NewzIntel.com

Category: Finance

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Inkster Mayor Pleads Guilty to Agreeing to Accept $100,000 in Bribes

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

    DETROIT – The former Mayor of the City of Inkster pleaded guilty to bribery, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

    Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Patrick Wimberly, 50, of Inkster, served as the Mayor of the City of Inkster, Michigan, from 2019 through 2023. In the spring of 2022, Wimberly demanded $100,000 in cash payments to facilitate the sale of property owned by the City to an outside party (referred to as “Person A”). Over several months, Person A provided Wimberly with monthly cash bribes to secure the purchase of this property. The monthly payments started at $5,000 but the parties agreed to eventually increase that amount. After the initial bribes, Wimberly explained that he was ready to increase the payments. Person A agreed. But when Person A later did not provide the amount Wimberly expected, Wimberly complained that he was due “10$ a month.” Person A then increased the monthly payments to $10,000. In total, Person A provided $50,000 in cash to Wimberly for the purpose of winning the bid for subject property. The Federal Bureau of Investigation intervened before the property could be transferred to Person A.

    The bribery charge, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

    “Public officials who act in their own best interests, motivated by greed, betray the trust of their communities and the general public,” United States Attorney Ison said. “ We will continue to aggressively prosecute corrupt public officials for their illegal actions.”

    “Investigating public corruption is a primary concern and priority of the FBI in Michigan,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. The former City of Inkster mayor, Patrick Wimberly’s guilty plea is a step forward in reminding public officials that they will be held accountable for their actions and should always operate with the highest level of integrity. Members of the FBI’s Detroit Area Corruption Task Force will continue to investigate any allegations of criminal misconduct from our public officials, in an effort to maintain the public’s trust.”

    The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dracut Brothers Agree to Plead Guilty to Fraud Scheme Involving Online Sales of Cosmetics

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

    BOSTON – Two men have been charged with, and have agreed to plead guilty to, carrying out a scheme to obtain products of an online cosmetics company through fraud and to resell those products on Amazon and eBay for a profit.

    Brothers Nick Ashtar-Zadeh, 22, and Nika Ashtar-Zadeh, 23, of Dracut, have agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud each. Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the Court.

    According to the charging documents, between 2020 and 2021, Nick Ashtar-Zadeh and Nika Ashtar-Zadeh operated Amazon and eBay “stores” that offered various products for sale, including the products of a cosmetics company in Texas. It is alleged that the Ashtar-Zadehs offered the company’s products on these platforms to buyers for one-time payments that were typically equal to or below the company’s list prices for the same products. The Ashtar-Zadehs then enrolled these Amazon and eBay buyers in the company’s 30-day trial program for the same products. The brothers allegedly entered the buyers’ information on the company’s website, without the customers’ knowledge or consent, and caused the company to ship its products to those buyers for a trial period. It is alleged that, for these orders, the Ashtar-Zadehs presented the company with forms of payment that fulfilled initial charges of $19.95 but were declined when the company attempted to charge later installments, after buyers had kept the products past 30 days. The brothers sold the company’s products in this manner to hundreds of buyers on Amazon and eBay, each time pocketing the difference between what the buyers paid them and the initial $19.95 upfront payment to the company. As a result of the alleged conduct, the Ashtar-Zadehs cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.

    The charge of wire fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hammond Man Indicted for Identity Theft

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

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ERNEST X. TAYLOR, JR. (“TAYLOR”), age 39, a resident of Hammond, Louisiana, was indicted on September 20, 2024 for identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028(a)(7) and 1028(b)(1)(D).

    According to court documents, in December 2021, TAYLOR used means of identification belonging to a victim to obtain a $25,000 loan from Collins Community Credit Union.

    Specifically, TAYLOR used identification in the victim’s name, without the knowledge or consent of the victim.  If convicted, TAYLOR faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

    U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

    The case was investigated by  the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Second Child Predator Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing a Child and Drugging Them with Methamphetamine

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

    INDIANAPOLIS—Dustin Scott Cox, 54, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child. 

    According to court documents, between at least February and September of 2020, Dustin Cox conspired with Zachary Nichols to sexually abuse and produce sexual images of a fifteen-year-old child. Cox is a repeat child sex offender, convicted in 2004 for coercing a 14-year-old to perform sex acts in exchange for a new bicycle.

    In 2020, Cox was Zachary Nichols’ methamphetamine dealer. Nichols sexually abused the child victim for years. Nichols began allowing Cox to sexually abuse the child as well, in exchange for supplying Nichols with methamphetamine. On multiple occasions, Cox and Nichols recorded their sexual abuse of the victim. The child was nearly incapacitated because of drug use in some of the child sex abuse material that Nichols and Cox created.

    In June of 2024, Zachary Nichols was sentenced to 42 years in federal prison for his role in sexually exploiting and abusing the child.

    “These heinous predators repeatedly sexually abused a child, incapacitated them with meth, and traded the victim’s body for drugs,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our hearts go out to the survivor of these horrific abuses, and we hope this prosecution brings them some measure of peace. The lifelong trauma inflicted by these sick criminals merits federal prison sentences that will ensure that neither of them ever harms another child. Together with our partners at the FBI and IMPD, our office is committed aggressively prosecuting sex offenders who prey upon our children and removing them from our communities.”

    “Every child deserves to be live and thrive in a safe environment without worry of harm and abuse. This sentence reflects the severity of this heinous offense and should put others on notice that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable those who prey on our children,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton.

    The FBI and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. Cox has also been ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victim and maintain his sex offender status wherever he lives, works, or goes to school upon release from federal prison.

    U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ra Medical Systems, Inc. & Physicians Pay Over $8 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Illegal Kickbacks

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

    DETROIT – United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today a series of three civil settlements, totaling over $8 million, related to, among other allegations, kickbacks that medical device company Ra Medical Systems, Inc. (Ra Medical), paid to various physicians across the country related to Ra Medical’s DABRA laser.

    Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Regional Office, Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Northeast Field Office. 

    Ra Medical was a medical device company that was formerly headquartered in Carlsbad, California.  From 2017-2019, Ra Medical manufactured and sold a device known as the DABRA Laser.  The settlement with Ra Medical resolves the following alleged violations of the False Claims Act:

    • Ra Medical marketed the DABRA Laser for use in atherectomies, a procedure whereby plaque is mechanically removed from occluded blood vessels in patients suffering from peripheral artery disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, however, had not approved the DABRA Laser for use in atherectomy procedures.
    • Additionally, Ra Medical knowingly marketed the DABRA Laser despite product performance issues causing frequent calibration and overheating problems, which posed a risk to physicians and patients, and prompted a recall in August 2019.
    • Ra Medical also knowingly offered and paid illegal remuneration to certain physicians to induce them to use the DABRA Laser in violation of the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. The United States contends that the illegal remuneration consisted of cash payments and fees paid in connection with purported training events and consulting services. The United States further contends that RMS tracked utilization of its high-volume physician customers using an internal document titled “Who Deserve[] Love,” which was used to identify physicians that RMS should target with offers of improper remuneration. Two of the recipients of the alleged kickback payments were Elias Kassab, M.D. (Kassab), of Dearborn, Michigan, and David Allie, M.D. (Allie), of Lafayette, Louisiana.

    The Federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare and other federally funded programs.  The statute is intended to ensure that a medical provider’s judgment is not compromised by improper financial incentives.

    Under the terms of the agreement with Ra Medical, which was entered into pursuant to DOJ’s inability to pay settlement guidelines and was executed in December 2020, Ra Medical paid $2.5 million up front and would pay up to $28 million more if future financial contingencies were met.  In January 2023, Ra Medical paid an additional $5 million, after its reverse merger with Catheter Precision, Inc., triggered one of the contingencies.

    The settlement with Ra Medical remained under seal while the United States continued its investigation into Kassab and Allie, among others, who were alleged to have received improper kickbacks.  In a separate settlement, Kassab and two of his companies agreed to pay $450,000 to resolve the allegations against them.  In the third settlement, Allie and his consulting company agreed to pay $250,000 to resolve the allegations against them.

    “The United States will not allow doctors to hold out their hands expecting to be paid to use and promote a device,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “The millions of people who depend on our federal healthcare programs deserve and expect medical decisions untainted by kickbacks, and this settlement reflects our commitment to pursuing not just the companies that pay illegal kickbacks, but also the physicians who willingly extract and accept them.”

    “The payment of kickbacks to induce referrals can undermine the trust in our nation’s providers and result in costly reductions to our federal health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to ensure the appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.”

    “Healthcare services are being unlawfully influenced by medical providers engaging in criminal kickback schemes, significantly impacting programs such as Medicare and Medicaid,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Our office is fully committed to investigating and holding accountable those individuals and organizations involved in illegal profit-driven practices that harm our medical system.”

    “Protecting TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their dependents, is a top priority for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General,” stated Special Agent-in-Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office.  “The settlement agreement announced today demonstrates our ongoing commitment to work with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate allegations of healthcare fraud.”

    The civil settlements resolve the claims brought by Robert Gruber, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act.  Under these provisions, a private party may file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.  The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Gruber v. Ra Medical Systems, Inc., et al., No. 19-12044 (E.D. Mich.).  The whistleblower will receive a combined $1,722,000 from the three settlements.  The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only; there has been no determination or admission of liability.

    The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonny Zajac of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from HHS-OIG, the FBI, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Missing Navajo Woman

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

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Tre C. James, 31, of Pinon, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to life in prison on count one and an additional 10 years in prison on count two to run consecutively, for the murder of Jamie Yazzie, a woman classified as a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person from the Navajo Nation. A federal jury previously found James guilty of First Degree Murder for Yazzie’s death. The jury also found James guilty of several acts of domestic violence committed against three other women, all members of the Navajo Nation. Judge Rayes sentenced James to an additional 10 years in prison to run concurrently, and five years of supervised release for each of those assaults.   

    “Securing justice for missing victims of violence necessitates courage, discipline, and collaboration,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “It also requires all of us to demonstrate our commitment with alacrity: for communities to report their missing loved ones as soon as possible; for victim advocates to engage early and often with next of kin; and for agents and prosecutors to charge cases as soon as they are ready to be charged.”

    “Today’s sentence underscores the fact that Jamie Yazzie was not forgotten by the FBI or our federal and tribal partners,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “Our office is committed to addressing the violence that Native American communities in Arizona face every day and we will continue our efforts to protect families, help victims and ensure that justice is served in each case we pursue.”

    James shot and killed Yazzie on the Navajo Nation in the summer of 2019. He hid her remains on the Hopi Reservation, where they remained concealed for almost three years. Multiple agencies worked together to investigate Yazzie’s disappearance, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Services, Navajo Nation Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Navajo County Sheriff’s Office.

    Investigators faced significant challenges, including the fact that Yazzie had not been reported missing for several days, James had cleaned the crime scene, and the murder occurred while James and Yazzie were home alone together; the global pandemic, which hit the Navajo Nation particularly hard, also presented significant challenges. Investigators persevered and, during the investigation, discovered the assaults against other women, many of which had never been reported to law enforcement.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer E. LaGrange and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon K. Sexton, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. Ms. Yazzie’s mother, father, grandmother and other relatives provided support to the investigation and prosecution over several years.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-08073-PCT-DLR
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-126_James

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Agents Seize and Shut Down Royal Inn Hotel in Phoenix Due to Drug Trafficking and Other Unlawful Activities

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

    Owner, Operator, and Corporate Entity Charged with Travel Act violations, Money Laundering, and Maintaining a Drug Premises

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Marshal Service, in coordination with the Phoenix Police Department, executed search and seizure warrants at the Royal Inn hotel, located at 2510 West Palo Verde Drive in Phoenix. Federal agents seized control of the hotel and shut down its operations due to widespread prostitution and drug trafficking activities that have gone unabated by its owners and operators.

    Also today, the United States District Court unsealed a 44-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on September 17, 2024, against the Royal Inn’s owner, operator, and corporate entity, among others. Specifically:

    • Varsha Patel, 56, of Chino Hills, California, the owner of Royal Inn, was charged with two counts of Using a Facility of Interstate Commerce in Aid of Racketeering, one count of Maintaining a Drug Premises, and 34 counts of Promotional Money Laundering. Varsha Patel was also charged with multiple counts of Making False Statements to Obtain a Small Business Administration Loan.
    • Sarang Hospitality LLC, aka Royal Inn, the Arizona corporation through which the hotel does business, was similarly charged with two counts of Using a Facility of Interstate Commerce in Aid of Racketeering, one count of Maintaining a Drug Premises, and 34 counts of Promotional Money Laundering.
    • Nilam Patel, 54, of Phoenix, the live-in operator and day-to-day manager of the Royal Inn, was also charged with two counts of Using a Facility of Interstate Commerce in Aid of Racketeering, one count of Maintaining a Drug Premises, and 34 counts of Promotional Money Laundering.
    • Four other individuals were charged with Distribution of Fentanyl and Methamphetamine for drug dealing at the Royal Inn: Anthony Curtis, 42, of Buckeye; Otis Childers, 31, of Phoenix; Chauntelle Mills, 24, of Phoenix; and Leonardo Guerrero, 49, of Phoenix.

    The indictment alleges that defendants Varsha Patel, Nilam Patel, and Sarang Hospitality LLC, operated the Royal Inn by primarily renting rooms to individuals engaging in prostitution and drug dealing. From 2017 through September 2024, these defendants used the funds they obtained from the Royal Inn room rentals to maintain and promote the Royal Inn’s operations; pay the mortgage on personal property located in Chino Hills, California; fund certificates of deposit; purchase life insurance policies; and pay for their own personal expenses.

    The indictment further alleges that Varsha Patel, Nilam Patel, and Sarang Hospitality LLC were aware that most activities at the Royal Inn were illegal acts of prostitution, drug dealing, and drug using. Over the course of several years, Phoenix Police Department officials repeatedly informed these three defendants of the drug dealing and prostitution activities on the property, of the hundreds of calls for service local police received, and of the need to abate the criminal activities taking place. Despite having been served with multiple abatement letters, these defendants continued to operate the Royal Inn to intentionally facilitate and profit from the criminal activities occurring on the premises. This included: renting rooms to persons who overtly engaged in prostitution, and to persons who distributed illegal drugs; directing the sex workers to attract sex buyers off the property, and to walk separate from the sex buyer while going to the room; directing the sex workers, pimps, and drug dealers to park off the property; alerting sex workers, pimps, and drug dealers of law enforcement presence; failing to request a credit card, together with a government-issued identification, in order to rent a room; failing to evict persons engaged in prostitution and drug dealing, thereby allowing lengthy stays at the Royal Inn without detection; and failing to call the police when criminal activities were occurring.

    A conviction for Using a Facility of Interstate Commerce in Aid of Racketeering carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A conviction for Maintaining a Drug Premises carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. A conviction for Promotional Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. A conviction for Making False Statements to Obtain a Small Business Administration Loan carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A conviction for Distribution of Fentanyl and Methamphetamine carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

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

    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.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshal Service, and Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gayle Helart and Patrick Chapman, United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-01529-PHX-SPL
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-127_Patel

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Macon Mother and Son Sentenced for Roles in Decade-Long Business Theft

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

    MACON, Ga. – Two members of the same family who illegally wrote millions in checks to themselves from their employer’s operating account were sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution for their crimes.

    Billy Lee Wells, Jr., 47, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay the following jointly and severally with co-defendant Eva Wells: $2,583,003.80 restitution to Phil J. Sheridan Company d/b/a Mid-Georgia Sales and $150,000 restitution due to Donegal Mutual Insurance Company. In addition, he was ordered individually to pay $586,112 to the IRS in restitution and $3,404,772.22 in forfeiture. Eva Rebecca Wells, 75, was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. She was ordered to pay the above-mentioned restitution amounts with co-defendant Billy Wells and was also ordered individually to pay $586,112 to the IRS and a total of $3,990,884.22 in forfeiture. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud a financial institution before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Jan. 23. Billy Lee Wells also pleaded guilty to making and subscribing a false return. There is no parole in the federal system.

    “The defendants used their position as trusted employees to steal from a small business for more than a decade, a crime that can carry long-term repercussions for all those affected,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Working with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to do all we can to both hold fraudsters accountable and protect hard-working and honest citizens.”

    “This case serves as a warning to individuals who commit fraud upon others and the U.S. government that their criminal acts will come with consequences,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners will continue investigating and bringing to justice those who participate in illicit schemes to enrich themselves.”

    “These fraud scams, although not violent, are not victimless and can be devastating to local business and ruin livelihoods,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “The FBI is dedicated to working with our partners to hold anyone accountable who would steal from hard working and honest individuals, rather than put in the work themselves.”

    According to court documents in the Wells case, Eva Wells was the Office Manager for Mid-Georgia Sales and was responsible for its finances, including issuing weekly payroll and making other payments on behalf of the business. Her son, Billy Lee Wells, Jr., was also employed at Mid-Georgia Sales, working in IT and sales. In Dec. 2008, Eva Wells began writing unauthorized checks to herself and her son from the company’s general operating fund, as opposed to the account used for payroll. When the theft was discovered, a full accounting was conducted. Between Dec. 31, 2008, and May 10, 2019, Eva Wells wrote a total of $3,404,772.22 in unauthorized checks to Billy Lee Wells, Jr. which were either cashed or deposited in his bank account. In addition to the checks made to Billy Lee Wells, Jr., Eva Wells also wrote unauthorized checks to herself which she cashed or deposited into her bank account.

    The Wells case was investigated by the FBI, the IRS and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard prosecuted both cases for the Government.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Six Block Gang Member Faces Minimum of Ten Years in Federal Prison for Armed Drug Trafficking

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

    Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Al’Donta Easterling (26, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Easterling faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to the plea agreement, beginning no later than October 2022 and continuing through July 2024, Easterling was an armed distributor for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that transported large quantities of marijuana from California to Jacksonville. Easterling and his co-conspirators routinely traveled to California, where they acquired marijuana and smuggled it back to Jacksonville in suitcases on commercial flights or through mail parcels. In Jacksonville, Easterling and his co-conspirators sold marijuana from short-term rental properties. At these residences, Easterling and his co-conspirators routinely carried and possessed firearms to protect themselves, the drugs they distributed, and proceeds from the drug sales. Federal agents seized more than 100 kilograms of marijuana from the DTO during the investigation. On May 22, 2024, detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) arrested Easterling after finding a pound of marijuana and a loaded Glock pistol in his vehicle. According to JSO, Easterling is a documented member of the Six Block street gang.

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aakash Singh and Kirwinn Mike.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Meriwether County Resident Convicted of Armed Drug Trafficking

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

    COLUMBUS, Ga. – A resident of Meriwether County with several previous felony convictions was found guilty of illegal gun possession and drug trafficking charges following a bench trial this week.

    Howatdrick Jamal Jones, 30, of Woodbury, Georgia, was found guilty of one count of possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Clay Land that began and ended on Monday, Sept. 23. Jones faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12. There is no parole in the federal system.

    “Repeat armed felons tied to violent criminal gangs will find themselves being held accountable at the federal level,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Law enforcement across the Middle District of Georgia is working closely with our office to bring the most dangerous offenders in our communities to justice and make our communities safer for all.”

    “Guns, drugs and violence are unfortunately all too common tools of the drug trafficking organizations operating in our communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the DEA to hold violent drug traffickers accountable.”

    “I would like to thank all of the law enforcement entities involved for their hard work on this case,” said Waverly Hall Police Chief Jason Durham. “This is another proven example that illegal drugs and guns will not be tolerated.”

    According to the evidence at trial, Jones was stopped by a Waverly Hall Police Department officer on Oct. 16, 2019, after the officer’s automatic license plate reader triggered an alert that the owner of the car had active arrest warrants. The officer smelled marijuana and searched the vehicle, finding cocaine, a digital scale and a razor blade next to the drugs. Jones was concealing a .45 caliber pistol. At the time, Jones had several prior felony drug convictions; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. Jones was convicted of bank robbery on Sept. 20, 2023, in the Superior Court of Pike County, Georgia and is serving a life sentence for his crime.

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Waverly Hall Police Department with valuable assistance from the FBI and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Williams and Crawford Seals are prosecuting the case for the Government.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty After Extradition to Participating in Romance Scams and Other Fraud Schemes Targeting Elderly Victims

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

    Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ISAIAH OKERE plead guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman to charges stemming from his participation in an international conspiracy to defraud at least 15 victims of romance schemes, lottery scams, and business email compromise schemes.

    U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Isaiah Okere and his co-conspirators preyed on elderly and vulnerable victims, some of whom lost their entire life savings.  Even though he operated his scams from a country halfway around the world, this Office’s global reach ensures that he will be held accountable in the United States for his crimes.” 

    According to Count One of the Information to which OKERE pled guilty and other statements and submissions made in Court:         

    From at least in or about 2015 up to and including November 2019, OKERE and co-conspirator Timy Hakim conspired with members of the “Black Axe” transnational criminal organization to engage in fraudulent schemes that left at least 15 people and entities with over a million dollars in losses.  OKERE facilitated the laundering of proceeds of three types of fraud schemes, a “Romance Scheme,” a “Lottery Scheme,” and a “BEC Fraud Scheme.” Through the Romance Scheme, a vulnerable individual was led to believe she or he was in a romantic online relationship with a perpetrator of the Scheme when, in fact, the perpetrator merely used this as a mechanism to build the victim’s trust and solicit the victim’s money.  Through the Lottery Scheme, the scheme participants informed certain victims that they had won a cash prize but first needed to make certain payments to access the funds.  Through the BEC Fraud Scheme, the scheme participants induced a corporate victim located in Manhattan to release company funds under fraudulent pretenses by impersonating the founder of the company.

    OKERE used accounts under false identities to communicate directly with his U.S. victims.  He also controlled multiple foreign bank accounts in South Africa that received funds from victims targeted by these schemes.  

    At least 15 individual and corporate victims lost money as part of OKERE, Hakim, and their co-conspirators’ schemes.  They include vulnerable, isolated, and elderly victims who entered into relationships after the deaths of their spouses and, over a period of several years, were induced to drain their entire retirement savings and take out loans from family and friends.  Many victims experienced severe emotional harm, including a woman who reported becoming suicidal after losing her retirement savings to this scheme.

    *                *                *

    OKERE, 42, a citizen of the Republic of Nigeria, was arrested in South Africa on the basis of a provisional arrest warrant in December 2021 and was extradited on August 23, 2024.  He pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  

    On September 27, 2023, co-defendant Timy Hakim was sentenced to two years in prison and was ordered to pay $1,414,043 in restitution and forfeit $671,452.

    The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

    Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa, and the South African Police Service.  The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from South Africa.

    The criminal case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Vladislav Vainberg is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 200s Gang Member Charged with 2019 Murder of Innocent Bystander

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

    Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging LUIS FILPO with racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and murder through the use of a firearm.  These charges relate to FILPO’s alleged membership in a street gang known as “the 200s,” operating in and around upper Manhattan.  As alleged, on January 31, 2019, FILPO and other 200s members shot and killed Roberto Vasquez, an innocent bystander who was mistaken for a gang rival.  FILPO, who was in New York State custody, was transferred to federal custody yesterday and made his initial appearance in federal court in Manhattan.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.

    U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Luis Filpo murdered Roberto Vasquez after mistaking him for a gang rival.  Thanks to the hard work of the prosecutors in this Office and our law enforcement partners, Filpo will finally be held to account for this heinous crime. We hope that these charges bring some measure of comfort to Mr. Vasquez’s family and make clear that this Office and our law enforcement partners will never stop investigating those who commit violence on our streets.”

    According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed yesterday in Manhattan federal court[1] and other court documents:

    From at least in or about 2016 up to and including March 2022, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, FILPO was a member of the 200s street gang.  In order to fund the gang, protect its territory, and promote its standing, members of the 200s engaged in, among other things, narcotics trafficking and other acts of violence, including murder.  Members of the 200s sold narcotics in the gang’s territory and engaged in shootings as part of their gang membership.  In particular, on January 31, 2019, FILPO shot and killed Roberto Vasquez, an innocent bystander mistaken for a rival gang member, in the vicinity of 158th Street and Broadway Avenue, in Manhattan, New York.

    *                *                *

    FILPO, 25, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum term of life in prison; one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory minimum term of life in prison or death; and one count of causing death through use of a firearm, which carries a maximum term of life in prison or death.

    The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

    Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and New York City Police Department.

    The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Andrews and Patrick Moroney are in charge of the prosecution.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Houston Seeks Persistent “Plaid Pillager” for Fifth Bank Robbery

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

    HOUSTON, TX—FBI Houston’s Violent Crime Task Force is asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating a man dubbed the “Plaid Pillager” who committed his fifth bank robbery in Houston last week. Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the robber.

    The most recent robbery occurred at approximately 2:10 p.m. on Friday, September 20, 2024, at the Bank of America located at 5348 Westheimer Road in west Houston. During the robbery, the suspect entered the bank, approached the counter, and handed the teller a threatening note demanding money. He fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of money southbound on foot across Westheimer Road. No one was physically hurt during the robbery.

    Previously, the “Plaid Pillager” robbed the following banks:

    • Wells Fargo Bank located at 11152 South Gessner in southwest Houston on Friday, July 22, 2022
    • Chase Bank located at 10411 Westheimer in west Houston on Friday, February 3, 2023
    • Bank of America located at 5348 Westheimer in west Houston on Friday, February 10, 2023
    • Cadence Bank located at 3754 Westheimer in west Houston on Monday March 6, 2023

    The robber is described as a balding white male in his late 50s, approximately 6’0” tall, with a heavy build and a white stubble beard. During the robbery he wore a blue fishing shirt, blue jeans, sneakers, a medical mask, and a ballcap with the Texans logo. He carried a camo-colored backpack, and upon fleeing the bank he took off his ballcap and mask before putting on sunglasses. A witness stated the suspect had an older black or green tattoo on the left side of his head.

    Photographs of the suspect from the most recent robbery can be found on FBI Houston’s Twitter account.

    Crime Stoppers of Houston, a non-governmental organization, is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of this robber. If you have any information, please call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or the FBI Houston Field Office at (713) 693-5000. Tips may also be submitted to Crime Stoppers through their website, http://www.crime-stoppers.org, or the Houston Crime Stoppers mobile phone app which can be downloaded for both iPhone and Android devices. All tipsters remain anonymous.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nashville Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Armed Robbery and Firearms Convictions

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

    NASHVILLE – Terrell Stevenson, 35, of Nashville was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison today, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Henry C. Leventis.

    Within 40 minutes on Halloween night 2018, Stevenson robbed a Dollar General Store and a Mapco gas station in Nashville, brandishing a semi-automatic pistol and pointing it at the head of the clerk working at the Dollar General Store. Stevenson and his accomplice were arrested by police officers after fleeing from a traffic stop. Stevenson was charged by a federal grand jury in January of 2020 with two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was convicted on all charges following a jury trial in September 2023.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Stephens and Kathryn Risinger prosecuted the case.

    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.

    # # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Air National Guardsman Pleads Guilty in Murder-for-Hire Scheme

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

    NASHVILLE – Josiah Ernesto Garcia, 23, of Toledo, Ohio, formerly of Hermitage, Tennessee, has pleaded guilty to federal charges after meeting with an undercover FBI agent to finalize a deal to murder an individual for payment, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.

    Garcia pleaded guilty to using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.

    According to court records, Garcia needed money to support his family and in mid-February 2023 began searching online for contract mercenary jobs and found the website http://www.rentahitman.com. Originally created in 2005 to advertise a cyber security startup company, the company failed and over the next decade it received many inquiries about murder-for-hire services. The website’s administrator then converted the website to a parody site that contains false testimonials from those who have purported to use hit man services, and an intake form where people can request services. The website also has an option for someone to apply to work as a hired killer.

    Garcia submitted an employment inquiry indicating that he was interested in obtaining employment as a hit man and that he had “military experience, and rifle expertise.” Garcia followed up on this initial request and submitted other identification documents and a resume indicating he was an expert marksman and had been employed in the Air National Guard since July 2021. The resume also provided that Garcia was nicknamed “Reaper” which was earned from military experience and marksmanship. Garcia continued to follow up with the website administrator indicating that he wanted to go to work as soon as possible. 

    An FBI undercover agent spoke with Garcia by phone then met him in person to discuss his application. Both conversations were recorded. The agent then met with Garcia at a park in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and provided him with a target packet of a fictional individual, which included photographs and other information about the individual to be killed, and a down payment of $2,500. After agreeing to the terms of the murder arrangement, Garcia asked the agent if he needed to provide a photograph of the dead body. Garcia was then arrested by FBI agents, who in a subsequent search of his home, recovered an AR style rifle.

    Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on February 7, 2025. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Resident Agency, Memphis Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle prosecuted the case.

    # # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Croix Man Indicted After Threatening to Murder Federal Agents

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

    St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jamoi Weekes, 30, of St. Croix, with making threats to assault and murder federal and local law enforcement officers.

    “Heinous threats of violence that target our partners in law enforcement will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Smith. “Law enforcement officials must be free to perform their duties without fear or intimidation, and as evidenced in the case against Weekes, we will steadfastly prosecute threats against public servants and aggressively seek penalties against those who engage in such abhorrent crimes.”

    According to court documents, on August 31, 2024, Weekes attempted to board a flight at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix. Weekes was referred to Customs and Border Protection for a secondary inspection before boarding his flight. Weekes then became extremely irate and combative and began threatening to murder and retaliate against the officers if he ever saw them again. Weekes was then determined to be unsuitable to board his flight and was ordered to leave the airport. While exiting the airport, Weekes encountered two Virgin Islands Port Authority officers who he also threatened to murder. Rather than leave the airport, Weekes then followed two Customs and Border Protection officers from the airport terminal to the parking lot and again threatened to murder the officers.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Evan Rikhye.

    United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney and FBI Charge Man for Drive-By Shooting in Zuni

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni Pueblo man was charged by criminal complaint with federal firearms violations following a drive-by shooting that occurred on the Pueblo of Zuni Indian Reservation.

    Devin Wyaco, 33, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

    According to the criminal complaint, on September 19, 2024, John Doe and his girlfriend were riding their bikes in Zuni, New Mexico when they noticed a white sedan with tinted windows drive past them, going in the same direction as them. The sedan then did a U-turn and stopped before driving back towards them. As the vehicle passed them, one shot was fired from the passenger side, striking John Doe in his abdomen.

    John Doe was transported via ambulance first to Zuni Hospital, then to University of New Mexico Hospital. When he was later interviewed by investigators, John Doe identified the vehicle as belonging to Wyaco’s girlfriend.

    Investigators executed a federal search warrant on Wyaco’s girlfriend’s residence. There, they spoke to Wyaco’s girlfriend, who stated she had been in the vehicle with Wyaco at the time of the shooting. Wyaco’s girlfriend told investigators that he had fled and was still in possession of the firearm.

    If convicted, Wyaco faces a minimum of 10 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

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

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: SCOR acquires Altarea’s stake in MRM. Following the acquisition, SCOR intends to file a simplified public tender offer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press release
    September 26, 2024 – N° 13

    SCOR acquires Altarea’s stake in MRM.
    Following the acquisition, SCOR intends to file a simplified public tender offer

    To read this information in full, please confirm that you have read and understood the disclaimer on SCOR’s website here.

    *

    *        *

    SCOR, a leading global reinsurer

    As a leading global reinsurer, SCOR offers its clients a diversified and innovative range of reinsurance and insurance solutions and services to control and manage risk. Applying “The Art & Science of Risk”, SCOR uses its industry-recognized expertise and cutting-edge financial solutions to serve its clients and contribute to the welfare and resilience of society.

    The Group generated premiums of EUR 19.4 billion in 2023 and serves clients in around 160 countries from its 35 offices worldwide.

    For more information, visit: http://www.scor.com

    		 Media Relations
    Alexandre Garcia
    media@scor.com

    Investor Relations
    Thomas Fossard
    tfossard@scor.com

    Follow us on LinkedIn

    All content published by the SCOR group since January 1, 2024, is certified with Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity of this content at wiztrust.com.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Lowering costs for municipalities

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Municipalities play an important role in shaping Alberta’s vibrant communities and contributing to a stronger province. The province will now lend money to local authorities, which include municipalities, airports, counties and irrigation districts, at a lower rate.

    These entities will now pay the same interest rate as the province on money borrowed for infrastructure and other capital projects. The change is expected to save municipalities about $7 million in 2025-26 and about $12 million in 2026-27.

    In a time of high interest rates, Alberta’s government is reducing the budgetary pressures faced by local governments and frees up funds for purposes other than servicing debt.

    With Alberta’s balancing of the budget, the province has been able to reduce outstanding debt by more than $19 billion. With continued strong results, Alberta’s borrowing costs are expected to remain low.

    The Loans to Local Authorities program allows even the smallest municipalities in Alberta to benefit from the province’s fiscal strength and well-established access to global capital markets. The province lends money to local authorities to help finance their capital projects, such as roads and upgrades to local water, sewer, gas and electric services.

    “Alberta has lowered our cost of borrowing, and now we are passing that savings on to municipalities. They are our partners in providing services to Albertans, and by working together we can ensure that investments can be made with a minimum cost to service debt.”

    Nate Horner, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance

    “Our government provides billions of dollars in support to municipalities, ranging from grants to capital funding. Lowering the cost of borrowing for municipalities is just one more way we are ensuring that municipalities, counties, airports and irrigation districts can invest in their citizens.”

    Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs

    Background

    • The Loans to Local Authorities program was set up to ensure that all municipalities and qualifying local authorities in Alberta have access to funds at the lowest possible cost.
    • Interest rates charged on new loans to local authorities were revised to better reflect the cost of credit for municipal borrowers that raise debt financing in the capital markets.
    • The current loan pricing model under the Loans to Local Authorities program came into effect in December 2021.
    • Prior to the change, lending rates were equal to the province’s estimated cost of borrowing for debt with the same terms.
    • The change will take effect in Budget 2025.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Criticizes Banking Regulators’ Inaction on NYCB’s “Systemic Failings” and Threats to Banking and Financial Stability

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    September 26, 2024
    Questions Heads of OCC, Federal Reserve on “Dereliction of Duty” Amid Pattern of Oversight Failures 
    “Given the ongoing threats from regional bank failures, I am deeply troubled by your …failure to answer our previous questions—and your inability or unwillingness to rein in unruly banks …If the OCC has indeed identified ‘systemic failings’ at NYCB, the agency must impose stronger controls on the bank.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent letters to Michael Hsu, Acting Comptroller of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve (Fed), with renewed concern that the OCC and the Fed could allow New York Community Bank (NYCB) to escape regulatory oversight despite identifying “systemic failings” in the bank’s operation and management. She also calls for the OCC to consider implementing an Individual Minimum Capital Ratio (IMCR) given NYCB’s history and the risks it poses to the U.S. financial system.
    “Allowing NYCB to evade penalties under these circumstances would be a dereliction of duty and would represent a failure by the OCC and the Fed to ensure the safety and soundness of the banking system,” wrote Senator Warren. 
    The OCC’s record of failure with NYCB is now over three years old. The current threats to NYCB’s viability reflect a pattern of oversight failures by the OCC, which rubber-stamped  two risky mergers with Flagstar Bank and Signature Bank in a six month period. Following those mergers, NYCB teetered near failure as the OCC neglected to address the risks associated with the bank’s rapid growth until it was too late.
    “The OCC, as NYCB’s regulator, is tasked with overseeing NYCB’s risk management and yet did not raise flags related to NYCB’s internal struggles,” Senator Warren wrote. “On the brink of failure, NYCB accepted a capital infusion from private equity firms spearheaded by former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who tapped fellow Trump-era financial regulator Joseph Otting as NYCB’s new CEO.” 
    Steven Mnuchin and Joseph Otting worked together for years, at OneWest bank, where they ran an operation that was deemed a “foreclosure machine,” which repossessed the homes of tens of thousands of American families between 2009 and 2015 and intensified the economic pain of the Great Recession. Under Mr. Mnuchin and Mr. Otting’s leadership, OneWest employed illegal tactics like “robo-signing”—falsifying key documents—to kick more than 36,000 families out of their homes. When they took the helm ofNYCB, the Fed and OCC were required to review Mr. Otting’s and Mr. Mnuchin’s character and fitness, which would have included their behavior at OneWest.
    The OCC and the Fed failures to appropriately supervise NYCB are becoming more clear with the new reports of “systemic failings” at the bank. 
    “Given the ongoing threats from regional bank failures, I am deeply troubled by your … inability or unwillingness to rein in unruly banks,” wrote Senator Warren. “If the OCC has indeed identified ‘systemic failings’ at NYCB, the agency must impose stronger controls on the bank.”
    Senator Warren is calling on the OCC to use its existing authority under Title 12, which allows the OCC to establish a higher minimum capital requirement for banks under its jurisdiction that present heightened risks to the financial system, by considering an Individual Minimum Capital Ratio for NYCB. 
    Senator Warren has led the fight to hold banking regulators accountable to establishing and enforcing guardrails around the banking industry and preventing harmful bank mergers to protect the financial system, economy, and consumers: 
    In April 2024, Senators Warren and Blumenthal probed the OCC for its regulatory failures amid NYCB’s financial spiral. 
    In March 2024, a year after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Senator Warren sent a letter to three key banking regulators: Michael Barr, Vice Chair for Supervision of the Federal Reserve, Martin Gruenberg, Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Acting Comptroller Hsu, seeking an update on their progress in delivering on their public commitments to strengthen regulatory standards for banks with assets of $100 billion or more. 
    In February 2024, Senator Warren led 12 lawmakers urging the OCC and the Federal Reserve to block Capital One’s plan to acquire Discover Financial Services. Their letter also expressed concerns with the OCC’s proposed policy statement regarding merger approvals as essentially codifying a permissive approach.
    In December 2023, Senator Warren led 6 senators in a letter to Acting Comptroller Hsu, calling on OCC to allow states to move forward with their efforts to protect consumers from harmful bank practices. The senators criticized the OCC for overstepping its preemption authority under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which it used to block tough, state-level consumer protections.
    In August 2023, chairing a hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Economic Policy, Senator Warren highlighted the need for regulators to implement the strongest version of bank merger review guidelines in order to ensure stability in the financial system. 
    In June 2023, Senator Warren sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, Federal Deposit Investment Corporation Chairman Gruenberg, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Hsu, Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, urging regulators to promote greater competition in the banking sector by toughening their stances on bank mergers and strengthening bank merger review guidelines.
    In May 2023, at a hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, Senator Warren questioned Acting Comptroller Hsu on his decision to approve JPMorgan Chase’s purchase of First Republic Bank after its collapse. This merger allowed a large, poorly supervised bank to be swallowed by America’s largest bank, making it $200 billion larger than it was before.
    In May 2023, Senator Warren sent a letter to Acting Comptroller Hsu and FDIC Chair Gruenberg, questioning the terms of the sale of First Republic Bank to JP Morgan Chase and the rationale behind the OCC and FDIC’s approval of the deal. 
    In December 2022, Senators Warren and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) sent letters to three key banking regulators: the Federal Reserve, FDIC, and the OCC, raising concerns about the ties between the banking industry and crypto firms following FTX’s bankruptcy. The senators asked each regulator how they assessed the banking system’s exposure to crypto risks. 
    In December 2022, Senator Warren and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) sent a letter to the heads of all U.S. banking regulators, including Acting Comptroller Hsu, calling on them to improve banking access for immigrant communities and communities of color.  
    In August 2022, Senators Warren, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Whitehouse, and Sanders sent a letter to the OCC, calling on it to rescind the previously issued cryptocurrency guidance and replace it with more comprehensive guidance, in coordination with other prudential regulators. 
    In September 2021, Senator Warren and Representative Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) reintroduced the Bank Merger Review Modernization Act, which would restrict harmful consolidation in the banking industry and protect consumers and the financial system from “Too Big to Fail” institutions, like those that caused the 2008 financial crisis.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Happy Valley-Goose Bay — Update: RCMP NL releases photos of Da Shed robbery suspect in Happy Valley-Goose Bay

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP NL’s Labrador District General Investigation Section (GIS) is releasing images of a suspect involved in a recent robbery at Da Shed Pub that occurred on September 2, 2024.

    Shortly before 1:00 a.m. on September 2, a masked man wearing goggles entered the bar with a firearm, pointed it at an employee and demanded money. The suspect departed prior to police arrival with a quantity of cash.

    RCMP Labrador District GIS is continuing to investigate this crime and is seeking assistance from the public in identifying the suspect.

    Anyone having information about this crime or the identity of the person pictured is asked to call Labrador District GIS at 709-896-1263. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit http://www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

    Background:

    Happy Valley-Goose Bay RCMP investigates armed robbery at Da Shed Pub | Royal Canadian Mounted Police (rcmp-grc.gc.ca)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sussex — Police warn of counterfeit money circulating in community; One arrested

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Police have arrested an 18-year-old man from Sussex, N.B., in connection with an investigation into the use of counterfeit money in the Sussex area.

    The Sussex RCMP has recently received several reports from many local businesses that counterfeit Canadian $100 bills have been used to purchase goods and services. The bills all have the same serial number: LGQ03229158.

    On September 12, 2024, police arrested an 18-year-old man from Sussex in connection with this investigation. However, counterfeit bills are still circulating in the community. The 18-year-old man was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in Saint John Provincial Court on December 11, 2024.

    Many of the bills have identifiable markings indicating they are fake:

    • Some are of poor quality
    • Different material is used
    • Different sizes and shapes
    • Several of the bills have five black, double bars on both sides of the bill.

    It is an offence to recirculate a counterfeit bill. If you come into contact with what you believe is counterfeit currency, report it to police. For more information on detecting counterfeit bills, visit the following links:

    Anyone with information that could help the investigation into counterfeit bills in the Sussex area is asked to contact the Sussex RCMP at 506-726-5222. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or http://www.crimenb.ca.

    Investigation is ongoing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bennet, Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Employer Child Care Tax Credit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), members of the Senate Committee on Finance, introduced the bipartisan Child Care for American Families Act to strengthen the employer-provided child care credit and expand support for small and rural businesses. 
    “Child care costs are rising nationwide, and countless families lack access to affordable, high-quality child care. This makes things that much harder for working parents, strains families’ budgets, and adds undue stress for families with young children,” said Bennet. “The Child Care for American Families Act will help increase our country’s child care supply and reduce the number of Americans in child care deserts.”
    “Many families across Tennessee and America are struggling to find reliable and affordable child care, and we need to incentivize businesses to invest in child-care services for their employees,” said Blackburn. “Our Child Care for American Families Act would help alleviate the financial burden of child-care costs by expanding and modernizing the Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit.”
    This legislation expands the employer-provided child care credit and increases the existing credit to:
    60 percent for businesses in eligible rural and low-income areas, for a maximum total credit of $1.2 million annually;
    50 percent for small businesses, for a maximum total credit of $1 million annually; and
    40 percent of the first $2 million in qualified child care expenses for a maximum total credit of $800,000 annually.
    The legislation also directs the U.S. Department of the Treasury to issue guidance on multi-employer facilities. 
    In 2018, the Center for American Progress found that more than half—an estimated 51 percent—of the U.S. population lived in a childcare desert, with disproportionate impacts felt by low-income communities, Hispanic communities, and other communities of color. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, 31.7 percent of children below the age of six with working parents do not have access to child care, while in rural communities, that number rises to 35.1 percent. According to the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University and the National Women’s Law Center, increased investment in affordable child care would increase the number of women working full-time by 17 percent; this number jumps to 31 percent for women without a college degree. 
    Bennet has continuously worked to expand the Child Tax Credit to help families afford the rising cost of raising kids. Last year, Bennet joined House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) to call on the Internal Revenue Service to improve outreach promoting awareness of the Employer-Provided Child Care Credit. In 2021, Bennet also introduced the Military Childcare Expansion Act to expand access to child care for servicemembers and their families.
    The legislation is endorsed by Save the Children, Colorado Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), Kindercare, and Early Care & Education Consortium (ECEC). 
    The text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Congressional Delegation Calls on Caltrans to Eliminate Redundant Federal Environmental Reviews

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

    Expedite Permitting for Major Transportation Projects with Completed State Review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    WASHINGTON, DC— Today, U.S. Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-08), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA-30), Scott H. Peters (D-CA-50), Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Josh Harder (D-CA-09), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), and Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38) sent a letter to the California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin and Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Director Tony Tavares urging the state to eliminate redundant, costly federal environmental reviews for major transportation projects.

    Federal law since 2015 has allowed Caltrans to apply to the U.S. Department of Transportation to substitute state-prepared environmental reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in lieu of completing a second, unnecessary federal environmental review at additional taxpayer expense.

    In January 2021 at Garamendi’s urging, the U.S. Department of Transportation finalized the necessary regulations to implement this 2015 pilot authority so that states with high environmental standards like California could apply to substitute their state environmental reviews for federally funded transportation projects.

    “This commonsense reform would effectively cut California’s permitting backlog in half for major transportation infrastructure projects statewide, keeping road, public transit, and rail improvements on time and under budget,” wrote the lawmakers.

    “Californians deserve both world-class transportation infrastructure and their fair share of the generational federal investment under the Biden-Harris Administration’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. That requires your Agency and Department to further streamline the environmental permitting for major projects by eliminating redundant federal NEPA reviews,” continued the lawmakers.

    “To become a modern state, we must once again remember how to ‘get to yes’ when it comes to building infrastructure,” said Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland). “Caltrans can be part of the solution by implementing this incredibly common-sense reform that eliminates unnecessary red tape while fully maintaining protections for the environment. I’d like to thank our Congressional delegation for advocating for this important change.”

    Garamendi was an original cosponsor of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden in 2021. As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in 2015, Garamendi also helped to develop and pass the 2015 Highway Bill, which established this pilot authority.

    In July 2023, Garamendi introduced the “Expedited Federal Permitting for California Act” (H.R.4908), cosponsored by Swalwell and Costa. This bill would make the 2015 pilot authority permanent by substituting state CEQA for federal NEPA reviews. Under current law, this federal pilot authority will expire on December 4, 2027, without ever having been used by Caltrans.

    Full Text of Letter:

    Dear Secretary Omishakin and Director Tavares:

    We write urging your Agency and Department to take advantage of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s pilot program authorized under section 330 of title 23, U.S. Code for eliminating duplication of environmental reviews. This commonsense reform would effectively cut California’s permitting backlog in half for major transportation infrastructure projects statewide, keeping road, public transit, and rail improvements on time and under budget.

    For decades, California’s congressional delegation has worked to identify and cut red tape delaying much-needed infrastructure improvements while upholding our state’s strong environmental protections and record. That work is more critical than ever as we continue working in Congress to ensure that California receives our fair share of the historic federal funding available under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-58) and similar laws enacted under the Biden-Harris Administration.

    As you may know, the 2015 Highway Bill (Public Law 114-94) established a pilot program authorizing the U.S. Department of Transportation to consider requests from states with more stringent laws to substitute state environmental reviews in lieu of completing a redundant federal environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). State environmental reviews pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) are widely regarded as much more stringent than those prepared under the federal NEPA. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation finally promulgated the federal regulation necessary to implement this pilot program for California and the handful of other states with more stringent environmental review laws. However, Caltrans has yet to utilize this federal pilot program to eliminate redundant NEPA reviews for major transportation projects.

    We understand that Caltrans has delegated authority from the U.S. Department of Transportation to assume responsibility for performing NEPA reviews on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration, including an agreement for categorical exclusions to the federal environmental review. While we appreciate that Caltrans does its best to perform both the state review under CEQA and the federal review under NEPA either concurrently or in sequence, that is not always successful for every project. Furthermore, we are troubled that Caltrans is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to complete a redundant federal environmental review, with some federal reimbursement for these bureaucratic costs.

    At the request of your Agency and Department, we worked with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla to extend from 3 to up to 10 years Caltrans’ delegated authority to perform NEPA reviews on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. We also support the CEQA reforms enacted by the State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Newsom in the 2023-24 state budget, which streamlined state environmental reviews for critical infrastructure projects. The next step to fix California’s permitting morass so that major transportation upgrades can proceed on time and under budget is eliminating redundant federal NEPA reviews in favor of state-prepared CEQA reviews.

    Without action, we are concerned that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s pilot program for substituting CEQA in lieu of NEPA will expire on December 5, 2027, without ever having been used by Caltrans, if not reauthorized by Congress. If the State of California requires changes to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2015 pilot program, we stand ready to consider any such request as Congress begins drafting the next federal Highway Bill.

    To be clear, we are not proposing any changes to CEQA or other state laws. Rather, we are simply suggesting that Caltrans recognize that California’s state environmental review process makes any federal review redundant, a waste of taxpayer funds, and needlessly dilatory. Californians deserve both world-class transportation infrastructure and their fair share of the generational federal investment under the Biden-Harris Administration’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. That requires your Agency and Department to further streamline the environmental permitting for major projects by eliminating redundant federal NEPA reviews.

    Thank you for your leadership and consideration. We look forward to your response.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $1 MILLION FOR CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY TO DEVELOP SHOVEL-READY SITE FOR ATTRACTING MORE EMPLOYERS & GOOD-PAYING JOBS TO WESTERN NY

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Schumer Says Funding Will Create New Shovel-Ready Site In Ripley—Creating Economic Development Opportunities In Western NY By Attracting New Companies, Creating Good-Paying Jobs, And Bringing In Tax Revenue

    Funding Comes From The Appalachian Regional Commission, A Federal-State Partnership That Schumer Fought To Boost Funding For In Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law

    Schumer: We’re Building New Job-Creating Opportunities For Chautauqua County & Western NY

    U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced $1,000,000 for the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA)’s Ripley Interstate Shovel Ready Site project to extend electrical service to prepare a 147-acre site for future employers. The funding is through the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal-state partnership that Schumer boosted funding for in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

    “Chautauqua County is a prime location for economic investment, and this $1 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help build a new shovel-ready site in Ripley to ensure that Western NY can land new employers and good-paying jobs,” said Senator Schumer. “I fought to increase funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission because I know how important it is to create opportunities for economic development across Upstate NY. Now, this commission is delivering for New York, positioning the region to attract new investment that will bring employment opportunities and tax revenue to Chautauqua County and broader Western NY.”

    “Securing this funding marks a tremendous step forward in the development of the Ripley shovel-ready site, a project that is vital to the future growth and prosperity of not only the local community but all of Chautauqua County. I want to extend my deepest thanks to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer for his steadfast advocacy and to Mark Geise, our Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CEO of the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, for his tireless work in bringing this vision to life. This site will provide new opportunities for businesses to invest in our region, creating jobs and fostering economic development that will benefit generations to come,” said Paul M. Wendel Jr. Chautauqua County Executive.

    The Ripley Interstate Shovel Ready Site project, led by the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA), received $1,000,000 to turn a large parcel in Ripley into a shovel-ready site. The project is expected to spur economic growth in Western NY by supporting CCIDA efforts to improve infrastructure, especially extending a 34.5 kv electric service to the site, providing necessary power to attract more employers looking to expand or move to Western NY. This improved site readiness will especially help meet an increased demand from manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing industries to grow in the region, partially spurred by increased investment from the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS & Science Law, and Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that Schumer pushed to pass into law.

    In 2021, Schumer secured $1 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that he negotiated in the Senate for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) over 5 years, increasing the budget to $200 million per year through 2026. The investment provided additional support for economic development, infrastructure, workforce, and other community development projects and programs to improve the quality of life and create new business growth and job opportunities throughout the Appalachian region of Upstate NY.

    The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments, focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community, capacity, and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia. New York State receives an allocation of resources from the ARC each year to fund area development in NYS’s 14-county Appalachian Region. The New York counties are represented by one of three Local Development Districts: Southern Tier West (STW) based in Salamanca, NY and comprised of Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties; Southern Tier Central (STC) based in Corning, NY and comprised of Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties; and Southern Tier 8 in Binghamton, NY and comprised of Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Tioga and Tompkins counties.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: The famous Wall Street bell

    Source: European Commission (video statements)

    The famous Wall Street bell: symbol of an institution that powers US economic growth since 1792. Europe is working on its own powerful model to offer its businesses the financing opportunities they need. We call it the Savings and Investment Union. It chimes with growth!

    #EuropenCommission

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuMB9NtMx3c

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: First Bank Announces Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HAMILTON, N.J., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Bank (Nasdaq Global Market: FRBA) invites participation in a conference call to discuss the Company’s financial and operating performance during its third quarter ending on September 30, 2024.

    Event: Earnings Conference Call – Third Quarter 2024
         
    When: Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time
         
    Access: Conference Call Dial-In: (800) 715-9871 (toll free) 
         
      Conference Call Access Code: 1578641
         

    Patrick L. Ryan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Andrew L. Hibshman, Chief Financial Officer, Peter J. Cahill, Chief Lending Officer, and Darleen Gillespie, Chief Retail Banking Officer will provide an overview of third quarter 2024 results. The management presentation typically lasts approximately fifteen to thirty minutes, followed by investor questions and discussion. The Company’s third quarter results will be released after the market closes on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 and will also be available in the “Investor Relations” section of the Company’s website. Conference replay information is also available on the Company’s website, http://www.firstbanknj.com.

    About First Bank
    First Bank is a New Jersey state-chartered bank with 26 full-service branches in Cinnaminson, Delanco, Denville, Ewing, Fairfield, Flemington (2), Hamilton, Lawrence, Monroe, Pennington, Randolph, Somerset, Williamstown, and Morristown, New Jersey, Doylestown, Trevose, Warminster, West Chester, Paoli, Malvern, Coventry, Devon, Lionville, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, and Palm Beach, Florida. With $3.62 billion in assets as of June 30, 2024, First Bank offers a traditional range of deposit and loan products to individuals and businesses mainly throughout the New York City to Philadelphia corridor. First Bank’s common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market exchange under the symbol “FRBA”.

    Contact
    Andrew L. Hibshman, Executive Vice President and CFO
    (609) 643-0058, andrew.hibshman@firstbanknj.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Black Lake — Black Lake RCMP investigating ATV-related fatality

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On September 23, 2024 at approximately 4:20 p.m., Black Lake RCMP received a report of an ATV-related injury on Highway #905 between Black Lake and Stony Rapids, SK.

    Officers responded along with local EMS and located an injured adult male, who had been a passenger on the ATV. He was transported to hospital and later declared deceased. He has been identified as a 31-year-old from Black Lake, SK. His family has been notified.

    No other injuries were reported to police. As a result of further investigation, the driver of the ATV was arrested.

    30-year-old Jacy Yooya from Black Lake, SK is charged with:

    • one count, dangerous operation of motor vehicle causing death, Section 320.13(3), Criminal Code;
    • one count, criminal negligence causing death without firearm, Section 220(b), Criminal Code;
    • one count, resist/obstruct peace officer, Section 129(a), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, failure to stop after accident resulting in death, Section 320.16(3), Criminal Code.

    Jacy Yooya is scheduled to appear in court on September 26, 2024.

    Black Lake RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist.

    Saskatchewan RCMP’s General Investigation Section assisted in this investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Softline’s IPO on Moscow Exchange turns one year old

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    September 26, 2024 marks exactly one year since the start of trading in shares of PJSC Softline (SOFL) on the Moscow Exchange.

    Softline is one of the leading IT companies in Russia, a provider of solutions and services in the field of digital transformation and information security.

    The IPO successfully completed the company’s reorganization after its division into foreign and Russian parts of the business in 2022. With the start of trading, new investors were able to purchase shares of the now entirely domestic PJSC Softline.

    At the start of trading, the share of shares in free circulation (free-float) was about 15.7%, today this figure exceeds 20%. Softline shares are included in Innovation and Investment Market Sector Moscow Exchange, are included in the calculation base Moscow Exchange Innovation Index, Moscow Exchange Broad Market Index And Moscow Exchange IPO Index.

    In September 2024, about 100 thousand private investors were registered among the company’s shareholders, and their number continues to grow.

    In February 2024, the company held Investor’s Day on the Moscow Exchange platform and shared its results, achievements and development plans. Softline also participates in Moscow Exchange Annual Reports Competition, demonstrating best practices in information disclosure and corporate governance.

    Congratulations to the company on the first anniversary of listing on the Moscow Exchange!

    PJSC Softline is one of the leaders in the IT market with over 30 years of experience, a wide regional presence in more than 25 representative offices throughout Russia and access to qualified personnel, with over 9,100 employees, more than half of whom are engineers and developers. Currently, PJSC Softline is one of the fastest growing companies in the industry. In 2023, its turnover exceeded 91 billion rubles. The group ensures and accelerates the digital transformation of its customers’ businesses, connecting about 100,000 end customers from various industries with more than 5,000 best-in-class IT manufacturers.

    Moscow Exchange is the largest Russian exchange, the only multifunctional platform in Russia for trading shares, bonds, derivatives, currencies, money market instruments and commodities. The Moscow Exchange Group includes the central depository (Non-bank credit institution joint-stock company National Settlement Depository) and the clearing center (Non-bank credit institution – central counterparty National Clearing Center (Joint-stock company)), which performs the functions of the central counterparty in the markets, which allows Moscow Exchange to provide clients with a full cycle of trading and post-trading services.

    Contact information for media 7 (495) 363-3232PR@moex.com

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://www.moex.com/n73465

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Seven Charged After Federal Investigation Disrupts Massive Counterfeit Pill Manufacturing Operation

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

    Synthetic opioid pills trafficked from Connecticut throughout U.S. through dark web

    Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging the following seven individuals with offenses related to the large-scale manufacture and trafficking of counterfeit pills containing synthetic opioids and other substances:

    KELLDON HINTON, 45, of New Haven
    HESHIMA HARRIS, 53 of New Haven
    EMANUEL PAYTON, 33, of New Haven
    MARVIN OGMAN, 47, of West Haven
    SHAWN STEPHENS, 34, of West Haven
    ARNALDO ECHEVARRIA, 42, of Waterbury
    CHERYLE TYSON, 64, of West Haven

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation led by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service targeting the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall tablets containing methamphetamine, protonitazene, dimethylpentylone, xylazine, and other substances.  Protonitazene is a Schedule I synthetic opioid that is three times more potent than fentanyl.  In June 2023, law enforcement received information that Kelldon Hinton was using a pill press to manufacture large quantities of counterfeit pills containing controlled substances.  Through the use of physical and electronic surveillance, the seizure and searches of parcels sent through the U.S. Mail and commercial delivery services, undercover purchases of counterfeit pills, trash pulls, and other investigative methods, investigators determined that Hinton, with the assistance of his co-conspirators, was purchasing protonitazene, dimethypentalone, xylazine, other substances, and pill press parts from China and elsewhere, using tableting machines (“pill presses”) to manufacture counterfeit pills in a garage he rented in East Haven, marketing and selling the pills on the dark web, and mailing pills to customers around the U.S.  In text messages, Hinton referred to the rented garage as his “lab.”  Between February 2023 and February 2024, Hinton shipped more than 1,300 packages through the U.S. Mail.  Hinton also distributed the counterfeit pills to associates in Connecticut, who sold them to their own customers.

    On September 5, 2024, Hinton, Harris, Payton, Stephens, and Echevarria were arrested on federal criminal complaints.  On that date, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of several locations, including the garage located on Tyler Street Extension in East Haven, which yielded several hundred thousand pills, two large pill presses, and pill manufacturing equipment.  One of the pill presses seized was capable of producing 100,000 pills per hour.

    It is further alleged that, as the investigation continued, Ogman communicated with Tyson and shared with her news reports of the search and court information of the arrests.  He also continued to distribute pills produced by Hinton, and law enforcement is currently investigating a drug overdose death that occurred recently in Connecticut.  Pills recovered from the scene appear to match those produced by the Hinton organization, and a preliminary search of the victim’s cellphone text messages revealed that Ogman supplied pills to the victim.

    The indictment added Ogman and Tyson as defendants, and was returned on September 18.  Ogman and Tyson were arrested on September 19.

    The indictment charges each of the seven defendants with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and protonitazene.  On this charge, based on the quantities of controlled substances attributed to each defendant, Hinton faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and the other six defendants each face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The indictment also charges Hinton with one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of protonitazene, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Echevarria with one count of possession with intent to distribute protonitazene, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

    Hinton, Payton, and Ogman are currently detained, and Harris, Stephens, Echevarria, and Tyson are released pending trial.

    “This multifaceted investigation is a testament to great law enforcement work by agencies here in Connecticut and across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.  “I commend the DEA New Haven, members of its Tactical Diversion Squad, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, for leading this effort.  “This investigation reveals the constant challenges that we in law enforcement face in battling the proliferation of synthetic opioids in America.  In recent years, the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners have focused on disrupting the global supply chain of fentanyl, other synthetic drugs, precursor chemicals, and pill manufacturing equipment, from China and Mexico to the United States.  These enhanced efforts are clearly represented by this investigation and these charges.  But, clearly, our work is not yet done.  We know that prosecution alone is not enough to combat the deadly scourge caused in our communities by fentanyl, other synthetic drugs, and counterfeit pills.  We all need to keep working together, through criminal investigations and prosecutions, treatment programs, and public awareness campaigns, such as the school presentations undertaken by my office, to educate and warn children and adults about the dangers and harm that even one counterfeit pill can cause.”

    “This country is in the midst of a catastrophic overdose epidemic where the threat from synthetic opioids and methamphetamine disguised in fake prescription medication remains high,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division.  “This case showcases one of the largest seizures of fake pills the DEA has ever seen in New England.  Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs to the citizens of Connecticut need to be held accountable for their actions.  DEA will aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals who distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

    “These enforcement actions, which included the arrests of seven individuals and the execution of search warrants at six locations, resulted in the disruption of a significant trans-national operation and the dismantling of one of the largest illicit manufacturing sites ever located in Connecticut,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division for the Postal Inspection Service. “This investigation highlights the effectiveness of the collaborative efforts among the involved agencies but also the real danger posed by individuals who engage in these crimes.  The Postal Inspection Service is proud to stand with our partners in identifying, disrupting, and dismantling these drug tracking organizations which endanger our communities.”

    U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment 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 DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the DEA Chicago Cyber Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the East Haven Police Department.  The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Haven, Hamden, Manchester, Bristol, Fairfield, and Seymour Police Departments.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Konstantin Lantsman.

    More information on the Justice Department’s efforts to disrupt to global supply chain of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs is available here.

    In March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA’s New England Field Division released a public service announcement warning of the danger of fentanyl and the proliferation of counterfeit prescription pills.  Click here for more information.

    To learn more about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s fentanyl awareness and drug prevention program for students, click here.

    MIL Security OSI –