NewzIntel.com

Category: Intelligence Agencies

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison Appoints Patrick Martin as District Election Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Patrick Martin will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Martin has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Michigan, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

               United States Attorney Ison said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.  Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

               The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

              Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English). 

               United States Attorney Ison stated that: “Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Martin will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (313)226-9168.”

               In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (313)965-2323.

               Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

               United States Attorney Ison said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.  It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

               Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref Appoints Election Officer for the Eastern District of Washington

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Vanessa Waldref announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Frieda Zimmerman will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Zimmerman has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Washington, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    United States Attorney Waldref said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.  Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).   

    United States Attorney Waldref stated that: “The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to this right can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Zimmerman will be on duty in this District on election day. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (509) 353-2767.”

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (509) 458-8100.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    United States Attorney Waldref said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.  It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over ballot drop boxes, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Discreetly Revised Data Shows Violent Crime Has Increased Under This Administration Despite Misleading Claims From Democrats

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    Discreetly Revised Data Shows Violent Crime Has Increased Under This Administration Despite Misleading Claims From Democrats

    Washington, October 17, 2024

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) intentionally misled the American people into believing violent crime decreased under the Biden-Harris Administration. A discreetly revised FBI 2022 annual crime data report proves violent crimes have increased under the Biden-Harris Administration. A previously reported 2.1 percent decrease in violent crimes has now been altered to show a 4.5 percent increase. This Administration has continuously touted these false numbers to argue violent crime has declined, and the latest revision proves otherwise. While violent crime surges across the country due to Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies, failed bail reform, open borders, and defund the police movement, House Republicans are committed to law and order.
     
    MAKE NO MISTAKE: This revision further proves Americans are less safe under the Biden-Harris Administration. It’s time to restore the safety and security of every American. 
     
    THE BIDEN-HARRIS CRIME CRISIS: 

    • New reporting has uncovered that the FBI secretly updated its crime data to show instead of a 2.1 percent drop in violent crime in 2022, it was actually a 4.5 percent increase. 
      • The FBI made no mention of this 6.6 percentage point revision in its press release.
    • The new data includes thousands more murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults than previously reported.
      • The updated data for 2022 shows that there were 80,029 more violent crimes than in 2021 – including an additional 1,699 murders, 7,780 rapes, 33,459 robberies, and 37,091 aggravated assaults.
    • Carl Moody, a professor at the College of William & Mary who specializes in studying crime: “There were no revisions from 2004 to 2015, and from 2016 to 2020, there were small changes of less than one percentage point. The huge changes in 2021 and 2022, especially without an explanation, make it difficult to trust the FBI data.”
    • There are now questions as to whether the recently released 2023 FBI crime statistics are legitimate due to the massive 2022 revision.
    • Another problem with this FBI crime data is its reliance on reported crimes, as most crimes go unreported. 
      • An alternative measure of crime that also accounts for unreported crimes, the National Crime Victimization Survey, shows that crime is even higher than FBI data suggests – with violent crime up 37 percent since Harris and Biden took office.
    • The FBI is not the only government agency to see massive revisions under this Administration – the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently admitted that 818,000 jobs that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden claim to have “created” don’t actually exist.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rubio Urges Domestic Terrorism Investigation of Pro-Hamas Group

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

    Rubio Urges Domestic Terrorism Investigation of Pro-Hamas Group
    Oct 17, 2024 | Press Releases

    Unity of Fields, a self-proclaimed pro-Hamas, anti-American “direct action network,” promotes acts of militant violence and propaganda against supporters of Israel. The pro-terrorist beliefs and actions of this group, including encouraging attacks on buildings and individuals, prompt a thorough investigation.    
    U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General Merrick Garland urging a full investigation into Unity of Fields for acts of domestic terrorism before additional harm or actions jeopardize the United States or its citizens.
    “Unity of Fields runs counter to any of the beliefs and rights which underpin our country’s constitutional system and endangers citizens. As such, I look forward to your prompt investigation into Unity of Fields as you hold them accountable to the fullest extent under the law.”
    The full text of the letter is below. 
    Dear Attorney General Garland:
    I write with concern about the increasing violence promoted by groups such as Unity of Fields, formerly Palestine Action U.S., which explicitly support Palestinian terrorism and other anti-Israel, anti-American, and antisemitic terrorist organizations. I request that you immediately open a domestic terrorism investigation into Unity of Fields and utilize all resources available to hold this group accountable under the law.
    As you may know, Unity of Fields is an “anti-Zionist ‘direct action network’” focused on promoting acts of violence and protest against individuals or organizations that the group considers supportive of Israel, Zionism, or American imperialism. Prior to August 2024, the organization was called Palestine Action U.S. and served as a chapter for the United Kingdom-based Palestine Action. In an article originally published in May 2024, Unity of Fields highlighted several beliefs that underpin their movement. Specifically, the group calls for increased escalation in its activities, including no longer disavowing any action in pursuit of its Marxist, anti-Zionist, anti-American agenda, building up militancy infrastructure, and adherence to the belief that the “revolution will come within our lifetimes” as they “will make sure of it.”
    Further, the group encourages the study of revolutionary material in preparation for continued action against the United States and Israel. Specifically, Unity of Fields promotes the writings of Palestinian revolutionary and suspected terrorist Bassel Al-Araj, Mao Zedong’s On Guerilla Warfare, the United States Army Counterinsurgency Manuel as well as numerous other works focused around promoting and conducting insurgencies. The ultimate purpose of the group and its readings is “to open a new front against the US Empire [and] to build the international popular cradle of resistance.”
    Unsurprisingly, Unity of Fields’ efforts have contributed to a recent trend in increasing violence and vandalism against private property and individuals. On their X account, Unity of Fields promoted and encouraged violence in the name of Palestine and anti-Zionism, including a recent attack on the CCNY Advanced Science Research Center and individuals adhering to the belief that “Zionists don’t deserve to live,” even while claiming their organization “doesn’t do actions.”
    Under 18 U.S. Code § 2331, “domestic terrorism” is defined as any activity which “involves acts dangerous to human life that are in violation of the criminal laws” and includes the intent “to intimidate or coerce a civilian population” or “to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.” Further, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) developed various terms and methodologies for investigating domestic terrorism threats and plots. Specifically, the FBI views a domestic terrorism plot “as a combination of criminal activity and planning that collectively reflect steps toward criminal action in furtherance of a domestic ideological goal.” A historical view of the Palestinian Resistance Movement demonstrates that violence has become a crucial element of the movement, especially between 1970 and 1973. This is seen among various terrorist spokes of the movement: Hamas, the PLFP, and the Islamic Jihad. Unity of Fields have been outspoken in transitioning into a militant propaganda organization and have cited Houthi Ansar Allah saying, “[t]he meaning of the unity of the fields is that we are all one hand, one leadership, one direction, one goal, and one approach, and any attack on any of the components of the Axis [including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Houthis, and various Shi’ite groups in Iraq and Syria] is considered a direct attack on us.”
    When comparing Unity of Fields’ own statements and actions to existing government standards for investigating these threats, I believe Unity of Fields should be investigated for any violations of the law before additional harm or actions jeopardizes the United States or its citizens. By rejecting nonviolent means and fully embracing revolutionary and insurgent related tactics as a means of pursuing its hateful beliefs, Unity of Fields runs counter to any of the beliefs and rights which underpin our country’s constitutional system, and endangers citizens. As such, I look forward to your prompt investigation into Unity of Fields as you hold them accountable to the fullest extent under the law.
    Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. 
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Díaz-Balart and Wasserman Schultz in the Miami Herald: Latino-Jewish Communities Working Toward a Better Future

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

    Miami Herald

    Op-ed: Mario Díaz-Balart, Debbie Wasserman Schultz

    October 17, 2024

    Read the full op-ed here:

    As co-chairs of the Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus, we write to highlight the vital role that the Jewish and Latino communities both play in our nation and South Florida, which we have the honor of representing, but also to the American identity as a whole. Within the framework of Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the close partnership that exists between both of our communities and urge cooperation to address the common challenges that make this partnership so crucial.

    Immigration has played a pivotal role in America’s social fabric. Our families and many of our constituents escaped repressive regimes, whether in Cuba, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, or Venezuela, to pursue life in a land with freedom and opportunity. Latinos and Jews have contributed greatly to American business, culture, science, sports, public service enhancing every aspect of our diverse society.

    And while we’re proud of the success we’ve achieved as Americans, we haven’t forgotten our roots, including those still struggling for freedom and opportunity. We are proud diaspora communities with strong ties to our ancestral lands. Shared values of family, faith, and respect for human rights have united our communities and animated Jewish and Latino leadership from the civil rights movement to the fight for a fair and lawful immigration system. These close bonds to our nations of origin position our communities to play a crucial role in driving the United States’ pursuit of justice at home and abroad.

    We still have work to do.

    Here in the U.S., we are committed to working to ensure that our communities are safe from anti-Jewish and anti-Latino hate. As members of Congress, we’ve worked on bipartisan legislation to combat such hate, including the Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer NO HATE Act, which became law in 2021. This important legislation provides grants to state and local governments to enforce hate laws, and to keep more accurate records on hate crimes.

    According to surveys, 87% of American Jews have observed increased antisemitism in the U.S. since the Oct. 7 attacks. Both antisemitic and anti-Latino/Hispanic hate crimes reached record highs in 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) 2023 Hate Crimes Statistics Report found that hate crimes against Jews increased a staggering 63% year over year, while those targeting Latinos surged by 10.7% last year as well. We’ve seen the horrific damage that can be inflicted by individuals radicalized by hateful conspiracy theories, from the murderous rampage that killed eleven Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh to the vicious attack against Latinos at an El Paso Walmart that killed 23 people.

    Additionally, we must work together to bring home the hostages held by the foreign terrorist organization Hamas, a proxy of the terrorist state of Iran. It is unconscionable that a year later, nearly 100 hostages remain in brutal Hamas captivity. Some of these hostages are both Israeli and Latino— holding dual citizenship from countries like Argentina and Colombia. We call on Hamas to release them now.

    In Latin America, the democratic opposition movements in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua continue to be persecuted by brutal, authoritarian regimes.

    In Cuba, courageous activists demand human rights and democratic change, but many of the July 11, 2021 protesters remain imprisoned.

    In Venezuela, despite all available evidence pointing to the election victory by the opposition, Maduro refuses to face the truth. We strongly condemn the Maduro regime’s actions to subvert Venezuela’s once-democratic institutions, which has resulted in nearly eight million Venezuelans being forced into exile—many of whom have resettled in our communities.

    In Nicaragua, religious freedom has been quashed, with clergy forced into exile in unprecedented numbers, including the forced exit of the entirety of Mother Theresa’s order in Nicaragua.

    We also roundly denounce these regimes’ shameful persecution, antisemitism, and delegitimization of their small Jewish communities, sentiments that are unfortunately reflected by other leftist governments in the region like Colombia.

    Additionally, Russia and Iran, which support transnational repression and amplify racist and antisemitic extremism to sew divisions, have made our world a more dangerous place.

    That’s why our communities must continue working in partnership and solidarity to combat hate, promote freedom and oppose dictators and violent organizations that defy our values. We’ll keep building bridges between Jewish and Latino Americans because we believe they can help guide our nation toward a just future.

    Within the framework of Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s celebrate our common bonds while continuing to look out for one another.

    Mario Díaz-Balart is a U.S. representative for Florida’s 26th Congressional District, a senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations and chairman of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee. Debbie Wasserman Schultz represents Florida’s 25th Congressional District and is ranking member on the House Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Mark Totten Announces District Election Officer, Hotline, Website To Help Ensure Safe, Secure November 2024 Election

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

              GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Austin Hakes will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Hakes will serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of Michigan, overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In addition, U.S. Attorney Totten announced a hotline, 616-808-2140, and website for members of the public to make a complaint or share information related to voting rights concerns.

              “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”       

              WATCH: Voting Rights Video Message from U.S. Attorney Mark Totten 

              The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

              Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English). 

              United States Attorney Totten stated: “Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who have the right to vote can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”

              To respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Hakes will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. 

              In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public.

              Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

              United States Attorney Totten said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.  It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

              Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Juvenile Justice Employee Sentenced for Violating the Civil Rights of Youth in His Care

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

    ASHLAND, Ky. – A former Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice employee, Nathaniel K. Lumpkins, 33, of Elkfork, Ky., was sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, on Tuesday, for one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.

    Lumpkins was employed at Woodsbend Youth Development Center, a Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice facility located in West Liberty, Ky., and worked as a Youth Worker, responsible for the custody, care, and control of the juveniles housed there.  As he admitted in his plea agreement, on January 23, 2019, Lumpkins violated the civil rights of a fifteen-year-old at Woodsbend, when he used unreasonable force on the victim.  When the victim was already compliant, on the ground, and being held by three other adult Youth Workers, Lumpkins began twisting the victim’s hand back onto his wrist and pushing his body weight repeatedly down onto the youth’s wrist and arm.  While doing this, Lumpkins broke the victim’s arm, and admitted in his plea agreement that he did so out of anger and not for any legitimate purpose.  Lumpkins later slammed the victim’s already-broken arm into a concrete wall, again out of anger with no legitimate purpose.  Then, Lumpkins wrote and signed an incident report that included false information, in an attempt to cover up his unlawful use of force.       

    Under federal law, Lumpkins must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.

    Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announce the sentencing.

    The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the Internal Investigations Branch of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Dembo is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. 

    — END — 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Greenup County Man Sentenced for Production and Possession of Child Pornography

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

    ASHLAND, Ky. – A Flatwoods, Ky., man, Skyler Allen Mullins, 23, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 35 years in prison, for attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

    According to his plea agreement, on May 4, 2022, law enforcement discovered that Mullins was using a social media application to exchange sexually explicit images of children. Law enforcement interviewed Mullins and he admitted to attempting to create videos of himself sexually assaulting a minor known to him.  Mullins also admitted using social media platforms to exchange materials and links to images and video of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

    In total, Mullins possessed over 600 images or videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

    Under federal law, Mullins must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 30 years. 

    Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Kentucky State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. 

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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 http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    — END — 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Sentencing of Shiprock Man for 2020 Assault

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 46 months in prison for a 2020 assault with the intent to steal a motor vehicle within the Navajo Nation.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, on May 17, 2020, Daryl Levi, 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and others assaulted John Doe in Shiprock, NM, with the intent of taking his motor vehicle. As a result of the assault, John Doe was wounded.

    Upon his release from prison, Levi will be subject to three years of supervised release.

    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 Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Samuel A. Hurtado are prosecuting the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Verified Influencer Accounts Are Being Hijacked to Spread Scams and Malicious Software

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

    The FBI Atlanta Division is warning the public that verified social media accounts are being hijacked by cybercriminals for the purposes of spreading scams and malicious software. Cybercriminals are targeting established social media accounts with large followings. By successfully taking over these accounts through targeted phishing or social engineering techniques, the cybercriminals broaden the reach of their fraudulent campaigns to vast amounts of followers. The campaigns become more effective because the followers trust the verified accounts.

    Cybercriminals are taking advantage of these hijacked accounts to spread cryptocurrency scams. Cryptocurrency “giveaway” scams often include links to malicious websites that steal the victim’s wallet information. Cybercriminals are also using hijacked accounts to post links to free software downloads, which ultimately link to malware. This info-stealing malware takes the victim’s usernames, passwords, and cookies, enabling the cybercriminals to compromise other accounts.

    For followers of social media, here are tips to protect yourself from scams and malware shared online:

    • Do not assume verified influencers or creators are always in full control of their posts. Pay attention to red flags such as a post seeming out of the ordinary or too good to be true.
    • Take extra caution when the post uses a sense of urgency to click a link or visit a website for things like cryptocurrency giveaways or free software downloads.
    • If you are concerned about a website link, look up the website’s registration information by searching for its “WHOIS” data. Proceed with caution if the site was registered recently and from an overseas country such as Russia.

    For social media influencers or creators, here are tips to keep your accounts from being hijacked:

    • Use strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
    • Be skeptical of emails claiming to be from social media companies asking you to relogin with your account credentials. Apply this same skepticism when receiving e-mails about collaboration opportunities that ask you to click suspicious links.
    • Monitor the login activity and connected devices to your account.

    Anyone who is a victim of an account takeover or Internet scam should report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at http://www.ic3.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Art Advisor Lisa Schiff Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Clients

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LISA SCHIFF, a Manhattan-based art advisor focused on contemporary art, pled guilty before United States District Judge J. Paul Oetken to one count of wire fraud for perpetrating a multi-year scheme in which she defrauded the clients of her art advisory business of approximately $6.5 million in connection with the purchase and sale of approximately 55 artworks.  SCHIFF will be sentenced by Judge Oetken on January 17, 2025, at 10:30 a.m.  

    U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Lisa Schiff breached the trust of her art advisory clients by lying to them and diverting millions of dollars her clients had entrusted to her.  Instead of using client funds as promised, Schiff used the stolen money to fund a lavish lifestyle. Today’s guilty plea serves as a reminder that the Southern District of New York will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who engage in fraud wherever we may find them, including the art market.”

    According to the Information, plea agreement, and statements made in court:

    From 2018 through May 2023, SCHIFF engaged in a scheme to defraud clients of her art advisory business, Schiff Fine Art (“SFA”) by diverting her clients’ funds—profits from the sale of her clients’ artworks or payments they made to purchase artwork—to pay her own personal and business expenses.  SCHIFF advised clients regarding the purchase and sale of artworks and bought and sold artworks on behalf of clients in exchange for a commission.  In her role as an art advisor, SCHIFF acted as an intermediary between art galleries and auction houses, and her clients, who were art collectors.  Typically, when SCHIFF’s clients bought or sold artworks, payments were routed through SCHIFF’s business, SFA.  In addition, when SCHIFF sold artworks on behalf of a client, she often had custody or control of the artworks to coordinate the sale.  At times, SCHIFF, through SFA, also sold artwork on consignment on behalf of artists and other galleries.   

    Starting in about 2018, SCHIFF began defrauding her clients in two ways: (1) not remitting payments to her clients when she sold their artwork while not disclosing to her clients that their artworks had, in fact, been sold; and (2) not purchasing artworks on behalf of clients despite representing to her clients that she would purchase certain artworks on their behalf using their funds.  Instead of using client funds as promised, SCHIFF diverted her clients’ money to pay her business and personal expenses.  SCHIFF lied to her clients and galleries in furtherance of her fraud scheme.  For example, when defrauding clients in connection with selling their artwork, SCHIFF at times lied to clients, claiming she had not sold the artwork, or the buyer was delayed in making the payment and SCHIFF still had custody of the artwork when, in fact, SCHIFF had sold the artwork, received payment from the buyer, and delivered the artwork to the buyer.  When defrauding clients in connection with purchasing artwork on their behalf, SCHIFF lied to galleries from which she was supposed to purchase artwork on behalf clients, blaming delays in payment on clients when, in fact, clients had already paid SCHIFF for the purchase of the artwork but she had diverted the funds for her own use.  Over several years, SCHIFF defrauded at least twelve clients, one artist, the estate of another artist, and one gallery, collectively, of at least approximately $6.5 million.  During her fraud, SCHIFF lived lavishly and incurred substantial debts, which she paid in part using her victims’ diverted funds.

    In about May 2023, SCHIFF could no longer conceal her scheme due to mounting debts. SCHIFF confessed to several clients that she had stolen their money.

    *                *                *

    SCHIFF, 54, a Manhattan resident, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years.  Under the terms of her plea agreement, SCHIFF agreed to forfeit approximately $6.4 million.

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

    Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team and the FBI/New York Police Department’s Joint Major Theft Task Force.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Ong and Cecilia Vogel are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Ahead of the Threat Podcast: Episode Zero

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)

    Welcome to Ahead of the Threat, the FBI’s new podcast miniseries that brings together an FBI cyber executive and a private sector chief information security officer. Join Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, and Jamil Farschi, a strategic engagement advisor for the FBI who also works as an executive vice president and CISO of Equifax, as they discuss emerging cyber threats and the enduring importance of cybersecurity fundamentals. Featuring distinguished guests from the business world and government, Ahead of the Threat will confront some of the biggest questions in cyber: How will emerging technology impact corporate America? How can corporate boards be structured for cyber resilience? What does the FBI think about generative artificial intelligence? Listen to new episodes biweekly and stay Ahead of the Threat.

    For a full transcript and download, visit: https://www.fbi.gov/audio-repository/ahead-of-the-threat-episode-zero-101624.mp3/view
    —————————————————
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs3-mWLTIRM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Charges Against Indian Government Employee in Connection with Foiled Plot to Assassinate U.S. Citizen in New York City

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Note: View the second unsealed superseding indictment here.

    The Justice Department today announced the filing of murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, 39, also known as Vikas, and Amanat, in connection with his role in directing a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City. Yadav is charged in a second superseding indictment unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Yadav’s alleged co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, 53, was previously charged and extradited to the United States on the charges contained in the first superseding indictment. Yadav remains at large.

    “The Justice Department will be relentless in holding accountable any person — regardless of their position or proximity to power — who seeks to harm and silence American citizens,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As alleged, last year, we foiled an attempt by Vikash Yadav, an Indian government employee, and his co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, to assassinate an American citizen on U.S. soil.  Today’s charges demonstrate that the Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to target and endanger Americans and to undermine the rights to which every U.S. citizen is entitled.”

    “The defendant, an Indian government employee, allegedly conspired with a criminal associate and attempted to assassinate a U.S. citizen on American soil for exercising their First Amendment rights,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will not tolerate acts of violence or other efforts to retaliate against those residing in the U.S. for exercising their constitutionally protected rights. We are committed to working with our partners to detect, disrupt, and hold accountable foreign nationals or others who seek to engage in such acts of transnational repression.”

    “Today’s charges are a grave example of the increase in lethal plotting and other forms of violent transnational repression targeting diaspora communities in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “To the governments around the world who may be considering such criminal activity and to the communities they would target, let there be no doubt that the Department of Justice is committed to disrupting and exposing these plots and to holding the wrongful actors accountable no matter who they are or where they reside.”

    “DEA foiled this assassination attempt last year and has continued to trace this case back to an employee of the Indian government whom we charge was an orchestrator of this intricate murder-for-hire scheme. DEA did not relent, and today’s indictment names Vikash Yadav as an alleged mastermind,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “We charge that Yadav, an employee of the Indian government, used his position of authority and access to confidential information to direct the attempted assassination of an outspoken critic of the Indian government here on U.S. soil. This case was led by the DEA New York Division’s Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of DEA, the New York State Police, and the New York City Police Department, and is a true testament to the tenacity and determination of our team.”

    “Last year, this office charged Nikhil Gupta for conspiring to assassinate a U.S. citizen of Indian origin on U.S. soil,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “But, as alleged, Gupta did not work alone. Today, we announce charges against an Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, who orchestrated the plot from India and directed Gupta to hire a hitman to murder the victim. The right to exercise free speech is foundational to our democracy, and predicated on the notion that we can do so without fear of violence or reprisal, including from beyond our borders. Let this case be a warning to all those who would seek to harm and silence U.S. citizens: we will hold you accountable, no matter who and where you are.” 

    As alleged in the second superseding indictment and other public court documents, in 2023, Yadav, working together with others, including Gupta, in India, and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on U.S. soil an attorney and political activist who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City (the victim). The victim is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the victim and his separatist organization from India.

    During times relevant to the second superseding indictment, Yadav was employed by the Government of India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which houses Indian’s foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing. Yadav has described his position as a “senior field officer” with responsibilities in “security management” and “intelligence.” Yadav also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer[] training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” Yadav is a citizen and resident of India, and he directed the plot to assassinate the Victim from India.

    In or about May 2023, Yadav recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination of the victim in the United States. Gupta is an Indian national who resided in India and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with Yadav and others. At Yadav’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom Gupta believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source (the CS) working with the DEA, for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the victim in New York City. The CS introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the UC). Yadav subsequently agreed, in dealings brokered by Gupta, to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the victim. On or about June 9, 2023, Yadav and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. Yadav’s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the UC in Manhattan.

    In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, Yadav provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim’s home address in New York City, phone numbers associated with the victim, and details about the victim’s day-to-day conduct, which Gupta then passed to the UC. Yadav directed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which Gupta accomplished by forwarding to Yadav, among other things, surveillance photographs of the victim. Gupta directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but Gupta also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of the Indian Prime Minister’s official state visit to the United States, which was scheduled to begin on or about June 20, 2023.

    On or about June 18, 2023, approximately two days before the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to the United States, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the victim, and, like the victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. On or about June 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, Gupta told the UC that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.” Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the Victim. On or about June 20, 2023, Yadav sent Gupta a news article about the victim and messaged Gupta, “[i]t’s [a] priority now.”

    Yadav and Gupta of India have been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The DEA New York Division and the FBI New York Field Office’s Counterintelligence Division are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the DEA Special Operations Division, DEA Vienna Country Office, FBI Prague Country Office, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexander Li for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorney A.J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ottawa — Significant transnational organized crime group disrupted by RCMP, FBI and police across Canada and the Americas

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The RCMP and FBI worked together for over a year to target a Mexican Cartel-linked criminal network. This network has been moving large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine from Central and South America via the United States to Canada and overseas. It also has been commissioning murders across North America, and laundering significant proceeds of crime.

    Enforcement action against the network began in Mexico earlier this month and continued this week with targeted arrests in Colombia, the United States, and Canada. These efforts are ongoing.

    The alleged leader of the network, Canadian Ryan Wedding, remains at large. He is wanted by the United States and Canada on separate charges.

    As part of FBI Operation GIANT SLALOM, US authorities indicted 16 people, including 10 Canadians, for a range of serious charges including drug trafficking, murder, conspiracy to murder and continuing a criminal enterprise.

    Four Canadians were arrested in Ontario this week by local Canadian law enforcement at the request of United States authorities, pending extradition. They were:

    • Hardeep Ratte
    • Gurpreet Singh
    • Rakhim Ibragimov
    • Malik Cunningham

    Three Canadian individuals were also arrested in the US:

    • Nahim Jorge Bonilla
    • Ranjit Singh Rowal
    • Iqbal Singh Virk

    A ninth Canadian, Andrew Clark, was arrested in Mexico by local authorities earlier this month as part of efforts against this network.

    A tenth Canadian, Gennadii Bilonog, remains at large.

    Along with the indictments, law enforcement seized over one tonne of drugs and collected evidence on numerous homicides and conspiracies to commit murder.

    RCMP Federal Policing worked closely with the FBI during the investigation and acted as a crucial link to Canadian law enforcement, including Niagara Regional Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police.

    This successful collaboration between the RCMP, the FBI, police in Canada, and overseas highlights the RCMP’s continued international and domestic efforts to reduce the harm to Canadians caused by global drug trafficking and violent crime. It is one example of the tireless work we do here in Canada and around the world everyday with our partners to tackle the threats we face and prevent transnational crime from hurting everyday Canadians and our allies. Our global efforts are yielding results that keep Canadians safe.

    Liam Price, Director General, International Special Services

    As the world becomes more interconnected, organized crime groups continue to evolve and expand internationally. Through collaborative efforts with the FBI, we have disrupted a major organized crime group. The actions taken during this operation will have positive impacts on the safety and security of our communities and citizens.

    Chief Superintendent Mathieu Bertrand, Director General, Serious and Organized Crime and Border Integrity

    Organized crime extends beyond borders and is constantly developing new ways to thwart the law. Partnerships, such as the one with the FBI, allow the RCMP to join forces to disrupt criminal activity.

    Appeal to the public

    Any member of the public with information on the whereabouts of Gennadii Bilonog is asked to call their local Police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477

    Do you have information on the illegal activities of individuals or groups of individuals? Contact the RCMP or your local police department.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Prepare Fraudulent Loan Applications Totaling More Than $400,000

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

    MIAMI – On Oct. 15, Lakeisha Black a/k/a/ “Lakeisha Pierce,” pled guilty in federal court in Fort Lauderdale to conspiracy to make false statements to the Small Business Administration in connection with myriad fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

    From July 2020 through June 2021, Black charged between $2,000 and $6,000 to prepare fraudulent PPP loans for at least 14 other individuals, including three former Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputies, who all previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy in separate cases and have been sentenced. In total, Black is responsible for over $400,000 in fraudulent PPP loans. 

    The sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith. Black faces up to 5 years in prison for the conspiracy. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau;  Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office; Sheriff Gregory Tony of Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

    FRB-OIG, DCIS, BSO, and FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Latoya C. Brown and Trevor C. Jones are prosecuting it.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General 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. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud.  The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60137.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Weapons Violations

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

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – GEOURVON SEARS (“SEARS”), age 27, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on October 10, 2024 before Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Tapentadol, and Marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D), and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).

    According to court documents, on June 6, 2024, New Orleans Police Department officers executed a search warrant at SEARS’s residence and recovered his backpack, containing methamphetamine, tapentadol, and marijuana, that SEARS intended to sell.  Officers also recovered two loaded firearms—a Romarm/Cugir Model Mini Draco semi-automatic pistol and a Norinco Model SKS rifle—that SEARS possessed, in furtherance of his possession with intent to distribute those controlled substances.

    As to his drug trafficking conviction, SEARS faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release.  As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.  Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

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

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alleged Members of Potomac Gardens Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Arrested and Charged with Distributing Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine

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

                WASHINGTON – This morning, six people were arrested on charges connected to a wide-ranging conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, cocaine, and methamphetamine, in the Potomac Gardens Housing Project in Southeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office.  

               Arrested were Robert Hunt, 40, Garrett Isley, 42, Maurice Tutt, 50, Vera Jackson, 74, all of Washington, D.C., Michael Augment, 36, of Lorton, Virginia, and Lawrence Smith, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia. Each made their initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. 

         “This is the latest federal indictment charging a D.C.-based crew with narcotics and firearms offenses” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Drug trafficking operations, like the one alleged in the indictment, not only peddle poison, but they are also magnets for gun violence.  We will continue to aggressively prosecute these crews that are undermining community safety.”

              “Fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine have no place in our community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “Today’s arrests stem from a yearslong investigation by the FBI and our law enforcement partners and mark a step forward in our efforts to reduce drug trafficking in the nation’s capital.”

               The multi-agency law enforcement operation included members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), District of Columbia Housing Authority Police, Virginia State Police, and Fairfax County and City police departments.   

               According to the indictment, between January and October of 2024, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics in and around the District of Columbia. It is further alleged that Hunt unlawfully distributed fentanyl and carried a gun in furtherance of drug trafficking. Isley is charged with unlawful possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine.

               The indictment arises from a long-term investigation by the FBI, MPD, and the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) into drug and firearms trafficking in Potomac Gardens. In December 2023, MCPD learned that defendant Hunt regularly was selling fentanyl from an apartment in the housing complex.  An undercover officer (UC) purchased narcotics, in particular fentanyl, from Hunt. Hunt initially used “runners” to deliver the narcotics to the UC. However, after a few buys, Hunt began to deal directly with the undercover officer. From approximately January 2024 through September 2024, the UC purchased approximately 215.87 grams of fentanyl powder and approximately 2,950 fentanyl pills from Hunt.  The UC also purchased a .357 “ghost gun” from Hunt.  

               Through a court-authorized wiretap on Hunt’s phone, agents learned of several of his co-conspirators and the roles they each played. Agents also placed a camera outside Hunt’s apartment and outside the apartment of one of his supplier’s, defendant Isley. Through a wiretap on Isley’s phone, agents learned of additional members of the conspiracy. MPD stopped Isley in a traffic stop on June 19, 2024, during which they recovered 468 blue, suspected fentanyl pills, about 37.4 grams of cocaine base, approximately 24.5 grams of cocaine, and about 60 grams of methamphetamine and other narcotics.

              On October 16, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at various stash houses and residences of the co-conspirators. Agents recovered five firearms, approximately $31,000 in cash, approximately 500 grams of suspected fentanyl and smaller amounts of other narcotics, two money counters, and additional drug paraphernalia. 

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

               This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA Washington Field Office, District of Columbia Housing Authority Police, Virginia State Police, and Fairfax County and City police departments.   

               It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Maryland and the Eastern District in Virginia in helping to coordinate search warrants and arrests.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazoria Man Heads to Prison for Exploiting 13-Year-Old Child Through Nude Photos and Explicit Texts

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

    GALVESTON, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for sending obscene photos and messages to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

    U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown convicted George Jimenez April 23 following a one-day trial earlier that month. Prior to trial, Jimenez pleaded guilty to two counts of transfer of obscene material to a minor.

    Judge Brown has now sentenced Jimenez to 24o and 120 months for the coercion and enticement of a minor and transfer of obscene material to a minor convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 240-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also heard additional information including testimony from four victims detailing how Jimenez’s actions affected them. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the reprehensibility of Jimenez’s conduct and the need for a severe sentence to deter and prevent future criminal conduct. Jimenez was further ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Jimenez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

    “Today’s sentence should be a deterrence to individuals who commit serious online crimes against minors, even when there has been no physical contact,” said Hamdani. “Jimenez preyed on vulnerable victims who were unaware they were communicating with an adult male.”

    In April 2019, law enforcement discovered Jimenez had sent pictures of his genitals to a 13-year-old girl and other contacts in his phone. Five were the minors’ 12 and 13-year-old classmates.

    Authorities executed a federal search warrant and discovered Jimenez was using the TextNow application to disguise himself as a teenage boy to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors.

    From March until April 2019, Jimenez engaged in those communications, including sending at least five pictures of his genitals to the 13-year-old child. In approximately 17 communications, Jimenez asked the minor victim for pictures of either her breasts, buttocks or genital area.

    In a text exchange, the minor shared information with Jimenez that she shaved her genital region. Jimenez then sent messages asking to see images of it.

    At the time of the trial, the defense attempted to convince the court the messages he sent to the minor did not arise to the level of attempting to persuade the minor to send him sexually explicit photos of herself. He did not believe those claims and found Jimenez guilty as charged. In his ruling, the court stated, “these requests were direct, specific and unambiguous. They were not shrouded in innuendo or bashfulness. Simply put, there is no question that Jimenez repeatedly asked [the minor] to take and send him pictures of her genitals and pubic area.”

    He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    FBI conducted the investigation.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department’s Nationwide Election Day Program for the General Election

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

    TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson announced that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Steven Briden will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Briden has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and in that capacity, is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.  Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).   

    In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming elections, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Briden will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached at 918-703-7832 or by email at Steven.Briden@usdoj.gov

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 405-290-3700.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge of Traveling to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct

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

    Defendant Arranged to Sexually Abuse a Six-Year-Old Girl in D.C.

                WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Lamar Nelson Scott, 36, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

               Scott pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 28, 2025.

                According to the government’s evidence, in May 2024, Scott began communicating via an encrypted messaging application with a man he met on a fetish website. Scott believed the man to be a pedophile who was sexually abusing his six-year-old daughter. Unbeknownst to Scott, the man was an undercover officer with the MPD–FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Over the next several days, Scott engaged in graphic conversations about sexually abusing the child. On June 5, 2024, Scott arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. He traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C., and was arrested. Scott has remained in custody since his arrest.

               Scott faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In addition, Scott will be required to register as a sex offender following any prison term.

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

                This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

                The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.

    24cr287

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of a Black Transgender Woman

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Note: View a video statement from Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke here.

    A South Carolina man, Daqua Lameek Ritter, was sentenced today to life in prison for the December 2019 murder of Dime Doe, a Black transgender woman from Allendale, South Carolina.

    On Feb. 24, a jury convicted Ritter of all charges in the indictment, which included one hate crime count, one federal firearms count, and one obstruction count, all arising out of the murder of Dime Doe. This was the first guilty verdict in trial under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (Shepard-Byrd Act) for violence against a transgender person.

    “Bias-motivated violence has no place in our society. With today’s sentencing, the defendant is being held accountable for the senseless murder of Dime Doe, a transgender woman of color,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “We hope that the verdict and sentence in this case provides Ms. Doe’s loved ones with some sense of comfort and demonstrates that the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute those who commit violent acts of hate against the LGBTQI+ community.”

    “This sentence holds the defendant accountable for the heinous and tragic murder of Dime Doe, a Black transgender woman,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s sentencing will not bring Dime Doe back but hopefully provides a small measure of comfort to Dime’s family, loved ones and the community. This sentencing sends a clear message — the Justice Department vigorously defends the civil rights of every American. We will use all the resources at our disposal to safeguard the rights of the LGBTQI+ community, and we will investigate and prosecute perpetrators of transphobic-fueled violence in our country. In America, trans and gender non-conforming people, deserve to live their lives free from violence based on who they are and who they love.”

    “Protecting civil rights remains at the forefront of our office’s priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “From the smallest of communities, like Allendale, to anywhere in South Carolina where hate and injustice occur. We will continue to fight for the rights of those targeted because of their race, their religion, their gender identity or sexual orientation, or their ability.”

    “Today’s sentencing is a culmination of hard work and dedication to the pursuit of justice for Dime Doe,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Let me be clear, no one should live their life in fear because of their sexual identity or appearance. Charged under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Mr. Ritter will now face the consequences for his actions. This act reminds us of the need to unite against hate and violence in our communities.”

    “This sentence reflects the gravity of Ritter’s horrific crime of murdering Dime Doe,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “It is our hope that this outcome brings a measure of closure to Doe’s loved ones. As they continue to mourn this tragedy, the FBI remains steadfast in ensuring the protection and dignity of all citizens.”

    Evidence presented at trial showed that Ritter was upset that rumors about his sexual relationship with Dime Doe were out in the community. On Aug. 4, 2019, the defendant lured Doe to a remote area in Allendale and shot her three times in the head. At trial, the government proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ritter murdered Doe because of her gender identity. Ritter then burned the clothes he was wearing during the crime, disposed of the murder weapon, and repeatedly lied to law enforcement.

    The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case, with the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Allendale County Sheriff’s Office, and Allendale Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brook Andrews, Ben Garner, and Elle Klein for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

    More information about the Department’s hate crimes efforts, including facts and statistics, case examples, and a searchable collection of the department’s resources for law enforcement, community groups, researchers, and others, are available at http://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: South Carolina Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of a Black Transgender Woman

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Case Was the First Guilty Verdict in Trial for Violence Against a Transgender Person

    Note: View a video statement from Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke here.

    A South Carolina man, Daqua Lameek Ritter, was sentenced today to life in prison for the December 2019 murder of Dime Doe, a Black transgender woman from Allendale, South Carolina.

    On Feb. 24, a jury convicted Ritter of all charges in the indictment, which included one hate crime count, one federal firearms count, and one obstruction count, all arising out of the murder of Dime Doe. This was the first guilty verdict in trial under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (Shepard-Byrd Act) for violence against a transgender person.

    “Bias-motivated violence has no place in our society. With today’s sentencing, the defendant is being held accountable for the senseless murder of Dime Doe, a transgender woman of color,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “We hope that the verdict and sentence in this case provides Ms. Doe’s loved ones with some sense of comfort and demonstrates that the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute those who commit violent acts of hate against the LGBTQI+ community.”

    “This sentence holds the defendant accountable for the heinous and tragic murder of Dime Doe, a Black transgender woman,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s sentencing will not bring Dime Doe back but hopefully provides a small measure of comfort to Dime’s family, loved ones and the community. This sentencing sends a clear message — the Justice Department vigorously defends the civil rights of every American. We will use all the resources at our disposal to safeguard the rights of the LGBTQI+ community, and we will investigate and prosecute perpetrators of transphobic-fueled violence in our country. In America, trans and gender non-conforming people, deserve to live their lives free from violence based on who they are and who they love.”

    “Protecting civil rights remains at the forefront of our office’s priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “From the smallest of communities, like Allendale, to anywhere in South Carolina where hate and injustice occur. We will continue to fight for the rights of those targeted because of their race, their religion, their gender identity or sexual orientation, or their ability.”

    “Today’s sentencing is a culmination of hard work and dedication to the pursuit of justice for Dime Doe,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Let me be clear, no one should live their life in fear because of their sexual identity or appearance. Charged under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Mr. Ritter will now face the consequences for his actions. This act reminds us of the need to unite against hate and violence in our communities.”

    “This sentence reflects the gravity of Ritter’s horrific crime of murdering Dime Doe,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “It is our hope that this outcome brings a measure of closure to Doe’s loved ones. As they continue to mourn this tragedy, the FBI remains steadfast in ensuring the protection and dignity of all citizens.”

    Evidence presented at trial showed that Ritter was upset that rumors about his sexual relationship with Dime Doe were out in the community. On Aug. 4, 2019, the defendant lured Doe to a remote area in Allendale and shot her three times in the head. At trial, the government proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ritter murdered Doe because of her gender identity. Ritter then burned the clothes he was wearing during the crime, disposed of the murder weapon, and repeatedly lied to law enforcement.

    The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case, with the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Allendale County Sheriff’s Office, and Allendale Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brook Andrews, Ben Garner, and Elle Klein for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

    More information about the Department’s hate crimes efforts, including facts and statistics, case examples, and a searchable collection of the department’s resources for law enforcement, community groups, researchers, and others, are available at www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Announces Charges Against Indian Government Employee in Connection with Foiled Plot to Assassinate U.S. Citizen in New York City

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Vikash Yadav Directed Plot to Murder U.S.-Based Leader of Sikh Separatist Movement

    Note: View the second unsealed superseding indictment here.

    The Justice Department today announced the filing of murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, 39, also known as Vikas, and Amanat, in connection with his role in directing a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City. Yadav is charged in a second superseding indictment unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Yadav’s alleged co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, 53, was previously charged and extradited to the United States on the charges contained in the first superseding indictment. Yadav remains at large.

    “The Justice Department will be relentless in holding accountable any person — regardless of their position or proximity to power — who seeks to harm and silence American citizens,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As alleged, last year, we foiled an attempt by Vikash Yadav, an Indian government employee, and his co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, to assassinate an American citizen on U.S. soil.  Today’s charges demonstrate that the Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to target and endanger Americans and to undermine the rights to which every U.S. citizen is entitled.”

    “The defendant, an Indian government employee, allegedly conspired with a criminal associate and attempted to assassinate a U.S. citizen on American soil for exercising their First Amendment rights,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will not tolerate acts of violence or other efforts to retaliate against those residing in the U.S. for exercising their constitutionally protected rights. We are committed to working with our partners to detect, disrupt, and hold accountable foreign nationals or others who seek to engage in such acts of transnational repression.”

    “Today’s charges are a grave example of the increase in lethal plotting and other forms of violent transnational repression targeting diaspora communities in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “To the governments around the world who may be considering such criminal activity and to the communities they would target, let there be no doubt that the Department of Justice is committed to disrupting and exposing these plots and to holding the wrongful actors accountable no matter who they are or where they reside.”

    “DEA foiled this assassination attempt last year and has continued to trace this case back to an employee of the Indian government whom we charge was an orchestrator of this intricate murder-for-hire scheme. DEA did not relent, and today’s indictment names Vikash Yadav as an alleged mastermind,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “We charge that Yadav, an employee of the Indian government, used his position of authority and access to confidential information to direct the attempted assassination of an outspoken critic of the Indian government here on U.S. soil. This case was led by the DEA New York Division’s Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of DEA, the New York State Police, and the New York City Police Department, and is a true testament to the tenacity and determination of our team.”

    “Last year, this office charged Nikhil Gupta for conspiring to assassinate a U.S. citizen of Indian origin on U.S. soil,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “But, as alleged, Gupta did not work alone. Today, we announce charges against an Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, who orchestrated the plot from India and directed Gupta to hire a hitman to murder the victim. The right to exercise free speech is foundational to our democracy, and predicated on the notion that we can do so without fear of violence or reprisal, including from beyond our borders. Let this case be a warning to all those who would seek to harm and silence U.S. citizens: we will hold you accountable, no matter who and where you are.” 

    As alleged in the second superseding indictment and other public court documents, in 2023, Yadav, working together with others, including Gupta, in India, and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on U.S. soil an attorney and political activist who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City (the victim). The victim is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the victim and his separatist organization from India.

    During times relevant to the second superseding indictment, Yadav was employed by the Government of India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which houses Indian’s foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing. Yadav has described his position as a “senior field officer” with responsibilities in “security management” and “intelligence.” Yadav also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer[] training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” Yadav is a citizen and resident of India, and he directed the plot to assassinate the Victim from India.

    In or about May 2023, Yadav recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination of the victim in the United States. Gupta is an Indian national who resided in India and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with Yadav and others. At Yadav’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom Gupta believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source (the CS) working with the DEA, for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the victim in New York City. The CS introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the UC). Yadav subsequently agreed, in dealings brokered by Gupta, to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the victim. On or about June 9, 2023, Yadav and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. Yadav’s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the UC in Manhattan.

    In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, Yadav provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim’s home address in New York City, phone numbers associated with the victim, and details about the victim’s day-to-day conduct, which Gupta then passed to the UC. Yadav directed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which Gupta accomplished by forwarding to Yadav, among other things, surveillance photographs of the victim. Gupta directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but Gupta also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of the Indian Prime Minister’s official state visit to the United States, which was scheduled to begin on or about June 20, 2023.

    On or about June 18, 2023, approximately two days before the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to the United States, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the victim, and, like the victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. On or about June 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, Gupta told the UC that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.” Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the Victim. On or about June 20, 2023, Yadav sent Gupta a news article about the victim and messaged Gupta, “[i]t’s [a] priority now.”

    Yadav and Gupta of India have been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The DEA New York Division and the FBI New York Field Office’s Counterintelligence Division are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the DEA Special Operations Division, DEA Vienna Country Office, FBI Prague Country Office, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexander Li for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorney A.J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Five Defendants Sentenced for Long-Running Bid-Rigging Conspiracy in Georgia Concrete Industry

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Four executives and a corporation were sentenced for participating in a long-running conspiracy to fix prices, rig bids and allocate jobs for ready-mix concrete in the greater Savannah, Georgia area.

    James Clayton Pedrick, Gregory Hall Melton, John David Melton, Timothy “Bo” Strickland and Evans Concrete LLC were charged in September 2020 with conspiring to fix prices, rig bids and allocate jobs for the sale of ready-mix concrete used in residential, commercial and public projects. Pedrick, Strickland and Evans Concrete later pleaded guilty for their participation in this conspiracy. Gregory Hall Melton and John David Melton were convicted by a jury in the U.S. District Court in Savannah earlier this year. Argos USA LLC separately admitted to its role in the conspiracy and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division in January 2021.

    Gregory Hall Melton was sentenced today to 41 months in prison, and three years of supervised release and to pay a $50,000 fine. John David Melton was sentenced today to 26 months in prison, three years of supervised release and to pay a $10,000 fine. The court previously sentenced Strickland to five months in prison and to pay $150,000 fine, Pedrick to one year of probation and Evans Concrete to pay a $2.7 million fine. Argos USA LLC paid a $20 million criminal penalty as part of its DPA.

    According to court documents, the defendants effectuated their conspiracy by coordinating the issuance of price-increase letters to customers, allocating specific ready-mix concrete jobs in the coastal Georgia area, and submitting bids to customers at collusive and noncompetitive prices. The charged conspiracy began as early as 2010 and continued until about July 2016.

    “These sentences reflect the egregious nature of rigging bids for materials like ready-mix concrete which are essential to the American economy,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will hold accountable those who seek to exploit the critical need for these materials to harm consumers.”

    “Concrete is an essential material in construction projects, with prices set in the free market by the forces of supply and demand,” said U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia. “However, the defendants in this case for several years illegally rigged the system to benefit themselves at the expense of customers and are being held accountable for their conduct.”

    “Activities related to bid-rigging and collusion do not promote an environment conducive to open competition which harms the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). “The sentencing in this case represents a win for all law enforcement agencies who investigate those who engage in this type of harmful conduct to ensure that justice is served.”

    “The sentences imposed today send a clear message to anyone who chooses corporate greed over open and fair competition,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris of the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), Southern Region. “Our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners and DOJ’s Antitrust Division is unwavering as we continue to pursue and uncover corrupt conduct and hold companies that intentionally engage in wrongdoing accountable.”

    The FBI Washington Field Office, DOT OIG and USPS OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Patrick S. Brown and former Trial Attorney Julia M. Maloney of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Greg Gilluly Jr. for the Southern District of Georgia prosecuted the case.

    Anyone with information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation or other anticompetitive conduct in the ready-mix concrete industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Puerto Rico’s Most Wanted Fugitive Arrested in Lajas, PR

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

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Nelson Torres-Delgado, a.k.a. “El Burro”, was arrested today in the municipality of Lajas, PR, on criminal charges related to his alleged drug trafficking and violent crimes charges in three different indictments since 2017. Torres-Delgado’s first indictment in Crim. Case No. 17-621 was issued on December 8, 2017, where he was charged in a conspiracy with 43 other individuals with drug trafficking and firearms violations. The second indictment was issued by a grand jury on May 20, 2019, in Crim. Case No. 19-307 where he was charged with 25 other individuals also with drug trafficking and firearms violations. The third indictment pending against Torres-Delgado was issued on August 21, 2024, in Crim. Case 23-273, where he was charged in a conspiracy with 51 other individuals with drug trafficking, firearms violations, and drug-related murders.

    According to court documents, Nelson Torres-Delgado, 37, was the leader of a violent drug trafficking organization in Caguas and other areas, since the early 2010s. He had been a federal fugitive since 2017 and maintained control over the criminal organization as a fugitive through deadly violence and intimidation, and by engaging in violent turf wars against rival drug trafficking organizations. His methods of avoiding capture while controlling his gang included limited face-to-face contact to only the highest and most trusted leaders in his organization.

    “As alleged in the indictments, Torres-Delgado was the leader of a violent, armed criminal enterprise that he controlled even as a fugitive from justice since 2017. Thanks to the tenacious efforts and collaboration of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, he now will face justice in a United States courtroom in Puerto Rico,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

    “When we work together, we accomplish more and when communities come alongside us as partners in the fight against drug trafficking and violent crime, amazing things can happen,” said Joseph González, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “No one is above the law, and no one is untouchable. Especially, when the public collaborates with law enforcement. The FBI’s commitment is to the people and I look forward to continuing the work we have begun with our local partners and the support of the public.”

    “This arrest is a culmination of a long-term fugitive apprehension effort of one of the most violent individuals in an effort to bolster public safety for the people of Puerto Rico,” said Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Miami Field Division.

    Torres-Delgado is charged with drug trafficking, firearms violations, money laundering, and multiple drug-related murders. If convicted, Torres-Delgado faces up to life in prison, with the possibility of the death penalty for certain offenses. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    This arrest was led by the FBI, Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), ATF, and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and AUSAs R. Vance Eaton and Héctor Siaca Flores are prosecuting the case.

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

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Attorney’s Office to Monitor Election Day Complaints

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NASHVILLE – Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee announced today that Criminal Chief Ben Schrader will lead the United States Attorney’s Office’s efforts in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. Criminal Chief Schrader has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Middle District of Tennessee, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    Acting United States Attorney Jaworski said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

    Acting United States Attorney Jaworski stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Criminal Chief/DEO Schrader will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (615) 736-5151.”

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The Nashville Division of the FBI, which covers the entire state of Tennessee, can be reached by the public at (865) 544-0751.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    Acting United States Attorney Jaworski said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

    #####

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jefferson City Man Sentenced for $26 Million Bank Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court today for a multi-million dollar bank fraud scheme that included fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for four businesses.

    Tod Ray Keilholz, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to a total sentence of 12 years in federal prison without parole.

    On March 28, 2024, Keilholz pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

    Keilholz was the sole owner of TRK Construction, LLC, TRK Valpo, LLC, TL Builders, LLC, and Project Design, LLC.

    By pleading guilty, Keilholz admitted that he engaged in a bank fraud scheme from Jan. 1, 2018, to Jan. 7, 2021.

    Prior to the bank fraud scheme, Keilholz obtained three business loans totaling $3,526,771 from Hawthorn Bank between Aug. 31, 2017, and Sept. 21, 2018. One of these loans financed the purchase of property in Valparaiso, Indiana. As Keilholz’s businesses failed, these loans fell into default and sub-contractors sued him for unpaid invoices during 2019 and 2020. In February 2020, Hawthorn Bank initiated foreclosure proceedings. Keilholz delayed the foreclosure proceedings and paid off these loans and other past due debts with fraudulent PPP loans.

    The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the PPP authorized forgivable loans, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration, to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.

    Keilholz received a total of $12,430,932 in PPP loans for his four businesses. In each of those loan applications, Keilholz admitted, he failed to disclose his ownership in the other three businesses, and made materially false and fraudulent claims in the loan applications and supporting documentation. Keilholz falsely stated the businesses were in operation on Feb. 15, 2020, and eligible for PPP loans. He inflated the income of those businesses and claimed payrolls for employees who did not exist or no longer worked for him. Additionally, Keilholz applied for a $7,818,705 PPP loan for TRK Valpo but the loan was denied by the bank.

    Keilholz received a $1,706,260 PPP loan for TRK Construction, a $3,618,815 PPP loan for TL Builders, a $3,903,857 PPP loan for Project Design, and a $3,202,000 PPP loan for TRK Valpo.

    Keilholz admitted that he used PPP loan proceeds for unauthorized purposes other than legitimate payroll, lease and mortgage interest, and utilities as required by the PPP. Keilholz, through TRK Construction, had accrued substantial and delinquent indebtedness to a number of lenders, and all or part of these debts were satisfied by PPP loan proceeds.

    The conviction for aggravated identity theft is related to Keilholz’s use of a former TRK Construction employee whose name and Social Security number were used without his knowledge or authorization on wage reports in connection with a fraudulent PPP loan application for TRK Valpo.

    Under the terms of his plea agreement, Keilholz must forfeit to the government any property involved in, or derived from the proceeds of his bank fraud scheme, including a money judgment of $12,430,932, two properties in Jefferson City, one property in Valparaiso, one property in La Porte, Ind., four vehicles (a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado, two 2021 Chevrolet Silverados, and a 2019 BMW X5), a 2020 John Deer ZTrak, a 2020 John Deere Tractor, a Kubota Compact Track Loader, a Gents 43mm IWC Schaffhausen Perpetual Chronograph wristwatch, two Gents stainless steel Rolex Sea-Dweller self-winding automatic diver’s watches, and a Gents Citizen Eco-Drive Radio-controlled world time self-winding automatic watch with sapphire crystal.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General; the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; the FBI; and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner Announces Launch of Ashanti Alert Website

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – With National Crime Prevention Month underway, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today announced the launch of the Ashanti Alert website administered by the Department of Justice. The Ashanti Alert, created by a Warner-authored law, seeks to notify the public about missing or endangered adults, ages 18-64, and assist by way of a national communications network. The public website unveiled today provides information about the law and the National Ashanti Alert Network, and it includes links to state missing person programs and other resources.
    “Having fought for the passage and nationwide implementation of the Ashanti Alert nationwide, I’m very proud to announce the launch of a public website that will help the public better understand how to report a missing person,” said Sen. Warner. “I’ve been proud to work closely with the Department of Justice on the launch of these resources as we continue to honor Ashanti’s legacy and save lives.”
    The Ashanti Alert Law, championed by Sen. Warner in 2018, was named after Ashanti Billie – a 19-year-old whose body was discovered in North Carolina, 11 days after she was first reported missing in Norfolk, Va. At the time of Ashanti’s abduction, she was too old for an AMBER Alert and too young for a Silver Alert. 
    In 2023, the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) reported 546,097 entries for missing individuals – 34 percent of whom were over 18 when reported missing. This data underscores the urgency of addressing missing adult cases, given that missing person reports for adults do not always receive the same mandatory attention as those involving juveniles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NSA/CSS Donates Two Tractor Trailers of Food in Feds Feed Families Campaign

    Source: National Security Agency NSA

    National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) affiliates across the Enterprise helped raise 136,472 pounds of food in this year’s Feds Feed Families (FFF) Summer Food Drive.

    “The success of this year’s campaign is a testament to those who gave generously to help their community,” said Gen Tim Haugh, Commander, USCYBERCOM, Director, NSA/Chief, CSS.

    The drive concluded in August, with NSA/CSS Washington’s portion going to a local food bank, which provides more than 41 million meals to families in need every year.

    “It’s incredible to see firsthand the impact that this Agency has on the local community,” said FFF Program Manager Veronica Maylish Beckenstrater. “I witnessed so much generosity — from folks dropping food off to online donations, including those who donated to enter the cutest pet photo contest.”

    “I was so pleased to see employees getting involved with the events and contests this year,” said Marlisa Smith, NSA Chief of Staff and senior advocate for the 2024 FFF campaign. “Giving back is such a wonderful way for our employees to make a difference.”

    The overall FFF campaign, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is an annual government-wide campaign that encourages Federal Government employees to donate food, money, or volunteer hours. It occurs during the summer months to help food banks and pantries stay stocked during a period when donations usually decline and the need increases.

     “Some affiliates may not realize how empty local food banks can get during the summer months,” said NSA’s volunteer program manager. “It’s actually been hard to schedule volunteer morale building activities at food banks in the NSA Washington area this spring and summer because some of their shelves have been bare.”

    The generosity of NSA/CSS employees helped to fill this gap, according to Maylish Beckenstrater.

    “The FFF team and workforce’s dedication was vital to the success of the campaign and will provide food to many families and their pets in our community,” said State and Local Affairs Chief Barry Boseman.

    When combined with NSA/CSS’s contributions to the Combined Federal Campaign that were given to charities focused on food and nutrition, NSA has donated 1,417,631 pounds so far this calendar year.

    “This makes NSA/CSS the second highest food donor in the Department of Defense so far this year, which is pretty incredible,” said Maylish Beckenstrater.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: The Enemy Within: Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Insider Threats

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In today’s interconnected digital world, organizations face a multitude of cybersecurity challenges, with insider threats posing a significant risk. These threats, whether malicious or unintentional, pose a significant risk to organizations of all sizes and industries.

    The Evolving Nature of Insider Threats

    Traditionally, insider threats were often disgruntled employees or those motivated by personal gain. However, the landscape has shifted. State-sponsored actors, and sophisticated hacking groups are now actively planting threat actors inside of target organizations. This new breed of insider threat is patient, highly skilled, and often backed by substantial resources.

    Recently, KnowBe4 inadvertently hired a North Korean threat actor who attempted to infiltrate the organization by posing as a software engineer. Thanks to our strong security protocols and the vigilance of the InfoSec team, they were exposed within 25 minutes of showing suspicious activities during onboarding, preventing any unauthorized access to systems.

    Incidents like these underscore a well-known and widespread tactic employed by North Korean threat actors. This was confirmed later when we shared the collected data with the FBI and cybersecurity experts at Mandiant. It’s a reminder that in cybersecurity, information sharing is crucial.

    Other recent incidents across various industries have also highlighted this growing trend. Organizations have found themselves unknowingly hiring individuals with malicious intent. These threat actors often pose as legitimate job seekers, using stolen or fabricated identities, and leveraging advanced technologies like AI to create convincing personas.

    The Modern Insider Threat

    Today’s insider threats are mostly characterized by:

    • Sophisticated Identity Theft: Using stolen identities complete with verifiable background information.
    • Advanced Technology: Employing AI-generated images and deep fake technology to bypass visual verifications.
    • Social Engineering: Expertly navigating interview processes and social interactions within the organization.
    • Technical Skills: Possessing genuine skills to perform job functions while covertly pursuing malicious objectives.
    • Patience and Persistence: Willing to invest significant time to gain trust and access within an organization.

    The Stakes Are Higher Than Ever

    The potential damage from insider threats extends far beyond data breaches or financial losses. These threat actors can:

    • Exfiltrate sensitive data
    • Sabotage critical infrastructure
    • Manipulate financial systems
    • Compromise national security
    • Damage brand reputation and erode customer trust

    Mitigating Insider Threats

    To combat this evolving threat, organizations must adopt a multi-faceted approach:

    • Enhanced Vetting Processes: Implement rigorous background checks, including cross-referencing multiple sources.
    • Continuous Monitoring: Employ advanced behavioral analytics and anomaly detection systems.
    • Zero Trust Mindset: Adopt a “never trust, always verify” approach to access control.
    • Security Awareness Training: Educate all employees about the signs of insider threats and reporting suspicious behavior.
    • Regular Security Audits: Conduct frequent assessments of access privileges and system vulnerabilities.
    • Incident Response Planning: Develop and regularly test plans for quickly containing potential insider threats.
    • Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Foster close cooperation between HR, IT, and security teams to create a unified defense.

    The Path Forward

    As insider threats evolve, organizations must adopt a holistic strategy combining technology with human vigilance. Building a culture of security awareness is crucial, empowering employees to act as human firewalls. Information sharing within industries and with law enforcement is vital, as collaboration is key to combating these sophisticated threats. 

    Conclusion

    The fight against insider threats is an ongoing process of adaptation, learning, and vigilance. In this new era of cybersecurity, our greatest assets are our people, our processes, and our willingness to evolve. By harnessing these strengths, we can create resilient organizations capable of withstanding the threats that lie within.

    To learn more about how you can protect your organization, read the KnowBe4 whitepaper on the topic here.

    By Dr. Martin J. Kraemer, Cybersecurity Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4

    The MIL Network –