Intelligence Agencies – Page 255

MIL-OSI: Shell plc publishes fourth quarter 2024 press release

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

London, January 30, 2025

“2024 was another year of strong financial performance across Shell. Despite the lower earnings this quarter, cash delivery remained solid and we generated free cash flow of $40 billion across the year, higher than 2023, in a lower price environment. Our continued focus on simplification helped to deliver over $3 billion in structural cost reductions since 2022, meeting our target ahead of schedule, whilst also making significant progress against all our other financial targets¹.

Today, we announce a 4% increase in our dividends and another $3.5 billion buyback programme, making this the 13th consecutive quarter of at least $3 billion of buybacks, all whilst further strengthening our balance sheet this year to position us well for the future.

We will outline the next steps in our strategy to deliver more value with less emissions at our Capital Markets Day in March.”

Shell plc Chief Executive Officer, Wael Sawan

SOLID CASH FLOW GENERATION; RESILIENT DISTRIBUTIONS

Robust CFFO of $13.2 billion in Q4 2024, with CFFO of $54.7 billion and free cash flow of $39.5 billion for the full year 2024. $22.6 billion distributed to shareholders in 2024, representing 41% of CFFO generated.
Q4 2024 Adjusted Earnings² of $3.7 billion reflect lower prices and margins, higher exploration well write-offs, and the non-cash impact of expiring hedging contracts on LNG trading and optimisation results.
Structural cost reductions of $3.1 billion achieved since 2022, meeting the 2023 Capital Markets Day (CMD23) target a year early, with significant progress against the other CMD23 financial targets¹.
Focus on disciplined capital allocation drove down 2024 cash capex to $21.1 billion; our cash capex range for the full year 2025 is expected to be lower than our 2024 range, with more guidance to come at the Capital Markets Day in March.
Increasing dividend per share by 4% to $0.358 for the fourth quarter, while commencing a $3.5 billion share buyback programme, expected to be completed by Q1 2025 results announcement.

$ million²		Adj. Earnings	Adj. EBITDA	CFFO	Cash capex
Integrated Gas		2,165	4,568	4,391	1,337
Upstream		1,682	7,676	4,509	2,076
Marketing		839	1,709	1,363	811
Chemicals & Products³		(229)	475	2,032	1,392
Renewables & Energy Solutions		(311)	(123)	850	1,277
Corporate		(380)	(24)	16	30
Less: Non-controlling interest (NCI)		106
Shell	Q4 2024	3,661	14,281	13,162	6,924
	Q3 2024	6,028	16,005	14,684	4,950
	FY 2024	23,716	65,803	54,684	21,084
	FY 2023	28,250	68,538	54,191	24,392

¹Progress to date on the financial targets that were announced during Capital Markets Day in June 2023 is available at www.shell.com/2024-progress-on-cmd23.html.

²Income/(loss) attributable to shareholders for Q4 2024 is $0.9 billion. Reconciliation of non-GAAP measures can be found in the unaudited results, available at www.shell.com/investors.

³Chemicals & Products Adjusted Earnings at a subsegment level are as follows – Chemicals $(0.3) billion and Products $0.0 billion.

CFFO of $13.2 billion for Q4 2024 includes a working capital inflow of $2.4 billion. CFFO reflects tax payments of $2.9 billion, and a $1.4 billion outflow¹ related to the timing impact of payments for emissions certificates and biofuel programmes.
Net debt increased by $3.6 billion over the quarter to $38.8 billion, reflecting the recognition of the LNG Canada pipeline lease liability. Net debt at the end of 2024 was $4.7 billion lower than at the beginning of the year.

$ billion²	Q4 2023	Q1 2024	Q2 2024	Q3 2024	Q4 2024
Divestment proceeds	0.6	1.0	0.8	0.2	0.8
Free cash flow	6.9	9.8	10.2	10.8	8.7
Net debt	43.5	40.5	38.3	35.2	38.8

¹ Includes payments for the Brennstoffemissionshandelsgesetz (Fuel Emissions Trading Act), excludes the payment of German Mineral Oil Taxes.

² Reconciliation of non-GAAP measures can be found in the unaudited results, available at www.shell.com/investor^s.

Q4 2024 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE DRIVERS

INTEGRATED GAS

Key data	Q3 2024	Q4 2024	Q1 2025 outlook
Realised liquids price ($/bbl)	63	63	—
Realised gas price ($/thousand scf)	7.9	8.1	—
Production (kboe/d)	941	905	930 – 990
LNG liquefaction volumes (MT)	7.5	7.1	6.6 – 7.2
LNG sales volumes (MT)	17.0	15.5	—

Adjusted Earnings reflect lower trading and optimisation results driven by the (non-cash) impact of expiring hedging contracts, and lower volumes due to Pearl GTL turnaround, lower feedgas supply and lower liftings (timing) versus Q3 2024.
Q1 2025 production outlook reflects Pearl GTL being back in operation; LNG liquefaction volumes outlook is impacted by lower feedgas supply.

UPSTREAM

Key data	Q3 2024	Q4 2024	Q1 2025 outlook
Realised liquids price ($/bbl)	75	71	—
Realised gas price ($/thousand scf)	6.6	7.0	—
Liquids production (kboe/d)	1,321	1,332	—
Gas production (million scf/d)	2,844	3,056	—
Total production (kboe/d)	1,811	1,859	1,750 – 1,950

Adjusted Earnings reflect higher volumes, offset by lower prices, above-average well write-offs, and higher year-end opex.
First production achieved from Mero-3 and Whale (January), and FID taken on Bonga North, supporting portfolio longevity.

MARKETING

Key data	Q3 2024	Q4 2024	Q1 2025 outlook
Marketing sales volumes (kb/d)	2,945	2,795	2,500 – 3,000
Mobility (kb/d)	2,119	2,041	—
Lubricants (kb/d)	81	77	—
Sectors & Decarbonisation (kb/d)	745	678	—

Wholesale commercial fuels, previously reported in the Chemicals & Products segment, is reported in the Marketing segment (Mobility) with effect from Q1 2024.
Comparative information for the Marketing segment and the Chemicals & Products segment has been revised.

Adjusted Earnings in Q4 2024 reflect the seasonal impact of lower volumes and lower Mobility margins.

2024 full year Adjusted Earnings were $3.9 billion, up $0.6 billion from 2023, driven by improved margins and lower opex.

CHEMICALS & PRODUCTS

Key data	Q3 2024	Q4 2024	Q1 2025 outlook¹
Refinery processing intake (kb/d)	1,305	1,215	—
Chemicals sales volumes (kT)	3,015	2,926	—
Refinery utilisation (%)	81	76	80 – 88
Chemicals manufacturing plant utilisation (%)	76	75	78 – 86
Global indicative refining margin ($/bbl)	5.5	5.5	—
Global indicative chemical margin ($/t)	164	138	—

¹Oil sands production: In Q1 2025, Shell’s remaining interest in the Canadian oil sands is expected to be swapped for an additional 10% interest in the Scotford upgrader and Quest CCS projects.

Wholesale commercial fuels, previously reported in the Chemicals & Products segment, is reported in the Marketing segment (Mobility) with effect from Q1 2024.
Comparative information for the Marketing segment and the Chemicals & Products segment has been revised.

Adjusted Earnings reflect significantly lower contribution from trading and optimisation, including seasonality effects, and continued weak chemicals margin environment.

RENEWABLES & ENERGY SOLUTIONS

Key data	Q3 2024	Q4 2024
External power sales (TWh)	79	76
Sales of pipeline gas to end-use customers (TWh)	148	165
Renewables power generation capacity (GW)*	7.3	7.4
in operation (GW)	3.4	3.4
under construction and/or committed for sale (GW)	3.9	4.0

*Excludes Shell’s equity share of associates where information cannot be obtained.

Adjusted Earnings were lower than in Q3 2024, largely driven by one-off tax charges in the quarter.

Acquired a 609 MW combined-cycle gas turbine power plant in Rhode Island, USA.

Renewables and Energy Solutions includes activities such as renewable power generation, the marketing and trading and optimisation of power and pipeline gas, as well as carbon credits, and digitally enabled customer solutions. It also includes the production and marketing of hydrogen, development of commercial carbon capture and storage hubs, investment in nature-based projects that avoid or reduce carbon emissions, and Shell Ventures, which invests in companies that work to accelerate the energy and mobility transformation.

CORPORATE

Key data	Q3 2024	Q4 2024	Q1 2025 outlook
Adjusted Earnings ($ billion)	(0.6)	(0.4)	(0.6) – (0.4)

2024 FULL YEAR

$ billion	Adj. Earnings	CFFO excl. WC	CFFO	Cash capex	Free cash flow
FY 2024	23.7	52.6	54.7	21.1	39.5
FY 2023	28.3	47.1	54.2	24.4	36.5

Operational performance	FY 2023	FY 2024	% change
Oil and gas production (kboe/d)	2,791	2,836	2%
LNG liquefaction volumes (MT)	28.3	29.1	3%
Marketing sales volumes (kb/d)	3,045	2,843	(7)%
Refinery processing intake (kb/d)	1,349	1,344	(0)%
Chemicals sales volumes (kT)	11,245	11,875	6%

Macro indicators	FY 2023	FY 2024	% change
Brent ($/bbl)	83	81	(2)%
Henry Hub ($/MMBtu)	2.5	2.2	(13)%
EU TTF ($/MMBtu)	13.0	11.0	(16)%
Indicative refining margin ($/bbl)	12.5	7.7	(38)%
Indicative chemicals margin ($/t)	133	152	14%

UPCOMING INVESTOR EVENTS

February 25, 2025	Shell LNG Outlook 2025 publication
March 25, 2025	Capital Markets Day 2025
May 2, 2025	First quarter 2025 results and dividends
May 20, 2025	Annual General Meeting
July 31, 2025	Second quarter 2025 results and dividends
October 30, 2025	Third quarter 2025 results and dividends

USEFUL LINKS

Results materials Q4 2024

Quarterly Databook Q4 2024

Webcast registration Q 4 202 4

Dividend announcement Q 4 2024

ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE (NON-GAAP) MEASURES

This announcement includes certain measures that are calculated and presented on the basis of methodologies other than in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) such as IFRS, including Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted EBITDA, CFFO excluding working capital movements, Cash capital expenditure, free cash flow, Divestment proceeds and Net debt. This information, along with comparable GAAP measures, is useful to investors because it provides a basis for measuring Shell plc’s operating performance and ability to retire debt and invest in new business opportunities. Shell plc’s management uses these financial measures, along with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, in evaluating the business performance.

This announcement may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures for cash capital expenditure and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile the non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of the company, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are estimated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. “Subsidiaries”, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”; “ambition”; “anticipate”; “believe”; “commit”; “commitment”; “could”; “estimate”; “expect”; “goals”; “intend”; “may”; “milestones”; “objectives”; “outlook”; “plan”; “probably”; “project”; “risks”; “schedule”; “seek”; “should”; “target”; “will”; “would” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, regional conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, and a significant cyber security breach; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 (available at www.shell.com/investors/news-and-filings/sec-filings.html and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, January 30, 2025. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.

All amounts shown throughout this announcement are unaudited. The numbers presented throughout this announcement may not sum precisely to the totals provided and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures, due to rounding.

Shell’s Net Carbon Intensity

Also, in this announcement we may refer to Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” (NCI), which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell’s NCI also includes the emissions associated with the production and use of energy products produced by others which Shell purchases for resale. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the terms Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” or NCI is for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.

Shell’s Net-Zero Emissions Target

Shell’s operating plan, outlook and budgets are forecasted for a ten-year period and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next ten years. Accordingly, they reflect our Scope 1, Scope 2 and NCI targets over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plans cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target, as this target is currently outside our planning period. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target.

The content of websites referred to in this announcement does not form part of this announcement.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov.

The financial information presented in this announcement does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of section 434(3) of the Companies Act 2006 (“the Act”). Statutory accounts for the year ended December 31, 2023 were published in Shell’s Annual Report and Accounts, a copy of which was delivered to the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales, and in Shell’s Form 20-F. The auditor’s report on those accounts was unqualified, did not include a reference to any matters to which the auditor drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying the report and did not contain a statement under sections 498(2) or 498(3) of the Act. The statutory accounts for the year ended December 31, 2024 will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales in due course.

The information in this announcement does not constitute the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements which are contained in Shell’s fourth quarter 2024 and full year 2024 unaudited results available on www.shell.com/investors.

CONTACTS

Media: International +44 207 934 5550; USA +1 832 337 4355

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI China: Chinese satellite enterprises provide expanded, improved global services

Source: China State Council Information Office

Chinese space companies have been expanding their satellite services, including communication, navigation and remote sensing, while also accelerating the deployment of satellite constellations in pursuit of better services.

At the start of 2025, China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), which offers commercial launch and satellite in-orbit delivery services, completed the delivery of an intelligent remote sensing satellite, known as IRSS-1, to an Omani company.

Launched on Nov. 11, 2024, this one-meter resolution satellite weighs 95 kilograms and has a design life of five years. It will be used for surveys of land and forests, as well as urban planning and disaster monitoring.

The successful delivery of the satellite will play an important role in improving Oman’s remote sensing satellite application capabilities, the CGWIC said.

WIDE REMOTE SENSING COVERAGE

Users from around the world who log on to the website of Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd, can browse satellite images captured by the company’s Jilin-1 satellite constellation.

The Jilin-1 constellation, which had its first group of satellites launched back in October 2015, now features more than 117 satellites and is capable of observing any point on the globe about 40 times a day, according to Huang Jian, head of Chang Guang’s overseas business data application.

The Jilin-1 constellation can cover the world six times a year and the entire China 24 times annually, and so can provide frequent updates of satellite images of any location, Huang said, while adding that this capability supports the company’s overseas business expansion.

Chang Guang has been cooperating with more than 130 overseas users in providing services regarding land surveys, urban building investigations, agriculture and forestry.

In response to disasters and emergencies, the company has recently provided satellite images of fires and floods in different parts of the world, following a request from the United Nations.

Notably, the company is planning a new constellation consisting of 200 satellites, according to Xuan Ming, chairman and general manager of Chang Guang. This new constellation will have a spatial resolution of 20 centimeters and can cover the entire globe once a day.

Its temporal resolution, combined with the contribution of the Jilin-1 constellation, will make it possible to revisit any point on Earth within approximately three minutes.

EFFICIENT COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

The commercialization of China’s aerospace sector started in 2014, when the country’s State Council, in a guideline, encouraged private capital to participate in the construction of national civil space infrastructure.

Founded in 2018, Geespace is a science and technology innovation enterprise under the Chinese automaker Geely. It currently operates 30 satellites in three orbital planes, thereby achieving 24-hour coverage of 90 percent of the world, and provides satellite communication services to overseas users.

These satellites are part of the Geesatcom constellation. The low-orbit communication constellation can enable direct satellite connection for automotive autonomous driving, intelligent internet connection, smartphones and other consumer electronic products.

Geesatcom in June 2024 completed its first commercial deployment test in the Middle East. It will cooperate with a number of global operators in switching on a worldwide commercial application.

Through a combination of Geesatcom and its ground system, Geespace provides global medium-and-low-speed satellite communication operations, satellite-based high-precision positioning services and a satellite remote sensing AI service, according to Wan Yang, founder of Geespace.

In the future, Geespace expects to provide access to its satellite application services to clients in both Southeast Asia and Africa.

Another Chinese commercial satellite constellation, Spacesail, will provide satellite communication services to Brazil and broadband internet access for that country’s remote and under-served regions from 2026.

Spacesail is a low Earth orbit mega-constellation with full frequency bands and a multi-layer and multi-orbit design. Its commercial network construction was officially launched on Aug. 6, 2024.

The market for connecting smartphones directly to satellites has become increasingly promising. “Except for the North Pole and South Pole, almost any location on Earth, including oceans, deserts and remote mountainous regions where traditional communications are difficult to achieve, will enjoy a stable network connection — with smartphones directly connected to satellites,” said Wang.

By the end of June 2024, 546 commercial space enterprises were registered and effectively operating in China, China Space Foundation Secretary General Wang Cheng said in November last year at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province.

This booming development of Chinese commercial satellite companies was firmly supported by a series of related policies.

China has issued both a medium- and long-term development plan for civil space infrastructure for the period from 2015 to 2025, aiming to support and regulate the development of its commercial space industry.

The country is also mapping a development plan for civil space infrastructure from 2026 to 2035, according to Li Guoping, chief engineer at the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

MIL OSI China News –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: Nokia Corporation Financial Report for Q4 and full year 2024

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Nokia Corporation
Financial Statement Release
30 January 2025 at 08:00 EET

Nokia Corporation Financial Report for Q4 and full year 2024

Strong Q4 growth and profitability as market trends improve

Q4 net sales increased 9% y-o-y in constant currency (10% reported). Network Infrastructure net sales grew strongly with all units contributing, Nokia Technologies grew significantly and Cloud and Network Services also grew in Q4.
Comparable gross margin in Q4 increased by 250bps y-o-y to 47.2% (reported increased 280bps to 46.1%), with a strong contribution from Nokia Technologies along with smaller contributions from other businesses.
Q4 comparable operating margin increased 380bps y-o-y to 19.1% (reported up 540bps to 15.3%), mainly due to higher gross margin, continued cost control and higher contribution from Nokia Technologies.
Q4 comparable diluted EPS for the period of EUR 0.18; reported diluted EPS for the period of EUR 0.15.
Q4 free cash flow of EUR 0.05 billion, net cash balance of EUR 4.9 billion.
Full year 2024 net sales declined 9% in both reported and constant currency, of which 7 percentage points was related to India. Comparable operating profit was EUR 2.6 billion (reported EUR 2.0 billion).
Full year comparable diluted EPS of EUR 0.39; reported diluted EPS of 0.23.
Board proposes dividend authorization of EUR 0.14 per share.
Nokia issues full year 2025 outlook on an organic basis. Nokia expects comparable operating profit of between EUR 1.9 billion and 2.4 billion and free cash flow conversion from comparable operating profit of between 50% and 80%.

This is a summary of the Nokia Corporation Financial report for Q4 and full year 2024 published today. Nokia only publishes a summary of its financial reports in stock exchange releases. The summary focuses on Nokia Group’s financial information as well as on Nokia’s outlook. The detailed, segment-level discussion will be available in the complete financial report hosted at www.nokia.com/financials. A video interview summarizing the key points of our Q4 results will also be published on the website. Investors should not solely rely on summaries of Nokia’s financial reports and should also review the complete reports with tables.

PEKKA LUNDMARK, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ON Q4 AND FULL YEAR 2024 RESULTS

In the following quote, net sales growth rates are on a constant currency basis
We saw a strong finish to 2024 with 9% net sales growth year-on-year in Q4. I am optimistic that the improving market trends we are now seeing will persist into 2025. Alongside the net sales growth, we saw excellent profitability in Q4 with a comparable operating margin of 19.1%. This meant our full year comparable operating profit was EUR 2.6 billion, at the mid-point of our guidance of EUR 2.3 to 2.9 billion.

All business groups delivered a strong operational performance in the quarter. Net sales growth in Network Infrastructure accelerated to 17%, with IP Networks growing 24%, Fixed Networks 16% and Optical Networks 7%. This reflected a strong recovery in demand from communication service providers, notably in North America.

Mobile Networks net sales stabilized with continued resilience in gross margin. We also secured many important deals, winning 18 000 additional base station sites, since the start of 2024 on a net basis. This was achieved while maintaining our commercial and pricing discipline to protect our gross margins.

Cloud and Network Services returned to 7% net sales growth in the quarter, despite a headwind of 4 percentage points from a prior business disposal, and its operating margin improved over the full year. Both Core Networks and Enterprise Campus Edge grew strongly. The fourth quarter saw the acquisition of Rapid’s technology assets. This will bolster our R&D capacity in Network as Code and increase our developer access. Taken together with our autonomous networks application suite, we are accelerating our efforts to help operators fully automate and monetize their networks.

Nokia Technologies had an extremely active quarter. We signed a deal with Transsion, a previously unlicensed mobile devices vendor, along with multimedia deals with HP and Samsung, as well as many other smaller deals. Our annual net sales run-rate increased to approximately between EUR 1.3 and 1.4 billion in Q4, progressing towards our mid-term EUR 1.4 to 1.5 billion target.

We delivered a strong cash performance throughout 2024, ending with full year free cash flow of EUR 2.0 billion. This means we continue to have a strong balance sheet supporting our business with net cash of EUR 4.9 billion at the end of the year, even after returning EUR 1.4 billion to shareholders through dividend and share buybacks. The Board is proposing an increase in the dividend to EUR 0.14 per share in respect of the financial year 2024. We also continue to execute against our outstanding share buyback program to offset any dilution from the equity component of our pending Infinera acquisition. Going forward, our target remains to maintain a net cash position of between 10-15% of annual net sales.

Q4 also saw further progress in efforts to expand our presence in the data center market. We signed important deals with Microsoft and Nscale for our data center switching products, along with announcing partnerships with both Kyndryl and Lenovo. We are now stepping up our investments to broaden our addressable market in data center IP networking. We will invest up to an additional EUR 100 million in annual operating expenses with a view to driving incremental net sales of EUR 1 billion by 2028. In the short-term this will moderate the pace of operating margin expansion in Network Infrastructure, but we anticipate a strong return on investment considering the momentum we already have today in the market.

Looking further ahead into 2025, we expect the improved trends we have seen in Network Infrastructure in the second half of this year, to sustain and drive strong growth. Cloud and Network Services is also expected to grow with strong 5G Core momentum and growth in our Enterprise Campus Edge business. End markets in Mobile Networks are improving and we currently assume largely stable net sales. Nokia Technologies is expected to deliver approximately EUR 1.1 billion of operating profit.

At the Nokia level, we currently estimate we will deliver comparable operating profit of between EUR 1.9 and 2.4 billion in 2025. We also target free cash flow conversion from comparable operating profit of between 50% and 80%. Excluding the one-time items that benefited 2024 by over EUR 700 million which were mostly in the first half of the year, this guidance would imply a strong improvement in our comparable operating profit in 2025 despite select increased investments.

Given the market volatility in 2024, our results demonstrate the responsiveness and capacity of the Nokia team to execute in all market conditions. I thank the whole Nokia team for their commitment, hard work and drive which made these results possible.

FINANCIAL RESULTS

EUR million (except for EPS in EUR)	Q4’24	Q4’23	YoY change	Constant currency YoY change	Q1-Q4’24	Q1-Q4’23	YoY change	Constant currency YoY change
Reported results
Net sales	5 983	5 416	10%	9%	19 220	21 138	(9)%	(9)%
Gross margin %	46.1%	43.3%	280bps		46.1%	40.4%	570bps
Research and development expenses	(1 136)	(1 080)	5%		(4 512)	(4 277)	5%
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(789)	(774)	2%		(2 890)	(2 878)	0%
Operating profit	917	534	72%		1 999	1 661	20%
Operating margin %	15.3%	9.9%	540bps		10.4%	7.9%	250bps
Profit/(loss) from continuing operations	746	(51)			1 711	649	164%
Profit/(loss) from discontinued operations	67	18	272%		(427)	30
Profit/(loss) for the period	813	(33)			1 284	679	89%
EPS for the period, diluted	0.15	(0.01)			0.23	0.12	92%
Net cash and interest-bearing financial investments	4 854	4 323	12%		4 854	4 323	12%
Comparable results
Net sales	5 983	5 416	10%	9%	19 220	21 138	(9)%	(9)%
Gross margin %	47.2%	44.7%	250bps		47.1%	41.1%	600bps
Research and development expenses	(1 129)	(1 023)	10%		(4 298)	(4 143)	4%
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(638)	(615)	4%		(2 423)	(2 448)	(1)%
Operating profit	1 142	830	38%		2 619	2 337	12%
Operating margin %	19.1%	15.3%	380bps		13.6%	11.1%	250bps
Profit for the period	977	555	76%		2 175	1 590	37%
EPS for the period, diluted	0.18	0.10	80%		0.39	0.28	39%
ROIC⁽¹⁾	13.0%	9.9%	310bps		13.0%	9.9%	310bps

¹ Comparable ROIC = Comparable operating profit after tax, last four quarters / invested capital, average of last five quarters’ ending balances. Refer to the Alternative performance measures section in Nokia Corporation Financial Report for Q4 and full year 2024 for details.

Business group results	Network Infrastructure		Mobile Networks		Cloud and Network Services		Nokia Technologies		Group Common and Other
EUR million	Q4’24	Q4’23	Q4’24	Q4’23	Q4’24	Q4’23	Q4’24	Q4’23	Q4’24	Q4’23
Net sales	2 031	1 712	2 431	2 450	1 054	977	463	251	6	25
YoY change	19%		(1)%		8%		84%		(76)%
Constant currency YoY change	17%		(2)%		7%		85%		(76)%
Gross margin %	45.4%	44.7%	38.1%	38.3%	48.1%	47.6%	99.8%	100.0%
Operating profit/(loss)	398	264	187	281	236	223	356	169	(35)	(106)
Operating margin %	19.6%	15.4%	7.7%	11.5%	22.4%	22.8%	76.9%	67.3%

SHAREHOLDER DISTRIBUTION

Dividend

The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting 2025 authorizes the Board to resolve on the distribution of an aggregate maximum of EUR 0.14 per share to be paid in respect of the financial year 2024. The authorization would be used to distribute dividend and/or assets from the reserve for invested unrestricted equity in four installments during the authorization period, in connection with the quarterly results, unless the Board decides otherwise for a justified reason.

Under the current authorization by the Annual General Meeting held on 3 April 2024, the Board of Directors may resolve on the distribution of an aggregate maximum of EUR 0.13 per share to be paid in respect of financial year 2023. The authorization will be used to distribute dividend and/or assets from the reserve for invested unrestricted equity in four installments during the authorization period, in connection with the quarterly results, unless the Board decides otherwise for a justified reason.

On 30 January 2025, the Board resolved to distribute a dividend of EUR 0.03 per share. The dividend record date is 4 February 2025 and the dividend will be paid on 13 February 2025. The actual dividend payment date outside Finland will be determined by the practices of the intermediary banks transferring the dividend payments.

Following this announced distribution of the fourth installment and executed payments of the previous installments, the Board has no remaining distribution authorization.

Share buyback programs

In January 2024, Nokia’s Board of Directors initiated a share buyback program to repurchase shares to return up to EUR 600 million of cash to shareholders in tranches over a period of two years. The share buyback execution started on 20 March 2024. On 19 July 2024, Nokia’s Board of Directors decided to accelerate the timeframe for the share buyback program with the aim of completing the full EUR 600 million program by the end of the year instead of the initial two year timeframe. The program was completed on 21 November 2024 and the repurchased 157 646 220 shares were canceled on 4 December 2024.

On 27 June 2024, Nokia announced its intention to acquire Infinera in a transaction that valued Infinera at US$1.7 billion equity value with up to 30% of the consideration to be paid in Nokia American depositary shares (“ADSs”), depending on the elections of Infinera shareholders. To offset the dilution from the transaction to Nokia shareholders, on 22 November 2024 Nokia announced a new share buyback program targeting to repurchase 150 million shares for an aggregate purchase price not exceeding EUR 900 million. Under this share buyback program, by 31 December 2024, Nokia had repurchased 19 186 046 of its own shares at an average price per share of approximately EUR 4.14.

OUTLOOK

	Full Year 2025
Comparable operating profit⁽¹⁾	EUR 1.9 billion to EUR 2.4 billion (excluding any impact from pending Infinera acquisition)
Free cash flow⁽¹⁾	50% to 80% conversion from comparable operating profit (excluding any impact from pending Infinera acquisition)

¹Please refer to Alternative performance measures section in Nokia Corporation Financial Report for Q4 and full year 2024 for a full explanation of how these terms are defined.

The outlook, long-term targets and all of the underlying outlook assumptions described below are forward-looking statements subject to a number of risks and uncertainties as described or referred to in the Risk Factors section later in this report. release.

Along with Nokia’s official outlook targets provided above, Nokia provides the below additional assumptions that support the group level financial outlook. Considering the pending Infinera acquisition along with the transfer of Managed Services from Cloud and Network Services to Mobile Networks (further details of this transfer are included in the Additional Topics section), Nokia is not currently providing assumptions by business group as it did previously.

	Full year 2025
Group Common and Other operating expenses	approximately EUR 400 million
Comparable financial income and expenses	Positive EUR 50 to 150 million
Comparable income tax rate	~25%
Cash outflows related to income taxes	EUR 450 million
Capital Expenditures	EUR 550 million

2026 TARGETS

Nokia’s current targets for its existing perimeter of the business for 2026 are outlined below. This does not consider pending acquisitions. Nokia sees further opportunities to increase margins beyond 2026 and believes an operating margin of 14% remains achievable over the longer term.

Net sales	Grow faster than the market
Comparable operating margin⁽¹⁾	≥ 13%
Free cash flow⁽¹⁾	55% to 85% conversion from comparable operating profit

¹ Please refer to Alternative Performance measures section in Nokia Corporation Financial Report for Q4 and full year 2024 for a full explanation of how these terms are defined.

The comparable operating margin target for Nokia group is built on the following assumptions by business group for 2026:

Network Infrastructure	13 – 16% operating margin
Mobile Networks	6 – 9% operating margin
Cloud and Network Services	7 – 10% operating margin
Nokia Technologies	Operating profit more than EUR 1.1 billion
Group common and other	Approximately EUR 300 million of operating expenses

ADDITIONAL TOPICS

Progress on Infinera acquisition
On 27 June 2024, Nokia announced a definitive agreement under which Nokia will acquire Infinera, a global supplier of innovative open optical networking solutions and advanced optical semiconductors. The acquisition process continues to proceed as expected. On 13 September 2024, the applicable waiting period under the US pre-merger review expired and the Department of Justice decided not to investigate the planned transaction. On 1 October 2024, Infinera shareholders approved the planned acquisition. On 7 October 2024, Nokia and Infinera received approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). During the fourth quarter Nokia received many of the outstanding required approvals for the deal. At this point approval from the European Union and Taiwan, along with contractual closing conditions, are the major items outstanding to proceed to closing. Assuming the current target timelines, Nokia and Infinera now expect the deal to close during the first quarter of 2025.

Nokia exercised NSB call option to simplify ownership structure in China

Nokia and its joint venture partner China Huaxin have been together reviewing the future ownership structure of Nokia Shanghai Bell (NSB). Following those discussions, Nokia exercised its call option, outlined in NSB’s shareholders’ agreement, to initiate the process to become the sole shareholder by purchasing China Huaxin’s approximately 50% share in NSB. This will allow Nokia to simplify its ownership structure in China while Nokia remains committed to continue serving the local market.
Since the creation of the joint venture Nokia has recorded a liability on its balance sheet based on the estimated future cash settlement to acquire China Huaxin’s ownership interest. The execution of the call option is subject to completing required steps under the shareholders’ agreement.

Managed Services business transferred from Cloud and Network Services into Mobile Networks in 2025
Nokia has moved its Managed Services business into Mobile Networks (MN), effective 1 January 2025. The Managed Services business provides outsourced network management of multi-vendor RAN networks for operators and since 2021 has been part of our Cloud and Network Services (CNS) business group. Considering CNS is increasingly transitioning towards cloud-native software sales, ‘as-a-service’ product offerings and helping customers to monetize networks through API’s, Nokia believes that this business is more aligned and fits better with its MN business. Based on 2024 results, this change is expected to lead to a transfer of approximately EUR 430 million of net sales and approximately EUR 40 million of comparable operating profit from CNS to MN. Nokia will provide recast financial information for 2024 for MN and CNS reflecting this change prior to Nokia’s Q1 financial results.

RISK FACTORS

Nokia and its businesses are exposed to a number of risks and uncertainties which include but are not limited to:

Competitive intensity, which is expected to continue at a high level as some competitors seek to take share;
Changes in customer network investments related to their ability to monetize the network;
Our ability to ensure competitiveness of our product roadmaps and costs through additional R&D investments;
Our ability to procure certain standard components and the costs thereof, such as semiconductors;
Disturbance in the global supply chain;
Impact of inflation, increased global macro-uncertainty, major currency fluctuations, changes in tariffs and higher interest rates;
Potential economic impact and disruption of global pandemics;
War or other geopolitical conflicts, disruptions and potential costs thereof;
Other macroeconomic, industry and competitive developments;
Timing and value of new, renewed and existing patent licensing agreements with licensees;
Results in brand and technology licensing; costs to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; on-going litigation with respect to licensing and regulatory landscape for patent licensing;
The outcomes of on-going and potential disputes and litigation;
Our ability to execute, complete, successfully integrate and realize the expected benefits from our ongoing transactions;
Timing of completions and acceptances of certain projects;
Our product and regional mix;
Uncertainty in forecasting income tax expenses and cash outflows, over the long-term, as they are also subject to possible changes due to business mix, the timing of patent licensing cash flow and changes in tax legislation, including potential tax reforms in various countries and OECD initiatives;
Our ability to utilize our Finnish deferred tax assets and their recognition on our balance sheet;
Our ability to meet our sustainability and other ESG targets, including our targets relating to greenhouse gas emissions;

as well the risk factors specified under Forward-looking statements of this release, and our 2023 annual report on Form 20-F published on 29 February 2024 under Operating and financial review and prospects-Risk factors.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect Nokia’s current expectations and views of future developments and include statements regarding: A) expectations, plans, benefits or outlook related to our strategies, projects, programs, product launches, growth management, licenses, sustainability and other ESG targets, operational key performance indicators and decisions on market exits; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses (including the expected impact, timing and duration of potential global pandemics, geopolitical conflicts and the general or regional macroeconomic conditions on our businesses, our supply chain, the timing of market changes or turning points in demand and our customers’ businesses) and any future dividends and other distributions of profit; C) expectations and targets regarding financial performance and results of operations, including market share, prices, net sales, income, margins, cash flows, cost savings, the timing of receivables, operating expenses, provisions, impairments, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, investment funds, inflation, product cost reductions, competitiveness, revenue generation in any specific region, and licensing income and payments; D) ability to execute, expectations, plans or benefits related to our ongoing transactions, investments and changes in organizational structure and operating model; E) impact on revenue with respect to litigation/renewal discussions; and F) any statements preceded by or including “anticipate”, “continue”, “believe”, “envisage”, “expect”, “aim”, “will”, “target”, “may”, “would”, “see”, “plan” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are based on management’s best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to them. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon our current expectations and views of future events and developments and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences, include those risks and uncertainties identified in the Risk Factors above.

ANALYST WEBCAST

Nokia’s webcast will begin on 30 January 2025 at 11.30 a.m. Finnish time (EET). The webcast will last approximately 60 minutes.
The webcast will be a presentation followed by a Q&A session. Presentation slides will be available for download at www.nokia.com/financials.
A link to the webcast will be available at www.nokia.com/financials.
Media representatives can listen in via the link, or alternatively call +1-412-317-5619.

FINANCIAL CALENDAR

Nokia plans to publish its “Nokia in 2024” annual report, which includes the review by the Board of Directors and the audited annual accounts, during the week starting on 10 March 2025.
Nokia plans to publish its first quarter 2025 results on 24 April 2025.
Nokia’s Annual General Meeting 2025 is planned to be held on 29 April 2025.
Nokia plans to publish its second quarter and half year 2025 results on 24 July 2025.
Nokia plans to publish its third quarter and January-September 2025 results on 23 October 2025.

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

Inquiries:

Nokia
Communications
Phone: +358 10 448 4900
Email: press.services@nokia.com
Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications

Nokia
Investor Relations
Phone: +358 931 580 507
Email: investor.relations@nokia.com

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2024_Q4_Nokia_Earnings_release_English

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: FBI Washington Field Office Statement on Aviation Incident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

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

The FBI Washington Field Office’s National Capital Response Squad is responding to an aviation incident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in support of our law enforcement and public safety partners. Please direct questions to the National Transportation Safety Board.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Repeat and Dangerous Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison After Traveling from Arkansas to Albany to Sexually Abuse 11 Year Old

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Biswell, age 39, of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, to be followed by a life term of supervised release, after a federal judge determined that he is a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

In July 2024, Biswell pled guilty to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and transportation of child pornography. After his plea, the United States Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Probation Office, and the FBI obtained evidence that Biswell had previously sexually abused an infant, which established that Biswell is a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors – significantly enhancing his sentencing range under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Faced with the evidence amassed by the government, Biswell informed the prosecution that he would waive an evidentiary hearing and his objection to being sentenced as a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors in exchange for an agreed-upon sentence of 20 years’ incarceration and a life term of supervised release.

According to the plea agreement and documents submitted to the Court, Biswell admitted that between January and April 2023, he communicated with an individual he believed was the mother of an 11-year-old girl through an internet-based social networking application and using his cellular phone. Over the course of those communications, Biswell expressed his interest in engaging in sexual contact and impregnating the 11-year-old and ultimately purchased airfare to travel from his home in Arkansas to Albany, with the intent to engage in illicit sexual contact with the child on April 8, 2023. Upon his arrival in the Capital Region on April 8, 2023, Biswell was arrested by FBI agents and admitted that he had traveled from Arkansas to Albany for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with a child he believed to be 11 years old. Biswell further admitted that he brought child pornography with him on his cell phone. The cell phone was subsequently searched by the FBI and found to contain numerous videos and images depicting child pornography, including several videos depicting the sexual abuse and rape of children under the age of 5.

In sentencing Biswell today, United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci found that he had previously engaged in oral-to-genital contact with an infant, making him a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors. In addition to a 20-year term of incarceration and a lifetime of supervised release, Judge Nardacci imposed restitution in the amount of $9,000 and a special assessment of $200. When Biswell is released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Reed Announces Committee Leadership Assignments for 119th Congress

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after the Senate Appropriations Committee fully organized, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) announced his full slate of committee and subcommittee assignments for the 119th Congress.
Senator Reed will continue serving on four ‘A’ committees: Armed Services; Appropriations; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and the Select Committee on Intelligence. These assignments include two of the three ‘Super A’ Committees: Armed Services and Appropriations.
Senator Reed will serve as Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and as the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), which has jurisdiction over a diverse group of agencies responsible for regulating the financial and telecommunications industries; collecting taxes and providing taxpayer assistance; providing small business assistance; overseeing the White House and judicial branch operations, and the District of Columbia; construction and management of federal buildings; and overseeing the Federal workforce.
With these assignments, Reed is well-positioned to deliver for Rhode Island while overseeing the U.S. Department of Defense and federal spending decisions through the appropriations process.
“These key committee posts help me fix our roads and bridges, strengthen our economy, deliver for Rhode Island, and chart a responsible fiscal path. My new assignment on the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee provides another tool to support small business growth, expand economic opportunity, boost Rhode Island’s broadband connections, and ensure the health and safety of our financial markets,” said Reed. “As Congress grapples with a range of complex challenges, I will do everything in my power to help lower prices for working families and ensure Rhode Islanders’ needs are met. I will continue to be a relentless advocate for our state and focus on the issues that Rhode Islanders care about. And I will promote and uphold the constitutional role of Congress, including Congress’s power of the purse. ”
ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
Senator Reed is the Ranking Member of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, which is responsible for overseeing the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), military services operating across the domains of land, sea, air, cyberspace, and space, and all DOD agencies, including their budgets and policies, and national security aspects of nuclear energy. Each year, SASC is tasked with producing and passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
In 2024, under Reed’s leadership as SASC Chairman, Congress passed the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorized $883.7 billion for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the national security programs of the U.S. Department of Energy. The NDAA offers a blueprint to equip, supply, and train U.S. forces; provide for military families; and strengthen oversight of the Defense Department and military programs. The defense industry is a high-tech sector that contributes to Rhode Island’s economic growth, generates good-paying jobs, and has been a resilient segment of the state’s economy. According to the latest Rhode Island data, the defense industry generated over $4.3 billion in annual economic impact for Rhode Island and a total employment share of 6.2 percent of the state’s workforce.
In addition to his leadership on the Armed Services Committee, Reed is also a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which provides him with additional oversight responsibilities in determining how defense dollars are spent.
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Senator Reed will continue to serve as Rhode Island’s only member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, which controls the funding of the federal government.
Senator Reed is the third most senior Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. He works tirelessly to direct federal funding to the Ocean State to create jobs, strengthen infrastructure, and support economic and community development initiatives.
Senator Reed will give up his leadership post on the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch in order to help lead the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee.
The FSGG subcommittee drafts the spending plan and oversees annual funding for financial-related agencies including the U.S. Department of Treasury; the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is responsible for funding the Executive Office of the President and federal election security initiatives. The panel also has jurisdiction over two dozen key agencies and programs that have a direct impact on Rhode Island, including:
– The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which supports local entrepreneurs and small businesses with outreach and loans and also provides loans following federally-declared disasters.
– The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which helps ensure competition in broad sectors of the economy and helps protect consumers from false advertising and business practices.
– The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has jurisdiction over telecommunications and broadband matters.
– The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), which provides funding for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas nationwide and to Rhode Island.
– The Federal Election Commission (FEC), with has jurisdiction over federal campaign finance laws.
– The General Services Administration (GSA), which manages federal properties in Rhode Island and nationwide.
– The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund which provides hundreds of millions annually to generate economic growth in local communities and provide access to credit and technical assistance to underserved areas.
Additionally, Senator Reed will serve on five other Appropriations Subcommittees: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS); Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H); Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA); and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD).
BANKING, HOUSING & URBAN AFFAIRS
A champion of affordable housing, consumer protection, and mass-transit, Senator Reed will continue serving as a key member of the Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee, which has broad oversight over our nation’s financial institutions, capital markets, consumer finance, monetary policy, and housing and mass-transit programs.
Senator Reed is the most senior Democratic member of the panel, but Senate rules dictate that members may only serve atop one full committee at a time.
Senator Reed has used his Banking Committee post to author Wall Street reform and consumer protection laws, including his ‘warrants law,’ which forced the return of over $10 billion dollars to taxpayers. He also successfully urged the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to focus greater attention on climate risk disclosures for public companies. The committee also oversees federal housing policy and authorizes mass-transit investments, and Senator Reed used his role on the committee led to create two affordable housing funds: the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund.
It was Senator Reed’s leadership on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, coupled with his work on the Appropriations Committee, that earned him a spot as one of twenty members of the bipartisan working group that was tasked with developing the CARES Act (Public Law No. 116-136). Senator Reed was the driving force behind the successful effort to create the $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) in the CARES Act and successfully secured a small state minimum of $1.25 billion in the law. Senator Reed continues to play an active role in pushing legislation to direct additional federal funds to states and local governments to help save lives and address the economic impact caused by the pandemic.
As America faces an affordable housing crisis, which worsened during the pandemic, Senator Reed will play a key role in providing relief for renters and homeowners, and helping to revitalize communities by expanding the supply of affordable housing. Reed will also use his seat on this committee to boost mass-transit infrastructure in order to help connect communities and more Americans to jobs and economic opportunity.
Senator Reed will serve on three key Banking subcommittees: Economic Policy; Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection; and Securities, Insurance, and Investment.
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
By virtue of his leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Reed is also an ex officio member of the high-profile Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees the U.S. Intelligence Community. As an ex officio member of the panel, Senator Reed regularly participates in open and closed-door briefings and hearings with top intelligence officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and the National Security Agency (NSA), but he does not vote in committee.
The Intelligence Committee was established in 1976 to oversee the range of civilian and military agencies and departments that make up the U.S. Intelligence Community, and has wide influence over U.S. national security and foreign policy.
The President of the United States is required by law to ensure that the Intelligence Committee is kept “fully and currently informed” of intelligence activities. As a result, U.S. intelligence agencies must notify the Committee of its activities, including covert actions.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Knife assault on woman on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation sends Box Elder man to prison for more than five years

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder man who admitted to assaulting a woman by cutting her face with a knife during an argument on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced today to five years and seven months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

The defendant, Colten Tyrone Small, also known as Colton Swan, 22, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that in the early morning hours of May 3, 2023, Small punched the victim, identified as Jane Doe, in the face while he held a butcher knife in a residence in Box Elder, on the Rocky Boy’s Reservation. A witness to the assault told law enforcement that Small sliced Doe’s face in the residence. Small and Doe argued, and the fight got more aggressive. After Small cut Doe’s face, the witness beat up Small. There was some fentanyl and alcohol use occurring at the time. Doe was treated at Northern Montana Hospital in Havre for facial injuries from the knife.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Rocky Boy’s Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.

XXX

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. Q4 2024 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SEATTLE, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: SFBC), the holding company for Sound Community Bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $1.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, or $0.74 diluted earnings per share, as compared to net income of $1.2 million, or $0.45 diluted earnings per share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and $1.2 million, or $0.47 diluted earnings per share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The Company also announced today that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend on the Company’s common stock of $0.19 per share, payable on February 26, 2025 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 12, 2025.

Comments from the President and Chief Executive Officer

“The Bank ended the year with many positives, including a 15-basis-point increase in net interest margin compared to the third quarter of 2024. This was largely due to our significant progress in reducing deposit costs, which fell by 16 basis points,” remarked Laurie Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Additionally, nonperforming loans decreased by 11.8% from the third quarter, and for the first time in more than a decade, we have no OREO,” concluded Ms. Stewart. “Notable progress was made in reducing funding costs during the quarter and in controlling expenses throughout the entire year. We hope to continue this momentum in 2025. Our staff across the company played an important role in these accomplishments by focusing on client relationships and increasing efficiencies through technological improvements,” explained Wes Ochs, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Ochs continued, “We ended the year with the same balance sheet strategy that we used to close out 2023, which helped reduce the Bank’s asset size below $1 billion. This strategy is intended to provide the Bank with additional operational flexibility and continued cost savings in 2025.”
Q4 2024 Financial Performance
Total assets decreased $107.3 million or 9.7% to $993.6 million at December 31, 2024, from $1.10 billion at September 30, 2024, and decreased $1.6 million or 0.2% from $995.2 million at December 31, 2023.				Net interest income increased $347 thousand or 4.4% to $8.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, from $7.9 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and increased $653 thousand or 8.6% from $7.6 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.

				Net interest margin (“NIM”), annualized, was 3.13% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to 2.98% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and 3.04% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
Loans held-for-portfolio decreased $1.6 million or 0.2% to $900.2 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $901.7 million at September 30, 2024, and increased $5.7 million or 0.6% from $894.5 million at December 31, 2023.
				A $14 thousand provision for credit losses was recorded for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to an $8 thousand provision and a $27 thousand release of provision for credit losses for the quarters ended September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. At December 31, 2024, the allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans outstanding was 0.94%, compared to 0.95% at September 30, 2024 and 0.98% December 31, 2023.
Total deposits decreased $92.4 million or 9.9% to $837.8 million at December 31, 2024, from $930.2 million at September 30, 2024, and increased $11.3 million or 1.4% from $826.5 million at December 31, 2023. Noninterest-bearing deposits increased $2.8 million or 2.2% to $132.5 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $129.7 million at September 30, 2024, and increased $5.8 million or 4.6% compared to $126.7 million at December 31, 2023.
				Total noninterest income decreased $75 thousand or 6.1% to $1.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and increased $94 thousand or 8.8% compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
The loans-to-deposits ratio was 108% at December 31, 2024, compared to 97% at September 30, 2024 and 108% at December 31, 2023.
				Total noninterest expense decreased $621 thousand or 8.1% to $7.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and decreased $248 thousand or 3.4% compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
Total nonperforming loans decreased $998 thousand or 11.8% to $7.5 million at December 31, 2024, from $8.5 million at September 30, 2024, and increased $3.9 million or 110.7% from $3.6 million at December 31, 2023. Nonperforming loans to total loans was 0.83% and the allowance for credit losses on loans to total nonperforming loans was 113.46% at December 31, 2024.
				The Bank continued to maintain capital levels in excess of regulatory requirements and was categorized as “well-capitalized” at December 31, 2024.

Operating Results

Net interest income increased $347 thousand, or 4.4%, to $8.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to $7.9 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and increased $653 thousand, or 8.6%, from $7.6 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.The increase from the prior quarter was primarily the result of lower funding costs and an increase in average yield on loans receivable and investments, partially offset by a decrease in the average balance and yield on interest-bearing cash. The increase in net interest income compared to the same quarter one year ago was primarily due to a higher average yield on interest-earning assets, particularly loans receivable and investments, and an increase in the average balances of both loans receivable and interest-bearing cash, partially offset by a lower average yield on interest-bearing cash and higher funding costs.

Interest income decreased $102 thousand, or 0.7%, to $14.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to $14.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and increased $1.4 million, or 10.5%, from $13.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decrease from the prior quarter was primarily due to a lower average balance of interest-bearing cash, and a 59 basis point decline in the average yield on interest-bearing cash, offset by a seven basis point increase in the average loan yield and a 16 basis point increase in the average yield on investments. The increase in interest income compared to the same quarter last year was due primarily to higher average balances of loans and interest-bearing cash, a 37 basis point increase in the average yield on loans, and a 43 basis point increase in the average yield on investments, partially offset by a decline in the average balance of investments and a 59 basis point decline in the average yield on interest-bearing cash.

Interest income on loans increased $194 thousand, or 1.5%, to $13.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to $12.9 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and increased $1.0 million, or 8.6%, from $12.0 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The average balance of total loans was $900.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, up from $898.6 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and $884.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The average yield on total loans was 5.77% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, up from 5.70% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and 5.40% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The increase in the average loan yield during the current quarter, compared to both the prior quarter and the fourth quarter of 2023, was primarily due to the origination of new loans at higher interest rates. Additionally, variable-rate loans resetting to higher rates contributed to the increase in average yield compared to the prior quarters. The increase in the average balance during the current quarter compared to the prior quarter was primarily due to growth in commercial and multifamily loans, manufactured housing loans and floating home loans. This was partially offset by a decline in construction and land loans and commercial business loans. The average balances for one-to-four family loans, home equity loans, and other consumer loans remained relatively flat from the third quarter of 2024. The increase in the average balance of loans during the current quarter compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 was primarily due to loan growth across all categories, except for one-to-four family loans, construction and land loans, commercial business loans, and other consumer loans, with the largest decrease being in construction and land loans.

Interest income on investments was $132 thousand for both the quarters ended December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024, and $129 thousand for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. Interest income on interest-bearing cash decreased $296 thousand to $1.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to $1.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and increased $359 thousand from $1.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decrease from the prior quarter was due to decreases in the average yield and average balance of interest-bearing cash. The increase from the same quarter in the prior year was a result of a higher average balance, partially offset by a lower average yield.

Interest expense decreased $449 thousand, or 6.4%, to $6.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, from $7.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and increased $746 thousand, or 12.9%, from $5.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in interest expense during the current quarter from the prior quarter was primarily the result of average balance decreases of $3.8 million in demand and NOW accounts, $2.3 million in certificate accounts and $9.5 million in FHLB advances, as well as lower average rates paid on all categories of interest-bearing deposits, partially offset by a $10.2 million increase in the average balance of savings and money market accounts. The increase in interest expense during the current quarter from the same quarter a year ago was primarily the result of a $91.9 million increase in the average balance of savings and money market accounts and a $1.3 million increase in the average balance of certificate accounts, as well as higher average rates paid on savings and money market accounts. This was partially offset by a $25.3 million decrease in the average balance of demand and NOW accounts and a $9.6 million decrease in the average balance of FHLB advances. The average cost of deposits was 2.58% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, down from 2.74% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and up from 2.38% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The average cost of FHLB advances was 4.31% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, down from 4.32% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and up from 4.26% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.

NIM (annualized) was 3.13% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, up from 2.98% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and 3.04% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The increase in NIM from the prior quarter was the result of lower cost of funding, partially offset by a decrease in interest income on interest-earning assets. The increase in NIM from the quarter one year ago was primarily due to an increase in interest income on interest-earning assets, driven by the higher average balance in loans and interest-bearing cash and a higher yield earned on loans and investments, partially offset by a higher average balance of and cost of savings and money market accounts.

A provision for credit losses of $14 thousand was recorded for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, consisting of a release of provision for credit losses on loans of $73 thousand and a provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments of $87 thousand. This compared to a provision for credit losses of $8 thousand for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, consisting of a provision for credit losses on loans of $106 thousand and a release of provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments of $98 thousand, and a release of provision for credit losses of $27 thousand for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, consisting of a provision for credit losses on loans of $337 thousand and a release of the provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments of $364 thousand. The increase in the provision for credit losses for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024 resulted primarily from an additional qualitative adjustment related to our loan review, additional enhancements to the loss model related to how we adjust for the qualitative component, including the utilization of a scorecard to drive managements analysis, and growth in our unfunded construction loan portfolio, which has a higher loss rate than our other loan portfolios. These increases were offset by lower reserves in both our floating home sub-segment of other consumer loans within our quantitative analysis and in our qualitative analysis related to market conditions and value of underlying collateral, as economic conditions have improved. Expected loss estimates consider various factors, such as market conditions, borrower-specific information, projected delinquencies, and the impact of economic conditions on borrowers’ ability to repay.

Noninterest income decreased $75 thousand, or 6.1%, to $1.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and increased $94 thousand, or 8.8%, compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decrease from the prior quarter was primarily related to a $24 thousand downward adjustment in fair value of mortgage servicing rights and a $59 thousand decrease in earnings from bank-owned life insurance (“BOLI”), both influenced by fluctuating market interest rates. These decreases were partially offset by an increase of $13 thousand in net gain on sale of loans due to higher sales volume in the fourth quarter of 2024, and a $7 thousand increase in gain on disposal of assets due to insurance claims exceeding the book value on the replacement of stolen laptops in the second quarter of 2024. The increase in noninterest income from the same quarter of 2023 was primarily due an $43 thousand increase in service charges and fee income primarily due to increases in late fees on loans, higher interchange income and income related to a new, multi-year agreement with our credit card provider that was effective in 2024, a late fee on one commercial loan and higher specialty deposit fees due to fewer reversals of fees in 2024, a $173 thousand increase in the fair value adjustment on mortgage servicing rights due to changes in prepayment speeds, servicing costs, and discount rate, and a $7 thousand increase in gain on disposal of assets as noted above. These increases were partially offset by a $95 thousand decrease in earnings on BOLI due to market rate fluctuations, and a $23 thousand decrease in net gain on sale of loans due to fewer loans sold, and an $11 thousand decrease in mortgage servicing income as a result of the portfolio paying down at a faster rate than we are replacing the loans. Loans sold during the quarter ended December 31, 2024, totaled $3.5 million, compared to $2.4 million and $4.5 million of loans sold during the quarters ended September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

Noninterest expense decreased $621 thousand, or 8.1%, to $7.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and decreased $248 thousand, or 3.4%, from the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decrease from the quarter ended September 30, 2024 was primarily a result of lower salaries and benefits and operations expenses, partially offset by higher data processing expense. Salaries and benefits decreased $549 thousand primarily due to lower incentive compensation, lower retirement plan expense due to fluctuating market rates, lower medical expense due to higher medical costs during the third quarter of 2024, and lower salaries expense, as well as higher deferred salaries due to higher loan production. Operations expense decreased $211 thousand primarily due to a reversal of state and local tax expense related to higher estimated tax payments made than actual tax due, and lower operational losses in the current quarter as the prior quarter included the charge-off of a fraudulently obtained loan. This was partially offset by an $165 thousand increase in data processing expenses, reflecting new technology implementation costs. Compared to same quarter in 2023, the decrease in noninterest expense was primarily due to lower operations expenses, occupancy expenses and data processing expenses, which were partially offset by a $118 thousand increase in salaries and benefits costs. Operations expenses decreased due to reduction in loan originations costs, office expenses, operational losses, charitable contributions and state and local taxes, partially offset by higher professional fees primarily related to costs for future FDIC Improvement Act implementation. Data processing expenses decreased due to lower costs related to our core processor, while occupancy expenses decreased primarily due to fully amortized leasehold improvements. The increase in salaries and benefits compared to the same quarter last year reflected higher incentive compensation, lower deferred salaries, higher medical expenses due primarily to a change in insurance providers, and a higher contribution to our employee stock ownership plan due to the increase in value of our stock in 2024. This was partially offset by lower retirement plan expenses due to fluctuating market rates and lower salaries from a restructuring of positions at the end of 2023.

Balance Sheet Review, Capital Management and Credit Quality

Assets at December 31, 2024 totaled $993.6 million, down from $1.10 billion at September 30, 2024 and $995.22 million at December 31, 2023. The decrease in total assets from September 30, 2024 was primarily due to decreases in cash and cash equivalents and loans held-for-portfolio. The decrease from one year ago was primarily a result of lower balances of cash and cash equivalents and investment securities, offset by an increase in loans held-for-portfolio.

Cash and cash equivalents decreased $105.3 million, or 70.7%, to $43.6 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $148.9 million at September 30, 2024, and decreased $6.0 million, or 12.2%, from $49.7 million at December 31, 2023. The decrease from the prior quarter was primarily due to higher deposit withdrawals, as well as the strategic decision to sell reciprocal deposits at the end of the year. Cash and cash equivalents decreased from one year ago primarily due to the increase in loans held-for-portfolio and the payoff of one FHLB borrowing, partially offset by an increase in deposits.

Investment securities decreased $251 thousand, or 2.5%, to $9.9 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $10.2 million at September 30, 2024, and decreased $533 thousand, or 5.1%, from $10.5 million at December 31, 2023. Held-to-maturity securities totaled $2.1 million at both December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024, and totaled $2.2 million at December 31, 2023. Available-for-sale securities totaled $7.8 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $8.0 million at September 30, 2024 and $8.3 million at December 31, 2023.

Loans held-for-portfolio were $900.2 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $901.7 million at September 30, 2024 and $894.5 million at December 31, 2023.

Nonperforming assets (“NPAs”), which are comprised of nonaccrual loans (including nonperforming modified loans), other real estate owned (“OREO”) and other repossessed assets, decreased $1.1 million, or 12.9%, to $7.5 million at December 31, 2024, from $8.6 million at September 30, 2024 and increased $3.4 million, or 81.3%, from $4.1 million at December 31, 2023. The decrease in NPAs from September 30, 2024 was primarily due to the payoff of seven loans totaling $1.2 million, one loan totaling $76 thousand returning to accrual status, and sale of one other real estate owned property for $115 thousand for a small net gain on sale, partially offset by the addition of seven loans totaling $326 thousand to nonaccrual. The increase in NPAs from one year ago was primarily due to the placement of an additional $9.3 million of loans on nonaccrual status, which included a $3.7 million matured commercial real estate loan where the borrower is in the process of securing financing from another lender, and a $2.4 million floating home loan, all of which are well secured. These additions were partially offset by payoffs totaling $4.2 million, the return of $784 thousand of loans to accrual status, charge-offs of $142 thousand, the sale of two other real estate owned properties for $685 thousand, and normal loan payments.

NPAs to total assets were 0.75%, 0.78% and 0.42% at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. The allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans outstanding was 0.94% at December 31, 2024, compared to 0.95% at September 30, 2024 and 0.98% at December 31, 2023. Net loan charge-offs for the fourth quarter of 2024 totaled $13 thousand, compared to $14 thousand for the third quarter of 2024, and $15 thousand for the fourth quarter of 2023.

The following table summarizes our NPAs at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):

	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Nonperforming Loans:
One-to-four family	$	537		$	745		$	822		$	835		$	1,108
Home equity loans		298			338			342			83			84
Commercial and multifamily		3,734			4,719			5,161			4,747			—
Construction and land		24			25			28			29			—
Manufactured homes		521			230			136			166			228
Floating homes		2,363			2,377			2,417			3,192			—
Commercial business		11			23			—			—			2,135
Other consumer		3			32			3			1			1
Total nonperforming loans		7,491			8,489			8,909			9,053			3,556
OREO and Other Repossessed Assets:
Commercial and multifamily		—			—			—			575			575
Manufactured homes		—			115			115			115			—
Total OREO and repossessed assets		—			115			115			690			575
Total NPAs	$	7,491		$	8,604		$	9,024		$	9,743		$	4,131

Percentage of Nonperforming Loans:
One-to-four family		7.3	%		8.7	%		9.1	%		8.5	%		26.9	%
Home equity loans		4.0			3.9			3.8			0.9			2.0
Commercial and multifamily		49.8			54.8			57.2			48.7			—
Construction and land		0.3			0.3			0.3			0.3			—
Manufactured homes		7.0			2.7			1.5			1.7			5.5
Floating homes		31.5			27.6			26.8			32.8			—
Commercial business		0.1			0.3			—			—			51.7
Other consumer		—			0.4			—			—			—
Total nonperforming loans		100.0			98.7			98.7			92.9			86.1
Percentage of OREO and Other Repossessed Assets:
Commercial and multifamily		—			—			—			5.9			13.9
Manufactured homes		—			1.3			1.3			1.2			—
Total OREO and repossessed assets		—			1.3			1.3			7.1			13.9
Total NPAs		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%

The following table summarizes the allowance for credit losses at the dates and for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands, unaudited):

	At or For the Quarter Ended:
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans
Balance at beginning of period	$	8,585		$	8,493		$	8,598		$	8,760		$	8,438
(Release of) provision for credit losses during the period		(73	)		106			(88	)		(106	)		337
Net charge-offs during the period		(13	)		(14	)		(17	)		(56	)		(15	)
Balance at end of period	$	8,499		$	8,585		$	8,493		$	8,598		$	8,760
Allowance for Credit Losses on Unfunded Loan Commitments
Balance at beginning of period	$	147		$	245		$	266		$	193		$	557
Provision for (release of) provision for credit losses during the period		87			(98	)		(21	)		73			(364	)
Balance at end of period		234			147			245			266			193
Allowance for Credit Losses	$	8,733		$	8,732		$	8,738		$	8,864		$	8,953
Allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans		0.94	%		0.95	%		0.96	%		0.96	%		0.98	%
Allowance for credit losses to total loans		0.97	%		0.97	%		0.98	%		0.99	%		1.00	%
Allowance for credit losses on loans to total nonperforming loans		113.46	%		101.13	%		95.33	%		94.97	%		246.34	%
Allowance for credit losses to total nonperforming loans		116.58	%		102.86	%		98.08	%		97.91	%		251.77	%

Total deposits decreased $92.4 million, or 9.9%, to $837.8 million at December 31, 2024, from $930.2 million at September 30, 2024 and increased $11.3 million, or 1.4%, from $826.5 million at December 31, 2023. The decrease in total deposits compared to the prior quarter-end was primarily a result of the movement of reciprocal deposits off balance sheet for strategic objectives at year-end, followed by the return of those deposits to our balance sheet in the first quarter of 2025, and a decrease in one high cost money market depositor relationship as part of our strategic decision to decrease our overall cost of funds. Noninterest-bearing deposits increased $2.8 million, or 2.2%, to $132.5 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $129.7 million at September 30, 2024 and increased $5.8 million, or 4.6%, from $126.7 million at December 31, 2023. Noninterest-bearing deposits represented 15.8%, 14.0% and 15.3% of total deposits at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

FHLB advances totaled $25.0 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $40.0 million at both September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023. The decrease from both prior dated was due to the repayment of a $15.0 million FHLB advance that matured in November 2024. FHLB advances are primarily used to support organic loan growth and to maintain liquidity ratios in line with our asset/liability objectives. FHLB advances outstanding at December 31, 2024 had maturities ranging from early 2026 through early 2028. Subordinated notes, net totaled $11.8 million at each of December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

Stockholders’ equity totaled $103.7 million at December 31, 2024, an increase of $1.4 million, or 1.4%, from $102.2 million at September 30, 2024, and an increase of $3.0 million, or 3.0%, from $100.7 million at December 31, 2023. The increase in stockholders’ equity from September 30, 2024 was primarily the result of $1.9 million of net income earned during the current quarter, $98 thousand in share-based compensation, and $19 thousand in common stock options exercised, partially offset by a $122 thousand increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax and the payment of $486 thousand in cash dividends to the Company’s stockholders.

Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc., a bank holding company, is the parent company of Sound Community Bank, which is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and has full-service branches in Seattle, Tacoma, Mountlake Terrace, Sequim, Port Angeles, Port Ludlow and University Place. Sound Community Bank is a Fannie Mae Approved Lender and Seller/Servicer with one loan production office located in the Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle. For more information, please visit www.soundcb.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

When used in this press release and in documents filed or furnished by Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in the Company’s other press releases or other public or stockholder communications, and in oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer, the words or phrases “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimate,” “project,” “intends” or similar expressions are intended to identify “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, which are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events and may turn out to be wrong because of inaccurate assumptions we might make, because of the factors listed below or because of other factors that we cannot foresee that could cause our actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.

Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, include, but are not limited to:adverse impacts to economic conditions in the Company’s local market areas, other markets where the Company has lending relationships, or other aspects of the Company’s business operations or financial markets, including, without limitation, as a result of employment levels, labor shortages and the effects of inflation or deflation, a recession or slowed economic growth, as well as supply chain disruptions; changes in the interest rate environment, including increases and decreases in the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Federal Reserve) benchmark rate and the duration at which such interest rate levels are maintained, which could adversely affect our revenues and expenses, the values of our assets and obligations, and the availability and cost of capital and liquidity; the impact of inflation and the current and future monetary policies of the Federal Reserve in response thereto; the effects of any federal government shutdown; the impact of bank failures or adverse developments at other banks and related negative press about the banking industry in general on investor and depositor sentiment; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; fluctuations in interest rates; the risks of lending and investing activities, including changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses; the Company’s ability to access cost-effective funding; fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions; demand for loans and deposits in the Company’s market area; secondary market conditions for loans;expectations regarding key growth initiatives and strategic priorities; environmental, social and governance goals and targets; results of examinations of the Company or the Bank by their regulators; increased competition; changes in management’s business strategies; legislative changes; changes in the regulatory and tax environments in which the Company operates; disruptions, security breaches, or other adverse events, failures or interruptions in, or attacks on, our information technology systems or on our third-party vendors; the potential imposition of new tariffs or changes to existing trade policies that could affect economic activity or specific industry sector; the effects of climate change, severe weather events, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics and other public health crises, acts of war or terrorism, civil unrest and other external events on our business; and other factors described in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, which are available at www.soundcb.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The risks inherent in these factors could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company and could negatively affect the Company’s operating and stock performance.

The Company does not undertake—and specifically disclaims any obligation—to revise any forward-looking statement to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS (Dollars in thousands, unaudited)
	For the Quarter Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Interest income	$	14,736		$	14,838	$	14,039		$	13,760		$	13,337
Interest expense		6,516			6,965		6,591			6,300			5,770
Net interest income		8,220			7,873		7,448			7,460			7,567
Provision for (release of) credit losses		14			8		(109	)		(33	)		(27	)
Net interest income after provision for (release of) credit losses		8,206			7,865		7,557			7,493			7,594
Noninterest income:
Service charges and fee income		619			628		761			612			576
Earnings on bank-owned life insurance		127			186		134			177			222
Mortgage servicing income		277			280		279			282			288
Fair value adjustment on mortgage servicing rights		77			101		(116	)		(65	)		(96	)
Net gain on sale of loans		53			40		74			90			76
Other income		7			—		30			—			—
Total noninterest income		1,160			1,235		1,162			1,096			1,066
Noninterest expense:
Salaries and benefits		3,920			4,469		4,658			4,543			3,802
Operations		1,329			1,540		1,569			1,457			1,537
Regulatory assessments		189			189		220			189			198
Occupancy		409			414		397			444			458
Data processing		1,232			1,067		910			1,017			1,311
Net (gain) loss on OREO and repossessed assets		(21	)		—		(17	)		6			—
Total noninterest expense		7,058			7,679		7,737			7,656			7,306
Income before provision for income taxes		2,308			1,421		982			933			1,354
Provision for income taxes		389			267		187			163			143
Net income	$	1,919		$	1,154	$	795		$	770		$	1,211

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS (Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	For theYear Ended December 31
		2024			2023
Interest income	$	57,374		$	50,609
Interest expense		26,372			16,759
Net interest income		31,002			33,850
(Release of) provision for credit losses		(120	)		(273	)
Net interest income after (release of) provision for credit losses		31,122			34,123
Noninterest income:
Service charges and fee income		2,620			2,527
Earnings on bank-owned life insurance		625			1,179
Mortgage servicing income		1,118			1,179
Fair value adjustment on mortgage servicing rights		(4	)		(219	)
Net gain on sale of loans		258			340
Other income		38			—
Total noninterest income		4,655			5,006
Noninterest expense:
Salaries and benefits		17,590			17,135
Operations		5,894			6,095
Regulatory assessments		787			688
Occupancy		1,665			1,810
Data processing		4,226			4,388
Net (gain) loss on OREO and repossessed assets		(31	)		13
Total noninterest expense		30,131			30,129
Income before provision for income taxes		5,646			9,000
Provision for income taxes		1,006			1,561
Net income	$	4,640		$	7,439

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Dollars in thousands, unaudited)
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$	43,641		$	148,930		$	135,111		$	137,977		$	49,690
Available-for-sale securities, at fair value		7,790			8,032			7,996			8,115			8,287
Held-to-maturity securities, at amortized cost		2,130			2,139			2,147			2,157			2,166
Loans held-for-sale		487			65			257			351			603
Loans held-for-portfolio		900,171			901,733			889,274			897,877			894,478
Allowance for credit losses – loans		(8,499	)		(8,585	)		(8,493	)		(8,598	)		(8,760	)
Total loans held-for-portfolio, net		891,672			893,148			880,781			889,279			885,718
Accrued interest receivable		3,471			3,705			3,413			3,617			3,452
Bank-owned life insurance, net		22,490			22,363			22,172			22,037			21,860
Other real estate owned (“OREO”) and other repossessed assets, net		—			115			115			690			575
Mortgage servicing rights, at fair value		4,769			4,665			4,540			4,612			4,632
Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) stock, at cost		1,730			2,405			2,406			2,406			2,396
Premises and equipment, net		4,697			4,807			4,906			6,685			5,240
Right-of-use assets		3,725			3,779			4,020			4,259			4,496
Other assets		7,031			6,777			6,995			4,500			6,106
TOTAL ASSETS	$	993,633		$	1,100,930		$	1,074,859		$	1,086,685		$	995,221
LIABILITIES
Interest-bearing deposits	$	705,267		$	800,480		$	781,854		$	788,217		$	699,813
Noninterest-bearing deposits		132,532			129,717			124,915			128,666			126,726
Total deposits		837,799			930,197			906,769			916,883			826,539
Borrowings		25,000			40,000			40,000			40,000			40,000
Accrued interest payable		765			908			760			719			817
Lease liabilities		4,013			4,079			4,328			4,576			4,821
Other liabilities		9,371			9,711			9,105			9,578			9,563
Advance payments from borrowers for taxes and insurance		1,260			2,047			812			2,209			1,110
Subordinated notes, net		11,759			11,749			11,738			11,728			11,717
TOTAL LIABILITIES		889,967			998,691			973,512			985,693			894,567
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Common stock		25			25			25			25			25
Additional paid-in capital		28,413			28,296			28,198			28,110			27,990
Retained earnings		76,272			74,840			74,173			73,907			73,627
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax		(1,044	)		(922	)		(1,049	)		(1,050	)		(988	)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY		103,666			102,239			101,347			100,992			100,654
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$	993,633		$	1,100,930		$	1,074,859		$	1,086,685		$	995,221

KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS (unaudited)
	For the Quarter Ended
	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Annualized return on average assets	0.70	%	0.42	%	0.30	%	0.29	%	0.46	%
Annualized return on average equity	7.40	%	4.50	%	3.17	%	3.06	%	4.78	%
Annualized net interest margin⁽¹⁾	3.13	%	2.98	%	2.92	%	2.95	%	3.04	%
Annualized efficiency ratio⁽²⁾	75.25	%	84.31	%	89.86	%	89.48	%	84.63	%

(1) Net interest income divided by average interest earning assets.
(2) Noninterest expense divided by total revenue (net interest income and noninterest income).

PER COMMON SHARE DATA (unaudited)
	At or For the Quarter Ended
	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Basic earnings per share	$	0.75	$	0.45	$	0.31	$	0.30	$	0.47
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.74	$	0.45	$	0.31	$	0.30	$	0.47
Weighted-average basic shares outstanding		2,547,210		2,544,233		2,540,538		2,539,213		2,542,175
Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding		2,578,771		2,569,368		2,559,015		2,556,958		2,560,656
Common shares outstanding at period-end		2,564,907		2,564,095		2,557,284		2,558,546		2,549,427
Book value per share	$	40.42	$	39.87	$	39.63	$	39.47	$	39.48

AVERAGE BALANCE, AVERAGE YIELD EARNED, AND AVERAGE RATE PAID
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

The following tables present, for the periods indicated, the total dollar amount of interest income from average interest-earning assets and the resultant yields, as well as the interest expense on average interest-bearing liabilities, expressed both in dollars and rates. Income and yields on tax-exempt obligations have not been computed on a tax equivalent basis. All average balances are daily average balances. Nonaccrual loans have been included in the table as loans carrying a zero yield for the period they have been on nonaccrual (dollars in thousands).

	Three Months Ended
	December 31, 2024							September 30, 2024							December 31, 2023
	Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/ Paid		Yield/ Rate		Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/ Paid		Yield/ Rate		Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/ Paid		Yield/ Rate
Interest-Earning Assets:
Loans receivable	$	900,832		$	13,070	5.77	%	$	898,570		$	12,876	5.70	%	$	884,677		$	12,033	5.40	%
Interest-earning cash		130,412			1,534	4.68	%		138,240			1,830	5.27	%		88,401			1,175	5.27	%
Investments		13,263			132	3.96	%		13,806			132	3.80	%		14,479			129	3.53	%
Total interest-earning assets	$	1,044,507			14,736	5.61	%		1,050,616		$	14,838	5.62	%	$	987,557			13,337	5.36	%
Interest-Bearing Liabilities:
Savings and money market accounts	$	350,495			2,476	2.81	%	$	340,281			2,688	3.14	%	$	258,583			1,586	2.43	%
Demand and NOW accounts		144,470			128	0.35	%		148,252			151	0.41	%		169,816			149	0.35	%
Certificate accounts		301,293			3,413	4.51	%		303,632			3,524	4.62	%		300,042			3,436	4.54	%
Subordinated notes		11,756			168	5.69	%		11,745			168	5.69	%		11,714			168	5.69	%
Borrowings		30,546			331	4.31	%		40,000			434	4.32	%		40,109			431	4.26	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities	$	838,560			6,516	3.09	%	$	843,910			6,965	3.28	%	$	780,264			5,770	2.93	%
Net interest income/spread				$	8,220	2.52	%				$	7,873	2.34	%				$	7,567	2.42	%
Net interest margin						3.13	%						2.98	%						3.04	%

Ratio of interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities		125	%						124	%						127	%
Noninterest-bearing deposits	$	130,476						$	132,762						$	134,857
Total deposits		926,734		$	6,017	2.58	%		924,927		$	6,363	2.74	%		863,298		$	5,171	2.38	%
Total funding⁽¹⁾		969,036			6,516	2.68	%		976,672			6,965	2.84	%		915,121			5,770	2.50	%

(1) Total funding is the sum of average interest-bearing liabilities and average noninterest-bearing deposits. The cost of total funding is calculated as annualized total interest expense divided by average total funding.

	Year Ended
	December 31, 2024							December 31, 2023
	Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/Paid		Yield/Rate		Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/Paid		Yield/Rate
Interest-Earning Assets:
Loans receivable	$	896,690		$	50,499	5.63	%	$	870,227		$	46,470	5.34	%
Interest-earning cash		124,259			6,367	5.12	%		74,708			3,621	4.85	%
Investments		12,468			508	4.07	%		13,661			518	3.79	%
Total interest-earning assets	$	1,033,417			57,374	5.55	%	$	958,596			50,609	5.28	%
Interest-Bearing Liabilities:
Savings and money market accounts	$	319,314			9,145	2.86	%	$	194,810			2,783	1.43	%
Demand and NOW accounts		151,528			568	0.37	%		204,922			736	0.36	%
Certificate accounts		309,441			14,363	4.64	%		280,238			10,617	3.79	%
Subordinated notes		11,740			672	5.72	%		11,698			672	5.74	%
Borrowings		37,623			1,624	4.32	%		43,977			1,951	4.44	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities	$	829,646			26,372	3.18	%	$	735,645			16,759	2.28	%
Net interest income/spread				$	31,002	2.37	%				$	33,850	3.00	%
Net interest margin						3.00	%						3.53	%

Ratio of interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities		125	%						130	%
Noninterest-bearing deposits	$	131,141						$	154,448
Total deposits		911,424		$	24,076	2.64	%		834,418		$	14,136	1.69	%
Total funding⁽¹⁾		960,787			26,372	2.74	%		890,093			16,759	1.88	%

(1) Total funding is the sum of average interest-bearing liabilities and average noninterest-bearing deposits. The cost of total funding is calculated as annualized total interest expense divided by average total funding.

LOANS (Dollars in thousands, unaudited)
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Real estate loans:
One-to-four family	$	269,684		$	271,702		$	268,488		$	279,213		$	279,448
Home equity		26,686			25,199			26,185			24,380			23,073
Commercial and multifamily		371,516			358,587			342,632			324,483			315,280
Construction and land		73,077			85,724			96,962			111,726			126,758
Total real estate loans		740,963			741,212			734,267			739,802			744,559
Consumer Loans:
Manufactured homes		41,128			40,371			38,953			37,583			36,193
Floating homes		86,411			86,155			81,622			84,237			75,108
Other consumer		17,720			18,266			18,422			18,847			19,612
Total consumer loans		145,259			144,792			138,997			140,667			130,913
Commercial business loans		15,605			17,481			17,860			19,075			20,688
Total loans		901,827			903,485			891,124			899,544			896,160
Less:
Premiums		718			736			754			808			829
Deferred fees, net		(2,374	)		(2,488	)		(2,604	)		(2,475	)		(2,511	)
Allowance for credit losses – loans		(8,499	)		(8,585	)		(8,493	)		(8,598	)		(8,760	)
Total loans held-for-portfolio, net	$	891,672		$	893,148		$	880,781		$	889,279		$	885,718

DEPOSITS (Dollars in thousands, unaudited)
	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Noninterest-bearing demand	$	132,532	$	129,717	$	124,915	$	128,666	$	126,726
Interest-bearing demand		142,126		148,740		152,829		159,178		168,346
Savings		61,252		61,455		63,368		65,723		69,461
Money market⁽¹⁾		206,067		285,655		253,873		241,976		154,044
Certificates		295,822		304,630		311,784		321,340		307,962
Total deposits	$	837,799	$	930,197	$	906,769	$	916,883	$	826,539

(1) Includes $5.0 million of brokered deposits at December 31, 2023.

CREDIT QUALITY DATA (Dollars in thousands, unaudited)
	At or For the Quarter Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Total nonperforming loans	$	7,491		$	8,489		$	8,909		$	9,053		$	3,556
OREO and other repossessed assets		—			115			115			690			575
Total nonperforming assets	$	7,491		$	8,604		$	9,024		$	9,743		$	4,131
Net charge-offs during the quarter	$	(13	)	$	(14	)	$	(17	)	$	(56	)	$	(15	)
Provision for (release of) credit losses during the quarter		14			8			(109	)		(33	)		(27	)
Allowance for credit losses – loans		8,499			8,585			8,493			8,598			8,760
Allowance for credit losses – loans to total loans		0.94	%		0.95	%		0.96	%		0.96	%		0.98	%
Allowance for credit losses – loans to total nonperforming loans		113.46	%		101.13	%		95.33	%		94.97	%		246.34	%
Nonperforming loans to total loans		0.83	%		0.94	%		1.00	%		1.01	%		0.40	%
Nonperforming assets to total assets		0.75	%		0.78	%		0.84	%		0.90	%		0.42	%

OTHER STATISTICS (Dollars in thousands, unaudited)
	At or For the Quarter Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023

Total loans to total deposits		107.64	%		97.13	%		98.27	%		98.11	%		108.42	%
Noninterest-bearing deposits to total deposits		15.82	%		13.95	%		13.78	%		14.03	%		15.33	%

Average total assets for the quarter	$	1,089,067		$	1,095,404		$	1,070,579		$	1,062,036		$	1,033,985
Average total equity for the quarter	$	103,181		$	102,059		$	100,961		$	101,292		$	100,612

Contact

Financial:
Wes Ochs
Executive Vice President/CFO
(206) 436-8587

Media:
Laurie Stewart
President/CEO
(206) 436-1495

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Union County Man Sentenced To 57 Months In Prison For Stolen Vehicles Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to receive, retitle, and “re-VIN” stolen vehicles, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

Nathaniel Bell, 27, of Linden, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to a seven-count information charging him with one count of conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles, five counts of altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and one count of transportation of stolen vehicles.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Bell was the leader of a criminal conspiracy that obtained stolen vehicles from New Jersey, New York, Florida, and other states, obtained fraudulent titles for the stolen vehicles, and altered vehicle identification numbers to conceal the fact that the vehicles were stolen. Bell and his co-conspirators then sold the stolen cars to dealerships or individual purchasers so they could make a profit. In at least two instances, the co-conspirators sold a stolen car to an individual purchaser and then stole it back so they could sell it again. Bell also knowingly altered or removed the VIN numbers on five vehicles and knowingly transported a stolen vehicle between New York and New Jersey.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Chesler sentenced Bell to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution.

Bell’s co-conspirators, Johnathan Tanksley, 31, of Orange; L’Hubermane Felix, 25, of Miami, Florida; and Dayanna Sarango-Hidalgo, 29, of Newark, have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles. Felix was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison. Tanksley and Sarango-Hidalgo await sentencing.

Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation that led to the sentencing. He also thanked the New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office; the National Insurance Crime Bureau; the Jersey City Police Department; the Belleville Police Department; the Rahway Police Department; the Linden Police Department; the Roselle Police Department; the Eatontown Police Department; the Freehold Police Department; the Elizabeth Police Department; the Miami Police Department (Florida); the Florida Highway Patrol; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; the Howard County Police Department (Maryland); the New York Police Department; the Nassau County Police Department (New York); the Georgia Department of Revenue; the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice; the Deputy Attorney General’s Office; the FBI Miami Office; the FBI Cleveland Office; and the FBI Milwaukee Office

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Kober of the Organized Crimes/Gangs Unit in Newark.

###

Defense counsel: Jason F. Orlando

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Rochester Man Pleads Guilty for His Role in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MINNEAPOLIS – A Rochester man pleaded guilty for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

According to court documents, from approximately October 2020 through January 2022, Sharmake Jama, 37, knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud a federal child nutrition program designed to provide free meals to children in need. Rather than feed children, the defendants took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic—and the resulting program changes—to enrich themselves by fraudulently misappropriating millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds.

According to court documents, in September 2020, Jama and Aimee Bock applied for Jama’s Brava Restaurant to be enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Bock’s non-profit, Feeding Our Future. Jama enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program after he first prepared application paperwork at the direction of Salim Said, the co-owner of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, which was another business involved in the scheme to defraud the food program.

From late 2020 through 2021, Jama and other conspirators claimed Brava Restaurant was serving approximately 2,000 to 3,000 daily breakfasts and lunches to children, for which they fraudulently claimed and received millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds. To accomplish his scheme, Jama and his co-conspirators submitted fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names of children who purportedly received their food at sites. These rosters were fraudulent in that the names on them were fake or did not correctly reflect the number of children that were fed.

According to his plea agreement entered today, Jama claimed Brava Restaurant had served more than 1.7 million meals in Rochester as part of the Federal Child Nutrition Program in a little over one year, a number substantially higher than the actual number of meals served. Based on these fraudulent claims, Feeding Our Future paid out over $5.3 million in federal child nutrition program reimbursements for meals purportedly served to children by the defendant and his co-conspirators. Jama knew his receipt of such funds was fraudulent because he and other conspirators intentionally submitted inflated meal counts. Jama’s Brava Restaurant ultimately received $4.3 million directly from Feeding Our Future and over $900,000 from Safari Restaurant, co-owned by Salim Said.

As part of their scheme, Jama and his conspirators coordinated the establishment of shell companies through which they received and dispersed funds from the federal child nutrition program. Specifically, on January 7, 2021, Salim Said paid to register six different shell companies with the state of Minnesota for Jama and others. Salim Said paid to register Mumu LLC for Jama. In 2021, Jama deposited at least $872,230—almost all of which was misappropriated Federal Child Nutrition Program funds—into his Mumu LLC bank accounts.

Jama used federal child nutrition funds to pay for personal expenditures unrelated to feeding children, including at least $88,000 for a 2021 GMC Sierra 3500 Denali 4WD Crew Cab truck and over $500,000 toward real estate in Rochester, Minnesota, and Rosemount, Minnesota.

Jama pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, and Harry M. Jacobs are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teen 20 years his junior.

According to court documents, Thomas Lee Chaffins, 35, an enrolled member of Mescalero Apache Tribe, admitted to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on September 27, 2024, in Otero County, New Mexico, on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation.

Chaffins will remain detained pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Chaffins faces up to 15 years in prison.

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

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorneys Matilda McCarthy Villalobos and Alyson Hehr are prosecuting the case.

# # #

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Sentences for Two Santa Fe Men for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBUQUERQUE – Two Santa Fe men were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking operation that utilized social media to advertise and distribute drugs.

According to court documents, the Santa Fe Police Department (SFPD) and the FBI began investigating a fentanyl-based drug-trafficking organization in the fall of 2020. During the investigation, officers uncovered the defendants, Mario Guizar-Anchondo and Werni Lopez-Perez, social media activity advertising the sale of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

In December 2021, SFPD officers encountered Guizar-Anchondo and Lopez-Perez twice.

December 4, 2021: SFPD responded to a report of suspected drug activity involving Lopez-Perez in a white Ford F-150 truck. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a loaded firearm, over $18,000 in cash, 635 grams of methamphetamine, 40 grams of fentanyl pills, and drug paraphernalia.
December 30, 2021: SFPD officers stopped the same Ford F-150 truck, this time driven by Guizar-Anchondo with Lopez-Perez as the passenger. A search of the vehicle, authorized by federal and state warrants, revealed approximately 1,730 grams of methamphetamine, 32,000 fentanyl pills, five loaded firearms, and additional drug paraphernalia.

Despite the ongoing investigation, Guizar-Anchondo and Lopez-Perez continued to advertise fentanyl pills for sale on social media platforms. These posts depicted baggies of fentanyl pills similar to those recovered from the vehicle.

Lopez-Perez and Guizar-Anchondo both pled guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Lopez-Perez was sentenced to 80 months in prison, while Guizar-Anchondo was sentenced to 108 months.

Upon their release from prison, Lopez-Perez and Guizar-Anchondo will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

# # #

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man for Allegedly Attempting To Extort Money From Chicago Restaurateur

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man for allegedly threatening and assaulting a Chicago restaurateur to collect a debt the man claimed he was owed.

An indictment returned Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges JAWAD FAKROUNE, also known as “Angelino Escobar” or “Anjelino Escobar,” 45, of Morocco, with extortion. Arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah.

In 2023 and 2024, Fakroune privately loaned approximately $405,000 to the restaurateur to start a new restaurant in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, according to a criminal complaint previously filed in the case. The restaurateur repaid a portion of the loan, but in November 2024 Fakroune and the restaurateur engaged in a dispute regarding the amount of money still owed, the complaint states. On the evening of Nov. 25, 2024, Fakroune went to the restaurant, threatened the restaurateur over the manner and nature of the repayments, and claimed that $1.5 million was still owed, the complaint states. Fakroune then choked, kicked, and punched the restaurateur, while continuing to demand money and threatening the restaurateur’s life and the lives of his family members, the complaint states.

The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Hennessy and Richard M. Rothblatt.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Previously Convicted Felon Found with a ‘Ghost Gun’ Is Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON — Alonte Wilkinson, 31, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 57 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm, a “ghost gun” that was recovered after he was stopped by police on suspicion of shoplifting from a CVS in Southwest Washington D.C.

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Wilkinson pleaded guilty on October 23, 2024, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 57-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Wilkinson to serve three years of supervised release.

According to court documents on January 17, 2024, about 5 p.m., MPD officers were conducting a retail theft operation at the CVS on the 1100 block of 4th Street SW. At 5:18 p.m., Wilkinson and another man entered the store. At 5:22 p.m., two CVS employees took note of Wilkinson and the other man exiting the store without paying for their items. The officers stopped the pair as they walked northbound on 4^th Street SW.

MPD officers searched both men. One of the officers recovered a firearm from Wilkinson’s right jacket pocket. Wilkinson claimed he had a license to carry a concealed weapon, but that he did not have the license in his possession. The firearm recovered from the Wilkinson was a Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol with one live round in the chamber, and 12 more rounds in the magazine. The serial number on the pistol was obliterated and rendered unreadable. A check of the D.C. Gun Registry database revealed that Wilkinson did not have a license to carry a firearm nor was the firearm in his possession registered to him, given the obliterated serial number.

A criminal history search confirmed that Wilkinson was a felon, having been previously convicted for a firearms offense in 2019 for which he was sentenced to prison for more than one year.

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emory Cole.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Browning man sentenced to more than three years in prison for burning woman with hot knife on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted to burning a woman on the hand with a hot knife in a residence on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Dale Ray Racine, 32, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to assault with a dangerous weapon.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that in the early morning hours of Feb. 14, 2024, Racine was drinking at a residence in Browning. The victim, Jane Doe, also was present. At some point, Racine placed a knife in a wood stove until it was red hot. Racine removed the knife from the fire and burned Doe with it. Doe reported to law enforcement and medical providers that Racine was trying to brand her neck. Doe held up her hand to stop the branding, at which point Racine intentionally burned her hand. Doe was treated for second-degree burns to her hand. Racine committed the assault one month after having been released from federal prison and while on supervision for an assault he committed in 2021 in which he repeatedly struck a man in the head with a metal pipe.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, investigated the case.

XXX

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Taos Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Counts of Child Sexual Abuse

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBUQUERQUE – A Taos Pueblo man pleaded guilty in federal court today to three counts of sexual abuse of children.

According to court documents, Ben John Martinez, 76, an enrolled member of Taos Pueblo, admitted to exploiting his traditional roles in Taos Pueblo to sexually assault minors during traditional ceremonies and at his home on Taos Pueblo between 2001 and 2010. Martinez used his position to gain unsupervised access to children including John Doe, Jane Doe 1, and Jane Doe 2 as well as other currently known victims as described in the plea agreement.

Martinez was taken into custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Martinez faces 15-40 years imprisonment.

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

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany J. DuChaussee is prosecuting the caseas part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

The FBI continues to investigate Martinez’s involvement in crimes against other victims. If you have reason to believe you or someone you know may be a victim, please call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or Chief Summer Mirabal of the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety at (575) 741-0764.

# # #

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Darren Patterson, 31, a previously convicted felon from Washington D.C., was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 36 months in federal prison in connection with an April 2024 incident in which he attempted to flee from police in his car, struck several vehicles, drove his vehicle into a fence, and crashed into a tree. At his arrest, Patterson was found to be in possession of more than 70 grams of crack cocaine and in illegal possession of a stolen Glock 47 that had been outfitted to fire as a machine gun.

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Patterson pleaded guilty on July 25, 2024, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 36-month prison term, U.S. District Court Loren L. AliKhan ordered Patterson to serve three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, on April 13, 2024, members of the MPD’s Fifth District Crime Suppression Team (CST) were patrolling in the 1000 block 16th Street, NE. The officers approached a sedan parked on the block and observed a black firearm in plain view in between the feet of Patterson, who was seated behind the wheel. Officers attempted to stop Patterson for further investigation, but Patterson attempted to flee. He reversed the car, causing it to strike another vehicle that was parked behind it. Officers again attempted to stop Patterson, at which point he drove forward, struck a second parked vehicle, and then drove onto the public sidewalk. Patterson then crashed the car into a private fence before driving the car into a tree, which finally stopped him.

During a search of the car, MPD officers recovered a stolen Glock 47 that had one round in the chamber, and 19 rounds in the magazine. The stolen firearm was outfitted with a “giggle switch” that allowed it to be operated as a fully automatic machine gun.

In a search of Patterson, officers recovered crack cocaine – 13 grams of a white rock-like substance in his pocket, 58.5 grams of a white rock-like substance on the ground where Patterson was arrested – and $2,030 from his person.

Patterson previously had been convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm (prior conviction); possession with intent to distribute marijuana; and attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory Cole, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Jared English.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Brooklyn Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Earlier today, an indictment was unsealed charging Ramel Warner with sexual exploitation of a child. The defendant was arrested this morning and arraigned before Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon. He was detained pending trial.

John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charge.

“As alleged, while babysitting a seven-year-old boy, the defendant horrifically abused him, filmed the acts and subsequently distributed it on the dark web,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Our Office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice anyone who abuses children.”

Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department for their assistance on the case.

“Ramel Warner is alleged to have used his access to a young child, while babysitting him at his own home, to film himself sexually assaulting the child. Warner’s alleged actions are unconscionable, and we believe there may be more victims. We ask anyone with information regarding his actions to please come forward, so that we can further investigate and aid his victims. The FBI is committed to ensuring the safety of children and holding their abusers accountable in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy.

As set forth in court filings, in approximately 2022, the defendant raped the young son of a family friend in the child’s own home when he was supposed to be babysitting him. The defendant recorded six videos of his sexual abuse of the child, one of which was over four minutes long. The videos the defendant created depict him anally penetrating the child and performing oral sex on him. Those videos were subsequently distributed on the dark web.

The government believes the defendant has worked at afterschool programs in Brooklyn public schools, including a dance group for minor children operating out of a Brooklyn middle school. Anyone with information about sexual exploitation by the defendant should contact the FBI at RWarnerCase@fbi.gov.

This prosecution is 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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Vincent Chiappini is in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

Ramel Warner
Age: 23
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-32

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Grand Jury Returns Seven Indictments

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MADISON, WIS. – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

LAS VEGAS MAN CHARGED WITH COCAINE TRAFFICKING AND ILLEGAL FIREARMS POSSESSION

Enrique Rodriquez possessed over 5 kilograms of cocaine

Enrique Rodriguez, 41, Las Vegas, Nevada, is charged with distributing cocaine, possessing cocaine intended for distribution, possessing a firearm as a felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that on June 6, 2024, Rodriguez distributed 500 grams or more of cocaine. The indictment also alleges that on January 16, 2025, Rodriquez possessed 5 kilograms or more of cocaine intended for distribution, illegally possessed a firearm as a felon, and possessed the firearm to further a drug trafficking crime.

If convicted, Rodriguez faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison for the count charging distribution of over 500 grams of cocaine. The count involving 5 kilograms or more of cocaine carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The felon in possession charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life.

The charges against Rodriguez are the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Madison and Milwaukee, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Madison Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson is handling the case.

MARSHALL MAN CHARGED WITH DRUG AND GUN CRIMES

Deontrae C. McIntosh, 21, Marshall, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl; possessing cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution; possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon; and possessing a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.

The indictment alleges that McIntosh distributed cocaine on September 23, 2024, and on September 27, 2024. The indictment alleges that McIntosh distributed cocaine and heroin on October 4, 2024. The indictment further alleges that on November 6, 2024, McIntosh distributed cocaine and fentanyl, possessed cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution, and possessed a loaded Glock 23, 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun as a felon and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

If convicted, McIntosh faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each drug charge. The felon in possession charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. If convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, McIntosh faces a penalty of not less than 5 years in prison with a maximum of life in prison.

The charges against McIntosh are the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea is handling the case.

CHIPPEWA FALLS MAN CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING METHAMPHETAMINE AND FENTANYL

Jason Barnard, 39, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl and with possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl intended for distribution. The indictment alleges that on October 6, 2024, Barnard distributed a mixture of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The indictment further alleges that Barnard distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Finally, the indictment alleges that on December 6, 2024, Barnard possessed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, all intended for distribution.

If convicted of the charge involving 50 grams or more of methamphetamine or 40 grams or more of fentanyl, Barnard faces a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. If convicted of the charge involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, Barnard faces a minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The other distribution charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The charges against Barnard are the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Enforcement Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Anderson is handling the case.

WAUSAU MAN CHARGED WITH COCAINE TRAFFICKING AND ILLEGALLY POSSESSING FIREARMS

Johntay L. Johnson, 39, Wausau, Wisconsin, is charged with maintaining a drug involved premise, distributing cocaine, and possessing firearms as a felon. The indictment alleges that between December 19, 2023, and November 21, 2024, Johnson used his residence in Wausau to store, manufacture, and distribute illegal drugs. The indictment further alleges that Johnson distributed cocaine on nine occasions in 2024 and possessed three firearms as a felon on September 10, 2024.

If convicted of the drug counts, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. If convicted of the felon in possession count, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

The charges against Johnson were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of agents from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Bay Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson is handling the case.

SUN PRAIRIE MAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY POSSESSING FIREARM AND AMMUNITION

Cashius Carter, 20, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. The indictment alleges that Carter possessed a loaded Glock 9mm handgun and Federal 9mm ammunition between June 21, 2024, and September 26, 2024.

If convicted, Carter faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case.

FITCHBURG MAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY POSSESSING FIREARM

Malcolm Whiteside, 29, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm as a felon. The indictment alleges that Whiteside possessed a loaded Glock Model 27 pistol on August 12, 2024.

If convicted, Whiteside faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

The charge against Whiteside is the result of an investigation conducted by the Monona Police Department, Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma is handling the case.

MADISON MAN CHARGED WITH DRUG CRIMES

Gregory P. Robinson, 41, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing cocaine, possessing cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution, and maintaining a drug trafficking place. The indictment alleges that Robinson distributed cocaine on four occasions in June 2024. The indictment also alleges that on June 25, 2024, Robinson possessed cocaine, 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and cocaine, and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, all intended for distribution. Finally, the indictment alleges that Robinson maintained a drug trafficking place from June 13, 2024, to June 25,2024.

If convicted of the charge involving 400 grams or more, Robinson faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. If convicted of the charge involving 40 grams or more, Robinson faces a minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. The distribution charges, the possession of cocaine charge, and the maintaining a drug trafficking place charge all carry maximum penalties of 20 years in prison.

The charges against Robinson are the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, the Madison Police Department, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon is handling the case.

CHIPPEWA FALLS MAN CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING METHAMPHETAMINE

Leroy T. McNamara, 61, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that McNamera distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on July 8, 2024, and July 24, 2024.

If convicted, McNamara faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison on each charge.

The charges against McNamara are the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force and the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Stelljes is handling the case.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Multi-Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Ammunition

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

LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles-area man with multiple prior felony convictions has been sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for illegally possessing ammunition during an incident last year in which pointed a firearm at a victim and also threatened to shoot the victim’s dog, the Justice Department announced today.

Edward Conway, 47, who was a transient at the time of the offense, was sentenced Monday afternoon by United States District Judge Percy Anderson. Conway pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

According to court documents, on February 25, 2024, Conway held a gun to the head of his ex-girlfriend’s cousin, demanding that the victim get Conway’s ex-girlfriend on the phone. Conway also threatened to shoot the man’s dog if he didn’t cooperate.

During the incident, Conway pointed to a camera on the man’s house and demanded that the victim turn the camera off. When the victim told Conway he was unable to do so, Conway fired his gun at the camera, pushed his gun into the victim’s back and pinned him to a car while continuing to threaten him.

When Conway shot toward the camera, a child was taking shelter from the commotion in a house adjacent to where Conway fired the gun, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Investigators recovered a 9mm caliber shell casing from the scene.

After shooting at the camera, Conway fled the scene on foot, but he was later arrested by officers with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Earlier that same day, Conway harassed and strangled his ex-girlfriend outside of a grocery store in Los Angeles, then proceeded to throw her car keys onto a neighboring apartment, preventing her from escaping him, according to the sentencing memo. As a result of this conduct, Conway was convicted of felony domestic violence and sentenced to 60 days in custody.

Conway is not legally permitted to possess ammunition because of his criminal history, which includes felony convictions in Los Angeles Superior Court for second-degree robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and assault with a deadly weapon.

The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Mirelle N. Raza of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, colleagues introduce bipartisan legislation to support firefighters with service-related cancers

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) reintroduced the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act. This bipartisan legislation, which passed unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last year, would expand federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers. The Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program—which provides benefits to first responders injured in the line of duty and to their families—currently extends protection to first responders suffering from a narrow list of injuries and illnesses. This bill would expand PSOB coverage to more first responders and their families.

“Firefighters face many life-threatening health risks. Not all of them move as swiftly as a heart attack, but families are no less deserving of benefits if they lose their loved ones to cancers they were exposed to the line of duty,” said Senator Coons. “We need to close this loophole in the PSOB program so that the families of firefighters and first responders who lost their lives due to service-related cancers or face severe disabilities receive the benefits they deserve.”

“As we are seeing in California and throughout the country, our firefighters put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, often exposing themselves to carcinogens that can have lethal long-term effects. It’s unacceptable that firefighters who succumb to cancer from work-related exposure or become permanently and totally disabled don’t receive the same treatment as others who die in the line of duty,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will honor the memory and sacrifice of St. Paul Fire Department Captain Mike Paidar and so many others who risk their lives in service of their communities.”

“Our first responders epitomize courage and selfless sacrifice, confronting both the immediate perils of their duty and lingering health risks associated with their service,” said Senator Cramer. “The exposure to dangerous carcinogens happens on our behalf. When these heroes make the ultimate sacrifice, their families should not bear these burdens alone.”

The Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and first responders who pass away from cancer caused by carcinogenic exposure during their service. The bill would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.

This legislation was introduced in honor of Michael Paidar, a fire captain who died in 2020 of an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. In 2021, after strong advocacy from the Paidar family, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety awarded line-of-duty benefits to Captain Paidar’s widow, Julie. This was the first time that Minnesota’s state PSOB program provided a firefighter’s family with benefits for cancer incurred in the line of duty. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would ensure that firefighters and other first responders across the country are eligible to receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program.

In addition to Senators Coons, Klobuchar, and Cramer, this bill is also co-sponsored by Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Narcotics Officers’ Associations Coalition (NNOAC), National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), and the Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD.

A full list of endorsement quotes is available here.

Senator Coons has long-advocated for firefighters and first responders’ health, benefits, safety, and well-being. He worked to pass the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act, which was signed into law by President Biden in 2023, and helps local fire departments access funding for training, personnel, and equipment—all of which are especially in demand from small and volunteer fire departments. He also cosponsored the Protecting America’s First Responders Act, which was signed into law in 2021, and improved the PSOB program by allowing benefit amounts to be calculated based on the date of the award and account for cost of living increases. In 2022, he introduced the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act, a bipartisan bill to promote mental health programs for America’s first responders, who often face long-term effects from providing life-saving services in moments of crisis.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: National Fuel Reports First Quarter Earnings

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — National Fuel Gas Company (“National Fuel” or the “Company”) (NYSE:NFG) today announced consolidated results for the first quarter of its 2025 fiscal year.

FISCAL 2025 FIRST QUARTER SUMMARY

GAAP net income of $45.0 million (or $0.49 per share), which includes $104.6 million in non-cash, after-tax impairment charges in the Exploration & Production segment, compared to GAAP net income of $133.0 million (or $1.44 per share) in the prior year.
Adjusted operating results of $151.9 million (or $1.66 per share), an increase of 14%, or $16.7 million ($0.20 per share), compared to the prior year. See non-GAAP reconciliation on page 2.
Pipeline & Storage segment net income increased $8.4 million, or 35%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to the settlement of the Supply Corporation rate case, which led to increased rates effective February 1, 2024.
Utility segment net income increased $5.9 million, or 22%, compared to the prior year driven by a three-year settlement of a rate proceeding in the Company’s New York jurisdiction, which led to increased rates starting October 1, 2024.
E&P segment adjusted operating results increased $2.6 million, or 5%, compared to the prior year, supported by hedging-related gains, which more than offset the $0.08 per MMBtu decrease in the weighted average natural gas price compared to the prior year.
The Company repurchased $34 million of common stock during the quarter, which brings the total amount repurchased to $99 million, or 1.7 million shares, under the $200 million share buyback program, authorized in March 2024.
The Company is increasing its guidance for fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings per share to a range of $6.50 to $7.00 as a result of higher forecasted natural gas prices and ongoing improvements in the outlook for each segment.

MANAGEMENT COMMENTS

David P. Bauer, President and CEO of National Fuel Gas Company, stated: “Fiscal 2025 is off to a great start for National Fuel, with each business contributing to our strong consolidated adjusted operating results.

“In our regulated segments, we are delivering on our long-term growth outlook, with adjusted earnings per share in the quarter increasing approximately 30% compared to the prior year. The recent approval of our rate case settlement in our New York utility jurisdiction, which extends through 2027, combined with the ongoing benefits from ratemaking activity in our Pennsylvania utility territory and at Supply Corporation, gives us further confidence in our 7% to 10% earnings growth projections over the next three years. Furthermore, our integrated upstream and gathering operations in the Eastern Development Area (“EDA”) continue to exceed expectations, with the combination of strong operational execution and our highly-prolific assets. This differentiated ability to drive capital efficiency improvements alongside a rising price outlook for natural gas positions these businesses to deliver strong results in the coming years. We expect that these tailwinds will contribute to rising free cash flow across the system and deliver significant value to National Fuel shareholders.”

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED OPERATING RESULTS


	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands except per share amounts)	2024			2023
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	44,986		$	133,020
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets (E&P)		141,802			—
Tax impact of impairment of assets		(37,169	)		—
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset (E&P)		349			4,198
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset		(94	)		(1,151	)
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments (Corporate / All Other)		2,617			(1,049	)
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on other investments		(550	)		220
Adjusted Operating Results	$	151,941		$	135,238

Reported GAAP Earnings Per Share	$	0.49		$	1.44
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets, net of tax (E&P)		1.14			—
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset, net of tax (E&P)		—			0.03
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments, net of tax (Corporate / All Other)		0.02			(0.01	)
Rounding		0.01			—
Adjusted Operating Results Per Share	$	1.66		$	1.46

FISCAL 2025 GUIDANCE UPDATE

National Fuel is increasing its guidance for fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings per share, which are now expected to be within a range of $6.50 to $7.00. This updated range incorporates better than expected results in the first quarter along with the anticipated impact of higher natural gas prices and higher production in the Exploration and Production segment for the remainder of the fiscal year. The Company is now assuming NYMEX natural gas prices will average $3.50 per MMBtu for the remaining nine months of fiscal 2025, an increase of $0.70 from the $2.80 per MMBtu assumed in previous guidance. This updated natural gas price projection approximates the current NYMEX forward curve at this time, however; given the continued volatility in NYMEX natural gas prices, the Company is providing the following sensitivities to its adjusted operating results guidance range:

NYMEX Assumption *Remaining 9 months* ($/MMBtu)		Fiscal 2025 Adjusted Earnings Per Share Sensitivities
$3.00		$6.15 – $6.65
$3.50		$6.50 – $7.00
$4.00		$6.90 – $7.40

The Company’s production guidance for fiscal 2025 is now expected to be in the range of 410 to 425 Bcfe, an increase of 7.5 Bcfe, or 2%, at the midpoint compared to previous guidance. The revised production guidance is principally a result of ongoing improvements in Seneca’s well results and additional operational efficiencies in the highly prolific EDA. This is also expected to result in increased Gathering segment revenue, relative to the Company’s prior projections, and as a result the Company has increased the midpoint of its guidance range by $5 million. While the Company’s guidance does not incorporate any future price-related curtailments, with 87% of its projected fiscal 2025 production linked to firm sales contracts, Seneca has limited exposure to in-basin markets. Further, 71% of expected production for the balance of the fiscal year is either matched by a financial hedge, including a combination of swaps and no-cost collars, or was entered into at a fixed price, both of which provide price certainty for that production.

Additionally, as a result of operational improvements, the Company is revising Seneca’s capital expenditure guidance range downward to $495 million to $515 million, or $505 million at the midpoint, which is a $5 million decrease from the midpoint of the Company’s previous guidance.

The Company’s other fiscal 2025 guidance assumptions remain largely unchanged and are detailed in the table on page 7.

DISCUSSION OF FIRST QUARTER RESULTS BY SEGMENT

The following earnings discussion of each operating segment for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 is summarized in a tabular form on pages 8 and 9 of this report. It may be helpful to refer to those tables while reviewing this discussion.

Note that management defines adjusted operating results as reported GAAP earnings adjusted for items impacting comparability, and adjusted EBITDA as reported GAAP earnings before the following items: interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, other income and deductions, impairments, and other items reflected in operating income that impact comparability.

Upstream Business

Exploration and Production Segment

The Exploration and Production segment operations are carried out by Seneca Resources Company, LLC (“Seneca”). Seneca explores for, develops and produces primarily natural gas reserves in Pennsylvania.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024			2023		Variance
GAAP Earnings	$	(46,777	)	$	52,483	$	(99,260	)
Impairment of assets, net of tax		104,633			—		104,633
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset, net of tax		255			3,047		(2,792	)
Adjusted Operating Results	$	58,111		$	55,530	$	2,581

Adjusted EBITDA	$	156,645		$	159,970	$	(3,325	)

Seneca’s first quarter GAAP earnings decreased $99.3 million versus the prior year. This was driven by non-cash, pre-tax impairment charges of $141.8 million ($104.6 million after-tax), the majority of which is related to a “ceiling test” impairment which required Seneca to write-down the book value of its reserves under the full cost method of accounting. For purposes of the ceiling test, the 12-month average of first day of the month pricing for NYMEX natural gas for the period ended December 31, 2024 was $2.13 per MMBtu.

Excluding impairments, as well as the net impact of unrealized losses related to reductions in the fair value of contingent consideration received in connection with the June 2022 divestiture of Seneca’s California assets (see table above), Seneca’s adjusted operating results increased $2.6 million primarily due to higher realized natural gas prices after the impact of hedging and lower per unit operating expenses, partially offset by lower natural gas production.

During the first quarter, Seneca produced 97.7 Bcf of natural gas, a decrease of 3.0 Bcf, or 3%, from the prior year. Compared to the preceding fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, production in the first quarter is higher by 5.8 Bcf, or 6%. Early in the quarter, Seneca curtailed approximately 1 Bcf of production due to low in-basin pricing. Production in the quarter was lower than the prior year largely due to the timing of turn in line dates for new wells between fiscal years.

Seneca’s average realized natural gas price, after the impact of hedging and transportation costs, was $2.53 per Mcf, an increase of $0.02 per Mcf from the prior year. Seneca recorded hedging gains of $29.7 million, or an uplift of $0.30 per Mcf, during the quarter, which more than offset a $0.08 per Mcf decrease in pre-hedge natural gas price realizations versus the prior year.

On a per unit basis, first quarter Lease Operating Expense (“LOE”) was $0.67 per Mcf, consistent with the prior year. LOE included $55.0 million ($0.56 per Mcf) for gathering and compression services from the Company’s Gathering segment to connect Seneca’s production to sales points along interstate pipelines. General and Administrative Expense (“G&A”) was $0.20 per Mcf, an increase of $0.02 per Mcf compared to the prior year driven by the combination of higher personnel costs and modestly lower production. Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization Expense (“DD&A”) was $0.65 per Mcf, a decrease of $0.06 per Mcf from the prior year largely due to ceiling test impairments recorded in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2024 that lowered Seneca’s full cost pool depletable base.

Midstream Businesses

Pipeline and Storage Segment

The Pipeline and Storage segment’s operations are carried out by National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (“Supply Corporation”) and Empire Pipeline, Inc. (“Empire”). The Pipeline and Storage segment provides natural gas transportation and storage services to affiliated and non-affiliated companies through an integrated system of pipelines and underground natural gas storage fields in western New York and Pennsylvania.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024		2023		Variance
GAAP Earnings	$	32,454	$	24,055	$	8,399

Adjusted EBITDA	$	70,953	$	59,142	$	11,811

The Pipeline and Storage segment’s first quarter GAAP earnings increased $8.4 million versus the prior year primarily due to higher operating revenues, partly offset by higher operation and maintenance (“O&M”) expense.

The increase in operating revenues of $12.2 million, or 13%, was primarily attributable to an increase in Supply Corporation’s transportation and storage rates effective February 1, 2024, in accordance with its rate settlement, which was approved in fiscal 2024. O&M expense increased $1.1 million primarily due to higher pipeline integrity and labor-related costs.

Gathering Segment

The Gathering segment’s operations are carried out by National Fuel Gas Midstream Company, LLC’s limited liability companies. The Gathering segment constructs, owns and operates natural gas gathering pipelines and compression facilities in the Appalachian region, which delivers Seneca and other non-affiliated Appalachian production to the interstate pipeline system.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024		2023		Variance
GAAP Earnings	$	27,145	$	28,825	$	(1,680	)

Adjusted EBITDA	$	51,936	$	53,061	$	(1,125	)

The Gathering segment’s first quarter GAAP earnings decreased $1.7 million versus the prior year due to lower operating revenues and higher DD&A expense.

Operating revenues decreased $1.5 million, or 2%, primarily due to a decrease in throughput from Seneca. DD&A expense increased $1.1 million primarily due to higher average depreciable plant in service compared to the prior year.

Downstream Business

Utility Segment

The Utility segment operations are carried out by National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation (“Distribution Corporation”), which sells or transports natural gas to customers located in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024		2023		Variance
GAAP Earnings	$	32,499	$	26,551	$	5,948

Adjusted EBITDA	$	60,665	$	53,366	$	7,299

The Utility segment’s first quarter GAAP earnings increased $5.9 million, or 22%, primarily as a result of the implementation of the recent rate case order in the Utility’s New York jurisdiction.

For the quarter, customer margin (operating revenues less purchased gas sold) increased $9.1 million, primarily due to the aforementioned rate case in Distribution Corporation’s New York jurisdiction, for which a settlement became effective October 1, 2024. Other income, which was also impacted by the rate settlement, increased $4.0 million. This was in large part due to the recognition of non-service pension and post-retirement benefit income that is offset with a corresponding reduction in new base rates and as a result, has no effect on net income.

O&M expense increased by $1.6 million, primarily driven by higher personnel costs, partially offset by a reduction related to amortizations of certain regulatory assets as a result of the New York rate settlement. DD&A expense increased $0.8 million primarily due to higher average depreciable plant in service compared to the prior year. Interest expense increased $2.3 million primarily due to a higher average amount of net borrowings.

Corporate and All Other

The Company’s operations that are included in Corporate and All Other generated a combined net loss of $0.3 million in the current-year first quarter, which was $1.4 million lower than combined earnings of $1.1 million in the prior-year first quarter. The reduction in earnings during the quarter was primarily driven by unrealized losses recorded on investment securities that fund non-qualified retirement benefit plans.

EARNINGS TELECONFERENCE

A conference call to discuss the results will be held on Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 9 a.m. ET. All participants must pre-register to join this conference using the Participant Registration link. A webcast link to the conference call will be provided under the Events Calendar on the NFG Investor Relations website at investor.nationalfuelgas.com. A replay will be available following the call through the end of the day, Thursday, February 6, 2025. To access the replay, dial 1-866-813-9403 and provide Access Code 245940.

National Fuel is an integrated energy company reporting financial results for four operating segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. Additional information about National Fuel is available at www.nationalfuel.com.

Certain statements contained herein, including statements identified by the use of the words “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “believes,” “seeks,” “will,” “may” and similar expressions, and statements which are other than statements of historical facts, are “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. The Company’s expectations, beliefs and projections contained herein are expressed in good faith and are believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that such expectations, beliefs or projections will result or be achieved or accomplished. In addition to other factors, the following are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements: impairments under the SEC’s full cost ceiling test for natural gas reserves; changes in the price of natural gas; changes in laws, regulations or judicial interpretations to which the Company is subject, including those involving derivatives, taxes, safety, employment, climate change, other environmental matters, real property, and exploration and production activities such as hydraulic fracturing; governmental/regulatory actions, initiatives and proceedings, including those involving rate cases (which address, among other things, target rates of return, rate design, retained natural gas and system modernization), environmental/safety requirements, affiliate relationships, industry structure, and franchise renewal; the Company’s ability to estimate accurately the time and resources necessary to meet emissions targets; governmental/regulatory actions and/or market pressures to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas; changes in economic conditions, including inflationary pressures, supply chain issues, liquidity challenges, and global, national or regional recessions, and their effect on the demand for, and customers’ ability to pay for, the Company’s products and services; the creditworthiness or performance of the Company’s key suppliers, customers and counterparties; financial and economic conditions, including the availability of credit, and occurrences affecting the Company’s ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms for working capital, capital expenditures and other investments, including any downgrades in the Company’s credit ratings and changes in interest rates and other capital market conditions; changes in price differentials between similar quantities of natural gas sold at different geographic locations, and the effect of such changes on commodity production, revenues and demand for pipeline transportation capacity to or from such locations; the impact of information technology disruptions, cybersecurity or data security breaches; factors affecting the Company’s ability to successfully identify, drill for and produce economically viable natural gas reserves, including among others geology, lease availability and costs, title disputes, weather conditions, water availability and disposal or recycling opportunities of used water, shortages, delays or unavailability of equipment and services required in drilling operations, insufficient gathering, processing and transportation capacity, the need to obtain governmental approvals and permits, and compliance with environmental laws and regulations; the Company’s ability to complete strategic transactions; increased costs or delays or changes in plans with respect to Company projects or related projects of other companies, as well as difficulties or delays in obtaining necessary governmental approvals, permits or orders or in obtaining the cooperation of interconnecting facility operators; increasing health care costs and the resulting effect on health insurance premiums and on the obligation to provide other post-retirement benefits; other changes in price differentials between similar quantities of natural gas having different quality, heating value, hydrocarbon mix or delivery date; the cost and effects of legal and administrative claims against the Company or activist shareholder campaigns to effect changes at the Company; negotiations with the collective bargaining units representing the Company’s workforce, including potential work stoppages during negotiations; uncertainty of natural gas reserve estimates; significant differences between the Company’s projected and actual production levels for natural gas; changes in demographic patterns and weather conditions (including those related to climate change); changes in the availability, price or accounting treatment of derivative financial instruments; changes in laws, actuarial assumptions, the interest rate environment and the return on plan/trust assets related to the Company’s pension and other post-retirement benefits, which can affect future funding obligations and costs and plan liabilities; economic disruptions or uninsured losses resulting from major accidents, fires, severe weather, natural disasters, terrorist activities or acts of war, as well as economic and operational disruptions due to third-party outages; significant differences between the Company’s projected and actual capital expenditures and operating expenses; or increasing costs of insurance, changes in coverage and the ability to obtain insurance. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date thereof.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

GUIDANCE SUMMARY

As discussed on page 2, the Company is revising its adjusted earnings per share guidance for fiscal 2025. Additional details on the Company’s forecast assumptions and business segment guidance are outlined in the table below.

The revised adjusted earnings per share guidance range excludes certain items that impacted the comparability of adjusted operating results during the three months ended December 31, 2024, including: (1) the after tax impairment of assets, which reduced earnings by $1.14 per share; (2) after-tax unrealized losses on a derivative asset, which reduced earnings by less than $0.01 per share; and (3) after-tax unrealized losses on other investments, which reduced earnings by $0.02 per share. While the Company expects to record certain adjustments to unrealized gain or loss on a derivative asset and unrealized gain or loss on investments during the nine months ending September 30, 2025, the amounts of these and other potential adjustments and charges, including ceiling test impairments, are not reasonably determinable at this time. As such, the Company is unable to provide earnings guidance other than on a non-GAAP basis.

	Previous FY 2025 Guidance	Updated FY 2025 Guidance

Consolidated Adjusted Earnings per Share	$5.50 to $6.00	$6.50 to $7.00
Consolidated Effective Tax Rate	~ 24.5 – 25%	~ 25%

Capital Expenditures(Millions)
Exploration and Production	$495 – $525	$495 – $515
Pipeline and Storage	$130 – $150	$130 – $150
Gathering	$95 – $110	$95 – $110
Utility	$165 – $185	$165 – $185
Consolidated Capital Expenditures	$885 – $970	$885 – $960

Exploration and Production Segment Guidance

Commodity Price Assumptions*
NYMEX natural gas price	$2.80 /MMBtu	$3.50 /MMBtu
Appalachian basin spot price	$2.00 /MMBtu	$2.90 /MMBtu

Realized natural gas prices, after hedging ($/Mcf)	$2.47 – $2.51	$2.77 – $2.81

Production (Bcf)	400 to 420	410 to 425

E&P Operating Costs($/Mcf)
LOE	$0.68 – $0.70	$0.68 – $0.70
G&A	$0.18 – $0.19	$0.18 – $0.19
DD&A	$0.65 – $0.69	$0.63 – $0.67

Other Business Segment Guidance(Millions)
Gathering Segment Revenues	$245 – $255	$250 – $260
Pipeline and Storage Segment Revenues	$415 – $435	$415 – $435

* Commodity price assumptions are for the remaining nine months of the fiscal year.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
RECONCILIATION OF CURRENT AND PRIOR YEAR GAAP EARNINGS
QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024
(Unaudited)

	Upstream			Midstream						Downstream

	Exploration &			Pipeline &									Corporate /
(Thousands of Dollars)	Production			Storage			Gathering			Utility			All Other			Consolidated*

First quarter 2024 GAAP earnings	$	52,483		$	24,055		$	28,825		$	26,551		$	1,106		$	133,020
Items impacting comparability:
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset		4,198															4,198
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset		(1,151	)														(1,151	)
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments														(1,049	)		(1,049	)
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on other investments														220			220
First quarter 2024 adjusted operating results		55,530			24,055			28,825			26,551			277			135,238
Drivers of adjusted operating results**
Upstream Revenues
Higher (lower) natural gas production		(6,016	)														(6,016	)
Higher (lower) realized natural gas prices, after hedging		1,885															1,885
Midstream Revenues
Higher (lower) operating revenues					9,637			(1,151	)								8,486
Downstream Margins***
Impact of usage and weather											(325	)					(325	)
Impact of new rates in New York											7,865						7,865
Operating Expenses
Lower (higher) lease operating and transportation expenses		1,133															1,133
Lower (higher) operating expenses					(856	)					(1,244	)					(2,100	)
Lower (higher) depreciation / depletion		6,842						(835	)		(624	)					5,383
Other Income (Expense)
Higher (lower) other income		(1,680	)								3,176			1,686			3,182
(Higher) lower interest expense											(1,785	)					(1,785	)
Income Taxes
Lower (higher) income tax expense / effective tax rate		(8	)		(488	)		443			(584	)		205			(432	)
All other / rounding		425			106			(137	)		(531	)		(436	)		(573	)
First quarter 2025 adjusted operating results		58,111			32,454			27,145			32,499			1,732			151,941
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets		(141,802	)														(141,802	)
Tax impact of impairment of assets		37,169															37,169
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivative asset		(349	)														(349	)
Tax impact of unrealized gain (loss) on derivative asset		94															94
Unrealized gain (loss) on other investments														(2,617	)		(2,617	)
Tax impact of unrealized gain (loss) on other investments														550			550
First quarter 2025 GAAP earnings	$	(46,777	)	$	32,454		$	27,145		$	32,499		$	(335	)	$	44,986

* Amounts do not reflect intercompany eliminations.
** Drivers of adjusted operating results have been calculated using the 21% federal statutory rate.
*** Downstream margin defined as operating revenues less purchased gas expense.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
RECONCILIATION OF CURRENT AND PRIOR YEAR GAAP EARNINGS PER SHARE
QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024
(Unaudited)

	Upstream			Midstream						Downstream

	Exploration &			Pipeline &									Corporate /
	Production			Storage			Gathering			Utility			All Other			Consolidated*

First quarter 2024 GAAP earnings per share	$	0.57		$	0.26		$	0.31		$	0.29		$	0.01		$	1.44
Items impacting comparability:
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset, net of tax		0.03															0.03
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments, net of tax														(0.01	)		(0.01	)
First quarter 2024 adjusted operating results per share		0.60			0.26			0.31			0.29			—			1.46
Drivers of adjusted operating results**
Upstream Revenues
Higher (lower) natural gas production		(0.07	)														(0.07	)
Higher (lower) realized natural gas prices, after hedging		0.02															0.02
Midstream Revenues
Higher (lower) operating revenues					0.11			(0.01	)								0.10
Downstream Margins***
Impact of usage and weather											—						—
Impact of new rates in New York											0.09						0.09
Operating Expenses
Lower (higher) lease operating and transportation expenses		0.01															0.01
Lower (higher) operating expenses					(0.01	)					(0.01	)					(0.02	)
Lower (higher) depreciation / depletion		0.08						(0.01	)		(0.01	)					0.06
Other Income (Expense)
Higher (lower) other income		(0.02	)								0.03			0.02			0.03
(Higher) lower interest expense											(0.02	)					(0.02	)
Income Taxes
Lower (higher) income tax expense / effective tax rate		—			(0.01	)		—			(0.01	)		—			(0.02	)
All other / rounding		0.02			—			0.01			—			(0.01	)		0.02
First quarter 2025 adjusted operating results per share		0.64			0.35			0.30			0.36			0.01			1.66
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets, net of tax		(1.14	)														(1.14	)
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivative asset, net of tax		—															—
Unrealized gain (loss) on other investments, net of tax														(0.02	)		(0.02	)
Rounding		(0.01	)														(0.01	)
First quarter 2025 GAAP earnings per share	$	(0.51	)	$	0.35		$	0.30		$	0.36		$	(0.01	)	$	0.49

* Amounts do not reflect intercompany eliminations.
** Drivers of adjusted operating results have been calculated using the 21% federal statutory rate.
*** Downstream margin defined as operating revenues less purchased gas expense.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

(Thousands of Dollars, except per share amounts)
	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
	(Unaudited)
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS	2024			2023
Operating Revenues:
Utility Revenues	$	228,424		$	201,920
Exploration and Production and Other Revenues		248,860			254,019
Pipeline and Storage and Gathering Revenues		72,198			69,422
		549,482			525,361
Operating Expenses:
Purchased Gas		65,337			56,552
Operation and Maintenance:
Utility		55,244			53,705
Exploration and Production and Other		33,541			34,826
Pipeline and Storage and Gathering		35,941			34,962
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		22,056			22,416
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		109,370			115,790
Impairment of Assets		141,802			—
		463,291			318,251

Operating Income		86,191			207,110

Other Income (Expense):
Other Income (Deductions)		7,720			3,732
Interest Expense on Long-Term Debt		(33,362	)		(28,462	)
Other Interest Expense		(4,381	)		(6,273	)

Income Before Income Taxes		56,168			176,107

Income Tax Expense		11,182			43,087

Net Income Available for Common Stock	$	44,986		$	133,020

Earnings Per Common Share
Basic	$	0.50		$	1.45
Diluted	$	0.49		$	1.44

Weighted Average Common Shares:
Used in Basic Calculation		90,777,446			91,910,244
Used in Diluted Calculation		91,434,741			92,442,145

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)

	December 31,			September 30,
(Thousands of Dollars)	2024			2024
ASSETS
Property, Plant and Equipment	$	14,675,281		$	14,524,798
Less – Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		7,393,477			7,185,593
Net Property, Plant and Equipment		7,281,804			7,339,205
Current Assets:
Cash and Temporary Cash Investments		48,694			38,222
Receivables – Net		202,821			127,222
Unbilled Revenue		57,117			15,521
Gas Stored Underground		24,725			35,055
Materials and Supplies – at average cost		47,820			47,670
Other Current Assets		83,435			92,229
Total Current Assets		464,612			355,919
Other Assets:
Recoverable Future Taxes		83,740			80,084
Unamortized Debt Expense		5,206			5,604
Other Regulatory Assets		106,386			108,022
Deferred Charges		68,952			69,662
Other Investments		71,493			81,705
Goodwill		5,476			5,476
Prepaid Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Costs		185,224			180,230
Fair Value of Derivative Financial Instruments		20,695			87,905
Other		7,860			5,958
Total Other Assets		555,032			624,646
Total Assets	$	8,301,448		$	8,319,770
CAPITALIZATION AND LIABILITIES
Capitalization:
Comprehensive Shareholders’ Equity
Common Stock, $1 Par Value Authorized – 200,000,000 Shares; Issued and
Outstanding – 90,612,955 Shares and 91,005,993 Shares, Respectively	$	90,613		$	91,006
Paid in Capital		1,039,705			1,045,487
Earnings Reinvested in the Business		1,698,648			1,727,326
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss		(76,153	)		(15,476	)
Total Comprehensive Shareholders’ Equity		2,752,813			2,848,343
Long-Term Debt, Net of Current Portion and Unamortized Discount and Debt Issuance Costs		2,189,421			2,188,243
Total Capitalization		4,942,234			5,036,586
Current and Accrued Liabilities:
Notes Payable to Banks and Commercial Paper		200,000			90,700
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt		500,000			500,000
Accounts Payable		120,991			165,068
Amounts Payable to Customers		42,587			42,720
Dividends Payable		46,671			46,872
Interest Payable on Long-Term Debt		44,376			27,247
Customer Advances		15,295			19,373
Customer Security Deposits		36,091			36,265
Other Accruals and Current Liabilities		172,409			162,903
Fair Value of Derivative Financial Instruments		20,893			4,744
Total Current and Accrued Liabilities		1,199,313			1,095,892
Other Liabilities:
Deferred Income Taxes		1,089,394			1,111,165
Taxes Refundable to Customers		303,344			305,645
Cost of Removal Regulatory Liability		296,660			292,477
Other Regulatory Liabilities		147,561			151,452
Other Post-Retirement Liabilities		3,476			3,511
Asset Retirement Obligations		199,310			203,006
Other Liabilities		120,156			120,036
Total Other Liabilities		2,159,901			2,187,292
Commitments and Contingencies		—			—
Total Capitalization and Liabilities	$	8,301,448		$	8,319,770

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(Thousands of Dollars)	2024			2023

Operating Activities:
Net Income Available for Common Stock	$	44,986		$	133,020
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:
Impairment of Assets		141,802			—
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		109,370			115,790
Deferred Income Taxes		(5,385	)		38,362
Stock-Based Compensation		4,705			4,660
Other		7,146			8,041
Change in:
Receivables and Unbilled Revenue		(115,165	)		(58,459	)
Gas Stored Underground and Materials and Supplies		10,180			6,915
Other Current Assets		8,814			892
Accounts Payable		9,703			(3,355	)
Amounts Payable to Customers		(133	)		1,013
Customer Advances		(4,078	)		2,083
Customer Security Deposits		(174	)		2,079
Other Accruals and Current Liabilities		21,266			28,612
Other Assets		(3,892	)		(6,306	)
Other Liabilities		(9,057	)		(2,403	)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	$	220,088		$	270,944

Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures	$	(240,427	)	$	(246,938	)
Other		5,878			(920	)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities	$	(234,549	)	$	(247,858	)

Financing Activities:
Changes in Notes Payable to Banks and Commercial Paper		109,300			12,500
Shares Repurchased Under Repurchase Plan		(33,524	)		—
Dividends Paid on Common Stock		(46,872	)		(45,451	)
Net Repurchases of Common Stock Under Stock and Benefit Plans		(3,971	)		(3,897	)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	$	24,933		$	(36,848	)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents		10,472			(13,762	)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period		38,222			55,447
Cash and Cash Equivalents at December 31	$	48,694		$	41,685

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT OPERATING RESULTS AND STATISTICS
(UNAUDITED)

UPSTREAM BUSINESS


	Three Months Ended
(Thousands of Dollars, except per share amounts)	December 31,
EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION SEGMENT	2024			2023			Variance
Total Operating Revenues	$	248,860		$	254,019		$	(5,159	)
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance:
General and Administrative Expense		19,326			17,793			1,533
Lease Operating and Transportation Expense		65,640			67,074			(1,434	)
All Other Operation and Maintenance Expense		3,867			5,544			(1,677	)
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		3,382			3,638			(256	)
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		63,304			71,965			(8,661	)
Impairment of Assets		141,802			—			141,802
		297,321			166,014			131,307

Operating Income (Loss)		(48,461	)		88,005			(136,466	)

Other Income (Expense):
Non-Service Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Credit		37			100			(63	)
Interest and Other Income (Deductions)		272			(1,513	)		1,785
Interest Expense		(15,200	)		(15,268	)		68
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes		(63,352	)		71,324			(134,676	)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(16,575	)		18,841			(35,416	)
Net Income (Loss)	$	(46,777	)	$	52,483		$	(99,260	)
Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Diluted)	$	(0.51	)	$	0.57		$	(1.08	)

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT OPERATING RESULTS AND STATISTICS
(UNAUDITED)

MIDSTREAM BUSINESSES

	Three Months Ended
(Thousands of Dollars, except per share amounts)	December 31,
PIPELINE AND STORAGE SEGMENT	2024			2023			Variance
Revenues from External Customers	$	68,750		$	64,826		$	3,924
Intersegment Revenues		37,862			29,587			8,275
Total Operating Revenues		106,612			94,413			12,199
Operating Expenses:
Purchased Gas		(42	)		601			(643	)
Operation and Maintenance		27,034			25,950			1,084
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		8,667			8,720			(53	)
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		18,585			18,213			372
		54,244			53,484			760

Operating Income		52,368			40,929			11,439

Other Income (Expense):
Non-Service Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Credit		952			1,257			(305	)
Interest and Other Income		2,040			1,931			109
Interest Expense		(11,729	)		(11,725	)		(4	)
Income Before Income Taxes		43,631			32,392			11,239
Income Tax Expense		11,177			8,337			2,840
Net Income	$	32,454		$	24,055		$	8,399
Net Income Per Share (Diluted)	$	0.35		$	0.26		$	0.09


	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
GATHERING SEGMENT	2024			2023			Variance
Revenues from External Customers	$	3,448		$	4,596		$	(1,148	)
Intersegment Revenues		57,683			57,992			(309	)
Total Operating Revenues		61,131			62,588			(1,457	)
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance		9,429			9,504			(75	)
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		(234	)		23			(257	)
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		10,515			9,458			1,057
		19,710			18,985			725

Operating Income		41,421			43,603			(2,182	)

Other Income (Expense):
Non-Service Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Credit		—			9			(9	)
Interest and Other Income		58			73			(15	)
Interest Expense		(4,210	)		(3,729	)		(481	)
Income Before Income Taxes		37,269			39,956			(2,687	)
Income Tax Expense		10,124			11,131			(1,007	)
Net Income	$	27,145		$	28,825		$	(1,680	)
Net Income Per Share (Diluted)	$	0.30		$	0.31		$	(0.01	)

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT OPERATING RESULTS AND STATISTICS
(UNAUDITED)

DOWNSTREAM BUSINESS


	Three Months Ended
(Thousands of Dollars, except per share amounts)	December 31,
UTILITY SEGMENT	2024			2023			Variance
Revenues from External Customers	$	228,424		$	201,920		$	26,504
Intersegment Revenues		85			87			(2	)
Total Operating Revenues		228,509			202,007			26,502
Operating Expenses:
Purchased Gas		101,473			84,051			17,422
Operation and Maintenance		56,260			54,684			1,576
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		10,111			9,906			205
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		16,827			16,037			790
		184,671			164,678			19,993

Operating Income		43,838			37,329			6,509

Other Income (Expense):
Non-Service Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Credit		5,871			470			5,401
Interest and Other Income		528			1,911			(1,383	)
Interest Expense		(10,716	)		(8,457	)		(2,259	)
Income Before Income Taxes		39,521			31,253			8,268
Income Tax Expense		7,022			4,702			2,320
Net Income	$	32,499		$	26,551		$	5,948
Net Income Per Share (Diluted)	$	0.36		$	0.29		$	0.07

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT OPERATING RESULTS AND STATISTICS
(UNAUDITED)

	Three Months Ended
(Thousands of Dollars, except per share amounts)	December 31,
ALL OTHER	2024			2023			Variance
Total Operating Revenues	$	—		$	—		$	—
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance		—			—			—
		—			—			—

Operating Income		—			—			—
Other Income (Expense):
Interest and Other Income (Deductions)		(136	)		(77	)		(59	)
Interest Expense		(116	)		(81	)		(35	)
Loss before Income Taxes		(252	)		(158	)		(94	)
Income Tax Benefit		(59	)		(37	)		(22	)
Net Loss	$	(193	)	$	(121	)	$	(72	)
Net Loss Per Share (Diluted)	$	—		$	—		$	—

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
CORPORATE	2024			2023			Variance
Revenues from External Customers	$	—		$	—		$	—
Intersegment Revenues		1,341			1,285			56
Total Operating Revenues		1,341			1,285			56
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance		4,047			3,795			252
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		130			129			1
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		139			117			22
		4,316			4,041			275

Operating Loss		(2,975	)		(2,756	)		(219	)
Other Income (Expense):
Non-Service Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Costs		(212	)		(387	)		175
Interest and Other Income		41,061			41,030			31
Interest Expense on Long-Term Debt		(33,362	)		(28,462	)		(4,900	)
Other Interest Expense		(5,161	)		(8,085	)		2,924
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes		(649	)		1,340			(1,989	)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(507	)		113			(620	)
Net Income (Loss)	$	(142	)	$	1,227		$	(1,369	)
Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Diluted)	$	(0.01	)	$	0.01		$	(0.02	)


	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
INTERSEGMENT ELIMINATIONS	2024			2023			Variance
Intersegment Revenues	$	(96,971	)	$	(88,951	)	$	(8,020	)
Operating Expenses:
Purchased Gas		(36,094	)		(28,100	)		(7,994	)
Operation and Maintenance		(60,877	)		(60,851	)		(26	)
		(96,971	)		(88,951	)		(8,020	)
Operating Income		—			—			—
Other Income (Expense):
Interest and Other Deductions		(42,751	)		(41,072	)		(1,679	)
Interest Expense		42,751			41,072			1,679
Net Income	$	—		$	—		$	—
Net Income Per Share (Diluted)	$	—		$	—		$	—

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Continued)
(Thousands of Dollars)

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
	(Unaudited)
							Increase
	2024			2023			(Decrease)

Capital Expenditures:
Exploration and Production	$	122,602	⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	$	160,957	⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾	$	(38,355	)
Pipeline and Storage		19,792	⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾		24,554	⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾		(4,762	)
Gathering		13,027	⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾		19,569	⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾		(6,542	)
Utility		36,430	⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾		30,510	⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾		5,920
Total Reportable Segments		191,851			235,590			(43,739	)
All Other		—			—			—
Corporate		204			61			143
Total Capital Expenditures	$	192,055		$	235,651		$	(43,596	)

(1)	Capital expenditures for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, include accounts payable and accrued liabilities related to capital expenditures of $56.3 million, $4.4 million, $6.0 million, and $4.9 million in the Exploration and Production segment, Pipeline and Storage segment, Gathering segment and Utility segment, respectively. These amounts have been excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at December 31, 2024, since they represent non-cash investing activities at that date.

(2)	Capital expenditures for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, exclude capital expenditures of $63.3 million, $14.4 million, $21.7 million and $20.6 million in the Exploration and Production segment, Pipeline and Storage segment, Gathering segment and Utility segment, respectively. These amounts were in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at September 30, 2024 and paid during the quarter ended December 31, 2024. These amounts were excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at September 30, 2024, since they represented non-cash investing activities at that date. These amounts have been included in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at December 31, 2024.

(3)	Capital expenditures for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, include accounts payable and accrued liabilities related to capital expenditures of $74.9 million, $5.5 million, $11.1 million, and $6.4 million in the Exploration and Production segment, Pipeline and Storage segment, Gathering segment and Utility segment, respectively. These amounts were excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at December 31, 2023, since they represented non-cash investing activities at that date.

(4)	Capital expenditures for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, exclude capital expenditures of $43.2 million, $31.8 million, $20.6 million and $13.6 million in the Exploration and Production segment, Pipeline and Storage segment, Gathering segment and Utility segment, respectively. These amounts were in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at September 30, 2023 and paid during the quarter ended December 31, 2023. These amounts were excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at September 30, 2023, since they represented non-cash investing activities at that date. These amounts have been included in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at December 31, 2023.

DEGREE DAYS
				Percent Colder
				(Warmer) Than:
Three Months Ended December 31,	Normal	2024	2023	Normal ⁽¹⁾	Last Year ⁽¹⁾
Buffalo, NY	2,253	1,884	1,858	(16.4)	1.4
Erie, PA	1,894	1,697	1,664	(10.4)	2.0

⁽¹⁾Percents compare actual 2024 degree days to normal degree days and actual 2024 degree days to actual 2023 degree days.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION INFORMATION


	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
					Increase
	2024		2023		(Decrease)

Gas Production/Prices:
Production (MMcf)
Appalachia		97,717		100,757		(3,040	)

Average Prices (Per Mcf)
Weighted Average	$	2.23	$	2.31	$	(0.08	)
Weighted Average after Hedging		2.53		2.51		0.02

Selected Operating Performance Statistics:
General and Administrative Expense per Mcf ⁽¹⁾	$	0.20	$	0.18	$	0.02
Lease Operating and Transportation Expense per Mcf ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	$	0.67	$	0.67	$	—
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization per Mcf ⁽¹⁾	$	0.65	$	0.71	$	(0.06	)

⁽¹⁾Refer to page 13 for the General and Administrative Expense, Lease Operating and Transportation Expense and Depreciation, Depletion, and Amortization Expense for the Exploration and Production segment.

⁽²⁾Amounts include transportation expense of $0.57 and $0.56 per Mcf for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES



Pipeline and Storage Throughput – (millions of cubic feet – MMcf)

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
			Increase
	2024	2023	(Decrease)
Firm Transportation – Affiliated	31,870	31,495	375
Firm Transportation – Non-Affiliated	171,012	168,606	2,406
Interruptible Transportation	62	118	(56	)
	202,944	200,219	2,725

Gathering Volume – (MMcf)
	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
			Increase
	2024	2023	(Decrease)
Gathered Volume	120,961	124,261	(3,300	)


Utility Throughput – (MMcf)
	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
			Increase
	2024	2023	(Decrease)
Retail Sales:
Residential Sales	18,476	17,982	494
Commercial Sales	2,919	2,800	119
Industrial Sales	199	138	61
	21,594	20,920	674
Transportation	16,942	17,528	(586	)
	38,536	38,448	88

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

In addition to financial measures calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), this press release contains information regarding adjusted operating results, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, which are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they provide an alternative method for assessing the Company’s ongoing operating results or liquidity and for comparing the Company’s financial performance to other companies. The Company’s management uses these non-GAAP financial measures for the same purpose, and for planning and forecasting purposes. The presentation of non-GAAP financial measures is not meant to be a substitute for financial measures in accordance with GAAP.

Management defines adjusted operating results as reported GAAP earnings before items impacting comparability. The following table reconciles National Fuel’s reported GAAP earnings to adjusted operating results for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands except per share amounts)	2024			2023
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	44,986		$	133,020
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets (E&P)		141,802			—
Tax impact of impairment of assets		(37,169	)		—
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset (E&P)		349			4,198
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset		(94	)		(1,151	)
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments (Corporate / All Other)		2,617			(1,049	)
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on other investments		(550	)		220
Adjusted Operating Results	$	151,941		$	135,238

Reported GAAP Earnings Per Share	$	0.49		$	1.44
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets, net of tax (E&P)		1.14			—
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset, net of tax (E&P)		—			0.03
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments, net of tax (Corporate / All Other)		0.02			(0.01	)
Rounding		0.01			—
Adjusted Operating Results Per Share	$	1.66		$	1.46

Management defines adjusted EBITDA as reported GAAP earnings before the following items: interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, other income and deductions, impairments, and other items reflected in operating income that impact comparability. The following tables reconcile National Fuel’s reported GAAP earnings to adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024			2023
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	44,986		$	133,020
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		109,370			115,790
Other (Income) Deductions		(7,720	)		(3,732	)
Interest Expense		37,743			34,735
Income Taxes		11,182			43,087
Impairment of Assets		141,802			—
Adjusted EBITDA	$	337,363		$	322,900

Adjusted EBITDA by Segment
Pipeline and Storage Adjusted EBITDA	$	70,953		$	59,142
Gathering Adjusted EBITDA		51,936			53,061
Total Midstream Businesses Adjusted EBITDA		122,889			112,203
Exploration and Production Adjusted EBITDA		156,645			159,970
Utility Adjusted EBITDA		60,665			53,366
Corporate and All Other Adjusted EBITDA		(2,836	)		(2,639	)
Total Adjusted EBITDA	$	337,363		$	322,900

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
SEGMENT ADJUSTED EBITDA

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024			2023
Exploration and Production Segment
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	(46,777	)	$	52,483
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		63,304			71,965
Other (Income) Deductions		(309	)		1,413
Interest Expense		15,200			15,268
Income Taxes		(16,575	)		18,841
Impairment of Assets		141,802			—
Adjusted EBITDA	$	156,645		$	159,970

Pipeline and Storage Segment
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	32,454		$	24,055
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		18,585			18,213
Other (Income) Deductions		(2,992	)		(3,188	)
Interest Expense		11,729			11,725
Income Taxes		11,177			8,337
Adjusted EBITDA	$	70,953		$	59,142

Gathering Segment
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	27,145		$	28,825
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		10,515			9,458
Other (Income) Deductions		(58	)		(82	)
Interest Expense		4,210			3,729
Income Taxes		10,124			11,131
Adjusted EBITDA	$	51,936		$	53,061

Utility Segment
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	32,499		$	26,551
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		16,827			16,037
Other (Income) Deductions		(6,399	)		(2,381	)
Interest Expense		10,716			8,457
Income Taxes		7,022			4,702
Adjusted EBITDA	$	60,665		$	53,366

Corporate and All Other
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	(335	)	$	1,106
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		139			117
Other (Income) Deductions		2,038			506
Interest Expense		(4,112	)		(4,444	)
Income Taxes		(566	)		76
Adjusted EBITDA	$	(2,836	)	$	(2,639	)

Management defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities, less net cash used in investing activities, adjusted for acquisitions and divestitures. The Company is unable to provide a reconciliation of any projected free cash flow measure to its comparable GAAP financial measure without unreasonable efforts. This is due to an inability to calculate the comparable GAAP projected metrics, including operating income and total production costs, given the unknown effect, timing, and potential significance of certain income statement items.

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: One Defendant Pleads Guilty And Two Others Charged With Fraudulently Obtaining $59 Million In Public Benefits And Laundering Proceeds To China

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bruce Jin, age 60, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in the amount of approximately $59 million. The United States Attorney’s Office also announced that Jin was charged with those offenses in August 2023, along with Brian R. Cleland, age 71, and Carlos A. Grijalva, age 59. All three defendants are residents of the Los Angeles, California area. The indictment also contains additional wire fraud charges against Cleland and Jin individually.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Cleland, Jin, and Grijalva, along with other unnamed coconspirators, conspired to obtain state unemployment compensation funds, and other public funds, through fraudulent means. The indictment alleges that the defendants and others entered into a series of agreements to make it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment. In reality, the funds that the defendants obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits. The indictment alleges that Economic Impact Payments, or “stimulus payments,” were also obtained through fraudulent means.

According to the indictment, unnamed members of the conspiracy, including some believed to be located in China, established thousands of accounts at banks across the United States using the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims. From there, fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts, including accounts in the names of people residing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The indictment alleges that these fraudulent UC claims were also generated by fraudsters based in China. As a result of this fraudulent activity, millions of dollars in fraudulent UC payments were made by Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, and other states.

After UC funds were paid out, they were then transferred from identity theft victims’ accounts to companies controlled by Cleland, Jin, and Grijalva. For instance, Jin, through companies that he controlled known as Ample International and Jin Commerce, allegedly received over $12 million in UC funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. In addition, the defendants are alleged to have used ACH processing—a type of electronic bank-to-bank transfer—to obtain over $45 million in fraudulent funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. This money mostly went from the accounts of identity theft victims to companies controlled by Cleland and Grijalva, including MexUS Service, Group Mex USA, CCB Group, GC Accounting, and CLECO. After that, Cleland and Grijalva transferred over $30 million to Jin’s companies and over $6 million to a company controlled by an associate of Jin who is referred to in the indictment as COCONSPIRATOR 1. That associate’s company is known in the indictment as COMPANY 1.

After Jin received the fraudulent funds, either from identity theft victims’ accounts or from Cleland and Grijalva through ACH processing, he then made international wire transfers totaling over $35 million to a bank account in China associated with a company known in the indictment as COMPANY 2. COMPANY 2 is controlled by an individual known in the indictment as COCONSPIRATOR 2, who, like COMPANY 2, is allegedly located in China. Jin also transferred over $2 million directly to COCONSPIRATOR 2.

The indictment also contains forfeiture allegations seeking over $59 million in US currency, as well as the contents of three bank accounts belonging to COMPANY 1 and a property in Honolulu, Hawaii that was purchased by COCONSPIRATOR 1 using funds connected to the charged offenses.

During his guilty plea, Bruce Jin admitted to the conduct that he is alleged to have engaged in with Cleland, Grijalva, and COCONSPIRATOR 2, as described above.

Jin has been detained since his arrest in August 2023. Cleland and Grijalva have been released pending trial on conditions. Cleland and Grijalva have both pleaded not guilty to the charged offenses and are scheduled for trial in May 2025.

“The Department of Justice is committed to identifying and punishing those who defrauded pandemic-era benefits programs, regardless of where they are located,” said Mandy Riedel, Director, COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement. “I commend the hard work of the prosecutors and investigators in the Middle District of Pennsylvania who doggedly pursued these organized overseas criminals to seek justice and the return of stolen tax payer funds.”

“Bruce Jin and his co-defendants engaged in an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme that targeted multiple state workforce agencies, including the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry,” stated Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “Jin conspired to file fraudulent UI claims in the names of identity theft victims who were not entitled to such benefits. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who seek to exploit this critical benefit program.”

“The millions of dollars fraudulently obtained in this case were meant to support struggling Americans, not to be funneled overseas,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI is grateful for the ongoing collaboration of our partners as we work to hold accountable those who commit such egregious and complex financial crimes.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Attorney General has established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

The maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit money laundering is also 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Lead Defendants Plead Guilty to RICO Conspiracy to Transport, Hire, and Harbor Unauthorized Workers

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Criminal Enterprise Employed Unauthorized Workers at Dozens of Mexican Restaurants Across the Midwest

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Seven defendants, including an owner, president, chief financial officer, and controller of a Joplin, Mo., corporation, have pleaded guilty in federal court to their roles in a racketeering conspiracy to transport, hire, and harbor undocumented workers in several Midwestern states.

“This case sends a clear and unequivocal message: employing unauthorized workers will not be tolerated and will be met with severe consequences,” said Mark Zito, HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge. “Our investigation uncovered a blatant and systemic disregard for our nation’s employment laws. Those who engage in such unlawful practices not only undermine the integrity of our labor market but also exploit vulnerable individuals. HSI Kansas City is relentless in our pursuit to dismantle these illegal operations and hold violators accountable to the fullest extent of the law. If you break the law, you will face the full force of our investigation and prosecution.”

Jose Luis Bravo, 54, of Claremore, Oklahoma; Jose Guadalupe Razo, 54, of Carl Junction, Mo.; Anthony Edward Doll, 46, and Miguel Tarin-Martinez, 46, both of Joplin, Mo.; Alejandro Castillo-Ramirez, 43, a citizen of Mexico; Jaime Ramirez-Ceja, 46, a citizen of Mexico; and Veronica Razo de Lara, 50, of Great Bend, Kansas, have pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark.

Each defendant admitted they were part of a RICO (racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations) conspiracy from Jan. 1, 2018, to Aug. 10, 2021, that transported and employed Mexican, Guatemalan, and El Salvadoran nationals who were not authorized to live or work in the United States. Conspirators also harbored and encouraged the unauthorized workers to remain and reside in the United States by providing them with housing and, in certain circumstances, fraudulent identification documentation.

Bravo is the partial owner of Specialty Foods Distribution, a corporation based in Joplin. Specialty Foods Distribution is a wholesale Mexican food products and restaurant supply company. Razo is the president of Specialty Foods Distribution; Doll is the chief financial officer; Tarin-Martinez is the controller.

Bravo, Razo, Doll, and Tarin-Martinez created and maintained a network of restaurants operating under multiple LLCs in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma that were serviced by Specialty Foods Distribution. The defendants conspired to staff these restaurants with unauthorized workers. Castillo-Ramirez, Ramirez-Ceja, and Razo de Lara managed three of the enterprise-affiliated restaurants that employed unauthorized workers. By utilizing unauthorized workers — a workforce not available to law-abiding business owners — the defendants obtained an unfair and illegal competitive business advantage.

In addition to transporting, harboring, and hiring unauthorized workers, the racketeering activity involved evasive and fraudulent actions. Specifically, to maintain high levels of unauthorized employees at the enterprise-affiliated restaurants, the defendants kept certain unauthorized workers off official payroll records; required certain unauthorized workers to work at times when federal officials were unlikely to conduct inspections; failed to collect or maintain complete and accurate Form I-9 documentation; falsely attested to the accuracy of information on Form I-9 documentation; submitted inaccurate wage and hour reports to state officials; and facilitated fraudulent identification documentation being produced, transported, and provided to unauthorized workers.

Bravo specifically admitted that, as part of the RICO conspiracy, he facilitated the production and transportation of two fraudulent U.S. permanent resident cards from Claremore to Butler, Mo., as well as personally transported three unauthorized workers from Claremore to the state of Kansas. Bavo has agreed to forfeit to the government approximately $5.7 million, comprising the forfeiture of proceeds he obtained from the RICO enterprise as well as property that afforded a source of influence over the RICO enterprise. The forfeiture agreement involves liquidation of five financial accounts; the government obtaining cash in lieu of Bravo’s interest in 12 real properties; and the government obtaining cash in lieu of Bravo’s interest in portions of 24 individual companies or corporations, including a portion of SFD, which Bravo admitted afforded a source of influence over the RICO enterprise.

Razo specifically admitted that he conspired to harbor five unauthorized workers at enterprise-affiliated restaurants in Great Bend, and encouraged and induced three unauthorized workers at SFD to reside in the United States in violation of the law. Razo has agreed to forfeiture in the form of liquidation of one bank account and a money judgment in the amount of approximately $130,700, representing the proceeds he obtained from the RICO enterprise.

Doll specifically admitted to encouraging unauthorized workers to reside in the United States by conspiring to create a Missouri LLC for the purpose of opening a new restaurant where certain unauthorized workers could gain employment, and conspiring to harbor unauthorized workers by taking steps to ensure unauthorized workers did not utilize established timeclock payroll systems at certain enterprise-affiliated restaurants. Doll has agreed to forfeiture in the form of liquidation of two bank accounts and a money judgment in the amount of approximately $132,300, representing the proceeds he obtained from the RICO enterprise.

Tarin-Martinez specifically admitted to encouraging unauthorized workers to reside in the United States in violation of the law in Springfield, Mo., and in Pittsburg, Kan. Tarin-Martinez has agreed to forfeiture in the form of a money judgment in the amount of approximately $23,094, representing the proceeds he obtained from the RICO enterprise.

Castillo-Ramirez specifically admitted to harboring two unauthorized workers at an enterprise-affiliated restaurant in Augusta, Kan. Castillo-Ramirez also admitted to encouraging the two unauthorized workers to reside in the United States in violation of the law by providing the unauthorized workers with employment, keeping them out of the established payroll system, and paying them in cash or by local check.

Ramirez-Ceja specifically admitted to encouraging two unauthorized workers to reside in the United States in violation of the law by providing the workers with employment at an enterprise-affiliated restaurant in Lebanon, Mo., allowing the unauthorized workers to utilize fraudulent identification documents, and providing the unauthorized workers with housing. Additionally, Ramirez-Ceja admitted to making false attestations on two Form I-9 documents.

Razo de Lara specifically admitted to conspiring to harbor four unauthorized workers at an enterprise-affiliated restaurant in Great Bend. As part of the conspiracy, Razo de Lara agreed to keep unauthorized workers out of the established payroll system, pay the unauthorized workers in cash, and have certain unauthorized workers complete work at times when federal agents were unlikely to inspect the restaurant.

Under federal statutes, each of these defendants is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rudolph R. Rhodes IV, Leigh Farmakidis, and Nicholas Heberle. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from IRS-Criminal Investigations, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Department of Labor, Kansas Department of Revenue, Kansas Highway Patrol, and Missouri State Highway Patrol.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. Announces Departure

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

Tenure Marked by Violent Crime Declines, White Collar Fraud Crackdown, Dismantling Drug Traffickers, and Expansion of Civil Rights

RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., announced today that he is stepping down on Monday, February 3, 2025, after leading the Office since November 2021. President Joseph Biden nominated Easley on September 28, 2021, and the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed him on November 21, 2021. He was officially sworn in on November 26, 2021.

“It has been the highest honor to serve as the top federal law enforcement official for Eastern North Carolina – a place I was born, raised, and am proud to call home,” said Easley. “The men and women of the Eastern District are among the hardest working in the nation – steadfast in the mission to keep America safe. Together, we helped drive down violent crime, turbocharged white-collar prosecutions, protected civil rights, and stemmed the tide of narcotics into our communities. We did it through partnering, shoulder to shoulder, with local law enforcement and community leaders to solve our region’s most challenging problems. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the prosecutors, judges, law enforcement, and staff who give so much to see justice done every day.”

“U.S. Attorney Easley is the kind of partner every sheriff hopes for – sharp, decisive, and committed to results. He didn’t just talk about law enforcement partnerships; he made them real, partnering with sheriffs for solutions and backing them up with action. Under his leadership, we made real progress— violent crime down, overdose deaths falling, and tighter collaboration. Easley set a new gold standard for what it means to lead in federal law enforcement,” said Eddie Caldwell, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the North Carolina Sheriffs Association.

“We are deeply grateful for the years that U.S. Attorney Easley served at the helm of the Eastern District of North Carolina. His leadership, particularly through collaborative efforts, like the VCAP initiative, played a critical role in prosecuting violent offenders. His work has significantly contributed to our goal of making Raleigh one of the safest cities in the nation. He will be greatly missed,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson.

Expansion of Resources to Make Communities Safer

U.S. Attorney Easley fought to significantly expand investigative and prosecutorial resources in the District, including a nearly 17% increase in prosecutors and new legal support staff and investigators. Much of the new personnel were allocated through a competitive national application process, with no district in the nation receiving more new prosecutors than the Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC). The Office’s productivity and strong law enforcement partnerships also led the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to add an additional team of agents to partner on violent crime reduction across the District.

Easley and his Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) team also worked with Department of Justice (DOJ) leadership to have Raleigh named a National Public Safety Partnership Site (PSP). The program aims to lower crime rates and improve quality of life through intensive training and technical assistance (TTA) to enhance gun violence investigations, constitutional policing, community engagement, crime analysis, and the use of technology in crime reduction.

Driving Down Violent Crime and Dismantling Drug Traffickers

Throughout his tenure, Easley and his team have led the charge to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in the District by launching a Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) with formal coordination sites in Raleigh, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Rocky Mount, New Bern, and the Albemarle Region. The VCAP strategy built deeper ties and sustained partnerships with law enforcement, with VCAP sites showing double-digit percentage declines in homicides since 2022, for example, Raleigh (↓37%), Fayetteville (↓39%), Wilmington (↓15%), and Rocky Mount (↓67%).

VCAP is a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local police departments, sheriff’s offices, and district attorney’s offices to identify and prosecute the most significant drivers of violence, specifically targeting shooters and the gunrunners who arm them. Notable cases include the 20-year sentence for a Crabtree Valley Mall robbery and the carjacking, the sentencing of a Crips Gang member for multi-state gun trafficking; the indictment of two Sampson County men allegedly responsible for a quintuple murder, the prosecution of gang members with fully-automatic machine guns; and gun smuggling to Mexico.

VCAP provides a forum for structured inter-agency coordination, intelligence-led policing, and deployment of federal Task Force Officers to bring federal technology to address local gun violence.

In 2022, 2023, and 2024, EDNC prosecuted over 850 individuals for firearms offenses and took over 750 guns off the streets.

In addition to VCAP, Easley revamped the Office’s Organized Crime & Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) by expanding the use of federal wiretaps, embedding federal agents alongside prosecutors, and increasing financial investigations. During Easley’s tenure, the Office achieved a #1 national rank for the number of OCDETF cases and #1 for the number of OCDETF defendants convicted of violence. Easley encouraged partners to prioritize national-scale cases with strong local impact, dismantling the trafficking, distribution, and money laundering pillars of criminal enterprises.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Notable cases include the 75-year sentence of a national leader of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club for narcotics trafficking and violence; the indictment of 16 members of the Hell’s Angels and Red Devils motorcycle gangs as part of an alleged violent criminal enterprise; the 40-year sentence for a narcotics trafficker operating from a daycare; the prosecution of the leader of white supremacist organization for armed drug trafficking; the 35-year sentence of a violent Fayetteville fentanyl trafficker; the conviction of a Raleigh Police officer for drug trafficking; the conviction of two fentanyl traffickers with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel; the conviction of a Rocky Mount Blood Gang leader for drug trafficking and COVID-19 fraud; the 40-year sentence of a drug trafficker linked to the murder, dismemberment and disposal of a confidential informant; the prosecution of a former Wayne County Sheriff’s deputy for drug trafficking and bid-rigging; and the 50-year sentence of a violent Sampson County Blood Gang leader for armed drug trafficking.

Attacking the Fentanyl Epidemic

Easley also prioritized the prosecution of cases involving counterfeit pills and overdose deaths arising from fentanyl poisoning. An Elizabeth City man was sentenced to 20 years for trafficking heroin and fentanyl after causing an overdose death, a Raleigh man received a 15-year sentence after assisting in the distribution of fentanyl that killed a young woman, and a Snapchat fentanyl trafficker whose counterfeit pills led to an overdose death received 13 years in prison.

To help local law enforcement get justice for victims of fentanyl poisoning and their families, Easley launched Overdose Death Investigation Trainings to train more than 200 law enforcement officers and prosecutors across the District on building fentanyl death cases.

Easley also worked to reduce demand for opioids through outreach and education through the Heroin Education Action Team (HEAT), including educational events in local communities and schools. The team launched a powerful new educational video to teach students and communities about the dangers.

Protecting America’s National Security, Sensitive Technology, and Cybersecurity

Under Easley’s leadership, the Office prioritized national security cases involving domestic and international terrorism, international cybercriminals, and protecting sensitive technology from foreign adversaries. The prosecutions included a man accused of attempting to join ISIS and convictions against five members of a white supremacist plot to attack the energy grid, an anti-government bombmaker teaching how to target law enforcement, and a U.S. Army Major convicted of shipping guns to Ghana. The Office also extradited and pursued a groundbreaking case against one of the FBI’s most wanted cybercriminals responsible for tens of millions of dollars in losses from widescale ransomware attacks, including on a hospital.

Easley also built deeper ties with the DOJ’s National Security Division and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry & Security to launch a Disruptive Technology Strike Force (DTSF) cell to protect innovation in the Research Triangle’s high-tech sector. The DTSF partners with law enforcement and industry to protect advanced technology from unlawful acquisition by foreign adversaries. As home to the Research Triangle Park, world-class research institutions, and some of the Department of Defense’s largest installations, the EDNC hosts critical technology that malign foreign actors seek to obtain. The Raleigh DTSF cell is only one of fifteen in the country.

Surge in White Collar Fraud and Corruption Enforcement

Under Easley’s leadership, the Office saw a significant surge in white-collar enforcement, with white-collar caseloads increasing 115% in a year. Cases included the prosecution of a former Morgan Stanley financial advisor who defrauded investors in a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, an ENT doctor sentenced to 25 years for defrauding Medicaid, a man who laundered $40mm in narco-linked crypto, and a plant manager who dumped tens of thousands of gallons of toxic waste into the Cape Fear River. The Office also prosecuted a $15-million-dollar COVID fraud scheme involving more than 20 businesses and individuals.

These cases arose from the launch of dedicated working groups focused on Securities Fraud, Money Laundering, Public Health, Environmental Crimes, and other priority areas. The Office also launched an annual Economic Crimes Summit to build deeper ties with investigators across about 30 different agencies.

Easley also launched an Illicit Finance Task Force with the Treasury Department to combat transnational money laundering by targeting third-party money launders and money-transmitting businesses utilizing cryptocurrency, banking, and brokerages to run dirty money through the American financial system.

Expanding Civil Rights Enforcement

Easley launched the Office’s first dedicated Civil Rights Team to enhance the Office’s civil rights enforcement. The team includes dedicated coordinators in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions and a designated Human Trafficking Coordinator. The Civil Rights Initiative emphasizes community engagement and law enforcement training.

As a part of the effort, the Office trained more than 200 officers in de-escalation, use of force, and community engagement strategies. The Office also hosted multiple outreach events through its United Against Hate Initiative to build stronger relationships between law enforcement and the community and to educate communities on how to identify and report hate crimes.

Easley also launched two human trafficking task forces – one in the Raleigh-Cary area and one in Southeastern North Carolina – to bring together law enforcement and community resources to share intelligence and investigative leads, provide specialized training, and promote greater public-private coordination to rescue and stabilize victims.

Strong Civil Practice

For the past three years, the EDNC’s Civil Division has ranked in the top 10 among large districts in the number of cases filed or responded to per AUSA. The Division has consistently ranked #1 in the Fourth Circuit for Affirmative Civil Rights and Affirmative Fraud cases and has ranked in the top five nationally compared to other large districts. EDNC’s Financial Litigation Program (FLP), responsible for collecting debts owed to the U.S. Government, collected over $58 million in the last three fiscal years.

About U.S. Attorney Easley

Prior to his appointment as the U.S. Attorney, Easley was a partner at a large international law firm focused on internal investigations and trial court work in state and federal courts.

Born in Southport, North Carolina, Easley attended the University of North Carolina, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors and distinction in political science. He later received his law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: Brookline Bancorp Announces Fourth Quarter Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Net Income of $17.5 million, EPS of $0.20

Operating Earnings of $20.7 million, Operating EPS of $0.23

Quarterly Dividend of $0.135

BOSTON, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brookline Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRKL) (the “Company”) today announced net income of $17.5 million, or $0.20 per basic and diluted share, and excluding $3.4 million of merger-related charges, operating earnings after tax (non-GAAP) of $20.7 million, or $0.23 per basic and diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to net income and operating earnings after tax (non-GAAP) of $20.1 million, or $0.23 per basic and diluted share, for the third quarter of 2024, and $22.9 million, or $0.26 per basic and diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2023.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company reported net income of $68.7 million, or $0.77 per basic and diluted share, compared to $75.0 million, or $0.85 per basic and diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company reported operating earnings after tax (non-GAAP) of $72.4 million, or $0.81 per basic and diluted share, compared to $92.9 million, or $1.05 per basic and diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Paul Perrault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the Company’s performance, “Brookline Bancorp had an excellent year in 2024. We finished the year with solid deposit and loan growth and are well positioned as we look forward to 2025. We are looking forward to 2025 and our recently announced strategic merger with Berkshire Hills Bancorp. I would like to recognize the contributions of our employees in contributing to our growth and success in 2024. Our employees exemplify the Brookline Bancorp culture of providing excellent customer service.”

BALANCE SHEET

Total assets at December 31, 2024 increased $228.6 million to $11.9 billion from $11.7 billion at September 30, 2024, and increased $523.1 million from $11.4 billion at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2024, total loans and leases were $9.8 billion, representing an increase of $24.1 million from September 30, 2024, and an increase of $137.7 million from December 31, 2023.

Total investment securities at December 31, 2024 increased $39.6 million to $895.0 million from $855.4 million at September 30, 2024, and decreased $21.6 million from $916.6 million at December 31, 2023. Total cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2024 increased $135.8 million to $543.7 million from $407.9 million at September 30, 2024, and increased $410.6 million from $133.0 million at December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2024, total investment securities and total cash and cash equivalents represented 12.1 percent of total assets, compared to 10.8 percent and 9.2 percent as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

Total deposits at December 31, 2024 increased $169.4 million to $8.9 billion from $8.7 billion at September 30, 2024, consisting of a $115.9 million increase in customer deposits and a $53.4 million increase in brokered deposits. Total deposits increased $353.5 million from $8.5 billion at December 31, 2023, primarily driven by growth in customer deposits.

Total borrowed funds at December 31, 2024 increased $22.3 million to $1.5 billion from September 30, 2024, and increased $143.2 million from $1.4 billion at December 31, 2023.

The ratio of stockholders’ equity to total assets was 10.26 percent at December 31, 2024, as compared to 10.54 percent at September 30, 2024, and 10.53 percent at December 31, 2023. The ratio of tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP) was 8.27 percent at December 31, 2024, as compared to 8.50 percent at September 30, 2024, and 8.39 percent at December 31, 2023. Tangible book value per common share (non-GAAP) decreased $0.08 from $10.89 at September 30, 2024 to $10.81 at December 31, 2024, and increased $0.31 from $10.50 at December 31, 2023.

NET INTEREST INCOME

Net interest income increased $2.0 million to $85.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 from $83.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. The net interest margin increased 5 basis points to 3.12 percent for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from 3.07 percent for the three months ended September 30, 2024, primarily driven by lower funding costs partially offset by lower yields on loans and leases.

NON-INTEREST INCOME

Total non-interest income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 increased $0.2 million to $6.6 million from $6.3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. The increase was primarily driven by an increase of $1.1 million in loan level derivative income, net, partially offset by a decline of $0.8 million in mark to market on interest rate swaps.

PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES

The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $4.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to $4.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. The decrease in the provision was largely driven by improving economic forecasts and stabilization in the volume of adversely graded credits.

Total net charge-offs for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $7.3 million, compared to $3.8 million in the third quarter of 2024. The $7.3 million in net charge-offs was driven by one large $5.1 million charge-off in equipment financing which was previously reserved for. The ratio of net loan and lease charge-offs to average loans and leases on an annualized basis increased to 30 basis points for the fourth quarter of 2024 from 16 basis points for the third quarter of 2024.

The allowance for loan and lease losses represented 1.28 percent of total loans and leases at December 31, 2024, compared to 1.31 percent at September 30, 2024, and 1.22 percent at December 31, 2023. The decrease in the ratio was driven by a reduction in specific reserves due to charge-offs in the quarter.

ASSET QUALITY

The ratio of total nonperforming loans and leases to total loans and leases was 0.71 percent at December 31, 2024 as compared to 0.73 percent at September 30, 2024. Total nonaccrual loans and leases decreased $1.9 million to $69.3 million at December 31, 2024 from $71.2 million at September 30, 2024. The ratio of nonperforming assets to total assets was 0.59 percent at December 31, 2024 as compared to 0.62 percent at September 30, 2024. Total nonperforming assets decreased $2.4 million to $70.5 million at December 31, 2024 from $72.8 million at September 30, 2024.

NON-INTEREST EXPENSE

Non-interest expense for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 increased $5.8 million to $63.7 million from $57.9 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. The increase was primarily driven by an increase of $3.4 million in merger and acquisition expense, and an increase of $2.1 million in compensation and employee benefits expense.

PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES

The effective tax rate was 26.4 percent and 25.1 percent for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024 compared to 24.7 percent for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 19.9 percent and 20.1 percent for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

RETURNS ON AVERAGE ASSETS AND AVERAGE EQUITY

The annualized return on average assets decreased to 0.61 percent during the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 0.70 percent for the third quarter of 2024; and was 0.60 percent for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 0.67 percent for the year ended December 31, 2023.

The annualized return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (non-GAAP) decreased to 7.21 percent during the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 8.44 percent for the third quarter of 2024; and was 7.24 percent for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 8.36 percent for the year ended December 31, 2023.

DIVIDEND DECLARED

The Company’s Board of Directors approved a dividend of $0.135 per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. The dividend will be paid on February 28, 2025 to stockholders of record on February 14, 2025.

PROPOSED TRANSACTION WITH BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC.

On December 16, 2024, the Company, Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (“Berkshire”), and Commerce Acquisition Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Berkshire formed solely to facilitate the merger (“Merger Sub”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”). The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Merger Sub will merge with and into Brookline, with Brookline as the surviving entity, and immediately thereafter, Brookline will merge with and into Berkshire, with Berkshire as the surviving entity (collectively, the “Merger”). As a result of the Merger, the separate corporate existence of the Company will cease, and Berkshire will continue as the surviving corporation. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, each outstanding share of Company common stock will be exchanged for the right to receive 0.42 shares of Berkshire common stock. Holders of Company common stock will receive cash in lieu of fractional shares of Berkshire common stock. As a result of the proposed transaction and a $100 million common stock offering by Berkshire to support the proposed transaction, Berkshire stockholders will own approximately 51%, Brookline stockholders will own approximately 45%, and investors in new shares will own approximately 4% of the outstanding shares of the combined company. The proposed transaction is expected to close by the end of the second half of 2025, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approvals from Berkshire and the Company stockholders.

CONFERENCE CALL

The Company will conduct a conference call/webcast at 1:30 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, January 30, 2025 to discuss the results for the quarter, business highlights and outlook. A copy of the Earnings Presentation is available on the Company’s website, www.brooklinebancorp.com. To listen to the call and view the Company’s Earnings Presentation, please join the call via https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/129324302. To listen to the call without access to the slides, please dial 833-470-1428 (United States) or 404-975-4839 (internationally) and ask for the Brookline Bancorp, Inc. call (Access Code 138268). A recording of the call will be available for one week following the call on the Company’s website under “Investor Relations” or by dialing 866-813-9403 (United States) or 929-458-6194 (internationally) and entering the passcode: 646121.

ABOUT BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC.

Brookline Bancorp, Inc., a bank holding company with approximately $11.9 billion in assets and branch locations in eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State, is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and operates as the holding company for Brookline Bank, Bank Rhode Island, and PCSB Bank. The Company provides commercial and retail banking services and cash management and investment services to customers throughout Central New England and the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State. More information about Brookline Bancorp, Inc. and its banks can be found at the following websites: www.brooklinebank.com, www.bankri.com and www.pcsb.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute 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, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We may also make forward-looking statements in other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in our annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by our officers, directors or employees. You can identify forward looking statements by the use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “assume,” “outlook,” “will,” “should,” and other expressions that predict or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters, including statements regarding the Company’s business, credit quality, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. Forward-looking statements may differ, possibly materially, from what is included in this press release due to factors and future developments that are uncertain and beyond the scope of the Company’s control. These include, but are not limited to, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of the Company or Berkshire to terminate the merger agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Berkshire or Company; delays in completing the proposed transaction with Berkshire; the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals (and the risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed transaction) or stockholder approvals, or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all, including the ability of Berkshire and the Company to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the proposed transaction; the impact of certain restrictions during the pendency of the proposed transaction on the parties’ ability to pursue certain business opportunities and strategic transactions; diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; changes in interest rates; general economic conditions (including inflation and concerns about liquidity) on a national basis or in the local markets in which the Company operates; turbulence in the capital and debt markets; competitive pressures from other financial institutions; changes in consumer behavior due to changing political, business and economic conditions, or legislative or regulatory initiatives; changes in the value of securities and other assets in the Company’s investment portfolio; increases in loan and lease default and charge-off rates; the adequacy of allowances for loan and lease losses; decreases in deposit levels that necessitate increases in borrowing to fund loans and investments; operational risks including, but not limited to, cybersecurity incidents, fraud, natural disasters, and future pandemics; changes in regulation; the possibility that future credit losses may be higher than currently expected due to changes in economic assumptions and adverse economic developments; the risk that goodwill and intangibles recorded in the Company’s financial statements will become impaired; and changes in assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which are difficult to predict. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of, among others, the risks outlined in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings submitted to the SEC. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) as set forth by the Financial Accounting Standards Board in its Accounting Standards Codification and through the rules and interpretive releases of the SEC under the authority of federal securities laws. Certain amounts previously reported have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

The Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as operating earnings after tax, operating earnings per common share, operating return on average assets, operating return on average tangible assets, operating return on average stockholders’ equity, operating return on average tangible stockholders’ equity, tangible book value per common share, tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets, return on average tangible assets (annualized) and return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized). These non-GAAP financial measures provide information for investors to effectively analyze financial trends of ongoing business activities, and to enhance comparability with peers across the financial services sector. A detailed reconciliation table of the Company’s GAAP to the non-GAAP measures is attached.

INVESTOR RELATIONS:

Contact:

Carl M. Carlson
Brookline Bancorp, Inc.
Co-President and Chief Financial and Strategy Officer
(617) 425-5331
carl.carlson@brkl.com


BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Selected Financial Highlights (Unaudited)

	At and for the Three Months Ended															At and for the Twelve Months Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
	(Dollars In Thousands Except per Share Data)
Earnings Data:
Net interest income	$	84,988		$	83,008		$	80,001		$	81,588		$	83,555		$	329,585		$	339,711
Provision for credit losses on loans		4,141			4,832			5,607			7,423			3,851			22,003			37,868
Provision (credit) for credit losses on investments		(104	)		(172	)		(39	)		(44	)		(76	)		(359	)		339
Non-interest income		6,587			6,348			6,396			6,284			8,027			25,615			31,934
Non-interest expense		63,719			57,948			59,184			61,014			59,244			241,865			239,524
Income before provision for income taxes		23,819			26,748			21,645			19,479			28,563			91,691			93,914
Net income		17,536			20,142			16,372			14,665			22,888			68,715			74,999

Performance Ratios:
Net interest margin (1)		3.12	%		3.07	%		3.00	%		3.06	%		3.15	%		3.06	%		3.24	%
Interest-rate spread (1)		2.35	%		2.26	%		2.14	%		2.21	%		2.39	%		2.24	%		2.50	%
Return on average assets (annualized)		0.61	%		0.70	%		0.57	%		0.51	%		0.81	%		0.60	%		0.67	%
Return on average tangible assets (annualized) (non-GAAP)		0.62	%		0.72	%		0.59	%		0.53	%		0.83	%		0.61	%		0.69	%
Return on average stockholders’ equity (annualized)		5.69	%		6.63	%		5.49	%		4.88	%		7.82	%		5.67	%		6.42	%
Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized) (non-GAAP)		7.21	%		8.44	%		7.04	%		6.26	%		10.12	%		7.24	%		8.36	%
Efficiency ratio (2)		69.58	%		64.85	%		68.50	%		69.44	%		64.69	%		68.09	%		64.45	%

Per Common Share Data:
Net income — Basic	$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18		$	0.16		$	0.26		$	0.77		$	0.85
Net income — Diluted		0.20			0.23			0.18			0.16			0.26			0.77			0.85
Cash dividends declared		0.135			0.135			0.135			0.135			0.135			0.540			0.540
Book value per share (end of period)		13.71			13.81			13.48			13.43			13.48			13.71			13.48
Tangible book value per common share (end of period) (non-GAAP)		10.81			10.89			10.53			10.47			10.50			10.81			10.50
Stock price (end of period)		11.80			10.09			8.35			9.96			10.91			11.80			10.91

Balance Sheet:
Total assets	$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292		$	11,542,731		$	11,382,256		$	11,905,326		$	11,382,256
Total loans and leases		9,779,288			9,755,236			9,721,137			9,655,086			9,641,589			9,779,288			9,641,589
Total deposits		8,901,644			8,732,271			8,737,036			8,718,653			8,548,125			8,901,644			8,548,125
Total stockholders’ equity		1,221,939			1,230,362			1,198,480			1,194,231			1,198,644			1,221,939			1,198,644

Asset Quality:
Nonperforming assets	$	70,452		$	72,821		$	62,683		$	42,489		$	45,324		$	70,452		$	45,324
Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets		0.59	%		0.62	%		0.54	%		0.37	%		0.40	%		0.59	%		0.40	%
Allowance for loan and lease losses	$	125,083		$	127,316		$	121,750		$	120,124		$	117,522		$	125,083		$	117,522
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases		1.28	%		1.31	%		1.25	%		1.24	%		1.22	%		1.28	%		1.22	%
Net loan and lease charge-offs	$	7,252		$	3,808		$	8,387		$	8,781		$	7,141		$	28,228		$	19,663
Net loan and lease charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases (annualized)		0.30	%		0.16	%		0.35	%		0.36	%		0.30	%		0.29	%		0.21	%

Capital Ratios:
Stockholders’ equity to total assets		10.26	%		10.54	%		10.30	%		10.35	%		10.53	%		10.26	%		10.53	%
Tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP)		8.27	%		8.50	%		8.23	%		8.25	%		8.39	%		8.27	%		8.39	%

(1) Calculated on a fully tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Calculated as non-interest expense as a percentage of net interest income plus non-interest income.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
ASSETS	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Cash and due from banks	$	64,673		$	82,168		$	60,067		$	45,708		$	34,514
Short-term investments		478,997			325,721			283,017			256,178			98,513
Total cash and cash equivalents		543,670			407,889			343,084			301,886			133,027
Investment securities available-for-sale		895,034			855,391			856,439			865,798			916,601
Total investment securities		895,034			855,391			856,439			865,798			916,601
Allowance for investment security losses		(82	)		(186	)		(359	)		(398	)		(441	)
Net investment securities		894,952			855,205			856,080			865,400			916,160
Loans and leases held-for-sale		—			—			—			6,717			—
Loans and leases:
Commercial real estate loans		5,716,114			5,779,290			5,782,111			5,755,239			5,764,529
Commercial loans and leases		2,506,664			2,453,038			2,443,530			2,416,904			2,399,668
Consumer loans		1,556,510			1,522,908			1,495,496			1,482,943			1,477,392
Total loans and leases		9,779,288			9,755,236			9,721,137			9,655,086			9,641,589
Allowance for loan and lease losses		(125,083	)		(127,316	)		(121,750	)		(120,124	)		(117,522	)
Net loans and leases		9,654,205			9,627,920			9,599,387			9,534,962			9,524,067
Restricted equity securities		83,155			82,675			78,963			74,709			77,595
Premises and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation		86,781			86,925			88,378			89,707			89,853
Right-of-use asset operating leases		43,527			41,934			35,691			33,133			30,863
Deferred tax asset		56,620			50,827			60,032			60,484			56,952
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization		17,461			19,162			20,830			22,499			24,207
Other real estate owned and repossessed assets		1,103			1,579			1,974			1,817			1,694
Other assets		282,630			261,383			309,651			310,195			286,616
Total assets	$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292		$	11,542,731		$	11,382,256
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Deposits:
Demand checking accounts	$	1,692,394		$	1,681,858		$	1,638,378		$	1,629,371		$	1,678,406
NOW accounts		617,246			637,374			647,370			654,748			661,863
Savings accounts		1,721,247			1,736,989			1,735,857			1,727,893			1,669,018
Money market accounts		2,116,360			2,041,185			2,073,557			2,065,569			2,082,810
Certificate of deposit accounts		1,885,444			1,819,353			1,718,414			1,670,147			1,574,855
Brokered deposit accounts		868,953			815,512			923,460			970,925			881,173
Total deposits		8,901,644			8,732,271			8,737,036			8,718,653			8,548,125
Borrowed funds:
Advances from the FHLB		1,355,926			1,345,003			1,265,079			1,150,153			1,223,226
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,328			84,293			84,258			84,223			84,188
Other borrowed funds		79,592			68,251			80,125			127,505			69,256
Total borrowed funds		1,519,846			1,497,547			1,429,462			1,361,881			1,376,670
Operating lease liabilities		44,785			43,266			37,102			34,235			31,998
Mortgagors’ escrow accounts		15,875			14,456			17,117			16,245			17,239
Reserve for unfunded credits		5,981			6,859			11,400			15,807			19,767
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		195,256			151,960			204,695			201,679			189,813
Total liabilities		10,683,387			10,446,359			10,436,812			10,348,500			10,183,612
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, and 96,998,075 shares issued, respectively		970			970			970			970			970
Additional paid-in capital		902,584			901,562			904,775			903,726			902,659
Retained earnings		458,943			453,555			445,560			441,285			438,722
Accumulated other comprehensive income		(52,882	)		(38,081	)		(61,693	)		(60,841	)		(52,798	)
Treasury stock, at cost;
7,019,384 shares, 7,015,843 shares, 7,373,009 shares, 7,354,399 shares, and 7,354,399 shares, respectively		(87,676	)		(87,644	)		(91,132	)		(90,909	)		(90,909	)
Total stockholders’ equity		1,221,939			1,230,362			1,198,480			1,194,231			1,198,644
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292		$	11,542,731		$	11,382,256

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Interest and dividend income:
Loans and leases	$	147,436		$	149,643		$	145,585		$	145,265		$	142,948
Debt securities		6,421			6,473			6,480			6,878			6,945
Restricted equity securities		1,460			1,458			1,376			1,492			1,333
Short-term investments		2,830			1,986			1,914			1,824			1,093
Total interest and dividend income		158,147			159,560			155,355			155,459			152,319
Interest expense:
Deposits		56,562			59,796			59,721			56,884			54,034
Borrowed funds		16,597			16,756			15,633			16,987			14,730
Total interest expense		73,159			76,552			75,354			73,871			68,764
Net interest income		84,988			83,008			80,001			81,588			83,555
Provision for credit losses on loans		4,141			4,832			5,607			7,423			3,851
Credit for credit losses on investments		(104	)		(172	)		(39	)		(44	)		(76	)
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		80,951			78,348			74,433			74,209			79,780
Non-interest income:
Deposit fees		2,297			2,353			3,001			2,897			3,064
Loan fees		439			464			702			789			515
Loan level derivative income, net		1,115			—			106			437			778
Gain on sales of loans and leases		406			415			130			—			410
Other		2,330			3,116			2,457			2,161			3,260
Total non-interest income		6,587			6,348			6,396			6,284			8,027
Non-interest expense:
Compensation and employee benefits		37,202			35,130			34,762			36,629			35,401
Occupancy		5,393			5,343			5,551			5,769			5,127
Equipment and data processing		6,780			6,831			6,732			7,031			7,245
Professional services		1,345			2,143			1,745			1,900			1,442
FDIC insurance		2,017			2,118			2,025			1,884			1,839
Advertising and marketing		1,303			859			1,504			1,574			758
Amortization of identified intangible assets		1,701			1,668			1,669			1,708			1,965
Merger and restructuring expense		3,378			—			823			—			—
Other		4,600			3,856			4,373			4,519			5,467
Total non-interest expense		63,719			57,948			59,184			61,014			59,244
Income before provision for income taxes		23,819			26,748			21,645			19,479			28,563
Provision for income taxes		6,283			6,606			5,273			4,814			5,675
Net income	$	17,536		$	20,142		$	16,372		$	14,665		$	22,888
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18		$	0.16		$	0.26
Diluted	$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18		$	0.16		$	0.26
Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic		89,098,443			89,033,463			88,904,692			88,894,577			88,867,159
Diluted		89,483,964			89,319,611			89,222,315			89,181,508			89,035,505
Dividends paid per common share	$	0.135		$	0.135		$	0.135		$	0.135		$	0.135

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

	Twelve Months Ended December 31,
	2024			2023
	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Interest and dividend income:
Loans and leases	$	587,929		$	533,739
Debt securities		26,252			29,648
Restricted equity securities		5,786			5,571
Short-term investments		8,554			8,329
Total interest and dividend income		628,521			577,287
Interest expense:
Deposits		232,963			175,665
Borrowed funds		65,973			61,911
Total interest expense		298,936			237,576
Net interest income		329,585			339,711
Provision for credit losses on loans		22,003			37,868
(Credit) provision for credit losses on investments		(359	)		339
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		307,941			301,504
Non-interest income:
Deposit fees		10,548			11,611
Loan fees		2,394			2,036
Loan level derivative income, net		1,658			3,890
Gain on investment securities, net		—			1,704
Gain on sales of loans and leases		951			2,581
Other		10,064			10,112
Total non-interest income		25,615			31,934
Non-interest expense:
Compensation and employee benefits		143,723			138,895
Occupancy		22,056			20,203
Equipment and data processing		27,374			27,004
Professional services		7,133			7,226
FDIC insurance		8,044			7,844
Advertising and marketing		5,240			4,724
Amortization of identified intangible assets		6,746			7,840
Merger and restructuring expense		4,201			7,411
Other		17,348			18,377
Total non-interest expense		241,865			239,524
Income before provision for income taxes		91,691			93,914
Provision for income taxes		22,976			18,915
Net income	$	68,715		$	74,999
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.77		$	0.85
Diluted	$	0.77		$	0.85
Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic		88,983,248			88,230,681
Diluted		89,302,304			88,450,646
Dividends paid per common share	$	0.540		$	0.540

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Asset Quality Analysis (Unaudited)

	At and for the Three Months Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
	(Dollars in Thousands)
NONPERFORMING ASSETS:
Loans and leases accounted for on a nonaccrual basis:
Commercial real estate mortgage	$	11,525		$	11,595		$	11,659		$	18,394		$	19,608
Multi-family mortgage		6,596			1,751			—			—			—
Construction		—			—			—			—			—
Total commercial real estate loans		18,121			13,346			11,659			18,394			19,608

Commercial		14,676			15,734			16,636			3,096			3,886
Equipment financing		31,509			37,223			27,128			13,668			14,984
Total commercial loans and leases		46,185			52,957			43,764			16,764			18,870

Residential mortgage		3,999			3,862			4,495			4,563			4,292
Home equity		1,043			1,076			790			950			860
Other consumer		1			1			1			1			—
Total consumer loans		5,043			4,939			5,286			5,514			5,152

Total nonaccrual loans and leases		69,349			71,242			60,709			40,672			43,630

Other real estate owned		700			780			780			780			780
Other repossessed assets		403			799			1,194			1,037			914
Total nonperforming assets	$	70,452		$	72,821		$	62,683		$	42,489		$	45,324

Loans and leases past due greater than 90 days and still accruing	$	811		$	16,091		$	4,994		$	363		$	228

Nonperforming loans and leases as a percentage of total loans and leases		0.71	%		0.73	%		0.62	%		0.42	%		0.45	%
Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets		0.59	%		0.62	%		0.54	%		0.37	%		0.40	%

PROVISION AND ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN AND LEASE LOSSES:
Allowance for loan and lease losses at beginning of period	$	127,316		$	121,750		$	120,124		$	117,522		$	119,081
Charge-offs		(8,414	)		(4,183	)		(8,823	)		(5,390	)		(7,722	)
Recoveries		1,162			375			436			309			581
Net charge-offs		(7,252	)		(3,808	)		(8,387	)		(5,081	)		(7,141	)
Provision for loan and lease losses excluding unfunded commitments *		5,019			9,374			10,013			7,683			5,582
Allowance for loan and lease losses at end of period	$	125,083		$	127,316		$	121,750		$	120,124		$	117,522

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases		1.28	%		1.31	%		1.25	%		1.24	%		1.22	%

NET CHARGE-OFFS:
Commercial real estate loans	$	—		$	—		$	3,819		$	606		$	1,087
Commercial loans and leases **		7,257			3,797			4,571			8,179			6,061
Consumer loans		(5	)		11			(3	)		(4	)		(7	)
Total net charge-offs	$	7,252		$	3,808		$	8,387		$	8,781		$	7,141

Net loan and lease charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases (annualized)		0.30	%		0.16	%		0.35	%		0.36	%		0.30	%

*Provision for loan and lease losses does not include (credit) provision of $(0.9 million), $(4.5 million), $(4.4 million), $(0.3 million), and $(1.7 million) for credit losses on unfunded commitments during the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024, March 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively.
** The balance at March 31, 2024 includes a $3.7 million charge-off on a letter of credit which impacted the provision.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Average Yields / Costs (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended
	December 31, 2024						September 30, 2024						December 31, 2023
	Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost
	(Dollars in Thousands)
Assets:
Interest-earning assets:
Investments:
Debt securities (2)	$	856,065	$	6,463	3.02	%	$	853,924	$	6,516	3.05	%	$	876,350	$	6,986	3.19	%
Restricted equity securities (2)		75,879		1,459	7.69	%		75,225		1,459	7.76	%		67,567		1,334	7.90	%
Short-term investments		236,784		2,830	4.78	%		145,838		1,986	5.44	%		85,790		1,093	5.09	%
Total investments		1,168,728		10,752	3.68	%		1,074,987		9,961	3.71	%		1,029,707		9,413	3.66	%
Loans and Leases:
Commercial real estate loans (3)		5,752,591		81,195	5.52	%		5,772,456		83,412	5.65	%		5,727,930		81,653	5.58	%
Commercial loans (3)		1,170,295		19,750	6.61	%		1,079,084		18,440	6.69	%		969,603		16,296	6.58	%
Equipment financing (3)		1,310,143		26,295	8.03	%		1,353,649		26,884	7.94	%		1,347,589		25,211	7.48	%
Consumer loans (3)		1,529,654		20,881	5.44	%		1,505,095		21,123	5.60	%		1,475,580		19,888	5.37	%
Total loans and leases		9,762,683		148,121	6.07	%		9,710,284		149,859	6.17	%		9,520,702		143,048	6.01	%
Total interest-earning assets		10,931,411		158,873	5.81	%		10,785,271		159,820	5.93	%		10,550,409		152,461	5.78	%
Non-interest-earning assets		649,161						666,067						721,532
Total assets	$	11,580,572					$	11,451,338					$	11,271,941

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Deposits:
NOW accounts	$	630,408		1,056	0.67	%	$	639,561		1,115	0.69	%	$	657,134		1,146	0.69	%
Savings accounts		1,741,355		10,896	2.49	%		1,738,756		12,098	2.77	%		1,658,144		10,684	2.56	%
Money market accounts		2,083,033		13,856	2.65	%		2,038,048		15,466	3.02	%		2,140,225		16,239	3.01	%
Certificates of deposit		1,857,483		20,691	4.43	%		1,768,026		20,054	4.51	%		1,530,772		14,517	3.76	%
Brokered deposit accounts		797,910		10,063	5.02	%		841,067		11,063	5.23	%		880,604		11,448	5.16	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		7,110,189		56,562	3.16	%		7,025,458		59,796	3.39	%		6,866,879		54,034	3.12	%
Borrowings:
Advances from the FHLB		1,144,157		13,958	4.77	%		1,139,049		14,366	4.94	%		965,846		11,943	4.84	%
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,311		1,944	9.22	%		84,276		1,378	6.54	%		84,170		1,381	6.56	%
Other borrowed funds		65,947		695	4.20	%		53,102		1,012	7.58	%		136,566		1,406	4.09	%
Total borrowings		1,294,415		16,597	5.02	%		1,276,427		16,756	5.14	%		1,186,582		14,730	4.86	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		8,404,604		73,159	3.46	%		8,301,885		76,552	3.67	%		8,053,461		68,764	3.39	%
Non-interest-bearing liabilities:
Demand checking accounts		1,693,138						1,669,092						1,723,849
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		250,303						264,324						323,855
Total liabilities		10,348,045						10,235,301						10,101,165
Stockholders’ equity		1,232,527						1,216,037						1,170,776
Total liabilities and equity	$	11,580,572					$	11,451,338					$	11,271,941
Net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) /Interest-rate spread (4)				85,714	2.35	%				83,268	2.26	%				83,697	2.39	%
Less adjustment of tax-exempt income				726						260						142
Net interest income			$	84,988					$	83,008					$	83,555
Net interest margin (5)					3.12	%					3.07	%					3.15	%

(1) Tax-exempt income on debt securities, equity securities and revenue bonds included in commercial real estate loans is included on a tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Average balances include unrealized gains (losses) on investment securities. Dividend payments may not be consistent and average yield on equity securities may vary from month to month.
(3) Loans on nonaccrual status are included in the average balances.
(4) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
(5) Net interest margin represents net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) divided by average interest-earning assets.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Average Yields / Costs (Unaudited)

	Twelve Months Ended
	December 31, 2024						December 31, 2023
	Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost
	(Dollars in Thousands)
Assets:
Interest-earning assets:
Investments:
Debt securities (2)	$	862,381	$	26,416	3.06	%	$	947,782	$	29,891	3.15	%
Restricted equity securities (2)		74,788		5,786	7.74	%		72,264		5,572	7.71	%
Short-term investments		164,445		8,554	5.20	%		158,718		8,329	5.25	%
Total investments		1,101,614		40,756	3.70	%		1,178,764		43,792	3.72	%
Loans and Leases:
Commercial real estate loans (3)		5,760,432		327,221	5.59	%		5,654,385		307,652	5.37	%
Commercial loans (3)		1,086,460		73,369	6.65	%		929,077		59,110	6.28	%
Equipment financing (3)		1,352,993		106,329	7.86	%		1,277,224		92,112	7.21	%
Consumer loans (3)		1,501,626		82,273	5.47	%		1,470,677		75,098	5.10	%
Total loans and leases		9,701,511		589,192	6.07	%		9,331,363		533,972	5.72	%
Total interest-earning assets		10,803,125		629,948	5.83	%		10,510,127		577,764	5.50	%
Non-interest-earning assets		670,299						704,244
Total assets	$	11,473,424					$	11,214,371

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Deposits:
NOW accounts	$	650,225		4,543	0.70	%	$	720,572		4,275	0.59	%
Savings accounts		1,726,504		46,220	2.68	%		1,439,293		27,974	1.94	%
Money market accounts		2,056,066		60,796	2.96	%		2,205,430		58,153	2.64	%
Certificates of deposit		1,737,697		76,134	4.38	%		1,428,727		44,122	3.09	%
Brokered deposit accounts		873,182		45,270	5.18	%		819,419		41,141	5.02	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		7,043,674		232,963	3.31	%		6,613,441		175,665	2.66	%
Borrowings:
Advances from the FHLB		1,124,432		55,851	4.89	%		1,092,996		52,467	4.73	%
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,258		6,074	7.21	%		84,116		5,476	6.51	%
Other borrowed funds		78,859		4,048	5.13	%		124,793		3,968	3.18	%
Total borrowings		1,287,549		65,973	5.04	%		1,301,905		61,911	4.69	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		8,331,223		298,936	3.59	%		7,915,346		237,576	3.00	%
Non-interest-bearing liabilities:
Demand checking accounts		1,657,922						1,823,759
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		273,243						307,160
Total liabilities		10,262,388						10,046,265
Stockholders’ equity		1,211,036						1,168,106
Total liabilities and equity	$	11,473,424					$	11,214,371
Net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) /Interest-rate spread (4)				331,012	2.24	%				340,188	2.50	%
Less adjustment of tax-exempt income				1,427						477
Net interest income			$	329,585					$	339,711
Net interest margin (5)					3.06	%					3.24	%

(1) Tax-exempt income on debt securities, equity securities and revenue bonds included in commercial real estate loans is included on a tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Average balances include unrealized gains (losses) on investment securities. Dividend payments may not be consistent and average yield on equity securities may vary from month to month.
(3) Loans on nonaccrual status are included in the average balances.
(4) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
(5) Net interest margin represents net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) divided by average interest-earning assets.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)

										At and for the Three Months Ended December 31,						At and for the Twelve Months Ended December 31,
										2024			2023			2024			2023
Reconciliation Table – Non-GAAP Financial Information										(Dollars in Thousands Except Share Data)

Reported Pretax Income										$	23,819		$	28,563		$	91,691		$	93,914
Less:
Security gains											—			—			—			1,704
Add:
Day 1 PCSB CECL provision											—			—			—			16,744
Merger and acquisition expenses											3,378			—			4,201			7,411
Operating Pretax income										$	27,197		$	28,563		$	95,892		$	116,365
Effective tax rate											23.9	%		19.9	%		24.5	%		20.1	%
Provision for income tax											6,511			5,675			23,480			23,437
Operating earnings after tax										$	20,686		$	22,888		$	72,412		$	92,928

Operating earnings per common share:
Basic										$	0.23		$	0.26		$	0.81		$	1.05
Diluted										$	0.23		$	0.26		$	0.81		$	1.05

Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic											89,098,443			88,867,159			88,983,248			88,230,681
Diluted											89,483,964			89,035,505			89,302,304			88,450,646


Return on average assets *											0.61	%		0.81	%		0.60	%		0.67	%
Less:
Security gains (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.01	%
Add:
Day 1 PCSB CECL provision (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.12	%
Merger and acquisition expenses (after-tax) *											0.09	%		—	%		0.03	%		0.05	%
Operating return on average assets *											0.70	%		0.81	%		0.63	%		0.83	%


Return on average tangible assets *											0.62	%		0.83	%		0.61	%		0.69	%
Less:
Security gains (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.01	%
Add:
Day 1 PCSB CECL provision (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.12	%
Merger and acquisition expenses (after-tax) *											0.09	%		—	%		0.03	%		0.05	%
Operating return on average tangible assets *											0.71	%		0.83	%		0.64	%		0.85	%


Return on average stockholders’ equity *											5.69	%		7.82	%		5.67	%		6.42	%
Less:
Security gains (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.12	%
Add:
Day 1 PCSB CECL provision (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		1.14	%
Merger and acquisition expenses (after-tax) *											0.83	%		—	%		0.26	%		0.51	%
Operating return on average stockholders’ equity *											6.52	%		7.82	%		5.93	%		7.95	%


Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity *											7.21	%		10.12	%		7.24	%		8.36	%
Less:
Security gains (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.15	%
Add:
Day 1 PCSB CECL provision (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		1.49	%
Merger and acquisition expenses (after-tax) *											1.06	%		—	%		0.33	%		0.66	%
Operating return on average tangible stockholders’ equity *											8.27	%		10.12	%		7.57	%		10.36	%
* Ratios at and for the three months ended are annualized.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)

	At and for the Three Months Ended															At and for the Twelve Months Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
	(Dollars in Thousands)

Net income, as reported	$	17,536		$	20,142		$	16,372		$	14,665		$	22,888		$	68,715		$	74,999

Average total assets	$	11,580,572		$	11,451,338		$	11,453,394		$	11,417,185		$	11,271,941		$	11,473,424		$	11,214,371
Less: Average goodwill and average identified intangible assets, net		259,496			261,188			262,859			264,536			266,225			262,011			270,637
Average tangible assets	$	11,321,076		$	11,190,150		$	11,190,535		$	11,152,649		$	11,005,716		$	11,211,413		$	10,943,734

Return on average tangible assets (annualized)		0.62	%		0.72	%		0.59	%		0.53	%		0.83	%		0.61	%		0.69	%

Average total stockholders’ equity	$	1,232,527		$	1,216,037		$	1,193,385		$	1,201,904		$	1,170,776		$	1,211,036		$	1,168,106
Less: Average goodwill and average identified intangible assets, net		259,496			261,188			262,859			264,536			266,225			262,011			270,637
Average tangible stockholders’ equity	$	973,031		$	954,849		$	930,526		$	937,368		$	904,551		$	949,025		$	897,469

Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized)		7.21	%		8.44	%		7.04	%		6.26	%		10.12	%		7.24	%		8.36	%

Total stockholders’ equity	$	1,221,939		$	1,230,362		$	1,198,480		$	1,194,231		$	1,198,644		$	1,221,939		$	1,198,644
Less:
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net		17,461			19,162			20,830			22,499			24,207			17,461			24,207
Tangible stockholders’ equity	$	963,256		$	969,978		$	936,428		$	930,510		$	933,215		$	963,256		$	933,215

Total assets	$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292		$	11,542,731		$	11,382,256		$	11,905,326		$	11,382,256
Less:
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net		17,461			19,162			20,830			22,499			24,207			17,461			24,207
Tangible assets	$	11,646,643		$	11,416,337		$	11,373,240		$	11,279,010		$	11,116,827		$	11,646,643		$	11,116,827

Tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets		8.27	%		8.50	%		8.23	%		8.25	%		8.39	%		8.27	%		8.39	%

Tangible stockholders’ equity	$	963,256		$	969,978		$	936,428		$	930,510		$	933,215		$	963,256		$	933,215

Number of common shares issued		96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075
Less:
Treasury shares		7,019,384			7,015,843			7,373,009			7,354,399			7,354,399			7,019,384			7,354,399
Unvested restricted shares		880,248			883,789			713,443			749,099			749,099			880,248			749,099
Number of common shares outstanding		89,098,443			89,098,443			88,911,623			88,894,577			88,894,577			89,098,443			88,894,577

Tangible book value per common share	$	10.81		$	10.89		$	10.53		$	10.47		$	10.50		$	10.81		$	10.50

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/396afece-df5e-4cc5-a637-0706599b2b0d

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2024

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: NECB) (the “Company”), the parent holding company of NorthEast Community Bank (the “Bank”), generated net income of $10.9 million, or $0.83 per basic share and $0.80 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to net income of $12.1 million, or $0.82 per basic and diluted share, for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023. In addition, the Company generated net income of $47.8 million, or $3.64 per basic share and $3.58 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to net income of $46.3 million, or $3.32 per basic share and diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Kenneth A. Martinek, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, stated “We are pleased to report another quarter of strong earnings due to the strong performance of our loan portfolio. Despite the challenging high interest rate environment during 2023 that continued into most of 2024, loan demand remained strong with originations and outstanding commitments remaining robust. As has been in the past, construction lending in high demand-high absorption areas continues to be our focus.”

Highlights for the fourth quarter and the year ended December 31, 2024 are as follows:

Performance metrics continue to be strong with a return on average total assets ratio of 2.19%, a return on average shareholders’ equity ratio of 13.80%, and an efficiency ratio of 38.99% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company generated a return on average total assets ratio of 2.50%, a return on average shareholders’ equity ratio of 15.83%, and an efficiency ratio of 37.00%.
Net interest income increased by $91,000 and $5.6 million, or 0.4% and 5.8%, respectively, for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same periods in 2023.
Our net loans receivable increased by $227.0 million, or 14.3%, to $1.8 billion at December 31, 2024 compared to $1.6 billion at December 31, 2023.

Balance Sheet Summary

Total assets increased $246.2 million, or 14.0%, to $2.0 billion at December 31, 2024, from $1.8 billion at December 31, 2023. The increase in assets was primarily due to increases in net loans of $227.0 million, cash and cash equivalents of $9.6 million, equity securities of $3.9 million, real estate owned of $3.7 million, and other assets of $3.3 million.

Cash and cash equivalents increased $9.6 million, or 14.0%, to $78.3 million at December 31, 2024 from $68.7 million at December 31, 2023. The increase in cash and cash equivalents was a result of an increase in deposits of $270.3 million, partially offset by a decrease in borrowings of $64.0 million, an increase of $227.0 million in net loans, dividends to shareholders of $8.7 million, and stock repurchases of $2.4 million.

Equity securities increased $3.9 million, or 21.5%, to $22.0 million at December 31, 2024 from $18.1 million at December 31, 2023. The increase in equity securities was attributable to the purchase of $4.0 million in equity securities during the second half of 2024, offset by market depreciation of $109,000 due to market interest rate volatility during the year ended December 31, 2024.

Securities held-to-maturity decreased $1.2 million, or 7.8%, to $14.6 million at December 31, 2024 from $15.9 million at December 31, 2023 due to $1.2 million in maturities and pay-downs of various investment securities, partially offset by a decrease of $10,000 in the allowance for credit losses for held-to-maturity securities.

Loans, net of the allowance for credit losses, increased $227.0 million, or 14.3%, to $1.8 billion at December 31, 2024 from $1.6 billion at December 31, 2023. The increase in loans, net of the allowance for credit losses, was primarily due to loan originations of $656.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, consisting primarily of $573.8 million in construction loans with respect to which approximately 36.3% of the funds were disbursed at loan closings, with the remaining funds to be disbursed over the terms of the construction loans. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2024, we originated $54.9 million in commercial and industrial loans, $14.0 million in non-residential loans, $12.6 million in multi-family loans, and $600,000 in mixed-use loans. We also originated $9.2 million in letters of credit.

Loan originations during the year ended December 31, 2024 resulted in a net increase of $206.8 million in construction loans, $8.6 million in commercial and industrial loans, $8.3 million in non-residential loans, $7.7 million in multi-family loans, and $409,000 in consumer loans. The increase in our loan portfolio was partially offset by decreases of $3.1 million in mixed-use loans and $1.8 million in residential loans, coupled with normal pay-downs and principal reductions.

The allowance for credit losses related to loans decreased to $4.8 million as of December 31, 2024, from $5.1 million as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in the allowance for credit losses related to loans was due to charge-offs totaling $347,000, offset by provision for credit losses totaling $84,000.

Premises and equipment decreased $647,000, or 2.5%, to $24.8 million at December 31, 2024 from $25.5 million at December 31, 2023 primarily due to the depreciation of fixed assets.

Investments in Federal Home Loan Bank stock decreased $532,000, or 57.3%, to $397,000 at December 31, 2024 from $929,000 at December 31, 2023. The decrease was due primarily to the mandatory redemption of Federal Home Loan Bank stock totaling $630,000 in connection with the maturity of $14.0 million in advances in 2024, offset by purchases of Federal Home Loan Bank stock totaling $98,000 due to the growth of our mortgage loan portfolio.

Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) increased $656,000, or 2.6%, to $25.7 million at December 31, 2024 from $25.1 million at December 31, 2023 due to increases in the BOLI cash value.

Accrued interest receivable increased $1.2 million, or 9.5%, to $13.5 million at December 31, 2024 from $12.3 million at December 31, 2023 due to an increase in the loan portfolio.

Real estate owned increased $3.7 million, or 251.6%, to $5.1 million at December 31, 2024 from $1.5 million at December 31, 2023 due to foreclosure of a property, with a book value of $4.4 million, located in the Bronx, New York, offset by charge-offs totaling $689,000 resulting from a decrease in the estimated fair value of a foreclosed property located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Right of use assets — operating decreased $565,000, or 12.4%, to $4.0 million at December 31, 2024 from $4.6 million at December 31, 2023, primarily due to amortization.

Other assets increased $3.3 million, or 40.5%, to $11.3 million at December 31, 2024 from $8.0 million at December 31, 2023 due to increases of $2.8 million in tax assets, $476,000 in suspense accounts, and $6,000 in miscellaneous assets, partially offset by decreases of $40,000 in prepaid expenses and $2,000 in securities receivables.

Total deposits increased $270.3 million, or 19.3%, to $1.7 billion at December 31, 2024 from $1.4 billion at December 31, 2023. The increase in deposits was primarily due to the Bank offering competitive interest rates to attract deposits. This resulted in a shift in deposits whereby certificates of deposit increased $239.7 million, or 31.5%, and NOW/money market accounts increased $98.0 million, or 67.4%, partially offset by decreases in savings account balances of $54.3 million, or 28.2%, and non-interest bearing demand deposits of $14.7 million, or 4.9%.

Federal Reserve Bank borrowings of $50.0 million at December 31, 2023 and Federal Home Loan Bank advances of $14.0 million at December 31, 2023 were paid-off during the year ended December 31, 2024.

Advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance decreased $402,000, or 19.9%, to $1.6 million at December 31, 2024 from $2.0 million at December 31, 2023 due primarily to real estate tax payments for borrowers.

Lease liability – operating decreased $517,000, or 11.2%, to $4.1 million at December 31, 2024 from $4.6 million at December 31, 2023, primarily due to amortization.

Accounts payable and accrued expenses increased $972,000, or 7.2%, to $14.5 million at December 31, 2024 from $13.6 million at December 31, 2023 due primarily to increases in dividends payable and other payables of $856,000 and deferred compensation of $729,000, partially offset by decreases in accrued interest expense of $102,000, suspense account for loan closings of $99,000, and accrued expense of $79,000. The allowance for credit losses for off-balance sheet commitments decreased $333,000, or 32.1%, to $704,000 at December 31, 2024 from $1.0 million at December 31, 2023.

Stockholders’ equity increased $39.7 million, or 14.2% to $319.1 million at December 31, 2024, from $279.3 million at December 31, 2023. The increase in stockholders’ equity was due to net income of $47.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, the amortization expense of $2.0 million relating to restricted stock and stock options granted under the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, an increase of $1.3 million in earned employee stock ownership plan shares coupled with a reduction of $475,000 in unearned employee stock ownership plan shares, and an exercise of stock options totaling $14,000, partially offset by dividends paid and declared of $8.7 million, stock repurchases and stock repurchase excise taxes totaling $2.5 million, awarding restricted stock totaling $725,000. and $93,000 in other comprehensive income.

Results of Operations for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023

Net Interest Income

Net interest income was $25.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, as compared to $25.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The increase in net interest income of $92,000, or 0.4%, was primarily due to an increase in interest income that exceeded an increase in interest expense.

The increase in interest income is attributable to increases in the average balances of loans, interest-bearing deposits, and investment securities, partially offset by a decrease in the average balances of FHLB stock. However, the Federal Reserve’s decrease of interest rates starting in September 2024 impacted the yield on our interest earning assets.

The increase in market interest rates in 2023 that continued until September 2024 also caused an increase in our interest expense. As a result, the increase in interest expense for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was due to an increase in the cost of funds on our deposits. The increase in interest expense was also due to an increase in the average balances on our certificates of deposits and our interest-bearing demand deposits, offset by a decrease in the average balances on our savings and club deposits and our borrowed money.

Total interest and dividend income increased $3.3 million, or 9.0%, to $40.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from $37.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest and dividend income was due to an increase in the average balance of interest earning assets of $249.5 million, or 15.0%, to $1.9 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from $1.7 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, partially offset by a decrease in the yield on interest earning assets by 47 basis points from 8.93% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 to 8.46% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

Interest expense increased $3.3 million, or 27.3%, to $15.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from $11.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest expense was due to an increase in the cost of interest bearing liabilities by 20 basis points from 4.14% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 to 4.34% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 and an increase in average interest bearing liabilities of $247.3 million, or 21.5%, to $1.4 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from $1.2 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.

Our net interest margin decreased 77 basis points, or 12.7%, to 5.29% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to 6.06% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in the net interest margin was due to an increase in the cost of funds on interest-bearing liabilities and a decrease in the yield on interest-earning assets.

Credit Loss Expense

The Company recorded a credit loss expense of $26,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to a credit loss expense of $205,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The credit loss expense of $26,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was comprised of credit loss expense for loans of $230,000 due to charge-offs of $232,000 in unpaid overdrafts in our demand deposit accounts, offset by credit loss expense reduction for off-balance sheet commitments of $204,000 primarily attributable to a decrease in the aggregate unfunded off-balance sheet commitments.

The credit loss expense of $205,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was comprised of credit loss expense for loans of $352,000 and credit loss expense for held-to-maturity investment securities of $6,000, partially offset by credit loss expense reduction for off-balance sheet commitments of $153,000.

With respect to the allowance for credit losses for loans, we charged-off $232,000 during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 as compared to charge-offs of $27,000 during the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The charge-offs during both periods were against various unpaid overdrafts in our demand deposit accounts.

We recorded no recoveries from previously charged-off loans during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Non-Interest Income

Non-interest income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was $149,000 compared to non-interest income of $1.4 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decrease of $1.2 million, or 89.2%, in total non-interest income was primarily due to decreases of $1.2 million in unrealized gain (loss) on equity securities, $115,000 in investment advisory fees, and $12,000 in miscellaneous other non-interest income, partially offset by increases of $40,000 from sale/disposition of fixed assets, $14,000 in BOLI income, and $11,000 in other loan fees and service charges.

The increase in unrealized gain (loss) on equity securities was due to an unrealized loss of $554,000 on equity securities during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to an unrealized gain of $621,000 on equity securities during the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The unrealized loss of $554,000 on equity securities during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was due to market interest rate volatility during the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

The decrease in investment advisory fees was due to the disposition in January 2024 of the Bank’s assets relating to the Harbor West Wealth Management Group. As a result of the transaction, the Bank no longer generates investment advisory fees.

Regarding the sale/disposition of fixed assets, we recorded gains of $22,000 during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to losses of $18,000 during the quarter ended December 31, 2023.

The increase in BOLI income of $14,000 was due to an increase in the yield on BOLI assets.

The increase of $11,000 in other loan fees and service charges was due to an increase of $24,000 in ATM/debit card/ACH fees and an increase of $2,000 in deposit account fees, partially offset by a decrease of $15,000 in other loan fees and loan servicing fees.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense increased $688,000, or 7.5%, to $9.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from $9.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The increase resulted primarily from increases of $444,000 in salaries and employee benefits, $163,000 in real estate owned expense, $108,000 in outside data processing expense, $79,000 in other operating expense, $18,000 in equipment expense, $7,000 in occupancy expense, and $7,000 in advertising expense, partially offset by a decrease of $138,000 in loss on the disposition of the Bank’s assets relating to the Harbor West Wealth Management Group.

Income Taxes

We recorded income tax expense of $4.6 million and $5.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the quarter ended December 31, 2024, we had approximately $205,000 in tax exempt income, compared to approximately $190,000 in tax exempt income for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. Our effective income tax rates were 29.5% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Results of Operations for the Year Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023

Net Interest Income

Net interest income was $102.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to $97.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in net interest income of $5.6 million, or 5.8%, was primarily due to an increase in interest income that exceeded an increase in interest expense.

The increase in interest income is attributable to increases in loans and interest-bearing deposits, partially offset by decreases in investment securities and FHLB stock. The increase in interest income is also attributable to the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases during 2023 that continued until September 2024. However, the Federal Reserve’s decrease of interest rates starting in September 2024 impacted the yield on our interest earning assets.

The increase in market interest rates in 2023 that continued until September 2024 also caused an increase in our interest expense. As a result, the increase in interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 was due to an increase in the cost of funds on our deposits and borrowed money. The increase in interest expense was also due to increases in the average balances on our certificates of deposits, our interest-bearing demand deposits, and our borrowed money, offset by a decrease in the average balance of our savings and club deposits.

Total interest and dividend income increased $27.5 million, or 20.8%, to $160.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $132.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest and dividend income was due to an increase in the average balance of interest earning assets of $312.3 million, or 20.6%, to $1.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $1.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023 and an increase in the yield on interest earning assets by two basis points from 8.73% for the year ended December 31, 2023 to 8.75% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Interest expense increased $21.9 million, or 62.1%, to $57.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $35.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest expense was due to an increase in the cost of interest bearing liabilities by 77 basis points from 3.58% for the year ended December 31, 2023 to 4.35% for the year ended December 31, 2024, and an increase in average interest bearing liabilities of $328.9 million, or 33.3%, to $1.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $986.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Net interest margin decreased 79 basis points, or 12.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 to 5.62% compared to 6.41% for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Credit Loss Expense

The Company recorded a credit loss expense reduction totaling $260,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to a credit loss expense totaling $972,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The credit loss expense reduction of $260,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 was comprised of a credit loss expense reduction for off-balance sheet commitments of $334,000 and a credit loss expense reduction for held-to-maturity investment securities of $10,000, offset by a credit loss expense for loans of $84,000.

The credit loss expense reduction for off-balance sheet commitments of $334,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributed to a reduction of $157.6 million in the level of off-balance sheet commitments. The credit loss expense reduction for held-to-maturity investment securities of $10,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributed to a reduction of $708,000 in the level of applicable held-to-maturity investment securities.

The credit loss expense for loans of $84,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributed to charge-offs totaling $347,000, partially offset by favorable trends in the economy.

The credit loss expense of $972,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023 was comprised of credit loss expense for loans of $1.5 million and credit loss expense for held-to-maturity investment securities of $5,000, partially offset by a credit loss expense reduction for off-balance sheet commitments of $548,000.

We charged-off $347,000 during the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to charge-offs of $313,000 during the year ended December 31, 2023. The charge-offs of $347,000 during the year ended December 31, 2024 were against various unpaid overdrafts in our demand deposit accounts. The charge-offs of $312,000 during the year ended December 31, 2023 were comprised of a charge-off of $159,000 related to three performing construction loans on the same project whereby we sold the loans to a third-party at a loss of $159,000. The remaining charge-offs of $153,000 for the 2023 period were against various unpaid overdrafts in our demand deposit accounts.

We recorded no recoveries from previously charged-off loans during the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Non-Interest Income

Non-interest income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $2.8 million compared to non-interest income of $3.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease of $960,000, or 25.6%, in total non-interest income was primarily due to decreases of $458,000 in investment advisory fees, $403,000 in unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities, and $357,000 in BOLI income, partially offset by increases of $207,000 in other loan fees and service charges, $40,000 from sale/disposition of fixed assets, and $11,000 in miscellaneous other non-interest income.

The decrease in investment advisory fees was due to the disposition in January 2024 of the Bank’s assets relating to the Harbor West Wealth Management Group. As a result of the transaction, the Bank no longer generates investment advisory fees. The decrease in unrealized gain (loss) on equity securities was due to an unrealized loss of $109,000 on equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to an unrealized gain of $294,000 on equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2023. The unrealized loss of $109,000 on equity securities during the 2024 period was due to market interest rate volatility during the year ended December 31, 2024.

The decrease in BOLI income was primarily due to two death claims totaling $1.8 million on BOLI policies that resulted in additional BOLI income of $404,000 in the year ended December 31, 2023.

The increase of $207,000 in other loan fees and service charges was due to increases of $148,000 in other loan fees and loan servicing fees, $51,000 in ATM/debit card/ACH fees, and $7,000 in deposit account fees.

Regarding the sale/disposition of fixed assets, we recorded gains of $22,000 during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to losses of $18,000 during the year ended December 31, 2023.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense increased $3.8 million, or 10.9%, to $39.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $35.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase resulted primarily from increases of $2.1 million in salaries and employee benefits, $879,000 in other operating expense, $638,000 in real estate owned expense, $394,000 in outside data processing expense, and $233,000 in occupancy expense, partially offset by decreases of $165,000 in equipment expense, $138,000 in loss on the disposition of the Bank’s assets relating to the Harbor West Wealth Management Group, and $103,000 in advertising expense.

Income Taxes

We recorded income tax expense of $19.0 million and $18.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we had approximately $802,000 in tax exempt income, compared to approximately $1.1 million in tax exempt income for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in tax exempt income was due to two death claims totaling $1.8 million on BOLI policies during the year ended December 31, 2023. Our effective income tax rates were 28.4% and 28.5% for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Asset Quality

Non-performing assets were $5.1 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $5.8 million at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2023, we had two non-performing construction loans totaling $4.4 million secured by the same project located in the Bronx, New York. We successfully foreclosed on these two loans on October 21, 2024 and the balances were transferred to foreclosed real estate. As a result, at December 31, 2024, we had two non-performing assets consisting of two foreclosed properties, with one foreclosed property totaling $4.4 million located in the Bronx, New York and one foreclosed property totaling $767,000 located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Our ratio of non-performing assets to total assets remained low at 0.25% at December 31, 2024 as compared to 0.33% at December 31, 2023.

The Company’s allowance for credit losses related to loans was $4.8 million, or 0.27% of total loans as of December 31, 2024, compared to $5.1 million, or 0.32% of total loans, as of December 31, 2023. Based on a review of the loans that were in the loan portfolio at December 31, 2024, management believes that the allowance for credit losses related to loans is maintained at a level that represents its best estimate of inherent losses in the loan portfolio that were both probable and reasonably estimable.

In addition, at December 31, 2024, the Company’s allowance for credit losses related to off-balance sheet commitments totaled $704,000 and the allowance for credit losses related to held-to-maturity debt securities totaled $126,000.

Capital

The Company’s total stockholders’ equity to assets ratio was 15.87% as of December 31, 2024. At December 31, 2024, the Company had the ability to borrow $834.7 million from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, $18.2 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and $8.0 million from Atlantic Community Bankers Bank.

The Bank’s capital position remains strong relative to current regulatory requirements and the Bank is considered a well-capitalized institution under the Prompt Corrective Action framework. As of December 31, 2024, the Bank had a tier 1 leverage capital ratio of 14.76% and a total risk-based capital ratio of 14.04%.

The Company completed its first stock repurchase program on April 14, 2023 whereby the Company repurchased 1,637,794 shares, or 10%, of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock. The cost of the stock repurchase program totaled $23.0 million, including commission costs and Federal excise taxes. Of the total shares repurchased under this program, 957,275 of such shares were repurchased during 2023 at a total cost of $13.7 million, including commission costs and Federal excise taxes.

The Company commenced its second stock repurchase program on May 30, 2023 whereby the Company will repurchase 1,509,218, or 10%, of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had repurchased 1,091,174 shares of common stock under its second repurchase program, at a cost of $17.2 million, including commission costs and Federal excise taxes.

About NorthEast Community Bancorp

NorthEast Community Bancorp, headquartered at 325 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains, New York 10601, is the holding company for NorthEast Community Bank, which conducts business through its eleven branch offices located in Bronx, New York, Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan Counties in New York and Essex, Middlesex, and Norfolk Counties in Massachusetts and three loan production offices located in New City, New York, White Plains, New York, and Danvers, Massachusetts. For more information about NorthEast Community Bancorp and NorthEast Community Bank, please visit www.necb.com.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding anticipated future events and can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” and “intend” or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.” These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include, but are not limited to, changes in market interest rates, regional and national economic conditions (including higher inflation and its impact on regional and national economic conditions), legislative and regulatory changes, monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government, including policies of the United States Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board, the quality and composition of the loan or investment portfolios, demand for loan products, decreases in deposit levels necessitating increased borrowing to fund loans and securities, competition, demand for financial services in NorthEast Community Bank’s market area, changes in the real estate market values in NorthEast Community Bank’s market area, the impact of failures or disruptions in or breaches of the Company’s operational or security systems, data or infrastructure, or those of third parties, including as a result of cyberattacks or campaigns, and changes in relevant accounting principles and guidelines. Additionally, other risks and uncertainties may be described in our annual and quarterly reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available through the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating any forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, the Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to release publicly the result of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.


CONTACT:	Kenneth A. Martinek
	Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

PHONE:	(914) 684-2500


NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (Unaudited)

	December 31,			December 31,
	2024			2023
	(In thousands, except share
	and per share amounts)
ASSETS
Cash and amounts due from depository institutions	$	13,700		$	13,394
Interest-bearing deposits		64,559			55,277
Total cash and cash equivalents		78,259			68,671
Certificates of deposit		100			100
Equity securities		21,994			18,102
Securities held-to-maturity ( net of allowance for credit losses of $126 and $136, respectively )		14,616			15,860
Loans receivable		1,813,647			1,586,721
Deferred loan (fees) costs, net		(49	)		176
Allowance for credit losses		(4,830	)		(5,093	)
Net loans		1,808,768			1,581,804
Premises and equipment, net		24,805			25,452
Investments in restricted stock, at cost		397			929
Bank owned life insurance		25,738			25,082
Accrued interest receivable		13,481			12,311
Real estate owned		5,120			1,456
Property held for investment		1,370			1,407
Right of Use Assets – Operating		4,001			4,566
Right of Use Assets – Financing		347			351
Other assets		11,302			8,044
Total assets	$	2,010,298		$	1,764,135
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Liabilities:
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing	$	287,135		$	300,184
Interest bearing		1,383,240			1,099,852
Total deposits		1,670,375			1,400,036
Advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance		1,618			2,020
Borrowings		–			64,000
Lease Liability – Operating		4,108			4,625
Lease Liability – Financing		609			571
Accounts payable and accrued expenses		14,530			13,558
Total liabilities		1,691,240			1,484,810

Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 25,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding	$	—		$	—
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 75,000,000 shares authorized; 14,016,254 shares and 14,144,856 shares outstanding, respectively		140			142
Additional paid-in capital		110,091			109,924
Unearned Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”) shares		(6,088	)		(6,563	)
Retained earnings		214,691			175,505
Accumulated other comprehensive income		224			317
Total stockholders’ equity		319,058			279,325
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	2,010,298		$	1,764,135

NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited)


	Quarter Ended December 31,						Year Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
							(In thousands, except per share amounts)
INTEREST INCOME:
Loans	$	39,081		$	35,660		$	153,902		$	127,486
Interest-earning deposits		1,144			1,257			5,202			4,143
Securities		247			209			909			859
Total Interest Income		40,472			37,126			160,013			132,488
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits		15,160			11,131			55,619			34,181
Borrowings		5			779			1,564			1,078
Financing lease		9			10			38			38
Total Interest Expense		15,174			11,920			57,221			35,297
Net Interest Income		25,298			25,206			102,792			97,191
Provision for (reversal of) credit loss		26			205			(260	)		972
Net Interest Income after Provision for (Reversal of) Credit Loss		25,272			25,001			103,052			96,219
NON-INTEREST INCOME:
Other loan fees and service charges		485			474			2,098			1,891
Gain (loss) on disposition of equipment		22			(18	)		22			(18	)
Earnings on bank owned life insurance		170			156			656			1,013
Investment advisory fees		–			115			–			458
Realized and unrealized (loss) gain on equity securities		(554	)		621			(109	)		294
Other		26			38			116			105
Total Non-Interest Income		149			1,386			2,783			3,743
NON-INTEREST EXPENSES:
Salaries and employee benefits		5,204			4,760			20,942			18,839
Occupancy expense		712			705			2,828			2,595
Equipment		229			211			890			1,055
Outside data processing		680			572			2,604			2,210
Advertising		108			101			418			521
Loss on disposition of business		–			138			–			138
Real estate owned expense		204			41			731			93
Other		2,785			2,706			10,649			9,770
Total Non-Interest Expenses		9,922			9,234			39,062			35,221
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES		15,499			17,153			66,773			64,741
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES		4,566			5,052			18,982			18,465
NET INCOME	$	10,933		$	12,101		$	47,791		$	46,276

NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA (Unaudited)

	Quarter Ended December 31,						Year Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)						(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Per share data:
Earnings per share – basic	$	0.83		$	0.82		$	3.64		$	3.32
Earnings per share – diluted		0.80			0.82			3.58			3.32
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic		13,132			14,720			13,136			13,930
Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted		13,582			14,778			13,359			13,936
Performance ratios/data:
Return on average total assets		2.19	%		2.77	%		2.50	%		2.90	%
Return on average shareholders’ equity		13.80	%		17.49	%		15.83	%		17.09	%
Net interest income	$	25,298		$	25,206		$	102,792		$	97,191
Net interest margin		5.29	%		6.06	%		5.62	%		6.41	%
Efficiency ratio		38.99	%		34.72	%		37.00	%		34.90	%
Net charge-off ratio		0.05	%		0.01	%		0.02	%		0.02	%

Loan portfolio composition:							December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
One-to-four family							$	3,472		$	5,252
Multi-family								206,606			198,927
Mixed-use								26,571			29,643
Total residential real estate								236,649			233,822
Non-residential real estate								29,446			21,130
Construction								1,426,167			1,219,413
Commercial and industrial								119,736			111,116
Consumer								1,649			1,240
Gross loans								1,813,647			1,586,721
Deferred loan (fees) costs, net								(49	)		176
Total loans							$	1,813,598		$	1,586,897
Asset quality data:
Loans past due over 90 days and still accruing							$	–		$	–
Non-accrual loans								–			4,385
OREO property								5,120			1,456
Total non-performing assets							$	5,120		$	5,841

Allowance for credit losses to total loans								0.27	%		0.32	%
Allowance for credit losses to non-performing loans								0.00	%		116.15	%
Non-performing loans to total loans								0.00	%		0.28	%
Non-performing assets to total assets								0.25	%		0.33	%

Bank’s Regulatory Capital ratios:
Total capital to risk-weighted assets								13.92	%		13.43	%
Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets								13.65	%		13.10	%
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets								13.65	%		13.10	%
Tier 1 leverage ratio								14.44	%		14.43	%

NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. NET INTEREST MARGIN ANALYSIS (Unaudited)

	Quarter Ended December 31, 2024								Quarter Ended December 31, 2023
	Average			Interest		Average			Average			Interest		Average
	Balance			and dividend		Yield			Balance			and dividend		Yield
	(In thousands, except yield/cost information)								(In thousands, except yield/cost information)
Loan receivable gross	$	1,784,920		$	39,081		8.76	%	$	1,545,446		$	35,660		9.23	%
Securities		36,817			232		2.52	%		33,124			188		2.27	%
Federal Home Loan Bank stock		455			15		13.19	%		929			21		9.04	%
Other interest-earning assets		90,279			1,144		5.07	%		83,436			1,257		6.03	%
Total interest-earning assets		1,912,471			40,472		8.46	%		1,662,935			37,126		8.93	%
Allowance for credit losses		(4,833	)							(4,771	)
Non-interest-earning assets		92,422								87,557
Total assets	$	2,000,060							$	1,745,721

Interest-bearing demand deposit	$	233,112		$	2,198		3.77	%	$	118,691		$	1,026		3.46	%
Savings and club accounts		137,295			767		2.23	%		206,120			1,404		2.72	%
Certificates of deposit		1,026,433			12,195		4.75	%		758,928			8,701		4.59	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		1,396,840			15,160		4.34	%		1,083,739			11,131		4.11	%
Borrowed money		1,293			14		4.33	%		67,049			789		4.71	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		1,398,133			15,174		4.34	%		1,150,788			11,920		4.14	%
Non-interest-bearing demand deposit		263,711								298,739
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		21,428								19,449
Total liabilities		1,683,272								1,468,976
Equity		316,788								276,745
Total liabilities and equity	$	2,000,060							$	1,745,721

Net interest income / interest spread				$	25,298		4.12	%				$	25,206		4.79	%
Net interest rate margin							5.29	%							6.06	%
Net interest earning assets	$	514,338							$	512,147
Average interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities		136.79	%							144.50	%


NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. NET INTEREST MARGIN ANALYSIS (Unaudited)

	Year Ended December 31, 2024								Year Ended December 31, 2023
	Average			Interest		Average			Average			Interest		Average
	Balance			and dividend		Yield			Balance			and dividend		Yield
	(In thousands, except yield/cost information)								(In thousands, except yield/cost information)
Loan receivable gross	$	1,701,079		$	153,902		9.05	%	$	1,401,492		$	127,486		9.10	%
Securities		34,765			839		2.41	%		37,819			777		2.05	%
Federal Home Loan Bank stock		677			70		10.34	%		984			82		8.33	%
Other interest-earning assets		92,610			5,202		5.62	%		76,542			4,143		5.41	%
Total interest-earning assets		1,829,131			160,013		8.75	%		1,516,837			132,488		8.73	%
Allowance for credit losses		(4,940	)							(4,676	)
Non-interest-earning assets		90,675								84,287
Total assets	$	1,914,866							$	1,596,448

Interest-bearing demand deposit	$	209,993		$	8,498		4.05	%	$	93,426		$	2,459		2.63	%
Savings and club accounts		154,430			3,799		2.46	%		248,755			6,777		2.72	%
Certificates of deposit		917,665			43,322		4.72	%		615,124			24,945		4.06	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		1,282,088			55,619		4.34	%		957,305			34,181		3.57	%
Borrowed money		33,117			1,602		4.84	%		29,007			1,116		3.85	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		1,315,205			57,221		4.35	%		986,312			35,297		3.58	%
Non-interest-bearing demand deposit		277,957								322,185
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		19,739								17,139
Total liabilities		1,612,901								1,325,636
Equity		301,965								270,812
Total liabilities and equity	$	1,914,866							$	1,596,448

Net interest income / interest spread				$	102,792		4.40	%				$	97,191		5.15	%
Net interest rate margin							5.62	%							6.41	%
Net interest earning assets	$	513,926							$	530,525
Average interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities		139.08	%							153.79	%

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Project Safe Childhood Sentencings in Columbus

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Harris County, Georgia, resident who engaged in criminal sexual activity with a middle schooler and a former contractor at Fort Moore guilty of possessing hundreds of files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his phone were both sentenced to federal prison this week resulting from Project Safe Childhood investigations.

Patrick John Irvine, 22, of Shiloh, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release on Jan. 28. Irvine previously pleaded guilty to one count of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity on Oct. 15, 2024.

Terric Taylor, 28, of Fortson, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 97 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release on Jan. 28. Taylor previously pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography on Oct. 15, 2024.

Both defendants will have to register as a sex offender upon release from prison. U.S. District Judge Clay Land presided over the cases. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our office has zero tolerance for people who prey on children, and we will use every resource at our disposal to investigate and prosecute Project Safe Childhood cases,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Both cases demonstrate how law enforcement and community partners are helping us hold child sex offenders accountable.”

“With a victim-centered approach, the FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold those who choose to prey on our most vulnerable citizens accountable,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke.

“These cases show how local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are working together to fight for the safety of our children,” said Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley.

According to court documents and statements referenced in court in the Irvine case, sometime in mid-March 2024, Irvine met 12-year-old Jane Doe on Snapchat, and they continued to communicate through Snapchat, Facetime and text messages over the next several weeks. Irvine made plans with Jane Doe to travel approximately four hours from his home in Harris County to a meeting place near her home in Alabama. They met on the night of March 23, 2024, and on March 24, 2024, Irvine texted Jane Doe to, “start packing, I’ll get you next weekend.” Irvine returned to Jane Doe’s Alabama residence on the evening of Friday, March 29, 2024, and drove her to Georgia. Jane Doe’s family members reported her missing the next day. Jane Doe’s mother acquired her daughter’s cell phone records from AT&T and discovered a high frequency of calls between the victim and a number she did not recognize, which was Irvine’s phone number. She attempted to call and text Irvine’s number, and finally got a response:

• Defendant: “Sorry, I’m at work. Is everything okay?”

• Mom: “No I need to talk to you now. I’m [the victim’s] mother. Please answer.”

• Defendant: “[victim’s first name] who?”

• Mom: “Why is a 12-year-old calling the number multiple times late at night if you are old enough to be working? It’s all over my call AT&T call logs.”

• Defendant: “We were going to hang out then I found out how old she was, and I haven’t talked to her since. Is everything okay?”

• Mom: “You need to call me. The police will be calling soon.”

• Defendant: “Sorry I’m at work and I can’t call right now.”

After identifying the subscriber of this number as Irvine, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office was notified and dispatched to Irvine’s residence. Upon arrival, Irvine emerged shirtless from the house and initially denied Jane Doe was in the house, but then stated that she had just gotten out of the shower. Jane Doe escaped out of a window and was found hiding in the woods.

According to court documents and statements referenced in court in the Taylor case, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a Cybertip on July 17, 2022, from the social media platform X concerning user “strayBreeders04” who had uploaded a file of child pornography on the platform. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) discovered Taylor was the user and was employed as a contractor at Fort Moore. Working with Fort Moore’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Taylor was located, and he admitted to agents that he uploaded images of child pornography to X. Agents found several files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his phone. Taylor estimated he had approximately 50 videos of children engaging in sexual acts on his device.

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

The Irvine case was investigated bythe FBI, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Walker County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office.

The Taylor case was investigated by the FBI, GBI and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals prosecuted the cases for the Government

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Missouri Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Trying to Persuade Minors to Engage in Sex Acts Online

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man who tried to persuade minors into engaging in sex acts online to 14 years in prison.

Judge Autrey also ordered Jason Michael Enke to pay a special assessment of $5,300 that will go to victims of child sexual abuse material. Once released from prison, he will be on supervised release for life.

From August to October of 2023, Enke sent a series of sexually explicit messages during online chat sessions and via social media to five people who identified themselves online as minors. He tried to persuade the minors to engage in sexual conduct and shared a video of himself and a 16-year-old engaging in sex acts.

In November of 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) notified the FBI’s St. Louis office that Enke had sent a video containing child pornography to an Instagram user who listed their age as 15. FBI agents performed a court-approved search of Enke’s home near Bourbon, Missouri and found videos containing child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices.

“We thank the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for sharing tips in this case and others,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “As a result, FBI St. Louis, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri have taken another predator off the streets so he can no longer prey on children.”

Enke, 45, of Crawford County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.

The FBI and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.

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

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: ‘Keeping America Left-of-Boom Safe’

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

The FBI is the lead federal agency for responding to WMD threats. The Bureau’s program has existed since 1995, but in 2006 it shifted to a more operational posture as the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate inside the Bureau’s National Security Branch. The directorate, located at FBI Headquarters, develops the overall policy, guidance, and countermeasures for operators in the field. In FBI field offices across the U.S., WMD coordinators put it all into action.

“We’re the boots on the ground,” said Caviggiola.

Their primary roles include training first responders, partners, and even fellow agents and task force officers on the different modalities of WMD investigations—chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive, often referred to as CBRNE. They are subject matter experts who coordinate the tactical responses when WMDs are suspected.

In the Vermont case, for example, WMD coordinator Tom Stewart led all the responding agencies through the FBI’s Threat Credibility Evaluation (TCE) to determine the gravity of the threat and develop a plan of action. While the TCE process follows strict guidelines established by national policy for interagency responses, the FBI also developed a 14-point checklist—available on an FBI phone application—that helps WMD coordinators and first responders evaluate and process scenes that may not rise to the level of Headquarters involvement.

“We’re constantly in a state of being an investigator and being an educator,” Stewart said. Indeed, many WMD coordinators wear multiple hats: the full cadre includes SWAT operators, special agent bomb technicians, and members of evidence response teams (ERT) and hazardous evidence response teams (HERT). Like each of those disciplines, WMD coordinators receive extensive training and certifications before stepping into the uniquely dangerous role.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

Category: Intelligence Agencies