Category: Intelligence Agencies

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Child Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison

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

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Chad Allen Pease (49, Fort Pierce) to 22 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice or induce a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender. A federal jury found Pease guilty on November 20, 2024.

    According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2024, Pease began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) whom Pease believed to be the father of a 13-year-old girl. Over the course of the conversation, Pease made plans to meet up with the UC and his “daughter” so that Pease could have sex with the child. Pease drove 18 miles to the meeting location and conducted counter-surveillance before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement identified Pease, reconstructed his activities that evening, and later arrested him at his residence.

    Pease was previously convicted of a sex offense in 2008, after sending explicit photographs and traveling to have sex with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He has been required to register as a sex offender ever since. 

    “This predator intentionally singled out a child, devised a plan, and executed it with the sole purpose of harming the most vulnerable in our community” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI investigators, alongside our partners, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, have successfully removed another predator from the streets.”

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Northwest Arkansas Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Operating an Illegal Money Transmitting Business Using Pandemic Funds

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

    FAYETTEVILLE – A Northwest Arkansas man was sentenced on February 20, to 51 months in Federal Prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution of $725,558.00 on one count of operating an Illegal Money Transmitting Business. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which took place in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

    According to court documents, Richard Harold Stone, age 77, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business in the State of Arkansas. Stone was the President or Chief Officer of numerous businesses registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State, including: Partex Oman Corp., Renewable Energy Campus Arkansas, Inc., Stonetek Global Corp., and Tires 2 Energy, LLC. Stone also was associated with Environmental Energy & Finance Corp., a Delaware corporation. The advertised purpose of these businesses was developing technology and facilities to repurpose waste materials, such as tires, into useable fuel sources. None of these businesses were registered with the State of Arkansas as a money transmitting business, as required by Arkansas law (Arkansas Code, Section 23-55-806(b)&(c)).

    Between November 2020 and March 2021, Stone received through various bank accounts associated with the above entities and other accounts under his control, deposits of funds from applications made on behalf of unwitting victims for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Economic Impact Disaster Loans (EIDL), and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), totaling more than $600,000. After receiving these funds, Stone immediately transferred most of the funds by wire transfer to parties in locations including Berne, Switzerland; London, England; New York, NY; Chennai, India; and Mumbai, India.

    At the conclusion of Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Stone was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

    The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Bridges is prosecuting the case.

    Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Attempting To Engage In Sexual Activity With A Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Cosme Bejaran (34, Lehigh Acres) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor. The court also ordered Bejaran to forfeit a cellphone used to facilitate the offense. Bejaran pleaded guilty in November 2024.

    According to court documents, beginning on May 17 and continuing through May 18, 2024, Bejaran communicated online with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. After learning of the girl’s age, Bejaran engaged in a sexually explicit conversation, asked the girl for explicit photographs, and sent an explicit photo of himself. Bejaran was apprehended by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office when he arrived at a residence with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. Bejaran later admitted to deputies and the FBI that his intentions with the girl were sexual.

    This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Delta Junction Woman Sentenced for Interfering with Joint Military Operations with a High-Powered Laser

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

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Delta Junction woman was sentenced today to three years’ probation after she interfered with joint military operations by pointing a high-powered laser at two helicopters.

    According to court documents, on Feb. 11, 2024, Canadian Military Aircrews were flying in two tactical helicopter squadrons near Allen Army Airfield near Delta Junction. Anchorage Airport Traffic Control contacted the Alaska State Troopers regarding a report from a Canadian Military Pilot that lasers were being pointed at his aircraft.

    Court documents explain that the pilot stated the aircraft was at about 4,200 feet of elevation, well above minimum flight requirements for that area, and in a holding pattern when one of the crew reported they were being hit with a green laser. The aircraft was orbiting for around 20 minutes and every time they passed over a certain cabin, they got hit with a laser. The aircraft descended to around 500 feet to prepare to land at Allen Army Airfield and got hit with the laser again. One of the crew pinpointed the laser to the certain cabin.

    Court documents further explain that Alaska State Troopers responded to the specific cabin and contacted Heide Goodermote, 49. Goodermote told law enforcement that the helicopters angered her, and further stated the helicopters had no right to fly over her property so she pointed a laser at them.

    On Feb. 15, 2024, law enforcement returned to seize the laser and identified it to be a class IIIB laser, which is a laser that emits between 5 and 500 milliwatts of output power and can cause immediate eye damage or skin burns. Three of the Canadian Air Force helicopter crew members reported injuries to their eyes because of Goodermote’s conduct.

    On Nov. 26, 2024, Goodermote pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assaulting or impeding certain officers or employees engaged in performing official duties.

    “Ms. Goodermote wrongly believed the helicopters had no right to fly over her property and decided to take matters into her own hands by shining a dangerous laser at the helicopters and crew that could have caused serious damage,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn R. Vogel for the District of Alaska. “We are thankful the incident did not result in substantial loss of life or property, but this case should serve as a reminder that putting other people’s well-being at risk when they are performing official duties as part of U.S. government operations, like a joint military exercise with foreign allies, is a prosecutable offense.”

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: ARB IOT Group Limited Announces Entry Into a Memorandum of Understanding to Set-Up AI Data Centre Experimental Laboratory in the Region

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ARB IOT Group Limited (“ARB IOT” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ARBB) has, through its indirect wholly owned subsidiary, ARB IOT Group Sdn Bhd, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to set up an AI data centre experimental laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility designed for advanced research and AI application development. This initiative is in partnership with a UKM startup (the “UKM Startup”) affiliated with the Institute of Visual Informatics of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, a leading research university in Malaysia (“IVI-UKM”), and Gajah Kapitalan Sdn Bhd (“GKSB”).

    The AI data centre experimental laboratory facility aims to create a dedicated environment for advancing AI research, AI application development, testing and deployment. It provides state-of-the-art infrastructure and resources to foster innovation, collaboration and skill building in AI technologies. The AI data centre experimental lab will boast AI servers of ARB 222 and ARB 333 series and will be located at IVI, UKM, Malaysia.

    The ARB-222 and ARB-333 series are high-performance rackmount servers designed for AI, deep learning, and enterprise computing. These AI servers are optimized for AI inference and data processing while also excelling in fine-tuning AI training and handling large-scale simulations. Built for reliability and scalability, these servers offer greater energy efficiency compared to other AI products available in the market.

    This initiative aligns with the Malaysian government’s initiatives to strengthen AI capabilities at the regional and national level and to encourage and nurture more data scientists and engineers to participate in the robust AI development and data science community.

    This MOU represents a strong commitment to robust collaboration in exchanging knowledge and expertise in the AI industry.  Under the MOU, the Company will be responsible for the architecture and design of the laboratory facility.

    Bridging the gap between research and practical applications, this initiative brings together the academia and industry partners to fast-track the adoption of innovative and sustainable AI server solutions. These collaborative efforts will set new sustainability standards for AI data centre operations in the region. This is a significant milestone to drive innovation and deliver value to the customers, partners and the nation.

    By having an AI data centre experimental lab with the AI servers of ARB 222 and ARB 333 series in the region, the Company is well positioned to capture a significant growth portion of AI-driven economy in the future.

    This MOU marks a significant milestone in the Company’s growth, leveraging combined expertise in AI computing technology and promoting sustainable advanced AI server solutions to accelerate the AI revolution in the region.

    Dato’ Sri Liew Kok Leong (“Larry”), CEO of ARB IOT, said, “the AI data centre experimental laboratory brings together academia and industry partners to drive innovation in AI technologies and improve the sustainability of AI application in the region. Such industry R&D platform will accelerate the translation and commercialisation of research, and we anticipate that the lab will actively contribute to the ongoing AI-driven growth and innovation.”

    Larry also expressed that the AI servers of ARB 222 and ARB 333 series will serve as the AI data centre hardware platform to support technological growth and create a vibrant ecosystem for AI research, development and deployment. Besides, the lab will also be used for exhibiting AI applications to showcase AI capabilities and present the latest advancements in AI technology. The AI servers of ARB 222 and ARB 333 series offer cost-effective options to customers by optimising resources, reducing operational costs, and improving efficiency. These AI servers offer a balanced, cost-effective and flexible solution ideal for data centres, offering an alternative to the H100/200 solutions currently available in the market.

    Muhammad Badrun Almuhaimin Bin Baharon, Director of GKSB said, “we will be responsible for the operations of AI data centre,  operating AI servers of ARB 222 and ARB 333 series, and developing new market segments in AI industry in this region. To complement the development in the AI industry, we will also be offering the leasing services of data centre AI computing power in Malaysia. The set-up of this AI data centre experimental lab boosts our confidence in funding the set-up of AI data centres in Malaysia.”

    Associate Professor Dr. Rabiah Abdul Kadir, the director of IVI-UKM and the chairman of the UKM Startup emphasised that this AI Data Centre experimental lab can significantly elevate AI research and development to next level by developing efficient AI models with lower energy consumption and better performance. It is expected to play a crucial role in nurturing and incubating talents in the AI industry. By having the cost-effective and flexible solution from ARB 222 and ARB 333 series, she was excited that IVI-UKM will be the technology partner to initiate the AI research and development with the Company.

    About the UKM Startup and IVI-UKM

    The UKM Startup is affiliated with the IVI-UKM, a research institute under UKM, established to advance the field of visual informatics. IVI-UKM was established with objectives to integrate multidisciplinary areas encompassing areas such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, haptic computation, computer vision, data analytics and visualization, simulation, and image processing. The UKM Startup is committed to offering AI training programs to enables machine to learn from experience, adapt to new data, and automate tasks in a wide range of field, and integrating AI analytics dashboards into business intelligence platforms.

    About GKSB

    GKSB is dedicated to empowering Malaysian businesses through technological innovation, focusing on delivering advanced computing systems for enterprises, research institutions and developers.

    About ARB IOT Group Limited

    ARB IOT Group Limited is a provider of complete solutions to clients for the integration of Internet of Things (“IoT”) systems and devices from designing to project deployment. We offer a wide range of IoT systems as well as provide customers a substantial range of services such as system integration and system support service. We deliver holistic solutions with full turnkey deployment from designing, installation, testing, pre-commissioning, and commissioning of various IoT systems and devices as well as integration of automated systems, including installation of wire and wireless and mechatronic works.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, such as statements regarding our estimated future results of operations and financial position, our strategy and plans, and our objectives or goals, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “should,” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Our actual results may differ materially or perhaps significantly from those discussed herein, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including, but not limited to, those that we discussed or referred to in the Company’s disclosure documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F as well as in our other reports filed or furnished from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

    For further information, please contact:

    ARB IOT Group Limited
    Investor Relations Department
    Email: contact@arbiotgroup.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: PubMatic Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Ended 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FY Revenue of $291.3 million, up 9% over 2023;

    Delivered FY 2024 net income of $12.5 million or 4% margin;

    FY adjusted EBITDA increased 23% over 2023 and was $92.3 million or 32% margin;

    Revenue in Q4 from CTV more than doubled year over year and represented 20% of total revenue;

    Supply Path Optimization represented 53% of total activity in 2024;

    Repurchased 4.3 million shares in 2024, representing 7.9% of fully diluted shares as of December 31, 2024

    NO-HEADQUARTERS/REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PubMatic, Inc. (Nasdaq: PUBM), an independent technology company delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

    “Revenue growth in the year more than doubled over 2023, driven by strength in CTV, emerging revenue streams, and marquee customers choosing PubMatic to build and scale their ad businesses. Our revenue mix is evolving; in the fourth quarter, CTV more than doubled to 20% of total revenue. These achievements mark an inflection point in our underlying business that highlights critical scale on our platform and a significant shift in ad buying toward channels with the highest consumer engagement such as CTV, mobile app and commerce media,” said Rajeev Goel, co-founder and CEO at PubMatic. “Today, our omnichannel platform serves publishers, media buyers, commerce media networks, and curation/data providers, all of which are turning to sell side technology for critical end-to-end solutions needed to build their ad businesses. As we look to 2025, we expect accelerated growth in our underlying business as ad buyers seek premium, brand safe, curated inventory in the open internet.”

    Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Highlights

    • Revenue for the full year 2024 was $291.3 million, an increase of 9% over $267.0 million in 2023;
    • Gross profit was $190.2 million, or 65% margin, an improvement of 250 basis points over 2023;
    • Revenue from omnichannel video in 2024 grew 37% over the same period last year;
    • Net dollar-based retention1 was 107% for the year ended December 31, 2024;
    • GAAP net income was $12.5 million with a margin of 4%, or $0.23 per diluted share in 2024, an increase over net income2 of $8.9 million with a margin of 3%, or $0.16 per diluted share in 2023;
    • Adjusted EBITDA was $92.3 million, or 32% margin, an increase over adjusted EBITDA of $75.3 million, or 28% margin, in 2023;
    • Non-GAAP net income was $42.5 million, or $0.78 per non-GAAP diluted share in 2024, an increase over non-GAAP net income of $32.0 million, or $0.57 per non-GAAP diluted share in 2023;
    • Net cash provided by operating activities in 2024 was $73.4 million, compared to $81.1 million in the full year 2023;
    • Generated free cash flow of $34.9 million in 2024, down 34% over 2023;
    • Ended 2024 with total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of $140.6 million with no debt, a decrease of 20% over the full year 2023; and
    • Through December 31, 2024, used $134.6 million in cash to repurchase 8.3 million shares of Class A common stock with $40.4 million available from the 2024 repurchase program.

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

    • Revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $85.5 million, an increase of 1% over $84.6 million in the same period of 2023;
    • GAAP net income was $13.9 million with a margin of 16%, or $0.26 per diluted share in the fourth quarter, compared to GAAP net income of $18.7 million with a margin of 22%, or $0.34 per diluted share in the same period of 2023;
    • Adjusted EBITDA was $37.6 million, or 44% margin, compared to $38.9 million, or 46% margin in the same period of 2023;
    • Non-GAAP net income was $21.4 million, or $0.41 per non-GAAP diluted share in the fourth quarter, compared to non-GAAP net income of $24.4 million, or $0.45 per non-GAAP diluted share in the same period of 2023; and
    • Net cash provided by operating activities was $18.0 million, compared to $28.7 million in the same period of 2023.

    The section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below describes our usage of non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations between historical GAAP and non-GAAP information are contained at the end of this press release following the accompanying financial data.

    “In 2024, we delivered record share of revenue for CTV, mobile app and emerging revenues, and achieved an all-time high of Supply Path Optimization activity. We also significantly expanded our margins, once again, demonstrating the strength of our durable model and our strategic commitment to steward both operational excellence and targeted investments for growth,” said Steve Pantelick, CFO at PubMatic. “In Q4, strong growth in the underlying business helped offset softer spending from the large DSP buyer we previously called out mid year. Going forward, we are taking a conservative approach as it relates to this buyer, and expect total revenues to grow year over year in the second half of the year once we lap this impact at the end of Q2 2025. Our underlying business, which excludes revenue from this DSP and political, is targeted to grow 15%+ and represent over two thirds of total company revenues in 2025.”

    Business Highlights

    Omnichannel platform drives revenue in key secular growth areas

    • Full year revenue from high value formats and channels, mobile and omnichannel video3, grew 17% over 2023.
    • In Q4, revenue from omnichannel video, which includes CTV, grew 37% year-over-year.
    • CTV reached scale, and was 20% of revenue in the fourth quarter, driven by growing inventory supply, SPO relationships, and strength in political advertising.
    • Revenue from mobile app grew 16% over 2023 as we scaled to over 900 mobile app publishers.

    High consumer engagement channels fuel ad demand and sell-side data curation

    • New and expanded partnerships announced in 2024 with premium streaming brands including Roku, Dish Media, Disney+ Hotstar, TCL and Xumo. We now work with 80% of the top 30 streaming publishers.
    • The number of Activate customers grew nearly 6x over 2023.
    • Supply Path Optimization represented 53% of total activity on our platform in 2024, up from 45% in 2023.
    • Connect drives more performant, targeted ad campaigns across the open internet, offering 190 data sets to ad buyers on PubMatic. Connect is a leading platform for data providers and curators to integrate first-party data, package inventory, sell to, and optimize outcomes for ad buyers.

    Focused investments drive long-term growth opportunities

    • More than doubled total addressable market to over $120 billion via products that address four key stakeholders across the digital advertising ecosystem: publishers, media buyers, curators and data providers, and commerce media networks.
    • Contribution from emerging revenue streams, which expand beyond ad monetization services, doubled from 2023.

    Recent product launches

    • Launched CTV Marketplaces, offering ad buyers pre-curated CTV inventory available only on PubMatic, built directly from our sell side technology. CTV Marketplaces allows publishers to unlock more value from their inventory and provides ad buyers off-the-shelf, easy to buy premium content and targeted audiences, including curated live sports inventory.
    • Launched Creative Category Manager, a generative AI solution that scans and classifies each video ad creative on granular criteria. First used to unlock millions of dollars in political ad spend, it drove significant CTV revenue. This gen AI solution will soon expand to other use cases and verticals.
    • Launched PubMatic Assistant, a gen AI powered reporting tool that allows publishers to request any report or data using simple plain language text queries. As a result, publishers can streamline analytics, enhance productivity and unlock new growth opportunities by uncovering insights in big data. This powerful tool removes barriers to adoption and drives increased platform usage.

    2024 operating priorities drove profitable growth

    • Aligned with our growth investments, increased global headcount in 2024 by 11% over 2023, adding new team members across product management, engineering and go-to-market teams to accelerate long-term revenue growth.
    • Infrastructure optimization initiatives and investments drove nearly 263 trillion impressions processed in 2024, an increase of 25% over 2023.
    • Cost of revenue per million impressions processed decreased 18% on a trailing twelve month period, as compared to the prior period.
    • Scaled adoption of generative AI drove increased engineering productivity by 15%+ which led to faster software development, testing and release processes.

    Financial Outlook

    Q1 outlook includes the continued headwind from one of our top DSP buyers that revised its auction approach in late May 2024. Adjusted EBITDA expectation assumes a negative FX impact predominately from Euro and Pound Sterling expenses. It also assumes that general market conditions do not significantly deteriorate as it relates to current macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions.

    Accordingly, we estimate the following:

    For the first quarter of 2025, we expect the following:

    • Revenue to be in the range of $61 million to $63 million.
    • Adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $5 million to $7 million.

    Although we provide guidance for adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, we are not able to provide guidance for net income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Certain elements of the composition of GAAP net income, including stock-based compensation expenses, are not predictable, making it impractical for us to provide guidance on net income or to reconcile our adjusted EBITDA guidance to net income without unreasonable efforts. For the same reason, we are unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information.

    Conference Call and Webcast details

    PubMatic will host a conference call to discuss its financial results on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time). A live webcast of the call can be accessed from PubMatic’s Investor Relations website at https://investors.pubmatic.com. An archived version of the webcast will be available from the same website after the call.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    In addition to our results determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), including, in particular operating income, net cash provided by operating activities, and net income, we believe that adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per share and free cash flow, each a non-GAAP measure, are useful in evaluating our operating performance. We define adjusted EBITDA as net income adjusted for stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, unrealized loss and impairment of equity investment, interest income, acquisition-related and other expenses, and provision for income taxes. Adjusted EBITDA margin represents adjusted EBITDA calculated as a percentage of revenue. We define non-GAAP net income as net income adjusted for unrealized loss on equity investments, stock-based compensation expense, acquisition-related and other expenses, and adjustments for income taxes. We define non-GAAP free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities reduced by purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software development costs.

    In addition to operating income and net income, we use adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net income as measures of operational efficiency. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors for period to period comparisons of our business and in understanding and evaluating our operating results for the following reasons:

    • Adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net income are widely used by investors and securities analysts to measure a company’s operating performance without regard to items such as stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, interest expense, and provision for income taxes that can vary substantially from company to company depending upon their financing, capital structures and the method by which assets were acquired; and,
    • Our management uses adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net income in conjunction with GAAP financial measures for planning purposes, including the preparation of our annual operating budget, as a measure of operating performance and the effectiveness of our business strategies and in communications with our board of directors concerning our financial performance; and adjusted EBITDA provides consistency and comparability with our past financial performance, facilitates period-to-period comparisons of operations, and also facilitates comparisons with other peer companies, many of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results.

    Our use of non-GAAP financial measures has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our financial results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are as follows:

    • Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect: (a) changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; (b) the potentially dilutive impact of stock-based compensation; or (c) tax payments that may represent a reduction in cash available to us;
    • Although depreciation and amortization expense are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized may have to be replaced in the future, and adjusted EBITDA does not reflect cash capital expenditure requirements for such replacements or for new capital expenditure requirements; and
    • Non-GAAP net income does not include: (a) unrealized losses resulting from our equity investment; (b) the potentially dilutive impact of stock-based compensation; (c) income tax effects for stock-based compensation and unrealized losses from our equity investment; or (d) acquisition-related and other expenses.

    Because of these and other limitations, you should consider adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net income along with other GAAP-based financial performance measures, including net income and our GAAP financial results.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” regarding our future business expectations, including our guidance relating to our revenue and adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2025, our expectations regarding our adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, capital expenditures, future hiring, future market growth, our long-term revenue growth, target revenue and our ability to gain market share. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors including: our dependency on the overall demand for advertising and the channels we rely on; our existing customers not expanding their usage of our platform, or our failure to attract new publishers and buyers; our ability to maintain and expand access to spend from buyers and valuable ad impressions from publishers; the rejection of the use of digital advertising by consumers through opt-in, opt-out or ad-blocking technologies or other means; our failure to innovate and develop new solutions that are adopted by publishers; the war between Ukraine and Russia and the resumption of conflict between Israel and Palestine, and the related measures taken in response by the global community; the impacts of inflation as well as fiscal tightening and volatile interest rates; public health crises, including the resulting global economic uncertainty; limitations imposed on our collection, use or disclosure of data about advertisements; the lack of similar or better alternatives to the use of third-party cookies, mobile device IDs or other tracking technologies if such uses are restricted; any failure to scale our platform infrastructure to support anticipated growth and transaction volume; liabilities or fines due to publishers, buyers, and data providers not obtaining consents from consumers for us to process their personal data; any failure to comply with laws and regulations related to data privacy, data protection, information security, and consumer protection; and our ability to manage our growth. Moreover, we operate in a competitive and rapidly changing market, and new risks may emerge from time to time. For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with our business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of our SEC filings, including but not limited to, our annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on From 10-Q, copies of are available on our investor relations website at https://investors.pubmatic.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. All information in this press release is as of February 27, 2025. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    About PubMatic

    PubMatic is an independent technology company maximizing customer value by delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future. PubMatic’s sell-side platform empowers the world’s leading digital content creators across the open internet to control access to their inventory and increase monetization by enabling marketers to drive return on investment and reach addressable audiences across ad formats and devices. Since 2006, PubMatic’s infrastructure-driven approach has allowed for the efficient processing and utilization of data in real time. By delivering scalable and flexible programmatic innovation, PubMatic improves outcomes for its customers while championing a vibrant and transparent digital advertising supply chain.

     
     
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (In thousands)
    (unaudited)
     
        December 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    ASSETS        
    Current assets        
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 100,452     $ 78,509  
    Marketable securities     40,135       96,835  
    Accounts receivable, net     424,814       375,468  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     10,145       11,143  
    Total current assets     575,546       561,955  
    Property, equipment and software, net     58,522       60,729  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets     44,402       21,102  
    Acquisition-related intangible assets, net     4,284       5,864  
    Goodwill     29,577       29,577  
    Deferred tax assets     24,864       13,880  
    Other assets, non-current     2,324       2,136  
    TOTAL ASSETS   $ 739,519     $ 695,243  
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
    Current liabilities        
    Accounts payable   $ 386,602     $ 347,673  
    Accrued liabilities     26,365       25,684  
    Operating lease liabilities, current     5,843       6,236  
    Total current liabilities     418,810       379,593  
    Operating lease liabilities, non-current     39,538       15,607  
    Other liabilities, non-current     3,908       3,844  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES     462,256       399,044  
    Stockholders’ Equity        
    Common stock     6       6  
    Treasury stock     (146,796 )     (71,103 )
    Additional paid-in capital     275,304       230,419  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (636 )     (4 )
    Retained earnings     149,385       136,881  
    TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY     277,263       296,199  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   $ 739,519     $ 695,243  
     
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    (In thousands, except per share data)
    (unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended December 31,   Year Ended December 31,
          2024     2023     2024     2023
    Revenue   $ 85,502   $ 84,600   $ 291,256   $ 267,014
    Cost of revenue(1)     24,935     24,208     101,027     99,229
    Gross profit     60,567     60,392     190,229     167,785
    Operating expenses:(1)                
    Technology and development     7,831     6,846     33,263     26,727
    Sales and marketing     23,763     20,353     95,369     82,803
    General and administrative(2)     14,171     12,780     57,670     56,219
    Total operating expenses     45,765     39,979     186,302     165,749
    Operating income     14,802     20,413     3,927     2,036
    Total other income, net     3,618     2,632     13,847     8,469
    Income before income taxes     18,420     23,045     17,774     10,505
    Provision for income taxes     4,521     4,343     5,270     1,624
    Net income   $ 13,899   $ 18,702   $ 12,504   $ 8,881
    Net income per share attributable to common stockholders:                
    Basic   $ 0.29   $ 0.37   $ 0.25   $ 0.17
    Diluted   $ 0.26   $ 0.34   $ 0.23   $ 0.16
    Weighted-average shares used to compute net income per share attributable to common stockholders:                
    Basic     47,993     50,659     49,213     51,760
    Diluted     52,623     54,940     54,294     56,027
     
    (1)Stock-based compensation expense includes the following:
    STOCK BASED COMPENSATION EXPENSE
    (In thousands)
    (unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended December 31,   Year Ended December 31,
          2024     2023     2024     2023
    Cost of revenue   $         438   $         383   $         1,855   $         1,472        
    Technology and development             1,625             1,137             6,313             4,346        
    Sales and marketing             3,247             2,589             13,407             10,462        
    General and administrative             4,099             3,228             16,101             12,582        
    Total stock-based compensation   $         9,409   $         7,337   $         37,676   $         28,862        
     

    (2)On June 30, 2023, a Demand Side Platform buyer of our platform filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As a result of this bankruptcy, we recorded incremental bad debt expense of $5.7 million which is reflected in our GAAP net income and adjusted EBITDA results for the year ended December 31, 2023.

     
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
    (In thousands)
    (unaudited)
     
        December 31,
          2024       2023  
    CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:        
    Net Income   $ 12,504     $ 8,881  
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:        
    Depreciation and amortization     45,352       44,770  
    Stock-based compensation     37,676       28,862  
    Provision for doubtful accounts           5,675  
    Deferred income taxes     (10,984 )     (13,406 )
    Accretion of discount on marketable securities     (4,117 )     (4,093 )
    Non-cash lease expense     6,801       6,145  
    Other     (25 )     45  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:        
       Accounts receivable     (49,345 )     (75,716 )
       Prepaid expenses and other current assets     (5,826 )     3,918  
       Accounts payable     38,096       79,687  
       Accrued liabilities     9,627       3,035  
       Operating lease liabilities     (6,531 )     (5,789 )
       Other liabilities, non-current     197       (893 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities     73,425       81,121  
    CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:        
    Purchases of and deposits on property and equipment     (17,592 )     (10,601 )
    Capitalized software development costs     (20,936 )     (17,687 )
    Purchases of marketable securities     (142,016 )     (140,603 )
    Proceeds from sales of marketable securities           18,873  
    Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities     202,858       111,000  
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     22,314       (39,018 )
    CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:        
    Payment of business combination indemnification claims holdback     (2,148 )      
    Proceeds from issuance of common stock for employee stock purchase plan     2,368       1,869  
    Proceeds from exercise of stock options     1,765       1,549  
    Principal payments on finance lease obligations     (131 )     (126 )
    Payments to acquire treasury stock     (75,332 )     (59,268 )
    Net cash used in financing activities     (73,478 )     (55,976 )
    NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS     22,261       (13,873 )
    Effect of foreign currency on cash     (318 )      
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – Beginning of year     78,509       92,382  
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – End of year   $ 100,452     $ 78,509  
     
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET INCOME TO NON-GAAP ADJUSTED EBITDA AND NON-GAAP NET INCOME
    (In thousands, except per share amounts)
    (unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended December 31,   Year Ended December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Reconciliation of net income:                
    Net income   $ 13,899     $ 18,702     $ 12,504     $ 8,881  
    Add back (deduct):                
    Stock-based compensation     9,409       7,337       37,676       28,862  
    Depreciation and amortization     11,421       11,039       45,352       44,770  
    Interest income     (1,604 )     (2,515 )     (8,477 )     (8,828 )
    Provision for income taxes     4,521       4,343       5,270       1,624  
    Adjusted EBITDA1   $ 37,646     $ 38,906     $ 92,325     $ 75,309  
                     
    Revenue   $ 85,502     $ 84,600     $ 291,256     $ 267,014  
    Adjusted EBITDA margin     44 %     46 %     32 %     28 %
        Three Months Ended December 31,   Year Ended December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Reconciliation of net income per share:                
    Net income   $ 13,899     $ 18,702     $ 12,504     $ 8,881  
    Add back (deduct):                
    Stock-based compensation     9,409       7,337       37,676       28,862  
    Adjustment for income taxes     (1,865 )     (1,590 )     (7,728 )     (5,695 )
    Non-GAAP net income1   $ 21,443     $ 24,449     $ 42,452     $ 32,048  
    GAAP diluted EPS   $ 0.26     $ 0.34     $ 0.23     $ 0.16  
    Non-GAAP diluted EPS   $ 0.41     $ 0.45     $ 0.78     $ 0.57  
    GAAP weighted average shares outstanding—diluted     52,623       54,940       54,294       56,027  
    Non-GAAP weighted average shares outstanding—diluted     52,623       54,940       54,294       56,027  
     
    SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION
    COMPUTATION OF FREE CASH FLOW, A NON-GAAP MEASURE
    (In thousands)
    (unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended December 31,   Year Ended December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Reconciliation of cash provided by operating activities:                
    Net cash provided by operating activities   $ 18,048     $ 28,674     $ 73,425     $ 81,121  
    Less: Purchases of property and equipment     (4,324 )     (5,177 )     (17,592 )     (10,601 )
    Less: Capitalized software development costs     (4,868 )     (3,962 )     (20,936 )     (17,687 )
    Free cash flow   $ 8,856     $ 19,535     $ 34,897     $ 52,833  
     

    1 Net income, Adjusted EBITDA, and Non-GAAP net income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 include other income of $4.0 million related to our efforts to build and test integrations with the Google Privacy Sandbox.


    1 Net dollar-based retention is calculated by starting with the revenue from publishers in the trailing twelve months ended December 31, 2023 (“Prior Period Revenue”). We then calculate the revenue from these same publishers in the trailing twelve months ended December 31, 2024 (“Current Period Revenue”). Current Period Revenue includes any upsells and is net of contraction or attrition, but excludes revenue from new publishers. Our net dollar-based retention rate equals the Current Period Revenue divided by Prior Period Revenue. Net dollar-based retention rate is an important indicator of publisher satisfaction and usage of our platform, as well as potential revenue for future periods.
    2 Fiscal year 2023 GAAP net income includes approximately $5.7 million of incremental bad debt expense related to the bankruptcy of a Demand Side Platform buyer of our platform.
    3 Omnichannel video spans across desktop, mobile and CTV devices.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Security: Henrico man sentenced to over eight years in prison for illegally possessing Molotov cocktails

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison for possession of destructive devices.

    According to court documents, in August 2020, Xavier Louis Lopez, 25, paced through his suburban Henrico neighborhood, wielding a knife that he used to slash the tires of cars belonging to neighbors of whose political views he disapproved. When police officers located and arrested Lopez, he violently resisted, attempted to gain control of a knife, and physically assaulted the officers.

    After the arrest, investigators searched Lopez’s residence and located over a thousand rounds of ammunition, more than a dozen high-capacity magazines, rifle parts, and machining tools and equipment. All firearms-related items were seized following his 2021 plea agreement related to felony vandalism charges.

    After Lopez’s release from prison in November 2022, investigators recovered eight Molotov cocktails, destructive devices with Styrofoam added to the gasoline mixture inside, creating improvised napalm. Located near the Molotov cocktails was a box of 9mm hollow-point ammunition, as well as the defendant’s attempts to 3D-print the final piece of a 9mm handgun build kit he had purchased anonymously online.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI’s Richmond Field Office thank the Henrico County Police Department and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance to the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett and Peter S. Duffey prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-79.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Riverton man sentenced to two life sentences plus an additional 10 years in prison for first-degree murder and related charges on the Wind River Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burdick Nelson Seminole Sr., 59, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and causing death with a firearm during a crime of violence, each count to run concurrently; plus, an additional 10 years imprisonment for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 27 in Casper. The court also ordered Seminole to pay $4,521.09 in restitution and a $300 special assessment.

    Seminole was convicted of first-degree murder after a four-day trial on Nov. 15, 2024. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in the early morning of Aug. 8, 2023, Seminole drove to the victim’s residence, entered the residence without permission, and confronted the victim. An argument ensued and Seminole left the residence to retrieve a pistol and reentered the residence, where he continued to argue with the victim, who was sitting in his wheelchair. Seminole pistol-whipped the victim and shot him three times. In response, another resident shot at Seminole, hitting him in the back of the neck, causing him to flee. Seminole drove himself to the hospital and was diagnosed with a minor flesh wound. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy, strengthening PSN on the basis of 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    Case No. 24-CR-00017

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Recidivist child predator, sex offender sentenced to more than 22 years

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida man was sentenced Feb. 20, 2025, to 22 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice or induce a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Orlando.

    Chad Allen Pease, 49, of Fort Pierce, was found guilty by a federal jury on Nov. 20, 2024.

    “This predator intentionally singled out a child, devised a plan, and executed it with the sole purpose of harming the most vulnerable in our community,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI investigators, alongside our partners, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, have successfully removed another predator from the streets.”

    According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on Feb. 3, 2024, Pease began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer whom Pease believed to be the father of a 13-year-old girl. Over the course of the conversation, Pease made plans to meet up with the undercover agent and his “daughter” so that Pease could have sex with the child. Pease drove 18 miles to the meeting location and conducted counter-surveillance before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement identified Pease, reconstructed his activities that evening, and later arrested him at his residence.

    Pease was previously convicted of a sex offense in 2008, after sending explicit photographs and traveling to have sex with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He has been required to register as a sex offender ever since.

    This case was investigated by ICE Orlando and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fairbanks Man Sentenced to Over 14 Years for Possessing Kilograms of Illegal Drugs with Intent to Distribute

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

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Fairbanks man was sentenced today to over 14 years in prison for possessing with intent to sell over 12 kilograms of controlled substances.

    According to court documents, beginning in August 2023, law enforcement received information that Kevin Shank, 46, was selling controlled substances from his residence in Fairbanks. In February 2024, law enforcement observed an individual purchase 1.1 grams of heroin and 21 blue fentanyl pills from Shank.

    On March 19, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Shank’s residence, and discovered and seized over 6.1 kilograms of methamphetamine, over 2.4 kilograms of fentanyl tablets, nearly one kilogram of fentanyl powder, nearly one kilogram of cocaine, over 1.7 kilograms of marijuana, and smaller amounts of heroin, suboxone and Xanax. They also seized seven firearms, two homemade suppressors and various ammunition, as well as over $303,000 in cash and a truck purchased with drug trafficking proceeds.

    Court documents explain that most of the controlled substances were found in a secret compartment in a small side room of the residence, while several firearms were staged at entrances to the residence and the side room.

    On Nov. 26, 2024, Shank pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute. The Court also ordered Shank to serve five years on supervised release and pay a $25,000 fine as part of his sentence.

    “Mr. Shank possessed roughly 22 pounds of controlled substances, including seven pounds of illicit fentanyl, intended for distribution to profit at the expense of Alaskans safety,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn R. Vogel for the District of Alaska. “This case marks the largest drug seizure in Fairbanks history, and we thank our law enforcement partners for their efforts. This sentence underscores our strong commitment to dismantling drug trafficking supplies and to holding those accountable who endanger our communities by trafficking illegal, dangerous drugs.”

    “Drug traffickers like Mr. Shank, who profit from the pain they cause selling poison to our neighbors, pose an especially grave threat,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The fentanyl alone seized in this case amounted to more than 85,000 potentially lethal doses. Make no mistake: If you deal drugs in Alaska, DEA and our partners will hold you accountable.”

    The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division and Fairbanks Resident Office, with assistance from the FBI Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks Police Department, North Pole Police Department, North Slope Borough Police Department and Fairbanks Airport Police Department as part of the Fairbanks Area Narcotics Team (FANT), investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Ninepoint Partners Announces Final February 2025 Cash Distribution for Ninepoint Cash Management Fund – ETF Series

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ninepoint Partners LP (“Ninepoint Partners”) today announced the final February 2025 cash distribution for the Ninepoint Cash Management Fund – ETF Series. The record date for the distribution is February 28, 2025. This distribution is payable on March 7, 2025.

    The per-unit final February 2025 distribution is detailed below:

    Ninepoint ETF Series Ticker Cash Distribution per
    unit
    Notional Distribution
    per unit
    CUSIP
    Ninepoint Cash
    Management Fund
    NSAV $0.12085 $0.00000 65443X105


    About Ninepoint Partners

    Based in Toronto, Ninepoint Partners LP is one of Canada’s leading alternative investment management firms overseeing approximately $7 billion in assets under management and institutional contracts. Committed to helping investors explore innovative investment solutions that have the potential to enhance returns and manage portfolio risk, Ninepoint offers a diverse set of alternative strategies spanning Equities, Fixed Income, Alternative Income, Real Assets, F/X and Digital Assets.

    For more information on Ninepoint Partners LP, please visit www.ninepoint.com or for inquiries regarding the offering, please contact us at (416) 943-6707 or (866) 299-9906 or invest@ninepoint.com.

    Ninepoint Partners LP is the investment manager to the Ninepoint Funds (collectively, the “Funds”). Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees, performance fees (if any), and other expenses all may be associated with investing in the Funds. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer or solicitation by anyone in the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation. Prospective investors who are not resident in Canada should contact their financial advisor to determine whether securities of the Fund may be lawfully sold in their jurisdiction.

    Please note that distribution factors (breakdown between income, capital gains and return of capital) can only be calculated when a fund has reached its year-end. Distribution information should not be relied upon for income tax reporting purposes as this is only a component of total distributions for the year. For accurate distribution amounts for the purpose of filing an income tax return, please refer to the appropriate T3/T5 slips for that particular taxation year. Please refer to the prospectus or offering memorandum of each Fund for details of the Fund’s distribution policy.

    The payment of distributions and distribution breakdown, if applicable, is not guaranteed and may fluctuate. The payment of distributions should not be confused with a Fund’s performance, rate of return, or yield. If distributions paid by the Fund are greater than the performance of the Fund, then an investor’s original investment will shrink. Distributions paid as a result of capital gains realized by a Fund and income and dividends earned by a Fund are taxable in the year they are paid. An investor’s adjusted cost base will be reduced by the amount of any returns of capital. If an investor’s adjusted cost base goes below zero, then capital gains tax will have to be paid on the amount below zero.

    Sales Inquiries:

    Ninepoint Partners LP
    Neil Ross
    416-945-6227
    nross@ninepoint.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Padilla Warns Against Trump’s Push to Install His Personal Lawyers to Top Department of Justice Positions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    WATCH: Padilla Warns Against Trump’s Push to Install His Personal Lawyers to Top Department of Justice Positions

    WATCH: Padilla calls out DOJ nominees for loyalty to Trump above the Constitution

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, warned against President Trump’s alarming pattern of nominating lawyers who have previously represented him for senior Department of Justice positions, and called the nominees out for refusing to commit to uphold key Constitutional provisions. He voted against advancing Trump’s nominee for U.S. Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, who served as Trump’s personal criminal defense attorney in several cases, including Trump’s New York hush money trial, in which the President was convicted of 34 felony counts.

    Padilla underscored the refusals of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Solicitor General nominee John Sauer to commit to protecting birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He also highlighted the conflicts of interest Bondi, Blanche, Sauer, and other top officials at the Justice Department have due to their previous representation of Trump — raising concerns about both their independence from Trump and how many officials might need to recuse themselves from important cases.

    In light of these dangerous nominations, Padilla voiced his concerns about eroding public trust in Congress and the Justice system.

    Key Quotes:

    • I can’t recall a time when not just any nominee by any President, but specifically high-ranking positions within the Department of Justice when those nominees would not clearly and strongly respond to the questions that we’ve been asking, about what if you are asked to do something unconstitutional or illegal or unethical? What would you do in that instance?
    • As we zoom out and in the aggregate, it’s not just individual concerns, nominee by nominee by nominee, but collectively speaking, you know, when given so many of these people’s personal history with President Trump, having been his personal lawyer, the concern about true independence and conflict of interest is stronger than ever.
    • There’s so many people now and soon to be at the highest levels of the Department of Justice, we’re at an unprecedented point of where does the conflict stop? Where is the independence, the commitment to the people of the United States and the Constitution? Not fealty to the President of the United States, that not just us as the Senate Judiciary Committee or Congress as a whole, but the American public, they’re losing confidence and faith in this most important of institutions.
    • As we are expressing our concern or even outrage with some of these specific nominees and individual nominees, let’s not lose sight of what’s happening collectively as these nominees are flying through because we’re not hearing any question, any concern from our Republican colleagues in this committee, let alone in the Senate as an entire body, with what’s going on here.

    Video of Senator Padilla’s remarks is available here.

    Footage of his remarks can be downloaded here.

    Senator Padilla has fought to hold Trump’s DOJ nominees accountable. Earlier this month, he questioned Blanche on his personal ties to the President and the Trump Administration’s unlawful firings of more than a dozen Inspectors General. Padilla previously opposed advancing Attorney General Bondi’s nomination after she refused to affirm birthright citizenship, which is constitutionally guaranteed, and declined to disavow the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen during her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing. He also sounded the alarm on Kash Patel’s reckless nomination to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), delivering remarks ahead of Patel’s confirmation at a press conference outside FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. and in a speech on the Senate floor. Yesterday, Padilla questioned three of President Trump’s DOJ nominees, raising concerns over Republican DOJ nominees’ apparent willingness to disregard the rule of law and ignore court orders they disagree with. Additionally, Padilla joined Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats last month in demanding answers from Bondi, Blanche, Patel, and other Trump Administration nominees and officials on the removal or reassignment of career law enforcement officials across the DOJ and FBI.

    More information on today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mount Vernon Native Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison For Orchestrating $7.6 Million COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacob Carter Personally Received Over $1.7 Million in Kickbacks for Obtaining U.S. Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans for Over 1,000 Applicants

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JACOB CARTER, who led a scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) of more than $7.6 million, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román to 11 years in prison.  CARTER and co-defendants Quadri Salahuddin and Anwar Salahuddin were convicted at trial on February 9, 2024, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Jacob Carter took advantage of a taxpayer-funded program intended to help small businesses in desperate need during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Some small businesses that were eligible for and deserving of this money did not get it because funds ran out.  Carter used his ill-gotten gains for far more selfish pursuits, including expensive jewelry and a Lamborghini.  Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office, Carter has now received just punishment.”

    According to the Indictment, publics filings, public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence presented at trial and in connection with sentencing:

    The SBA is a federal agency of the Executive Branch that administers assistance to American small businesses. This assistance includes making direct loans to applicants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Program.  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded SBA’s EIDL Program to provide small businesses with low-interest loans of up to $2 million prior to in or about May 2020 and up to $150,000 beginning in or about May 2020, in order to provide vital economic support to help overcome the loss of revenue small businesses are experiencing due to COVID-19.  Applicants seeking a loan under the EIDL program were also now permitted to request and receive an advance of approximately $1,000 per employee, for an amount up to $10,000, which the SBA has generally provided while the loan application was pending.

    From March through July 2020, CARTER and co-defendants Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Crystal Ransom, used the identities of more than 1,000 other individuals (the “Applicants”) to submit more than 1,000 online applications to the SBA, seeking over $10 million of funds through the SBA’s EIDL Program (the “EIDL Applications”). In connection with the EIDL Applications, CARTER, Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Ransom falsely represented to the SBA that the Applicants were the owners of businesses with 10 or more employees.  However, that was a lie – the individuals did not own businesses or employ people.  Based on the fraudulent EIDL Applications, the SBA made advance payments of more than $7.6 million to the Applicants, who then kicked back a portion of the advance payments to CARTER, Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Ransom.  After the defendants collected millions of dollars in kickback payments, CARTER took photographs of his stacks of cash, purchased expensive jewelry, and leased a Lamborghini.

    *               *                *

    In addition to the prison term, CARTER, 39, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.  CARTER was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,737,000 to the SBA and forfeiture in the amount of $1,720,950.

    Ransom pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced on April 24, 2024, to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release with the first six months under home confinement. The Court also ordered that Ransom pay restitution in the amount of $7,577,000 to the SBA and forfeiture in the amount of $99,000. Quadri Salahuddin and Anwar Salahuddin are scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2025.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

    The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey C. Coffman, Courtney L. Heavey, and Jared D. Hoffman are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Sentenced for Coercing a Minor Child to Send Him Sexually Explicit Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. –  In November 2024, a jury found Thomas Edward Petro, 32, of Ashtabula, Ohio, guilty of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor.

    Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell, sentenced Petro to 140 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon release, Petro will be required to register as a sex offender.

    “Petro enticed this child using social media,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I encourage parents and guardians to talk with your children. Know who they spend time with and what they do on their cell phones. Sexual predators like Petro are skilled in befriending children and taking advantage of them.” 

    The evidence presented at trial showed that Petro lived in Ohio and met the minor child through an app. Petro shared hundreds of sexually explicit messages, voice recordings, pictures, and videos of himself with a 13-year-old minor child. Petro requested the minor to take sexually explicit images and send them to him. Knowing the victim was 13, Petro asked the victim to keep their relationship a secret.

    The inappropriate relationship was discovered when the minor child told a friend. That friend told the school resource officer, who immediately contacted the principal and reported the incident to the FBI.

    When the lead FBI agent testified, he confirmed that the minor child did disclose that they were only 13 years old. After going over all of the sexually explicit evidence in front of the jury, the agent also confirmed that Petro never asked the minor child to stop engaging in sexual activity.

    Petro was taken into custody following the guilty verdict. He will remain in custody, pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and Adair Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Brandon and Scott Dunn prosecuted it.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Indicted for Armed Rape Committed in January 2012 in NE Washington D.C.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Cristian Josue Arteaga, 35, formerly of Hyattsville, Maryland, was indicted yesterday by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on multiple counts of first-degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances, stemming from a January 22, 2012 armed rape of a victim in Northeast Washington D.C., U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. 

                Arteaga will be arraigned before the Honorable Jason Park. If convicted of the charges, Arteaga faces a maximum of life in prison without possibility of release and lifetime sex offender registration. 

               According to the government’s evidence as summarized in the arrest warrant, on January 22, 2012, at approximately 2:30 a.m., the victim was walking home from the Ft. Totten Metro station after finishing her shift at work. As the victim approached her home, Arteaga—a stranger—approached her and asked what time it was. The victim responded by pulling out her phone and relaying the time. Arteaga then brandished a small black handgun, demanded money and made a crude sexual demand while pointing the gun in her face. Arteaga shoved the victim into her neighbor’s carport, pushed her down, and raped her multiple times at gunpoint. Following the assault, Arteaga threatened the victim not to report the assault to police, saying he would kill her if she reported, and then fled the scene.  

               Due to the threats, the victim was afraid to call police to her home and waited until the following morning to report the rape to police. The victim subsequently obtained a rape kit and crime scene technicians processed the crime scene for evidence. Evidence collected in connection with the offense was tested for DNA promptly in 2012. The DNA profile of an unknown male was obtained from the testing and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a DNA database maintained by the FBI. There were no hits in the database and the case went cold.

                On December 19, 2023, the Texas Department of Public Safety issued an NDIS CODIS offender letter, reflecting a match between the unknown male DNA profile that had been entered in CODIS from the 2012 armed rape and Texas offender Cristian Josue Arteaga. Detectives traveled to Texas and lawfully collected a known DNA sample from Arteaga and submitted it for testing and comparison to the evidence from the armed rape that was previously tested in 2012. The DNA testing provided very strong support for inclusion of Arteaga’s and the victim’s DNA profiles being present in the evidence.

                Arteaga has been in custody since his arrest and was brought to the District of Columbia in January 2025 to face these charges.

               This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

               This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

               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: Attorney General Alan Wilson announces “Triple Crown” State Grand Jury investigation update: Top target pleads guilty and is sentenced to 25 yearsRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, SC) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that Jonathan Wesley Cole, aka “Buckshot,” pleaded guilty in the “Triple Crown” investigation on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. 

    Cole pleaded guilty to charges in Kershaw, Sumter, and Richland counties including:  Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy); Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl; Trafficking Marijuana, 10 Pounds or More, But Less Than 100 Pounds; Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More; Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl; Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime, Money Laundering; and Trafficking Marijuana, 10 Pounds or More, But Less Than 100 Pounds. 

    Cole was a top target of the investigation who was supplying other high-level targets with large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. Law enforcement learned that Cole would fly to California to obtain drugs and traffic them back to South Carolina in his luggage on commercial flights. On April 30, 2022, law enforcement detained one of Cole’s co-conspirators who had just flown back from California. He had approximately 12 pounds of marijuana in his suitcase and was directed by Cole to take the marijuana to another co-conspirator.

    On June 2, 2022, law enforcement executed a series of search warrants at properties owned or associated with Cole. At Cole’s residence, two vacuum-sealed bags were found buried in the wood line. The bags contained approximately 635 grams of cocaine and 1,437 grams of fentanyl. Only 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be considered a lethal dose, meaning a kilogram of fentanyl could potentially be enough to kill 500,000 people.  Law enforcement also located $27,384 in cash, an assault rifle, body armor-piercing ammunition, and approximately 16 pounds of marijuana. Cole was using an empty barber shop as a front to launder his drug proceeds. 

    Judge Paul Burch sentenced Cole to 25 years in prison.      

    Charges from the Triple Crown investigation are still pending and involve over 50 co-conspirators who are alleged to have been trafficking cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, and fentanyl in Kershaw, Lee, Marlboro, Dillon, Sumter, and Richland Counties. A trial term is scheduled for the week of March 24 in Kershaw County. 

    The case was investigated by the South Carolina State Grand Jury and prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude. The State Grand Jury was assisted in this case by a partnership of the Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Division, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Camden Police Department, Florence County Sheriff’s Office, Dillon County Sheriff’s Office, Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Department of Homeland Security, DEA, and FBI.

    Attorney General Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: February Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments Announced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the February Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.

    The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

    Dylan Ray Alexander. Second Degree Murder in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Alexander, 31, of Bartlesville and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with unlawfully killing Kevin Holden and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bartlesville Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Dunn and Tara Heign are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-052

    Jeremiah Jacob Drake. Production of Child Pornography; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. Drake, 44, of Tulsa, is charged with coercing a minor child to produce sexually explicit content. He is additionally charged with receiving, possessing, and distributing sexually explicit material that depicts the sexual abuse of a minor child. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-056

    Carl Anthony Epps, II. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence in Indian Country (superseding).  Epps, 42, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. Further, he is charged with using a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-007

    Anthony Wayne Jeremiah. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Malicious Mischief in Indian Country; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Jeremiah, 43, transient and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with assaulting the victim with a dangerous weapon and maliciously destroying the victim’s property. He is further charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition after previously being convicted of felonies. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Dunn and Emily Dewhurst are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-055

    Blake Alan Miller. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country. Miller, 41, of Forrest City, Arkansas, and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a child under 12 years old. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Brandon is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-045

    Gabriel Urquiza-Urquiza; Daisy Villanueva; Javier Rodarte; Ricardo Plateado-Martinez; Rosa Maria Olmos; Rafael Gonzalez; Joel Rosales Pina. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Firearms Conspiracy (Count 2); Firearms Trafficking (Count 3); Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering (Count 4); Engaging in Monetary Transactions in Property Derived from Specified Unlawful Activity (Counts 5 & 6); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Count 7); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 8); Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms (Count 9); Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 10); Illegal Export of Firearms (Count 11); Smuggling Firearms from the United States (Count 12); Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (Count 13); Conspiracy to Import a Controlled Substance (second superseding). Urquiza-Urquiza, 26, a Mexican National; Villanueva, 24, of Oklahoma City; Rodarte, 26, of Moore; Plateado-Martinez, 34, of Broken Arrow; Olmos, 35, of Broken Arrow; Gonzales, 31, of Beaumont; and Pina, 40, a Mexican National are charged with conspiring to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. Urquiza-Urquiza, Villanueva, Rodarte, Plateado-Martinez, Olmos, Gonzalez, and Pina are charged with conspiring to conceal or disguise proceeds from the transactions of methamphetamine distribution. Urquiza-Urquiza is charged with two counts of knowingly engaging in monetary transactions that involved criminally derived property valued at more than $10,000. Villanueva is also charged with intentionally distributing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Pina is further charged with maintaining a residence to distribute drugs. Urquiza-Urquiza, Gonzalez, and Pina are charged with conspiring to import more than 500 grams of methamphetamine from Mexico. Urquiza-Urquiza is also charged with possessing firearms, knowing he is an illegal alien unlawfully in the United States, and with possessing firearms in the furtherance of drug trafficking. He is additionally charged with willfully exporting and smuggling firearms from the United States to Mexico. The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Tulsa Police Department, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Broken Arrow Police Department, and Oklahoma City Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-131

    Adrian Marquez Rodriguez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rodriguez, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Nov. 2005. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-054

    Ronald Dewayne Thompson. Possession of Child Pornography; Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country; Commission of Felony Sex Offense Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender. Thompson, 33, of Claremore, is charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. He knowingly engaged in sexual conduct with a minor under 12 years of age. Additionally, Thompson knowingly is required to register and committed a felony involving a minor child. Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-058

    Delawnsha Lemar Tiger. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Tiger, 30, transient, is charged with knowingly failing to register as a sex offender in Dec. 2024. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-053

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin To Trump: Whose Side Are You On? The Police Or The January 6 Rioters?

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    February 27, 2025
    In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin detailed the list of crimes committed by January 6 rioters President Trump pardoned, which keeps growing longer
    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, detailed the list of crimes committed by January 6thinsurrectionists, including those who violently assaulted law enforcement officers, pardoned by President Trump on his first day back in office. The grim result of the insurrection was the subsequent deaths of five law enforcement officers and the injuries to approximately 140 others, many of whom are still paying the price for that day.
    “It came as a shock when, on the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency, he issued a blanket pardon for those who had been convicted for that January 6 attack on the Capitol… The American people overwhelmingly disagree with the President… Eighty-three percent of them oppose the pardons that he gave. That includes 70 percent who lean Republican in their voting,” Durbin said.“Despite this overwhelming opposition, the Justice Department has now broadened the scope of President Trump’s pardons for January 6 rioters to include separate charges stemming from searches conducted during those investigations.”
    Federal prosecutors recently dropped firearms cases being pursued against two January 6 defendants pardoned by President Trump—Daniel Ball and Elias Costianes. Ball and Costianes had both been charged in separate proceedings with illegally possessing weapons that law enforcement discovered during January 6-related searches.
    “Just last Friday, just a few days ago, a number of these pardoned individuals decided to hold their own press conference outside the U.S. Capitol to announce their intent to sue the Justice Department for prosecuting them for this [January 6 insurrection]. Dangerous individuals included former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who had been serving a 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy before the Trump pardon; Proud Boy Ethan Nordean, who had been serving an 18-year sentence; Dominic Pezzola, the first rioter to breach the building on January 6. He was serving a 10-year sentence for stealing a police riot shield and using it to break a window,” Durbin said. “The group paraded through the Capitol after the press conference following the same route they took on January 6, 2021. They posed for photos, chanting as they did that day ‘Whose house? Our house.’ And after the press conference, Mr. Tarrio was even arrested, again, outside the Capitol forassaulting a female counter-protestor.”
    Durbin continued, “Tarrio also posted a video of himself stalking Michael Fanone and Harry Dunn, former police officers who defended the Capitol on January 6. Tarrio was following them through the lobby of a hotel where the officers were attending a conference. While Tarrio followed them, he was calling out at them that they were ‘cowards’ and telling them to ‘keep walking.’ Does this sound like a man ashamed of his actions on January 6 and full of remorse? Does this sound like an innocent victim of assault? No, this sounds like a man who now thinks he is above the law with his Trump pardon and expects to be bailed out by President Trump for every crime he decides to commit.”
    Durbin made the case that these individuals are a threat, and the more power and freedom they are given, the more danger they pose to our democracy and the law enforcement officers they are harassing. Just this month, dozens of former January 6 offenders joined forces on social media to compile and publicize the identities of at least 124 individuals who had been involved in their convictions—including prosecutors, judges, and FBI agents.
    “The post, which has received [at least] 60,000 views, included names, photos, disparaging remarks, and demands for accountability,” Durbin said. “In January, another pardoned January 6 defendant who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers, Ryan Nichols Sr., identified in a Twitter post ‘officers in the D.C. Jail who need to be investigated for corruption and abuse,’ adding the names and LinkedIn profile photos of two D.C. Jail employees.”
    Durbin concluded, “The men and women who bravely defended the members of this body deserve better than this… I hope that all of us, regardless of our political persuasion, will finally agree on one thing—violence has no place in a democracy and Donald Trump’s pardon of these 1,600 January 6 attackers is not only an insult to the Capitol police who risked their lives to stop them, but has emboldened these convicts to harass these officers and their families. Mr. President, the question for the Senate is simple. Whose side are you on? The police or the rioters.”
    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin: President Trump Is Testing The Limits Of Our Constitution Like They Have Never Been Tested In My Lifetime

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    February 27, 2025
    At today’s Judiciary Committee executive business meeting, Durbin urged members of both sides to realize that their obligation is to the Constitution, not a political party
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s executive business meeting. In his remarks, Durbin recalled yesterday’s Judiciary Committee nominations hearing in which Justice Department nominees suggested that elected officials are allowed to defy federal court orders.
    Key Quotes:
    “During my time on this Committee, my respect has grown for this Committee, the Senate, Congress, and the Constitution, of course. From advice and consent to the power of the purse, the founding fathers granted the legislative branch exclusive powers in the Constitution, exclusive—in part to ensure the executive branch did not become too powerful.”
    “For nearly 250 years, this system has held. But let’s be honest—brutally honest. President Trump is testing the limits of our Constitution like they have never been tested in my lifetime.”
    “President Trump and Elon Musk are pursuing a power grab that—if left unchecked—will leave the federal courts impotent and Congress a museum piece.  That’s a fact.
    “The notion that anyone can ignore a court order, particularly an elected official, really calls into question the fundamentals of checks and balances.”
    “I want to caution my Republican colleagues that the precedents that the Trump Administration is establishing could be followed by a future Democratic president.”
    “We now have a precedent that an incoming president can fire the FBI director and nominate a partisan campaign advisor who pledges to seek retribution against the president’s rivals.”
    “We have a precedent that the Deputy FBI Director can now be someone like Dan Bongino, a partisan conspiracy theorist with no previous FBI experience… For more than 100 years, the Deputy FBI Director has been a career FBI agent. Today, we have a Deputy Director in Mr. Bongino who called the FBI ‘an oppo research firm for Democrats with an armed political enforcement branch’ and said the agency should be disbanded. He’s now the Deputy.”
    “Thanks to Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, we also now have the precedent that the Justice Department’s senior ethics officials can be partisan political appointees. This is a dramatic departure from longstanding practice under previous administrations—Democratic and Republican—where a senior official had responsibility for ethics.”
    “But the list doesn’t end here. President Trump is trying to establish a precedent that he can fire inspectors general and the heads of independent agencies for no reason at all, violating laws duly enacted by this Congress, even by members of this Committee on both sides of the aisle.”
    “The Justice Department recently informed this Committee that it plans to ask the Supreme Court to overturn a 90-year-old precedent known as Humphrey’s Executor, which upheld the constitutionality of laws protecting the heads of independent agencies from being fired.”
    “I hope we have a Congress that survives this process. And I hope that members of both sides will realize our obligation is to the Constitution more than any single political party.”
    Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Navy Sailor Pleads Guilty to Plotting To Attack Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Ill.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A former Navy sailor has pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago to plotting to attack Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Ill., purportedly on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

    XUANYU HARRY PANG, 38, of North Chicago, Ill., pleaded guilty to conspiring to and attempting to willfully injure and destroy national defense material, national defense premises, and national defense utilities, with the intent to injure, interfere with, and obstruct the national defense of the United States.  The guilty plea was entered on Nov. 5, 2024, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and ordered unsealed today.

    Pang is currently detained without bond in law enforcement custody. U.S. District Judge Jeremy C. Daniel has not yet set a sentencing date.  The conviction is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.  The case was investigated by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Bond, Vikas Didwania, and Brandon Stone of the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from Trial Attorneys John Cella and Charles Kovats of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    According to court records filed in the case, Pang communicated in the summer of 2021 with an individual in Colombia about potentially assisting with a plan involving Iranian actors to conduct an attack against the United States to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, a general of the IRGC Quds Force who was killed by the U.S. military in 2020. The Quds Force is a branch of the IRGC that conducts unconventional warfare and intelligence activities outside of Iran.

    A covert FBI employee, posing as an affiliate of the Quds Force, subsequently communicated online with the individual in Colombia about conducting an attack.  The individual in Colombia put the covert FBI employee in touch with Pang, who at the time was stationed and residing at Naval Station Great Lakes, court records show.  The pair communicated online through an encrypted messaging application about possible targets for the attack, including the Naval Station Great Lakes and other locations in the Chicago area.  Pang and the individual in Colombia agreed to help the covert FBI employee and his purported associates with their operation to conduct the attack in the United States, court records state.

    On three occasions in the fall of 2022, Pang personally met with another individual working with the FBI who was posing as an associate of the covert FBI employee.  The first meeting took place outside of the Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago, and the two other meetings were held at a train station in Lake Bluff, Ill., court records show.  During the meetings in Lake Bluff, as the plot coalesced into an attack on the Naval Station, Pang displayed photos and videos on his phone of multiple locations inside the Naval Station.  He also provided two U.S. military uniforms – for operatives to wear inside the base during the attack – and a cell phone that could be used as a test for a detonator, the records show. 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former federal officer guilty of money laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON –A former deportation officer has entered a guilty plea to charges of laundering money while working for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Christopher Washington Toral, 49, Spring, began working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2008 and was assigned to a processing center in Conroe.

    Over a two-month period in 2023, Toral agreed to transport $700,000 in drug proceeds under the protective cover of his position as a federal law enforcement officer.

    As part of an undercover operation, Toral agreed to transport a black bag containing $200,000 in cash from Dallas to Houston in February 2023. He believed this money was revenue from the sale of illegal narcotics. Later that same month, Toral repeated the trip, delivering an additional $200,000.

    In March 2023, Toral agreed to transport $300,000 from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston on a commercial flight. The money was represented to be the proceeds of drug trafficking. While carrying the illicit gains, Toral bypassed airport security and Transportation Security Administration checkpoints by exploiting his law enforcement position.

    Toral did all this in exchange for cash payments.

    “Christopher Toral swore to protect America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threatens our national security….but he betrayed that oath,” said Ganjei. “Today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to hold accountable those who would choose corruption and deception over faithful service to their country, their community, and their brothers and sisters in law enforcement.”

    “In choosing greed over duty, former ICE officer Christopher Toral disgraced the badge he vowed to uphold,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “His crimes – frequently conducted under the guise of a righteous law enforcement officer – betrayed all the men and women who tirelessly protect and serve their communities with integrity every day. FBI Houston proudly partnered with DHS-Office of Inspector General (OIG) to ensure Toral’s corrupt and deceitful activities were exposed and brought to justice.”

    “Today’s plea sends a clear message that federal employees who violate the trust of the public and break the law will be prosecuted,” said DHS-OIG Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari PhD. “DHS-OIG is grateful for our continued partnership with our law enforcement partners as we continue fighting corruption.”

    U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison accepted the plea and set sentencing for May 15. At that time, Toral faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine.

    FBI and DHS-OIG conducted the investigation. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and John Marck are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Inland Empire Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Trade Secrets Belonging to U.S. Employer to Build Business with China Company

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man pleaded guilty today to illegally possessing sensitive technologies that he downloaded from his Southern California-based employers and used them to market his own competing company to a China-based company.   

    Liming Li, 66, of Rancho Cucamonga, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of trade secrets.

    “Protecting U.S. companies’ sensitive intellectual property is critical to our country’s success in a global economy,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “The defendant here stole intellectual property in order to benefit companies in China. Stealing proprietary information undermines our economic security and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute individuals that engage in this conduct.” 

    “Mr. Li’s greed allowed him to be used by a Chinese company without regard for the negative implications to the economy or national security of the United States,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is well-aware that China is actively seeking and stealing American intellectual property at a rapid pace and those who willingly hand it over, as Mr. Li has done and now acknowledged, will face serious consequences.”

    According to his plea agreement, from 1996 to 2013, Li worked for a Southern California-based business identified in court documents as “U.S. Company #1,” which specialized in precision measuring instruments and metrological technology and equipment. The company designed and sold a range of products such as micrometers, calipers, coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and optical measurement systems.

    Li worked at U.S. Company #1 as a senior software engineer, then as a program manager. From 2013 to 2018, Li worked as chief technologist at a wholly-owned subsidiary of U.S. Company #1. During his employment at U.S. Company #1 and its subsidiary, Li worked on the development of the source code for one of the company’s software programs, which was considered its proprietary information.

    In July 2013, Li signed an employee handbook and confidentiality agreement with U.S. Company #1 that required him to turn over all writings, records, files, technology, trade secrets or data containing any proprietary information belonging to the company. The agreement also prohibited Li from copying the company’s proprietary information without written permission.

    Li admitted in his plea agreement that he occasionally downloaded the company’s proprietary information onto his personal devices without permission. Li failed to return all the proprietary information belonging to U.S. Company #1 after its subsidiary terminated him in January 2018. 

    In February 2018, Li operated a consulting company named JSL Innovations Inc. and in March 2020, he signed an employment agreement with Suzhou Universal Group Technology Co. Ltd., a China-based chain-and-bearing manufacturer. Li continued to work for Suzhou Universal until his arrest in May 2023. During this period, Li continued to knowingly possess U.S. Company #1’s proprietary information and – more than once – accessed this information without that company’s authorization. 

    Li admitted that he used the proprietary information for his own economic benefit and that it would injure U.S. Company #1’s interests.

    United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt scheduled a May 8 sentencing hearing, at which time Li will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. 

    The FBI investigated this matter with substantial assistance from the Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security.

    The case against Li was brought under the auspices of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, which is co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce. The Strike Force seeks to counter efforts by hostile nation-states to illicitly acquire sensitive U.S. technology to advance their authoritarian regimes and facilitate human rights abuses. 

    Assistant United States Attorney Aaron B. Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section, Solomon D. Kim of the Major Frauds Section, and David T. Ryan of the National Security Division are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Who Ran Multi-Million-Dollar Cryptocurrency Investment Scheme Found Guilty Of Wire Fraud And Money Laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury convicted Douglas Jae Woo Kim, 32, of New York, New York, on 14 counts of wire fraud, international money laundering, and money laundering.  The jury reached its verdict yesterday afternoon, following a three-week trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer.  

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between October 2017 and June 2020, after moving to San Francisco, Kim engaged in a scheme to defraud investors, many of whom were friends and acquaintances, of over $7 million in money and cryptocurrency by holding himself out as a legitimate trader of cryptocurrency, a form of virtual currency.  Kim falsely represented that he was seeking short-term liquidity in the form of loans or investments for cryptocurrency trading or other legitimate business purposes and promised to trade or invest the cryptocurrency provided by investors and lenders to make a profit.  He also told victims that the loans carried no or very low risk, promised high rates of return on their loans, and claimed that he had sufficient funds to personally guarantee the loans.  

    “This case may involve the new world of virtual currency, but there’s nothing new about the defendant’s scheme to defraud,” said Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins.  “Douglas Kim made bogus promise after promise to investors and lenders, only to cheat them and send their money to offshore gambling sites.  Today’s verdict sends a clear message to anyone who engages in fraud in the Northern District of California: you will be prosecuted, and you will face serious consequences.”

    “Mr. Kim deceived those who trusted him, exploiting their confidence to fund his personal gambling activities rather than the legitimate investments he offered his victims. The FBI remains committed to identifying and bringing to justice individuals who manipulate and defraud others for financial gain,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin.

    In October 2017, Kim contacted a victim by text message and said he was looking for investors interested in making what he called a short-term loan for a “fairly modest operation.”  Kim represented that he was investing in a cryptocurrency operation in which he would make a profit from fees charged to a peer-to-peer network and from exchange transactions, and informed the victim that the operation “isn’t very risky to me.”  Within days of receiving cryptocurrency from the victim to finance the investment, Kim transferred almost all of it to bitcoin sports betting sites located outside the United States.  Kim went on to obtain over a million dollars’ worth of funds from this victim over the course of the scheme, the majority of which went to offshore sports betting sites.

    In November 2017, Kim contacted another victim by email and said he was looking for cryptocurrency for a trading strategy.  Kim assured that the victim that “my activities are fairly low risk.”  On Dec. 1, 2017, Kim obtained a cryptocurrency loan from this victim worth approximately $186,000 at the time. Once the cryptocurrency was obtained, Kim immediately sent all of it to offshore sports betting sites. In total, Kim obtained over $500,000 in funds from this victim.

    In an agreement dated Jan. 1, 2018, Kim set out the terms of a similar investment with a third victim.  The agreement called for the victim to provide cryptocurrency valued at approximately $200,000 at the time.  The same day, Kim converted more than half of the funds to bitcoin and, in the following days, transferred substantially all the converted cryptocurrency to his account with an offshore casino.  Kim went on to obtain over $4 million in funds from this victim.

    Kim defrauded numerous other victims, including nine who testified at trial, until at least July 2020, when he was charged by federal complaint.  In 2023, while he was out on pretrial release, Kim allegedly renewed his scheme to defraud.  One count related to this renewed period of fraud remains pending.  

    The jury acquitted Kim of one count of international money laundering.

    Kim is scheduled to appear on June 25, 2025, to set a date for sentencing.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and international money laundering, and 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering.  Any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.  

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Stern and Maya Karwande are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Maryam Beros, Andy Ding, Lynette Dixon, and Christine Tian. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. 
     

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Questions Witness on Anti-Drug Trafficking Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Yesterday, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, questioned Director of the National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program Shannon Kelly on the program to locate and intercept illegal drugs within the United States. She highlighted HIDTA’s successes in Nebraska, especially for the Panhandle’s Western Nebraska Intelligence and Narcotics Group (WING) Task Force.  
    During the hearing, Senator Fischer asked Ms. Kelly what future challenges she anticipates in achieving the program’s goals. She also asked about the benefits of a government-wide shared map to identify the reach of transnational drug trafficking organizations.
    Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s questioning
    Click here to download audio
    Click here to download video
    Senator Fischer questions Shannon Kelly:
    Senator Fischer: Ms. Kelly, I think a key step in addressing the illicit drug threat is ensuring the existing programs within the government are working. As you know, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, known as HIDTA, is a cornerstone of how we combat regional drug trafficking throughout the United States. And I have seen firsthand in my state of Nebraska, especially for law enforcement in rural areas with fewer local resources, how important this is. For example, HIDTA is the primary resource for the WING Task Force that covers 11 of our Panhandle counties. Through HIDTA, the task force has developed a uniquely cooperative investigative program, which is helping Western Nebraska law enforcement more actively manage narcotic and criminal investigations. In your view, how would you evaluate HIDTA’s effectiveness nationwide?
    Shannon Kelly: Thank you so much, Senator Fischer, for your support and for the question. Nationwide, we’re extremely proud of the work that HIDTA’s been doing. One of the things that we often tout is that for every dollar invested in the HIDTA program, the rate of return is $63, which is a pretty phenomenal testament to the success of the program overall. In 2023, HIDTA has collectively disrupted or dismantled more than 3,000 drug trafficking organizations or money laundering organizations, and collectively they seized more than 2,000 metric tons of drugs, which I think also completes the narrative here. Often when we’re talking about drug interdiction, we have a tendency to focus on the ports of entry and at the borders, which is critical to our overall success. But we often like to point to the work of the HIDTAs interdicting drugs within the interior of the United States. And I think the success rate there is phenomenal as well.Senator Fischer: What challenges do you see or that you possibly anticipate in the future in meeting your goals that you have out there?
    Shannon Kelly: Thank you, Senator, for asking that question. We do face a myriad of challenges. In some communities, the focus on drug trafficking is often subordinate to other threats, which is certainly a challenge in terms of making sure that there are state and local resources to put on HIDTA task forces. I would also say fatigue is a huge element for us, and I think it’s why the focus on border security and interdiction at the ports of entry and at the borders is key because I think we’re asking an awful lot of our state and local task force officers when they are being asked to interdict drugs that did evade the borders, and when they’re being asked to investigate the types of networks that are directly linked to cartels. That’s a huge challenge. It’s a training challenge, and it’s a resource challenge for all of our task forces. 
    Senator Fischer: You know, you brought up the border, and obviously the southern border is a major disruption zone. In years past, we’ve struggled with all the different agencies out there using different intel, using different maps, whether it’s DEA or FBI or CBP or the Department of Defense, as well. I think we have to have a shared map, government-wide shared map, to identify the threats that we have. In your testimony, you noted efforts by the Drug Enforcement Administration to map out this data comprehensively. Can you speak about that further please? 
    Shannon Kelly: Thank you so much for that question, Senator Fischer. I agree. I think we all agree that a common operating picture is imperative, and a big challenge for us too is making sure that we are in a place where we can share information freely—from the fed, from the IC, all the way down to our state and local partners. This is where we really rely on the work of our federal agencies to be the bridge so that, as you say, the map, the common operating picture, can be not just conceived, but then communicated from top to bottom.
    Senator Fischer: And how do we achieve that?
    Shannon Kelly: How we achieve that is a work in progress. It is, I won’t lie, it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge both in terms of the security levels, but it’s also a challenge in terms of culture and promoting information sharing. We’re talking about people who are accustomed to building trust with each other as people to share information, and sometimes, when we’re working across communities like that, we have to figure out not just one bridge but multiple ways to bridge that gap.
    Senator Fischer: Thank you very much.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Navy Sailor Pleads Guilty to Plotting to Attack Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A former Navy sailor has pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago to plotting to attack Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Illinois, purportedly on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

    Xuanyu Harry Pang, 38, of North Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiring to and attempting to willfully injure and destroy national defense material, national defense premises, and national defense utilities, with the intent to injure, interfere with, and obstruct the national defense of the United States. The guilty plea was entered on Nov. 5, 2024, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and ordered unsealed today.

    According to court records filed in the case, in the summer of 2021, Pang communicated with an individual in Colombia about potentially assisting with a plan involving Iranian actors to conduct an attack against the United States to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, a general of the IRGC Quds Force who was killed by the U.S. military in 2020. The Quds Force is a branch of the IRGC that conducts unconventional warfare and intelligence activities outside of Iran.

    A covert FBI employee, posing as an affiliate of the Quds Force, subsequently communicated online with the individual in Colombia about conducting an attack. The individual in Colombia put the covert FBI employee in touch with Pang, who at the time was stationed and residing at Naval Station Great Lakes. The pair communicated online through an encrypted messaging application about possible targets for the attack, including Naval Station Great Lakes and other locations in the Chicago area. Pang and the individual in Colombia agreed to help the covert FBI employee and his purported associates with their operation to conduct the attack in the United States, court records state.

    On three occasions in the fall of 2022, Pang personally met with another individual working with the FBI who was posing as an associate of the covert FBI employee. The first meeting took place outside of the Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago, and the two other meetings were held at a train station in Lake Bluff, Illinois. During the meetings in Lake Bluff, as the plot coalesced into an attack on the Naval Station, Pang displayed photos and videos on his phone of multiple locations inside the Naval Station. He also provided two U.S. military uniforms – for operatives to wear inside the base during the attack – and a cell phone that could be used as a test for a detonator.

    Pang is currently detained without bond and is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces 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.

    Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois, Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force – which is comprised of multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies – is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Bond, Vikas Didwania, and Brandon Stone for the Northern District of Illinois and Trial Attorneys John Cella and Charles Kovats of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Navy Sailor Pleads Guilty to Plotting to Attack Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A former Navy sailor has pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago to plotting to attack Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Illinois, purportedly on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

    Xuanyu Harry Pang, 38, of North Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiring to and attempting to willfully injure and destroy national defense material, national defense premises, and national defense utilities, with the intent to injure, interfere with, and obstruct the national defense of the United States. The guilty plea was entered on Nov. 5, 2024, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and ordered unsealed today.

    According to court records filed in the case, in the summer of 2021, Pang communicated with an individual in Colombia about potentially assisting with a plan involving Iranian actors to conduct an attack against the United States to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, a general of the IRGC Quds Force who was killed by the U.S. military in 2020. The Quds Force is a branch of the IRGC that conducts unconventional warfare and intelligence activities outside of Iran.

    A covert FBI employee, posing as an affiliate of the Quds Force, subsequently communicated online with the individual in Colombia about conducting an attack. The individual in Colombia put the covert FBI employee in touch with Pang, who at the time was stationed and residing at Naval Station Great Lakes. The pair communicated online through an encrypted messaging application about possible targets for the attack, including Naval Station Great Lakes and other locations in the Chicago area. Pang and the individual in Colombia agreed to help the covert FBI employee and his purported associates with their operation to conduct the attack in the United States, court records state.

    On three occasions in the fall of 2022, Pang personally met with another individual working with the FBI who was posing as an associate of the covert FBI employee. The first meeting took place outside of the Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago, and the two other meetings were held at a train station in Lake Bluff, Illinois. During the meetings in Lake Bluff, as the plot coalesced into an attack on the Naval Station, Pang displayed photos and videos on his phone of multiple locations inside the Naval Station. He also provided two U.S. military uniforms – for operatives to wear inside the base during the attack – and a cell phone that could be used as a test for a detonator.

    Pang is currently detained without bond and is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces 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.

    Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois, Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force – which is comprised of multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies – is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Bond, Vikas Didwania, and Brandon Stone for the Northern District of Illinois and Trial Attorneys John Cella and Charles Kovats of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison For Violent Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HAMMOND- Trashawn Heard, 29 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund on his plea of guilty to robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Heard was sentenced to 121 in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

    According to documents in the case, on July 25, 2022, Heard entered a gas station in Hammond, Indiana, and pointed a handgun with an extended magazine at the employees. After demanding and receiving money, Heard attempted to leave but was shot in the shoulder. He dropped the money and the firearm, fled the scene, crashed his car and was taken to a hospital where he was arrested. At the time he committed the robbery, Heard was on parole for three robbery convictions from 2017.

    This case was investigated by the FBI/GRIT Task Force with the assistance of the Hammond Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tulsan Sentenced for Two Counts of Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Raul M. Arias-Marxuach sentenced Melik Deshawn Davis, 34, for two counts of Robbery in Indian Country. Judge Arias-Marxuach ordered Davis to 76 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,500 in restitution.

    In September 2023, Tulsa Police officers were dispatched to an auto repair shop where the employees were robbed. Upon arrival, officers found two victims who described being held at gunpoint, pistol-whipped, and robbed.

    The investigation revealed that Davis was dropped off at the auto repair shop. The vehicle was seen on video surveillance and FLOCK cameras fleeing the area. When law enforcement spoke with Davis, he admitted to robbing the victims.

    Davis is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Viridien Announces its Q4 & Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Paris (France), February 27th, 2025, 17h45 CET

    2024: A YEAR OF OVERACHIEVEMENTS

    2025: ON TRACK TO DELIVER c.$100 MILLION NET CASH FLOW

      Q4 FY1
    Revenue2 $339M $ 1,117M (-1%)
    Adjusted EBITDA3 $157M $455M (+14%)
    Net Cash-Flow $27M $56M (+73%)

    Sophie Zurquiyah, Chief Executive Officer of Viridien, said:

    “In 2024, we met our revenue and exceeded our profitability and cash generation targets driven by strong commercial successes at Geoscience, a dynamic performance at Earth Data in both our key basins and prospective regions and the continued focus on operational efficiency at Sensing & Monitoring.

    In 2025, Viridien will continue strengthening its technology leadership in its core markets while further developing its New Businesses. We anticipate continued improvements thanks to Geoscience’s record high backlog, Earth Data’s solid pipeline of projects and the termination of contractual fees for vessel commitments, and Sensing & Monitoring’s progress towards their restructuring plan.

    In this context, we confirm with confidence our target of c.$100 million of net cash generation and balance sheet deleveraging.”

    2024 Highlights2

    • Group2
      • IFRS figures: Revenue, EBITDA and Net Income of respectively $1,211 million, $516 million, $51 million. $427 million, $216 million, $29 million in Q4.
      • Overall stable group revenue at $1,117 million.
      • Strong growth at Digital, Data & Environment (DDE) with $787 million revenue (+17%). Consistent momentum for Geoscience (GEO) driven by our preferred advanced technology and numerous commercial successes at Earth Data (EDA).
        • Sensing & Monitoring (SMO) revenue was $330 million, with no mega crews during the year.
        • 33% revenue growth for New Businesses, exceeding our 30% target.
      • Group adjusted EBITDA3 of $455 million. DDE Adjusted EBITDA of $458 million, up 25% driven by the strong performance of both GEO and EDA. SMO adjusted EBITDA of $35 million (vs $56 million) already reflecting the positive impact of the restructuring effort.
      • Net Cash flow of $56 million, including $(75) million contractual fees from vessel commitments, exceeding our initial Net Cash flow target of “reaching a similar level as 2023” (ie. $32 million).
      • Key milestones of our financial roadmap delivered during the year: improved credit rating in Q2, revolving credit facility extended in Q3 and implementation and increase of the bond buyback program in Q3 and Q4.
      • Net debt at $921 million ($974 million in December 2023) and liquidity at $392 million (including $90 million undrawn RCF).  
    • Digital, Data and Energy Transition (DDE)
      • Revenue at $787 million was up 17% with strong growth at GEO (+20%) and EDA (+14%). Q4 revenue, $238 million (+19%).
      • Adjusted EBITDA at $458 million was up 25%. Profitability impacted by $(54) million in penalty fees from vessel commitments vs $(44) million in 2023. Q4 EBITDA $150 million (+28%).         $(12) million penalty vs $(13) million in Q4 2023.
        • Geoscience:
          • Revenue at $404 million (+20%). $107 million in Q4 (+10%).
          • GEO performance continues to be driven by technology differentiation. Order intakes, +89% in 2024, +155% in Q4, benefited from best-in-class imaging technology which the industry requires to solve subsurface challenges, increased activity in the Middle East and the renewal of long-term contracts for Dedicated HPC Processing Centers (DPCs).
    • New Businesses in GEO confirm the positive market dynamics in Carbon Sequestration with several projects in Norway, US Gulf and in Asia Pacific, as well as in Minerals & Mining with the award of programs in Australia and Oman. Alliance signed with Baker Hughes to offer high-quality and fully integrated Carbon Capture and Sequestration solutions to clients.
    • Earth Data:
      • Revenue at $383 million (+14%). $131 million in Q4 (+27%).
      • Prefunding revenue grew to $205 million (+6%). 81% of Capex. After-Sales grew to $178 million (+25%) in a flat market.
      • $252 million Capex, including the large Laconia Ocean Bottom Nodes (OBN) project in the US Gulf, the North Viking Graben streamer survey in Norway, and numerous global reprocessing projects.
      • New Businesses in EDA completed the mining project in Southeast Arizona and delivered several Carbon Sequestration projects in the North Sea, US Gulf and Asia.
    • Sensing and Monitoring (SMO)
      • Revenue at $330 million was down 27%, following delivery of “mega crew” systems in 2023.        $100 million in Q4 (-16%).
      • Adjusted EBITDA at $35 million was down 37%. $18 million in Q4 (+104%).
      • Q4 EBITDA performance shows that the restructuring plan is on track to achieve expected cost reductions and operational flexibility.
      • New Businesses in SMO represented 17% of revenue and experienced strong momentum with deliveries for the geothermal market and infrastructure monitoring.
    • Market trends
      • E&P Capex environment expected to be stable year-on-year in 2025, as the longer-term energy industry upcycle extends.
      • Evolving Industry Trends:
        • Offshore exploration gaining momentum in key regions like the US Gulf, Brazil, Norway as well as frontiers areas such as the Equatorial Margin and the East Mediterranean Sea.
        • Middle East growth expected with investments in advanced imaging and digital solutions.
        • Demand expected to be strong for High-end geophysical technologies, such as OBN and Full Waveform Inversion (FWI), that mitigate risks and optimize field development.
      • New Businesses:
        • Continued market growth potential in CSS with new imaging contracts and project pipeline driven by most Oil & Gas operators investing to reduce carbon emissions and address societal pressures.
        • Increased interest from the Minerals & Mining sector for subsurface characterization.
        • Infrastructure Monitoring market consistently increasing by double digits annually across various sectors.
        • Digital solutions / HPC markets expanding rapidly fueled mainly by the explosion of AI applications.
    • New reporting KPI for EDA
      • Starting in Q1 2025, we will change the reporting KPIs for EDA:
        • To align with market practice, Revenue split between Prefunding and After-sales will no longer be reported.
    • Cash EBITDA (i.e. EBITDA – Capex) will be reported to provide more clarity on our financial performance. ($97 million and $75 million in 2023 and 2024 respectively, excluding penalty fees from vessel commitments).
    • Full year 2025 financial outlook
      • In 2025, based on a stable E&P Capex environment, performance is expected to be driven by:
        • Geoscience: growth backed by industry leading technology and strong backlog.
    • Earth Data: stronger Cash EBITDA KPI, with end of vessel commitment penalty fees.
      • Sensing & Monitoring: further savings expected from the restructuring plan.
      • New Businesses: growth and first year positive contribution to the group’s profitability.
    • Financial objective: net cash flow of c.$100m.
    • Viridien will continue to focus on cash flow generation and deleveraging. Thanks to 2024 financial performance and the favorable debt market, our bond refinancing could be realized in 2025, before our previous Q1 2026 indication.
    • Full Year 2024 Conference call
      • The press release and the presentation will be available on our website www.viridiengroup.com at 5:45 pm (CET).
      • An English language analysts conference call is scheduled today at 6.00 pm (CET).
      • Participants should register for the call here to receive a dial-in number and code, or participate via the live webcast from here.
      • A replay of the conference call will be made available the day after for a period of 12 months in audio format on the Company’s website.

    The Board of Directors met on February 27, 2025 and approved the consolidated financial statements ending December 31, 2024. The Statutory Auditors are in the process of issuing a report with an unqualified opinion.

    About Viridien:

    Viridien (www.viridiengroup.com) is an advanced technology, digital and Earth data company that pushes the boundaries of science for a more prosperous and sustainable future. With our ingenuity, drive and deep curiosity we discover new insights, innovations, and solutions that efficiently and responsibly resolve complex natural resource, digital, energy transition and infrastructure challenges. Viridien employs around 3,400 people worldwide and is listed as VIRI on the Euronext Paris SA (ISIN ISIN: FR001400PVN6).

    Contact:

     VP Corporate Finance

    Jean-Baptiste Roussille
    jean-baptiste.roussille@viridiengroup.com

    Q4 & FY 2024- Financial Results

    Key Segment P&L figures
    (In million $)
    2023
    Q4
    2024
    Q4
    Var.
    %
    2023
    FY
    2024
    FY
    Var.
    %
     
     
    Exchange rate euro/dollar 1,07 1,09 2% 1,08 1,09 1%  
    Segment revenue 320 339 6% 1 125 1 117 (1%)  
    DDE 201 238 19% 672 787 17%  
    Geoscience 98 107 10% 335 404 20%  
    Earth Data 103 131 27% 337 383 14%  
    Prefunding 62 49 (20%) 194 205 6%  
    After-Sales & other 41 82 99% 143 178 25%  
    SMO 119 100 (16%) 453 330 (27%)  
    Land 42 55 32% 176 157 (10%)  
    Marine 66 29 (56%) 230 117 (49%)  
    Beyond the core 11 16 45% 48 56 17%  
    Segment EBITDA 122 128 5% 400 422 5%  
    Adjusted * Segment EBITDA 121 157 30% 400 455 14%  
    DDE 117 150 28% 367 458 25%  
    SMO 9 18 56 35 (37%)  
    Corporate and other (5) (11) (24) (38) (59%)  
    Segment operating income 15 33 138 113 (18%)  
    Adjusted* Segment Opinc 14 89 138 173 25%  
    DDE 21 89 140 206 47%  
    SMO (1) 11   24 4 (83%)  
    Corporate and other (6) (11) (26) (38) (44%)  
    *Adjusted for non-recurring charges and gains.              
    Other KPI
    (In million $)
    2023
    Q4
    2024
    Q4
    Var.
    %
    2023
    FY
    2024
    FY
    Var.
    %
     
     
    Geoscience Backlog 184 351 90% 184 351 90%  
    Total Capex (42) (81) (92)% (232) (285) (23)%  
    Industrial capex (8) (4) 51% (44) (17) 61%  
    R&D capex (4) (5) (5)% (17) (16) 7%  
    Earth Data (Cash) (29) (72) (171) (252) (47)%  
    Earth Data Cash predunding rate 210% 68%   113% 81%    
    EDA Library net book value* 458 456 (0)% 458 456 (0)%  
    Liquidity 422 392   422 392    
    o.w. undrawn RCF 95 90   95 90    
    Gross debt* (1 301) (1 223)   (1 301) (1 223)    
    o.w. accrued interests (20) (18)   (19) (18)    
    o.w. lease liabilities (103) (125)   (103) (125)    
    Net debt* 974 921   974 921    
    Net debt*/Segment adjusted EBITDA        x2.4 x2.0    
    *Post IFRS15/16              
    Consolidated IFRS Income Statements
    (In million $)
    2023
    Q4
    2024
    Q4
    Var.
    %
    2023
    FY
    2024
    FY
    Var.
    %
     
     
    Exchange rate euro/dollar 1,07 1,09   1,08 1,09    
    Revenue 265 427 61% 1 076 1 211 13%  
    EBITDA 68 216 351 516 47%  
    Operating Income (11) 49 119 143 21%  
    Equity from Investment (3) (1) 47% (2) (0) 77%  
    Net cost of financial debt (20) (24) (20%) (95) (97) (2%)  
       Other financial income (loss) (2) 5 (4) 4  
       Income taxes 11 1 (94%) (14) (13) 3%  
    Net Income / Loss from continuing operations (25) 29 4 36  
    from discontinued operations 10 0 (100%) 12 15 20%  
    Net income / (loss) (15) 29 16 51  
    Shareholder’s net income / (loss) (15) 29 13 50  
    Basic Earnings per share in $ 0,00 0,00   1,81 6,97    
    Diluted Earnings per share in € 0 0,00   1,80 6,93    
    Cash Flow items
    (In million $)
    2023
    Q4
    2024
    Q4
    Var.
    %
    2023
    FY
    2024
    FY
    Var.
    %
     
     
    Segment EBITDA 122 128 5% 400 422 5%  
    Income Tax Paid 9 (2) 6 (12)  
    Change in Working Capital & Provisions 21 30 42% 3 48  
    Other Cash Items 1 (0) 1 (1)  
    Cash provided by Operating Activity 153 155 1% 410 457 11%  
    Earth Data Capex (29) (72) (171) (252) (47%)  
    Industrial Capex & Dev. Costs (13) (9) 32% (61) (33) 46%  
    Acquisitions and Proceeds of Assets 5 6 24% 3 7  
    Cash from Investing Activity (37) (75) (229) (278) -22%  
    Paid Cost of Debt (44) (43) 2% (91) (86) 6%  
    Lease Repayement (19) (12) 36% (57) (56) 2%  
    Asset Financing 1 (0) 22 (1)  
    Cash from Financing Activity (63) (56) 11% (126) (142) -13%  
    Discontinued Operations Acquisitions (6) 3 (23) 19  
    Net Cash Flow 48 27 -43% 32 56 73%  
    Financing cash flow (2) (49)   (6) (69)    
    Forex and other 7 (12)   3 (11)    
    Net increase/(decrease) in cash 52 (34)   29 (25)    

     CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – December 31st, 2024

    6.1 2023-2024 Viridien consolidated financial statements

    6.1.1 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

    In millions of US$ Notes December 31
    (1)        2024 2023
    Operating revenues 18, 19 1,211.3 1,075.5
    Other income from ordinary activities   0.1 0.3
    Total income from ordinary activities   1,211.4 1,075.8
    Cost of operations   (871.2) (817.4)
    Gross profit   340.2 258.4
    Research and development expenses – net 20 (17.8) (26.1)
    Marketing and selling expenses   (37.1) (36.1)
    General and administrative expenses   (82.9) (75.8)
    Other revenues (expenses) – net 21 (58.9) (1.4)
    Operating income 19 143.5 119.0
    Cost of financial debt – gross   (109.4) (103.3)
    Income from cash and cash equivalents   12.3 8.0
    Cost of financial debt – net 22 (97.2) (95.3)
    Other financial income (loss) 23 3.7 (3.8)
    Income (loss) before income taxes and share of income (loss) from companies accounted for under the equity method   50.1 19.9
    Income taxes 24 (13.4) (14.0)
    Net income (loss) before share of net income (loss) from companies accounted for under the equity method   36.6 5.9
    Net income (loss) from companies accounted for under the equity method 8 (0.5) (2.0)
    Net income (loss) from continuing operations   36.1 3.9
    Net income (loss) from discontinued operations 5 14.7 12.3
    Consolidated net income (loss)   50.8 16.2
    Attributable to:      
    Owners of Viridien S.A   49.8 12.9
    Non-controlling interests   1.0 3.3
    Weighted average number of shares outstanding (a) 29 7,150,958 7,131,286
    Weighted average number of shares outstanding adjusted for dilutive potential ordinary shares (a) 29 7,184,713 7,171,894
    Net income (loss) per share (in US$)      
    (1)        – Base (a)   6.97 1.81
    (2)        – Diluted (a)   6.93 1.80
    Net income (loss) from continuing operations per share (in US$)      
    (3)        – Base (a) $ 4.91 0.08
    (4)        – Diluted (a) $ 4.89 0.08
    Net income (loss) from discontinued operations per share (in US$)      
    (5)        – Base (a) $ 2.06 1.72
    (6)        – Diluted (a) $ 2.05 1.72

    (a) As a result of the July 31, 2024 reverse share split, the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per shares for 2023 has been adjusted retrospectively. Number of ordinary shares outstanding has been adjusted to reflect the proportionate change in the number of shares.

    The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

    Consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss)

    In millions of US$ December 31
    (2)        2024 (a) 2023 (a)
    Net income (loss) from consolidated statement of operations 50.8 16.2
    Other comprehensive income to be reclassified in profit (loss) in subsequent period:    
    Net gain (loss) on cash flow hedges 0.4 2.0
    Variation in translation adjustments (23.0) 14.2
    Net other comprehensive income to be reclassified in profit (loss) in subsequent period (1) (22.7) 16.2
    Other comprehensive income not to be classified in profit (loss) in subsequent period:    
    Net gain (loss) on actuarial changes on pension plan 3.6 (4.6)
    Net other comprehensive income not to be reclassified in profit (loss) in subsequent period (2) 3.6 (4.6)
    Total other comprehensive income (loss) for the period, net of taxes (1)+(2) (19.1) 11.6
    Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period 31.8 27.8
    Attributable to:    
    Owners of Viridien S.A 31.3 25.1
    Non-controlling interests 0.5 2.7
    (a) Including other comprehensive income related to discontinued operations which is not material.

    The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

    6.1.2 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

    In millions of US$ Notes (3)        Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    ASSETS      
    Cash and cash equivalents 28 301.7 327.0
    Trade accounts and notes receivable, net 3, 18 339.9 310.9
    Inventories and work-in-progress, net 4 163.3 212.9
    Income tax assets 24 22.9 30.8
    Other current assets, net 4 74.0 92.1
    Assets held for sale, net 5 24.5
    Total current assets   926.2 973.7
    Deferred tax assets 24 43.6 29.9
    Other non-current assets, net 16 8.9 6.8
    Investments and other financial assets, net 7 25.7 22.7
    Investments in companies accounted for under the equity method 8 1.1 2.2
    Property plant & equipment, net 9 220.6 206.1
    Intangible assets, net 10 535.4 579.7
    Goodwill, net 11 1,082.8 1,095.5
    Total non-current assets   1,918.1 1,942.9
    TOTAL ASSETS   2,844.3 2,916.6
    LIABILITIES AND EQUITY      
    Financial debt – current portion 13 56.9 58.0
    Trade accounts and notes payable 3 120.9 86.4
    Accrued payroll costs   84.5 89.1
    Income taxes payable 24 20.4 12.5
    Advance billings to customers   19.2 24.0
    Provisions – current portion 16 19.7 8.7
    Other current financial liabilities 14 0.5 21.3
    Other current liabilities 12 182.5 250.3
    Liabilities associated with non-current assets held for sale 5 2.4
    Total current liabilities   507.0 550.3
    Deferred tax liabilities 24 18.4 24.3
    Provisions – non-current portion 16 28.8 30.1
    Financial debt – non-current portion 13 1,165.6 1,242.8
    Other non-current financial liabilities 14 0.5
    Other non-current liabilities 12 1.7 4.3
    Total non-current liabilities   1,214.5 1,302.0
    Common stock (a) 15 8.7 8.7
    Additional paid-in capital   118.7 118.7
    Retained earnings   1,036.5 980.4
    Other Reserves   55.2 27.3
    Treasury shares   (20.1) (20.1)
    Cumulative income and expense recognized directly in equity   (1.1) (1.4)
    Cumulative translation adjustments   (113.3) (90.8)
    Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A.   1,084.7 1,022.8
    Non-controlling interests   38.1 41.5
    Total Equity   1,122.8 1,064.3
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY   2,844.3 2,916.6
    (a) Common stock: 11,215,501 shares authorized and 7,165,465 shares with a nominal value of €1.00 outstanding at December 31, 2024.

    The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

    6.1.3 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

    In millions of US$ Notes December 31
    (4)        2024 2023
    OPERATING ACTIVITIES      
    Consolidated net income (loss) 1, 19 50.8 16.2
    Less: Net income (loss) from discontinued operations 5 (14.7) (12.3)
    Net income (loss) from continuing operations   36.1 3.9
    Depreciation, amortization and impairment 1, 19, 28 124.7 91.5
    Impairment and amortization of Earth Data surveys 1, 10, 28 261.4 153.1
    Amortization and depreciation of Earth Data surveys, capitalized 10 (16.6) (15.4)
    Variance on provisions   14.3 (2.6)
    Share-based compensation expenses   3.4 2.8
    Net (gain) loss on disposal of fixed and financial assets   (3.7) (1.7)
    Share of (income) loss in companies recognized under equity method   0.5 2.0
    Other non-cash items   (0.3) 5.2
    Net cash flow including net cost of financial debt and income tax   419.8 238.8
    Less: Cost of financial debt   97.2 95.3
    Less: Income tax expense (gain)   13.4 14.0
    Net cash flow excluding net cost of financial debt and income tax   530.4 348.1
    Income tax paid – Net (a)   (12.4) 5.5
    Net cash flow before changes in working capital   518.0 353.6
    Changes in working capital   (61.2) 54.7
    – Change in trade accounts and notes receivable   (128.4) 51.8
    – Change in inventories and work-in-progress   28.1 49.2
    – Change in other current assets   10.5 (9.9)
    – Change in trade accounts and notes payable   26.8 (5.4)
    – Change in other current liabilities   1.8 (31.0)
    Net cash flow from operating activities   456.7 408.3
    INVESTING ACTIVITIES      
    Total capital expenditures (tangible and intangible assets) net of variation of fixed assets suppliers and excluding Earth Data surveys) 9 (32.9) (60.9)
    Investments in Earth Data surveys 10 (252.1) (171.1)
    Proceeds from disposals of tangible and intangible assets 28 6.8 0.4
    Proceeds from divestment of activities and sale of financial assets 28 6.2
    Dividends received from investments in companies under the equity method   0.5
    Acquisition of investments, net of cash & cash equivalents acquired 28 (1.9)
    Variation in other non-current financial assets 28 (8.2) (5.2)
    Net cash-flow used in investing activities   (286.0) (232.5)
    FINANCING ACTIVITIES      
    Repayment of long-term debt 13, 28 (59.4) (1.8)
    Total issuance of long-term debt 13, 28 0.1 23.9
    Lease repayments 13, 28 (55.7) (57.0)
    Financial expenses paid 13, 28 (85.6) (90.7)
    Net proceeds from capital increase:      
    – from shareholders:   0.1
    – from non-controlling interests of integrated companies  
    Dividends paid and share capital reimbursements:  
    – Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A.  
    – to non-controlling interests of integrated companies   (3.8) (0.9)
    Net cash-flow from (used in) financing activities   (204.4) (126.4)
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash   (11.0) 2.6
    Net cash flows incurred by discontinued operations 5 19.3 (23.0)
    Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents   (25.3) 29.0
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year   327.0 298.0
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   301.7 327.0
    (a) Includes a cash inflow of US$6 million in 2024 and US$32 million in 2023 for the research tax credit in France.

    The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

    6.1.4 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

    In millions of US$, except for share data Number of shares issued (a) Share capital Additional paid-in capital Retained earnings Other reserves Treasury shares Income and expense recognized directly in equity Cumu-lative translation adjust-ment Viridien S.A. – Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A. Non-controlling interests Total equity
    Balance at January 1, 2023 7,123,573 8.7 118.6 967.9 50.0 (20.1) (3.4) (102.4) 1,019.3 39.5 1,058.8
    Net gain (loss) on actuarial changes on pension plan (1)       (4.6)         (4.6)   (4.6)
    Net gain (loss) on cash flow hedges (2)             2.0   2.0   2.0
    Net gain (loss) on translation adjustments (3)               14.8 14.8 (0.6) 14.2
    Other comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3)   (4.6) 2.0 14.8 12.2 (0.6) 11.6
    Net income (loss) (4)       12.9         12.9 3.3 16.2
    Comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3)+(4)   8.3 2.0 14.8 25.1 2.7 27.8
    Exercise of warrants 238   0.1           0.1   0.1
    Dividends                 (1.0) (1.0)
    Cost of share based payment 12,951     2.6         2.6   2.6
    Transfer to retained earnings of the parent company                  
    Variation in translation adjustments generated by the parent company         (22.7)       (22.7)   (22.7)
    Changes in consolidation scope and other       1.6       (3.2) (1.6) 0.3 (1.3)
    Balance at December 31, 2023 7,136,763 8.7 118.7 980.4 27.3 (20.1) (1.4) (90.8) 1,022.8 41.5 1,064.3

    (a) Pro forma following Reverse Share Split (see note 2 – Significant events, acquisitions and divestitures).

    In millions of US$, except for share data Number of shares issued (b) Share capital Additional paid-in capital Retained earnings Other reserves Treasury shares Income and expense recognized directly in equity Cumu-lative translation adjust-ment Viridien S.A. – Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A. Non-controlling interests Total equity
    Balance at January 1, 2024 7,136,763 8.7 118.7 980.4 27.3 (20.1) (1.4) (90.8) 1,022.8 41.5 1,064.3
    Net gain (loss) on actuarial changes on pension plan (1)       3.6         3.6   3.6
    Net gain (loss) on cash flow hedges (2)             0.4   0.4   0.4
    Net gain (loss) on translation adjustments (3)               (22.5) (22.5) (0.6) (23.0)
    Other comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3)   3.6 0.4 (22.5) (18.5) (0.6) (19.1)
    Net income (loss) (4)       49.8         49.8 1.0 50.8
    Comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3)+(4)   53.4 0.4 (22.5) 31.3 0.5 31.8
    Exercise of warrants                      
    Dividends                 (3.8) (3.8)
    Cost of share based payment 24,703     2.7         2.7   2.7
    Transfer to retained earnings of the parent company                  
    Variation in translation adjustments generated by the parent company         28.0       28.0   28.0
    Changes in consolidation scope and other                      
    Balance at December 31, 2024 7,161,465 8.7 118.7 1,036.5 55.2 (20.1) (1.1) (113.3) 1,084.7 38.1 1,122.8

    (b) Reverse Share Split: Pursuant to a delegation from the Combined General Meeting of shareholders of May 15, 2024, and a sub-delegation from the Board of Directors held on the same day, a reversed share split has been implemented, on July 31, 2024, on the basis of 1 new share of €1.00 nominal value for 100 old shares of €0.01 nominal value.

    The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.


    1All variations refer to the same period last year
    2Unless otherwise stated, all figures and comments are referring to “Segment” (i.e. pre-IFRS 15), as defined in the 2023 and 2024 Universal Registration Documents’ glossaries, under section 8.7
    3Adjusted for non-recurring items

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Security: Roanoke Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery Conspiracy Connected to Murder of Drug Supplier

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Garrett Williams Admits to Helping Plan Robbery that Led to Murder of Drug Supplier

    ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man involved in distributing large quantities of marijuana, has admitted to helping plan a robbery that ultimately led to the murder of his drug supplier

    Garrett Isaac Williams, 22, pled guilty yesterday in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery. Last month, Williams’ co-defendant, Joseph Walker, pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    According to court documents, beginning no later than January 2023, Walker and Williams conspired to distribute marijuana and marijuana wax they sourced from E.B., who periodically traveled from Pennsylvania to supply the pair at Mr. Walker’s residence in Roanoke, Virginia.

    Eventually, the men fell into debt to E.B. Then, in an effort to collect money he was owed, E.B. attempted to phone Walker but instead inadvertently called Walker’s mother. This phone call caused Walker and Williams to set in motion a plan to end their relationship with E.B. However, instead of paying down their debt, they conspired to order more marijuana from E.B., rob E.B. of that marijuana upon delivery and, in so doing, scare him from returning to Virginia.

    On April 17, 2023, E.B. traveled from Pennsylvania to Walker’s residence, bringing with him approximately 10 pounds of marijuana and two pounds of marijuana wax in a deal facilitated by Williams. During E.B.’s trip, Williams maintained communication with him and provided updates to Walker so that he was prepared for E.B.’s arrival. For his part, Walker concealed a Sig Sauer, .45 caliber pistol on his person, intending to use it as part of the robbery. Upon E.B.’s arrival, Walker invited him into his home where he confronted E.B. about the phone call E.B. made to his mother, before immediately shooting him twice, killing him. Walker then took the marijuana that E.B. had brought with him and, to conceal his crime, dragged E.B.’s body out of his residence, placed it in the trunk of E.B.’s car and drove to Bedford County, Virginia where he set the car on fire.

    While not physically present at the time of the robbery, Williams admitted to planning to rob E.B by force.

    Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division and Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police made the announcement.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Virginia State Police, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,  Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Roanoke City Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the City of Lynchburg Police Department, and the Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office are investigating the case.

    The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force also aided in the investigation and is comprised of officers from the Roanoke City Police Department, Roanoke County Police Department, City of Salem Virginia Police Department, the Vinton Police Department, and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Salem Field Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Coleman Adams and Kelly McGann are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman.

    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