NewzIntel.com

Category: Intelligence Agencies

  • MIL-OSI Security: Charlotte Man Sentenced For Brandishing AR-15 Rifle During Restaurant Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jermond Santa Lowery, Jr., 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced in federal court today to seven years in prison for brandishing an AR-15 rifle during the robbery of a Waffle House, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

    According to information in filed documents and court proceedings, on October 31, 2023, Lowery entered a Waffle House in Charlotte, where he brandished an AR-15 rifle. As the employees began to flee through the back door, Lowery shouted at the employees to get back and open the cash register, threatening to kill them. Court documents show that Lowery removed the cash register from the restaurant and fled the scene. CMPD officers arrested Lowery the next day.

    On September 26, 2024, Lowery pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He remains in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

    The investigation was handled by the FBI and CMPD.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Four Individuals and One Company Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging Schemes and Related Crimes Plaguing Public Schools in Mississippi and Louisiana

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Four individuals and one company pleaded guilty in three separate U.S. District Courts for their roles in various bid rigging and wire fraud conspiracies which targeted the sale of sports equipment to public schools throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. The schemes affected sales to hundreds of public schools in both states.

    The individuals and company pleaded guilty between February and March of 2025. Yesterday, Patrick Joseph Stewart of Hattiesburg, Mississippi pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging and one count of wire fraud affecting sales to at least 69 public schools in the Eastern District of Louisiana. In the Southern District of Mississippi, Maurice Daniel Bowering Jr., of Hattiesburg, Mississippi pleaded guilty to five counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 50 public schools on March 6; and Robert Tucker Craig of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty to three counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 38 public schools and one count of obstruction for the deletion of related evidence on Feb. 19. Lastly, Robert Douglas Heflin of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty to two counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 31 public schools on March 4; and Mississippi company Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc., pleaded guilty to two counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 60 public schools on Feb. 20, in the Northern District of Mississippi.

    “School sports are integral to the development and upbringing of American children. From these opportunities, they learn the benefits of teamwork and open competition. Bid rigging, on the other hand, is the antithesis of American meritocracy. It is also patently unlawful,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The defendants here selfishly targeted school sports programs, depriving students of an opportunity to thrive. The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force has zero tolerance for bid collusion schemes, particularly when they target children.”

    “The defendants rigged bids for school sports equipment which resulted in an unfair playing field,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi is committed to working with our law enforcement and Antitrust Division partners to protect school athletics and taxpayer dollars.”

    “Financial fraud perpetrated against the U.S. government is a serious crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Particularly egregious, is fraud that undercuts government procurement processes and erodes public trust in the fair-bidding practice. These guilty pleas send a clear and decisive message that our office, along with our federal partners, will continue to protect the taxpayer by vigorously investigating and prosecuting all such corruption cases.”

    “Bid rigging and the collusion that makes it possible drive up prices for taxpayers and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi. “We will continue our commitment to work with the FBI and to root out corruption.”

    “This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding public schools from criminal schemes that defraud the American people and exploit taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Stewart, Bowering, Craig, Heflin, and Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc. were in positions to help shape children’s learning, the benefits of physical fitness in living prosperous lives. Instead, these co-conspirators chose to abuse the trust given to them by stealing future opportunities from students in fraudulently filling their pockets with the hard-earned tax dollars schools are entrusted to invest in the development of America’s future leaders. The FBI will continue to work with our federal partners to relentlessly pursue and bring justice to individuals and companies who use fraudulent schemes to defraud our communities.”

    According to court documents, Tucker, Bowering, Heflin, Stewart, and Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc. entered into conspiracies in which they agreed to submit complementary bids to public schools to obtain procurements for sports equipment and related services. The longest of the charged conspiracies lasted more than a decade. Two other co-conspirators, Charles Ferrell Trimm and Bradley D. Willcutt, previously pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Mississippi in May 2024 and September 2024, respectively.

    The maximum penalty for the Sherman Act is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison, a criminal fine, and Court-ordered restitution. The maximum penalty for obstruction in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) is 20 years in prison and a criminal fine of no more than $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine the sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Today’s guilty pleas result from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the school sports equipment industry being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant Chief Laura Butte; Trial Attorneys Jill Rogowski, Marc Hedrich, and Hannah Muller; and Senior Litigation Counsel Paul Torzilli are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Individuals and One Company Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging Schemes and Related Crimes Plaguing Public Schools in Mississippi and Louisiana

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Four individuals and one company pleaded guilty in three separate U.S. District Courts for their roles in various bid rigging and wire fraud conspiracies which targeted the sale of sports equipment to public schools throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. The schemes affected sales to hundreds of public schools in both states.

    The individuals and company pleaded guilty between February and March of 2025. Yesterday, Patrick Joseph Stewart of Hattiesburg, Mississippi pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging and one count of wire fraud affecting sales to at least 69 public schools in the Eastern District of Louisiana. In the Southern District of Mississippi, Maurice Daniel Bowering Jr., of Hattiesburg, Mississippi pleaded guilty to five counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 50 public schools on March 6; and Robert Tucker Craig of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty to three counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 38 public schools and one count of obstruction for the deletion of related evidence on Feb. 19. Lastly, Robert Douglas Heflin of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty to two counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 31 public schools on March 4; and Mississippi company Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc., pleaded guilty to two counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 60 public schools on Feb. 20, in the Northern District of Mississippi.

    “School sports are integral to the development and upbringing of American children. From these opportunities, they learn the benefits of teamwork and open competition. Bid rigging, on the other hand, is the antithesis of American meritocracy. It is also patently unlawful,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The defendants here selfishly targeted school sports programs, depriving students of an opportunity to thrive. The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force has zero tolerance for bid collusion schemes, particularly when they target children.”

    “The defendants rigged bids for school sports equipment which resulted in an unfair playing field,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi is committed to working with our law enforcement and Antitrust Division partners to protect school athletics and taxpayer dollars.”

    “Financial fraud perpetrated against the U.S. government is a serious crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Particularly egregious, is fraud that undercuts government procurement processes and erodes public trust in the fair-bidding practice. These guilty pleas send a clear and decisive message that our office, along with our federal partners, will continue to protect the taxpayer by vigorously investigating and prosecuting all such corruption cases.”

    “Bid rigging and the collusion that makes it possible drive up prices for taxpayers and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi. “We will continue our commitment to work with the FBI and to root out corruption.”

    “This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding public schools from criminal schemes that defraud the American people and exploit taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Stewart, Bowering, Craig, Heflin, and Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc. were in positions to help shape children’s learning, the benefits of physical fitness in living prosperous lives. Instead, these co-conspirators chose to abuse the trust given to them by stealing future opportunities from students in fraudulently filling their pockets with the hard-earned tax dollars schools are entrusted to invest in the development of America’s future leaders. The FBI will continue to work with our federal partners to relentlessly pursue and bring justice to individuals and companies who use fraudulent schemes to defraud our communities.”

    According to court documents, Tucker, Bowering, Heflin, Stewart, and Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc. entered into conspiracies in which they agreed to submit complementary bids to public schools to obtain procurements for sports equipment and related services. The longest of the charged conspiracies lasted more than a decade. Two other co-conspirators, Charles Ferrell Trimm and Bradley D. Willcutt, previously pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Mississippi in May 2024 and September 2024, respectively.

    The maximum penalty for the Sherman Act is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison, a criminal fine, and Court-ordered restitution. The maximum penalty for obstruction in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) is 20 years in prison and a criminal fine of no more than $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine the sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Today’s guilty pleas result from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the school sports equipment industry being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant Chief Laura Butte; Trial Attorneys Jill Rogowski, Marc Hedrich, and Hannah Muller; and Senior Litigation Counsel Paul Torzilli are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Greenville Fentanyl Distributor Sentenced to 11 Years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILMINGTON, N.C. – Ernest Russell Early, Jr., of Greenville, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison for an armed robbery and for possessing fake oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl.  Early, 37, pled guilty to the charges on August 21, 2024.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, on August 19, 2023, Early entered the Falkland Mini Mart located on South Main Street in Falkland. He approached the clerk at the back of the store and brandished a black pistol. He then compelled the clerk to return to the register and demanded that he hand over all the money. When the clerk opened the register, Early grabbed $1,500, exited the store, and entered a black Nissan Sentra with New Jersey plates. The cashier followed him outside and was able to obtain a partial license plate number.

    Pitt County Sheriff’s Deputies responded and located the suspect’s vehicle, initiating a pursuit. After initially evading the deputies, Early crashed the car and fled on foot. Deputies were able to collect fingerprints from the vehicle, which had been reported stolen, and later confirmed that the prints matched Early’s.

    Early remained at large until he was spotted by a detective from the Greenville Police Department on December 8, 2023. The police arrested Early on active warrants in a parking lot in Greenville. During the arrest, they seized 103 counterfeit oxycodone pills and a .40 caliber handgun from his pockets. The pills were subsequently tested and found to contain fentanyl.

    Early’s criminal history features three state felony convictions and fifteen misdemeanor convictions.  In 2013, he was convicted in Wake County Superior Court of common law robbery.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, and Greenville Police Department investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-0025-M.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina Woman Sentenced For $1.7 Million Embezzlement Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kristin Turney, 54, of Catawba, South Carolina, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for embezzling more than $1.7 million from her employer, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Turney was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,754,204.13.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

    “Turney was a trusted employee that pilfered money from an unsuspecting employer,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Her conduct was not a lapse in judgement; it was a prolonged and deliberate pattern of deceptive behavior that nearly destroyed a small business. Today’s sentence is a reminder that embezzlement is not a shortcut to riches, but a path to federal prison.”

    According to court documents, from 2016 to 2023, Turney executed a scheme to defraud her employer, a small, family-owned business, by embezzling more than $1.7 million. Turney was in charge of the company’s financial matters, including bank accounts, payroll, accounts payables and receivables, and tax filings. During the scheme, Turney misused her access and control over the company’s bank accounts and books and records to write herself company checks, which she then deposited into bank accounts she controlled. Turney made over 1,000 unauthorized bank deposits to herself totaling over $1.7 million. Court documents show that Turney covered up the fraud by making false accounting entries in the company’s books and records. She also provided fraudulent information to the company’s tax return preparer and lied to the company’s owner and employees. As a result of Turney’s embezzlement scheme, the company continues to be impacted by the defendant’s theft.

    On November 8, 2024, Turney pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She will be ordered to report the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    The case was investigated by the FBI.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Disrupts Hamas Terrorist Financing Scheme Through Seizure of Cryptocurrency

    Source: US State of Vermont

    The Court-Authorized Seizure Interdicts Cryptocurrency Valued at Approximately $200,000 Intended to Support the Terrorist Activities of Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas)

    The Justice Department announced the disruption of an ongoing terrorist financing scheme through the seizure of approximately $201,400 in cryptocurrency held in wallets and accounts intended to benefit Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas). The seized funds were traced from fundraising addresses purportedly controlled by Hamas that were used to launder more than $1.5 million in virtual currency since October 2024.

    “At Attorney General Pam Bondi’s direction, the Department of Justice is committed to dismantling Hamas using every tool at our disposal,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.   

    “These seizures show that this office will search high and low for every cent of money going to fund Hamas, wherever it is found, and in whatever form of currency,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “Hamas is responsible for the death of many U.S. and Israeli nationals, and we will stop at nothing to stop their campaign of terror and murder.”

    “Hamas raised and laundered more than a million dollars to support its terrorist operation, but through our investigation, the FBI traced and seized these funds,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI Counterterrorism Division. “Disrupting funding mechanisms and seizing cryptocurrency from Hamas is one of the FBI’s many tools that we use in the fight against terrorism. The FBI will work with our partners to dismantle this terrorist group and protect the American people from their violent and horrific acts.”

    “Countering terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority. By successfully disrupting access to funds, we weaken their ability to function,” said Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “This success demonstrates that financial warfare is a critical component to fight terrorism. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and pursue justice by depriving terrorist organizations of the resources they need to continue their illicit activity.”

    As alleged in court documents, a group chat claiming association with Hamas on an encrypted communications platform provided Hamas supporters worldwide with a changing set of at least 17 cryptocurrency addresses. Supporters were encouraged to donate money to those addresses. Those funds were sent into an operational wallet and laundered through a series of virtual currency exchanges and transactions by leveraging suspected financiers and over-the-counter brokers. More than a million dollars was raised and laundered using the laundering system and the virtual currency accounts described in the affidavit.

    Included among the assets seized were cryptocurrency addresses valued at approximately $89,900 and three additional accounts containing cryptocurrency valued at approximately $111,500. These accounts were registered in the names of Palestinian individuals living in Turkey and elsewhere.

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office is investigating the case, in coordination with the FBI Counterterrorism Division and Cyber Division.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal Chawla for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery for the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Jessica Joyce of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Disrupts Hamas Terrorist Financing Scheme Through Seizure of Cryptocurrency

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    The Court-Authorized Seizure Interdicts Cryptocurrency Valued at Approximately $200,000 Intended to Support the Terrorist Activities of Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas)

    The Justice Department announced the disruption of an ongoing terrorist financing scheme through the seizure of approximately $201,400 in cryptocurrency held in wallets and accounts intended to benefit Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas). The seized funds were traced from fundraising addresses purportedly controlled by Hamas that were used to launder more than $1.5 million in virtual currency since October 2024.

    “At Attorney General Pam Bondi’s direction, the Department of Justice is committed to dismantling Hamas using every tool at our disposal,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.   

    “These seizures show that this office will search high and low for every cent of money going to fund Hamas, wherever it is found, and in whatever form of currency,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “Hamas is responsible for the death of many U.S. and Israeli nationals, and we will stop at nothing to stop their campaign of terror and murder.”

    “Hamas raised and laundered more than a million dollars to support its terrorist operation, but through our investigation, the FBI traced and seized these funds,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI Counterterrorism Division. “Disrupting funding mechanisms and seizing cryptocurrency from Hamas is one of the FBI’s many tools that we use in the fight against terrorism. The FBI will work with our partners to dismantle this terrorist group and protect the American people from their violent and horrific acts.”

    “Countering terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority. By successfully disrupting access to funds, we weaken their ability to function,” said Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “This success demonstrates that financial warfare is a critical component to fight terrorism. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and pursue justice by depriving terrorist organizations of the resources they need to continue their illicit activity.”

    As alleged in court documents, a group chat claiming association with Hamas on an encrypted communications platform provided Hamas supporters worldwide with a changing set of at least 17 cryptocurrency addresses. Supporters were encouraged to donate money to those addresses. Those funds were sent into an operational wallet and laundered through a series of virtual currency exchanges and transactions by leveraging suspected financiers and over-the-counter brokers. More than a million dollars was raised and laundered using the laundering system and the virtual currency accounts described in the affidavit.

    Included among the assets seized were cryptocurrency addresses valued at approximately $89,900 and three additional accounts containing cryptocurrency valued at approximately $111,500. These accounts were registered in the names of Palestinian individuals living in Turkey and elsewhere.

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office is investigating the case, in coordination with the FBI Counterterrorism Division and Cyber Division.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal Chawla for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery for the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Jessica Joyce of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy welcomes debarment of doctor who facilitated gain-of-function research in Wuhan: “We now have justice”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) commended the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for debarring and defunding EcoHealth Alliance and its president, Dr. Peter Daszak, for their role in facilitating gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, which likely caused the coronavirus pandemic.  

    Key excerpts of the speech are below: 

    “Many commentators and many news accounts say that what Dr. Daszak—with the money from American taxpayers that he had gotten from Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins—what they were doing was conducting gain-of-function research. . . . Gain-of-function research just means taking, in this context, an animal virus, a bat virus, altering it genetically so it would jump into a human—pretty dangerous stuff.

    “Now Dr. Fauci has said that didn’t happen, Dr. Collins says that didn’t happen, and Dr. Daszak says that didn’t happen, but everybody else says it did. The FBI says it did. The CIA says it did. The top spy agency in Germany says it did. The Department of Energy says it did.

    “So what happened? What happened? Well, we do know that the first two people that we know of in the world who got the coronavirus—the first two humans—were not people in the city of Wuhan; they were workers in the Wuhan lab. . . . We also know that when the virus became really contagious, other than these two people who were working in the Wuhan lab, it became contagious in Wuhan, China, a few miles away from the Wuhan lab—pretty curious. 

    “We also know that when word first broke of the coronavirus, Dr. Fauci learned about it. Do you know one of the first persons he called was Dr. Peter Daszak and said: What is going on?

    “We also know that Dr. Daszak was trying to convince the American people and the people of the world that the virus started naturally—that it didn’t start from his gain-of-function research. We know that he rounded up a bunch of epidemiologists to write a fake article and start publishing it and others in a lot of professional scientific magazines to try to convince the world that the bat virus jumped to human beings naturally. We know that. That has all come out.”

     . . .

    “It took a while, and some will call this only partial justice, but we now have justice—at least for 5 years. I hope forever Dr. Peter Daszak and any company with which he is affiliated will no longer receive taxpayer dollars from the National Institutes of Health because he was doing—according to many people smarter than me and many news reports—he was funding gain research in Wuhan. . . . Pretty scary stuff, and we know how it all turned out.

    Background:

    • On Jan. 17, 2025, HHS announced that it would be defunding and debarring EcoHealth Alliance Inc. and Dr. Daszak for at least five years due to their role in facilitating irresponsible gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
    • HHS determined that Dr. Daszak and EcoHealth Alliance violated the terms of their gain-of-function grant to conduct experiments that modified novel bat coronaviruses to make them 10,000 times more infectious in mice.
    • Dr. Daszak, former National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins and former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci coordinated with other public health officials to propel the theory that COVID-19 originated in nature.

    Watch Kennedy’s full speech here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Blaine Man Pleads Guilty In FBI White Powder Hoax Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Blaine man has pleaded guilty to two counts of False Information and Hoax, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, on June 30, 2020, Oleg Petrashov, 45, mailed a manila envelope containing a brown and tan powder to the FBI Field Office in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. On November 4, 2022, Petrashov mailed a second envelope containing a white powder to the same FBI Field Office. Both mailings were examined for explosive and biological agents resulting in significant disruptions at the FBI Field Office, requiring the temporary relocation of employees, implementation of decontamination protocols, and deployment of special agent bomb technicians.

    Petrashov admitted to FBI agents in April 2023 that he sent the letters and that he made them appear to be from a family member with whom he had a personal dispute, intending to trigger an investigation of that individual.

    Petrashov pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Laura M. Provinzino to intentionally conveying false or misleading information that could reasonably be perceived as a biological agent or explosive.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott for the District of Minnesota and Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Trump Administration Takes Down Top MS-13 Gang Leader

    Source: The White House

    Early this morning, the Trump Administration directed the successful apprehension of a key leader of the brutal MS-13 gang in Virginia — an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was one of the top three MS-13 leaders in the United States. Thanks to a coordinated effort by federal law enforcement and state and local law enforcement in Virginia, this gang leader is no longer terrorizing our streets.

    Here’s what you need to know:

    • Attorney General Pam Bondi: “America is safer today because one of the top domestic terrorists in MS-13, he is off the streets. This has been an ongoing directive of President Trump. His directive to me when I became Attorney General of the United States was very simple: keep America safe.”
    • Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin: “It’s this effort that has been enabled by the Trump Administration. President Trump said, ‘Get the bad guys.’ I’ve been working on this — literally — for the first three years of our administration with little to no help from the senior leadership in the federal government in the Biden Administration. On Day One [of President Trump’s second term], we went to work signing a 287(g) memorandum.”
    • FBI Director Kash Patel: “This is what happens when you let good cops be cops and we’re going to continue to let good cops be cops across this country. President Trump gave us the executive decision to go after and safeguard our communities … We are returning our communities to safety.”
    • Attorney General Bondi: “From the second Donald Trump took office, he said he is going to make America safe. He shut down our borders — and now it’s our job to get these people out of our country as fast as we can … We will not have another Laken Riley.”
    • FBI Director Patel: “This task force is going to go everywhere as needed across the United States to bring the form of justice and measured security and safety that our American citizens deserve … If you are here illegally, you will not be here any longer — and if you are going to continue to commit acts of violent crime, you will meet the same fate that this individual did this morning.”
    • Governor Youngkin: “This task force was designed in the White House … architected in a very quick period of time and stood up immediately … I cannot emphasize enough the collaboration and support and leadership out of the new administration that is so different than what we saw [under the Biden Administration].”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Operator of Fraudulent Investment Vehicle Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison for Securities Fraud, Tax Fraud and Other Charges

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison yesterday for defrauding investors, conspiring to defraud the IRS, filing false tax returns, employment tax fraud, wire fraud, obstruction, and other charges.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Joseph LaForte, of Philadelphia, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors using a fraudulent investment vehicle known as Par Funding. In total, LaForte and his co-conspirators caused an actual loss to investors exceeding $288 million.

    LaForte also engaged in a series of federal tax crimes. LaForte and co-conspirators diverted approximately $20 million in taxable income from Par Funding to another entity controlled by LaForte and nominally owned by another, then filed false tax returns that did not report this income. He also received more than $9 million in cash kickbacks from a customer of Par Funding and did not report this income to the IRS on his individual tax returns. As a result, LaForte’s individual tax returns for the years 2016 through 2018 were false. He also paid off-the-books, cash wages to some employees of Par Funding. He did not report these wages to the IRS and did not pay employment taxes on wages paid to employees in cash. The total federal tax loss stemming from LaForte’s crimes exceeds $8 million. He also caused $1.6 million in state tax loss to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue by falsely reporting that he and his wife were residents of Florida from 2013 through 2019, when in fact they resided in Pennsylvania.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.

    The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Newcomer, Sam Dalke, Eric Gill, and Patrick J. Murray for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Boscia for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania assisted with the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Operator of Fraudulent Investment Vehicle Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison for Securities Fraud, Tax Fraud and Other Charges

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison yesterday for defrauding investors, conspiring to defraud the IRS, filing false tax returns, employment tax fraud, wire fraud, obstruction, and other charges.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Joseph LaForte, of Philadelphia, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors using a fraudulent investment vehicle known as Par Funding. In total, LaForte and his co-conspirators caused an actual loss to investors exceeding $288 million.

    LaForte also engaged in a series of federal tax crimes. LaForte and co-conspirators diverted approximately $20 million in taxable income from Par Funding to another entity controlled by LaForte and nominally owned by another, then filed false tax returns that did not report this income. He also received more than $9 million in cash kickbacks from a customer of Par Funding and did not report this income to the IRS on his individual tax returns. As a result, LaForte’s individual tax returns for the years 2016 through 2018 were false. He also paid off-the-books, cash wages to some employees of Par Funding. He did not report these wages to the IRS and did not pay employment taxes on wages paid to employees in cash. The total federal tax loss stemming from LaForte’s crimes exceeds $8 million. He also caused $1.6 million in state tax loss to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue by falsely reporting that he and his wife were residents of Florida from 2013 through 2019, when in fact they resided in Pennsylvania.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.

    The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Newcomer, Sam Dalke, Eric Gill, and Patrick J. Murray for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Boscia for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania assisted with the prosecution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Media Alert: FBI Offers Reward for Information on Whereabouts of Daniel Guereca in Connection to a Las Cruces Bank Robbery

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple robbery and firearms charges for a crime spree in the summer of 2023.

    According to court records, between July 11, 2023, to September 16, 2023, Demetrius Antonnie Bailey, 41, engaged in a series of armed robberies targeting retail stores in Albuquerque. Bailey and his accomplice conspired to commit robberies at Harbor Freight Tools, multiple Metro by T-Mobile locations, a T-Mobile store, a Verizon store, and a JC Penney. During these robberies, they threatened and overpowered store employees and security to steal merchandise and cash. In each robbery, a replica firearm or a real handgun was brandished to intimidate store employees and security personnel. The stolen items included electronics, cellular phones, cash, and clothing valued at tens of thousands of dollars.

    Bailey pleaded guilty to 10 counts, including interference with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. His offenses also included knowingly participating in violent retail thefts. At sentencing, if the district court accepts the plea agreement, Bailey faces not less than ten years and up to twenty-two years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrinand Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Elena Stiteler and Natasha Moghadam are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coventry Township Man Sentenced to more than 10 Years in Prison for Transportation and Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    AKRON, Ohio – Matthew Lamp, 29, of Coventry Township, Ohio, was sentenced March 11, 2025, by U.S. District Judge David Ruiz to 130 months in prison after he admitted to transporting and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also known as child pornography. He pleaded guilty to transportation of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography.  Lamp was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to the victims of the child pornography images he possessed.

    According to court documents, in February 2024 during a search warrant execution at the defendant’s residence, federal investigators seized a cellphone and other electronic devices that contained CSAM. During the investigation, it was determined that Lamp possessed more than 2,000 images of CSAM, including prepubescent minors, toddlers, and images involving sadistic or masochistic conduct.  

    The investigation was conducted by the FBI-Akron Field Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.

    To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operator of Fraudulent Investment Vehicle Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison for Securities Fraud, Tax Fraud and Other Charges

    Source: United States Attorneys General 8

    A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison yesterday for defrauding investors, conspiring to defraud the IRS, filing false tax returns, employment tax fraud, wire fraud, obstruction, and other charges.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Joseph LaForte, of Philadelphia, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors using a fraudulent investment vehicle known as Par Funding. In total, LaForte and his co-conspirators caused an actual loss to investors exceeding $288 million.

    LaForte also engaged in a series of federal tax crimes. LaForte and co-conspirators diverted approximately $20 million in taxable income from Par Funding to another entity controlled by LaForte and nominally owned by another, then filed false tax returns that did not report this income. He also received more than $9 million in cash kickbacks from a customer of Par Funding and did not report this income to the IRS on his individual tax returns. As a result, LaForte’s individual tax returns for the years 2016 through 2018 were false. He also paid off-the-books, cash wages to some employees of Par Funding. He did not report these wages to the IRS and did not pay employment taxes on wages paid to employees in cash. The total federal tax loss stemming from LaForte’s crimes exceeds $8 million. He also caused $1.6 million in state tax loss to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue by falsely reporting that he and his wife were residents of Florida from 2013 through 2019, when in fact they resided in Pennsylvania.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.

    The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Newcomer, Sam Dalke, Eric Gill, and Patrick J. Murray for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Boscia for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania assisted with the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: WRAP Bolsters Leadership with Top 1MDB Investigators and FBI Veteran Rob Heuchling to Drive Technology Commercialization for Transnational Crime Solutions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)


    WRAP Expands Capabilities: Leveraging Investigative Expertise in Financial Crimes, Crypto and Cybersecurity to Commercialize Managed Services Offering

    MIAMI, March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wrap Technologies, Inc, (NASDAQ: WRAP) (“Wrap” or, the “Company”), a global leader in innovative public safety technologies and non-lethal tools, today announced the appointment of Robert Heuchling as Managing Director of the Company, bringing over 15 years of experience from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and providing advisory services to the Company’s executive team.

    Wrap plans to expand its managed service business lines, with Mr. Heuchling expected to play a key role in commercializing an offering that combines his investigative expertise with his deep familiarity with a wide range of investigative data sets, tools and technologies. Wrap also plans to develop unique technology solutions that integrate advanced investigative capabilities, empowering agencies to address complex financial crimes, cyber threats and transnational law enforcement challenges with greater efficiency and precision.

    While at the FBI, Mr. Heuchling supervised a squad based in New York City responsible for foreign corruption, international money laundering and antitrust investigations. In that role, Mr. Heuchling forged relationships with law enforcement agencies across the globe and developed strategies to collaborate with foreign counterparts to solve complex transnational crime cases.

    Mr. Heuchling will once again be working with his former FBI supervisor, Bill McMurry, Chief Executive Officer of Managed Services. Together, Mr. McMurry and Mr. Heuchling led the U.S. investigation into 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB, a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund from which more than $4.5 billion was stolen through a complex fraud and corruption scheme involving individuals from multiple countries. The investigation resulted in the largest asset recovery in U.S. Department of Justice history and is considered a model for success in international investigations.

    Jared Novick, President of Wrap, stated: “The addition of Rob Heuchling, joining his former colleague Bill McMurry at Wrap, provides our global clients and the agencies we support with a unique opportunity to leverage their unparalleled expertise alongside our advanced technologies. We believe their deep investigative experience in financial crimes, cyber threats and transnational law enforcement, combined with Wrap’s cutting-edge solutions, will allow us to deliver unmatched support for the most pressing challenges facing law enforcement and security professionals worldwide. We are thrilled to have them on board as we expand our managed services and drive innovation in public safety.”

    Background

    Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Heuchling served as an engineer and communications officer in the United States Navy. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and has received numerous accolades from both the FBI and the military. His honors include:

    • the Assistant Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award;
    • the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation’s “Investigator of the Year” Award;
    • the FBI Medal of Excellence; and
    • the Naval Commendation Medal.

    About Wrap Technologies, Inc.

    Wrap Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: WRAP) is a global leader in public safety solutions, bringing together cutting-edge technology with exceptional people to address the complex, modern day challenges facing public safety organizations.

    Wrap’s BolaWrap® solution is a safer way to gain compliance—without pain.

    This innovative, patented device deploys light, sound, and a Kevlar® tether to safely restrain individuals from a distance, giving officers critical time and space to manage non-compliant situations before resorting to higher-force options. The BolaWrap 150 does not shoot, strike, shock, or incapacitate—instead, it helps officers operate lower on the force continuum, reducing the risk of injury to both officers and subjects. Used by over 1,000 agencies across the U.S. and in 60 countries, BolaWrap® is backed by training certified by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST), reinforcing Wrap’s commitment to public safety through cutting-edge technology and expert training.

    Wrap Reality™ VR is a fully immersive training simulator to enhance decision-making under pressure.

    As a comprehensive public safety training platform, it provides first responders with realistic, interactive scenarios that reflect the evolving challenges of modern law enforcement. By offering a growing library of real-world situations, Wrap Reality™ equips officers with the skills and confidence to navigate high stakes encounters effectively, leading to safer outcomes for both responders and the communities they serve.

    Wrap Intrensic is an advanced body-worn camera and evidence management system built for efficiency.

    Designed for efficiency, security, and transparency to meet the rigorous demands of modern law enforcement, Intrensic seamlessly captures, stores, and manages digital evidence, ensuring integrity and full chain-of-custody compliance. With automated workflows, secure cloud storage, and intuitive case management tools, it streamlines operations, reduces administrative burden, and enhances courtroom credibility.

    Trademark Information Wrap, the Wrap logo, BolaWrap®, Wrap Reality™ and Wrap Training Academy are trademarks of Wrap Technologies, Inc., some of which are registered in the U.S. and abroad. All other trade names used herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective holders. Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements – Safe Harbor Statement This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should”, “believe”, “target”, “project”, “goals”, “estimate”, “potential”, “predict”, “may”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, and variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Moreover, forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company’s control. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: the expected benefits of the acquisition of W1 Global, LLC, the Company’s ability to maintain compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market’s listing standards; the Company’s ability to successfully implement training programs for the use of its products; the Company’s ability to manufacture and produce products for its customers; the Company’s ability to develop sales for its products; the market acceptance of existing and future products; the availability of funding to continue to finance operations; the complexity, expense and time associated with sales to law enforcement and government entities; the lengthy evaluation and sales cycle for the Company’s product solutions; product defects; litigation risks from alleged product-related injuries; risks of government regulations; the business impact of health crises or outbreaks of disease, such as epidemics or pandemics; the impact resulting from geopolitical conflicts and any resulting sanctions; the ability to obtain export licenses for counties outside of the United States; the ability to obtain patents and defend intellectual property against competitors; the impact of competitive products and solutions; and the Company’s ability to maintain and enhance its brand, as well as other risk factors mentioned in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations. Investor Relations Contact: (800) 583-2652 ir@wrap.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9f9f323f-41be-4b9e-8c86-0cc26de2ab82

    This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: GCM Grosvenor Hires Martin Laguerre as Co-Head of Global Diversified Private Equity

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GCM Grosvenor, a global alternative asset management solutions provider, today announced the hiring of Martin Laguerre as Co-Head of Global Diversified Private Equity. Mr. Laguerre brings 25 years of investment experience spanning private equity, capital solutions, and infrastructure, with a strong track record of direct deal execution, portfolio management, and capital allocation across global markets. In his new role, he will serve as co-head alongside Bernard Yancovich, who also leads the firm’s diversified private equity practice.

    Mr. Laguerre most recently served as a Senior Advisor at Warburg Pincus. Prior to Warburg Pincus, he was Global Head of Private Equity and Capital Solutions at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), where he led a global team overseeing a C$55 billion portfolio of private markets investments.

    Mr. Laguerre also held investment and leadership roles at CPP Investments and General Electric. He began his career in investment banking roles with DLJ/Credit Suisse and Lehman Brothers.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Martin to the firm and our investments leadership team,” said Fred Pollock, Chief Investment Officer at GCM Grosvenor. “His deep global alternative investment expertise and understanding of institutional investor priorities will strengthen our private equity platform. Martin’s leadership will play a key role in enhancing our ability to deliver solutions for our clients.”

    At GCM Grosvenor, Mr. Laguerre will focus on enhancing the firm’s three-decade legacy of private equity investing, leveraging the firm’s deep sourcing network. The firm currently has $30 billion of assets under management in private equity.

    “I am eager to join GCM Grosvenor and collaborate with its talented investment team,” said Martin Laguerre. “The firm’s deep expertise in private markets and its commitment to delivering strong investment outcomes for clients make this an exciting opportunity. I look forward to contributing to its continued success.”

    Mr. Laguerre holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Management Science from McGill University, the Chartered Financial Analyst© designation from the CFA Institute and an MBA in Finance and International Business from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.

    About GCM Grosvenor 

    GCM Grosvenor (Nasdaq: GCMG) is a global alternative asset management solutions provider with approximately $80 billion in assets under management across private equity, infrastructure, real estate, credit, and absolute return investment strategies. The firm has specialized in alternatives for more than 50 years and is dedicated to delivering value for clients by leveraging its cross-asset class and flexible investment platform. 

    GCM Grosvenor’s experienced team of approximately 550 professionals serves a global client base of institutional and individual investors. The firm is headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney. For more information, visit: gcmgrosvenor.com. 

    Media Contact 
    Tom Johnson and Abigail Ruck 
    H/Advisors Abernathy 
    tom.johnson@h-advisors.global / abigail.ruck@h-advisors.global 
    212-371-5999 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Block Advisors by H&R Block to Provide Timely Support for The Home Depot’s Pro Xtra Loyalty Members

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Block Advisors by H&R Block and The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, have collaborated for the 2025 tax season to help hardworking Pro customers offload stressful administrative business tasks. This robust collaboration offers significant benefits to Pro Xtra members, such as discounted services, including tax preparation, empowering them to focus on growing their business.

    “Our initiative with The Home Depot helps Pro Xtra members navigate the complexities of running a business, such as taxes and bookkeeping,” says Jamil Khan, Chief Small Business Officer at H&R Block. “Having experts that understand the tax codes relevant to the industry helps Pro Xtra members keep more of their hard-earned money.”

    The service launched earlier this month ahead of the fast-approaching April 15 tax filing deadline. Block Advisors is backed by 70 years of H&R Block expertise and has category-specific knowledge to help Pro Xtra members lower their tax liability. A Block Advisors tax pro can help business owners understand and leverage such deductions and credits as:

    • 45L Tax Credit: This tax credit is available to eligible businesses who build or substantially renovate energy-efficient homes and offers significant tax-time upside.
    • Deductions for equipment and property: With a Section 179 deduction, companies can capture tax savings on some big-ticket expenses like property purchases, office renovations, and necessary equipment.
    • Professional materials deduction: The cost of materials and supplies can be deducted, depending on the timing of the usage. This often applies to things like cleaning supplies, production expenses, and shipping costs.
    • Vehicle and mileage deductions: The costs of driving and maintaining a vehicle for business use can add up fast. Owners can write off many expenses related to the business use of a vehicle.

    As part of the collaboration, Pro Xtra members benefit from a special offer* on Block Advisors tax preparation and year-round services, including:

    • $50 off tax preparation with a Small Business Certified Tax Pro
    • $25 off DIY online tax preparation
    • $25 off business formation services 
    • First month free, plus 10% off bookkeeping and payroll services 

    The Home Depot Pro Xtra members can learn about Block Advisors’ offer at The Home Depot Pro Desks and can also visit www.blockadvisors.com for more information on Block Advisors’ tax preparation and year-round business services.

    *Discounts valid online or at participating Block Advisors or H&R Block U.S. offices. Additional restrictions apply. See The Home Depot Pro Desks for details. Void if transferred and where prohibited. No cash value. OBTP#B13696-BR ©2024 HRB Tax Group, Inc.

    About H&R Block
    H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services, financial products, and small-business solutions. The company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and also be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the company helps small-business owners thrive with year-round bookkeeping, payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more information, visit H&R Block News.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: YieldMax™ Introduces Short Option Income Strategy ETF on MicroStrategy, Inc. (MSTR)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO and MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax™ announced the launch today of the following ETF:

    YieldMax™ Short MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF (NYSE: WNTR)

    WNTR Overview

    WNTR is an actively managed ETF that seeks to generate current income from a synthetic covered put strategy on MicroStrategy Incorporated (“MSTR”), while providing indirect short (inverse) exposure to the share price of MSTR. WNTR’s potential for gains from decreases in the share price of MSTR is limited, while its potential for losses resulting from increases in the share price of MSTR is up to 100%. WNTR does not invest directly in MSTR and does not directly short MSTR. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of MSTR should consider an investment other than this Fund.

    WNTR Portfolio Construction

    WNTR’s synthetic covered put strategy consists of the following four elements:

    • Synthetic short exposure to MSTR, consisting of a long at-the-money put option and a short at-the-money call option, which allows WNTR to seek to participate on an inverse, unleveraged basis in changes, up or down, to the share price of MSTR.
    • Covered put writing (where MSTR put options are sold against the synthetic short portion of the strategy), which allows WNTR to generate income.
    • U.S. Treasuries, which are used for collateral for the options, and which also generate income; and;
    • Out-of-the money (“OTM”) call options, which are purchased to seek to cap WNTR’s potential losses from its short exposure to MSTR if MSTR’s share price appreciates significantly in value.

    The loss capping works only if the MSTR share price rises to or above the strike price of the purchased OTM call options. If the MSTR share price increases but stays below the strike price of these options, WNTR will incur losses proportionate to this price increase, which may be up to 100% of your investment.

    Why Invest in WNTR?

    • WNTR seeks to generate current income, which is not dependent on the price depreciation of MSTR.
    • WNTR seeks to benefit when the MSTR share price decreases, however WNTR’s potential corresponding benefit from decreases in the MSTR share price is limited.
    • WNTR’s short exposure to MSTR is not leveraged so does not result in daily resetting.

    WNTR is the newest member of the growing YieldMax™ ETF family and, like all YieldMax™ ETFs, aims to deliver income to investors. With respect to distributions, WNTR will be a Group D ETF and its first distribution is expected to be announced on May 7, 2025. Please see the table below for distribution information for all outstanding YieldMax™ ETFs as of March 26, 2025.

    ETF Ticker1 ETF Name Distribution Frequency Distribution per Share Distribution Rate2,4 30-Day
    SEC Yield3    		 ROC5
    GPTY YieldMax™ AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.2787 34.92% 0.00% 98.94%
    LFGY YieldMax™ Crypto Industry & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.4749 64.18% 0.00% 0.00%
    QDTY YieldMax™ Nasdaq 100 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF Weekly $0.2711 – – 55.02%
    RDTY YieldMax™ R2000 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF Weekly $0.3037 – – 100.00%
    SDTY YieldMax™ S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF Weekly $0.2133 – – 0.00%
    ULTY YieldMax™ Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF Weekly $0.0986 77.95% 0.00% 100.00%
    YMAG YieldMax™ Magnificent 7 Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.0837 27.95% 61.87% 21.53%
    YMAX YieldMax™ Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.1315 48.21% 85.03% 61.95%
    BIGY YieldMax™ Target 12™ Big 50 Option Income ETF Monthly $0.5025 12.89% 0.03% 100.00%
    SOXY YieldMax™ Target 12™ Semiconductor Option Income ETF Monthly $0.4883 13.14% 0.00% 50.31%
    ABNY YieldMax™ ABNB Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4805 47.62% 2.98% 92.39%
    AIYY YieldMax™ AI Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3221 81.94% 4.64% 2.09%
    AMDY YieldMax™ AMD Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2533 38.83% 4.02% 92.00%
    AMZY YieldMax™ AMZN Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4177 32.58% 3.79% 0.00%
    APLY YieldMax™ AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3440 29.76% 3.15% 87.26%
    BABO YieldMax™ BABA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.7578 47.94% 2.36% 0.00%
    CONY YieldMax™ COIN Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5989 91.19% 4.56% 94.78%
    CRSH YieldMax™ Short TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.6458 126.57% 3.00% 98.10%
    CVNY YieldMax™ CVNA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $3.9149 136.69% 0.00% 96.80%
    DIPS YieldMax™ Short NVDA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5851 59.01% 2.90% 96.87%
    DISO YieldMax™ DIS Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2879 25.79% 4.48% 51.26%
    FBY YieldMax™ META Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5506 40.70% 3.47% 0.00%
    FEAT YieldMax™ Dorsey Wright Featured 5 Income ETF Every 4 weeks $0.6925 24.43% 122.88% 0.00%
    FIAT YieldMax™ Short COIN Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.6834 102.31% 3.52% 96.91%
    FIVY YieldMax™ Dorsey Wright Hybrid 5 Income ETF Every 4 weeks $0.7092 24.46% 67.34% 0.00%
    GDXY YieldMax™ Gold Miners Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.6394 50.58% 3.08% 0.00%
    GOOY YieldMax™ GOOGL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3284 34.06% 4.12% 0.00%
    JPMO YieldMax™ JPM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3717 28.22% 3.40% 42.17%
    MARO YieldMax™ MARA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.4783 77.02% 4.21% 95.22%
    MRNY YieldMax™ MRNA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.1827 73.97% 5.01% 94.71%
    MSFO YieldMax™ MSFT Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2845 22.77% 3.53% 83.81%
    MSTY YieldMax™ MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.3775 78.55% 0.21% 97.54%
    NFLY YieldMax™ NFLX Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4008 29.98% 3.23% 0.00%
    NVDY YieldMax™ NVDA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.7874 60.92% 4.02% 100.00%
    OARK YieldMax™ Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3210 50.64% 3.25% 71.26%
    PLTY YieldMax™ PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $5.3257 103.41% 2.63% 97.91%
    PYPY YieldMax™ PYPL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3773 35.12% 4.20% 90.73%
    SMCY YieldMax™ SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.9742 114.93% 2.63% 0.00%
    SNOY YieldMax™ SNOW Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.8119 64.03% 2.45% 0.00%
    SQY YieldMax™ XYZ Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5014 57.37% 5.21% 91.68%
    TSLY YieldMax™ TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4638 70.54% 4.69% 94.16%
    TSMY YieldMax™ TSM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5772 49.14% 3.59% 93.02%
    XOMO YieldMax™ XOM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2950 26.24% 3.38% 77.73%
    YBIT YieldMax™ Bitcoin Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4357 55.99% 1.61% 97.70%
    YQQQ YieldMax™ Short N100 Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4483 55.99% 3.79% 92.77%


    Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling     (833) 378-0717.

    Note: DIPS, FIAT, CRSH, YQQQ and WNTR are hereinafter referred to as the “Short ETFs.”

    Distributions are not guaranteed. The Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield are not indicative of future distributions, if any, on the ETFs. In particular, future distributions on any ETF may differ significantly from its Distribution Rate or 30-Day SEC Yield. You are not guaranteed a distribution under the ETFs. Distributions for the ETFs (if any) are variable and may vary significantly from period to period and may be zero. Accordingly, the Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield will change over time, and such change may be significant.

    Investors in the Funds will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions with respect to the underlying reference asset(s).

    1  All YieldMax™ ETFs shown in the table above (except YMAX, YMAG, FEAT, FIVY and ULTY) have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%. YMAX, YMAG and FEAT have a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.99% for a gross expense ratio of 1.28%. FIVY has a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.59% for a gross expense ratio of 0.88%. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies, namely other YieldMax™ ETFs. ULTY has a gross expense ratio after the fee waiver of 1.30%. The Advisor has agreed to a fee waiver of 0.10% through at least February 28, 2026.
    2  The Distribution Rate shown is as of close on March 26, 2025. The Distribution Rate is the annual distribution rate an investor would receive if the most recent distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by annualizing an ETF’s Distribution per Share and dividing such annualized amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. Distributions may also include a combination of ordinary dividends, capital gain, and return of investor capital, which may decrease an ETF’s NAV and trading price over time. As a result, an investor may suffer significant losses to their investment. These Distribution Rates may be caused by unusually favorable market conditions and may not be sustainable. Such conditions may not continue to exist and there should be no expectation that this performance may be repeated in the future.
    3  The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period ended February 28, 2025, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETF’s share price at the end of the 30-Day period.
    4  Each ETF’s strategy (except those of the Short ETFs) will cap potential gains if its reference asset’s shares increase in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset’s shares decrease in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. Each Short ETF’s strategy will cap potential gains if its reference asset decreases in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset increases in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF.
    5  ROC refers to Return of Capital. The ROC percentage is the portion of the distribution that represents an investor’s original investment.

    Each Fund has a limited operating history and while each Fund’s objective is to provide current income, there is no guarantee the Fund will make a distribution. Distributions are likely to vary greatly in amount.

    Standardized Performance

    For YMAX, click here. For YMAG, click here. For TSLY, click here. For OARK, click here. For APLY, click here. For NVDY, click here. For AMZY, click here. For FBY, click here. For GOOY, click here. For NFLY, click here. For CONY, click here. For MSFO, click here. For DISO, click here. For XOMO, click here. For JPMO, click here. For AMDY, click here. For PYPY, click here. For SQY, click here. For MRNY, click here. For AIYY, click here. For MSTY, click here. For ULTY, click here. For YBIT, click here. For CRSH, click here. For GDXY, click here. For SNOY, click here. For ABNY, click here. For FIAT, click here. For DIPS, click here. For BABO, click here. For YQQQ, click here. For TSMY, click here. For SMCY, click here. For PLTY, click here. For BIGY, click here. For SOXY, click here. For MARO, click here. For FEAT, click here. For FIVY, click here. For LFGY, click here. For GPTY, click here. For CVNY, click here. For SDTY, click here. For QDTY, click here. For RDTY, click here.

    Important Information

    This material must be preceded or accompanied by the prospectus. For all prospectuses, click here.

    Tidal Financial Group is the adviser for all YieldMax™ ETFs.

    THE FUND, TRUST, AND ADVISER ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY UNDERLYING REFERENCE ASSET.

    Risk Disclosures

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Referenced Index Risk. The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Index (or the Index ETFs). This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of companies that comprised the Index or an ETF that tracks the Index, even though it does not.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.

    Russell 2000 Index Risks. The Index, which consists of small-cap U.S. companies, is particularly susceptible to economic changes, as these firms often have less financial resilience than larger companies. Market volatility can disproportionately affect these smaller businesses, leading to significant price swings. Additionally, these companies are often more exposed to specific industry risks and have less diverse revenue streams. They can also be more vulnerable to changes in domestic regulatory or policy environments.

    Call Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s call writing strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in the positive price returns of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold call options and over longer periods.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other Index (or ETFs that track the Index’s performance)holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary Index (or ETFs that track the Index’s performance) securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next. Additionally, monthly distributions, if any, may consist of returns of capital, which would decrease the Fund’s NAV and trading price over time.

    High Index (or Index ETF) Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high Index (or Index ETF) turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of call option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in increases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Call Period.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security (ARKK, TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, META, GOOGL, NFLX, COIN, MSFT, DIS, XOM, JPM, AMD, PYPL, SQ, MRNA, AI, MSTR, Bitcoin ETP, GDX®, SNOW, ABNB, BABA, TSM, SMCI, PLTR, MARA, CVNA), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GPTY)

    Artificial Intelligence Risk. Issuers engaged in artificial intelligence typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers’ products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer’s product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an artificial intelligence company.

    Technology Sector Risk. The Fund will invest substantially in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

    Risk Disclosure (applicable only to MARO)

    Digital Assets Risk: The Fund does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than the Fund. Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to BABO and TSMY)

    Currency Risk: Indirect exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

    Depositary Receipts Risk: The securities underlying BABO and TSMY are American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

    Foreign Market and Trading Risk: The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight.

    Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements applicable to investments in non-U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GDXY)

    Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. The Fund is exposed indirectly to the securities of foreign issuers selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities.

    Risk of Investing in Gold and Silver Mining Companies. The Fund is exposed indirectly to gold and silver mining companies selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies.

    The Fund invests in options contracts based on the value of the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX®), which subjects the Fund to some of the same risks as if it owned GDX®, as well as the risks associated with Canadian, Australian and Emerging Market Issuers, and Small-and Medium-Capitalization companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YBIT)

    YBIT does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than YBIT.

    Bitcoin Investment Risk: The Fund’s indirect investment in Bitcoin, through holdings in one or more Underlying ETPs, exposes it to the unique risks of this emerging innovation. Bitcoin’s price is highly volatile, and its market is influenced by the changing Bitcoin network, fluctuating acceptance levels, and unpredictable usage trends.

    Digital Assets Risk: Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility. Potentially No 1940 Act Protections. As of the date of this Prospectus, there is only a single eligible Underlying ETP, and it is an investment company subject to the 1940 Act.

    Bitcoin ETP Risk: The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Bitcoin ETP. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of the Bitcoin ETP, even though it does not. Bitcoin ETPs are subject, but not limited, to significant risk and heightened volatility. An investor in a Bitcoin ETP may lose their entire investment. Bitcoin ETPs are not suitable for all investors. In addition, not all Bitcoin ETPs are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Those Bitcoin ETPs that are not registered under such statute are therefore not subject to the same regulations as exchange traded products that are so registered.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to the Short ETFs)

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the value of the underlying reference asset. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the underlying reference asset, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, the Fund is subject to the risk that the value of the underlying reference asset increases. If the value of the underlying reference asset increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses.

    Put Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s put writing (selling) strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in decreases in the value of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold put options and over longer periods.

    Purchased OTM Call Options Risk. The Fund’s strategy is subject to potential losses if the underlying reference asset increases in value, which may not be offset by the purchase of out-of-the-money (OTM) call options. The Fund purchases OTM calls to seek to manage (cap) the Fund’s potential losses from the Fund’s short exposure to the underlying reference asset if it appreciates significantly in value. However, the OTM call options will cap the Fund’s losses only to the extent that the value of the underlying reference asset increases to a level that is at or above the strike level of the purchased OTM call options. Any increase in the value of the underlying reference asset to a level that is below the strike level of the purchased OTM call options will result in a corresponding loss for the Fund. For example, if the OTM call options have a strike level that is approximately 100% above the then-current value of the underlying reference asset at the time of the call option purchase, and the value of the underlying reference asset increases by at least 100% during the term of the purchased OTM call options, the Fund will lose all its value. Since the Fund bears the costs of purchasing the OTM calls, such costs will decrease the Fund’s value and/or any income otherwise generated by the Fund’s investment strategy.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in decreases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Put Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, for any Fund that focuses on an individual security (e.g., TSLA, COIN, NVDA, MSTR), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YQQQ)

    Index Overview. The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization.

    Index Level Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the Index level. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the Index level, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Index level increases. If the Index level increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks: innovation and technological advancement; strong market presence of Index constituent companies; adaptability to global market trends; and resilience and recovery potential.

    Index Level Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will benefit from decreases in the Index level experienced over the Put Period. This means that if the Index level experiences a decrease in value below the strike level of the sold put options during a Put Period, the Fund will likely not experience that increase to the same extent and any Fund gains may significantly differ from the level of the Index losses over the Put Period. Additionally, because the Fund is limited in the degree to which it will participate in decreases in value experienced by the Index level over each Put Period, but has significant negative exposure to any increases in value experienced by the Index level over the Put Period, the NAV of the Fund may decrease over any given period. The Fund’s NAV is dependent on the value of each options portfolio, which is based principally upon the inverse of the performance of the Index level. The Fund’s ability to benefit from the Index level decreases will depend on prevailing market conditions, especially market volatility, at the time the Fund enters into the sold put option contracts and will vary from Put Period to Put Period. The value of the options contracts is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of component companies that comprise the Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the Index and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. As the Index level changes and time moves towards the expiration of each Put Period, the value of the options contracts, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, will change. However, it is not expected for the Fund’s NAV to directly inversely correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns of the Index level. The amount of time remaining until the options contract’s expiration date affects the impact that the value of the options contracts has on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect until the expiration date of the Fund’s options contracts. Therefore, while changes in the Index level will result in changes to the Fund’s NAV, the Fund generally anticipates that the rate of change in the Fund’s NAV will be different than the inverse of the changes experienced by the Index level.

    YieldMax™ ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside is not affiliated with Tidal Financial Group, or YieldMax™ ETFs.

    © 2025 YieldMax™ ETFs

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Intel Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner Pushes FBI Director to Confirm Investigation into Misuse of Messaging App Signal by Senior Trump Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Today, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Mark R. Warner (D-VA) wrote Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel requesting he confirm that the FBI will open an investigation into the Signal group chat that senior Trump administration officials used to discuss classified information, including information revealing that the United States was preparing to conduct airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

    “Department of Defense policies dictate that information concerning military plans, such as contained in the messages sent by the Secretary of Defense, is classified, and no reasonable process would allow for communication of this information over a commercial messaging application before U.S. pilots had completed and safely returned from their mission,” Sen. Warner wrote.   

    Director Patel, who was not part of the Signal chat, testified yesterday before Senate Intelligence Committee stating he could not provide information on this matter because he had only recently been made aware of it.

    “Yesterday you testified that you could not provide information to the Committee concerning this matter because you had only recently been made aware of it,” Sen. Warner continued. “In other contexts, the FBI has acted promptly to open an investigation when information of a similar nature has been mishandled.”

    Now, two days later, Sen. Warner is requesting that Director Patel clarify the actions the FBI will take to investigate this matter:

    1. Will you commit to opening an investigation of this matter, if you have not already done so?
    2. Will you collect the devices involved, whether government-issued or otherwise?
    3. Will you scan those devices for malware or other indications of unauthorized access?

    A copy of letter is available here and text is below.

    Director Patel,

    Between March 11th and 15th, the Secretary of Defense and other senior Trump Administration officials used a commercial messaging application to communicate information revealing that the United States was preparing to conduct airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The messages were sent as U.S. pilots were preparing to fly U.S. military aircraft into enemy-controlled airspace defended by surface-to-air missiles in order to strike targets known to change their location. Messages sent by the Secretary of Defense not only revealed, in advance, that the U.S. was planning airstrikes in Yemen, but also disclosed details concerning the timing, sequencing, and weapons to be used.  This information could have been used by the Houthis to shoot down U.S. aircraft, thereby endangering the lives of the U.S. pilots, as well as to relocate enemy targets or otherwise disrupt the mission.

    Department of Defense policies dictate that information concerning military plans, such as contained in the messages sent by the Secretary of Defense, is classified, and no reasonable process would allow for communication of this information over a commercial messaging application before U.S. pilots had completed and safely returned from their mission.  

    Yesterday you testified that you could not provide information to the Committee concerning this matter because you had only recently been made aware of it.

    In other contexts, the FBI has acted promptly to open an investigation when information of a similar nature has been mishandled.  As you have now had two days to consider the details of this matter, can you confirm the following:

    1. Will you commit to opening an investigation of this matter, if you have not already done so?
    2. Will you collect the devices involved, whether government-issued or otherwise?
    3. Will you scan those devices for malware or other indications of unauthorized access?

     Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Presses FBI to Probe Biden-Era Targeting of Christians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, seeking documents related to the Biden administration’s targeting of Christians. Mere months after calling for a new Church Committee to investigate abuses by the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ), Senator Hawley is now asking the new administration to turn over the details of religious targeting by the Biden DOJ and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    “Under President Biden, the FBI targeted people of faith. The FBI’s Richmond Field Office went so far as to issue a memorandum suggesting that certain traditionalist Catholics might be security risks and proposed infiltrating Catholic parishes. President Biden’s FBI also weaponized the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (‘FACE’) Act to target pro-life protesters and discourage people of faith from exercising their First Amendment rights. No doubt this is merely the tip of the iceberg,” asserted Senator Hawley.

    Hawley’s letter calls on the FBI to share any emails, memoranda, directives, and policy guidance related to the targeting of religious Americans under the Biden Administration. 

    “I trust that, under your leadership, this misconduct will end. But those responsible must be held accountable,” Hawley stated. 

    Senator Hawley concluded, “I appreciated our conversations before and during your confirmation hearing, and I was particularly grateful for your willingness to cooperate with our investigations into the FBI’s violations of First Amendment rights. Transparency and accountability will be paramount in restoring Americans’ faith in the Bureau. Getting to the bottom of the Biden Administration’s violations of religious liberty is an excellent place to start.”

    Read the full letter here or below. 

    The Honorable Kash Patel
    Director
    Federal Bureau of Investigation
    935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
    Washington, D.C. 20535

    Dear Director Patel:

    Under President Biden, the FBI targeted people of faith. The FBI’s Richmond Field Office went so far as to issue a memorandum suggesting that certain traditionalist Catholics might be security risks, and proposed infiltrating Catholic parishes.[1] President Biden’s FBI also weaponized the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (“FACE”) Act to target pro-life protesters and discourage people of faith from exercising their First Amendment rights. No doubt this is merely the tip of the iceberg.

    I trust that, under your leadership, this misconduct will end. But those responsible must be held accountable. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, I write to formally request the production of agency records concerning these FBI abuses, as detailed in the attached appendix, by April 30, 2025.

    I appreciated our conversations before and during your confirmation hearing, and I was particularly grateful for your willingness to cooperate with our investigations into the FBI’s violations of First Amendment rights. Transparency and accountability will be paramount in restoring Americans’ faith in the Bureau. Getting to the bottom of the Biden Administration’s violations of religious liberty is an excellent place to start.

    Richmond Field Office Memorandum and Related Memoranda

    1. All versions, drafts, or revisions of the memorandum issued by the FBI Richmond Field Office regarding “radical-traditionalist Catholics” as potential domestic terrorists, including any related memoranda issued by other FBI field offices or headquarters.
    2. All internal FBI communications, including emails, text messages, chat logs, and memoranda, discussing the development, approval, modification, or rescission of the Richmond Field Office memorandum.
    3. All documents identifying the FBI personnel, offices, or divisions involved in drafting, reviewing, approving, or disseminating the Richmond Field Office memorandum, including, but not limited to, communications between the Richmond, Portland, and Los Angeles field offices.
    4. All communications between the FBI and the DOJ regarding the content, approval, or implementation of the Richmond Field Office memorandum and any related memoranda.
    5. All policy guidance, directives, training materials, or enforcement plans related to the FBI’s monitoring of religious organizations, including, but not limited to, Catholic churches, as part of domestic terrorism investigations.
    6. All documents, including email communications, meeting notes, and memoranda, that reference or discuss any directive, instruction, or guidance issued by the White House, DOJ, National Security Council, or any other federal agency regarding the FBI’s monitoring of religious groups, including Catholic organizations.
    7. All internal assessments, audits, or reports evaluating the Richmond Field Office memorandum, including any documents analyzing its compliance with FBI policies, legal frameworks, or constitutional protections of religious freedom.
    8. All documents reflecting FBI efforts to collect intelligence, recruit informants, or conduct surveillance within churches or affiliated organizations based on the Richmond Field Office memorandum or other guidance.
    9. All documents relating to investigations, surveillance operations, or law enforcement actions initiated as a result of the Richmond Field Office memorandum or related memoranda, including any records of individuals or groups targeted under this initiative.
    10. All documents reflecting the role of the FBI’s Portland and Los Angeles Field Offices in the drafting, review, or dissemination of the Richmond Field Office memorandum, including any documents that identify officials responsible for coordinating these efforts.
    11. All communications, including emails, memoranda, and reports, between FBI officials and any external organizations, think tanks, or academic institutions that provided input on the characterization of Catholic Americans or other religious groups in domestic terrorism assessments.
    12. All documents, including communications with state and local law enforcement agencies, that discuss how the Richmond Field Office memorandum or similar FBI policies were implemented or considered for enforcement at the state or local level.

    FACE Act Abuses

    1. The identity of all individuals involved with the FBI’s enforcement of the FACE Act under the Biden Administration.
    2. All communications, including, but not limited to, emails, memoranda, directives, and policy guidance, sent to or from the FBI Director, Deputy Director, or any other senior official regarding the enforcement of the FACE Act under the Biden Administration.
    3. All documents reflecting internal FBI deliberations, discussions, or decisions regarding prioritization, enforcement strategy, or policy direction related to the FACE Act, including, but not limited to, any documents identifying the individuals or offices responsible for making those determinations.
    4. All communications, including emails, text messages, or memoranda, between the FBI and the DOJ regarding the enforcement or non-enforcement of the FACE Act under the Biden Administration.
    5. All documents, including briefing materials, talking points, or internal reports, prepared for or provided to the FBI Director or other senior officials regarding the enforcement of the FACE Act under the Biden Administration.
    6. All documents, including, but not limited to, policy memoranda, internal directives, guidance documents, or other materials issued by the FBI that establish, modify, or explain the agency’s enforcement priorities under the FACE Act, including any documents identifying the officials responsible for setting such priorities.
    7. All documents, including email communications, meeting notes, or internal memoranda, that reference or discuss any directive, instruction, or guidance issued by the White House, DOJ, or any other federal agency regarding the FBI’s enforcement of the FACE Act.
    8. All drafts, revisions, or final versions of any FBI policies, reports, or legal analyses concerning the enforcement of the FACE Act that relates to enforcement discrepancies between abortion-related clinics and religious institutions, including any records identifying the individuals responsible for such policies.
    9. All communications, including emails, memoranda, text messages, or meeting minutes, reflecting any discussions between FBI field offices and FBI headquarters regarding the prioritization or de-prioritization of FACE Act investigations.
    10. All internal FBI evaluations, audits, or assessments that discuss the agency’s approach to enforcing the FACE Act, including any discussions of political, policy, or strategic considerations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed, Senate Democrats Demand Transparency and Accountability on Trump Admin. Sharing Attack Plans Over Signal Chat

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee today joined Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and top Senate Democrats on key national security committees in seeking information about members of President Trump’s cabinet using the Signal app to convene a group chat to “coordinate and share classified information about sensitive military planning operations.”                   

    In a letter to President Trump, the U.S. Senators sounded the alarm over the public discovery that the Trump Administration has been sharing discussions of classified military operations via unsecured text chains, jeopardizing national security, and endangering the lives of American servicemembers.  The letter was also cc’ed to Attorney General Pam Bondi as well as numerous Trump administration officials who were reportedly members of the Signal group chat, including: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

    Reed and Schumer, along with U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee; U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee; U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, are pressing for answers to questions after The Atlantic revealed that an unsecured text chain with at least 18 senior-level Trump administration officials was used to coordinate and share highly sensitive military planning and operations information. This reckless operational security failure made a sensitive military mission vulnerable to interception by U.S. adversaries, and was exposed after the group inexplicably included a journalist, damaging our national security and risking the lives of American servicemembers.

    “We write to you with extreme alarm about the astonishingly poor judgment shown by your Cabinet and national security advisors,” the seven Senators wrote. “You have long advocated for accountability and transparency in the government, particularly as it relates to the handling of classified information, national security, and the safety of American servicemembers. As such, it is imperative that you address this breach with the seriousness and diligence that it demands.”

    The Senators note the willful or negligent disclosure of classified information constitutes a criminal offense and call for Attorney General Bondi to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.

    Additionally, the Senators demanded answers to ten questions, more information about the “Houthi PC small group” chat, and if any other classified information is currently being discussed on unsecured text chains in a similar fashion by senior administration officials. 

    Full text of the letter follows:

    Dear President Trump,

    We have learned that members of your Cabinet recently convened a group chat on the commercial messaging app “Signal” to discuss active, highly classified military plans and operations, and that they mistakenly included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic in this group. The group, which was titled “Houthi PC small group,” apparently encompassed at least 18 people including your Vice President; Secretaries of Defense, State, and Treasury; National Security Advisor; CIA Director; Director of National Intelligence; White House Chief of Staff; and several other senior appointees.

    Over the course of several days, this group chat reportedly discussed operational plans, targets, and weapon systems for upcoming U.S. military strikes in Yemen, and provided after-action battlefield damage assessments. These messages allegedly provided detailed intelligence about the movements and future locations of specific military assets and personnel in active combat zones. The group chat also contained extremely sensitive conversations between the Vice President and Cabinet officials that could have a negative impact on our diplomatic efforts with foreign allies and partners, particularly in Europe. We are aware that the Director of National Intelligence, and possibly others, appears to have been overseas while this group chat was active, making the entire discussion more vulnerable to interception by foreign adversaries. Inexplicably, throughout the days-long chat conversation, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic remained in the group chat and his presence was never questioned.

    Let us be clear, if any American military servicemember, intelligence official, or law enforcement officer committed such an egregious breach of operational security and endangered the lives of their comrades downrange, they would be investigated and likely prosecuted.

    We write to you with extreme alarm about the astonishingly poor judgment shown by your Cabinet and national security advisors. You have long advocated for accountability and transparency in the government, particularly as it relates to the handling of classified information, national security, and the safety of American servicemembers. As such, it is imperative that you address this breach with the seriousness and diligence that it demands.

    Our committees have serious questions about this incident, and members need a full accounting to ensure it never happens again. Moreover, given that willful or negligent disclosure of classified or sensitive national security information may constitute a criminal violation of the Espionage Act or other laws, we expect Attorney General Bondi, copied here, to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation of the conduct of the government officials involved in improperly sharing or discussing such information. We also ask that you immediately direct relevant officials to preserve records of these communications and any other discussions of government business occurring on any messaging application. Some of the messages in the Signal chat were apparently set to disappear after a certain period of time – a potential violation of both the Federal Records Act and the Presidential Records Act.

    We hereby request answers to the following:

    1.         Please provide a complete and unredacted transcript of the “Houthi PC small group” chat for review by our appropriate committees in a secure setting.

    2.         Please provide a complete list of all personnel who participated in or had access to the “Houthi PC small group” chat.

    3.         What dates was the “Houthi PC small group” established and when was the last message transmitted to the Signal group chat?

    4.         Were there any other individuals, in addition to Jeffrey Goldberg, who were erroneously included in the “Houthi PC small group” chat?

    5.         Did any U.S. government personnel access the “Houthi PC small group” chat using personal communication devices?

    6.         Were any personnel who participated in or had access to the “Houthi PC small group” chat traveling overseas while the group chat was active? If yes, on which devices did group members operate while accessing the group chat?

    7.         Did any individuals transfer classified information, including operational war plans, from classified systems to unclassified systems, and if so, how?

    8.         Has the intelligence community conducted a damage assessment of the potential leakage of classified and sensitive information via the “Houthi PC small group” chat and subsequent reporting?

    9.         Are any Cabinet level officials, their deputies or other designees, or White House officials using Signal or other commercial products to discuss classified or sensitive information or any communications subject to statutory recordkeeping requirements?

    10.       If so, how is the Administration ensuring that it meets its statutory requirements with regard to these conversations?

    You and your Cabinet are responsible for the safety and security of the American people, as well as our military servicemembers and intelligence personnel in the field. We expect your Administration to address this dangerous lapse in security protocol—whether intended or not—with the utmost seriousness, and to uphold the ethic of accountability that our nation holds sacred. We must work together to ensure this does not happen again, and we look forward to reviewing the forthcoming reports.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Utah Man Facing Federal Charges After Allegedly Attempting to Rob a Bank

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City today for a violent crime after he allegedly attempted to rob First Utah Bank.

    Christopher Thomas Kirby, 37, of West Valley City, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on March 19, 2025.  

    According to court documents, on March 19, 2025, at approximately 1:32 p.m., a man, later identified at Kirby, passed a note to a teller at First Utah Bank in West Valley City demanding money. According to responding officers, the note read “this is a robbery I have a bomb on my [sic] that will explode I need 20,000 in bag.” While the teller went into the vault under the guise of getting the money, she hit the silent alarm button and called 911. Officers arrived and took Kirby into custody.

    Kirby is charged with one count of attempted bank robbery. His initial appearance on the indictment was March 26, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

    Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated jointly by an FBI Task Force Officer assigned to the Salt Lake City Violent Crimes squad and the West Valley City Police Department.

    Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Fentanyl Overdose Tracking

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    03.26.25

    Cantwell Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Fentanyl Overdose Tracking

    The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act would expand use of tools that record fatal and nonfatal overdoses in near-real-time; WA first responders say better data collection could help identify overdose hotspots so they can deploy resources faster & save lives

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, reintroduced the bipartisan Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act. The bill would direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to states, units of local government, law enforcement task forces, and tribes to adopt and implement an overdose data collection program, including the Overdose Data Mapping Application Program (ODMAP).

    The bill was drafted by and reintroduced alongside Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and John Cornyn (R-TX). Originally introduced in September, it unanimously passed the Senate in December but was not brought up by the House of Representatives before the end of last session.

    “When responding to fentanyl overdoses, an extra minute can save a life,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Tracking fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses will help our first responders, law enforcement, and public health professionals better target and prevent OD spikes and surge resources to communities that need them the most.”

    “The fight to end addiction and drug abuse in our communities requires a robust understanding of the problem at hand. By investing in local partners, we empower communities to more effectively track drug abuse trends and prevent future overdoses,” Sen. Grassley said. “I’m glad to support this cost-effective plan to expand vital data collection programs.”

    During Sen. Cantwell’s 10-city fentanyl roundtable tour across Washington state, she heard from multiple officials on the front lines of the epidemic that expanding ODMAP could help prevent overdoses and save lives. Expanding ODMAP would provide near real-time awareness of known or suspected overdose incidents across the United States, supporting public safety and public health efforts to coordinate immediate responses to sudden spikes in overdoses.

    The bill has supporters across the State of Washington:

    PUGET SOUND:

    “Effective and timely overdose prevention and response activities rely upon high-quality data. Within the ecosystem of Seattle, King County, and community teams working to address opioid overdose, timely and targeted data are always the starting point for interventions. We endorse legislation that will expand similar shared platforms of overdose data collection, mapping, and analysis,” said Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins.

    “This bill would help Everett and communities across the country address the fentanyl and opioid crisis by implementing proven cutting-edge data tools to track overdoses,” said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin. “The City of Everett supports all efforts to implement data-driven methods to address this critical issue and is proud to support the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act.”

    “The opioid epidemic affects all corners of our community,” said King County Sheriff Patricia Cole-Tindall. “I welcome Senator Cantwell’s efforts to help address this by building on the programs we have in place. Bringing more resources to fight this crisis is an essential step in saving lives.”

    “The importance of a robust data collection tool, such as the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, that facilitates the near real-time tracking of fatal and nonfatal overdoses, and the administration of opioid reversal medications, cannot be overstated. By Senator Cantwell introducing this important bill, the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act, participating agencies and entities will be better able to identify overdose spikes and trends, allowing for rapid responses and deliberate strategies to save lives,” said NW HIDTA Executive Director Jonathan Weiner.

    EASTERN WA:

    “In critical emergencies, first responders need accurate information to act fast. This legislation would improve data collection, giving police officers and firefighters the reliable tools they need to protect and serve their communities,” said Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown.

    “As first responders on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, we see the devastating impact of overdoses every day. Expanding access to real-time overdose data through ODMAP is critical for improving emergency response, identifying emerging trends, and ultimately saving lives. The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act will provide vital support to local communities and agencies like ours, ensuring we have the tools needed to respond effectively to this crisis. I strongly support this bill and urge its swift passage,” said Spokane Fire Chief Julie O’Berg.

    “Fentanyl and other illicit drugs pose a significant risk to the health and well-being of Spokane citizens. The overwhelming majority of these substances make their way to our county from neighboring foreign countries such as Mexico. Investment in real-time overdose mapping technology will help law enforcement disrupt the flow of Fentanyl in the United States. Having accurate data on where overdose spikes occur will go a long way towards securing safer communities and saving lives threatened by the fentanyl crisis,” said Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels.

    “With over thirty-three years in law enforcement and currently serving as police chief in Spokane, Washington, I witness firsthand the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on individuals, families, and entire communities. The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act is a crucial step forward in equipping law enforcement, first responders, and public health professionals with the necessary tools to track, respond to, and prevent overdoses more effectively. This bill expands access to real-time overdose data collection tools, such as the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP). These tools enable us to identify trends, coordinate responses, and allocate resources where they are most needed. By utilizing existing DOJ funding, this legislation enhances our ability to combat the opioid epidemic without imposing additional financial burdens on taxpayers. I wholeheartedly support this initiative because timely, accurate data saves lives. The ability to monitor overdose spikes and share critical information across agencies allows us to act more swiftly, prevent more deaths, and ultimately foster safer, healthier communities,” said Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall.

    CENTRAL WA:

    “The collection of data on overdoses is critical to the effectively addressing the serious opioid problem in this country.  Knowing when and where overdoses occur can enable agencies to focus on the areas needing more attention.  Funding for programs designed to collect overdose data is essential in the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said Yakima County Sheriff Robert Udell.

    “Having a single platform to share overdose data is essential to saving lives, guiding decisions, and preventing overdoses. ODMAP (Overdose Mapping) is the platform.  ODMAP allows for the collaboration and real-time data sharing between law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, hospitals, and health departments,” said Kennewick Police Chief Chris Guerrero.

    “Using ODMAP locally throughout our county has already proven invaluable in identifying overdose hotspots and enabling rapid, targeted responses. Expanding its use statewide has the potential to transform how we address the fentanyl crisis in Washington. By standardizing overdose tracking across the state, we can pinpoint trends, respond more effectively, and deploy life-saving resources faster than ever. This tool is more than just data—it empowers us to act decisively and collaboratively to save lives and combat this devastating epidemic,” said Melissa Sixberry, Director of Disease Control at the Yakima Health District.

    “In order to make the most appropriate moves to facilitate change, we must have good, accurate data. Otherwise we are blindly throwing darts at a board. ODMAP will allow for the most appropriate distribution of resources to help combat the nation-wide opioid epidemic. Without it, we will continue to potentially ignore high impacted areas that may desperately need the assistance,” said Cameron Haubrich, Chief of the Sunnyside Fire Department.

    “ODMAP creates a unified, real-time system to track and respond to overdoses, enabling first responders, health departments, and law enforcement to allocate resources more effectively. By identifying overdose hotspots and trends as they happen, we can deploy targeted interventions and engage communities in prevention efforts,” said Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete when the bill passed the Senate in December.

    “ODMAP is a game-changer in fighting the overdose epidemic! With the real-time data from ODMAP, responders and communities can monitor overdose events, identify patterns, deploy resources where needed, and ultimately save lives! In the State of Washington, we currently only track overdose deaths which grossly underestimates the true magnitude of the overdose epidemic (by 6200%),” said Alicia Stromme Tobin, Executive Director of Safe Yakima Valley, when the bill passed the Senate in December. “ODMAP provides agencies with a tool to track fatal and nonfatal overdoses. By providing a comprehensive view of overdose trends, ODMAP fosters collaboration across public health, law enforcement and EMS, allowing for more targeted interventions and prevention efforts. I applaud Senator Cantwell for recognizing the tremendous positive impact ODMAP will have on saving lives! Congratulations and well done!”

    “Solutions start with a hope, hope is the gateway for innovation and collaboration, and efforts like ODMAP are the tools that communities need to impact the fentanyl crisis and save lives,” said Yakima Police Department Lt. Chad Janis when the bill passed the Senate in December.

    SOUTHWEST WA:

    “Vancouver strongly supports the Opioid Overdose Enhancement Act and urges the Department of Justice to award grants for the adoption and implementation of the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP). As Vancouver Fire responded to over 400 overdose calls in 2024, it has become increasingly clear that gathering and analyzing overdose data is a significant challenge. Our current process of manually searching medical records for specific call information is labor-intensive and costly. A centralized database would be invaluable in identifying overdose hotspots, tracking trends, and saving lives. This federal legislation is a crucial step toward streamlining these efforts and addressing the opioid crisis effectively,” said Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle.

    “Vancouver Fire responded to more than 400 overdose calls in 2024. It has been a consistent challenge for us to gather data because it requires us to dig deep into our medical records system and search for keywords that will identify the specific call information. This process is labor intensive and time consuming. A centralized database would be very helpful to allow us to not only track location hotspots, but also trends. We fully support federal legislation that streamlines this process,” said Vancouver Fire Chief Brennan Blue.

    “Senator Cantwell’s bill to implement the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program is a critical step in combating the opioid crisis. By providing timely data on overdoses and opioid reversal medication applications, this program will allow local departments of health and law enforcement to respond quickly and effectively, saving lives, holding opioid dealers accountable, and targeting resources where they’re needed most.  I strongly endorse this vital legislation,” said Vancouver Police Chief Troy Price.

    “Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR) supports the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act and Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program. With the rise of opioid related incidents in our district as well as in the counties we serve, CCFR has worked with community partners to address opioid use, overdose, and treatment. Through our CARES Program and in partnership with neighboring fire districts and the Clark County’s Medical Program Director’s Office, CCFR has implemented administration of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during the time of an opioid related incident or overdose. CCFR crews are able to introduce buprenorphine as well as provide leave-behind Narcan for individuals following administration of opioid overdose reversal medication. In partnership with treatment centers in the county, CARES is able to provide immediate referrals to these facilities in order to assist community members seeking treatment,” said John Nohr, Fire Chief of Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue.

    “The Washington Fire Chiefs Association fully endorses Senator Cantwell’s Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act.  We believe that a crucial component of the Act, which supports adoption and implementation of the Overdose Detection Mapping Application (ODMAP), will place critical, data-driven, information into the hands of first responders, saving lives,” said Kristan Maurer, President of Washington Fire Chiefs Association, Fire Chief of Clark County Fire District 6.

    OLYMPIC PENINSULA:

    “Having access to real-time data is critical to getting ahead of the overdose crisis. With the rapidly changing drug supply, these kinds of data allow us to identify overdose clusters and communicate with individuals at risk as well as community partners so that we can help prevent overdoses in the future,” said Allison Berry, Health Officer for Clallam County & Jefferson County.

    The bill is also endorsed by several coveted national law enforcement organizations including: National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC), National HIDTA Directors Association (NHDA), National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies (NASDEA), Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), Major County Sheriffs Association (MCSA).

    ODMAP was developed in 2017 by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) as a free, web-based, mobile-friendly platform for near real-time reporting and monitoring of suspected fatal and non-fatal overdose events, as well as instances where opioid overdose reversal medications such as Naloxone were administered. It displays overdose data within and across jurisdictions, helping agencies identify spikes and clusters of suspected overdose events in their community, neighboring communities, and across the country.

    As of February 2025, approximately 5,330 agencies across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are using the platform. Over 2.9 million overdose events have been entered into ODMAP and more than 36,000 users registered.

    Washington state has not adopted ODMAP statewide, however, localities in the state utilize the program. In 2025, 77 agencies across 17 counties in Washington state use ODMAP, and have logged 2,248 entries into ODMAP. In 2024, 7,857 entries were logged. Yakima County, Spokane County, and the City of Seattle have recently implemented programming that allows their data to instantaneously populate the ODMAP dashboard with all overdose responses. Elsewhere in the state, ODMAP coverage is limited and therefore only captures a portion of the overdose instances occurring.

    Currently, overdose data in Washington state is only available to government health partners and only contains fatal overdose cases (which are released months or years after the fact). Overdose counts are released publicly via Washington State’s Department of Health website. However, they only provide instances of fatal overdoses (a small fraction of all overdose incidents) and are hampered by significant delays. Currently, the most recent data populating the DOH overdose death rate data dashboard is from the fourth quarter of 2023.

    In 2023 and 2024, Sen. Cantwell traveled across the State of Washington to 10 communities — Tacoma, Everett, Tri-Cities, Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, Port Angeles, Walla Walla, Yakima, and Longview – hearing from people on the front lines of the fentanyl crisis, including first responders, law enforcement, health care providers, and people with firsthand experience of fentanyl addiction.  She also participated in the National Tribal Opioid Summit, a gathering of approximately 900 tribal leaders, health care workers, and first responders from across the country hosted by the Tulalip Tribes following the first-ever statewide summit hosted by the Lummi Nation.  Sen. Cantwell has since used what she heard in those roundtables and related events to craft and champion specific legislative solutions, including:

    • The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act, which would permanently classify illicit fentanyl knockoffs as Schedule I drugs;
    • The Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on U.S. Transportation Networks Act, which would crack down on the trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, using the U.S. transportation network;
    • The FEND Off Fentanyl Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden, which will help U.S. government agencies disrupt opioid supply chains by imposing sanctions on traffickers and fighting money laundering;
    • The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act, which would require that all pill presses be engraved with a serial number and impose penalties for the removal or alteration of the number;
    • The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which would list xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance while protecting the drug’s legal use by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers, enable the Drug Enforcement Administration to track xylazine’s manufacturing to ensure it is not diverted to the illicit market;
    • The TRANQ Research Act of 2023, signed into law by President Biden, which will spur more research into xylazine (also called “tranq”) and other novel synthetic drugs by directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology to tackle these issues; and
    • The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act, which would bolster Tribal law enforcement agencies by helping them hire and retain tribal law enforcement officers by raising their retirement, pension, death, and injury benefits to be on part with those of federal law enforcement officers.

    In addition, Sen. Cantwell voted for a series of federal funding bills allocating $1.69 billion to combat fentanyl and other illicit drugs coming into the United States, including an additional $385.2 million to increase security at U.S. ports of entry, with the goal of catching more illegal drugs like fentanyl before they make it across the border.  Critical funding will go toward Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technology at land and sea ports of entries. NII technologies—like large-scale X-ray and Gamma ray imaging systems, as well as a variety of portable and handheld technologies—allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help detect and prevent contraband from being smuggled into the country without disrupting flow at the border.

    A full timeline of Sen. Cantwell’s actions to combat the fentanyl crisis is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Beverly Hills Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Cannabis and Bottling Company Cons That Caused Nearly $18 Million in Losses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Beverly Hills man was sentenced today to 300 months in federal prison for obtaining nearly $18 million from investors for sham businesses supposedly operating in hemp related industries – all while he was completing a sentence in a prior criminal case.

    Mark Roy Anderson, 70, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, who scheduled a restitution hearing for June 4.

    At today’s hearing, Judge Aenlle-Rocha said, “The magnitude of the fraud is breathtaking…the [victims’ statements reflect] the depth of the harm. Many have lost their life savings reflecting decades of hard work.” Judge Aenlle-Rocha also described Anderson as “an accomplished and incorrigible con man” and stated that “the public must be protected from him for as long as possible.”

    Anderson pleaded guilty in April 2024 to two counts of wire fraud. He has been in federal custody since May 2023.

    Anderson engaged in two separate but related schemes that swindled victims, which he committed shortly after his release from federal prison but while serving out the rest of his prison term on home confinement and, later, while on supervised release for a previous fraud conviction.

    “The defendant stole more than $18 million from dozens of investors by promising quick returns on their investments into hemp farms and other exotic investments,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Today’s 25-year sentence takes him off the street so that he cannot harm other victims.”

               Harvest Farm Group

    In the first scheme, from June 2020 to April 2021, Anderson tricked investors into providing funding for his company, called Harvest Farm Group, to harvest hemp supposedly being grown on his farm and then process that hemp into medical-grade cannabidiol (CBD) isolate – a chemical found in marijuana – to be sold for a substantial profit.

    Anderson convinced investors to invest in Harvest Farm Group by falsely representing that, through the company, he owned and operated a hemp farm in Kern County. He also lied that had already completed successful and profitable harvests of hemp from the farm. He also falsely said he was using his own machinery and equipment to convert the hemp into CBD isolate and Delta 8, a psychoactive substance that, like CBD isolate, could be used in consumer products ranging from olive oil to body cream.

    Anderson attempted to maintain a veneer of trustworthiness by taking steps to assure investors Harvest Farm Group was legitimate and he was not the “Mark Roy Anderson” with multiple prior fraud convictions. Anderson concealed that he had been convicted of multiple federal and state felony crimes, including mail fraud, wire fraud, grand theft, forgery, preparing false evidence, and money laundering. He also concealed that he was still serving a criminal sentence and was on supervised release at the time he was soliciting investments.

    To stall victim investors from making collection efforts and reporting him to law enforcement, Anderson falsely promised victims he would pay them money from purported sales of products made to Canadian companies, that sales of products had been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that he would otherwise return their money.

               Bio Pharma and Verta Bottling

    In the second scheme, which ran from April 2021 to May 2023, Anderson deceived investors by soliciting money for Bio Pharma and Verta Bottling, two of his sham companies, by claiming that these businesses successfully manufactured, bottled, and packaged commercial products.

    Specifically, Anderson falsely told investors Bio Pharma purportedly manufactured and sold products infused with CBD, including products such as CBD-infused avocado oil, olive oil, pain cream, gummies, tequila, and chili oil. Anderson also claimed that Verta Bottling manufactured and sold beverages and a variety of food products.

    Anderson falsely stated that his bottling companies owned and possessed millions of dollars’ worth of assets, including – in Bio Pharma’s case – hemp biomass, CBD isolate, CBD oil, and – in Verta Bottling’s case – manufacturing equipment and an assignable lease for a warehouse to manufacture and sell its products.

    Anderson’s other lies to investors included false claims that his bottling companies had at least $10 million in purchase-order contracts from suppliers. He drafted fake legal and business documents, which included fabricated purchase order contracts purporting to show agreements with third party companies to purchase tens of millions of dollars’ worth of products manufactured by the Anderson bottling companies. Anderson also provided victims samples of products purportedly manufactured by his purported bottling companies.

    Instead of investing victim funds as he promised, Anderson instead used their money on personal expenses. He has agreed to forfeit his ill-gotten gains from these schemes, including 15 cars – one of them a Ferrari – and real estate in Ojai.

    In total, Anderson solicited more than $18.8 million from 45 victims for both schemes, causing victims to lose approximately $17,745,150.

    The FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER REVEALS: MUSK AND TRUMP ARE TRYING TO BREAK SOCIAL SECURITY IN NY AS ‘DOGE’ ENDANGERS $7+ BILLION IN MONTHLY CHECKS FOR OVER 4 MILLION NEW YORKERS; SENATOR SOUNDS ALARM TO PROTECT SOCIAL…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Social Security Services Are Breaking Down For New Yorkers Who Rely On Monthly Checks To Live, With NY Offices Closing, Websites Crashing, Hours Long Wait Times, And Now ‘DOGE’ Firing 7,000+ SSA Workers Who Help Seniors, Disabled, & Families Get Their Benefits

    Senator Breaks Down Impact Region By Region In NY Of ‘DOGE’ Destructive Attacks On Social Security Benefits For 4.3M NY-ers That Threatens Their Monthly Checks And Services

    Schumer: ‘DOGE’ Cabal Needs To Get Their Hands Off NY Seniors’ & Families’ Social Security Checks

    Amid reports of the Social Security Administration (SSA) core operations breaking down from the Trump administration and ‘DOGE’ systematic attacks and rash cuts, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer sounded the alarm on the looming crisis for over 4 million New York seniors, people with disabilities, and families who rely on their monthly checks to live, pay rent, buy food and make ends meet.  

    In the past month, the SSA website has already crashed four times in 10 days, blocking millions from accessing their accounts, and seniors have had to wait more than two hours on clogged phone lines. 

    “When it comes to Social Security, Trump and ‘DOGE’ are purposely causing chaos and inefficiency to attack the program millions of New York seniors and families rely on to make ends meet. It’s appalling and they need to back off,” said Senator Schumer. 

    ‘DOGE’ has already taken credit for closing two NY Social Security Offices in Westchester and Chemung County, and are pursuing further cuts, including eliminating 12% of agency staff.

    “This is a direct attack on New York seniors’ Social Security checks. From Rochester to Rockland County, nearly 4 million New Yorkers rely on Social Security every month. But right now, Trump and Musk, two billionaires, are trying to take a chainsaw to your Social Security benefits by closing offices, firing staff, shutting off the phone lines, and adding burdensome bureaucratic rules for seniors, people with disabilities and their families. It’s outrageous, and, if they continue to cut Social Security operations to the bone, the system soon won’t be able to function,” said Senator Schumer. “These cuts make no sense – they are closing offices and saying they want to shut down phone service at the same time, how do they expect seniors to get their benefits? Already the Social Security safety net is breaking at the seams. If no one can take your call, if the website keeps crashing, if they fire the staff that process your claims, that’s a cut in benefits. New Yorker’s aren’t falling for it and won’t stand for it. I have a simple message for ‘DOGE’ and Trump: Hands off New Yorkers Social Security.”

    Schumer said these massive cuts to services come as ‘DOGE’ plans to cut off Social Security 1-800 phone helplines and require in-person visits, which, in tandem with massive staffing cuts, experts say will lead to massive disruptions for New Yorkers relying on over $7+ billion in benefits every month. The senator said we need congressional Republicans, especially those in the NY delegation, to stand up to ‘DOGE’ and tell them to get their hands of New Yorkers’ Social Security.

    A county-by-county breakdown of Social Security beneficiaries across New York can be found here for SSI and Old Age, Survivors, and Disability benefits. Schumer said this impact can be seen at a staggering level across every region of Upstate NY:

    Region

    Social Security Beneficiaries Receiving Monthly Checks or SSI

    Total Payments Per Month

    Capital Region

    287,704

    $509,831,000

    Western New York

    359,603

    $607,973,000

    Rochester-Finger Lakes

    323,274

    $564,706,000

    Central New York

    197,407

    $338,701,000

    Hudson Valley

    487,974

    $942,849,000

    Southern Tier

    203,366

    $331,706,000

    Mohawk Valley

    113,343

    $177,575,000

    North Country

    114,890

    $178,568,000

    UPSTATE NY TOTAL

    2,087,561

    $3,651,909,000

    Schumer said staffing shortages, office closures and mandatory in-person identity checks will make it more difficult for people to access the assistance they need to receive their Social Security benefits. Elon Musk has targeted Social Security, calling it a “ponzi scheme” and saying that Social Security is “the big one to eliminate”. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik said his mother wouldn’t call and complain if she didn’t receive her Social Security benefits. Schumer said rather than making the government more efficient, these cuts will reduce government efficiency by making it more difficult for Social Security beneficiaries to receive their hard-earned benefits. Former Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley said these cuts will crush our seniors and most vulnerable, and the system could collapse within a month, interrupting benefits.

    ‘DOGE’ & TRUMP WANT DEEP CUTS TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINSTRATION

    THOSE DEEP CUTS MEAN DEEP IMPACTS FOR NEW YORKERS
    • Over 12% of SSA staff are planned to be cut, that is 7,000+ who help run the agency.
    • SSA staff is already at the lowest level in 50 years.
    • ‘DOGE’ is already closing regional offices across the country, including listing offices in Westchester & Chemung County as on the chopping block, with more coming.
    • Trump and Musk are no longer allowing seniors to claim benefits or change payment information over the phone, forcing them to drive to offices ‘DOGE’ is attempting to close.
    • Trump’s acting head of Social Security attempted to shut down the entire agency, endangering benefits, instead of kicking DOGE out of SSA.
    • The SSA website has already crashed four times in 10 days this month, locking out 4+ million NY seniors, disabled, and families.
    • Phone lines already 2+ hour long wait times, and new in person requirements could severely hurt places like Upstate NY and rural areas.
    • If cuts continue, wait times would sky rocket:
      • 9 months to process disability claims
      • 8 months for benefit appeals
      • 11 months for benefit hearings according to SS experts.
    • Former Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley said, “Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse and an interruption of benefits… I believe you will see that within the next 30 to 90 days.”  

    Already, the SSA website has crashed four times in ten days this month, preventing millions of Social Security beneficiaries across the country from logging into their online accounts. Beneficiaries are calling for help but with fewer workers to answer phones due to staffing cuts, wait times are much longer.

    In addition, the Trump administration issued new guidance that millions of Social Security recipients must verify their identities in person at agency field offices, which they were previously able to do over the phone. The Trump administration is closing six of the ten regional offices that oversee field operations. Schumer said this will particularly hurt rural areas and New Yorkers with mobility issues who have trouble accessing in-person offices who may live far from a field office or have limited internet access, especially given an alarming pattern of SSA local office closures. Earlier this year, the White Plains Social Security office lease was terminated and listed on the ‘DOGE’ website as cost saving in addition to the Big Flats office in Chemung County.

    Schumer added, “Elon Musk may not understand how a senior citizen depends on Social Security payments to buy food and pay rent, but New Yorkers do. Social Security is not a ‘ponzi scheme’ or ‘government waste’; it is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers that I’m calling on my Republican colleagues in Congress, especially in the New York delegation, to help us protect.”

    Social Security has been a crucial piece of the social safety net since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the law creating it in 1935, and it was designed to be self-sufficient. It has a dedicated revenue source from payroll taxes, which workers split with their employers. Schumer has expressed concerns that layoffs and sudden closures mean hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and millions of Americans who depend on Social Security could be in serious trouble.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: International Law Enforcement Cooperation Leads to Takedown of U.S.- and Brazil-Based Alien Smugglers and Immigration Arrests

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    View the criminal complaint.

    Earlier today, extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Brazilian law enforcement and prosecution authorities culminated in a significant enforcement operation to dismantle a transnational criminal organization allegedly responsible for the illicit smuggling of hundreds of individuals from Brazil to the United States. The enforcement operation included the arrest on U.S. charges of a previously convicted alien smuggler who allegedly re-entered the United States illegally after deportation to Brazil and was residing in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Brazilian Federal Police (PF) executed multiple search warrants in Brazil and arrested an alleged Brazil-based human smuggler.

    Flavio Alexandre Alves, also known as “Ronaldo,” 41, was arrested in Worcester, Massachusetts on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to bring aliens to and transport aliens within the United States for the purpose of commercial or financial gain in violation of law. Alves will appeared in federal court in Worcester earlier today and was temporarily detained pending a detention hearing on Friday.

    According to court documents, Alves conspired with others to transport aliens from Brazil, through Mexico, and then into the United States. Once the aliens arrived in the United States, Alves allegedly purchased airline tickets for the aliens to other U.S. destinations. Alves also allegedly transferred money from the United States to aliens and smugglers located in Mexico to pay for expenses associated with transit into the United States and collected fees from aliens for being smuggled into the United States. Alves was previously convicted of human smuggling in the Central District of California in 2004 and was deported to Brazil in February 2005. Court documents indicate that Alves has been residing in the United States without immigration status after illegally re-entering the United States.

    It is alleged that between May 2021 and August 2022, Alves purchased more than 100 individual airline tickets from Tucson or Phoenix to destination cities in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania (Boston, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia). Some of these purchases were for migrants who had recently had encounters with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers or were recently released from detention.

    Additionally, HSI offices in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia, supported by other partner law enforcement agencies, detained four individuals today associated with the alien smuggling organization on administrative immigration violations.

    The investigation and arrest of Alves was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and 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 the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 315 U.S. convictions; more than 260 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks or grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    HSI New England led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI Brasilia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. OIA provided crucial assistance in this matter.

    Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion and Acting Deputy Chief Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint for $47 Million in Proceeds from the Sale of 1 Million Barrels of Iranian Oil

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A civil forfeiture complaint was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that $47 million in proceeds from the sale of nearly one million barrels of Iranian petroleum is forfeitable as property of, or affording a person a source of influence over, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or its Qods Force (IRGC-QF), designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

    The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme between 2022 and 2024 to facilitate the shipment, storage, and sale of Iranian petroleum product for the benefit of the IRGC and IRGC-QF. The facilitators used deceptive practices to masquerade the Iranian oil as Malaysian, including by manipulating the tanker’s automatic identification system (AIS) to conceal that it onboarded the oil from a port in Iran. The facilitators presented falsified documents to the Croatian storage and port facility, claiming that the oil was Malaysian. The facilitators paid for storage fees associated with the oil’s storage in Croatia in U.S. dollars, transactions that were conducted through U.S. financial institutions that would have refused the transactions had they known they were associated with Iranian oil. The petroleum product was sold in 2024, and the United States seized $47 million in proceeds from that sale.

    The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product constitutes the property of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), which has perpetuated a federal crime of terrorism by providing material support to the IRGC and IRGC-QF. As alleged, profits from petroleum product sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses.

    Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.

    FBI Minneapolis Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations New York are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Maeghan O. Mikorski, and Brian Hudak for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Adam Small of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case. They received assistance from former Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

    A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Executive Pleads Guilty to a Seven-Count Indictment Two Weeks Before Trial, Admits to Longstanding Antitrust and Wire Fraud Conspiracies Affecting Wildfire Services

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    The owner of a contractor company that provided fuel truck services to the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire fighters pleaded guilty to a seven-count indictment yesterday for his role in schemes to rig bids, allocate territories, and commit wire fraud over an eight-year period. Kris Bird, 62, pleaded guilty to all charges against him two weeks before trial, with no assurances from the government as to the sentence prosecutors will recommend to the judge. The plea follows a judicially authorized wiretap investigation that led to the indictment of two executives in December 2023. Both executives pleaded guilty and are now scheduled to be sentenced in June 2025.

    As set out in the factual basis filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Bird admitted to conspiring with Ike Tomlinson, 61, and others to rig bids and allocate territories in the market for wildfire-fighting fuel truck services for certain dispatch centers of the U.S. Forest Service’s Great Basin wildfire dispatch region between March 2015 and March 2023, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. Bird further admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud during the same period, and to committing five acts of wire fraud. At the change-of-plea hearing, Bird also admitted to the forfeiture allegations in the indictment.

    “Bid-rigging and other collusive, anticompetitive agreements are neither sophisticated nor lawful. As the defendants have now conceded, they selfishly damaged essential taxpayer-funded services critical to protecting the American public from wildfires,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The meticulous investigation led by the Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its law enforcement partners left the defendant with little choice but to plead to the indictment. The Justice Department will not treat bid-rigging as business as usual.”

    “Citizens and Idaho businesses must have access to fair competition for government contracts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott for the District of Idaho. “The guilty pleas in this case help ensure equal opportunities for all Idaho businesses and protects taxpayers from paying inflated contract prices.”

    “The defendant illegally profited from American taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. “The FBI and our partners are committed to rooting out fraud and protecting fair competition in the bidding for government contracts.”

    “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to fight fraud in federal contracting,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations James Adams of the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General.

    A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the maximum. A violation of the wire fraud statute carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, and General Services Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg and Trial Attorneys Elena A. Goldstein, Daniel B. Twomey, and Matthew Chou of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indiana Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Hammond, Ind., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing three firearms.

    Roosevelt Nevels, Jr., 35, formerly of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 8 years in federal prison without parole.

    On Nov. 7, 2024, Nevels, Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.

    On Nov. 7, 2021, officers of the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department were dispatched to Research Medical Center regarding a reported shooting. Nevels, Jr., who was the injured person, reported he was caught in between two vehicles shooting at one another at 7033 Prospect Ave., Kansas City, Mo.  Nevels, Jr. reported that he was shot in the hand.  Officers investigated Nevels Jr.’s account and were not able to locate evidence or witnesses to support his report of the shooting.

    Upon further investigation, officers responded to Nevels, Jr.’s residence in Kansas City, Mo., where they located a blood trail in front of the house, leading to the door.  The officers knocked on the front door, and a juvenile answered.  The officers observed more blood on the living room floor of the residence.

    The officers entered the residence to ensure no one inside was injured.  They observed an AR-style pistol and a large amount of blood in a bedroom.

    Investigators were granted a search warrant for the residence. While executing the search warrant, investigators recovered three firearms: a SCCY CPX-1, 9mm, pistol; a SCCY CPX-2, 9mm, pistol; and an FM-9, AR-style pistol.  All the firearms were loaded.  The AR-style pistol had damage near the trigger guard, appearing that the trigger guard was shot.  The live round of ammunition in the chamber had blood on it.

    Investigators also located a bullet fragment and two spent 9mm shell casings in the bedroom where the firearms were located and two cases containing 50 live .22 caliber rounds of ammunition in the kitchen.

    Forensic investigators determined DNA samples recovered from the grips and trigger guards of all three firearms implicated Nevels, Jr. as a major contributor.   

    Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.  Nevels, Jr. was convicted of the felony offenses of endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest in 2018.  Nevels, Jr. also has felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon – carrying concealed and unlawful use of a weapon – discharge/shoot firearm at a motor vehicle.

    This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings.  It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods

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

    MIL Security OSI –