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Federal Policing. In addition, significant assistance was provided by U.S. law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations – Detroit and United States Customs and Border Protection – Buffalo; Canadian law enforcement partners, including Niagara Regional Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service, and Peel Regional Police; Mexican law enforcement partners, including the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la República) and the Criminal Investigation Agency (Agencia de Investigación Criminal); and Colombian law enforcement partners, including Colombian National Police – Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol, Special Interagency Investigation Group (Policía Nacional de Colombia – Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol, Grupo Especial de Investigación Interagenciales). This investigation was conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).

    Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Maria Jhai of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Ryan Waters of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Triumph Financial Announces Dividend for 7.125% Series C Fixed-Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Triumph Financial, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: TFIN) today announced that the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $17.81 per share on its 7.125% Series C Fixed-Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, represented by depositary shares (Nasdaq: TFINP), each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of preferred stock. Holders of depositary shares will receive $0.44525 per depositary share. The dividend is payable on March 30, 2025, to holders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2025.

    About Triumph Financial

    Triumph Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: TFIN) is a financial holding company focused on payments, factoring and banking. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, its diversified portfolio of brands includes TriumphPay, Triumph and TBK Bank. www.tfin.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements are predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Triumph Financial’s expected financial results or other plans are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” and the forward-looking statement disclosure contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2025. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and Triumph Financial undertakes no duty to update the information.

    Source: Triumph Financial, Inc.

    Investor Relations:
    Luke Wyse
    Senior Vice President, Head of Investor Relations
    lwyse@tfin.com
    214-365-6936

    Media Contact:
    Amanda Tavackoli
    Senior Vice President, Director of Corporate Communication
    atavackoli@tfin.com
    214-365-6930

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Range Increases Quarterly Dividend by 12.5%

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION (NYSE: RRC) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock for the first quarter. A dividend of $0.09 per common share is payable on March 28, 2025 to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 14, 2025. This represents a 12.5% increase to Range’s quarterly cash dividend and provides an annualized dividend of $0.36 per share.

    RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION (NYSE: RRC) is a leading U.S. independent natural gas and NGL producer with operations focused in the Appalachian Basin. The Company is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. More information about Range can be found at www.rangeresources.com.

    SOURCE: Range Resources Corporation

    Range Investor Contact:

    Laith Sando, SVP – Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations
    817-869-4267
    lsando@rangeresources.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: LZ Technology Holdings Limited Announces Closing of Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HUZHOU CITY, China, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LZ Technology Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: LZMH) (“LZ Technology” or the “Company”), an information technology and advertising company, today announced the successful closing of its initial public offering of 1,800,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.000025 per share (the “Class B Ordinary Shares”), at a public offering price of $4.00 per share. The offering generated total gross proceeds of approximately $7.2 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses. The Company’s Class B Ordinary Shares started trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on February 27, 2025 under the ticker symbol “LZMH.”

    In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 270,000 Class B Ordinary Shares at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts. LZ Technology intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for research and development, international expansions, strategic acquisitions, marketing efforts and working capital.

    The offering was conducted on a firm commitment basis. Benjamin Securities, Inc. and D. Boral Capital LLC acted as underwriters for the offering (the “Underwriters”). Bevilacqua PLLC acted as U.S. securities counsel to the Company, and Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC acted as U.S. securities counsel to the Underwriters in connection with the offering.

    A registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-276234) 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 February 26, 2025. The offering was made only by means of a prospectus, forming part of the registration statement. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of the final prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from Benjamin Securities, Inc. by email at info@benjaminsecurities.com, by standard mail to 3 West Garden Street, Suite 407, Pensacola, FL 32502, or by telephone at +1 (516) 931-1090; or from D. Boral Capital LLC by standard mail to D. Boral Capital LLC, 590 Madison Ave 39th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by email at info@dboralcapital.com, or by telephone at +1(212)-970-5150.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the 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 such state or jurisdiction.

    About LZ Technology Holdings Limited

    LZ Technology Holdings Limited is an information technology and advertising company operating through its subsidiaries in China. The Company’s business spans three key verticals: Smart Community, Out-of-Home Advertising, and Local Life. Its Smart Community services provide intelligent access control and safety management systems, installed in thousands of residential communities in China. Its Out-of-Home Advertising division offers multi-channel advertising solutions through a vast network of monitors across approximately 120 cities in China, with ad placements on access control screens, SaaS platforms, and third-party advertising spaces. The Company’s Local Life vertical connects businesses with consumers through online promotions, social media marketing, and retail sales of various products and services. LZ Technology is committed to providing high-quality services to communities and businesses.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this press release are “forward-looking statements” as defined under the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, the Company’s statements regarding the use of proceeds from the sale of the Company’s shares in the offering. 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 find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as “believe”, “plan”, “expect”, “intend”, “should”, “seek”, “estimate”, “will”, “aim” and “anticipate”, or other similar expressions in this press release. 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.

    For further information, please contact:

    Michael Wu
    Investor Relations
    LZ Technology Holdings Limited
    michael@lzmh.co

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: BERKS COUNTY – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis to Highlight 2025-26 Proposed Budget Investments in Safer Communities

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    March 03, 2025 – Reading, PA

    ADVISORY – BERKS COUNTY – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis to Highlight 2025-26 Proposed Budget Investments in Safer Communities

    Lt. Gov. Austin Davis will discuss the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s proposed 2025-26 budget and its investments to make Pennsylvania communities safer on Monday, March 3, at 1 p.m. at Reading Hospital, 420 S. Fifth Ave., West Reading.

    The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which Davis leads, recently approved $45 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants. This program supports a wide range of models focused on reducing community violence and relies on community groups that are most in tune with specific local needs. Reading Hospital is receiving more than $600,000 to expand and enhance its Violence Recovery Program.

    The proposed 2025-26 budget includes a $10 million increase for the VIP program, as well as $10 million more for the Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time program, which provides funding for afterschool programs that help keep kids safe and give them enrichment opportunities.

    WHO:
    Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, state Sen. Judy Schwank, state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, representatives from Reading Hospital and Safe Berks

    WHAT:
    Roundtable conversation about gun violence prevention and the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s proposed state budget

    WHEN:
    Monday, March 3, at 1 p.m.

    WHERE:
    Reading Hospital, 420 S. Fifth Ave., West Reading

    RSVP:
    Members of the news media who are interested in attending must RSVP to Kirstin Alvanitakis at kirstinalv@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former State Official and State Representative Charged with Offenses Related to Cancelled State Audit of Medicaid Provider

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an 18-count indictment charging KONSTANTINOS “KOSTA” DIAMANTIS, 68, of Farmington, and CHRISTOPHER ZIOGAS, 73, of Bristol, with various offenses related to the cancelling of a state audit of a Medicaid provider who engaged in health care fraud.

    The indictment was returned on February 25, 2025.  Diamantis and Ziogas each appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport, entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in the indictment, and were released on $500,000 bonds.

    As alleged in the indictment, between January and June 2020, Diamantis, while serving at Deputy Secretary of the State of Connecticut’s Office of Policy and Management (OPM), and Ziogas, who served as a State Representative for Connecticut’s 79th Assembly District, engaged in a scheme in which Diamantis solicited and received corrupt payments and benefits from Helen Zervas, an optometrist and owner of Family Eye Care in Bristol, in exchange for official acts concerning a State of Connecticut audit of Zervas’s and Family Eye Care’s Medicaid overbilling.  Diamantis and Ziogas then took steps to conceal their conduct.

    As part of the alleged scheme, in January 2020, an official with Connecticut’s Department of Social Services (DSS) provided notice that it would perform an audit of Zervas’s and Family Eye Care’s Medicaid billing.  Zervas, who has been charged separately, knew that she had fraudulently overbilled Medicaid for medical services that she had not provided, or that were not medically necessary.  Zervas sought assistance from Ziogas, who was her fiancée, to prevent the DSS audit from proceeding.  Ziogas, in turn, sought help from Diamantis.  In exchange for payments from Ziogas and Zervas, Diamantis undertook official acts, and pressured other state officials to undertake official acts, aimed at favorably resolving the DSS audit.

    As alleged in the indictment, on March 4, 2020, Ziogas made a bribe payment to Diamantis in the amount of $20,000.  On that date, Zervas’s attorney emailed a DSS official with a settlement offer to resolve DSS’s audit.  The next day, Zervas reimbursed Ziogas with a $25,000 check from Family Eye Care.  On March 12, 2020, Ziogas made a $10,000 bribe payment to Diamantis, and was subsequently reimbursed by Zervas.  After having been advised and pressured indirectly by Diamantis through officials at OPM and DSS, the DSS official cancelled the DSS audit and, on May 1, 2020, accepted Zervas’s settlement proposal.

    The indictment further alleges that, on May 12, 2020, Diamantis and Ziogas delivered a check from Family Eye Care in the amount of $599,810 to DSS.  On May 15, 2020, Ziogas, through Zervas, made a final bribe payment of $65,000 to Diamantis.

    The indictment also alleges that Diamantis and Ziogas made multiple false statements when interviewed by the FBI during the investigation of this matter, and that Diamantis failed to include the $95,000 in corrupt payments on his 2020 federal tax return.

    Finally, the indictment alleges that Ziogas, an attorney, separately committed bank fraud.  Ziogas was the trustee of a client trust, identified in the indictment as “Trust-1.”  In November 2019, Ziogas prepared and caused to be negotiated a check from Trust-1 in the amount of $5,500 made out to “Kosta Diamantis.”

    The indictment charges Diamantis and Ziogas with extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; bribery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

    The indictment also charges Diamantis with seven counts, and Ziogas with two counts, of making false statements, which carries maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count; Diamantis with one count of filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years; Ziogas with three counts of making illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count; and Ziogas with one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and David E. Novick.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Armed Career Criminal Charged With Weapons Possession And Trafficking Fentanyl, Heroin, And Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was charged today with (i) being a felon in possession of a firearm, (ii) possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, and (iii) possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Michael Weaver, 38, of Irvington, New Jersey was charged today by superseding indictment with the above-referenced charges, and his arraignment will be scheduled before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court.

    As a result of Weaver’s significant and violent criminal history, which includes numerous convictions in Essex County for robbery, aggravated assault, unlawful weapons possession, and drug trafficking, he was charged under the Armed Career Criminal Act.  That charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison.  In total, as a result of all the charges in the Superseding Indictment, Weaver faces a total mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of imprisonment of life in prison.  Each offense carries a maximum fine of $250,000.  

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Chief Mitchell G. McGuire, and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Emanuel Miranda, with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.

    The charges and allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘A litany of human suffering’ in Myanmar, warns UN rights chief

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    Human Rights

    Myanmar is mired in one of the world’s worst human rights crises, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday, describing conditions there as “a litany of human suffering.”

    Addressing the Human Rights Council on Friday, he detailed the devastating toll of the ongoing conflict and economic collapse on civilians – many of whom have been displaced by the fighting.

    Earlier in the day the Council discussed the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, having heard a report from rights investigators serving on the Commission on Human Rights in the country.

    “Conflict, displacement and economic collapse have combined to cause pain and misery across Myanmar and civilians are paying a terrible price,” Mr. Türk said.

    The number killed in violence last year was the highest since the military coup in 2021. Over 1,800 civilians were killed in 2024, many in indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery shelling, with attacks on schools, places of worship and healthcare facilities having become routine.

    Mr. Türk condemned the military’s brutal tactics, including beheadings, burnings, mutilations, and the use of human shields. He also noted that nearly 2,000 people have died in custody since the coup, most due to summary executions and torture.

    Deepening humanitarian crisis

    Fighting between the junta forces and opposition armed groups has fuelled a humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 3.5 million people displaced and 15 million facing hunger – two million of whom are at risk of famine.

    In Rakhine state, clashes between the military and the Arakan Army have intensified, with thousands of civilians killed and Rohingya communities caught in the crossfire.  

    Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in 2024, despite border restrictions. More than 8,000 fled by sea – an 80 per cent increase over 2023 – but at least 650 people, nearly half of them children, perished on the dangerous journey.

    Economic collapse

    Myanmar’s economic collapse has fuelled corruption and crime, with one global tracker ranking it the world’s biggest nexus of organized crime. It remains the top producer of opium and a major manufacturer of synthetic drugs.

    Furthermore, scam centres in eastern Myanmar have become notorious for human trafficking, where victims are coerced into cybercrime and subjected to torture, sexual violence, and forced labour.

    Military conscription

    Mr. Türk also condemned the junta’s activation of military conscription laws, which have led to arbitrary arrests and forced recruitment, particularly targeting young men and women. Fear of conscription has driven many to flee the country, exposing them to trafficking and exploitation.

    “Given the humanitarian, political and economic impacts fuelling instability across the region, the international community must do more,” Mr. Türk underscored.

    He reiterated his call for an arms embargo, coupled with targeted sanctions – including on jet fuel and dual-use goods – to better protect the people of Myanmar.

    He also stressed the need for accountability, citing efforts at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hold Myanmar’s military leaders accountable for atrocities.

    © WFP/Eulalia Berlanga

    Displaced South Sudanese people arrive at a camp in Upper Nile State. (file)

    South Sudan: Leaders failing their own people

    The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan presented its latest report to the Human Rights Council earlier in Geneva, detailing widespread violations, including extrajudicial killings, forced recruitment of children and systematic sexual violence.

    Despite South Sudan winning independence over a decade ago and repeated commitments to peace during years of civil war, the Commission found that the same patterns of abuses persist, often implicating high-ranking officials.

    “It is unconscionable that so many years after its independence, political leaders continue their violent contestations across the country and are abjectly failing the people of South Sudan,” said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission.

    Extreme ethnic violence

    The report described the situation in Tambura, where armed forces and militias inflicted extreme violence along ethnic lines in 2024, reigniting tensions from the 2021 conflict.

    Political elites at both local and national levels have actively fuelled this violence while remaining in power despite past crimes.

    The Commission also raised alarms over the “Green Book” law introduced in Warrap State in 2024, which authorizes extrajudicial executions for suspected cattle raiding and communal violence.

    Address corruption

    South Sudan’s leaders agreed in September 2024 to extend the transitional political arrangements by two years, citing funding constraints.

    The Commission’s report noted that the government generated $3.5 billion in revenue between September 2022 and August 2024, while essential institutions – such as courts, schools, and hospitals – remain underfunded and civil servants go unpaid.

    “Financing essential services and rule of law institutions requires an end to the corruption. The theft of national wealth robs citizens of justice, education, and healthcare,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández.

    “Without addressing this systemic looting, no peace agreement will ever translate into meaningful change,” he added.

    The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council. First established in March 2016, it has been renewed annually since. Its three Commissioners are not UN staff, they are not paid for their work and serve in an independent capacity.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Colorado Dentist Pleads Guilty to Multiple Tax Evasion Charges

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Colorado dentist pleaded guilty today to six counts of tax evasion related to his use of an illegal tax shelter.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, since 2014, Ryan Ulibarri owned and operated Ulibarri Family Dentistry in Fort Collins, Colorado. In 2016, Ulibarri purchased an abusive-trust tax shelter for $50,000. The tax shelter involved concealing income and creating false tax deductions through the use of a so-called business trust, family trust, charitable trust and a private family foundation, all of which Ulibarri created and controlled. From 2017 through 2022, Ulibarri used this tax shelter to conceal from the IRS over $3.5 million in income he earned from his dental practice.

    To set up the tax shelter, Ulibarri, as the purported trustee, signed trust instruments purporting to create the three trusts and foundation, and he opened bank accounts in the name of each. He further recruited friends to falsely sign his trust instruments as the purported creators of the trusts. Ulibarri then transferred majority ownership of his dental practice to the business trust. Ulibarri did this despite having been warned by attorneys and CPAs that, in Colorado, a trust could not own a dental practice.

    He then transferred over $3 million he earned from his dental practice into the bank accounts of the various trusts and foundation to create the illusion that the funds belonged to those entities. In reality, Ulibarri retained complete control over the funds and used the funds to pay for personal expenses including his home mortgage, credit card bills, boats and professional baseball season tickets. Finally, he filed false tax returns for himself, his dental practice, the trusts and foundation that falsely reported the income he earned from his dental practice as income of the trusts. On those tax returns Ulibarri also claimed fraudulent deductions for his personal living expenses which he disguised as trust expenses and charitable donations.

    In total, Ulibarri is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1 million.

    Ulibarri is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Special Agent in Charge Amanda Prestegard of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Denver Field Office made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Scott and Lauren K. Pope and Assistant Chief Andrew J. Kameros of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: BDTCOIN: The Rising Star Defying Crypto Market Trend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The cryptocurrency market has been experiencing one of its most challenging phases. Even the biggest players, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, have witnessed steep corrections of 15-30% from their recent highs. During such volatile times, most digital assets struggle to maintain value—but not BDTCOIN. Defying the odds, this emerging cryptocurrency has surged an astonishing 5x in just 15 days since its listing on LBank, turning heads in the crypto world.

    At a time when uncertainty looms over the industry, BDTCOIN is rewriting the narrative. It’s not just another token riding speculative waves—it’s a revolutionary digital asset with a purpose. Built on the principles of financial inclusion, cross-border accessibility, and blockchain transparency, BDTCOIN is proving that true innovation thrives even in bear markets.

    “In a sea of red, BDTCOIN’s performance is nothing short of extraordinary,” states renowned crypto analyst, Dr. Anya Sharma. “Its gold-backed foundation and quantum-resistant technology provide a level of security and stability that’s crucial in today’s volatile market. I am telling my clients that this is a must-have asset.”

    A Market Outperformer in a Bearish Climate

    Despite the ongoing market-wide correction, BDTCOIN has emerged as a beacon of resilience, showcasing strong demand and adoption. But what makes BDTCOIN stand out in a sea of digital assets? The answer lies in its unique value proposition—utility-driven innovation designed for real-world impact.

    Michael Carter, Senior Crypto Analyst, adds: “While most cryptocurrencies struggled amid February’s market crash, BDTCOIN stood strong, proving itself as one of the most resilient digital assets in the industry. Its gold-backed nature provides a unique hedge against volatility, making it a standout investment.”

    The BDTCOIN Difference: More Than Just a Coin

    BDTCOIN isn’t just another speculative asset; it’s a cryptocurrency built to redefine financial inclusion, streamline cross-border transactions, and foster economic empowerment. Unlike many cryptos that merely serve as digital gold or investment vehicles, BDTCOIN aims to bridge gaps in the financial ecosystem, making transactions seamless, accessible, and affordable.

    Financial Inclusion for the Unbanked : Millions worldwide remain excluded from the traditional banking system due to high costs, accessibility issues, and bureaucratic hurdles. BDTCOIN leverages blockchain technology to provide secure, low-cost financial services, allowing individuals to send remittances, save funds, and access credit without relying on traditional banks.

    Cross-Border Transactions Made Easy: Remittance services often charge high fees and take days to process transactions. BDTCOIN eliminates these inefficiencies with near-instant, low-cost cross-border payments, revolutionizing the way migrant workers send money home.

    Decentralized and Transparent: BDTCOIN operates on a decentralized blockchain, ensuring transparency and security. By reducing reliance on intermediaries, it minimizes fraud and corruption—critical factors in regions where trust in financial institutions is low.

    A Focus on Emerging Markets: While many cryptocurrencies primarily cater to developed nations and institutional investors, BDTCOIN is tailored for emerging markets, where financial innovation is most needed. The coin is gaining traction as a practical alternative to traditional banking systems from Africa to Southeast Asia.

    Raj Mehta, Financial Expert, affirms: “BDTCOIN is not just another cryptocurrency; it’s a financial revolution. In a market where volatility reigns, this asset has demonstrated unwavering strength, making it one of the top contenders for long-term adoption.”

    Transaction Processing: Speed, Security, and Scalability

    BDTCOIN’s underlying blockchain infrastructure is built for efficiency, ensuring rapid, secure, and cost-effective transactions.

    • Rapid confirmation times: Transactions are processed almost instantly, eliminating long wait times.
    • Minimal processing fees: Unlike traditional banking systems, BDTCOIN enables low-cost transfers, making financial transactions more accessible.
    • Scalable infrastructure: Designed for mass adoption, BDTCOIN’s blockchain can handle high transaction volumes without congestion.
    • 24/7 operation: No banking hours or delays—BDTCOIN transactions run around the clock, ensuring seamless financial interactions worldwide.

    The Road Ahead for BDTCOIN

    As the crypto market remains turbulent, BDTCOIN’s ability to not only withstand the downturn but thrive in it is a testament to its strong fundamentals and growing adoption. With a clear mission to democratize finance and a robust technological backbone, BDTCOIN is poised to redefine how people interact with money in a digital-first world.

    With increasing adoption, strategic partnerships, and a focus on real-world utility, BDTCOIN is more than just another cryptocurrency—it’s a movement towards a more inclusive and efficient financial system.

    Thus, In a world where the gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen, BDTCOIN offers a glimmer of hope. It’s a reminder that technology when used responsibly, can be a force for good.

    Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency investments are subject to market risks. Investors should conduct their own research before making any financial decisions.

    Company Details:

    Website: https://bdtcoin.co/

    Explorer: https://bdtcoin.info

    Development: https://bdtcoin.org

    Email: Admin@bdtcoin.co

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BDTCOIN. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c5eee057-fed6-4e39-b779-4a99722fb74a

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2cfc07e0-4ddf-46a5-9217-a7b81722ab06

    The MIL Network –