NewzIntel.com

Category: Intelligence Agencies

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Encourages High School Juniors to Apply to Attend Fall 2024 Sacramento FBI Teen Academy

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

    Free, Single-Day Class Offers “Insider View” of the FBI

    SACRAMENTO—The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office encourages all high school juniors within the office’s 34-county area of responsibility to apply to attend the Fall 2024 FBI Teen Academy held at the field office’s headquarters in Roseville. All high school juniors— to include those enrolled in public, private, charter, or home school—who are curious about the FBI are eligible to apply to be considered for the program.

    Students selected to attend the academy spend an informative, interactive day learning about the FBI’s investigative priorities; participating in unique, interactive experiences; connecting with FBI personnel representing diverse professional backgrounds; and gaining knowledge that can be shared with their peers and community. Students who attend the program gain greater awareness of the threats their communities face, the challenges presented by the online environment, and the personal choices that can affect their future careers. This knowledge better prepares students to mentor their peers. Ideal candidates are engaged with their respective communities and each student must obtain signatures from their school administration endorsing their participation.

    The class is offered at no charge. Families do not incur any fees for the class, meals, and refreshments offered during FBI Teen Academy instruction. Transportation to and from the class is not provided. If travel is necessary to attend the class, families must arrange for transportation and cover any expenses incurred to facilitate attendance.

    Students interested in attending the free class must download the Fall 2024 FBI Teen Academy application from the FBI Sacramento Field Office’s Community Outreach web page, complete and obtain signatures on all forms, and complete an essay as directed in the application instructions without the assistance of artificial intelligence. Completed application packages must arrive at FBI Sacramento Field Office Headquarters by 4 p.m. on Friday, October 11, 2024. Late applications may be rejected.

    The FBI Sacramento Field Office serves the following 34 California counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba.

    Links:

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gun Supplier Convicted of Murdering 13-Year-Old Boy Gets 108½ Years in Prison

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

                WASHINGTON – Stephon Nelson, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court to 108 ½ years in prison for first degree murder and other charges stemming from the killing of 13-year old Malachi Lukes in March of 2020. A jury found Nelson and two co-defendants–Tyiion Freeman and Koran Jackson—guilty of first-degree murder while armed, several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, conspiracy to commit various firearms offenses and other firearms-related charges.  Last week Freeman received 108 years while Jackson was sentenced to 164 years in prison.

                The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Between February 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, the defendants, along with two other defendants (whose cases were severed pre-trial), participated in a conspiracy to illegally possess, carry, and transfer firearms for the purpose of using those firearms in the commission of dangerous and violent crimes. Jackson and Freeman, along with the severed defendants, are members and associates of neighborhood crews. Between 2019-2020, the defendants’ neighborhood crews were feuding with other crews and the feud escalated when Tahlil Byrd, also known as Slatt Goon, was killed in September 2019.

                Stephon Nelson, who is a felon and approximately 10 years older than his coconspirators, supplied the firearms that were illegally possessed, carried, and transferred in the conspiracy. Over the span of nine days, February 22-March 1, 2020, the defendants engaged in a shooting spree in the Petworth, Shaw, and Stronghold neighborhoods using the firearms they illegally acquired and shared as a part of the firearms conspiracy. The first charged shooting occurred on February 22, 2020, in the Petworth neighborhood when two victims were fired upon after a mere verbal exchange with two defendants. Two days later, on February 24, 2020, the conspirators drove through rival crew territory Ninth Street where they shot three rival crew members. An innocent bystander who was sitting in her vehicle was caught in the barrage of gunfire. She fortunately escaped with little physical injury because her front windshield suffered the bulk of the damage. The spree culminated on March 1, 2020, when the defendants participated in two shootings in two separate neighborhoods over the span of ten minutes. At 2:08 p.m., the defendants, who were traveling in a stolen Kia Soul, followed 13-year-old Malachi Lukes, along with his three friends, into the Ninth Street area of the 600 block of S Street, N.W., where two defendants exited the Kia Soul and opened fire on them. Malachi Lukes was shot in the back as he fled. The bullet traveled through his heart and lung causing him to collapse to his death. The defendants then traveled to another neighborhood where members of the rival crew were known to gather and at 2:18 p.m., opened fire on individuals in that block. No injuries were reported in that shooting spree.     

                In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force and ATF along with the Arlington County Police Department. They also thanked the Arlington County Sheriff Department; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Capitol Police; D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences; DOJ Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; Montgomery County Police Department; D.C. Department of Corrections; and the Internal Revenue Service—Atlanta Branch.

                The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Jackson, Tamara Rubb, and Nebiyu Feleke, with assistance from Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman, Supervisory Paralegal Tasha Harris, Paralegals April Urbanowski and Alyssa Schroeder, Superior Court Operations Manager Linda McDonald, and Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illinois Man Charged with Helping to Scam Elderly Victims Out of Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Retirement Savings

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

    WANTED: Abdul Mohammed is currently a fugitive. If you have any information on Abdul’s whereabouts, please contact the FBI at 317-595-4000 or FBI.gov/tips

    INDIANAPOLIS—A federal grand jury had charged Abdul Mohammed, 31, of Des Plaines, Illinois, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud.

    According to the indictment, Mohammed and other conspirators allegedly participated in a scheme in which conspirators contacted victims, typically the elderly, and claimed to be a government agent. The conspirators falsely represented that the victims had been compromised in some way and needed to provide money to federal law enforcement for safekeeping. The conspirators instructed victims convert their savings and retirement accounts to cash or gold bars, and to provide those funds to law enforcement for “protection.”

    In one instance, an elderly victim began receiving unsolicited phone calls, texts, and emails from a conspirator purporting to be “Agent Roy” of the FBI. “Agent Roy” told the victim that his computer had been hacked and his personal information was compromised. “Agent Roy” also told the victim he was implicated in a drug crime. “Agent Roy” instructed the victim to withdraw $80,000 from retirement their accounts and exchange it for gold bars or it would be frozen by the IRS. A member of the conspiracy, acting as “Agent Roy,” then met the victim in a Meijer parking lot in Westfield to collect the gold bars.

    Even after delivering the gold, the victim was led to believe their money was not safe and they needed to give the “agents” more money. On December 8, 2023, an unknown member of the conspiracy emailed the elderly victim with a document from “Officer Jason Roy” which bore a purported seal from the Department of Justice. The document instructed the victim to withdraw funds and provide them to FBI agents as part of an operation. The document further stated “If . . . at any point of time you deny to follow our instructions or disclose this information to anyone all your accounts will be frozen.” A few weeks later, Abdul Mohammed met the victim in the same parking lot in an attempt to collect another $45,000 in cash.

    “There is an outstanding warrant for the arrest of Abdul Mohammed, a resident of Des Plaines, Illinois, following a federal indictment alleging his involvement in a scheme to defraud elderly victims through false claims that federal law enforcement agencies were seeking to keep their money safe,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We encourage Mr. Mohammed to contact the FBI immediately to arrange for his safe surrender to answer the charges against him. Mr. Mohammed, or anyone with information on his whereabouts, should contact the FBI at 317-595-4000 or FBI.gov/tips.”

    The FBI is investigating this case. If convicted, Abdul Mohammed faces up to 60 years in federal prison.

    U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Eakman, who is prosecuting this case. 

    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: Rockford Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for His Role in Retail Store Robberies

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

    ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison for conspiring to commit robberies of electronic stores.

    KATRAIL BRIDGES, 32, was convicted after a four-day jury trial in March of conspiracy to commit robbery.  U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston on Thursday sentenced Bridges to 87 months in federal prison.

    Bridges joined the conspiracy and agreed to participate in the robberies of electronic stores at two locations: a Best Buy store in DeKalb, Ill. on Dec. 2, 2016, and a Simply Mac store in Cherry Valley, Ill. on December 16, 2016. During these robberies, the members of the group used pepper-spray against employees to gain compliance and to escape with merchandise.  The group stole over $22,000 worth of merchandise during these two robberies.

    Eight other alleged conspirators were charged as part of the federal investigation.         

    The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the FBI.  The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, Cherry Valley Police Department, and DeKalb Police Department assisted in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirstin J. Krivanec.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Thibodaux Man Sentenced to 60 Months’ Imprisonment for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

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

    NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SIMON PAUL ADAMS (“ADAMS”), age 28, a resident of Thibodaux, La., was sentenced on September 18, 2024, to 60 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Lance M. Africk after ADAMS had previously pled guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B).  Judge Africk also ordered ADAMS to serve 10 years of supervised release after his release from prison, to comply with sex offender registration requirements, to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, and to pay $18,000 in restitution to the victims.

    According to court documents, on multiple dates, including, on or about October 15, 2022, December 14, 2022, and January 19, 2023, Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) agents investigated the sharing of digital files depicting the sexual exploitation of children via a peer-to-peer file sharing network.  Agents downloaded a series of files and videos  depicting, among other things,  the sexual exploitation of juvenile females, from an IP address connected to   ADAMS’s residence in Thibodaux.

    Agents executed a search warrant at ADAMS’s residence in July 2023 and seized electronic devices, containing files (i.e., obscene images and videos) depicting the sexual victimization and abuse of children.  An analysis of the devices revealed approximately 5 images and 70 videos depicting the sexual victimization of children and over 30 images and 1,500 videos depicting obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.  Some of the depictions included children, less than three years old, being victimized, as well as, depictions portraying sadism, masochism, or violence, generally.

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

    U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: FBI Los Angeles Warns of Hoax Threats

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

    FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis warns of the consequence of posting hoax threats on social media. For a full transcript and download, visit:

    —————————————————
    Follow us on social media:
    X: https://twitter.com/fbi
    Facebook: https://facebook.com/FBI
    Instagram: https://instagram.com/fbi
    YouTube: youtube.com/user/fbi

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDusnncFRGE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: FBI Seattle: Ask an ASAC: Counterintelligence

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

    The FBI is the lead agency for exposing, preventing, and investigating intelligence activities in the U.S. In this video, FBI Seattle’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge gives an introduction of the counterintelligence program.

    —————————————————
    Follow us on social media:
    X: https://twitter.com/fbi
    Facebook: https://facebook.com/FBI
    Instagram: https://instagram.com/fbi
    YouTube: youtube.com/user/fbi

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi31MId4THA

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Ask an ASAC: Public Corruption and Civil Rights

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

    Seattle ASAC discusses investigating public corruption and civil rights. For more info on these types of crimes, visit www.fbi.gov/civilrights and www.fbi.gov/publiccorruption.

    —————————————————
    Follow us on social media:
    X: https://twitter.com/fbi
    Facebook: https://facebook.com/FBI
    Instagram: https://instagram.com/fbi
    YouTube: youtube.com/user/fbi

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU8w-Upy1Rg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: FBI Seattle ASAC Discusses White Collar Crime

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

    FBI Seattle’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge talks about the different types of white collar crimes the FBI investigates. If you think you are a fraud victim, submit a complaint on IC3.gov.

    For more info on common scams the FBI encounters, visit www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams.

    —————————————————

    Follow us on social media:
    X: https://twitter.com/fbi
    Facebook: https://facebook.com/FBI
    Instagram: https://instagram.com/fbi
    YouTube: youtube.com/user/fbi

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O16FvKs3Ntc

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SEC Charges Former CEO of Tech Startup SKAEL with $30 Million Fraud

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced fraud charges against Baba Nadimpalli, the co-founder and former CEO of SKAEL Inc., a San Francisco-based private technology company that developed business automation software.

    According to the SEC’s complaint, from January 2021 through February 2022, Nadimpalli raised more than $30 million from investors by falsely claiming that SKAEL had millions of dollars in annually recurring revenue, which was more than 10 times the true amount. The complaint also alleges that Nadimpalli falsely suggested to investors that SKAEL’s customers included a number of well-known companies, and, further, that Nadimpalli forged bank statements to show nonexistent payments from customers. Nadimpalli also allegedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of SKAEL’s money on his own personal expenses, including payments on his house and car.

    “Startup founders cannot fake it until they make it by falsifying revenue metrics shared with investors,” said Monique C. Winkler, Director of the SEC’s San Francisco Regional Office. “While the SEC will continue to aggressively pursue private company executives who use falsehoods to raise money from investors, we also urge those who invest in private companies to remain vigilant.”

    The SEC’s complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, charges Nadimpalli with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. The complaint seeks permanent injunctions, including a conduct-based injunction, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, civil penalties, and an officer-and-director bar.

    In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California (USAO) today announced criminal charges against Nadimpalli.

    The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Matthew Meyerhofer and Ellen Chen and supervised by Jason H. Lee and Ruth L. Hawley, all of the San Francisco Regional Office. The litigation will be conducted by John Han and Mr. Meyerhofer. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the USAO and the FBI.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Browning Man of Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in Death of Man on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

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

    GREAT FALLS — A federal jury on Thursday found a Browning man guilty of distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a man in his home on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

    After a three-day trial that began on Sept. 17, the jury found the defendant, Douglas Darren Malatare, 59, guilty of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl as charged in an indictment. Malatare faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years to life in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release on the distribution charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the possession charge.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court set sentencing for Jan. 22, 2025. Malatare was detained pending further proceedings.

    “Fentanyl is our nation’s deadliest illicit drug threat, as it is devastating families and communities. And we are fiercely determined to hold accountable those who are responsible for such devastation, especially when one’s drug trafficking results in another’s death. Malatare poisoned the Blackfeet reservation and made thousands of dollars doing it, including costing the victim his life. I applaud the jury for holding Malatare accountable and am relieved Malatare will no longer be poisoning the streets of Browning and the surrounding area,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

    In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on Nov. 19, 2022, the mother of the victim, John Doe, with whom she shared a residence, found him deceased in his bathroom. Doe was 49 years old when he died, and his body showed no obvious signs of cause of death. Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and the Glacier County coroner investigated. In Doe’s bedroom, law enforcement found blue powder and a straw on top of a dresser. Doe’s mother reported that Doe had been at the residence the evening before. That evening, Doe’s friend, Malatare, had visited with Doe outside the residence. Doe and his mother then had dinner, during which she noticed Doe had a hard time staying awake. Doe’s mother found him unresponsive in the bathroom. Forensic testing and an autopsy conducted on Doe’s body showed that he had fentanyl in his blood and urine. Ibuprofen and hydrocodone also were detected in his body. A medical examiner concluded that Doe had died of acute fentanyl intoxication.

    The government further alleged that a law enforcement search of Doe’s cell phone found a text exchange between Doe and Malatare the evening Doe overdosed. The exchange included:

    Malatare to Doe: “Catch up with you lil bit bro, you looking.”

    Doe to Malatare: “Yeah, I’ll be home. Just got off work. I can only afford half if you can stop by.”

    An investigation determined that beginning in at least September 2022, an individual named “Doug,” and later identified as Malatare, was bringing fentanyl from Washington to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and that Malatare made several quick trips back and forth to Washington between September and December 2022. On Dec. 17, 2022, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services stopped Malatare for speeding and used a K-9 to conduct a sniff search on the car. The K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics. Law enforcement seized the car and obtained a search warrant. Officers searched a fanny pack before allowing Malatare to possess it and found a bag of blue and white pills that they suspected contained fentanyl. In a search of the vehicle, officers found a quantity of multi-colored fentanyl pills in the back seat behind a middle armrest. They also recovered a digital scale and multiple rolls of U.S. currency.  An analysis determined both the multi-colored pills and blue and white pills contained fentanyl. In total, the Drug Enforcement Administration lab found more than 600 fentanyl pills. A witness told law enforcement that Malatare was bragging that he purchased the pills for $2 per pill in Washington and sold them for $50 to $60 per pill in Montana. The pills seized from Malatare had an estimated street value of more than $30,000. 

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, DEA, and FBI conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Ohio Municipal Prosecutor and Former Criminal Defendant Charged with Bribery Conspiracy

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    An indictment was unsealed today charging two Ohio men with a bribery scheme in which a municipal prosecutor agreed to help a criminal defendant with his pending cases in exchange for auto repair work.

    According to the indictment, Nicholas Graham, 52, of Warren, was a prosecutor who represented the City of Warren in Warren Municipal Court. Brian Votino, 52, of Niles, had two criminal cases pending in the same court. The indictment alleges that, in October 2019, Graham and Votino agreed that Graham would take action to benefit Votino with respect to Votino’s criminal cases in return for Votino performing repairs to Graham’s truck. To cover up the bribery arrangement, Graham instructed Votino through an intermediary to falsify a bill for the repair services and not to tell Votino’s criminal defense lawyer. According to the indictment, Graham and Votino ultimately carried out their agreement. In exchange for the repair work by Votino, Graham took official action to reduce the charges against Votino and advocated for a lenient sentence.

    Graham and Votino are charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of honest services wire fraud, and one count of Hobbs Act extortion. If convicted of all counts, they each face a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio; and Special Agent in Charge Gregory D. Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Blake J. Ellison of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

    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 USA: Former Ohio Municipal Prosecutor and Former Criminal Defendant Charged with Bribery Conspiracy

    Source: US State of California

    An indictment was unsealed today charging two Ohio men with a bribery scheme in which a municipal prosecutor agreed to help a criminal defendant with his pending cases in exchange for auto repair work.

    According to the indictment, Nicholas Graham, 52, of Warren, was a prosecutor who represented the City of Warren in Warren Municipal Court. Brian Votino, 52, of Niles, had two criminal cases pending in the same court. The indictment alleges that, in October 2019, Graham and Votino agreed that Graham would take action to benefit Votino with respect to Votino’s criminal cases in return for Votino performing repairs to Graham’s truck. To cover up the bribery arrangement, Graham instructed Votino through an intermediary to falsify a bill for the repair services and not to tell Votino’s criminal defense lawyer. According to the indictment, Graham and Votino ultimately carried out their agreement. In exchange for the repair work by Votino, Graham took official action to reduce the charges against Votino and advocated for a lenient sentence.

    Graham and Votino are charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of honest services wire fraud, and one count of Hobbs Act extortion. If convicted of all counts, they each face a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio; and Special Agent in Charge Gregory D. Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Blake J. Ellison of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stowe Man Charged with Drug and Firearms Violations Related to Two Homicides

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

    Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on September 12, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging  Theodore Bland, 29, of Stowe, Vermont, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, possession of cocaine base and fentanyl with intent to distribute, using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and discharging that firearm during the commission of the offense.

    Bland is currently scheduled to be sentenced on October 21, 2024, following his March 22, 2024, guilty plea to knowingly possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of controlled substances related to a March 17, 2023 event. The United States has filed a motion asking the Court to order Bland to remain in custody based on these new charges following the completion of any sentence imposed on October 21, 2024. Bland’s arraignment on the new charges will occur on a date to be determined by the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, at which the Court is anticipated to rule on the government’s detention motion.

    According to court records, on October 12, 2023, Bland used, carried, and discharged a firearm, in relation to his drug trafficking activities. Also, according to court records, Bland’s October 12 firearm discharges caused the deaths of Jahim Solomon and Eric White. Bland used social media messaging to communicate with his co-conspirators regarding, among other topics, the procurement of controlled substances for distribution, the pricing of controlled substances for sale to drug customers, and the distribution of controlled substances to drug customers. Bland also used social media messaging to communicate with his co-conspirators following the homicides of Solomon and White on October 12, 2023, including communications about his attempts to conceal the homicides. Court documents also state that Bland induced others to help him move the bodies of Solomon and White to two wooded areas in Eden, Vermont, where the bodies were discovered by law enforcement on October 24 and 25, 2023.

    The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Bland is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Bland faces a term of imprisonment of up to life, with a mandatory minimum of ten years, if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Morristown Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department.

    The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Turner and Paul Van de Graaf. Bland is represented by David Sleigh, Esq.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of $4 Million International Telemarketing Scheme Convicted

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

    A federal jury in North Carolina convicted a man today for his role in orchestrating a years-long telemarketing scheme that defrauded victims in the United States from a call center in Costa Rica.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Roger Roger, 40, of Costa Rica, led a fraudulent telemarketing scheme in which co-conspirators, who falsely posed as U.S. government officials, contacted victims in the United States to tell them that that they had won a substantial “sweepstakes” prize. After convincing victims, many of whom were elderly, that they stood to receive a significant financial prize, the co-conspirators told victims that they needed to make a series of up-front payments before collecting their supposed prize, purportedly for items such as taxes, customs duties, and other fees. Co-conspirators used a variety of means to conceal their true identities, including Voice over Internet Protocol technology, which made it appear as though they were calling from Washington, D.C., and other locations in the United States. Roger personally called victims from Costa Rica, using fake names and documents to trick the victims into believing they had won a sweepstakes prize. He also recruited and directed co-conspirators to mislead victims on the phone and to transmit victims’ payments from the United States to Costa Rica. The evidence at trial showed that Roger and his co-conspirators stole over $4 million from victims.

    Roger was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of international money laundering. The defendant faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on each of the conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and the wire fraud counts, because the jury found that these counts involved telemarketing that victimized at least 10 people over the age of 55, and 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering counts. Sentencing will occur at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina; Inspector in Charge Tommy Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Atlanta Division; Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Cincinnati Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Robert DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.

    The USPIS Atlanta Division, IRS-CI Cincinnati Field Office, and FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case. The La Grande, Oregon Police Department and Union County District Attorney Victim Assistance Office provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Costa Rica to secure Roger’s arrest and extradition.

    Trial Attorneys Andrew Jaco and Amanda Fretto Lingwood of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

    If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 7 days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Norfolk Drug Dealer Sentenced for His Role in Tidewater Drug Trafficking Organization

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

    NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison for distribution of cocaine.

    According to court documents, Deton Dodson, 46, was a street level drug dealer in a larger drug trafficking organization centered in the Tidewater area of Virginia. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Virginia Beach Police Department, and Norfolk Police Department initiated an investigation of the organization in 2020. Multiple sources, including some in California, were supplying the organization with kilogram-level quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin.

    On Nov. 5, 2021, Dodson met co-defendant Edward Fonville for a hand-to-hand drug transaction. Afterward, law enforcement approached Dodson, who was in possession of a handgun. Dodson admitted that he traded cocaine to Fonville for the firearm. After his arrest, Dodson informed Fonville that law enforcement was investigating him. Fonville remains a fugitive.

    Thirteen other defendants have been convicted and sentenced in this case.

    Milton Artis, 41, pleaded guilty on Oct. 3, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Jan. 23, 2023, Artis was sentenced to one year in prison.

    Levell Batts Sr., 60, pleaded guilty on Sept. 12, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Jan. 12, 2023, Batts was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison.

    Emerson Brodie, 32, pleaded guilty on Jan. 30, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On May 30, 2023, Brodie was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

    Charlie Chapman, 46, pleaded guilty on June 29, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Oct. 30, 2023, Chapman was sentenced to seven years in prison.

    James Ford, 40, pleaded guilty on April 12, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Aug. 15, 2023, Ford was sentenced to three years and one month in prison.

    Donald Gray, 48, pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On Oct. 4, 2023, Gray was sentenced to twelve years in prison.

    James Hill, 41, pleaded guilty on Oct. 3, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Feb. 13, 2023, Hill was sentenced to five years in prison.

    Michael Robinson, 41, pleaded guilty on Oct. 6, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Feb. 7, 2023, Robinson was sentenced to seven years and 11 months in prison.

    Michael Seay, 40, pleaded guilty on Sept. 15, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Jan. 23, 2023, Seay was sentenced to seven years in prison.

    Rondell Spain, 33, pleaded guilty on Jan. 24, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On May 30, 2023, Spain was sentenced to five years in prison.

    Mervin Walton, 39, pleaded guilty on Sept. 22, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Jan. 30, 2023, Walton was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison.

    Lavon Williams, 33, pleaded guilty on Oct. 6, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Feb. 8, 2023, Williams was sentenced to seven years in prison.

    Terrell Williams, 37, pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On June 27, 2023, Williams was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

    Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA’s Washington Division; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Washington, D.C.; Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police; and Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Hurt prosecuted the case.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-18.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Seven Charged with Possessing Contraband in Seagoville Prison

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

    In an effort to combat contraband in federal prisons, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged seven men with possessing of various prohibited items while behind bars.

    “The Northern District of Texas will not tolerate contraband inside federal prisons, period,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Inmates who handle drugs, phones, or child sexual abuse material risk having significant time tacked onto their sentences. The safety of prison guards, other inmates, and even those outside prison walls depends on our enforcement of these rules.”

    “I am very pleased to work with our law enforcement partners and provide evidence that contributed to these indictments,” said Dr. Scarlet Grant, Warden of the Seagoville Federal Correctional Institution. “When cell phones and narcotics are introduced into a prison, it causes significant safety and security concerns to the employees and adults in custody. Deterring contraband remains a top priority of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and these indictments send a clear message that smuggling contraband into a prison is a federal offense and it will not be tolerated.”

    “Contraband largely serves to facilitate criminal acts in prison and poses real and potential danger to Federal Correctional Institute Seagoville personnel, other prisoners and to the community at large,” said FBI Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge James Godley. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to investigate contraband encounters.”

    Those charged in five separate indictments include:

    •           Isaac Martinez, charged with possessing contraband in prison (methamphetamine)

    •           Nicholas Evans, charged with possessing contraband in prison (buprenorphine) and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance 

    •           Hugo Castaneda, charged with two counts of possession of a prohibited object (methamphetamine) and one count of possession with intent to contribute a controlled substance

    •           Abdullah El Hage, charged with possession of a prohibited object (methamphetamine)

    •           Matthew Rodriguez, charged with possession of a prohibited object (methamphetamine) and possessing contraband in prison (phone)

    •           Deaunte Lakeith Johunkin, charged with possession of contraband (K2) in prison and attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance

    •           Richard King, charged with possession of child pornography (printed, black and white, sexually explicit photos of prepubescent girls)

    All seven recently charged defendants are inmates at Federal Correctional Institute Seagoville, a low-security Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility southeast of Dallas with a population of just under 1,800 male offenders.

    According to BOP’s policy, prison contraband includes items that could reasonably be expected to cause physical injury or adversely affect the security, safety, or good order of the institution.

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    If convicted, the inmates may have additional prison time tacked onto their sentences.

    Earlier this year, two men were charged with attempting to smuggle cell phones and marijuana into the yard of a federal prison in Fort Worth via a mesh bag affixed to a drone. Prison staff found the mesh bag hanging from a parachute cord on the side of a building after being notified of a drone in their airspace.

    Joseph Mora and Reza Ayari both pleaded guilty to attempt to provide contraband to a prisoner and were sentenced to 58 and 50 months, respectively, in federal prison.  In Mora’s case, the Court ordered his 58-month sentence to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed in his other federal case. 

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigations with the cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Suarez is prosecuting the Seagoville inmates’ contraband cases and Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas prosecuted the Fort Worth drone case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Petersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Two Businesses While Wearing an Ankle Monitor

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

    RICHMOND, Va. – A Petersburg man pled guilty to three counts relating to two armed robberies in Petersburg within one week.

    According to court documents, on July 11, 2023, Demario Fisher, 36, entered a Metro PCS store in Petersburg wearing a bright work vest and an ankle monitor. He examined the store and left, but returned about a half-hour later. He approached the store employee, escorted her to the cash register at gunpoint, and stole cash from the register. Fisher then fled from the store in a blue SUV registered to his girlfriend.

    On July 17, 2023, Fisher entered the Miller Mart BP store in Hopewell wearing a t-shirt with a teddy bear image and, again, an ankle monitor. Fisher made a purchase and left. He later re-entered the store, this time wearing a bright work vest over the teddy bear t-shirt. Fisher approached the store employee at the counter armed with a firearm and demanded money from the cash register. After taking the money, Fisher again fled from the store in the blue SUV.

    Fisher also admitted to robbing a BP Gas Station in Petersburg on July 12, 2023.  In that robbery, Fisher, armed with a firearm and wearing a safety vest, entered, brandished the firearm toward the store clerk and demanded that the clerk “empty the register.”  The store clerk complied and Fisher fled the store on foot.   

    Fisher pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2025. For the Hobbs Act Robbery, Fisher faces up to 20 years in prison. For each count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, Fisher faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and a maximum term of life in prison to be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the plea.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony is prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-45.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Partner of Investment Management Firm Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Two Fraud Schemes Totaling Over $2.4 Million

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

    Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSHUA HENNER was sentenced Friday, September 20, 2024, to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl for running two separate fraud schemes that stole over $2.4 million from victims.   HENNER previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl.  

    U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Joshua Henner deceived victims into loaning him millions of dollars across not one, but two fraud schemes.   Henner’s crimes ruined the lives of his victims: some have postponed retirement, others lost their life savings, while others have been forced to change professions or work multiple jobs to account for their significant financial losses.  This sentence sends the message that those who defraud others will receive significant prison sentences.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the plea agreement, and other public filings and statements made in court:

    From at least in or about March 2022 through at least in or about December 2022, HENNER ran two schemes that defrauded victims out of at least $2.4 million.  In the first scheme, HENNER solicited and obtained funds from victims based on representations that he had been an angel investor in a start-up (the “Company”) and that he needed funds to purchase additional shares in the Company to maintain his investment position.

    To induce victims to give him funds, HENNER routinely made materially false oral and written statements, including lies about his previous investment in the Company and his ownership interest in the Company.  Without their knowledge or authorization, HENNER misappropriated his victims’ funds by, among other things, transferring the funds to himself and other individuals.   

    HENNER also used, without authorization, the name and email address of a lawyer purportedly involved in the investments to communicate via email with his victims and foster the illusion that he was using the funds that his victims lent him for their intended purposes. 

    In a second scheme, HENNER also induced at least six victims to lend him money to renovate an apartment that he did not own.  To carry out this fraud, HENNER, among other things, informed victims that he had contracted with a renovations company and created a fraudulent email address with the real name of an employee of the renovation company.  In truth and in fact, HENNER rented and did not own the apartment, HENNER was prohibited from renovating the apartment, and HENNER did not use the funds that his victims gave him to renovate the apartment.

    *                *                *

    In addition to the prison term, HENNER, 37, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $2,452,480 and make restitution in an amount to be determined.

    Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon C. Thompson is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Minister Rishworth interview on Sunrise with Natalie Barr and Shadow Finance Minister, Jane Hume

    Source: Ministers for Social Services

    E&OE TRANSCRIPT

    Topics: Interest rates; Cost of living; Inflation; Housing; Commonwealth Rent Assistance; Medicare; Negative gearing.

    NATALIE BARR, HOST: Another major blow for mortgage holders as the Reserve Bank decides to hold interest rates at 4.35 per cent for the seventh time in a row. In a press conference yesterday, Governor Michele Bullock refused to rule anything out of stressing that she wants to see inflation come down before the bank takes decisive action. For their take, let’s bring in Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth and Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume. Good morning to both of you. So, the RBA is resolute in its position, arguing that the latest inflation figures are not good enough at just 3.5 per cent. Amanda, people are blaming you, aren’t they? Is there anything that you think you can do better?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Well, firstly, I would say that this rate hold is not unexpected. We have seen now no rate hike for almost a year, and that shows that we are, you know, working towards our fight on inflation. This is really, really important and we are making sure that this is absolutely our primary focus. And that’s why you’ve seen responsible budgeting, but also cost of living support that doesn’t add to the inflation challenge. So, we’re very much working on this. We’ve seen a halve since the peak when it comes to inflation, and this is something that we’re taking very seriously as we fight inflation, which is a primary issue in the country, but we know people are doing it tough and that’s why we keep working on it.

    NATALIE BARR: Isn’t some of that cost-of-living relief actually not helping? Aren’t they looking through some of the energy help and saying, look, we’re putting that out of the way and we’re looking at the figures and they’re still no good?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: I would say that when it comes to the Reserve Bank’s job, their job is, of course, to look at monetary policy. Our job is to make sure that we’re responsible with our fiscal policy. That’s exactly what we’re doing. But it’s also to support people and help people. And we know, for example, that cost of living is an issue people are facing. And that’s why we have important measures like rent relief, for Commonwealth Rent Assistance recipients, and also, of course, energy bill relief. These are really important measures to support people that are adding to the inflation challenge. So, this is, is really important. We get the balance right and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

    NATALIE BARR: Okay, Jane, what would you say that the Government should be doing or could be doing to change where we are economically at the moment?

    JANE HUME, SHADOW FINANCE MINISTER: Well, Nat, the Reserve Bank have said two things. One is that inflation is homegrown, so that means it’s not being imported from overseas. It’s a problem with our domestic policies and it’s also sticky, which means it’s not coming down fast enough. The Reserve Bank economists told the cost-of-living committee that I chair that unless they see a reduction in public sector expenditure, well, then they’re not going to be able to bring interest rates down any sooner. They’ve now pushed out their forecast to say that they don’t expect inflation to come sustainably back to the band in which they could lower interest rates until 2026. Now, that’s 15 months away and it’s more than a year longer than Labor’s own forecasts were saying. So, that’s going to be cold comfort to mortgage holders that are really feeling the pinch of those high interest rates, and that’s a real shame. So, the government can’t just say, well, we’re not making the problem worse. They have to tackle it head on and particularly around tackling this growing public sector expenditure.

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: We are. We are, Jane. Of course, what we’re doing is returning the budget to surpluses. That’s something that you weren’t able to do when you were in government. But of course, the question, Jane, for you and your opposition, is what would you cut? I mean, you flag cutting pension increases.

    JANE HUME: No we haven’t. We haven’t done that. That’s your talking.

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: You have said, cuts to Medicare. You are planning cuts.

    JANE HUME: No, we haven’t.

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: No, no. That’s what you said. You said you saw billions of dollars of unrestrained spending, which you would look at cutting with other pension increases. They’re actually Medicare…

    JANE HUME: We’ve said that we won’t cut essential savings.

    NATALIE BARR: Look, I want to get to negative gearing because this is making headlines this morning. An anonymous senior Labor official has revealed that work has begun on developing options to scale back negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions. The Government has reportedly asked Treasury for expert advice on the possible changes, with the PM not ruling out any changes when asked on radio last week. Amanda, are you considering scaling back negative gearing in this country?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: I want to be really clear. We’ve got a very ambitious housing policy in front of us at the moment – $32 billion of investment in increasing supply and housing and a number of policies is already underway. A number that, unfortunately, the Coalition, the Greens are blocking in the Senate. But we’ve got a really ambitious housing policy that is focused on supply. It is not our proposal to address or to add negative gearing to that. We’re getting on with the job.

    NATALIE BARR: So, it’s not your proposal, but are you asking Treasury what the numbers look like to possibly scale back negative gearing?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: Treasury does this sort of work. It would have done so under the previous Coalition government…

    NATALIE BARR: Not if they’re not asked, I guess.

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, Treasury does routine work all the time around different policies, different ideas.

    NATALIE BARR: Do they just think it would have happened or do you ask them? Have you asked them?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, of course they look at a variety of scenarios across the board and they would have done under the Coalition, many times.

    NATALIE BARR: Yeah, but, I mean, look, we’re with you guys, you’re the Government. Have you asked the Treasury to look at the numbers on scaling back negative gearing? Just a question.

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: I have to be very clear that as a Government, our focus is on delivering our housing agenda that we’ve got in front of us. And quite frankly, if the Greens and the Coalition would get out of the way of the Senate, and that’s obviously a no, we can have more rent to buy. We’ve got a housing policy and it’s there to be seen.

    NATALIE BARR: Yeah, we know you have a housing policy, but that’s obviously not something you want to answer this morning. Jane, there are a lot of arguments for scaling back negative gearing. Number one, I guess a lot of net three quarters of people who negative gear properties do it for established houses. Would you consider this?

    JANE HUME: Actually, when we looked at this policy in 2019, when a then Shorten-led Labor Opposition was proposing changes to negative gearing, the Coalition worked out that, in fact, if you scale back negative gearing, it can have dramatic effects on supply. And we’re already beginning to see, well.

    NATALIE BARR: If it’s used for housing, it’s not adding to the supply. That would be the number one reason to scale it back. Would you look at it?

    JANE HUME: If you take landlords out of the system, well, then all that happens is rents go up. I was down in Western Victoria just on Monday, walked into a real estate agent and there’s a sign up saying no rental properties available. And that’s a catch cry that we’re hearing right around the country. You take away negative gearing, as clearly the government are planning to do. That’s why they’re commissioning the work. Clearly they’re planning to do this. You take away negative gearing, you’re going to have a dramatic impact on rental supply. That’s a real problem in this country already. It would only make it worse.

    NATALIE BARR: Ok, thank you both.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ryan Wesley Routh Indicted for Attempted Assassination of Former President Trump

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

    Note: View the indictment here.

    A federal grand jury in Miami late this afternoon returned an indictment charging Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, with attempting to kill former President Donald J. Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15.

    “Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy, and we will find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it. This must stop.”

    “This alleged attempted assassination of the former President at his golf course was a direct attack on our democracy. Political violence has no place in this country — not then, not now, not ever,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The charges today reflect the Department’s continued resolve to deploy every available resource to ensure public officials remain safe and to hold accountable those who target public officials to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “Routh is charged with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, which strikes at the very heart of our democratic system,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is continuing our investigation into this alleged plot and will use the full weight and resources of the FBI to uncover and provide as much information as possible about what led to the events in West Palm Beach. In our country, we have to hold accountable people who resort to violence.”

    According to allegations in a complaint affidavit and a factual proffer filed with the court, former President Trump was golfing at Trump International on Sept. 15, and a Secret Service agent conducting a perimeter security sweep saw the partially obscured face of a man — later identified as Routh — in the brush along the fence line near the sixth hole. The agent observed the barrel of a rifle aimed directly at him. As the agent began backing away, he saw the rifle barrel move, and the agent fired at Routh.

    A witness saw Routh running across the road from the golf course and getting into a black Nissan Xterra. Based on information provided by the witness, Routh was later apprehended heading northbound on I-95 by officers from the Martin County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

    Court documents allege that in the area where Routh had been hiding in the tree line, FBI agents located an SKS semiautomatic rifle with a scope attached and an extended magazine. The serial number on the rifle was obliterated and unreadable. Hanging from the fence was a backpack and a reusable shopping bag that each contained a plate capable of stopping small arms fire.

    According to the allegations filed with the court, FBI agents found documents that contained a handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October and venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present. Cell records for two of the cell phones found in the Nissan Xterra showed that on multiple days and times from Aug. 18 to Sept. 15, Routh’s cell phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and the former President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.

    According to the factual proffer filed with the court, a civilian witness contacted law enforcement stating that Routh had dropped off a box at his residence several months ago. Included in the box was a handwritten letter from Routh addressed “Dear World,” which stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”

    Routh was charged with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer (a Secret Service Agent), felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. At a detention hearing on Sept. 23, Routh was ordered to remain in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, Routh faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

    According to court records, Routh was convicted of felonies in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010.

    The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Secret Service.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    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 USA: Will Rollins busted for lying about legal work

    Source: US National Republican Congressional Committee

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

    September 24, 2024

    Extreme Democrat Will Rollins’ fantastical claims about his legal work crumbled under scrutiny. 

    “Rollins has greatly exaggerated his record,” a new investigation found. Reminder: A judge slapped down Rollins for attempting to trick voters with a similarly “misleading” ballot designation.

    “Extreme liberal Will Rollins will say or do anything to get elected. Riverside County families cannot trust a word that comes out of this serial liar’s mouth.” – NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen

    In case you missed it…

    ‘I Took On the Sinaloa Cartel’: Democratic House Candidate Will Rollins Claims He Fought Drug Lords, ISIS, and MS-13. Did He?
    Washington Free Beacon
    Meghan Blonder

    Democrat Will Rollins has made his prosecutorial record central to his rematch against Rep. Ken Calvert (R., Calif.). The Palm Springs lawyer repeatedly boasted that he went after ISIS, the Sinaloa cartel, and MS-13 when he worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Central District of California.

    “Rollins, a counterterrorism prosecutor, took on ISIS terrorists and went after the Sinaloa cartel to stop illegal drugs from crossing our border,” said a February ad, which made salacious allegations about Calvert and called him “one of the most corrupt members of Congress.”

    The ad ended with Rollins saying, “I’m Will Rollins, and I approve this message because I’ve spent my career fighting to keep our families safe.”

    But there’s no available evidence that Rollins had any role in fighting the Sinaloa Cartel or ISIS. His only documented involvement in fighting MS-13? He helped negotiate a lenient plea deal for a meth dealer who was once on a list of “members and associates” of the gang.

    Indeed, an exhaustive Washington Free Beacon review found no documentation indicating Rollins participated in the prosecution of anyone tied to ISIS or the Sinaloas during his five-year stint as an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles. Rollins also claims he’s gone after “murderers,” but the Free Beacon connected only one homicide case to the junior prosecutor—one that wasn’t resolved until two years after Rollins had quit his job.

    In early August, the Free Beacon began asking the Rollins campaign to provide information about the candidate’s record during his tenure from 2016 to 2021 in the Central District, which includes Los Angeles and its surrounding suburbs. The Rollins campaign did not respond to any of the Free Beacon’s inquiries. Rollins’s extensive public claims—on his campaign website, social media, and press interviews—don’t cite specific cases or link to Department of Justice or FBI press releases.

    The Free Beacon reviewed every federal court case that mentioned Rollins, scouring through reams of documents. The review also included extensive searches of the Central District’s website.

    The Mexico-based Sinaloa cartel—which controls much of the drug trade—along with the sadistically violent Salvadoran immigrant gang, MS-13, and the Islamic terrorists of ISIS are three of the world’s most feared criminal organizations, and many ambitious young prosecutors would jump at the chance to battle them. But since Rollins’s name doesn’t appear on any public government documents involving Sinaloa or ISIS, it is highly unlikely he had a meaningful role in such cases, according to a former assistant U.S. attorney who spoke on the condition of anonymity. It is possible he was involved in more minor ways that kept his name off cases, like writing search warrants and applying for digital surveillance, or in supervising cases that others actually prosecuted.

    Furthermore, the law firm where Rollins currently works makes no mention of ISIS, the Sinaloa cartel, or MS-13 on his biography page. Instead, Raines Feldman Littrell, a Los Angeles-based corporate law firm that must accurately represent its lawyers to its clients, simply says that Rollins prosecuted “a wide variety of U.S. counterterrorism, export control, and national security laws” as an assistant U.S. attorney.

    The Free Beacon found one instance in which Rollins prosecuted a member of MS-13 for dealing meth—and struck a sweetheart plea deal. In that 2012 case, Juan Carlos Garcia was caught dealing 80 grams of meth in front of his children. He faced two distribution charges, one carrying a prison sentence of up to 40 years, the other a life sentence. Rollins dropped one count and helped Garcia score the mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for the other.

    A 2013 FBI press release lists Garcia among “members and associates of the MS-13 street gang.” Garcia’s indictment, however, doesn’t mention gang membership, nor does his pleading. His court judgment only noted that he was barred from associating with known members or wearing anything connected to MS-13.

    Rollins’s attempts to use his stint in government to boost his campaign have become a flashpoint in his campaign. A county GOP chairman challenged Rollins’s bid to describe himself as a “counterterrorism attorney” on the primary ballot, and a judge ruled that he must instead describe himself as a “counterterrorism law attorney.”

    […]

    Rollins has also said in campaign ads that he’s “put away” members of a gang called the Mexican Mafia. The United States-based prison and street gang organizes other Hispanic gangs to establish a larger network of illegal activities.

    The Free Beacon’s review found Rollins was involved in two cases that were peripherally connected to the Mexican Mafia. In both, Rollins signed off on lenient plea deals that gave the gang members light prison sentences for serious crimes.

    Julio Cesar Alvarado faced a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for a firearm charge in June 2016. He admitted he was a member of the Eastside Santa Ana gang, an affiliate of the Mexican Mafia. Rollins struck a plea deal, and Alvarado was sentenced to just two years in prison.

    Justin Robert Burkett, a known member of the Westside VLP gang, another Mexican Mafia affiliate, was busted with 120 grams of meth and a stolen .38 caliber revolver. He faced a life sentence for peddling drugs and another five years for the gun crime. But Rollins dropped the firearm charge and helped Burkett score a 10-year prison sentence, the mandatory minimum for the distribution count. Burkett was also required to participate in a substance abuse program once he got out of prison.

    Read more here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Los Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to Oil Royalty Wire Fraud

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

    MIDLAND, Texas – A California man pleaded guilty in federal court in Midland to two counts of wire fraud.

    According to court documents, Mitchell Vaughn Lee, of Los Angeles, acquired and utilized personal identifying information of a mineral rights owner to access the victim’s royalty account with Diamondback Energy, a Fortune 500 oil and natural gas company headquartered in Midland. Lee’s scheme resulted in diverted royalty payments from bank accounts owned by the victim to the bank account controlled by Lee. On at least two occasions in February 2022, Lee worked to divert approximately $1.5 million dollars from the victim’s oil royalty account to a bank account in Lee’s control.

    In February 2022, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Lee’s Los Angeles residence. Among other items, agents recovered a firearm and a direct deposit change form for Diamondback Energy with the victim’s name and unique non-public owner identification number for the victim’s Diamondback Energy oil royalty account.

    Lee was initially prosecuted in the Central District of California for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. While awaiting trial, Lee absconded. He was located in late 2023 in Miami, Florida by federal agents, and was sentenced to 60 years imprisonment in the Central District of California for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

    In the Western District of Texas wire fraud case, Lee faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Lee remains in custody awaiting further proceedings.

    U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    The FBI is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Mahoney is prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ryan Wesley Routh Indicted for Attempted Assassination of Former President Trump

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Note: View the indictment here.

    A federal grand jury in Miami late this afternoon returned an indictment charging Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, with attempting to kill former President Donald J. Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15.

    “Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy, and we will find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it. This must stop.”

    “This alleged attempted assassination of the former President at his golf course was a direct attack on our democracy. Political violence has no place in this country — not then, not now, not ever,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The charges today reflect the Department’s continued resolve to deploy every available resource to ensure public officials remain safe and to hold accountable those who target public officials to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “Routh is charged with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, which strikes at the very heart of our democratic system,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is continuing our investigation into this alleged plot and will use the full weight and resources of the FBI to uncover and provide as much information as possible about what led to the events in West Palm Beach. In our country, we have to hold accountable people who resort to violence.”

    According to allegations in a complaint affidavit and a factual proffer filed with the court, former President Trump was golfing at Trump International on Sept. 15, and a Secret Service agent conducting a perimeter security sweep saw the partially obscured face of a man — later identified as Routh — in the brush along the fence line near the sixth hole. The agent observed the barrel of a rifle aimed directly at him. As the agent began backing away, he saw the rifle barrel move, and the agent fired at Routh.

    A witness saw Routh running across the road from the golf course and getting into a black Nissan Xterra. Based on information provided by the witness, Routh was later apprehended heading northbound on I-95 by officers from the Martin County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

    Court documents allege that in the area where Routh had been hiding in the tree line, FBI agents located an SKS semiautomatic rifle with a scope attached and an extended magazine. The serial number on the rifle was obliterated and unreadable. Hanging from the fence was a backpack and a reusable shopping bag that each contained a plate capable of stopping small arms fire.

    According to the allegations filed with the court, FBI agents found documents that contained a handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October and venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present. Cell records for two of the cell phones found in the Nissan Xterra showed that on multiple days and times from Aug. 18 to Sept. 15, Routh’s cell phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and the former President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.

    According to the factual proffer filed with the court, a civilian witness contacted law enforcement stating that Routh had dropped off a box at his residence several months ago. Included in the box was a handwritten letter from Routh addressed “Dear World,” which stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”

    Routh was charged with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer (a Secret Service Agent), felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. At a detention hearing on Sept. 23, Routh was ordered to remain in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, Routh faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

    According to court records, Routh was convicted of felonies in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010.

    The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Secret Service.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    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 Translation: Weekly press release from the Council of State of September 18, 2024

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Geneva in French

    Véronique Athané Ryser, new general director of SIG. © Magali Girardin/ SIG

    On the proposal of the Board of Directors of the Geneva Industrial Services (SIG), the State Council approved the appointment of Ms. Véronique Athané Ryser to the position of General Manager.

    Born in 1976, Ms. Athané Ryser is a mechanical engineer, graduated from INSA and EPFL. Since 2020, she has held the position of Executive Director of Distribution Network Management at SIG. She has demonstrated her skills as a high-level manager, managing a department of 550 employees in a wide variety of fields, successfully completing complex projects while actively participating in the smooth running of the company’s general management.

    The Council of State notes that the recruitment process was conducted efficiently. It takes this opportunity to thank Mr. Alain Zbinden, Acting Managing Director, and Mr. Robert Cramer, Chairman of the Board of Directors, for their unwavering commitment in recent months and wishes Ms. Athané Ryser every success in carrying out her new duties.

    For further media information: Mr Antonio Hodgers, State Councillor, by contacting Mr Jérôme Savary, Deputy Secretary General, DT, T. 022 327 94 18.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Minister Rishworth Brisbane press conference

    Source: Australian Ministers for Social Services

    E&OE TRANSCRIPT

    Topics: Autism; Autistic women; Connections4Women; Strong and Resilient Communities; Disability; Negative gearing; Housing.

    AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: It’s been wonderful to visit Autism Queensland today, also with our candidate, Julie-Ann Campbell, the candidate for Moreton. But it’s been wonderful to hear about the large array of really important support services that Autism Queensland does offer to autistic people here in Queensland. Particularly, I’m very pleased to announce today that Autism Queensland is receiving a grant of $360,000 to run a program called Connections4Women. And that’s particularly designed for autistic women to connect up with other autistic women. This is a really innovative program, and I very shortly will ask Dr Caitlin Taggart to explain the process of, and what this program will offer. But I did want to say that this program very much aligns with the outcomes that we want to see through our Strong and Resilient Community grants. This is all about ensuring the social inclusion of people that may be disconnected or isolated from community. But it’s also really in line with the Commonwealth Government’s National Autism Strategy. Our National Autism Strategy is a strategy looks at how we make sure Autistic children and Autistic adults are better included in our community, are better supported, that their wellbeing is considered, that their health is considered, and indeed their social and economic inclusion is forefront to that strategy. This program is so important in ensuring that there’s social connection. I understand it will be run in three areas: South Brisbane, Toowoomba and Gladstone. And I’m really, really excited to see the outcomes of this program. I might now hand over to Dr Caitlin Taggart to talk more about the program.

    DR CAITLIN TAGGART, AUTISM QUEENSLAND: Thanks very much. So the program is called the Connecting4Women group, and the main aim of the group is to enable and empower Autistic women to connect with other Autistic women. We will be in the group exploring topics like Autistic self-identity and connecting to our local community. So connecting into services and support and online spaces. We want the group to be a really safe and supportive space for Autistic women to connect with other women and feel that sense of belonging and connection to others. The ultimate aim of the group would be that Autistic women would be the key drivers to continuing that social ecosystem expanding into their local community. The group is co-designed. So we were really fortunate last year to receive a Supporting Women Queensland Government grant. And in through that grant, we met with 22 Autistic women, where we co-designed the group, and we were exploring topics with these women about what they would like the group to be. How would they like it to be facilitated? The location? How do we maintain that psychological safety within the group? And using that information that we gathered from these 22 Autistic women, this has now informed this connections for women group this SARC grant. So we’re really fortunate and really excited to be offering this group to Autistic women across those three locations. So South Brisbane, Gladstone and Toowoomba. The reach and the scope that we have, you know, can be up to 192 Autistic women, which we’re really excited to be offering, and particularly since this group, it is co-designed by Autistic women for Autistic women. So this group is meaningful to the needs and the users of this group. So we’re really excited and really fortunate to be to be offering this this group.

    JOURNALIST: Do you think the additional funding will help the stigma around autism in women, especially since it’s so under diagnosed?

    DR CAITLIN TAGGART: Great question. There is a gender bias and unfortunately, for a lot of Autistic women, they struggle, really find it challenging to find a diagnosis, because there is that lack of understanding and lack of awareness and in the health professional sector community. So we are hoping that this will increase awareness. And for Autistic women, the group is not just for those who have a formal diagnosis of autism, but those who self-identify as Autistic, because we do recognise that there are the challenges in receiving a formal diagnosis, not just from the lack of awareness, but also financially as well, it can be quite challenging.

    JOURNALIST: And what specific programs and services would the funding enhance?

    DR CAITLIN TAGGART: We’re hoping that the Autistic women will then be able to connect into their local communities or online community spaces and learn about other services and support that have that understanding of autism. It is a small community, and if we can connect together and learn from each other about those services and spaces that do have that awareness of autism, in particular Autistic females, we’re hoping that then we can spread awareness and Autistic females will be able to connect into those services and support and receive the right kind of
    support.

    JOURNALIST: And how would the funding help women, Autistic women who are from different backgrounds. I know there’s specific locations around Queensland, but how would that offer them the safe space?

    DR CAITLIN TAGGART: Again, really great question. So when we co-designed the group, that was something that we did discuss, because we want this group to be really inclusive and welcoming to a very wide diverse range of people. The group is participant-led. So we want participants to come to the group, and we want to understand from them what they want to get out of the group, and what their needs are to feel safe and welcomed and included in that group. So we’re not coming in with our own agenda. It’s not prescriptive at all. It was co designed, and it’ll continue to be co designed even as we continue to run the group.

    JOURNALIST: Minister Rishworth, we were wondering about the negative gearing information that has come out earlier today. If you had any comments on that?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: Just to be really clear, we’ve got a very comprehensive housing policy – $32 billion worth of housing investment to increase supply. Negative gearing is not a proposal that is part of that housing policy. But what I would say is that there are two really important pieces of legislation in the Parliament, both our Build to Rent scheme, and, of course, our Help to Buy scheme. One that helps new homeowners get their foot into the market, the other, which puts more supply of affordable rental into the market. At the moment, we’ve got the Coalition and the Greens in there, the Coalition blocking this important piece of legislation, and we are focused on getting on the on with the job of actually building those houses. I might also just add one more thing about the autism funding. The funding will actually enable these groups to be facilitated and run for ten weeks, and so that is what the funding goes to. But as Caitlin was saying, it’s really important that there’s the potential for the ongoing benefit after these groups, of the social connection, bringing people together and feeling like you’re not alone. I think listening to the description of the program and listening to some of the comments coming back of what women really wanted, and this is what they told Autism Queensland. That’s what was so strong about this application is that this is what they said. They don’t want to feel alone, and so the funding to facilitate, to bring people together, to have a facilitator, as well as it be co-led with an Autistic woman, is really critical in ensuring that the ongoing connection continues.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Bucks County Men Convicted at Trial in Connection with Multiple Fraud Schemes

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

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Alan Kane, 59, of Jamison, Pennsylvania, and Derrell Johnson, 42, of Bensalem, Pa., were convicted Friday at trial for their actions linked to multiple fraud schemes.

    A federal jury convicted Kane, an attorney, on two counts of bankruptcy fraud, one count of filing a false claim in a bankruptcy proceeding, and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.

    Johnson was convicted on two counts of making a false statement to the FBI.

    In January of this year, they and codefendant Jonathan Barger, 55, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., the owner of a local plating company, were charged in a 12-count indictment that laid out three different fraud schemes: (1) a scheme to steal a house from a dead man’s family; (2) a scheme to defraud the City of Philadelphia out of property taxes that were due on the stolen house; and (3) a scheme to defraud Barger’s creditors through bankruptcy. Barger was implicated in all three schemes and pleaded guilty in June to all counts with which he was charged.

    In a suit filed by the family to get their house back, Kane represented the party who had stolen the house, Joseph Ruggiero[1], and made repeated false statements supporting Ruggiero’s claim to good title, despite knowing that the deeds transferring the property away from the family were fraudulent. Kane also filed a false counterclaim against the family, claiming Barger’s company was entitled to more than $133,000 for work purportedly done to improve the house after it had been stolen.

    After claiming in the state court suit that Ruggiero had good title to the house, Kane represented Ruggiero before the Social Security Administration and represented that Ruggiero did not own the house because the deeds were fraudulent. This was done to ensure Ruggiero would still receive SSI benefits.

    Kane next filed a bankruptcy for Ruggiero, in which they claimed that Ruggiero had valid title to the house. The bankruptcy served to stay the family’s state court suit and prevent them from winning back the house. Kane then filed a false claim against Ruggiero in the bankruptcy, on behalf of Barger’s company, in an effort to steal some of the equity in the house for Barger in the event that Ruggiero lost the house to the family.

    Johnson had helped with the preparation and filing of two fraudulent deeds used to steal the house, and also helped with the filing of a false claim with the City of Philadelphia to avoid a large tax bill that was due on the house. Johnson was paid with two checks for his services in helping steal the house and the tax avoidance scam. When Johnson was interviewed by the FBI, he lied, claiming that he didn’t recognize the fraudulent deeds and had nothing to do with the theft of the house. He also claimed the two checks he received were really meant to provide payment to another person.

    Kane and Johnson are scheduled to be sentenced on January 28, 2025. Kane faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $1 million fine, and a $400 special assessment, and Johnson faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and $200 special assessment.

    “The fraud schemes in which the defendants were involved differed in their details,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But they shared a common goal: scheming, cheating, and lying for illicit financial gain — be it at the expense of a family, a city, or a creditor. We will continue to hold accountable those involved in misappropriating money like this or caught lying to the FBI.”

    “White collar crimes, such as bankruptcy fraud, erode confidence in our financial systems,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI and our partners remain committed to protecting the integrity of our financial institutions and bringing to justice those who seek to deceive and defraud the public through devious financial schemes.”

    The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff and Special Assistant United States Attorney Hannah McCollum.
     

    [1] Mr. Ruggiero died in June 2020.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former FBI Agent Convicted for Stealing From Citizens’ Homes

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

    HOUSTON – A former federal agent has admitted to theft of personal property and providing false statements, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

    From March 2022 to July 2023, Nicholas Anthony Williams, 37, Houston, stole money and property from multiple residences while executing search warrants in his official capacity. 

    Williams proceeded to retain the money or property for his personal use. 

    In addition, Williams admitted to providing false statements with regard to several fraudulent charges on his government-issued credit card.

    “Founded on a legacy of steadfast duty since 1908, FBI agents uphold society’s trust by relentlessly pursuing justice and protecting citizens with unwavering integrity,” said Hamdani. “Nicholas Williams betrayed that legacy and the community’s trust when he decided to pad his own pockets at the expense of a citizen’s rights. Because no one is above the law, the system of justice that he once swore to protect will now seek to hold him to account for breaking that oath.”

    Since 2019, Williams worked as an FBI special agent in the Houston field office. He served on both the criminal violent gang and counterterrorism squads.

    U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen will impose sentencing Jan. 13, 2025. At that time, Williams faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    Williams was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.

    The Department of Justice – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Garcia and Sarina DiPiazza are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Woman Sentenced to Prison for Financially Exploiting Her Grandmother

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

    BENTON, Ill. – A southern Illinois judge sentenced a Florida woman to 3 years’ imprisonment after she admitted to scamming her grandmother living in Cahokia Heights out of more than $300,000.

    Tanya M. Aboseada, 39, of Pompano Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wire fraud in May.

    “Seniors are warned to avoid giving money to strangers who may be looking to take advantage of them, but it’s a different kind of deceit when criminals target their own elderly family members,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate our partnership with the FBI to bring justice for the grandmother, who was simply wanting to help her grandchild she thought was in need.”

    According to court documents, Aboseada convinced her grandmother to wire money into her bank account under false pretenses on at least 12 occasions between November 2021 and August 2022. Aboseada admitted to lying to her grandmother about needing money to transfer a truck title into her name, owing money to the IRS, paying attorney fees and fines for a vehicular accident she was in, and paying the family of an alleged child she killed in a vehicular accident to avoid going to jail. In total, Aboseada admitted to stealing $317,049 from her grandmother.

    “The fraud perpetrated by Tanya Aboseada relied on the love and devotion of a family member, which is in many ways more heartless than when the perpetrator is a stranger,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “The FBI upholds an unwavering commitment to deliver justice to victims of elder fraud, and to prioritize the pursuit of those who deliberately target vulnerable seniors.”

    In addition to imprisonment, the judge ordered Aboseada to pay $317,049 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.

    This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative.

    The FBI Springfield Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Verseman and Kathleen Howard prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Destruction of Property During January 6 Capitol Breach

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

                WASHINGTON – An Illinois man pleaded guilty today to felony destruction of property during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                Justin LaGesse, 37, of McLeansboro, Illinois, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of destruction of government property before U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg. Judge Boasberg will sentence LaGesse on Jan. 10, 2025.

                Additionally charged in this matter as a co-defendant is Theodore Middendorf, 36, also of McLeansboro. This matter is ongoing.

                According to court documents, in December 2020, LaGesse and Middendorf made arrangements to travel to Washington, D.C., to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election. As part of their planning, the men had an associate create shirts with the wording “F— ANTIFA” written on the front.

                On Jan. 6, 2021, the two men arrived in Washington, D.C., carrying with them an American and Gadsden flag. LaGesse wore a camouflaged jacket, the aforementioned shirt, a blue baseball cap, and an American flag-style neck gaiter. At approximately 2:51 p.m., LaGesse entered into the U.S. Capitol by climbing through a broken window next to the Senate Wing Door. He then turned around and helped Middendorf through the window. Once inside, the pair moved towards the middle of the Senate Wing Door lobby area and waved their flags while chanting “U.S.A.” with a crowd of rioters.

                After spending some time in the lobby, LaGesse and Middendorf continued to traverse through the Capitol before exiting the building at approximately 3:02 p.m. Once outside of the building, LaGesse partially pulled down his neck gaiter and began to harass several police officers who were protecting the Capitol. Among other things, LaGesse called the officers “f— traitors” and “f— communist scum.”

                By approximately 4:09 p.m., the two men had moved to the north side of the Capitol where a large group of rioters were attempting to breach the building via the North Door. There, police officers defended the door and blocked the rioters’ entry. As the officers held back the rioters, LaGesse and Middendorf approached the nearby exterior window of a room inside the Capitol and struck the glass window several times with the bases of their flagpoles. Their strikes caused visible damage to the glass.

                After the riot, the Architect of the Capitol determined that the total cost of the damage to the window was $41,315.25.

                This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.

                This case was investigated by the FBI’s Springfield and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

                Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –