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Category: Intelligence Agencies

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, federal partners arrest Honduran alien for illegally reentering US after 2 deportations

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BROCKTON, Mass. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement working with federal partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested an illegally present Honduran national who unlawfully reentered the United States after two previous deportations. Officers with ICE Boston and agents with FBI Boston and ATF Boston arrested Oscar Lopez-Perez, 40, April 16 in Brockton. Lopez-Perez has a prior conviction for assault and battery and has been charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence of liquor.

    “Oscar Lopez-Perez has displayed a complete disregard for U.S. immigration laws by illegally reentering the country after being previously deported,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Additionally, he has presented a significant threat to the residents of Massachusetts. ICE Boston will not tolerate such threats to our New England communities. We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our neighborhoods.”

    U.S. Border Patrol arrested Lopez-Perez May 11, 2008, after he illegally entered the United States. USBP served Lopez-Perez a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge and released him on an order of recognizance. A DOJ immigration judge ordered Lopez-Perez removed from the United States to Honduras Sept. 15, 2003. The Brockton District Court convicted Lopez-Perez July 13, 2011, for assault and battery.

    ICE Boston arrested Lopez-Perez Oct. 16, 2012, pursuant to his removal order. ICE removed Lopez-Perez from the United States to Honduras Jan. 4, 2013. USBP arrested Lopez-Perez May 8, 2013, after he illegally reentered the United States. USBP served him a notice of intent/decision to reinstate prior removal order. USBP transferred custody of Lopez-Perez to ICE. ICE removed Lopez-Perez from the United States to Honduras May 31, 2013. Lopez illegally reentered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location and without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration officer. The Stoughton District Court arraigned Lopez-Perez Sept. 21, 2020, for operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor and operating negligently.

    Officers with ICE Boston and agents with FBI Boston and ATF Boston arrested Oscar Lopez-Perez April 16 in Brockton. Lopez-Perez remains in ICE custody.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Private Bancorp of America, Inc. Announces Strong Net Income and Earnings Per Share for First Quarter 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    First Quarter 2025 Highlights

    • Net income for the first quarter of 2025 was $10.6 million, compared to $10.7 million in the prior quarter and $7.9 million in the first quarter of 2024. Net income for the first quarter of 2025 represents a return on average assets of 1.74% and a return on average tangible common equity of 18.74%
    • Diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2025 was $1.80, compared to $1.82 in the prior quarter and $1.36 in the first quarter of 2024
    • Total deposits were $2.19 billion as of March 31, 2025, an increase of $57.7 million or 2.7% from December 31, 2024, which included a reduction in brokered deposits of $96.9 million. Total deposits increased 15.1% year over year. Core deposits were $2.05 billion as of March 31, 2025, an increase of $154.6 million or 8.2% from December 31, 2024. Core deposits increased 27.5% year over year
    • Total cost of deposits was 2.22% for the first quarter of 2025, a decrease from 2.36% in the prior quarter and 2.61% in the first quarter of 2024. The spot rate for total deposits was 2.11% as of March 31, 2025, compared to 2.29% at December 31, 2024. Total cost of funding sources was 2.29% for the first quarter of 2025, a decrease from 2.45% in the prior quarter and 2.70% in the first quarter of 2024
    • Loans held-for-investment (“HFI”) totaled $2.08 billion as of March 31, 2025, a decrease of $6.5 million or 0.3% from December 31, 2024. Loans HFI increased 9.0% year over year
    • Net interest margin was 4.61% for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 4.67% in the prior quarter and 4.31% in the first quarter of 2024
    • Provision for credit losses for the first quarter of 2025 was $0.3 million, compared to $17 thousand for the prior quarter and $0.2 million for the first quarter of 2024. The allowance for loan losses was 1.27% of loans HFI as of March 31, 2025 compared to 1.31% at December 31, 2024
    • As of March 31, 2025, criticized and classified loans totaled $40.8 million, or 1.96% of total loans, up from $24.7 million, or 1.18% of total loans, in the prior quarter
    • Tangible book value per share was $40.29 as of March 31, 2025, an increase of $1.89 since December 31, 2024 primarily as a result of strong earnings. Tangible book value per share increased 4.9% quarter-over-quarter and 20.1% year over year.

    LA JOLLA, Calif., April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (OTCQX: PBAM), (“Company”) and CalPrivate Bank (“Bank”) announced unaudited financial results for the first fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2025. The Company reported net income of $10.6 million, or $1.80 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $10.7 million, or $1.82 per diluted share, in the prior quarter, and $7.9 million, or $1.36 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2024.

    Rick Sowers, President and CEO of the Company and the Bank stated, “We continue to be pleased by the Company and the Team’s performance. Strong growth in core deposits over the past year continues and we remain focused on building strong Relationships with our Clients. Loan demand was soft in Q1, as Clients and financial markets digest the current economy and prospects for future growth and stability. We remain optimistic that markets will settle, and demand will return. In the meantime, we are focused on providing the Distinctively Different Service our Clients and Prospects are seeking, getting more efficient and effective in our business through technology, continuous process improvement and building a strong Team throughout the Bank.”

    Sowers added, “The Bank was recognized throughout the last year for superior financial performance and industry leading service metrics. These recognitions highlight CalPrivate Bank’s dedication to excellence, innovation, delivering Client-focused banking solutions and enhancing shareholder value: 

    • #1 for both Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) among banks with less than $5 billion in assets
    • #1 SBA 504 Community Bank Lender in the United States
    • #10 Best U.S. Bank by Bank Director’s RankingBanking®
    • Client Net Promoter Score of 81 (World Class)
    • Bauer 5 Star Rating
    • 2025 Best 50 OTCQX

    “As Los Angeles continues to tackle the enormous task of cleaning up after the devastating fires, CalPrivate Bank remains committed to being a partner to our Clients and the Communities we serve.”

    “As our economy transitions based on priorities of the new administration in Washington DC, and global economic uncertainties increase, management and the board are diligently assessing and acting upon potential future risks and market opportunities. The Bank continues to produce top tier financial results by seeking improved productivity through technology investments, streamlined systems and processes, and hiring top bankers in existing and potential new markets and market segments. We continue to prioritize unparalleled Client service and creative Solutions for our loyal and growing client base. We continue to support a broad range of non-profit organizations in the communities we serve, both through team member volunteering activities and financial resources. Our Team takes great pride in doing well for shareholders by doing good for clients and community,” said Selwyn Isakow, Chairman of the Board of the Company and the Bank.

    STATEMENT OF INCOME

    Net Interest Income

    Net interest income for the first quarter of 2025 totaled $27.7 million, an increase of $0.3 million or 1.2% from the prior quarter and an increase of $5.0 million or 21.8% from the first quarter of 2024. The increase from the prior quarter was due to a $0.5 million decrease in interest expense, resulting from a 22 basis point reduction in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities, primarily driven by a 14 basis point decrease in the cost of total deposits.

    Net Interest Margin

    Net interest margin for the first quarter of 2025 was 4.61%, compared to 4.67% for the prior quarter and 4.31% in the first quarter of 2024. The 6 basis point decrease in net interest margin from the prior quarter was primarily due to lower yields on interest-earning assets and a decrease in prepayment-penalty fees. The yield on interest-earning assets was 6.70% for the first quarter of 2025 compared to 6.89% for the prior quarter, and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 3.14% for the first quarter of 2025 compared to 3.36% in the prior quarter. The cost of total deposits was 2.22% for the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2.36% in the prior quarter. The cost of core deposits, which excludes brokered deposits, was 1.99% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2.07% in the prior quarter. The spot rate for total deposits was 2.11% as of March 31, 2025, compared to 2.29% at December 31, 2024.

    Provision for Credit Losses

    Provision expense for credit losses for the first quarter of 2025 was $0.3 million, compared to $17 thousand in the prior quarter and $0.2 million in the first quarter of 2024. The provision expense for loans HFI for the first quarter of 2025 was $0.5 million, primarily reflecting heightened macroeconomic uncertainty incorporated into our forecasts. This was offset by a $0.2 million reversal for unfunded commitments due to increased line of credit utilization that resulted in lower unfunded commitment balances. For more details, please refer to the “Asset Quality” section below.

    Noninterest Income

    Noninterest income was $1.6 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $1.9 million in the prior quarter and $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2024. SBA loan sales for the first quarter of 2025 were $8.3 million with a 10.86% average trade premium resulting in a net gain on sale of $469 thousand, compared with $14.9 million with a 11.45% average trade premium resulting in a net gain on sale of $932 thousand in the prior quarter.

    Noninterest Expense

    Noninterest expense was $14.1 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $14.2 million in the prior quarter and $12.8 million in the first quarter of 2024. The efficiency ratio was 47.90% for the first quarter of 2025 compared to 48.34% in the prior quarter and 52.84% in the first quarter of 2024. The slight decrease in the efficiency ratio from the prior quarter was due to the decrease in noninterest expense.

    The Company remains committed to making investments in the business, including technology, marketing, and staffing. Inflationary pressures and low unemployment continue to have an impact on rising wages as well as increased costs related to third party service providers, which we proactively monitor and manage.

    Provision for Income Tax Expense

    Provision for income tax expense was $4.4 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $4.5 million for the prior quarter. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2025 was 29.5%, compared to 29.6% in the prior quarter and 29.5% in the first quarter of 2024.

    STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

    As of March 31, 2025, total assets were $2.48 billion, an increase of $58.9 million since December 31, 2024. The increase in assets from the prior quarter was primarily due to higher cash and due from banks and investment securities, partially offset by lower loans receivable. Our total cash and due from banks increased to $218.5 million as of March 31, 2025, an increase of $54.6 million or 33.3% since December 31, 2024, primarily due to strong growth in core deposits along with lower loan demand. Investment securities available-for-sale (“AFS”) were $156.3 million as of March 31, 2025, an increase of $11.1 million or 7.6% since December 31, 2024, primarily as a result of new securities purchased. As of March 31, 2025, the net unrealized loss on the AFS investment securities portfolio, which is comprised mostly of US Treasury and Government Agency debt, was $10.1 million (pre-tax) compared to a loss of $12.1 million (pre-tax) as of December 31, 2024. The average duration of the Bank’s AFS portfolio is 3.8 years. The Company has no held-to-maturity securities. Loans HFI totaled $2.08 billion as of March 31, 2025, a decrease of $6.5 million or 0.3% since December 31, 2024, reflecting lower loan production as borrowers deferred new financings amid economic and interest-rate uncertainty as well as wildfire-related disruptions in Southern California.

    Total deposits were $2.19 billion as of March 31, 2025, an increase of $57.7 million since December 31, 2024. During the quarter, core deposits increased by $154.6 million, which was driven by a $108.9 million increase in interest-bearing core deposits (including balances in the Intrafi ICS and CDARS programs) and a $45.7 million increase in noninterest-bearing core deposits. The deposit mix has continued to shift due to short-term interest rates remaining elevated compared to recent years. Noninterest-bearing deposits represent 29.2% of total core deposits. Offsetting the increase to total deposits from core deposits, brokered deposits decreased by $96.9 million. Uninsured deposits, net of collateralized and fiduciary deposit accounts, represent 50.1% of total deposits as of March 31, 2025.

    As of March 31, 2025, total available liquidity was $2.1 billion or 192.8% of uninsured deposits, net of collateralized and fiduciary deposit accounts. Total available liquidity is comprised of $366 million of on-balance sheet liquidity (cash and investment securities) and $1.8 billion of unused borrowing capacity.

    Asset Quality and Allowance for Credit Losses (“ACL”)

    As of March 31, 2025, the allowance for loan losses was $26.4 million or 1.27% of loans HFI, compared to $27.3 million or 1.31% of loans HFI as of December 31, 2024. The decrease in the coverage ratio from December 31, 2024 is due primarily to a $1.1 million partial charge-off of a nonaccrual loan that previously had a specific reserve of $2.0 million. The Company continues to have strong credit metrics and its nonperforming assets are 0.63% of total assets as of March 31, 2025 compared to 0.47% as of December 31, 2024. The reserve for unfunded commitments was $1.3 million as of March 31, 2025, compared to $1.5 million as of December 31, 2024. The decrease in the reserve for unfunded commitments was due to lower unfunded commitment balances (driven by higher credit line usage). Given the credit quality of the loan portfolio, management believes we are sufficiently reserved.

    At March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, there were no doubtful credits and classified assets were $27.8 million and $14.9 million, respectively. Total classified assets consisted of 20 loans as of March 31, 2025, which included 17 loans totaling $24.7 million secured by real estate with a weighted average LTV of 52.7%, of which 11 loans totaling $16.4 million had SBA guarantees. The remaining three loans were $3.1 million of commercial and industrial loans, one of which was an unsecured loan on nonaccrual status with a carrying value of $1.5 million and a specific reserve of $1.0 million (net of a $1.1 million partial charge off).

    The Bank’s loan portfolio does include assets that are in the affected areas of Los Angeles devastated by wildfires. However, based on assessments performed to date, management does not believe there is a material impact to the financial statements.

    Capital Ratios (2)

    The Bank’s capital ratios were in excess of the levels established for “well capitalized” institutions and are as follows:

      March 31, 2025(2) December 31, 2024
    CalPrivate Bank    
    Tier I leverage ratio 10.35% 10.39%
    Tier I risk-based capital ratio 11.75% 11.29%
    Total risk-based capital ratio 13.00% 12.54%

    (2) March 31, 2025 capital ratios are preliminary and subject to change.

    About Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (OTCQX: PBAM)

    PBAM is the holding company for CalPrivate Bank, which operates offices in Coronado, San Diego, La Jolla, Newport Beach, El Segundo, and Beverly Hills, as well as through efficient digital banking services. CalPrivate Bank is driven by its core values of building client Relationships based on superior funding Solutions, unparalleled Service, and mutual Trust. The Bank caters to high-net-worth individuals, professionals, closely-held businesses, and real estate entrepreneurs, delivering a Distinctly Different™ personalized banking experience while leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance our clients’ evolving needs. CalPrivate Bank is in the top tier of customer service survey ratings in the nation, scoring almost 3x higher than the median domestic bank. The Bank offers comprehensive deposit and treasury services, rapid and creative loan options including various portfolio and government-guaranteed lending programs,  cross border banking, and innovative, unique technologies that drive enhanced  client performance. CalPrivate Bank has been recognized by Bank Director’s RankingBanking® as the 10th best bank in the country and the #1 bank in its asset class for both return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). CalPrivate Bank was also ranked in the top 5% of banks in the U.S. with assets between $2B and $10B by American Banker. Additionally, CalPrivate Bank is a Bauer Financial 5-star rated bank, an SBA Preferred Lender, and has been honored as Community Bank 504 Lender of the Year by the NADCO Community Impact Awards, exemplifying excellence in the banking industry. These prestigious rankings highlight the Bank’s commitment to delivering exceptional banking services and setting new industry standards.

    CalPrivate Bank’s website is www.calprivate.bank.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures in addition to results presented in accordance with GAAP, including adjusted income before provision for income taxes, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share (“Adjusted EPS”), efficiency ratio, adjusted efficiency ratio, pretax pre-provision net revenue, average tangible common equity, adjusted return on average assets, return on average tangible common equity and adjusted return on average tangible common equity. The Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company’s results of operations and financial condition and to enhance investors’ overall understanding of such results of operations and financial condition, to permit investors to effectively analyze financial trends of our business activities, and to enhance comparability with peers across the financial services sector. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s GAAP financial information. A reconciliation of the most comparable GAAP financial measures to non-GAAP financial measures is included in the accompanying financial tables.

    Investor Relations Contacts

    Rick Sowers
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    Private Bancorp of America, Inc., and CalPrivate Bank
    (424) 303-4894

    Cory Stewart
    Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
    Private Bancorp of America, Inc., and CalPrivate Bank
    (206) 293-3669

    Safe Harbor Paragraph

    This communication contains expressions of expectations, both implied and explicit, that are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of such term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, especially given the current turmoil in the banking and financial markets. These factors include the effects of depositors withdrawing funds unexpectedly, counterparties being unable to provide liquidity sources that we believe should be available, loan losses, economic conditions and competition in the geographic and business areas in which Private Bancorp of America, Inc. operates, including competition in lending and deposit acquisition, the unpredictability of fee income from participation in SBA loan programs, the effects of bank failures, liquidations and mergers in our markets and nationally, our ability to successfully integrate and develop business through the addition of new personnel, whether our efforts to expand loan, product and service offerings will prove profitable, system failures and data security, whether we can effectively secure and implement new technology solutions, inflation, fluctuations in interest rates, legislation and governmental regulation. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and we undertake no obligation to update those statements whether as a result of changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or otherwise. These factors could cause actual results to differ materially from what we anticipate or project. You should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statement, which speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Although we believe in good faith the assumptions and bases supporting our forward-looking statements to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that those assumptions and bases will prove accurate.

    PRIVATE BANCORP OF AMERICA, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
    (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
        Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    Assets                  
    Cash and due from banks   $ 34,720     $ 16,528     $ 13,136  
    Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions     16,155       10,419       34,790  
    Interest-bearing deposits at Federal Reserve Bank     167,606       136,929       93,575  
    Total cash and due from banks     218,481       163,876       141,501  
    Interest-bearing time deposits with other institutions     4,213       4,189       4,032  
    Investment debt securities available for sale     156,346       145,238       114,067  
    Loans held for sale     2,066       3,008       383  
    Loans, net of deferred fees and costs and unaccreted discounts     2,078,653       2,085,149       1,906,992  
    Allowance for loan losses     (26,437 )     (27,267 )     (24,693 )
    Loans held-for-investment, net of allowance     2,052,216       2,057,882       1,882,299  
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost     9,586       9,586       8,915  
    Operating lease right of use assets     6,383       6,819       2,765  
    Premises and equipment, net     2,432       2,335       1,804  
    Servicing assets, net     1,993       2,087       2,203  
    Accrued interest receivable     8,148       7,993       7,931  
    Other assets     21,009       20,998       21,877  
    Total assets   $ 2,482,873     $ 2,424,011     $ 2,187,777  
                       
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                  
    Liabilities                  
    Noninterest bearing   $ 599,095     $ 553,405     $ 516,294  
    Interest bearing     1,593,014       1,581,054       1,388,381  
    Total deposits     2,192,109       2,134,459       1,904,675  
    FHLB borrowings     16,000       28,000       53,000  
    Other borrowings     17,970       17,969       17,963  
    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities     21,559       20,049       18,107  
    Total liabilities     2,247,638       2,200,477       1,993,745  
                       
    Shareholders’ equity                  
    Common stock     76,156       75,377       74,105  
    Additional paid-in capital     3,712       4,393       4,108  
    Retained earnings     162,462       152,252       124,464  
    Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net     (7,095 )     (8,488 )     (8,645 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     235,235       223,534       194,032  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,482,873     $ 2,424,011     $ 2,187,777  
                             
    PRIVATE BANCORP OF AMERICA, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)    		  
       
        For the three months ended  
        Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    Interest Income                  
    Loans   $ 36,565     $ 37,259     $ 33,006  
    Investment securities     1,505       1,510       979  
    Deposits in other financial institutions     2,198       1,661       1,799  
    Total interest income     40,268       40,430       35,784  
                       
    Interest Expense                  
    Deposits     11,899       12,297       12,130  
    Borrowings     637       726       886  
    Total interest expense     12,536       13,023       13,016  
                       
    Net interest income     27,732       27,407       22,768  
    Provision for credit losses     299       17       233  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses     27,433       27,390       22,535  
                       
    Noninterest income:                  
    Service charges on deposit accounts     557       558       388  
    Net gain on sale of loans     469       932       681  
    Other noninterest income     587       456       357  
    Total noninterest income     1,613       1,946       1,426  
                       
    Noninterest expense:                  
    Compensation and employee benefits     9,748       9,539       8,861  
    Occupancy and equipment     844       847       770  
    Data processing     1,326       1,195       1,058  
    Professional services     508       573       488  
    Other expenses     1,629       2,036       1,606  
    Total noninterest expense     14,055       14,190       12,783  
    Income before provision for income taxes     14,991       15,146       11,178  
    Provision for income taxes     4,429       4,488       3,294  
    Net income   $ 10,562     $ 10,658     $ 7,884  
    Net income available to common shareholders   $ 10,482     $ 10,573     $ 7,832  
                       
    Earnings per share                  
    Basic earnings per share   $ 1.83     $ 1.85     $ 1.38  
    Diluted earnings per share   $ 1.80     $ 1.82     $ 1.36  
                       
    Average shares outstanding     5,734,688       5,716,291       5,679,843  
    Diluted average shares outstanding     5,826,229       5,813,197       5,754,937  
    PRIVATE BANCORP OF AMERICA, INC.
    Consolidated average balance sheet, interest, yield and rates
    (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)    		  
       
        For the three months ended  
        Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
        Average
    Balance    		     Interest     Average
    Yield/Rate    		     Average
    Balance    		     Interest     Average
    Yield/Rate    		     Average
    Balance    		     Interest     Average
    Yield/Rate    		  
    Interest-Earnings Assets                                                      
    Deposits in other financial institutions   $ 202,907     $ 2,198       4.39 %   $ 143,053     $ 1,661       4.62 %   $ 135,511     $ 1,799       5.34 %
    Investment securities     157,747       1,505       3.82 %     155,768       1,510       3.88 %     119,690       979       3.27 %
    Loans, including LHFS     2,078,588       36,565       7.13 %     2,036,178       37,259       7.28 %     1,868,308       33,006       7.11 %
    Total interest-earning assets     2,439,242       40,268       6.70 %     2,334,999       40,430       6.89 %     2,123,509       35,784       6.78 %
    Noninterest-earning assets     28,536                   24,951                   25,469              
    Total Assets   $ 2,467,778                 $ 2,359,950                 $ 2,148,978              
                                                           
    Interest-Bearing Liabilities                                                      
    Interest bearing DDA, excluding brokered     244,301       970       1.61 %     178,811       634       1.41 %     109,838       441       1.61 %
    Savings & MMA, excluding brokered     955,259       6,830       2.90 %     904,191       6,991       3.08 %     765,770       6,421       3.37 %
    Time deposits, excluding brokered     196,375       1,956       4.04 %     191,794       2,004       4.16 %     155,703       1,583       4.09 %
    Total deposits, excluding brokered     1,395,935       9,756       2.83 %     1,274,796       9,629       3.00 %     1,031,311       8,445       3.29 %
    Total brokered deposits     183,059       2,143       4.75 %     218,792       2,668       4.85 %     287,885       3,685       5.15 %
    Total Interest-Bearing Deposits     1,578,994       11,899       3.06 %     1,493,588       12,297       3.28 %     1,319,196       12,130       3.70 %
                                                           
    FHLB advances     24,122       272       4.57 %     29,446       343       4.63 %     49,935       614       4.95 %
    Other borrowings     17,981       365       8.23 %     17,967       383       8.48 %     17,962       272       6.09 %
    Total Interest-Bearing Liabilities     1,621,097       12,536       3.14 %     1,541,001       13,023       3.36 %     1,387,093       13,016       3.77 %
                                                           
    Noninterest-bearing deposits     594,408                   577,462                   553,541              
    Total Funding Sources     2,215,505       12,536       2.29 %     2,118,463       13,023       2.45 %     1,940,634       13,016       2.70 %
                                                           
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities     21,542                   21,524                   18,018              
    Shareholders’ equity     230,731                   219,963                   190,326              
                                                           
    Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity   $ 2,467,778                 $ 2,359,950                 $ 2,148,978              
                                                           
    Net interest income/spread         $ 27,732       4.41 %         $ 27,407       4.44 %         $ 22,768       4.08 %
    Net interest margin                 4.61 %                 4.67 %                 4.31 %
    PRIVATE BANCORP OF AMERICA, INC.
    Condensed Balance Sheets
    (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)    		  
       
        Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Sep 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    Assets                              
    Cash and due from banks   $ 218,481     $ 163,876     $ 207,174     $ 158,377     $ 141,501  
    Interest-bearing time deposits with other institutions     4,213       4,189       4,124       4,097       4,032  
    Investment securities     156,346       145,238       141,100       121,725       114,067  
    Loans held for sale     2,066       3,008       2,040       –       383  
    Total loans held-for-investment     2,078,653       2,085,149       2,012,457       1,979,720       1,906,992  
    Allowance for loan losses     (26,437 )     (27,267 )     (26,594 )     (26,591 )     (24,693 )
    Loans held-for-investment, net of allowance     2,052,216       2,057,882       1,985,863       1,953,129       1,882,299  
    Operating lease right of use assets     6,383       6,819       4,344       4,719       2,765  
    Premises and equipment, net     2,432       2,335       2,345       2,207       1,804  
    Other assets and interest receivable     40,736       40,664       39,383       41,430       40,926  
    Total assets   $ 2,482,873     $ 2,424,011     $ 2,386,373     $ 2,285,684     $ 2,187,777  
                                   
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                              
    Liabilities                              
    Noninterest Bearing   $ 599,095     $ 553,405     $ 584,292     $ 557,055     $ 516,294  
    Interest Bearing     1,593,014       1,581,054       1,522,839       1,444,671       1,388,381  
    Total Deposits     2,192,109       2,134,459       2,107,131       2,001,726       1,904,675  
    Borrowings     33,970       45,969       45,967       65,965       70,963  
    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities     21,559       20,049       19,062       16,551       18,107  
    Total liabilities     2,247,638       2,200,477       2,172,160       2,084,242       1,993,745  
    Shareholders’ equity                              
    Common stock     76,156       75,377       74,688       74,636       74,105  
    Additional paid-in capital     3,712       4,393       4,271       3,717       4,108  
    Retained earnings     162,462       152,252       141,623       132,179       124,464  
    Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income     (7,095 )     (8,488 )     (6,369 )     (9,090 )     (8,645 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     235,235       223,534       214,213       201,442       194,032  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,482,873     $ 2,424,011     $ 2,386,373     $ 2,285,684     $ 2,187,777  
                                   
    Book value per common share   $ 40.63     $ 38.76     $ 37.21     $ 35.03     $ 33.94  
    Tangible book value per common share(1)   $ 40.29     $ 38.40     $ 36.87     $ 34.65     $ 33.55  
    Shares outstanding     5,789,306       5,766,810       5,756,207       5,751,143       5,717,519  

    (1) Non-GAAP measure. See GAAP to non-GAAP Reconciliation table.

       
    PRIVATE BANCORP OF AMERICA, INC.
    Condensed Statements of Income
    (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)    		  
       
      For the three months ended  
      Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Sep 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    Interest income $ 40,268     $ 40,430     $ 40,018     $ 38,662     $ 35,784  
    Interest expense   12,536       13,023       14,311       13,992       13,016  
    Net interest income   27,732       27,407       25,707       24,670       22,768  
    Provision for credit losses   299       17       304       2,136       233  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses   27,433       27,390       25,403       22,534       22,535  
                                 
    Service charges on deposit accounts   557       558       504       430       388  
    Net gain on sale of loans   469       932       587       661       681  
    Other noninterest income   587       456       343       447       357  
    Total noninterest income   1,613       1,946       1,434       1,538       1,426  
                                 
    Compensation and employee benefits   9,748       9,539       9,422       8,836       8,861  
    Occupancy and equipment   844       847       818       822       770  
    Data processing   1,326       1,195       1,238       1,183       1,058  
    Professional services   508       573       252       424       488  
    Other expenses   1,629       2,036       1,695       1,697       1,606  
    Total noninterest expense   14,055       14,190       13,425       12,962       12,783  
                                 
    Income before provision for income taxes   14,991       15,146       13,412       11,110       11,178  
    Income taxes   4,429       4,488       3,959       3,283       3,294  
    Net income $ 10,562     $ 10,658     $ 9,453     $ 7,827     $ 7,884  
    Net income available to common shareholders $ 10,482     $ 10,573     $ 9,373     $ 7,761     $ 7,832  
                                 
    Earnings per share                            
    Basic earnings per share $ 1.83     $ 1.85     $ 1.64     $ 1.36     $ 1.38  
    Diluted earnings per share $ 1.80     $ 1.82     $ 1.63     $ 1.35     $ 1.36  
                                 
    Average shares outstanding   5,734,688       5,716,291       5,707,723       5,702,938       5,679,843  
    Diluted average shares outstanding   5,826,229       5,813,197       5,767,401       5,762,616       5,754,937  
      Performance Ratios  
      Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Sep 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    ROAA   1.74 %     1.80 %     1.62 %     1.40 %     1.48 %
    ROAE   18.56 %     19.28 %     18.00 %     15.81 %     16.66 %
    ROATCE(1)   18.74 %     19.46 %     18.18 %     15.99 %     16.86 %
    Net interest margin   4.61 %     4.67 %     4.44 %     4.48 %     4.31 %
    Net interest spread   4.41 %     4.44 %     4.20 %     4.24 %     4.08 %
    Efficiency ratio(1)   47.90 %     48.34 %     49.46 %     49.46 %     52.84 %
    Noninterest expense / average assets   2.31 %     2.39 %     2.29 %     2.32 %     2.39 %

    (1) Non-GAAP measure. See GAAP to non-GAAP Reconciliation table.

    PRIVATE BANCORP OF AMERICA, INC.
    (Unaudited)    		  
       
        Selected Quarterly Average Balances  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
        For the three months ended  
        Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Sep 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    Total assets   $ 2,467,778     $ 2,359,950     $ 2,328,399     $ 2,241,860     $ 2,148,978  
    Earning assets   $ 2,439,242     $ 2,334,999     $ 2,303,537     $ 2,216,185     $ 2,123,509  
    Total loans, including loans held for sale   $ 2,078,588     $ 2,036,178     $ 1,989,748     $ 1,939,746     $ 1,868,308  
    Total deposits   $ 2,173,402     $ 2,071,050     $ 2,047,197     $ 1,961,099     $ 1,872,737  
    Total shareholders’ equity   $ 230,731     $ 219,963     $ 208,889     $ 199,088     $ 190,326  
        Loan Balances by Type  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
        Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Sep 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    Commercial Real Estate (CRE):                              
    Investor owned   $ 577,512     $ 572,659     $ 560,481     $ 566,314     $ 573,587  
    Owner occupied     228,232       223,442       221,364       216,876       216,123  
    Multifamily     163,218       162,330       175,387       177,390       175,629  
    Secured by single family     200,650       198,579       190,738       181,744       157,092  
    Land and construction     70,293       62,638       68,186       58,109       35,975  
    SBA secured by real estate     402,524       401,990       395,646       388,271       385,416  
    Total CRE     1,642,429       1,621,638       1,611,802       1,588,704       1,543,822  
    Commercial business:                              
    Commercial and industrial     417,258       441,182       383,874       378,161       352,417  
    SBA non-real estate secured     17,004       20,205       15,101       10,758       8,657  
    Total commercial business     434,262       461,387       398,975       388,919       361,074  
    Consumer     1,962       2,124       1,680       2,097       2,096  
    Total loans held for investment   $ 2,078,653     $ 2,085,149     $ 2,012,457     $ 1,979,720     $ 1,906,992  
                                             
        Deposits by Type  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
        Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Sep 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    Noninterest-bearing DDA   $ 599,095     $ 553,405     $ 584,292     $ 557,055     $ 516,294  
    Interest-bearing DDA, excluding brokered     257,720       251,594       182,268       156,253       117,129  
    Savings & MMA, excluding brokered     981,491       887,740       920,219       861,508       812,841  
    Time deposits, excluding brokered     210,845       201,851       186,583       168,664       160,605  
    Total deposits, excluding brokered     2,049,151       1,894,590       1,873,362       1,743,480       1,606,869  
    Total brokered deposits     142,958       239,869       233,769       258,246       297,806  
    Total deposits   $ 2,192,109     $ 2,134,459     $ 2,107,131     $ 2,001,726     $ 1,904,675  
                                             
    PRIVATE BANCORP OF AMERICA, INC.
    (Unaudited)    		  
       
        Rollforward of Allowance for Credit Losses  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
        For the three months ended  
        Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Sep 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    Allowance for loan losses:                              
    Beginning balance   $ 27,267     $ 26,594     $ 26,591     $ 24,693     $ 24,476  
    Provision for loan losses     460       673       3       1,994       251  
    Net (charge-offs) recoveries     (1,290 )     –       –       (96 )     (34 )
    Ending balance     26,437       27,267       26,594       26,591       24,693  
    Reserve for unfunded commitments     1,348       1,509       2,165       1,865       1,723  
    Total allowance for credit losses   $ 27,785     $ 28,776     $ 28,759     $ 28,456     $ 26,416  
        Asset Quality  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
        Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Sep 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    Total loans held-for-investment   $ 2,078,653     $ 2,085,149     $ 2,012,457     $ 1,979,720     $ 1,906,992  
    Allowance for loan losses   $ (26,437 )   $ (27,267 )   $ (26,594 )   $ (26,591 )   $ (24,693 )
    30-89 day past due loans   $ 2,399     $ 1,952     $ –     $ –     $ –  
    90+ day past due loans   $ 13,223     $ 11,512     $ 11,512     $ 2,500     $ 3,530  
    Nonaccrual loans   $ 15,565     $ 11,512     $ 11,512     $ 2,500     $ 4,656  
    NPAs / Assets     0.63 %     0.47 %     0.48 %     0.11 %     0.21 %
    NPLs / Total loans held-for-investment & OREO     0.75 %     0.55 %     0.57 %     0.13 %     0.24 %
    Net quarterly charge-offs (recoveries)   $ 1,290     $ –     $ –     $ 96     $ 34  
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) /avg loans (annualized)     0.25 %     0.00 %     0.00 %     0.02 %     0.01 %
    Allowance for loan losses to loans HFI     1.27 %     1.31 %     1.32 %     1.34 %     1.29 %
    Allowance for loan losses to nonaccrual loans     169.85 %     236.86 %     231.01 %     1,063.64 %     530.35 %


    PRIVATE BANCORP OF AMERICA, INC.
    (Unaudited)

    The following tables present a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP measures for: efficiency ratio, pretax pre-provision net revenue, average tangible common equity, and return on average tangible common equity. We believe the presentation of certain non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to assess our consolidated financial condition and consolidated results of operations and to assist investors in evaluating our financial results relative to our peers. These non-GAAP financial measures complement our GAAP reporting and are presented below to provide investors and others with information that we use to manage the business each period. Because not all companies use identical calculations, the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies. These non-GAAP measures should be taken together with the corresponding GAAP measures and should not be considered a substitute of the GAAP measures.

        GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
                                   
        For the three months ended  
        Mar 31, 2025     Dec 31, 2024     Sep 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Mar 31, 2024  
    Efficiency Ratio                              
    Noninterest expense   $ 14,055     $ 14,190     $ 13,425     $ 12,962     $ 12,783  
    Net interest income     27,732       27,407       25,707       24,670       22,768  
    Noninterest income     1,613       1,946       1,434       1,538       1,426  
    Total net interest income and noninterest income     29,345       29,353       27,141       26,208       24,194  
    Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP)     47.90 %     48.34 %     49.46 %     49.46 %     52.84 %
                                   
    Pretax pre-provision net revenue                              
    Net interest income   $ 27,732     $ 27,407     $ 25,707     $ 24,670     $ 22,768  
    Noninterest income     1,613       1,946       1,434       1,538       1,426  
    Total net interest income and noninterest income     29,345       29,353       27,141       26,208       24,194  
    Less: Noninterest expense     14,055       14,190       13,425       12,962       12,783  
    Pretax pre-provision net revenue (non-GAAP)   $ 15,290     $ 15,163     $ 13,716     $ 13,246     $ 11,411  
                                   
    Return and Adjusted Return on Average Assets, Average Equity, Average Tangible Equity                              
    Net income   $ 10,562     $ 10,658     $ 9,453     $ 7,827     $ 7,884  
    Average assets     2,467,778       2,359,950       2,328,399       2,241,860       2,148,978  
    Average shareholders’ equity     230,731       219,963       208,889       199,088       190,326  
    Less: Average intangible assets     2,098       2,028       2,051       2,163       2,208  
    Average tangible common equity (non-GAAP)     228,633       217,935       206,838       196,925       188,118  
                                   
    Return on average assets     1.74 %     1.80 %     1.62 %     1.40 %     1.48 %
    Return on average equity     18.56 %     19.28 %     18.00 %     15.81 %     16.66 %
    Return on average tangible common equity (non-GAAP)     18.74 %     19.46 %     18.18 %     15.99 %     16.86 %
                                   
    Tangible book value per share                              
    Total equity     235,235       223,534       214,213       201,442       194,032  
    Less: Total intangible assets     1,993       2,087       2,006       2,164       2,203  
    Total tangible equity     233,242       221,447       212,207       199,278       191,829  
    Shares outstanding     5,789,306       5,766,810       5,756,207       5,751,143       5,717,519  
    Tangible book value per share (non-GAAP)   $ 40.29     $ 38.40     $ 36.87     $ 34.65     $ 33.55  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: EPFO Adds 16.10 Lakh Net Members during February 2025

    Source: Government of India

    EPFO Adds 16.10 Lakh Net Members during February 2025

    7.39 Lakh New Members Enrolled with EPFO

    Posted On: 21 APR 2025 2:26PM by PIB Delhi

    The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has released provisional payroll data for February 2025, revealing a net addition of 16.10 lakh members. The year-on-year analysis reveals a growth of 3.99% in net payroll additions compared to February 2024, signifying increased employment opportunities and heightened awareness of employee benefits, bolstered by EPFO’s effective outreach initiatives.

    Key highlights of the EPFO Payroll Data (February 2025) are as follows:

    New Subscribers:

    EPFO enrolled around 7.39 lakh new subscribers in February 2025. This addition of new subscribers can be attributed to growing employment opportunities, increased awareness of employee benefits, and EPFO’s successful outreach programs.

    Age Group 18-25 Leads Payroll Addition:

    A noticeable aspect of the data is the dominance of the 18-25 age group, 4.27 lakh new subscribers added in the 18-25 age group, constituting a significant 57.71% of the total new subscribers added in February 2025. This is in consonance with the earlier trend which indicates that most individuals joining the organized workforce are youth, primarily first-time job seekers.

    Further, the net payroll addition for the age group 18-25 for February 2025 is approximately 6.78 lakh reflecting a growth of 3.01% from the previous year in February 2024.

    Rejoined Members:

    Approximately 13.18 lakh members, who had exited earlier, rejoined EPFO in February 2025. This figure depicts a significant 11.85% year-over-year growth compared to February 2024. These members switched their jobs and re-joined the establishments covered under the ambit of EPFO and opted to transfer their accumulations instead of applying for final settlement thus safeguarding long-term financial well-being and extending their social security protection.

    Growth in Female Membership:

    Around 2.08 lakhs new female subscribers joined EPFO in February 2025. It depicts year-over-year growth of 1.26% compared to February 2024.

    Further, the net female payroll addition during the month stood at around 3.37 lakh, a significant year over year growth of 9.23% compared to February 2024. The growth in female member additions is indicative of a broader shift towards a more inclusive and diverse workforce.

    State-wise Contribution:

    State-wise analysis of payroll data denotes that the top five states/ UTs constitute around 59.75% of net payroll addition, adding a total around 9.62 lakh net payroll during the month. Of all the states, Maharashtra is leading by adding 20.90% of net payroll during the month. The states/UTs of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh individually added more than 5% of the total net payroll during the month.

    Industry-wise Trends:

    Month-on-month comparison of industry-wise data displays growth in the net payroll addition working in establishments engaged in the industries viz.

    1. FISH PROCESSIGN AND NON-VEG FOOD PRESERVATION,
    2. SOCIETIES CLUBS OR ASSOCIATIONS,
    3. ESTABLISHMENTS ENGAGED IN CLEANING, SWEEPING SERVICES,
    4. ESTABLISHMENT ENGAGED IN MANUFACTURE, MARKETING SERVICING, USAGE OF COMPUTERS,
    5. ESTABLISHMENTS OF AIRCRAFT OR AIRLINES,

    Of the total net payroll addition, around 41.72% addition is from expert services (consisting of manpower suppliers, normal contractors, security services, miscellaneous activities etc.).

    The above payroll data is provisional since data generation is a continuous exercise, as updating employee record is a continuous process. The previous data gets updated every month on account of:

    1. ECRs being filed for previous months after generation of payroll report.
    2. ECRs filed earlier being modified after generation of payroll reports.
    3. Date of exit from EPF membership for previous months being updated after generation of payroll report.

    From the month of April 2018, EPFO has been releasing payroll data covering the period September 2017 onwards. In monthly payroll data, the count of members joining EPFO for the first time through Aadhaar validated Universal Account Number (UAN), existing members exiting from coverage of EPFO and those who exited but re-joined as members, is taken to arrive at net monthly payroll.

    *****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2123129) Visitor Counter : 112

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Capital City Bank Group, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Capital City Bank Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCBG) today reported net income attributable to common shareowners of $16.9 million, or $0.99 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025 compared to $13.1 million, or $0.77 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2024, and $12.6 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2024.

    QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS (1stQuarter 2025 versus 4thQuarter 2024)

    Income Statement

    • Tax-equivalent net interest income totaled $41.6 million compared to $41.2 million for the prior quarter
      • Net interest margin increased five basis points to 4.22% (earning asset yield up one basis point and total deposit cost down four basis points to 82 basis points)
    • Improved credit quality metrics – net loan charge-offs were nine basis points (annualized) of average loans – allowance coverage ratio increased to 1.12% at March 31, 2025
    • Noninterest income increased $1.1 million, or 6.1%, and reflected a $0.7 million increase in mortgage banking revenues and a $0.5 million increase in wealth management fees
    • Noninterest expense decreased $3.1 million, or 7.4%, primarily due to a $3.1 million decrease in other expense which included a higher level of gains from the sale of banking facilities, namely the sale of our operations center building in the first quarter

    Balance Sheet

    • Loan balances decreased $11.5 million, or 0.4% (average), and increased $9.2 million, or 0.4% (end of period)
    • Deposit balances increased by $65.1 million, or 1.8% (average), and increased $111.9 million, or 3.0% (end of period), largely due to the seasonal increase in our public fund balances
    • Tangible book value per diluted share (non-GAAP financial measure) increased $0.94, or 4.0%

    “I am pleased with our first quarter performance, which reflects strong core fundamentals and strategic execution driven by a 2.6% increase in revenues, solid growth in deposit balances, and improvement in credit quality metrics,” said William G. Smith, Jr., Capital City Bank Group Chairman, President, and CEO. “First quarter earnings also included a $0.17 per diluted share gain from the sale of our operations center building. Our strong balance sheet and revenue diversification provides us with the flexibility to navigate ongoing uncertainty in market and economic conditions.”

    Discussion of Operating Results

    Net Interest Income/Net Interest Margin

    Tax-equivalent net interest income for the first quarter of 2025 totaled $41.6 million, compared to $41.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, and $38.4 million for the first quarter of 2024. Compared to both prior periods, the increase was driven by higher investment securities interest due to new investment purchases at higher yields, in addition to lower deposit interest expense, partially offset by lower loan interest due to lower average loan balances and interest rates. Two less calendar days also contributed to the decline in loan interest compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. Higher overnight funds interest also contributed to the increase over the first quarter of 2024 reflective of a higher level of average earning assets.

    Our net interest margin for the first quarter of 2025 was 4.22%, an increase of five basis points over the fourth quarter of 2024 and an increase of 21 basis points over the first quarter of 2024. For the month of March 2025, our net interest margin was 4.22%. The increase in net interest margin over the fourth quarter of 2024 reflected a higher yield in the investment portfolio driven by new purchases during the quarter and a lower cost of deposits, partially offset by a lower overnight funds rate. The increase over the first quarter of 2024 reflected favorable investment repricing, a lower cost of deposits, and a higher overnight funds rate, partially offset by lower average loan balances for both prior periods.   For the first quarter of 2025, our cost of funds was 84 basis points, a decrease of four basis points from the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2024. Our cost of deposits (including noninterest bearing accounts) was 82 basis points, 86 basis points, and 85 basis points, respectively, for the same periods.

    Provision for Credit Losses

    We recorded a provision expense for credit losses of $0.8 million for the first quarter of 2025 compared to $0.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2024 and $0.9 million for the first quarter of 2024. For the first quarter of 2025, we recorded a provision expense of $1.1 million for loans held for investment (“HFI”) and a provision benefit of $0.3 million for unfunded loan commitments, which was comparable to the fourth quarter of 2024. We discuss the various factors that impacted our provision expense in detail below under the heading Allowance for Credit Losses.  

    Noninterest Income and Noninterest Expense

    Noninterest income for the first quarter of 2025 totaled $19.9 million compared to $18.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2024 and $18.1 million for the first quarter of 2024. The $1.1 million, or 6.1%, increase over the fourth quarter of 2024 was primarily due to a $0.7 million increase in mortgage banking revenues and a $0.5 million increase in wealth management fees, partially offset by a $0.1 million decrease in deposits fees.   The increase in mortgage revenues was driven by an increase in rate locks and a higher gain on sale margin. The increase in wealth management fees was attributable to a $0.5 million increase in insurance commission revenue.   Compared to the first quarter of 2024, the $1.8 million, or 10.0%, increase was driven by a $1.1 million increase in wealth management fees and a $0.9 million increase in mortgage banking revenues, partially offset by a $0.2 million decrease in deposit fees.   The increase in wealth management fees reflected higher retail brokerage fees of $0.6 million, insurance commission revenue of $0.3 million, and trust fees of $0.2 million. The increase in mortgage revenues was driven by an increase in loan fundings and a higher gain on sale margin.     

    Noninterest expense for the first quarter of 2025 totaled $38.7 million compared to $41.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2024 and $40.2 million for the first quarter of 2024.   The $3.1 million, or 7.4%, decrease from the fourth quarter of 2024, reflected a $3.1 million decrease in other expense, a $0.1 million decrease in occupancy expense, and a $0.1 million increase in compensation expense. The decrease in other expense was driven by a $3.5 million decrease in other real estate expense which reflected higher gains from the sale of banking facilities, primarily the sale of our operations center building in the first quarter of 2025, partially offset by a $0.5 million increase in charitable contribution expense. The slight decrease in occupancy expense was due to lower maintenance/repairs for buildings and furniture/fixtures. The slight net decrease in compensation expense reflected a $0.2 million increase in salary expense offset by a $0.1 million decrease in associate benefit expense.

    Income Taxes

    We realized income tax expense of $5.1 million (effective rate of 23.3%) for the first quarter of 2025 compared to $4.2 million (effective rate of 24.3%) for the fourth quarter of 2024 and $3.5 million (effective rate of 23.0%) for the first quarter of 2024. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, the decrease in our effective tax rate was primarily due to a discrete item in the first quarter of 2025 related to an excess tax benefit for stock compensation.   Absent discrete items, we expect our annual effective tax rate to approximate 24% for 2025.

    Discussion of Financial Condition

    Earning Assets

    Average earning assets totaled $3.994 billion for the first quarter of 2025, an increase of $72.0 million, or 1.8%, over the fourth quarter of 2024, and an increase of $144.3 million, or 3.7%, over the first quarter of 2024. The increase over both prior periods was driven by higher deposit balances (see below – Deposits).   Compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, the change in the earning asset mix reflected a $67.1 million increase in investment securities and a $22.7 million increase in overnight funds sold partially offset by a $11.5 million decrease in loans HFI and a $6.3 million decrease in loans held for sale (“HFS”).   Compared to the first quarter of 2024, the change in the earning asset mix reflected a $180.5 million increase in overnight funds and a $29.1 million increase in investment securities that was partially offset by a $62.7 million decrease in loans HFI and a $2.6 million decrease in HFS.

    Average loans HFI decreased $11.5 million, or 0.4%, from the fourth quarter of 2024 and decreased $62.7 million, or 2.3%, from the first quarter of 2024. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, the decrease was primarily attributable to declines in construction loans of $8.6 million, commercial loans of $5.7 million, and consumer loans of $2.1 million, partially offset by a $6.6 million increase in home equity loans.   Compared to the first quarter of 2024, the decline was driven by decreases in consumer loans (primarily indirect auto) of $58.8 million, commercial loans of $32.9 million, and commercial real estate mortgage loans of $23.1 million, partially offset by increases in residential real estate loans of $28.9 million, construction loans of $11.5 million, and home equity loans of $10.4 million.

    Loans HFI at March 31, 2025 increased $9.2 million, or 0.3%, over December 31, 2024 and decreased $70.4 million, or 2.6%, from March 31, 2024. Compared to December 31, 2024, the increase was primarily attributable to increases in commercial real estate mortgage loans of $27.8 million and residential real estate loans of $12.1 million, consumer loans (primarily indirect auto) of $6.7 million, and home equity loans of $5.9 million, partially offset by decreases in construction loans of $27.7 million, commercial loans of $4.8 million, and other loans of $10.8 million.   Compared to the first quarter of 2024, the decline was driven by decreases in consumer loans (primarily indirect auto) of $48.0 million, commercial loans of $33.9 million, commercial real estate mortgage loans of $16.7 million, and construction loans of $10.4 million, partially offset by increases in residential real estate loans of $27.8 million and home equity loans of $11.4 million.

    Allowance for Credit Losses

    At March 31, 2025, the allowance for credit losses for loans HFI totaled $29.7 million compared to $29.3 million at December 31, 2024 and $29.3 million at March 31, 2024. Activity within the allowance is provided on Page 9. The increase in the allowance over December 31, 2024 reflected higher loan balances and higher loan loss rates, partially offset by a lower level of net loan charge-offs.   The increase in the allowance over March 31, 2024 was primarily due to higher loss rates. Net loan charge-offs were nine basis points of average loans for the first quarter of 2025 versus 25 basis points for the fourth quarter of 2024 and 22 basis points for the first quarter of 2024. At March 31, 2025, the allowance represented 1.12% of loans HFI compared to 1.10% at December 31, 2024, and 1.07% at March 31, 2024.

    Credit Quality

    Nonperforming assets (nonaccrual loans and other real estate) totaled $4.4 million at March 31, 2025 compared to $6.7 million at December 31, 2024 and $6.8 million at March 31, 2024. At March 31, 2025, nonperforming assets as a percent of total assets was 0.10%, compared to 0.15% at December 31, 2024 and 0.16% at March 31, 2024. Nonaccrual loans totaled $4.3 million at March 31, 2025, a $2.0 million decrease from December 31, 2024 and a $2.5 million decrease from March 31, 2024. Further, classified loans totaled $19.2 million at March 31, 2025, a $0.7 million decrease from December 31, 2024 and a $3.1 million decrease from March 31, 2024.

    Deposits

    Average total deposits were $3.665 billion for the first quarter of 2025, an increase of $65.1 million, or 1.8%, over the fourth quarter of 2024 and an increase of $89.0 million, or 2.5%, over the first quarter of 2024.   Compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, the increase was primarily attributable to higher NOW account balances largely due to the seasonal increase in our public fund balances.   The increase over the first quarter of 2024 reflected growth in NOW, money market and certificate of deposit account balances which was mainly due to a combination of balances migrating from savings and noninterest bearing accounts, in addition to receiving new deposits from existing and new clients via various deposit strategies.     

    At March 31, 2025, total deposits were $3.784 billion, an increase of $111.9 million, or 3.0%, over December 31, 2024, and an increase of $129.1 million, or 3.5%, over March 31, 2024.   The increase over December 31, 2024 was due to higher balances in all deposit categories. The increase over March 31, 2024 was primarily due to higher NOW account balances, largely due to the seasonal increase in public funds and increases in money market and certificates of deposit, partially offset by lower savings account balances. Total public funds balances were $648.0 million at March 31, 2025, $660.9 million at December 31, 2024, and $615.0 million at March 31, 2024.

    Liquidity

    The Bank maintained an average net overnight funds (i.e., deposits with banks plus FED funds sold less FED funds purchased) sold position of $320.9 million in the first quarter of 2025 compared to $298.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and $140.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. Compared to both prior periods, the increase reflected higher average deposits (primarily seasonal public funds) and lower average loans.
        
    At March 31, 2025, we had the ability to generate approximately $1.540 billion (excludes overnight funds position of $446 million) in additional liquidity through various sources including various federal funds purchased lines, Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings, the Federal Reserve Discount Window, and brokered deposits.  

    We also view our investment portfolio as a liquidity source as we have the option to pledge securities in our portfolio as collateral for borrowings or deposits, and/or to sell selected securities in our portfolio.  Our portfolio consists of debt issued by the U.S. Treasury, U.S. governmental agencies, municipal governments, and corporate entities.  At March 31, 2025, the weighted-average maturity and duration of our portfolio were 2.64 years and 2.10 years, respectively, and the available-for-sale portfolio had a net unrealized after-tax loss of $15.4 million.    

    Capital

    Shareowners’ equity was $512.6 million at March 31, 2025 compared to $495.3 million at December 31, 2024 and $448.3 million at March 31, 2024. For the first three months of 2025, shareowners’ equity was positively impacted by net income attributable to shareowners of $16.9 million, a net $3.6 million decrease in the accumulated other comprehensive loss, the issuance of stock of $2.4 million, and stock compensation accretion of $0.4 million. The net favorable change in accumulated other comprehensive loss reflected a $4.1 million decrease in the investment securities loss that was partially offset by a $0.5 million decrease in the fair value of the interest rate swap related to subordinated debt. Shareowners’ equity was reduced by a common stock dividend of $4.1 million ($0.24 per share) and net adjustments totaling $1.9 million related to transactions under our stock compensation plans.

    At March 31, 2025, our total risk-based capital ratio was 19.20% compared to 18.64% at December 31, 2024 and 16.84% at March 31, 2024. Our common equity tier 1 capital ratio was 16.08%, 15.54%, and 13.82%, respectively, on these dates. Our leverage ratio was 11.17%, 11.05%, and 10.45%, respectively, on these dates. At March 31, 2025, all our regulatory capital ratios exceeded the thresholds to be designated as “well-capitalized” under the Basel III capital standards. Further, our tangible common equity ratio (non-GAAP financial measure) was 9.61% at March 31, 2025 compared to 9.51% and 8.53% at December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2024, respectively. If our unrealized held-to-maturity securities losses of $12.1 million (after-tax) were recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss, our adjusted tangible capital ratio would be 9.33%.

    About Capital City Bank Group, Inc.

    Capital City Bank Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCBG) is one of the largest publicly traded financial holding companies headquartered in Florida and has approximately $4.5 billion in assets. We provide a full range of banking services, including traditional deposit and credit services, mortgage banking, asset management, trust, merchant services, bankcards, securities brokerage services and financial advisory services, including the sale of life insurance, risk management and asset protection services. Our bank subsidiary, Capital City Bank, was founded in 1895 and now has 62 banking offices and 105 ATMs/ITMs in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. For more information about Capital City Bank Group, Inc., visit www.ccbg.com.

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    Forward-looking statements in this Press Release are based on current plans and expectations that are subject to uncertainties and risks, which could cause our future results to differ materially. The words “may,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “target,” “vision,” “goal,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause our actual results to differ: the effects of and changes in trade and monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board; inflation, interest rate, market and monetary fluctuations; local, regional, national, and international economic conditions and the impact they may have on us and our clients and our assessment of that impact; the costs and effects of legal and regulatory developments, the outcomes of legal proceedings or regulatory or other governmental inquiries, the results of regulatory examinations or reviews and the ability to obtain required regulatory approvals; the effect of changes in laws and regulations (including laws and regulations concerning taxes, banking, securities, and insurance) and their application with which we and our subsidiaries must comply; the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies, as well as other accounting standard setters; the accuracy of our financial statement estimates and assumptions; changes in the financial performance and/or condition of our borrowers; changes in the mix of loan geographies, sectors and types or the level of non-performing assets and charge-offs; changes in estimates of future credit loss reserve requirements based upon the periodic review thereof under relevant regulatory and accounting requirements; changes in our liquidity position; the timely development and acceptance of new products and services and perceived overall value of these products and services by users; changes in consumer spending, borrowing, and saving habits; greater than expected costs or difficulties related to the integration of new products and lines of business; technological changes; the cost and effects of cyber incidents or other failures, interruptions, or security breaches of our systems or those of our customers or third-party providers; acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses; impairment of our goodwill or other intangible assets; changes in the reliability of our vendors, internal control systems, or information systems; our ability to increase market share and control expenses; our ability to attract and retain qualified employees; changes in our organization, compensation, and benefit plans; the soundness of other financial institutions; volatility and disruption in national and international financial and commodity markets; changes in the competitive environment in our markets and among banking organizations and other financial service providers; government intervention in the U.S. financial system; the effects of natural disasters (including hurricanes), widespread health emergencies (including pandemics), military conflict, terrorism, civil unrest, climate change or other geopolitical events; our ability to declare and pay dividends; structural changes in the markets for origination, sale and servicing of residential mortgages; any inability to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and/or disclosure control; negative publicity and the impact on our reputation; and the limited trading activity and concentration of ownership of our common stock. Additional factors can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and our other filings with the SEC, which are available at the SEC’s internet site (http://www.sec.gov). Forward-looking statements in this Press Release speak only as of the date of the Press Release, and we assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements or the reasons why actual results could differ, except as may be required by law.

    For Information Contact:

    Jep Larkin
    Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
    850.402. 8450

    USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
    Unaudited

    We present a tangible common equity ratio and a tangible book value per diluted share that removes the effect of goodwill and other intangibles resulting from merger and acquisition activity. We believe these measures are useful to investors because it allows investors to more easily compare our capital adequacy to other companies in the industry.

    The GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations are provided below.

    (Dollars in Thousands, except per share data) Mar 31, 2025 Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024
    Shareowners’ Equity (GAAP)   $ 512,575   $ 495,317   $ 476,499   $ 460,999   $ 448,314  
    Less: Goodwill and Other Intangibles (GAAP)     92,733     92,773     92,813     92,853     92,893  
    Tangible Shareowners’ Equity (non-GAAP) A   419,842     402,544     383,686     368,146     355,421  
    Total Assets (GAAP)     4,461,233     4,324,932     4,225,316     4,225,695     4,259,922  
    Less: Goodwill and Other Intangibles (GAAP)     92,733     92,773     92,813     92,853     92,893  
    Tangible Assets (non-GAAP) B $ 4,368,500   $ 4,232,159   $ 4,132,503   $ 4,132,842   $ 4,167,029  
    Tangible Common Equity Ratio (non-GAAP) A/B   9.61%     9.51%     9.28%     8.91%     8.53%  
    Actual Diluted Shares Outstanding (GAAP) C   17,072,330     17,018,122     16,980,686     16,970,228     16,947,204  
    Tangible Book Value per Diluted Share (non-GAAP) A/C $ 24.59   $ 23.65   $ 22.60   $ 21.69   $ 20.97  
     
    CAPITAL CITY BANK GROUP, INC.
    EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS
    Unaudited
                   
        Three Months Ended  
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)   Mar 31, 2025   Dec 31, 2024   Mar 31, 2024  
    EARNINGS              
    Net Income Attributable to Common Shareowners $ 16,858 $ 13,090 $ 12,557 $
    Diluted Net Income Per Share $ 0.99 $ 0.77 $ 0.74 $
    PERFORMANCE              
    Return on Average Assets (annualized)   1.58 % 1.22 % 1.21 %
    Return on Average Equity (annualized)   13.32   10.60   11.07  
    Net Interest Margin   4.22   4.17   4.01  
    Noninterest Income as % of Operating Revenue   32.39   31.34   32.06  
    Efficiency Ratio   62.93 % 69.74 % 71.06 %
    CAPITAL ADEQUACY              
    Tier 1 Capital   18.01 % 17.46 % 15.67 %
    Total Capital   19.20   18.64   16.84  
    Leverage   11.17   11.05   10.45  
    Common Equity Tier 1   16.08   15.54   13.82  
    Tangible Common Equity (1)   9.61   9.51   8.53  
    Equity to Assets   11.49 % 11.45 % 10.52 %
    ASSET QUALITY              
    Allowance as % of Non-Performing Loans   692.10 % 464.14 % 431.46 %
    Allowance as a % of Loans HFI   1.12   1.10   1.07  
    Net Charge-Offs as % of Average Loans HFI   0.09   0.25   0.22  
    Nonperforming Assets as % of Loans HFI and OREO   0.17   0.25   0.25  
    Nonperforming Assets as % of Total Assets   0.10 % 0.15 % 0.16 %
    STOCK PERFORMANCE              
    High $ 38.27 $ 40.86 $ 31.34 $
    Low   33.00   33.00   26.59  
    Close $ 35.96 $ 36.65 $ 27.70 $
    Average Daily Trading Volume   24,486   27,484   31,023  
                   
    (1) Tangible common equity ratio is a non-GAAP financial measure. For additional information, including a reconciliation to GAAP, refer to Page 5.
                   
    CAPITAL CITY BANK GROUP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
    Unaudited
                         
      2025     2024  
    (Dollars in thousands) First Quarter   Fourth Quarter   Third Quarter   Second Quarter   First Quarter
    ASSETS                    
    Cash and Due From Banks $ 78,521   $ 70,543   $ 83,431   $ 75,304   $ 73,642  
    Funds Sold and Interest Bearing Deposits   446,042     321,311     261,779     272,675     231,047  
    Total Cash and Cash Equivalents   524,563     391,854     345,210     347,979     304,689  
                         
    Investment Securities Available for Sale   461,224     403,345     336,187     310,941     327,338  
    Investment Securities Held to Maturity   517,176     567,155     561,480     582,984     603,386  
    Other Equity Securities   2,315     2,399     6,976     2,537     3,445  
    Total Investment Securities   980,715     972,899     904,643     896,462     934,169  
                         
    Loans Held for Sale (“HFS”):   21,441     28,672     31,251     24,022     24,705  
                         
    Loans Held for Investment (“HFI”):                    
    Commercial, Financial, & Agricultural   184,393     189,208     194,625     204,990     218,298  
    Real Estate – Construction   192,282     219,994     218,899     200,754     202,692  
    Real Estate – Commercial   806,942     779,095     819,955     823,122     823,690  
    Real Estate – Residential   1,040,594     1,028,498     1,023,485     1,012,541     1,012,791  
    Real Estate – Home Equity   225,987     220,064     210,988     211,126     214,617  
    Consumer   206,191     199,479     213,305     234,212     254,168  
    Other Loans   3,227     14,006     461     2,286     3,789  
    Overdrafts   1,154     1,206     1,378     1,192     1,127  
    Total Loans Held for Investment   2,660,770     2,651,550     2,683,096     2,690,223     2,731,172  
    Allowance for Credit Losses   (29,734 )   (29,251 )   (29,836 )   (29,219 )   (29,329 )
    Loans Held for Investment, Net   2,631,036     2,622,299     2,653,260     2,661,004     2,701,843  
                         
    Premises and Equipment, Net   80,043     81,952     81,876     81,414     81,452  
    Goodwill and Other Intangibles   92,733     92,773     92,813     92,853     92,893  
    Other Real Estate Owned   132     367     650     650     1  
    Other Assets   130,570     134,116     115,613     121,311     120,170  
    Total Other Assets   303,478     309,208     290,952     296,228     294,516  
    Total Assets $ 4,461,233   $ 4,324,932   $ 4,225,316   $ 4,225,695   $ 4,259,922  
    LIABILITIES                    
    Deposits:                    
    Noninterest Bearing Deposits $ 1,363,739   $ 1,306,254   $ 1,330,715   $ 1,343,606   $ 1,361,939  
    NOW Accounts   1,292,654     1,285,281     1,174,585     1,177,180     1,212,452  
    Money Market Accounts   445,999     404,396     401,272     413,594     398,308  
    Savings Accounts   511,265     506,766     507,604     514,560     530,782  
    Certificates of Deposit   170,233     169,280     164,901     159,624     151,320  
    Total Deposits   3,783,890     3,671,977     3,579,077     3,608,564     3,654,801  
                         
    Repurchase Agreements   22,799     26,240     29,339     22,463     23,477  
    Other Short-Term Borrowings   14,401     2,064     7,929     3,307     8,409  
    Subordinated Notes Payable   52,887     52,887     52,887     52,887     52,887  
    Other Long-Term Borrowings   794     794     794     1,009     265  
    Other Liabilities   73,887     75,653     71,974     69,987     65,181  
    Total Liabilities   3,948,658     3,829,615     3,742,000     3,758,217     3,805,020  
                         
    Temporary Equity   –     –     6,817     6,479     6,588  
    SHAREOWNERS’ EQUITY                    
    Common Stock   171     170     169     169     169  
    Additional Paid-In Capital   38,576     37,684     36,070     35,547     34,861  
    Retained Earnings   476,715     463,949     454,342     445,959     435,364  
    Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax   (2,887 )   (6,486 )   (14,082 )   (20,676 )   (22,080 )
    Total Shareowners’ Equity   512,575     495,317     476,499     460,999     448,314  
    Total Liabilities, Temporary Equity and Shareowners’ Equity $ 4,461,233   $ 4,324,932   $ 4,225,316   $ 4,225,695   $ 4,259,922  
    OTHER BALANCE SHEET DATA                    
    Earning Assets $ 4,108,969   $ 3,974,431   $ 3,880,769   $ 3,883,382   $ 3,921,093  
    Interest Bearing Liabilities   2,511,032     2,447,708     2,339,311     2,344,624     2,377,900  
    Book Value Per Diluted Share $ 30.02   $ 29.11   $ 28.06   $ 27.17   $ 26.45  
    Tangible Book Value Per Diluted Share(1)   24.59     23.65     22.60     21.69     20.97  
    Actual Basic Shares Outstanding   17,055     16,975     16,944     16,942     16,929  
    Actual Diluted Shares Outstanding   17,072     17,018     16,981     16,970     16,947  
     
    (1) Tangible book value per diluted share is a non-GAAP financial measure. For additional information, including a reconciliation to GAAP, refer to Page 5.
     
    CAPITAL CITY BANK GROUP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
    Unaudited                    
                         
        2025   2024
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)   First Quarter   Fourth Quarter   Third Quarter   Second Quarter   First Quarter
    INTEREST INCOME                    
    Loans, including Fees $ 40,478 $ 41,453   $ 41,659 $ 41,138 $ 40,683
    Investment Securities   5,808   4,694     4,155   4,004   4,244
    Federal Funds Sold and Interest Bearing Deposits   3,496   3,596     3,514   3,624   1,893
    Total Interest Income   49,782   49,743     49,328   48,766   46,820
    INTEREST EXPENSE                    
    Deposits   7,383   7,766     8,223   8,579   7,594
    Repurchase Agreements   164   199     221   217   201
    Other Short-Term Borrowings   117   83     52   68   39
    Subordinated Notes Payable   560   581     610   630   628
    Other Long-Term Borrowings   11   11     11   3   3
    Total Interest Expense   8,235   8,640     9,117   9,497   8,465
    Net Interest Income   41,547   41,103     40,211   39,269   38,355
    Provision for Credit Losses   768   701     1,206   1,204   920
    Net Interest Income after Provision for Credit Losses   40,779   40,402     39,005   38,065   37,435
    NONINTEREST INCOME                    
    Deposit Fees   5,061   5,207     5,512   5,377   5,250
    Bank Card Fees   3,514   3,697     3,624   3,766   3,620
    Wealth Management Fees   5,763   5,222     4,770   4,439   4,682
    Mortgage Banking Revenues   3,820   3,118     3,966   4,381   2,878
    Other   1,749   1,516     1,641   1,643   1,667
    Total Noninterest Income   19,907   18,760     19,513   19,606   18,097
    NONINTEREST EXPENSE                    
    Compensation   26,248   26,108     25,800   24,406   24,407
    Occupancy, Net   6,793   6,893     7,098   6,997   6,994
    Other   5,660   8,781     10,023   9,038   8,770
    Total Noninterest Expense   38,701   41,782     42,921   40,441   40,171
    OPERATING PROFIT   21,985   17,380     15,597   17,230   15,361
    Income Tax Expense   5,127   4,219     2,980   3,189   3,536
    Net Income   16,858   13,161     12,617   14,041   11,825
    Pre-Tax (Income) Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest   –   (71 )   501   109   732
    NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO
    COMMON SHAREOWNERS    		 $ 16,858 $ 13,090   $ 13,118 $ 14,150 $ 12,557
    PER COMMON SHARE                    
    Basic Net Income $ 0.99 $ 0.77   $ 0.77 $ 0.84 $ 0.74
    Diluted Net Income   0.99   0.77     0.77   0.83   0.74
    Cash Dividend $ 0.24 $ 0.23   $ 0.23 $ 0.21 $ 0.21
    AVERAGE SHARES                    
    Basic   17,027   16,946     16,943   16,931   16,951
    Diluted   17,044   16,990     16,979   16,960   16,969
     
    CAPITAL CITY BANK GROUP, INC.
    ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES (“ACL”)
    AND CREDIT QUALITY
    Unaudited                    
                         
        2025     2024  
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)   First Quarter   Fourth Quarter   Third Quarter   Second Quarter   First Quarter
    ACL – HELD FOR INVESTMENT LOANS                    
    Balance at Beginning of Period $ 29,251   $ 29,836   $ 29,219   $ 29,329   $ 29,941  
    Transfer from Other (Assets) Liabilities   –     –     –     –     (50 )
    Provision for Credit Losses   1,083     1,085     1,879     1,129     932  
    Net Charge-Offs (Recoveries)   600     1,670     1,262     1,239     1,494  
    Balance at End of Period $ 29,734   $ 29,251   $ 29,836   $ 29,219   $ 29,329  
    As a % of Loans HFI   1.12 %   1.10 %   1.11 %   1.09 %   1.07 %
    As a % of Nonperforming Loans   692.10 %   464.14 %   452.64 %   529.79 %   431.46 %
    ACL – UNFUNDED COMMITMENTS                    
    Balance at Beginning of Period   2,155   $ 2,522   $ 3,139   $ 3,121   $ 3,191  
    Provision for Credit Losses   (323 )   (367 )   (617 )   18     (70 )
    Balance at End of Period(1)   1,832     2,155     2,522     3,139     3,121  
    ACL – DEBT SECURITIES                    
    Provision for Credit Losses $ 8   $ (17 ) $ (56 ) $ 57   $ 58  
    CHARGE-OFFS                    
    Commercial, Financial and Agricultural $ 168   $ 499   $ 331   $ 400   $ 282  
    Real Estate – Construction   –     47     –     –     –  
    Real Estate – Commercial   –     –     3     –     –  
    Real Estate – Residential   8     44     –     –     17  
    Real Estate – Home Equity   –     33     23     –     76  
    Consumer   865     1,307     1,315     1,061     1,550  
    Overdrafts   570     574     611     571     638  
    Total Charge-Offs $ 1,611   $ 2,504   $ 2,283   $ 2,032   $ 2,563  
    RECOVERIES                    
    Commercial, Financial and Agricultural $ 75   $ 103   $ 176   $ 59   $ 41  
    Real Estate – Construction   –     3     –     –     –  
    Real Estate – Commercial   3     33     5     19     204  
    Real Estate – Residential   119     28     88     23     37  
    Real Estate – Home Equity   9     17     59     37     24  
    Consumer   481     352     405     313     410  
    Overdrafts   324     298     288     342     353  
    Total Recoveries $ 1,011   $ 834   $ 1,021   $ 793   $ 1,069  
    NET CHARGE-OFFS (RECOVERIES) $ 600   $ 1,670   $ 1,262   $ 1,239   $ 1,494  
    Net Charge-Offs as a % of Average Loans HFI(2)   0.09 %   0.25 %   0.19 %   0.18 %   0.22 %
    CREDIT QUALITY                    
    Nonaccruing Loans $ 4,296   $ 6,302   $ 6,592   $ 5,515   $ 6,798  
    Other Real Estate Owned   132     367     650     650     1  
    Total Nonperforming Assets (“NPAs”) $ 4,428   $ 6,669   $ 7,242   $ 6,165   $ 6,799  
                         
    Past Due Loans 30-89 Days $ 3,735   $ 4,311   $ 9,388   $ 5,672   $ 5,392  
    Classified Loans   19,194     19,896     25,501     25,566     22,305  
                         
    Nonperforming Loans as a % of Loans HFI   0.16 %   0.24 %   0.25 %   0.21 %   0.25 %
    NPAs as a % of Loans HFI and Other Real Estate   0.17 %   0.25 %   0.27 %   0.23 %   0.25 %
    NPAs as a % of Total Assets   0.10 %   0.15 %   0.17 %   0.15 %   0.16 %
                         
    (1)Recorded in other liabilities
    (2)Annualized
                         
    CAPITAL CITY BANK GROUP, INC.
    AVERAGE BALANCE AND INTEREST RATES
    Unaudited
                                                                           
        First Quarter 2025     Fourth Quarter 2024     Third Quarter 2024     Second Quarter 2024     First Quarter 2024  
    (Dollars in thousands)   Average
    Balance    		   Interest   Average
    Rate    		     Average
    Balance    		   Interest   Average
    Rate    		     Average
    Balance    		   Interest   Average
    Rate    		     Average
    Balance    		   Interest   Average
    Rate    		     Average
    Balance    		   Interest   Average
    Rate    		  
    ASSETS:                                                                      
    Loans Held for Sale $ 24,726   $ 490   8.04 % $ 31,047   $ 976   7.89 % $ 24,570   $ 720   7.49 % $ 26,281     517   5.26 % $ 27,314   $ 563   5.99 %
    Loans Held for Investment(1)   2,665,910     40,029   6.09     2,677,396     40,521   6.07     2,693,533     40,985   6.09     2,726,748     40,683   6.03     2,728,629     40,196   5.95  
                                                                           
    Investment Securities                                                                      
    Taxable Investment Securities   981,485     5,802   2.38     914,353     4,688   2.04     907,610     4,148   1.82     918,989     3,998   1.74     952,328     4,238   1.78  
    Tax-Exempt Investment Securities(1)   845     9   4.32     849     9   4.31     846     10   4.33     843     9   4.36     856     10   4.34  
                                                                           
    Total Investment Securities   982,330     5,811   2.38     915,202     4,697   2.04     908,456     4,158   1.82     919,832     4,007   1.74     953,184     4,248   1.78  
                                                                           
    Federal Funds Sold and Interest Bearing Deposits   320,948     3,496   4.42     298,255     3,596   4.80     256,855     3,514   5.44     262,419     3,624   5.56     140,488     1,893   5.42  
                                                                           
    Total Earning Assets   3,993,914   $ 49,826   5.06 %   3,921,900   $ 49,790   5.05 %   3,883,414   $ 49,377   5.06 %   3,935,280   $ 48,831   4.99 %   3,849,615   $ 46,900   4.90 %
                                                                           
    Cash and Due From Banks   73,467               73,992               70,994               74,803               75,763            
    Allowance for Credit Losses   (30,008 )             (30,107 )             (29,905 )             (29,564 )             (30,030 )          
    Other Assets   297,660               293,884               291,359               291,669               295,275            
                                                                           
    Total Assets $ 4,335,033             $ 4,259,669             $ 4,215,862             $ 4,272,188             $ 4,190,623            
                                                                           
    LIABILITIES:                                                                      
    Noninterest Bearing Deposits $ 1,317,425             $ 1,323,556             $ 1,332,305             $ 1,346,546             $ 1,344,188            
    NOW Accounts   1,249,955   $ 3,854   1.25 %   1,182,073   $ 3,826   1.29 %   1,145,544   $ 4,087   1.42 %   1,207,643   $ 4,425   1.47 %   1,201,032   $ 4,497   1.51 %
    Money Market Accounts   420,059     2,187   2.11     422,615     2,526   2.38     418,625     2,694   2.56     407,387     2,752   2.72     353,591     1,985   2.26  
    Savings Accounts   507,676     176   0.14     504,859     179   0.14     512,098     180   0.14     519,374     176   0.14     539,374     188   0.14  
    Time Deposits   170,367     1,166   2.78     167,321     1,235   2.94     163,462     1,262   3.07     160,078     1,226   3.08     138,328     924   2.69  
    Total Interest Bearing Deposits   2,348,057     7,383   1.28     2,276,868     7,766   1.36     2,239,729     8,223   1.46     2,294,482     8,579   1.50     2,232,325     7,594   1.37  
    Total Deposits   3,665,482     7,383   0.82     3,600,424     7,766   0.86     3,572,034     8,223   0.92     3,641,028     8,579   0.95     3,576,513     7,594   0.85  
    Repurchase Agreements   29,821     164   2.23     28,018     199   2.82     27,126     221   3.24     26,999     217   3.24     25,725     201   3.14  
    Other Short-Term Borrowings   7,437     117   6.39     6,510     83   5.06     2,673     52   7.63     6,592     68   4.16     3,758     39   4.16  
    Subordinated Notes Payable   52,887     560   4.23     52,887     581   4.30     52,887     610   4.52     52,887     630   4.71     52,887     628   4.70  
    Other Long-Term Borrowings   794     11   5.68     794     11   5.57     795     11   5.55     258     3   4.31     281     3   4.80  
    Total Interest Bearing Liabilities   2,438,996   $ 8,235   1.37 %   2,365,077   $ 8,640   1.45 %   2,323,210   $ 9,117   1.56 %   2,381,218   $ 9,497   1.60 %   2,314,976   $ 8,465   1.47 %
                                                                           
    Other Liabilities   65,211               73,130               73,767               72,634               68,295            
                                                                           
    Total Liabilities   3,821,632               3,761,763               3,729,282               3,800,398               3,727,459            
    Temporary Equity   –               6,763               6,443               6,493               7,150            
                                                                           
    SHAREOWNERS’ EQUITY:   513,401               491,143               480,137               465,297               456,014            
                                                                           
    Total Liabilities, Temporary Equity and Shareowners’ Equity $ 4,335,033             $ 4,259,669             $ 4,215,862             $ 4,272,188             $ 4,190,623            
                                                                           
    Interest Rate Spread     $ 41,591   3.69 %     $ 41,150   3.59 %     $ 40,260   3.49 %     $ 39,334   3.38 %     $ 38,435   3.43 %
                                                                           
    Interest Income and Rate Earned(1)       49,826   5.06         49,790   5.05         49,377   5.06         48,831   4.99         46,900   4.90  
    Interest Expense and Rate Paid(2)       8,235   0.84         8,640   0.88         9,117   0.93         9,497   0.97         8,465   0.88  
                                                                           
    Net Interest Margin     $ 41,591   4.22 %     $ 41,150   4.17 %     $ 40,260   4.12 %     $ 39,334   4.02 %     $ 38,435   4.01 %
                                                                           
    (1)Interest and average rates are calculated on a tax-equivalent basis using a 21% Federal tax rate.
    (2)Rate calculated based on average earning assets.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Apr 19, 2025 1730 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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    Apr 19, 2025 1730 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook

    Updated: Sat Apr 19 17:29:41 UTC 2025 (Print Version |   |  )

    Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table

     Forecast Discussion

    SPC AC 191729

    Day 2 Convective Outlook
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1229 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025

    Valid 201200Z – 211200Z

    …THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF
    MISSOURI…NORTHERN ARKANSAS…AND FAR WESTERN ILLINOIS…

    …SUMMARY…
    Severe thunderstorms are expected on Sunday from east Texas into the
    lower Missouri and middle Mississippi Valleys. The greatest damaging
    wind and tornado potential will be over portions of northern
    Arkansas into Missouri and far west-central Illinois.

    …MO…AR…Portions of surrounding states…
    A compact shortwave trough will eject northeastward out of the TX
    Panhandle Sunday morning and into IA by evening. An intense leading
    speed max will accompany this wave with strong cooling aloft over
    OK, northwest AR, MO and IA. A surface low will deepen as it
    develops northward out of OK and into IA as well.

    The cold front will move across far eastern KS and OK and into AR
    and MO by mid afternoon, with a warm front moving north and
    extending from northern MO into central IL/IN/OH by 00Z. Moderate
    southerly winds in the low levels will aid moisture advection with
    low 60s F dewpoints behind the warm front.

    Early day rain and thunderstorms will likely be ongoing over MO and
    IL in association with the advancing warm front. Areas of heating
    will occur behind this activity, and ahead of the approaching cold
    front with up to 1000 J/kg MUCAPE developing.

    Storms will form by early afternoon over far eastern KS and OK, with
    an elongated and partially broken line of supercells from the IA/MO
    border into AR through 00Z. Wind profiles will favor supercells as
    the primary storm mode along the length of the cold front, with the
    most likely area for tornadoes from northern AR into central MO
    where instability may be strongest. Farther north, cooler midlevel
    temperatures and stronger low-level shear may still support
    supercells and tornado risk despite weaker instability.

    The severe threat will peak during the afternoon and early evening
    as the upper system pulls north of the area, however, at least
    isolated severe storms may persist into the night across IL and
    southward along the MS River.

    ..Jewell.. 04/19/2025

    CLICK TO GET WUUS02 PTSDY2 PRODUCT

    NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 2 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 0600Z

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Johnson, Grassley Demand Records from DOJ IG on J6 Confidential Human Sources

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson
    WASHINGTON – On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General (IG) Michael Horowitz highlighting the IG’s failure to respond to the senators’ previous requests about the government’s use of confidential human sources (CHS) and undercover agents on January 6, 2021 (J6).
    On Dec. 16, 2024, the senators wrote to IG Horowitz requesting information based on the IG’s review of DOJ’s use of CHSs on J6. Specifically, the senators wanted to know the extent DOJ components, like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), had tasked and untasked CHSs in the area of the Capitol Building on J6.
    On April 7, 2025, IG Horowitz responded, noting that “ATF, DEA, USMS, and BOP did not have any tasked CHSs in Washington, D.C. on January 6 in connection with the events of January 6.”
    However, IG Horowitz could not make a similar assertion regarding whether untasked CHSs from DOJ components, other than the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), were in the D.C. area on J6 and connected to events that day. “[U]nlike the FBI, we have no information at this time as to whether the ATF, DEA, USMS, or BOP conducted a post-January 6 canvass to determine if any of their CHSs traveled on their own initiative (untasked) to D.C. in connection with the January 6 events,” IG Horowitz wrote.
    In addition, IG Horowitz’s response failed to adequately address whether DOJ components had employees or contractors wearing civilian clothing in the Washington, D.C. area and around the Capitol Building on J6.
    “We also reiterate other requests from our December 16, 2024, letter that are still outstanding,” the senators wrote.  
    “For example, in our letter we asked whether your office obtained, during the course of its investigation into this matter, all communications, including text messages, between and among all DOJ component agency handlers and the CHSs/undercover agents. Your April 7, 2025, response confirmed that your office ‘did not request all of the text messages for all of the 26 CHSs and their handlers.’ Your April 7, 2025, response also noted that your office obtained classified communications; however, it failed to answer whether it obtained all classified communications,” the senators added.
    Read more about the letter on Fox News.
    Full text of the letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Inside the hack-for-hire scandal: ongoing saga to uncover potential Exxon-linked cyberattacks intended to derail climate accountability

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Reports of a major hack-for-hire scheme began to appear after the 2019 indictment of an Israeli private investigator, Aviram Azari, and the groundbreaking 2020 research by Citizen Lab into hacking-for-hire groups. Both Azari’s indictment and Citizen Lab’s report found that individuals and groups had been targeted by hackers, allegedly under the direction of private investigators that were working with powerful clients. 

    These clients appear to include DCI Group (DCI), a public relations and lobbying firm based in Washington D.C. One of DCI’s clients at the time the hacking allegedly occurred was ExxonMobil Corporation (Exxon), according to multiple news outlets’ analysis of court documents revealed this January and a source contacted by Reuters. During the same period that hacking occurred, the victims of the hacking appear to have been involved with the #ExxonKnew campaign and associated climate accountability litigation. The hack targets indicate a potential motive to derail momentum behind these lawsuits and #ExxonKnew campaigns, which accused ExxonMobil of knowing about and deliberately hiding or miscommunicating about climate change and the impacts of the industry. 

    Since the investigation of Azari, another private investigator, Amit Forlit, has recently been indicted and appears to be connected to the same hacking scheme involving Exxon based on court documents for both investigators and their business connections with each other at the time hacking occurred. To what extent Azari and Forlit worked together is not yet known, but court documents have suggested they are business associates. The news of Forlit’s involvement became public when the U.S. Department of Justice filed a request for Forlit to be extradited from the U.K. in 2024. DCI and Exxon were not named in the U.S. request to extradite Forlit for alleged hacking involvement, but Forlit’s lawyer mentioned both companies in his defense.

    A Greenpeace banner flies over the skyline of Dallas towed by an airplane. The banner reads “Exxon: Time to pay for climate lies” and “Prosecute Exxon.” ExxonMobil is currently under investigation by the New York Attorney General to determine if the company lied about the risks of climate change. ExxonMobil’s corporate headquarters is in nearby Irving. © Ron Heflin / Greenpeace

    The source contacted by Reuters provides the most detailed account of what allegedly occurred. According to that account, the hacking scheme began in late 2015, with DCI arranging targets, providing them to Forlit, who then worked with third-party contractors to conduct hacking. Reuters determined that “In an effort to push a narrative that Exxon was the target of a political vendetta aimed at destroying its business, some of the stolen material was subsequently leaked to the media by DCI.” Moreover, the source alleges that the National Association of Manufacturers, an industry group that received funding from Exxon, used hacked material to pressure the U.S. Supreme Court to drop a lawsuit against Exxon, Energy Transfer subsidiary Sunoco, and other oil and gas companies. The lawsuit was filed by the city and county of Honolulu and charges the companies for climate damages.

    Both DCI and Exxon have publicly stated that they were not involved in any illegal activity, including hacking. An Exxon spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal in 2023 that the company “has no knowledge of Azari, had no involvement in any hacking activities and has not been accused of any wrongdoing. To be clear, ExxonMobil has done nothing wrong”. A spokesperson stated that “if there was any hacking involved, we condemn it in the strongest possible terms” to NPR two years later. 

    DCI partner Craig Stevens denied the firm’s involvement in a statement to NPR, saying “Allegations of DCI’s involvement with hacking supposedly occurring nearly a decade ago are false and unsubstantiated… Meanwhile, radical anti-oil activists and their donors are peddling conspiracy theories to distract from their own anti-U.S. energy activities”.

    Neither company has been charged with any wrongdoing, though environmental groups and a few U.S. senators have called for a formal investigation. Initial investigations around Azari involved additional clients that have not been named; Forlit also had other clients though extradition orders focus on his involvement with DCI and Exxon. According to an anonymous source to the Wall Street Journal, DCI partner Justin Peterson commissioned the hacking and was a key connection to Forlit.

    Citizen Lab’s research, as well as court documents against Azari, indicate that there is a large hack-for-hire industry whose clients may include a range of organizations from large oil and gas companies like Exxon, to financial firms, industry groups, and so on. Targets of these hacking schemes include climate groups like Greenpeace, but have also included public defenders, government officials, politicians, financial companies, banks, and others.Citizen Lab did not identify Azari, Forlit, or other individuals working as private investigators who sought hacking services. The investigation of Azari and Forlit came from FBI probes into hacking operations. 

    Despite the sentencing of Azari in 2023, the clients who ordered or benefited from hacking were never named. The Southern District of New York identified that Exxon publicly used hacked material, suggesting they may be a client of the hack-for-hire operations. Many victims of hacking were notified by Citizen Lab during their investigations, however the full extent of the hacking scheme is still unknown.

    The lack of any real investigation by Exxon is another example of the oil and gas industry avoiding accountability. Compounded with their efforts to seek legal immunity using tactics employed by the gun industry, filing SLAPP and other predatory lawsuits against journalists and activists, financially backing anti-protest legislation at the state and federal level, and a decades-long disinformation campaign, the industry may stop at nothing to ensure its dominance. 

    Despite evidence to the contrary, Exxon has continued to deny any involvement in the hack-for-hire scheme being investigated and the full extent of the hack is still unclear. 

    As a result, we are calling on:

    • The U.S. Department of Justice to fully investigate the hack-for-hire scheme.
    • Exxon’s board to commission an independent, internal investigation to determine how Exxon became connected to the hacking scheme, and to identify who may have been involved.
    • Congress to resist all attempts by the fossil fuel industry to secure a “liability waiver” which would grant “immunity” from any effort to hold the industry accountable for climate damages. 

    The details of the hack-for-hire scheme have been revealed over the last six years with research by Citizen Lab and the federal investigation of two private investigators. Clients and benefactors of the hacking have yet to be formally investigated.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges 329 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in Arizona this Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from April 12, 2025, through April 18, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 329 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 130 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 179 aliens for illegally entering the United States.  In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 16 cases against 18 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. The United States also charged one individual with failing to register, as required by law. 

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    Recent matters of interest include:

    United States v. Manuel Ivan Rodriguez-Loya: On April 13, 2025, Manuel Ivan Rodriguez-Loya was arrested for Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. Border Patrol agents from the Lordsburg, New Mexico Station attempted to stop Rodriguez-Loya’s vehicle, but he failed to yield, leading agents on a high-speed chase into Arizona. Agents from the Willcox, Arizona Station then positioned themselves to intercept the vehicle and eventually caught Rodriguez-Loya. He was found to be transporting eight illegal aliens at the time, including citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador. [Case Number: MJ-25-00365-TUC-BGM]

    United States v. Emilio Escobar-Escalante: On April 15, 2025, Emilio Escobar-Escalante was sentenced to 37 months in prison for Reentry of Removed Alien. Border Patrol agents discovered Escobar-Escalante in the desert near Vamori, Arizona on January 10, 2024. He initially gave a false name but was ultimately identified as Escobar-Escalante. His identity revealed that he is a documented member of the Latin Kings and MS-13 criminal gangs. Immigration records showed that Escobar-Escalante has been removed from the United States seven times. Escobar-Escalante has previous convictions for illegal reentry, as well as racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. [Case Number: CR-24-00541-TUC-CKJ]

    United States v. Antonio Terrell Gaither: On April 15, 2025, Antonio Terrell Gaither was indicted for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens and Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States for Profit. According to the criminal complaint, Gaither admitted to using Telegram and burner phones to recruit others to travel to the southern border to pick up illegal aliens before transporting them to Phoenix, Arizona. [Case Number: CR-25-00566-PHX-KLM]

    United States v. Felipe Alonso-Cabada: On April 17, 2025, Felipe Alonso-Cabada, aka Oscar Sanchez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged for Reentry of Removed Alien. According to the criminal complaint, after being arrested on local charges in Phoenix, Arizona, it was determined that Alonso-Cabada had been previously deported after a conviction for trafficking heroin. [Case number: MJ-25-5220-PHX-DMF]

    United States v. Eduardo Prado Flores: On April 17, 2025, Eduardo Prado Flores, an alien illegally present in the United States was charged with Failure to Register as an Alien under 8 U.S.C. § 1306(a). Flores, who was removed to Mexico on five occasions, has been living in the United States unlawfully since 2022. On April 16, 2025, Flores was turned over to the Department of Homeland Security after being arrested for Driving Under the Influence. While he was living in the United States from 2022 to 2025, Flores failed to file any immigration paperwork or register as required by law. [Case Number: MJ-25-5225-PHX]

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

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

    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-060_April 18 Immigration Enforcement

    # # #

    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: California Man Sentenced to 38 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Juan Demetrio Villalpando Dominguez, 65, of California, was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    According to the plea agreement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted long-term, overlapping investigations of Villalpando Dominguez’s son, Juan Demetrio Villalpando, Jr. a/k/a “Junior,” and others.  Two confidential sources made controlled purchases of narcotics in furtherance of the investigations.  These controlled purchases were often negotiated with Mexico-based sources of supply and carried out by the suppliers’ associates in the Denver metropolitan area.

    Drug proceeds collected from Juan Demetrio Villalpando Jr.’s customers by one confidential informant were aggregated and then sent in packages addressed to an uncharged person.  The true recipient of the money, however, was Villalpando Dominguez.  Villalpando Dominguez would then arrange for his son, Juan Demetrio Villalpando Jr., to receive the money in Mexico.

    “Money laundering is a serious offense that enables drug traffickers to peddle their deadly wares,” said Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “We will hold offenders accountable.”

    “Facilitating drug trafficking by funneling illegal proceeds back to Mexico perpetuates the scourge of the drug epidemic in our communities,” said Amanda Prestegard, IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge, Denver Field Office. “Removing these money launderers from the streets and putting them in prison is a result of the hard work of CI special agents, who proudly provide financial expertise as we work alongside our law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice and keep our communities safe.”

    “Dismantling cartels requires more than seizing drugs – it includes cutting off the flow of illicit money that fuels their operations. That’s why targeting the money laundering component of these networks is a key priority,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “With our partners at IRS-CI and ICE, the FBI continues to take a strategic, coordinated approach to bring these complex criminal enterprises to justice and safeguard all Americans from the devastating impact of illegal drugs.”

    United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.

    The FBI, IRS-CI, and DHS conducted the investigation in this case.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Duncan and Michael Houlihan, as well as by former Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung.

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

    Case No.:  23-cr-00106-CNS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Johnson Demand DOJ Inspector General Provide All Records on J6 Confidential Human Sources

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) are pushing Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz to provide a full picture of the DOJ’s use of Confidential Human Sources (CHS) and undercover agents on January 6, 2021 (J6) during the electoral certification in Washington, D.C. 
    The chairmen are seeking clarity on whether, in addition to the 26 previously identified Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) CHSs present on J6, any of DOJ’s other federal law enforcement agencies had employees, contractors or untasked CHSs assigned to the area. DOJ component agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
    Inspector General Horowitz’s April 7, 2025, response to the chairmen noted that his office “did not request all of the text messages for all of the 26 CHSs and their handlers.” The Inspector General’s response also failed to answer whether his office obtained all classified communications as part of its review.  The chairmen have requested all communications, including text messages, between DOJ component agency handlers and their CHSs/undercover agents.
    “It’s well past time the American people received complete transparency and clarity regarding the full extent of the Justice Department and its component agencies’ involvement in the events of J6. Inspector General Horowitz must be thorough in his approach and shed light on every corner of the department he oversees. We expect Horowitz to bring finality to this investigation by fully complying with our requests,” Grassley and Johnson said of their oversight push.
    Background:On December 12, 2024, the DOJ Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report revealing that 26 FBI CHSs were present at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
    Quickly after the report’s release, Grassley and Johnson wrote to Horowitz requesting more information, including whether DOJ component agencies other than FBI had tasked or untasked CHSs present at the Capitol that day. Horowitz’s response on April 7, 2025, failed to address all of the chairmen’s questions and requests. Today’s letter follows up on their December 12 inquiry and asks for a timely response for all requested records.
    Read the full letter HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Takes Aim at Radical Activist Groups’ Foreign Ties

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assess whether The People’s Forum and Code Pink are obligated to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), due to the group’s reported Chinese Communist Party ties.

    “Evidence suggests that The People’s Forum and Code Pink have been funded and influenced by Mr. [Neville Roy] Singham and the communist Chinese government, both of which are foreign principals. The evidence also suggests that The People’s Forum and Code Pink have engaged in covered political activities that directly advance the communist Chinese government’s political and policy interests,” Grassley wrote.

    “Secretive foreign lobbying and public relations campaigns by China and other adversaries undermines the political will and interests of the American people. The People’s Forum and Code Pink’s reported role in advancing policies in favor of the communist Chinese government is more than alarming and their potential obligation to register as foreign agents for purposes of FARA ought to be investigated,” Grassley continued.

    Read Grassley’s letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel HERE.

    Background:

    Neville Roy Singham is a social activist and billionaire who reportedly “works closely with the Chinese government media machine and is financing its propaganda worldwide.” Singham has reportedly attended Communist Party workshops focused on “promoting the party internationally,” shares office space and staff with the Shanghai Maku Cultural Communication Company and co-produces a YouTube show that’s partially financed by China’s propaganda department.

    The People’s Forum, self-described as a “political and cultural hub,” is also funded in large part by Singham – who reportedly donated over $20.4 million through a series of shell organizations and donor advisory groups. The People’s Forum offers courses titled, “Lenin and the Path to Revolution” and “China75 – When the People Stand Up.” The group joined Code Pink in hosting a conference moderated by the Qiao Collective, known as “a diaspora Chinese media collective.” Further, the Executive Director of the People’s Forum openly pedaled Chinese propaganda when appearing on CGTN, a Chinese state-owned media group. DOJ directed CGTN to register under FARA in 2019. 

    Code Pink, self-described as a “grassroots organization working to end U.S. warfare and imperialism,” was founded by Singham’s wife, Jodie Evans, and has reportedly received roughly a quarter of its donations from organizations with ties to Singham. Since marrying Singham in 2017, Evans and Code Pink have “stridently support[ed] China,” with Evans publicly describing the Uyghurs, an ethnically Muslim minority group, as “terrorists” and defending their mass detention. Further, Code Pink activists have met with the House Select Committee on China to directly advocate for Chinese interests, including denying evidence of forced labor in the Uyghurs’ native region of Xinjiang.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Guatemalan Man Unlawfully Residing in the United States and Convicted of Sexual Battery Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Custody of an Unaccompanied Alien Child in the United States

    Source: US State of California

    On Thursday, a federal grand jury indicted a man for his alleged role in smuggling an unaccompanied alien child (UAC) to the United States and for allegedly submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to gain custody of the minor after she entered the United States.

    “The prior administration’s border policies created an environment that enabled human trafficking and allowed bad actors to take advantage of at-risk children,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are committed to protecting children from the scourge of human trafficking and will not rest until we deliver justice for those who suffered during the border crisis.”

    According to the indictment, Juan Tiul Xi, 26, a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Cleveland, illegally entered the United States in 2023. Thereafter, Tiul Xi allegedly encouraged and induced a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl to illegally enter the United States and to use the identity of Tiul Xi’s sister as her alias. As a UAC, the Guatemalan girl was placed in the care and custody of ORR. As alleged, Tiul Xi then falsely stated on documents submitted to ORR when he applied to sponsor and obtain custody of the girl that he was the UAC’s brother and that her alias was her actual name. ORR relied on Tiul Xi’s alleged false statements when, on or about Sept. 5, 2023, ORR released the UAC to Tiul Xi’s care.

    Tiul Xi is charged with one count of encouraging or inducing illegal entry for financial gain, one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the illegal entry count, a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    “This case is a testament to ICE’s commitment to hold predators accountable for the harm they inflict on children,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons. “We are making every effort to ensure the safety of children released to sponsors across the United States. This is vital work and through their victim centered approach, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents are perfectly positioned to uncover any similar crimes by predatory sponsors.”

    “The Office of Refugee Resettlement is committed to continuing vital policy changes that promote the safety and welfare of unaccompanied alien children related into the Unites States,” said ORR Acting Director Angie M. Salazar. “We have significantly increased sponsor vetting with the wellbeing of the child at the core of our process. We hope that our commitment is evident by our collaboration with law enforcement to right previous wrongs and help bring these crimes to light.”

    The indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 325 U.S. convictions; more than 270 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The ICE HSI and FBI Cleveland field offices are jointly investigating with assistance from HSI’s Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR have provided valuable assistance.

    Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), Joint Task Force Alpha detailee/Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Acting U.S. Attorney Carol Skutnik and Criminal Division Chief Michael L. Collyer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan Man Unlawfully Residing in the United States and Convicted of Sexual Battery Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Custody of an Unaccompanied Alien Child in the United States

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    On Thursday, a federal grand jury indicted a man for his alleged role in smuggling an unaccompanied alien child (UAC) to the United States and for allegedly submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to gain custody of the minor after she entered the United States.

    “The prior administration’s border policies created an environment that enabled human trafficking and allowed bad actors to take advantage of at-risk children,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are committed to protecting children from the scourge of human trafficking and will not rest until we deliver justice for those who suffered during the border crisis.”

    According to the indictment, Juan Tiul Xi, 26, a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Cleveland, illegally entered the United States in 2023. Thereafter, Tiul Xi allegedly encouraged and induced a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl to illegally enter the United States and to use the identity of Tiul Xi’s sister as her alias. As a UAC, the Guatemalan girl was placed in the care and custody of ORR. As alleged, Tiul Xi then falsely stated on documents submitted to ORR when he applied to sponsor and obtain custody of the girl that he was the UAC’s brother and that her alias was her actual name. ORR relied on Tiul Xi’s alleged false statements when, on or about Sept. 5, 2023, ORR released the UAC to Tiul Xi’s care.

    Tiul Xi is charged with one count of encouraging or inducing illegal entry for financial gain, one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the illegal entry count, a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    “This case is a testament to ICE’s commitment to hold predators accountable for the harm they inflict on children,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons. “We are making every effort to ensure the safety of children released to sponsors across the United States. This is vital work and through their victim centered approach, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents are perfectly positioned to uncover any similar crimes by predatory sponsors.”

    “The Office of Refugee Resettlement is committed to continuing vital policy changes that promote the safety and welfare of unaccompanied alien children related into the Unites States,” said ORR Acting Director Angie M. Salazar. “We have significantly increased sponsor vetting with the wellbeing of the child at the core of our process. We hope that our commitment is evident by our collaboration with law enforcement to right previous wrongs and help bring these crimes to light.”

    The indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 325 U.S. convictions; more than 270 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The ICE HSI and FBI Cleveland field offices are jointly investigating with assistance from HSI’s Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR have provided valuable assistance.

    Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), Joint Task Force Alpha detailee/Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Acting U.S. Attorney Carol Skutnik and Criminal Division Chief Michael L. Collyer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Long Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Distribution of Images of Minors Engaging in Sexually Explicit Conduct

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Gulfport, MS – A Long Beach, Mississippi man pleaded guilty today to three counts of producing images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and one count of distributing images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

    According to court documents, in February 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) in Gulfport learned that Jason Leonard Rhodes, a 47-year-old male, had sexual contact with three minor boys. With that information, the FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Cybercrime Division, conducted a search warrant at the defendant’s residence on February 8, 2023.

    During the search warrant, the FBI found various electronic devices belonging to Rhodes. A forensic examiner with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Cybercrime Division conducted a forensic analysis on those devices and found videos of Rhodes engaged in sexually explicit conduct with minors. The forensic examiner also found chats between Rhodes and others in which Rhodes sent some of those videos to other people as well as videos of other children being sexually abused.

    During the search warrant, Rhodes gave a confession to law enforcement, admitting to videoing himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the minors and to sending out pictures and videos of children being sexually abused.

    Rhodes is scheduled to be sentenced August 26, 2025, and faces up to thirty years in prison for each count of producing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and up to twenty years on the count of distributing images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

    The case was investigated by the FBI, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Cybercrime Division, and the Long Beach Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Smith, Glenda Haynes, and Andrea Jones prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 205 charged with illegal entry or reentry as part of new cases filed this week in efforts to secure southern border

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A total of 216 more cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from April 11-17, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    As part of those cases, 86 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, firearms or sexual offenses, or prior immigration crimes. A total of 119 people face charges of illegally entering the country while 11 cases involve various instances of human smuggling.  

    Some of those charged with felony reentry include Mexican national Alejandro Contreras-Zapata, who was allegedly found near Roma. The charges allege he had been previously sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon before his removal March 7.

    Erika Camacho-Rodriguez is also a convicted felon and illegally returned recently, according to the complaint. Authorities found her near Roma, having been removed March 31 following a conviction for transporting illegal aliens as the charges allege. She is also from Mexico.

    Another case charges Cesar Garcia-Rivas, a Mexican male found in the United States near Rio Grande City. He had allegedly been removed Oct. 21, 202o, and had previously received a 70-month sentence for kidnapping. 

    Three other men were apprehended near Laredo and had just been removed within the last five months, according to their charges. The criminal complaints allege Daniel Fimbres and Jose Alejandro Rodriguez-Panjol had just been removed Feb. 19 and 28, respectively, while Delfino Lopez-Roque was removed Nov. 24, 2024.

    All six of these illegal aliens and others charged in some of the cases filed this week face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of illegally returning to the United States without authorization. 

    Other relevant matters this week include the jury conviction of a 25-year-old Laredo woman for conspiracy to transport, attempting to transport and bringing in and attempting to bring a three-year-old minor to the United States. Salma Galilea Veliz planned to have the boy assume the identity of her biological son in an effort to smuggle him into the United States. In exchange, she would be paid $2,500.

    In another jury trial resulting in a guilty verdict, a known human smuggler was convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The jury deliberated for approximately 15 minutes before finding Jose Rodriguez Jr. guilty after a one-day trial. When he was initially arrested in August 2024 for transporting aliens, authorities also discovered 150 images of CSAM on his phone. The evidence included numerous files depicting sexual assaults of prepubescent children.

    Also announced this week was the indictment of two illegal aliens and a Laredo man for various firearms offenses. The investigation began March 21 when law enforcement discovered the location of a firearm allegedly used in a crime. Upon searching the residence, authorities allegedly discovered two machine gun conversion devices, a backpack that contained magazines and ammunition as well a .38 special and .22LR ammunition. Also on the property was a grey backpack containing a 9mm S&W handgun, according to the complaint. Erick Lopez Jr., 18, Laredo, is charged with possession of a machine gun, while Erick Lopez-Rivera Sr., 37, and Marcos Lora-Morales, 24, both illegal aliens unlawfully residing in Laredo, are facing charges of alien in possession of ammunition and alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, respectively. Lopez-Rivera Sr. is also charged with felony reentry of an alien.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

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

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Minnesota Man Faces Federal Charges for Threatening to Murder United States Congressperson

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Michael Lewis of Minneapolis has been indicted for threatening to murder a United States official, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, on March 26, 2025, Michael Paul Lewis, 52, called the office of a United States Congressperson and left a voicemail in which he threatened to murder her.

    “Federal law protects our elected officials from this sort of violent, unhinged, and murderous rhetoric,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “It is entirely unacceptable.  Defendants who attempt to terrorize public officials in this way will face the full weight of federal justice. I am grateful for the diligent and swift work of the FBI to hold this defendant to account.”

    “Threatening to kill a member of Congress is not protected speech.  It is a federal crime that will be met with immediate and decisive action,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “No one should be subject to violence for fulfilling their elected duty to represent the American people.  The FBI and our partners will investigate such threats thoroughly and hold accountable anyone who threatens the safety of our elected leaders.”

    Lewis is charged with one count of threatening to murder a United States official and one count of interstate transmission of a threat to injure the other person. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today and will remain detained until his arraignment and detention hearing on April 23, 2025, before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. 

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys LeeAnn Bell and Andrew Winter are prosecuting the case. 

    An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Dollar Store Robber Sentenced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A Forsyth County, North Carolina, man was sentenced today in Greensboro to a total of 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to a string of armed robberies in Forsyth, Guilford, Alamance, and Rockingham Counties, announced Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).   

    BYRON CLAY SCOTT, age 33, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment for the robberies plus 3 years of post-release supervision by the Honorable Thomas D. Schroeder, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. SCOTT was also sentenced to 24 months to run consecutive to that sentence for committing the robberies while he was on post-release supervision for another armed robbery out of Forsyth County from 2013. In addition to prison and supervision, SCOTT was ordered to pay $21,005.38 in restitution and to forfeit a 9mm handgun.

    According to court records, between November 2023 and January 2024, SCOTT and one or more unknown individuals committed at least 10 armed robberies of Dollar General and Family Dollar Stores in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Burlington, and Reidsville. Video surveillance obtained from each of the stores showed the robbers wearing Halloween style face masks, gloves, and dark clothing. All but one of the robberies occurred at night, near closing time. SCOTT was arrested on January 15, 2024, by the Winston-Salem Police Department after they responded to a call for a robbery in progress. When they searched the vehicle SCOTT was driving, they found copies of his birth certificate and Social Security card, along with gloves and masks in the back seat, which were consistent with the gloves and masks worn during each of the robberies. Data obtained from electronic tracking on the vehicle SCOTT was driving and review of SCOTT’s search history on his phone tied him to each of the robberies.

    SCOTT pleaded guilty on January 6, 2025, to five counts of interference with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a).

    The case was investigated by the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Greensboro Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Piedmont Safe Streets Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracy M. Williams-Durham.

    Since 1992, the FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative has successfully aligned FBI Agents, state and local law enforcement investigators, and federal and state prosecutors onto SSTFs to reduce violent crime. This nationwide initiative brings resources together in a “force multiplier concept” and utilizes the expertise of each agency.  SSTFs focus primarily upon street gang and drug-related violence through sustained, proactive, coordinated investigations to obtain prosecutions on violations such as racketeering, drug conspiracy, and firearms violations.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: KDY Crew Member Sentenced to 180 Months for Armed Carjacking and Marijuana Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – Jovan Terrell Williams, 20, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180-months in federal prison in connection with the November 2023 armed carjacking of a Chevrolet Corvette and for his participation in the Kennedy Street Crew drug trafficking conspiracy.

                The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Washington Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                Williams, aka “Chewy,” pleaded guilty on September 5, 2024, to carjacking while armed and conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilos of marijuana. In addition to the 180-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Williams to serve five years of supervised release.

                Williams is the last of 17 KDY members to be sentenced in this case. Yesterday, on April 17, co-defendant and KDY leader Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga, 29, was sentenced to 160 months in prison. 

                According to court documents, Williams was a member of the Kennedy Street Crew, a violent drug trafficking organization which operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest, as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade, defend its territory from rival crews, and commit other violent crimes. Following a takedown operation in June 2023, most defendants charged by indictment for their roles in the KDY DTO were apprehended. Williams, however, remained a fugitive for months.

                On November 17, 2023, at approximately 7:40 p.m., Williams—while still a fugitive—carjacked an individual at gunpoint on the 1800 block of Half Street, SW, stealing the victim’s 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. Williams was armed and wearing a ski mask when he and two associates ran from stolen Audi and Lexus sedans and advanced towards the owner of the Corvette, who knelt in surrender.

                While pointing a gun at the car owner, Williams took the keys to the Corvette, a Tesla key attached to an Apple Air Tag, and Apple Air Pods. Williams and his associates then drove away in the stolen cars. Approximately 40 minutes later, the stolen Audi and Lexus were used in an armed robbery of three individuals on 8th and P Streets NW.

                Later that evening, at 9:53 p.m., law enforcement tracked the Apple Air Tag stolen from the carjacking victim to an apartment building on the 4700 block of Benning Road NE. Officers found and arrested Williams and two associates in the building’s laundry room. Following the arrests, officers recovered a “ghost gun” from inside a washing machine. In a hole in the laundry room’s ceiling, officers found three more concealed firearms: a black pistol, a black Glock 19 with an obliterated serial number, and another black pistol outfitted with a “switch” that would allow it to fire as a machine gun.

                Earlier that year, on January 26, 2023, law enforcement executing a residential search warrant encountered Williams along with several other KDY crew members on the 1700 block of D Street, NE. Also in the residence, law enforcement recovered 10 firearms, assorted ammunition, 21 kilos of marijuana packed in suitcases, and 40 grams of fentanyl-laced pills. The firearms included a privately manufactured AR-style .223 caliber pistol (a ghost gun) modified to fire as a machine gun, and a Draco 7.62 x 39mm pistol. DNA profiles obtained from both firearms linked both weapons to Williams, who acknowledged that he possessed them in connection with the drug trafficking conspiracy.

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

                This case was investigated by ATF’s Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, and the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force, with assistance from the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.

                The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

    KDY DEFENDANTS

    NAME

    AGE

    SENTENCES
    Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga 29 Sentenced March 17, 2025, to 160 Months in Prison after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee” 24 Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 168 Months after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl and Oxycodone; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
    Keion Michael Brown 21 Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 147 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Oxycodone and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford” 23 Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy” 24 Sentenced December 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Jovan Williams, aka “Chewy” and “Choo” 20 Sentenced April 18, 2025 to 180 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Armed Carjacking.
    Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour” 25 Sentenced March 22, 2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana
    Cameron Xavier Reid 28 Sentenced May 31, 2024, to 60 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.
    Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub 26 Sentenced May 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Juwan Demetrius Clark, aka “Squirrel” 28 Sentenced January 10, 2025, to 37 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,” 34 Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.
    David Penn, aka “Turtle” 32 Sentenced November 15, 2024, to 220 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture of Cocaine Base; and Two Counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy” 31 Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King” 24 Sentenced February 8, 2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.
    Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle” 29 Sentenced April 26, 2024, to 15 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base.
    Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui” 31 Sentenced December 12, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Adebayo Adediji Green 31 Sentenced August 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

                Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.

    23cr202 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 135 Border-Related Cases This Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 135 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

    In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

    A sample of border-related arrests this week:

    • On April 15, Jesus Manuel Zuniga Huerta and Jose Alberto Flores Avalos of Mexico were arrested at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and charged with importing deadly fentanyl into the U.S. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 148 pounds of fentanyl in the rear frame well of a tractor-trailer driven by Zuniga Huerta.
    • On April 15, Brian Jaime Sanchez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found an undocumented immigrant concealed in the trunk of Sanchez’s car as he attempted to cross the border at the Tecate Port of Entry.
    • On April 17, Sergio Villalba-Serrano, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Departed Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Villalba-Serrano was taken into custody near the Tecate Port of Entry after his Cadillac was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Villalba-Serrano had previously been deported on October 26, 2019, from Laredo, Texas.

    Also this week, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

    • On April 10, 2025, following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted seven-time felon Miguel Rolon of conspiring to bring in aliens and bringing in two aliens for financial gain.  During trial, the evidence showed that Rolon picked up two Guatemalan nationals at a stash house in Tijuana, Mexico, coached the aliens to weave a fictious backstory to customs officers, and attempted to smuggle the same aliens into the United States using others’ U.S. passports at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Rolon is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025.
    • On April 18, 2024, Javier Gracia-Meza, a Mexican national, who was previously convicted of a felony illegal reentry offense, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for again entering the United States illegally.
    • On April 18, 2025, Cruz Torres-Gonzalez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of five felony immigration offenses, was sentenced in federal court to 54 months in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
    • On April 18, 2025, Pablo Lazcano-Quinonez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony conspiracy to distribute marijuana, felony possession/use of drug paraphernalia, and two illegal reentry offenses, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
    • On April 18, 2025, Jesus Eduardo Morga-Ceballos – a Mexican national who was previously convicted of a felony controlled substance offense in 2014, a misdemeanor criminal threat with intent to terrorize in 2014, and a felony illegal reentry in 2023 – was sentenced in federal court to 101 days in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.

    Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.

    The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Garvin County Woman Sentenced to Serve 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Assaulting Child in Indian Country

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – AMANDA STOWERS, 40, of Garvin County, has been sentenced to serve 180 months in federal prison for sexually abusing a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. 

    On May 4, 2021, a federal Grand Jury returned a three-count Indictment against Stowers, charging her with three counts of sexual abuse of a minor. According to public record, in April of 2020, officers with the Stratford Police Department began investigating a possible sexual assault involving a minor victim. The investigation, conducted by the FBI and Stratford Police Department, determined that Stowers had sexually assaulted the victim between April 20, 2017, and April 19, 2020. 

    This case is in federal court because the victim is a member of the Chickasaw Nation and the crimes took place within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation. 

    On September 10, 2024, Stowers pleaded guilty, and admitted she sexually assaulted the minor victim between the dates referenced.

    At the sentencing hearing on April 15, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced Stowers to serve 180 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Dishman noted that the lengthy term of incarceration was warranted due to the serious nature of the offense. 

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Stratford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvo Mikkanen prosecuted the case. 

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kansas City Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Tesla Arson

    Source: US State of California

    Note: View the affidavit here.

    A Kansas City resident, attending college in Boston, was arrested and made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla business in Kansas City, Missouri.

    According to the criminal complaint, filed in the Western District of Missouri and unsealed today, Owen McIntire, 19, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce.

    “Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”

    “Crimes have consequences. The people behind these violent and dangerous attacks on private property will face decades in prison — we will not make deals and we will not negotiate,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. 

    “This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla, more proof that the FBI will not stand for these destructive acts,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes. I commend our FBI teams in Kansas City and Boston for their work.”

    “ATF’s Special Agents and forensic experts recovered and analyzed key evidence—including Molotov cocktails—used in this deliberate and dangerous arson attack,” said Acting Director Dan Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “This wasn’t vandalism — it was a violent criminal act. Thanks to the relentless work of ATF special agents, and our close coordination with the FBI and local law enforcement, we now have a suspect in custody. I am committed to ensuring ATF continues to stand on the front lines of public safety. ATF will not tolerate those who incite political violence in our communities.”

    According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, on Thursday, March 17, at approximately 11:16 p.m., an officer with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department (KCMOPD) in the vicinity of the Kansas City (KC) Tesla Center observed smoke coming from a grey Cybertruck parked in the KC Tesla Center parking lot. The officer also observed an unbroken suspected incendiary device near the burning Cybertruck. KCMOPD recovered the unbroken incendiary device, also known as a Molotov cocktail. The fire spread from the Cybertruck to a second Cybertruck in the lot. The Kansas City Fire Department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire.

    The Cybertrucks had sale prices of $105,485 and $107,485. Additionally, two charging stations were damaged by the fire, each of which is valued at approximately $550.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Foley and Trey Alford for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    The FBI Kansas City and Boston Field Offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department are investigating 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 OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas City Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Tesla Arson

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Note: View the criminal complaint here.

    A Kansas City resident, attending college in Boston, was arrested and made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla business in Kansas City, Missouri.

    According to the criminal complaint, filed in the Western District of Missouri and unsealed today, Owen McIntire, 19, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce.

    “Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”

    “Crimes have consequences. The people behind these violent and dangerous attacks on private property will face decades in prison — we will not make deals and we will not negotiate,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. 

    “This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla, more proof that the FBI will not stand for these destructive acts,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes. I commend our FBI teams in Kansas City and Boston for their work.”

    “ATF’s Special Agents and forensic experts recovered and analyzed key evidence—including Molotov cocktails—used in this deliberate and dangerous arson attack,” said Acting Director Dan Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “This wasn’t vandalism — it was a violent criminal act. Thanks to the relentless work of ATF special agents, and our close coordination with the FBI and local law enforcement, we now have a suspect in custody. I am committed to ensuring ATF continues to stand on the front lines of public safety. ATF will not tolerate those who incite political violence in our communities.”

    According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, on Thursday, March 17, at approximately 11:16 p.m., an officer with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department (KCMOPD) in the vicinity of the Kansas City (KC) Tesla Center observed smoke coming from a grey Cybertruck parked in the KC Tesla Center parking lot. The officer also observed an unbroken suspected incendiary device near the burning Cybertruck. KCMOPD recovered the unbroken incendiary device, also known as a Molotov cocktail. The fire spread from the Cybertruck to a second Cybertruck in the lot. The Kansas City Fire Department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire.

    The Cybertrucks had sale prices of $105,485 and $107,485. Additionally, two charging stations were damaged by the fire, each of which is valued at approximately $550.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Foley and Trey Alford for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    The FBI Kansas City and Boston Field Offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department are investigating 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 Security: Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of Glock

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    WASHINGTON – Damani Lamont Carmon, 31, of the District, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison for being in possession of a Glock firearm when he was pulled over by police during an April 2024 traffic stop.

                The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                Carmon pleaded guilty on Dec. 6, 2024, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Carmon to serve three years of supervised release. 

                According to court papers, on April 30, 2024, uniformed MPD officers were patrolling the 1800 block of Benning Road Northeast when they stopped Carmon’s vehicle for a traffic violation. After observing an open container of tequila in the vehicle, officers searched the car and recovered from its center console a Glock 23 .40 caliber firearm loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition. Subsequent DNA testing and analysis linked the firearm to Carmon.

                Federal law prohibits Carmon from possessing a firearm because he is a previously convicted felon. Specifically, in 2021, Carmon was convicted in Superior Court of assault with intent to kill and carrying a pistol without a license, arising from a 2019 shooting at a gas station in Washington, D.C. Carmon was on supervised release for that offense at the time he possessed the firearm charged in this case.

                Carmon has been held without bond since his Oct. 1, 2024, arrest.

                The case was investigated by ATF and MPD as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Va.

                The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Craft with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Kyle R. Mirabelli.

    24cr425

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 378 Immigration Cases Filed in the Western District of Texas This Week

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 378 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 11 through April 17.

    Among the new cases, a Mexican national named Cristo Jesus De Nasareth was arrested April 14 by U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Horse Patrol Unit along FM 170 near the U.S.-Mexico border. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that when asked if he had any weapons on his person, Jesus De Nasareth told the agents he had a pistol inside one of his pockets underneath multiple layers of clothing. Jesus De Nasareth made his initial appearance in a federal court in Pecos on April 17, charged with one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of illegal entry.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE ERO) agents in San Antonio received notification that Mexican national Netsai Moreno-Suarez was arrested for a traffic violation on April 11. Moreno-Suarez was transferred into ICE ERO custody, charged with illegal re-entry. She was previously removed from the United States in August 2023 after being convicted for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and being sentenced to five years of probation. If convicted, Moreno-Suarez faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

    On April 12, Janet Amanda Gonzales, of San Antonio, was arrested in Kinney County for allegedly transporting five illegal aliens further into the United States. A criminal complaint alleges that U.S. Border Patrol agents observed several individuals laying on top of each other on the backseat of Gonzales’s vehicle as she arrived at an immigration checkpoint near Brackettville. Gonzales allegedly admitted that she was conspiring with other subjects to transport the illegal aliens for monetary gain. A convicted felon, Gonzales was sentenced in April 2021 to two years of probation for exploitation of child/elderly/disabled.

    The following day, April 13, a USBP agent observed multiple people running away from the brush and enter a pickup truck on the side of Highway 277 near Texas Loop 79. The agent performed an immigration inspection on the individuals, allegedly discovering four illegal aliens and U.S. Citizen Roberto Hernandez. A criminal complaint alleges that Hernandez was contacted by a co-conspirator and asked to pick up a group of illegal aliens to transport them to a residence in Del Rio.

    USBP agents arrested Mexican national Arturo Mendoza-Yerbafria near Sanderson on April 15 for illegal re-entry. Mendoza-Yerbafria has been thrice deported, most recently on May 15, 2024 through Laredo Columbia Bridge. He was convicted in March 2018 and sentenced to 366 days in prison for one count of bringing in and harboring aliens.

    Honduran national Efrain Antonio Corroto-Herrera was arrested near Eagle Pass after records indicated he had been previously deported twice, the most recent removal being to Honduras on March 12 through Laredo. Corroto-Herrera was convicted in Austin on Feb. 26 for assault causing bodily injury, for which he received a sentence of 180 days confinement.

    Mexican national Zacarias Bautista-Emiliano was arrested by USBP agents for being an alien illegally present in the U.S, having been previously deported as recently as October 2024 through San Ysidro, California. The October removal was Bautista-Emiliano’s fifth deportation and his criminal history includes a felony conviction in 2013 for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14. His criminal record also includes two additional felony convictions: illegal re-entry in New Mexico in 2014 and illegal re-entry in Arizona in 2022. Bautista-Emiliano received sentences of 46 months in prison and 40 months in prison, respectively, for those convictions.

    In Austin, Honduran national Elvin Alexis Canelas-Morillo was placed into federal custody April 17. He pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily injury in a 2023 Travis County case and was sentenced to 179 days confinement. Canelas-Morillo has four prior removals, most recently in April 2022, and a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple immigration convictions, burglary of a building, and evading arrest. He now faces a charge of illegal re-entry.

    Mexican national Heber Vivero-Martinez was also transferred to federal custody in Austin on April 17. Along with three prior convictions for illegal entry, Vivero-Martinez was convicted in 2019 for assault causing bodily injury. At the time of his transfer, he was serving 20 days in the Travis County Jail for a DWI charge. Vivero-Martinez’s immigration record includes two removals in 2013 and four voluntary returns between 2007 and 2009.

    In El Paso, Mexican national Adolfo Martinez-Padron was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry. He has been previously removed six times, most recently March 27 through Del Rio. Martinez-Padron’s extensive criminal history includes two felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, two DWIs, and assault causing bodily injury to a family member.

    Mexican national Santa Cruz Garcia-Morales was arrested in El Paso as well, having been previously removed from the U.S. four times and granted two voluntary removals. In 2023, Garcia-Morales was convicted in Salt Lake, Utah and sentenced to 180 days in jail for domestic violence in the presence of a child. In May 2024, he was sentenced to 18 months of probation in West Jordan, Utah for aggravated assault.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

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

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Best Crypto Casino 2025 – JACKBIT | Rated Top Bitcoin Online Casino

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LARNACA, Cyprus , April 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As crypto gambling continues to grow, finding a reliable and rewarding online casino can be a challenge. After reviewing dozens of platforms, JACKBIT Casino stood out as one of the best crypto casinos in 2025.

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    Whether you’re into slots, live casino games, or crypto sports betting, JACKBIT delivers a premium real-money experience. In this review, we’ll cover what makes JACKBIT a top choice, including its features, pros and cons, how to join, available games, and supported payment methods.

    A Closer Look at the Best Online Crypto Casino : JACKBIT Casino

    What sets JACKBIT apart? It’s not just the sleek design or the massive 7,000+ game selection. It’s the unmatched crypto-friendly environment—featuring instant deposits and lightning-fast withdrawals, no KYC requirements, and a powerful VIP system offering up to 30% rakeback.

    With $10,000 weekly giveaways, 10,000 free spins, and access to the most comprehensive crypto sportsbook in the industry, JACKBIT has redefined what it means to gamble online with crypto. Find out our detailed breakdown below.

    How We Selected the Best Online Crypto Casino

    Bonus & Promotions (2025)

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    JACKBIT Casino License & Trust

    JACKBIT Casino operates under a legitimate Curacao eGaming license, which is a recognized and popular licensing body for crypto casinos. While some competitors opt for weaker or lesser-known regulators, JACKBIT sticks with Curacao, ensuring better compliance and more robust player protections.

    The platform emphasizes security, privacy, and fairness, with all games running on provably fair algorithms and using state-of-the-art SSL encryption. Most importantly, there’s no KYC requirement, so players can gamble privately with their crypto.

    Casino Game Selection at JACKBIT

    JACKBIT Casino boasts an enormous library of 7,000+ games, powered by over 80 of the world’s top iGaming providers. From classic slots and video poker to live dealer tables and specialty crypto games, JACKBIT delivers a complete suite of gaming options.

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    The interface is sleek and fast-loading, whether you’re playing on desktop or mobile. You can also use filters to sort by provider, volatility, game type, and more, making it easy to find your favorite games.

    JACKBIT’s Sportsbook: Best in Crypto Betting

    JACKBIT doesn’t just excel as a casino—it also features the most advanced crypto sportsbook on the market. Here’s why it’s a game-changer in 2025:

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    The sportsbook covers virtually every sporting event on Earth, and even niche markets like politics, entertainment, and virtual sports. Odds are extremely competitive, and you can use crypto for deposits and withdrawals with near-instant processing.

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    JACKBIT supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies, including:

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    JACKBIT’s mobile site is a joy to use, with lightning-fast load times and seamless navigation. It works flawlessly on all modern iOS and Android devices, allowing you to enjoy:

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    JACKBIT Pros & Cons

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    How to Join JACKBIT Casino? Step By Step

    Joining JACKBIT Casino is fast, easy, and completely hassle-free—even for U.S. players. With no KYC requirements, you can jump straight into the action without uploading sensitive personal documents. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get started:

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    Responsible Gambling at JACKBIT Casino

    Online gaming at platforms like JACKBIT Casino offers plenty of thrills and entertainment, but it’s important to play mindfully. What starts as fun can quickly spiral if players aren’t in control of their habits. That’s why JACKBIT promotes responsible gambling, putting player well-being first.

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    JACKBIT Casino is dedicated to providing a secure and balanced gaming environment where players can enjoy the excitement without risking their well-being.

    Best Online Casino Games

    Top-tier crypto casinos like JACKBIT Casino are known for offering a robust and expansive game library that rivals any traditional online casino. As the best crypto casino in 2025, JACKBIT ensures its players enjoy a premium gaming experience with thousands of high-quality games, all accessible with cryptocurrency. Below are some of the most popular game categories available to players on JACKBIT Casino:

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    Blackjack

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    Live Dealer Games

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    FAQs About JACKBIT Casino

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    Yes. JACKBIT is a licensed crypto casino operating under the Curacao eGaming license. It’s widely regarded as one of the most reliable crypto gaming platforms in 2025.

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    JACKBIT offers up to 30% rakeback, which is calculated based on your net losses and credited daily, weekly, or monthly.

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    Yes. JACKBIT does not require KYC, so you can sign up, deposit crypto, and start playing anonymously.

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    New players receive 100 free spins, and everyone gets 30% rakeback plus access to weekly $10,000 giveaways and 10,000 free spins.

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    No app is needed! JACKBIT’s site is fully optimized for mobile browsers on iOS and Android.

    Final Verdict: Why JACKBIT Casino Is the Best Crypto Casino in 2025

    JACKBIT Casino combines privacy, power, and promotions in a way few other sites can. Whether you want to hit the slots, crush the live casino, or place crypto bets on global sports, JACKBIT is your one-stop gaming hub.

    From 30% rakeback to 10,000+ free spins weekly, a world-class sportsbook, and 7,000+ casino games, JACKBIT stands out as the ultimate destination for crypto players in 2025.

    Media Contact:
    Company name: Jackbit
    Full Company address: Patrikiou Loumoumpa, 7 BLOCK A, Flat/Office A13 Pervolia, 7560, Larnaca, Cyprus
    Company website: https://jackbit.com/
    Contact Name: Laura Luis
    email: support@jackbit.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by the Jackbit. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.

    Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.

    Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    Affiliate Disclosure
    Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a commission—at no extra cost to you—if you sign up or make a purchase. Our recommendations are based on independent research and are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3e71c820-5a82-4f1e-bd5b-9bd970914eda

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Executive Vice President of Insurance Brokerage Pleads Guilty in $133M Affordable Care Act Fraud Scheme

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A Florida executive pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to submit fraudulent applications to enroll consumers in Affordable Care Act insurance plans (ACA plans) that were fully subsidized by the government. The purpose of the scheme was to obtain millions of dollars in commission payments from the insurance company that operated the ACA plans. The federal government paid at least $133,900,000 in subsidies for fraudulently enrolled individuals.

    According to court documents, Dafud Iza, 54, an executive vice president of an insurance brokerage firm, participated in a scheme to fraudulently enroll ineligible individuals into ACA plans that offered tax credits to eligible enrollees. These tax credits, or “subsidies,” could be paid by the federal government directly to insurance plans as a payment toward the plan’s monthly premium. The scheme involved submitting false and fraudulent applications for individuals whose income did not meet the minimum requirements to be eligible for the subsidies. Iza and his accomplices deceptively marketed subsidized ACA plans to ineligible consumers and falsely inflated consumers’ incomes to obtain the federal subsidies.

    In furtherance of the scheme, Iza and his accomplices targeted vulnerable, low-income individuals experiencing homelessness, unemployment, and mental health and substance abuse disorders, and knew that “street marketers” working on their behalf offered bribes to induce those individuals to enroll in subsidized ACA plans. Marketers working for Iza’s accomplices coached consumers on how to respond to application questions to maximize the subsidy amount paid by the federal government and provided addresses and social security numbers that did not match the consumers purportedly applying. 

    Iza pleaded guilty to one count of major fraud against the United States and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office; and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI are investigating the case.

    Assistant Chief Jamie de Boer and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USAO Charges Multiple Defendants with Immigration-related Violations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments for the following individuals on charges of immigration-related law violations. These are separate cases and are not related.

    Ana Alvarez-Limonche, 20, a citizen of Venezuela, was indicted on two charges of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents for having fraudulent permanent resident and Social Security cards. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

    Gildardo Alvarez-Rodriguez, 59, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Sept. 24, 2020. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.

    Franklin Calix-Romero, 34, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person for possessing a Ruger 9mm semiautomatic pistol and 9mm ammunition. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by a joint FBI/State/Local Task Force.

    Jose Cruz-Aguilar, 41, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Feb. 27, 2017. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by a joint FBI/State/Local Task Force.

    Carlos Garcia-Garcia, 45, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Feb. 19, 2005. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.

    Jhofran Andres Laya-Gutierrez, 28, a citizen of Venezuela, has been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer; destruction, alteration, or falsification or records; fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents; and misrepresentation of a Social Security number. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP and the FBI Toledo Field Office.

    Jeyson Martinez, aka, Jayson Martinez-Juarez, 32, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Nov. 23, 2018. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.

    Jose Maximiliano Zepeda-Gutierrez, 45, a citizen of Guatemala, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being July 10, 2019. The defendant was previously convicted in 2018 for conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Toledo Field Office.

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

    If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

    A team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the USAO’s criminal division are prosecuting these cases.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison

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

    TOLEDO, Ohio – Hershel Winbush, 68, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after he pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery in Lucas County, Ohio, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release for a prior conviction. Imprisonment will be for a total term of 140 months (more than 11 years) for each count to run concurrently and pay $8,210 in restitution. Upon release from imprisonment, the defendant was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release.

    According to court documents and court records, Winbush entered several financial institutions in the Toledo, Ohio, area from 2019 through 2024 and threatened bank employees with violence by presenting notes such as “I have a gun, give me all the cash available,” and “This is a hold up. I have a gun.” Federally insured banking institutions that were affected included:

    • Woodforest National Bank, Glendale Ave., Oct. 24, 2019
    • Woodforest National Bank, Glendale Ave., Nov. 5, 2019
    • Jeep Federal Credit Union, Manhattan Blvd., April 8, 2024
    • Key Bank, Secor Rd., April 22, 2024

    During the investigation, authorities discovered that Winbush had a decades-long pattern of bank robberies and had multiple incarcerations and prior convictions for crimes of violence in Michigan. Winbush was classified as a Career-Offender by Judge Jack Zouhary.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office and the Toledo Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Simko for the Northern District of Ohio.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gladbrook Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receiving Child Pornography

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

    A man who received child pornography was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison.

    John Thomas Carstensen, age 50, from Gladbrook, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 12, 2024 guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography.

    In a plea agreement, Carstensen admitted that, between August 2021 and August 2022, he knowingly received depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Carstensen has a prior felony conviction from 1993 for sexual exploitation of a minor.  

    Carstensen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Carstensen was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $27,000 in restitution to the victims in the case.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

    Carstensen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-CR-33.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prairieburg Man Who Sexually Exploited Children Pleads Guilty

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

    A man who used Snapchat, Instagram, and text messages to persuade children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and send him photographs and videos of this conduct, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

    Bryce Hans Plower, age 37, from Prairieburg, Iowa, was convicted of sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography.  

    In a plea agreement, Plower admitted that he persuaded, induced, and enticed multiple children to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.  At least two children under the age of 16 did so.  Plower paid the children, sometimes as little as $1, so that they would continue to send him sexually explicit images.  Plower also possessed photographs and videos of child pornography on his phone, including images of sadistic or masochistic conduct. 

    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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

    Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Plower remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Plower faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $77,200 in special assessments, and a life of supervised release following any imprisonment.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-CR-91.

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