NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Youths charged in relation to deliberately lit fires in Claremont

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Youths charged in relation to deliberately lit fires in Claremont

    Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 11:15 am.

    Police have charged a 17-year-old from Bridgewater, and a 16-year-old from Herdsmans Cove, in relation to deliberately lit fires in Claremont on 10 March.  
    Police will allege the youths deliberately lit fires which damaged recycling facilities at Claremont Plaza, and the door of a Claremont hall.  
    They were bailed to appear before the Youth Justice Court at a later date.  
    Police thank members of the community for the witness information provided which assisted the investigations. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Delays following truck crash, East Tāmaki

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Motorists are being advised to expect delays following a crash between two trucks in East Tāmaki.

    Emergency services are responding to reports of the two vehicles colliding at the intersection of Highbrook Drive and El Kobar Drive, reported to Police at midday.

    Early indications suggest one person has been injured.

    Highbrook Drive is closed and diversions are in place between El Kobar Drive and Business Parade.

    Motorists are being advised to expect delays or seek an alternative route.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stay safe on our roads this Easter

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Transport Minister Chris Bishop is encouraging all road users to make safe choices and be patient with other drivers while on the roads this Easter.
    “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with more people travelling around the country over the long weekend, we need everyone to make safe choices when they’re driving to avoid deaths and serious injuries,” Mr Bishop says.
    “Please check road and weather conditions before you travel, especially in areas affected by Cyclone Tam. Take care and drive according to the conditions – remember that wet roads are slippery, reduce speed, increase following distances, avoid sudden braking, and use headlights if visibility is poor.
    “You can expect to see Police on the roads anywhere, anytime this weekend, undertaking increased breath testing, as well as monitoring speed and other driving behaviour. There is a zero-tolerance approach to people putting themselves and others at risk, so think twice before you get behind the wheel.
    “Drive sober, wear your seatbelt, ensure you’re well rested, and stick to the speed limit. Simple decisions like putting on your seatbelt and avoiding distractions, such as cell phones, while driving make a big difference in keeping yourself and other people safe on the roads.
    “We want everyone to enjoy this Easter spending time with their friends and family. Making safe choices on the roads will ensure everyone can travel and return home safely.”  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police call for egg-cellent driving this Easter

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Police call for egg-cellent driving this Easter

    Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 9:53 am.

    Tasmania Police’s Easter road safety blitz, Operation Safe Arrival, begins today, running statewide throughout the Easter holiday period.
    Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar said dangerous driving behaviours remain the top priority for enforcement.
    “Tasmania Police will be actively looking out for everyone on our roads this Easter, and we’re calling on motorists to behave egg-cellently,” he said.
    “Easter in Tasmania means colder and wetter weather is on the horizon, more people are travelling on our roads, and extra caution is essential to prevent crashes.”
    “As a driver, reduced visibility and slippery roads demand slower speeds and an increased awareness of what’s going on around you.”
    Operation Safe Arrival will feature both high-visibility and covert patrols across Tasmania’s highways, main roads, rural routes, and back streets. 
    “Sometimes you’ll see us – and sometimes you won’t, as we use both overt and covert measures,” said Assistant Commissioner Bodnar.
    “My message today isn’t a new one; keeping Tasmanian roads safe is a mission for the whole community.” 
    “Play your part by adapting your driving to match changing weather conditions, obey the road rules and report dangerous driving when you see it.”
    “Anyone who witnesses dangerous driving behaviour should report it immediately to police on 131 444 to enable officers to respond in a timely way.”
    “If it’s an emergency or life-threatening situation call Triple Zero (000).”
    “If you can’t report it at the time but have footage, submit it to the police evidence portal online.”
    The evidence portal can be found at https://www.police.tas.gov.au/report/

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man charged with drug-related offences following search in Scottsdale

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Man charged with drug-related offences following search in Scottsdale

    Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 9:53 am.

    A 51-year-old man has been charged with multiple drug-related offences including trafficking in a controlled substance following a search at a residence in Scottsdale on Tuesday afternoon.  
    During the search, Scottsdale Police allegedly located approximately 1.5 kilograms of cannabis in various forms.  
    The man will be proceeded against for trafficking in controlled substance, supplying controlled plant products, cultivating controlled plants, possessing controlled plant products and possessing things used for the administration of a controlled drugs.  
    He will appear in the Scottsdale Magistrates Court at a later date.  
    Anyone with information about illicit substance is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers Tasmania on 1800 333 000 or at crimestoppers.com.au – information and be provided anonymously.  

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: West Valley Man Accused of Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Honduran national living in Utah with federal drug crimes after 171 grams of heroin was seized during executed search warrants.

    Jose Manuel Osorio-Dominguez, 31, of West Valley City, was charged by complaint on April 10, 2025. 
        
    According to court documents, since February 2025, detectives with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force began investigating a drug trafficking organization. On April 8, 2025, a 2014 Toyota Corolla was stopped, and a search warrant was executed on the vehicle. Detectives identified Osorio-Dominguez as the driver and 53 grams of field-tested positive heroin was seized. A subsequent search warrant was executed in Taylorsville, Utah, and an additional 118 grams of field-tested positive heroin and $5,000 was seized. Osorio Dominquez was taken into custody.

    Osorio-Dominguez is charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 18, 2025, at 1:15 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

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

    The case is being investigated jointly by the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    Special Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo man pleads guilty to defrauding hundreds of victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Nicholas Janes, 26, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to mail fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in May 2023, law enforcement learned of many suspicious United States Postal Service Express Mail overnight flat-rate envelopes being mailed to the defendant’s address in Buffalo. The envelopes were addressed to variations of Janes’s name, or what appeared to be different law offices. Most of the address labels were hand-written, and the envelopes were mailed by individuals residing throughout the United States. A search of Janes’s address in various consumer complaint databases revealed a pattern of alleged debt collection fraud victims from throughout the United States. The names “Nicholas Janes,” “Nicholas James,” “The Nichols Law Group,” “The Nicholas Law Group,” and variations of the business name, The Offices of Pachulski, Mueller and Barnes (Muler, Muller, Burns, etc.) were consistently associated with Janes’s address. The defendant also controlled business mailboxes in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he received mail as a result of the fraudulent scheme. That mail was then forwarded to his residence in Buffalo.

    As part of his fraudulent scheme, Janes contacted various individuals from around the country by telephone, advising them that they had a debt due on an alleged unpaid loan. He claimed that he was a local sheriff’s deputy, and would threaten the victims with criminal charges, if they did not immediately repay the alleged debt owed. Janes also pretended to be an attorney at fictitious law firms, so victims thought they were negotiating with a legitimate entity. He advised victims to make payment by USPS money orders payable to him, and send them via USPS, Federal Express or United Parcel Service overnight service to various addresses that he controlled and monitored the mail.

    In total, Janes victimized more than 500 people for $420,812.92.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division.

    Sentencing is scheduled for September 11, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ocean County Man Charged with Traveling to a Foreign Place to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged with traveling to a foreign place to engage in sexual conduct with a minor, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Jacob Bauer, 28, of Toms River, is charged by complaint with one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. He made his initial appearance on April 2, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah L. Singh in Trenton federal court.

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

    From December 1, 2023 through December 10, 2023, Bauer, then 27 years old, traveled from the United States to Norway to engage in sexual activity with a 14-year-old female. Once in Norway, Bauer, staying at a hotel, engaged in sexual activity with the victim on at least one occasion. After returning to the United States, Bauer communicated over social media platforms with the victim and others about his sexual activities with the victim. During those conversations, Bauer acknowledged the victim’s age and status as a minor. After members of an online community that Bauer was active in learned of his sexual activities with a minor, Bauer was “doxxed” (his public information published online) by members of that community.

    “Public safety is my number one priority for New Jersey’s residents, and my office is laser focused on protecting children and ending their exploitation at the hands of abusers. The conduct here is as reprehensible as it is egregious: a then-27-year-old male took pains to plan international travel from New Jersey to Norway for the purpose of having sex with a 14-year-old girl. These charges underscore how we are standing up for the most vulnerable and will not tolerate the sexual abuse of children. I commend our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, law enforcement members at the state and local levels, and our international partners who assisted with this investigation.”

    U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

    “We have federal laws protecting children because they cannot defend themselves,” said Newark FBI Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly. Most of these investigations go unnoticed because we do all we can to protect the innocent victims. However, the work FBI Newark agents and task force officers are doing should be heralded by all of us. Day in and day out – they are saving children who shouldn’t have to experience unspeakable horrors and abuse perpetrated by child sexual predators.”

    Each of the charges, traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, carries a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited the special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Vincent Sabo, the Manchester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Antonio Ellis, the FBI Legal Attaché Office, U.S. Embassy, Copenhagen, Denmark, the FBI Legal Attaché Office, U.S. Embassy, Warsaw, Poland, the Jackson County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office, INTERPOL, the Norwegian Politiet, Troms District, the Norwegian Politiet, NC3 KRIPOS, and the Poland Policja CBZC, Central Cybercrime Bureau for their assistance in the investigation.

    The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

    The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Charged with Coercing and Enticing 18-Year-Old to Travel from Massachusetts to Maryland for Commercial Sex

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    According to court documents, the defendant has allegedly been victimizing teenage minors, paying them to travel and engage in sex acts with him

    BOSTON – A 44-year-old Maryland man has been charged with allegedly coercing and enticing and 18-year-old to travel from Massachusetts to Maryland to engage in commercial sex. According to the detention brief filed today, the government allegedly also found evidence that the defendant has been victimizing minor males and young adults ranging in ages from 14–20 by paying the minors for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and coercing and enticing some of them to travel to his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, and elsewhere, to engage in sex acts with him, which he videorecorded.

    David Kaufman, 44, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution, and aiding and abetting. Kaufman appeared in federal court in the District of Maryland today and was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. He will appear in the District of Massachusetts at a later date.

    According to public filings, Kaufman coerced a victim to travel from Massachusetts on two occasions to visit his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, paying for the plane tickets. While there, Kaufman allegedly provided the victim with alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, until the victim was intoxicated. It is alleged that Kaufman would then persuade the victim to engage in sex acts, which Kaufman videotaped so that he could watch them later in order to get pleasure for himself. In exchange for the sex acts, it is alleged that Kaufman paid the victim with cash, electronic money transfers and gifts. For example, after he engaged in sex acts in February 2024, Kaufman bought the victim a Louis Vuitton bag.

    Government filings contain evidence that Kaufman has also been victimizing minors ranging in age from 14–17 by paying them for CSAM and enticing them to travel to Baltimore and elsewhere to engage in sex acts with him, which Kaufman videorecords. Kaufman typically provides his victims with gifts and money in exchange for CSAM and sex acts.

    If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

    The charges of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Maryland; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and the Baltimore Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings and Craig E. Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Takanini Community Patrol on the beat

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Another set of eyes and ears are on patrol, with the launch of the much anticipated Takanini Community Patrol this week.

    The patrol launches after an 18-month joint effort between Community Patrols of New Zealand (CPNZ) and NZ Police, with support from the Supreme Sikh Society. The new service includes two new community patrol vehicles to help prevent crime and reduce harm in the local area.

    Counties Manukau District Commander, Superintendent Shanan Gray, says community patrols are invaluable to Police, keeping an eye on neighbourhoods and providing valuable intelligence to Police who cannot be everywhere at once.

    “Police are aware of community concerns around some of the behaviour in the Takanini area, and have been working hard to make ensure our locals continue to feel safe.

    “Our patrols have also focused on engaging with our community, but the issues aren’t something that Police alone can solve.

    “We are continuing to work with both the community and our partner agencies to address any concerns and these volunteers are our eyes and ears and are part of the Police family.”

    CPNZ chairman Chris Lawton says community patrols are made up of volunteers working with Police in their own community to help deliver a safer environment for everyone to live in.

    “We would really like to thank Police staff at Counties Manukau South for their great work in helping to get this up and running, they are so invested in their community and it shows.

    “Also of course a special thanks to Mahindra for the two vehicles, having access to these to continue to keep Takanini a safe place to live and work is vital.”

    Mr Lawton says the official launch was also an opportunity to highlight the Pathways to Police program, which combines community patrol with active Police work.

    “This dual role allows you to undergo comprehensive training while actively participating in Police operations, fostering a hands-on experience in law enforcement.”

    For more information, go to www.cpnz.org.nz  

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Plea to rural Canterbury drivers after two fatal crashes in two hours

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    In the 18 months to Monday, first responders had seen the result of crashes that killed 26 people around rural Canterbury.

    By Tuesday, it was 28.

    Inspector Peter Cooper, the Canterbury Rural Area Commander, is a 40-year veteran but says experience doesn’t make fatal crashes easier to deal with.

    Ahead of the Easter weekend he’s urging motorists to take it slow and stay focused on their driving.

    “Every one of those fatalities comes with a massive human toll, affecting the families and friends of the deceased, the motorists who are first on the scene, and the first responders – particularly the large number of them who are volunteers.

    “Every death on the roads affects us all – it’s people in our rural  community who are going to the deaths of people from their communities.”

    Even for seasoned Police, seeing the effects of a crash on a person can be hard.

    “In the space of two hours on Tuesday, the team that investigated a fatal crash in Culverden then had to attend the second fatal crash in Leithfield. It’s rough for everyone, and you’re seeing things nobody should have to see.”

    Inspector Cooper didn’t want to dwell on the reasons for each crash – but he says drivers need to focus on driving safely rather than pushing themselves and their cars to the limits.

    “If the weather’s bad like it’s meant to be this weekend, slow down. If you’re tired from driving, take rest breaks and take in the scenery.

    “Drive like your life, and the lives of those you love, depends on it. When we say one death is too many, we mean it.”

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police aknowledge IPCA findings on use of force

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police acknowledge the findings of the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) over the use of force on a male prisoner.

    In November 2023, Police staff received a 19-year-old man into custody at the Manukau District Custody Unit.

    Mr X began banging his head against a wall after being placed into a holding cell.

    Custody staff began to engage with Mr X to get him to stop, which was unsuccessful, and Custody Officer A entered the cell, using force in an attempt to restrain him.

    Mr X was removed from the holding cell after additional custody officers entered and removed him.

    While Mr X was being removed, Custody Officer A punched him to the face after believing he was about to spit on him.

    The IPCA’s investigation found that Custody Officer A should not have intervened by himself, and the use of force was unjustified to restrain Mr X.

    It also found that the use of force to stop the man spitting was justified, however the punching to the face was excessive.

    Police acknowledge these findings.

    Counties Manukau District Commander Superintendent Shanan Gray says Police have a general duty of care to all people in custody, of which 120,000 are managed across the country every year.

    “That day the staff felt they needed to act with urgency after the detainee had hit his head against the wall multiple times with escalating intensity,” he says.

    “We accept the staff present could have had better coordination around a plan for a safer approach to the unfolding situation.”

    Police carried out an investigation into the actions of Custody Officer A.

    Superintendent Gray says: “While there was insufficient evidence to lay criminal charges, our investigation found that the actions of punching Mr X to the face with a closed fist was unreasonable and unnecessary given the circumstances.

    “A disciplinary process has since been carried out, the details of which remain confidential.

    “However, I can confirm Custody Officer A remains employed by New Zealand Police.”

    ENDS

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: State Highway 5 north of Rotorua blocked

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    State Highway 5 north of Rotorua is blocked after a tree fell across the road this morning.

    Police were notified just after 6am today. 

    The tree is also reported to have struck a car when it fell, however there are currently no reports of any injuries to the car’s occupant/s.

    Contractors are en route to remove the tree, which has fallen between between Waiohotu Road and Galaxy Road. 

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: State Highway 29 east of Te Poi blocked by falling tree

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    A bridge on State Highway 29 east of Te Poi is blocked, after a tree fell across the bridge this morning.

    The tree struck a car when it fell – fortunately the driver was uninjured.

    Motorists travelling between Tauranga and Hamilton are asked to take alternative routes where possible, as the road is likely to closed for some time.

    ENDS
     

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Bridge on SH 29 remains closed, caution urged in high winds

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    A bridge on State Highway 29 east of Te Poi remains closed, after a tree fell this morning.

    The road is expected to remain closed for at least the next four hours, while a structural assessment of the bridge is carried out.

    We’re also starting to experience high winds in the Coromandel and we’re urging motorists – particularly those in light or high-sided vehicles – to exercise caution if travel is necessary. 

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former President of Asphalt Paving Company Receives Prison Sentence for Bid Rigging

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A former senior executive of a Michigan asphalt paving company was sentenced today to six months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.

    Timothy Baugher, former president of Pontiac-based Asphalt Specialists LLC (ASI), pleaded guilty to conspiring with F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied), and employees from those companies to rig bids in each other’s favor on Jan. 8. According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators already had decided among themselves who would win the contracts. Baugher participated in the conspiracy from July 2017 through May 2021.

    Baugher’s former employer, ASI, and another former ASI executive also pleaded guilty for their participation in the conspiracy with Allied in January 2024. Allied and two of its executives previously pleaded guilty in August 2023 for their participation in the conspiracy. On Aug. 15, 2024, ASI was sentenced to pay a fine of $6,500,000.

    “There is nothing impressive, just, or indeed lawful about rigging bids with your competitors to ‘win’ a contract,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “As the court itself noted, white-collar criminals mistakenly expect better treatment than blue-collar criminals. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will enforce the law against all individuals who seek to cheat and deprive the public of the benefits of competition.”

    Baugher is one of seven individuals that have been charged as part of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry. Three companies also have been charged as part of the investigation, which, to date, has resulted in over $8.1 million in criminal fines.

    The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the Offices of Inspectors General for the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Postal Service.

    Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former President of Asphalt Paving Company Receives Prison Sentence for Bid Rigging

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    A former senior executive of a Michigan asphalt paving company was sentenced today to six months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.

    Timothy Baugher, former president of Pontiac-based Asphalt Specialists LLC (ASI), pleaded guilty to conspiring with F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied), and employees from those companies to rig bids in each other’s favor on Jan. 8. According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators already had decided among themselves who would win the contracts. Baugher participated in the conspiracy from July 2017 through May 2021.

    Baugher’s former employer, ASI, and another former ASI executive also pleaded guilty for their participation in the conspiracy with Allied in January 2024. Allied and two of its executives previously pleaded guilty in August 2023 for their participation in the conspiracy. On Aug. 15, 2024, ASI was sentenced to pay a fine of $6,500,000.

    “There is nothing impressive, just, or indeed lawful about rigging bids with your competitors to ‘win’ a contract,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “As the court itself noted, white-collar criminals mistakenly expect better treatment than blue-collar criminals. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will enforce the law against all individuals who seek to cheat and deprive the public of the benefits of competition.”

    Baugher is one of seven individuals that have been charged as part of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry. Three companies also have been charged as part of the investigation, which, to date, has resulted in over $8.1 million in criminal fines.

    The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the Offices of Inspectors General for the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Postal Service.

    Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Judge Finds a Virginia Man Guilty of Child Pornography Offenses

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Yesterday, a district court judge convicted a Virginia man, who worked for the Department of Commerce, of possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rafferty Daniel Kelly, 40, of Alexandria, worked for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In March 2022, a federal CSAM investigation involving an internet-based peer-to-peer file sharing service, a program used by the defendant to obtain CSAM, led federal agents to execute a search warrant at Kelly’s home, where they seized multiple devices. A review of those devices revealed that, over a period of at least two years, Kelly had downloaded and stored over 50,000 images of CSAM and child erotica, including images of infants and prepubescent children. Kelly also possessed a handbook on how to groom children.

    At the end of the bench trial yesterday, the Honorable Michael S. Nachmanoff found Kelly guilty of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. Judge Nachmanoff will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division made the announcement.

    Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Strobbe for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

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

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department and City of Albuquerque Seek Fourth Partial Termination of Consent Decree Covering Albuquerque Police Department

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – The Justice Department and City of Albuquerque (City) filed a joint motion this week seeking court approval to terminate certain portions of the consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). The joint motion follows the independent monitor’s 21st report, also filed today, which concluded that the City and APD have maintained compliance with 99% of the consent decree’s terms since the independent monitor’s 20th report which was filed in October 2024.

    The joint motion seeks court approval to terminate 22 specific consent decree provisions related to use-of-force investigations, supervisor reviews of such investigations, and early intervention systems – all areas where APD has maintained full compliance for at least two years. This marks the fourth joint motion filed by the parties which, if granted will result in the termination of 205 paragraphs of the consent decree, or 75% of the enforceable provisions of the agreement.

    This progress underscores years of dedicated reform – including critical upgrades to de-escalation training, crisis intervention protocols, and accountability frameworks – empowering the City and APD to demonstrate to Albuquerque’s citizens their transformative strides in constitutional policing. With 75% of enforceable provisions now slated for removal, this foundational work enables APD to focus its efforts on sustaining compliance and to refine remaining components, ensuring lasting excellence in public safety through independent oversight and community-aligned accountability measures.

    “Where the consent decree once served as a blueprint for change, each provision we now move to terminate stands as a testament to APD’s operational adherence to constitutional policing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin. “Effective policy, sustained compliance, and a dedication to continuous improvement have positioned APD to meet the highest standards of public service.”

    The District Court for the District of New Mexico entered the consent decree in June 2015. The decree, as well as information about the Civil Rights Division, are available on the Special Litigation Section Cases and Matters website. Additional information about implementation of the consent decree is also available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website. If you believe your civil rights have been violated, please submit a complaint through our online portal. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts would-be smuggler of three-year-old child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old Laredo woman has been convicted of conspiracy to transport, attempting to transport and bringing in and attempting to bring a minor alien to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    The jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before finding Salma Galilea Veliz guilty late April 15 after a two-day trial.

    Law enforcement first encountered Veliz at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo Nov. 14, 2024, with a three-year-old male. At that time, she presented a Texas birth certificate and claimed the minor was her son. 

    Veliz eventually admitted the child was actually not her own and that she had picked him up in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. She claimed she did not know the boy’s name or where she was taking him, just that a person known as “Malandro” was bringing him to her. 

    Veliz planned to have the boy assume the identity of her biological son in an effort to smuggle him into the United States. In exchange, she would be paid $2,500.

    During trial, the jury heard testimony and evidence regarding his true identity, which included the minor child’s original birth certificate indicating Mexico as his place of birth. Testimony also revealed there was no record in existence pertaining to the minor child that would indicate he had ever been authorized to enter the United States.

    The defense attempted to convince the jury the boy had claims to citizenship through an unidentified father. However, evidence revealed the minor is a Mexican citizen and had no claim to enter the county. The jury ultimately found Veliz guilty as charged.

    “This verdict demonstrates that those who think they can make a quick buck by trafficking human beings—particularly children—are sorely mistaken,” said Ganjei. “The facts of this case are a reminder of the tremendous human cost of weak border security. There is no telling who or what awaited that three-year-old boy had he been successfully snuck across the border. Due to the quick thinking and thorough work of law enforcement, that child will be returned to his home, rather than face an uncertain—and possibly dangerous—fate in the hands of unknown persons.”

    U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen presided over trial and will set sentencing at a later date. At that time, Veliz faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation with the assistance of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of State and Department of Health and Humans Services – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa A. Lopez and Tory Sailer prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two MS-13 Members Sentenced To 35 Years In Prison For Murder, Third Member Sentenced To 20 Years For Racketeering Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Three members of the La Mara Salvatrucha gang (known as MS-13) were sentenced in federal court today for engaging in violent criminal conduct, including murder, in support of the criminal organization, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

    Christian Alejandro Garcia Santa Cruz, a/k/a “Crimen,” 32, of El Salvador, and Aderly Jose Veliz-Ronquillo, a/k/a “Chanchin,” 30, of Guatemala, were each sentenced to 35 years in prison for using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death for the 2022 murder of W.G.M. in front of a Charlotte nightclub. Luis Fernando Guardardo Moreno, a/k/a “Fantasma” and “Scrappy,” 24, of El Salvador, was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for racketeering (RICO) conspiracy.

    Two additional MS-13 members who held leadership roles within the gang, Fredy Mauricio Buruca, a/k/a “Piranha,” “Machete,” and “Insoportable,” 27, and Santos Guillermo Ramirez Mancia, a/k/a “Azazel,” “Timido,” and “Johnny,” 33, both of El Salvador, have pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. Buruca has also pleaded guilty to kidnapping a minor. A sixth MS-13 member charged in this case, Juan Francisco Sanchez Estrada, a/k/a “Nene” and “Turbo,” 31, of El Salvador, has pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and will be sentenced at a later date in the Middle District of North Carolina, following a consolidation of federal cases against him in each district.

    “MS-13 is one of the most violent and dangerous criminal gangs operating in the United States.  MS-13 members use murder, robbery, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and extortion to support this criminal enterprise and tighten its grip on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “But we are fighting back. This case has dismantled the local MS-13 clique, and we’re not done. Our goal is not just to prosecute violent gangs, but to eliminate them completely.”

    “Today’s prison sentences should make it clear to MS-13 members and their associates, violence and senseless murder will not be tolerated in North Carolina. The FBI and our partners will use every tool available to disrupt and dismantle violent criminal terrorist organizations and bring offenders to justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge DeWitt.

    According to filed court documents and court proceedings, the defendants were leaders and members of the MS-13 sub-unit, or clique, known as the Hollywood Locos Salvatrucha Clique (the HLS clique), which operated in and around the Western District of North Carolina and other areas in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. From at least December 2018 and continuing through November 2022, as members of the HLS clique, the defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity that consisted of multiple acts and threats involving murder, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and drug trafficking.

    The investigation into the gang’s criminal activity revealed that these criminal acts were sanctioned by MS-13 leadership and were committed to promote a climate a fear and intimidation within the gang; to maintain the gang’s control and to expand its territory; to enforce discipline within the gang and punish any acts of disrespect; to intimidate witnesses and discourage cooperation with law enforcement; and to retaliate against rivals, or “chavalas.”

    Participation in criminal activity was also intended to increase respect and ranking of members within the gang and to open the door to promotion to a leadership position. Accordingly, Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo committed murder in aid of racketeering for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their position in the MS-13 enterprise.

    According to court documents, on November 6, 2022, Santa Cruz, Mancia, and Veliz-Ronquillo were at a nightclub in Charlotte. Over the course of the evening, Santa Cruz, Mancia, and Veliz-Ronquillo got into an argument with several men at the parking lot of the nightclub. During the argument, Mancia identified himself as MS-13 to the other men. At some point, W.G.M. and Mancia shoved each other. Ronquillo then shot W.G.M. once and Santa-Cruz shot the victim three times, causing the victim to sustain fatal gunshot wounds. At today’s sentencing hearing, the government contended that through their involvement in W.G.M.’s murder, Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo demonstrated their full commitment to further the goals of MS-13 and to advance their reputation within the gang.

    The defendants will remain in federal custody until they are transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI, HSI, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case, and thanked the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, the Kannapolis Police Department, the Monroe Police Department, the Prince William County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, and the Annapolis (Maryland) Police Department for their invaluable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Lindahl and David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting 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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Judge Finds a Virginia Man Guilty of Child Pornography Offenses

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Yesterday, a district court judge convicted a Virginia man, who worked for the Department of Commerce, of possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rafferty Daniel Kelly, 40, of Alexandria, worked for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In March 2022, a federal CSAM investigation involving an internet-based peer-to-peer file sharing service, a program used by the defendant to obtain CSAM, led federal agents to execute a search warrant at Kelly’s home, where they seized multiple devices. A review of those devices revealed that, over a period of at least two years, Kelly had downloaded and stored over 50,000 images of CSAM and child erotica, including images of infants and prepubescent children. Kelly also possessed a handbook on how to groom children.

    At the end of the bench trial yesterday, the Honorable Michael S. Nachmanoff found Kelly guilty of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. Judge Nachmanoff will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division made the announcement.

    Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Strobbe for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

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

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Woman charged with drug offences in North West

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Woman charged with drug offences in North West

    Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 9:19 am.

    A 28 year old Montello woman has been arrested and charged after a targeted search by Western Drugs and Firearms, Taskforce Scelus and the Dog Handler Unit today.
    About 1pm police executed a search warrant at a Montello address.
    Approximately 130grams of methylamphetamine in addition to unlawful prescription medication, cannabis and a quantity of cash were located.
    The woman was arrested and charged with several offences including trafficking in a controlled substance, dealing in property suspected of being proceeds of crime and selling a controlled drug.
    The woman was bailed to appear in Burnie Magistrates Court in June.
    Police would like to remind members of the public that if they have any information surrounding illicit drug possession and distribution to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.
    Police will continue to target and hold to account those involved in the distribution of illicit drugs within the community.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force Arrests Chicago Man for Violent Stabbing

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Chicago, IL – The U.S. Marshals Service’s (USMS) Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force (GLRFTF) and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) April 8 arrested a man for a stabbing that occurred in the Loop area of downtown Chicago March 18.

    Ralwin Galito Perez, 30, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after a verbal altercation turned physical and he stabbed the victim in the chest and arm.

    During their search for Galito Perez GLRFTF and CPD investigators developed information that led them to a residence in the 100 block of West 87th Street where they found Galito Perez and took him into custody without incident. He was booked into a local detention facility. 

    The U. S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force was created by the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. Congress recognized the U. S. Marshals expertise in tracking and apprehending dangerous fugitives and ordered the creation of regional fugitive task forces (RFTFs) in core cities throughout the country. Via this mandate, GLRFTF was created in 2003 and has offices in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin to assist state, county, and local agencies as a central investigative base to identify, locate and apprehend dangerous offenders.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Apprehend Man Wanted for Triple Murder

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Newport News, VA – A multi-agency fugitive investigation for a triple murder suspect from Newport News, Virginia came to an end this afternoon.  Dimair Jones, 26, was arrested in the 400 block of Cox Landing in Newport News.

    On April 16, 2025 the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF), in coordination with the Newport News Police Department (NNPD), located and safely arrested Jones, who was wanted for three counts of 1st Degree Murder, three counts of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Discharging a Firearm Within a Dwelling. 

    Just before 1:00 a.m. on August 8, 2023, NNPD officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 400 block of Stallings Court.  Officers found 3 adult males who were pronounced dead at the scene.

    Arrest warrants were issued on April 15, 2025, and CARFTF investigators developed information that Jones was at a hotel in Williamsburg, Virginia.  CARFTF investigators observed Jones at the hotel and followed him to the 400 block of Cox Landing in Newport News, where he was safely taken into custody.        

    Jones is currently being detained at the Newport News City Jail awaiting an initial court appearance. 

    The USMS CARFTF began operations in June 2004. The CARFTF has partnership agreements with 14 federal and 87 state, and local agencies and operates in Virgina, Maryland and the District of Columbia. The CARFTF has apprehended more than 102,000 fugitives since its inception.  

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins, Bipartisan Group Introduce Bill to Boost Weatherization Aid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – In an effort to make more homes energy efficient and help residents save on their utility bills, U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act. This bipartisan bill seeks to improve public health and lower household energy costs by expanding the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which covers home weatherization, window replacement, sealing air leaks, ventilation improvements, and other key energy-saving measures.

    “The Weatherization Assistance Program is a proven, cost-effective way to permanently decrease energy usage while reducing low-income Americans’ energy bills,” said Senator Collins.  “This bipartisan bill would help build on the significant investments we have secured for the Weatherization Assistance Program so that more Americans are able to make improvements that will allow them to affordably heat their homes.”

    Since 1976, the Weatherization Assistance Program has helped more than 7.4 million low-income families reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient.  The U.S Department of Energy estimates that these upgrades help each household save $372 in energy bills annually.

    The bill would authorize a Weatherization Readiness Fund to help those in need repair structural issues and prepare homes for weatherization assistance, increasing the number of homes the program is able to serve. It also seeks to raise the amount of funding allowed to be spent on each home to keep up with current labor and material costs, and will raise the cap on the amount of funding allowed to be spent on renewable energy upgrades in each home. These provisions are essential updates to a program that has helped so many families over the past few decades.

    “We applaud Senators Reed, Collins, Coons and Shaheen for introducing this important bipartisan piece of legislation, which will help low-income and elderly Americans. The sponsoring senators are continuing their long-time support of energy efficiency programs that reduce costs for the public,” said David Terry, the President of the National Association of State Energy Officials.

    “The Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act keeps hundreds of community teams hard at work with streamlined processes and up to date technology. It will help make older homes safer and sturdier, so retirees and working families can stay in their communities; energy bills will be lower; residents will be healthier and even make fewer emergency hospital visits.  Thousands of contractors and crew members will be trained in valuable specialty skills of measuring and improving building performance.  The unwavering leadership of Senators Jack Reed, Susan Collins, Chris Coons and Jeanne Shaheen keeps the Weatherization Assistance Program robust and relevant through changing times,” said David Bradley, CEO of the National Community Action Foundation.

    “NASCSP is thrilled to support the Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act, introduced by Senators Reed, Collins, Coons, and Shaheen, long time champions of weatherization. This legislation paves the way toward decreasing energy burdens and improving the health and safety of low-income households, while supporting more than 8,500 highly skilled jobs across the country,” said Cheryl Williams, Executive Director of the National Association for State Community Services Programs.

    Senators Collins and Reed spearheaded the bipartisan effort to include $3.5 billion in WAP funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

    Click here to read the full bill text.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis Man Who Assaulted Woman Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A felon caught in the act of assaulting a woman by St. Louis police pleaded guilty to a gun charge Wednesday.

    Lee M. Shields, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on Sept. 17, 2023, Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officers were on patrol when they saw him striking a woman over the head. She fell to the ground and was bleeding heavily from her mouth and nose. Shields got into a Jeep before being approached by officers, who found the magazine for a pistol in his pocket and a Glock 23 handgun in the Jeep. The victim told police that she didn’t know if Shields hit her with his fist or an object. One of the officers saw Shields holding an object in the hand he used to strike the victim. The 6-year-old son of Shields and the victim said Shields hit his mother with the gun.

    Shields is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.

    He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 9. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Shields’ lawyer have agreed to recommend 50 months in prison.

    The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Hoag is prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Charges Filed in Assault on Metro Transit Police Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – Erik Schleehauf, 43, of Washington, D.C., was charged in Superior Court with assault of a police officer while armed and assault with a deadly weapon stemming from the April 15, 2025, attack of a Metro Transit Police Officer, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Michael Anzallo of the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD). 

               Schleehauf made an appearance in court today and was ordered held without bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 18, 2025, before Superior Court Judge Robert A. Salerno.  

               According to documents filed with the court, at approximately 2:26 p.m., on April 15th,  at the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro Station, an MTPD Sergeant observed Schleehauf attempting to evade his fare by standing up on the fare machine and jumping over the glass gates. The MTPD Sergeant, followed the defendant as he walked towards the escalators and tried to stop him from exiting. Schleehauf pulled out a sharpened, pointed tool, which he had hidden on his person, and began to stab the MTPD Sergeant in the face, causing puncture wounds. The MTPD Sergeant suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

    Schleehauf was arrested at the scene.

               This case is being investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department. 

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nickolas Reck.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Mexican Nationals Charged After Immigration Enforcement Investigation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston today announced the detention of four Mexican nationals following their arrest in the Southern District of West Virginia.

    Maximino Montalvo Salas, 20, Federico Montalvo Salas, 22, and Bernabe Montalvo Salas, 24, are each charged with illegally reentering the United States. Julio Cesar Ruiz-Perez, 21, is charged with deceptive use of a Social Security account number.

    United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn ordered the detention of each today following separate initial appearance, preliminary and detention hearings.

    On March 28, 2025, law enforcement officers interviewed each Salas defendant at the South Charleston restaurant where they worked. Officers determined that all three were in the United States illegally. Further investigation determined that each Salas defendant had previously been deported from the United States, had no identification documents permitting their legal status in the United States, never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, and did not reenter the United States through legal means.

    On April 11, 2025, officers executed a search warrant at the Charleston residence where the Salas defendants were living and encountered Ruiz-Perez. Officers determined Ruiz-Perez was in the United States illegally and possessed a Social Security account number not assigned to him by the Commissioner of Social Security that he used to obtain employment in the Southern District of West Virginia.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

    “Operation Take Back America and its core enforcement objectives is a top priority of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia,” Johnston said. “I commend U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) for their investigative work in these cases.”

    Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the cases, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America.

    Criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-mj-82, 2:25-mj-83, 2:25-mj-84, and 2:25-mj-91.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Sentenced to Over 33 Years for Child Exploitation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – A South Florida federal district judge this week sentenced a 30-year-old Jacksonville, Florida man to 405 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for producing and transporting visual depictions involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    David Wayne Currin Jr. pleaded guilty to the crimes on Jan. 23.

    On Oct. 30, 2024, Currin arrived at the Miami Seaport from The Bahamas aboard a cruise ship. During a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) inspection, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and HSI Jacksonville special agents discovered 260 images and 26 videos of CSAM on Currin’s smartphone, including a sexually explicit video of a minor victim and material depicting the abuse of an infant or toddler. Between March 2024 and Oct. 30, 2024, Currin used his smartphone to record sexually explicit conduct involving a minor.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence.

    HSI Miami and HSI Jacksonville investigated the case with assistance from CBP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilana Malkin prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20494.

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