NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison for Smuggling and Labor Trafficking Scheme

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARIA DEL CARMEN SANCHEZ POTRERO, also known as Maria Carmela Sanchez, 71, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 51 months of imprisonment for her involvement in a scheme to smuggle aliens into the U.S., harbor them at Hartford area residences, force them to work, and threaten to harm them in various ways if they failed to pay exorbitant fees, interest, and other living expenses.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in September 2022, the FBI and Hartford Police interviewed several Mexican nationals who disclosed that they were smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. and transported to Hartford.  The investigation revealed that victims typically arranged with Sanchez and others in Connecticut and Mexico to cross the border into the U.S. in exchange for a fee of between $15,000 and $20,000 that each would need to pay once they were in the U.S.  In most cases, the victims were required to turn over a property deed as collateral before leaving Mexico.  They were then smuggled across the border and transported to Hartford area residences, including Sanchez’s residence on Madison Street in Hartford, often at a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.

    After the victims arrived in Connecticut, they were told that they would have to pay approximately $30,000, with interest, and that they would have to pay Sanchez and her co-coconspirators for rent, food, gas and utilities.  Sanchez and her co-conspirators created false documents for the victims, including Permanent Residence cards and Social Security cards, and helped the victims find employment in the Hartford area.  In addition to their own jobs, some victims were required to perform housework and yardwork without compensation and without having their debt reduced.

    Victims were rarely provided with an accounting of their debt.  If victims failed to make regular payments, or in amounts that Sanchez and her co-conspirators expected, they were sometimes threatened, including with threats to harm family members in Mexico, to take property in Mexico that had been secured as collateral, to reveal victims’ immigration status to U.S. authorities, and to raise their interest payments.

    To date, investigators have identified 19 victims of this scheme. Multiple victims were minors, and at least two were smuggled into the U.S. unaccompanied by a relative or legal guardian.

    Sanchez has been detained since her arrest on March 1, 2023.  On October 24, 2024, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to encourage and induce, bring in, transport, and harbor aliens.

    Judge Dooley ordered Sanchez to pay restitution of $574,608.

    Sanchez faces immigration when she completes her prison term.

    This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Shan Patel.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial of Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Child Pornography Offenses

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Walter Tharrington, aka “Black” and “Roaadblock,” 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted this week at trial of sex trafficking and child pornography offenses.

    Tharrington was charged by indictment in August of 2024, and convicted on Wednesday, April 9, of sex trafficking of a minor, advertising child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

    As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, in or about the summer of 2023, the defendant asked Minor 1, then 14 years old, to help him make money. In order to do so, Tharrington directed Minor 1 to engage in commercial sex, with the defendant facilitating the commercial sex by soliciting customers through online advertisements.

    Tharrington used his cellular phone to post explicit content of Minor 1 to accompany the online advertisements. The defendant set the prices for the encounters and instructed Minor 1 on what sexual acts to perform in exchange for money.

    At the defendant’s direction, Minor 1 engaged in sexual encounters with buyers. The evidence established that Tharrington kept and controlled the profits from the encounters, while providing shelter for Minor 1, who lived at Tharrington’s house during the summer of 2023.

    Tharrington physically assaulted Minor 1 on multiple occasions. Minor 1’s injuries were observed by another minor female, who corroborated Minor 1’s account and confirmed that the defendant had solicited her to work for him, as well.

    The defendant will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

    “Walter Tharrington made money by sexually exploiting a child, advertising her for sex with strangers,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Putting anyone through that, let alone a vulnerable minor, is unconscionable. Know that my office and the FBI are working every day to put traffickers like this defendant behind bars and ensure some justice for their victims.”

    “Sex trafficking — especially when it involves a child — is among the most heinous crimes the FBI investigates,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “This conviction is a powerful testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable among us. It reaffirms our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for victims and holding predators accountable.”

    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 projectsafechildhood.gov.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Ashenfelter and Amanda McCool.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Key West Man Pleads Guilty in D.C. to Smuggling Firearms from Florida to Haiti

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

               WASHINGTON – Jean Wiltene Eugene, 57, of Key West, Florida, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of smuggling for his role in a gun running operation that illegally exported firearms to Haiti.

               The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin Fleck of the Miami Field Office. Sentencing is scheduled for July 22.

               According to court documents, Eugene is a U.S. citizen who was born in Haiti and resides in Key West, Florida. On or about September 23, 2021, Eugene knowingly exported more than two firearms from the United States to Haiti without having first obtained the required license from the Bureau of Industry and Security, located in the District of Columbia. Any person who exports a firearm without proper authorization may be fined up to $1 million and imprisoned for up to 20 years.

               According to court records, Eugene arranged to ship vehicles to Haiti through a Florida-based export company. Eugene signed the company’s terms and conditions of shipments, which required the shipper to affirm that the vehicles did not contain any firearms or ammunition. In a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Eugene admitted that, in 2020 and 2021, he shipped two vehicles to Haiti with firearms hidden inside. Eugene stated that he placed food and other items around the bins holding the firearms so border authorities would not find the weapons.

               In a later interview with federal agents Eugene stated that nine firearms he purchased in Key West under his name were currently located at his gas station in Haiti and that none of those firearms remained in the United States. He admitted that he knew it was illegal to ship weapons to Haiti when confronted by the federal agents.

               Pursuant to an active arrest warrant, Eugene was arrested at a traffic stop on May 4, 2024, in Key West.

               This case is being investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Partners Value Split Corp. Announces the Appointment of New Chief Executive Officer and Changes to Its Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Partners Value Split Corp. (the “Company”, TSX: PVS.PR.G, PVS.PR.H, PVS.PR.I, PVS.PR.J, PVS.PR.K, PVS.PR.L) today announced that it has appointed Cyrus Madon as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The Company also announced that Aleks Novakovic, Paul Farrell and Don Mackenzie have joined the board of directors of the Company (the “Company Board”), replacing Frank Lochan, Gregory Morrison, and Ralph J. Zarboni, who are each retiring from the Company Board.

    “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to each of Frank, Greg and Ralph for their service and for their numerous contributions to the Company’s success,” said Brian Lawson, Chair of the Company Board.

    Additional Information

    For further information, contact Investor Relations at 416-643-7621.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Hit and run at Brooklyn Park

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A woman was lucky to escape serious injury after being struck by a car at Brooklyn Park last night.

    About 9.40pm on Friday 11 April a grey SUV was conducting a U-turn on Henley Beach Road, Brooklyn Park and struck a woman crossing the road.

    The grey SUV drove off.

    The 43-year-old Ridleyton woman was taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment.  Fortunately, her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

    Police are still looking for the male driver and the grey SUV.

    Investigations are continuing, but it is believed that the people involved in this incident are known to each other.

    Anyone who witnessed the collision or has any dashcam or CCTV footage that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston arrests illegal Guatemalan national convicted of endangering Connecticut child

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    HARTFORD, Conn. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an illegally present Guatemalan national charged with three counts of risk of injury to a child and disorderly conduct. Officers with ICE Boston arrested Carlos Antonio Zepeda-Ruiz in Hartford Feb. 27.

    “Carlos Antonio Zepeda-Ruiz apparently endangered the safety of a Connecticut child and presents a threat to the residents of Connecticut,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “We will not allow criminal aliens to endanger the safety of our communities. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien threats from New England.”

    Zepeda applied for entry into the United States at the San Ysidro West Port of Entry July 14, 2023, using the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s “CBP One” immigration processing application. CBP issued Zepeda a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge and paroled him into the United States.

    Officers from the Bridgeport Police Department arrested Zepeda July 23, 2024, and charged him with three counts of risk of injury to a child and disorderly conduct.

    Officers with ICE Boston arrested Zepeda in Hartford Feb. 27.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Members of a Transnational Money Laundering Organization Sentenced for Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug Proceeds

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Georgia man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (the Jalisco cartel). On Dec. 4, 2024, his co-conspirator was sentenced to 90 months in prison for his role in the money laundering scheme.

    According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 47, of Buford, Georgia, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national who resided in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds of fentanyl and cocaine trafficking, among other drugs. The defendants communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug money, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving purchasing bulk electronics in the United States and shipping them to co-conspirators in China.

    On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May 2024 arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds.

    According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Special Agent in Charge Louis A. D’Ambrosio of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division made the announcement.

    The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit and the DEA’s offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina.

    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, 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).

    Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Surpasses $12 Billion in Compensation to Crime Victims Since 2000

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    To commemorate the 2025 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the Department of Justice reaffirms its steadfast commitment to compensate crime victims with federally forfeited assets. The Justice Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program has surpassed $12 billion in compensation to crime victims.

    In fiscal year 2024 and the beginning of fiscal year 2025 alone, more than $735.3 million has been returned to victims of human trafficking; romance, investment, and healthcare fraud; business email compromise and government imposter schemes; drug diversion; and cryptocurrency-related thefts and frauds.

    “This extraordinary milestone demonstrates the effectiveness of the Asset Forfeiture Program in taking the profit out of crime and compensating victims,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “While the Criminal Division is deeply proud of these efforts, we recognize that crime victims often lose much more than money. We hope that victims, from exploited children to older Americans targeted by sophisticated criminal schemes, can move forward in their recovery through this compensation. This milestone was made possible by the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, which manages the Asset Forfeiture Program, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and the many federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies that have dedicated their time and resources to these investigations.”  

    Recent cases in which victims were compensated for their losses with forfeited assets in 2024 or 2025 include:

    $4.3 Billion to Victims of Bernie Madoff

    United States v. Bernard L. Madoff (Southern District of New York)

    In December 2024, the Justice Department announced that the Madoff Victim Fund (MVF) would make its 10th and final distribution of over $131.4 million to victims of the Bernard L. Madoff fraud scheme. These funds were forfeited by the U.S. government in connection with the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS) fraud scheme. Through its 10 distributions, MVF paid over $4.3 billion from forfeited funds to 40,930 victims in 127 countries for losses they suffered from the collapse of BLMIS, bringing recovery for victims to nearly 94% of their fraud loss. According to court documents and information presented in related proceedings, for decades, Madoff used his position as chairman of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, the investment advisory business he founded in 1960, to steal billions from his clients. On March 12, 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies, admitting that he had turned his wealth management business into the world’s largest Ponzi scheme, benefitting himself, his family, and select members of his inner circle.

    $420 Million to Victims of Fraud Schemes Facilitated by Western Union

    United States v. The Western Union Company (Middle District of Pennsylvania)

    In 2017, Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the United States. Pursuant to the DPA, Western Union acknowledged responsibility for its criminal conduct, which included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud.  Western Union agreed to forfeit $586 million, which has been made available to compensate victims of the international consumer fraud scheme through the remission process. Western Union simultaneously resolved a parallel civil investigation with the Federal Trade Commission. To date, the Criminal Division has disbursed more than $420 million to approximately 175,000 victims.

    $8 Million Returned to Victims of Email Business Compromise Scams

    United States v. Olalekan Jacob Ponle (Northern District of Illinois)

    Olalekan Jacob Ponle worked with co-schemers to engage in numerous business email compromise schemes. The co-schemers used phishing links to gain unauthorized access to email accounts and then created false instructions directing employees of the victim companies to wire money to bank accounts opened by money mules at Ponle’s direction. After unwitting employees wired money, in some cases millions of dollars, to the bank accounts, Ponle instructed the money mules to convert the proceeds to Bitcoin and send them to him. As a result of Ponle’s scheme, victim companies suffered more than $8.03 million in actual losses. The government seized the Bitcoin, obtained a final order of forfeiture, liquidated the cryptocurrency, and used the proceeds to compensate the victims of Ponle’s fraud.

    $5.6 Million to the Small Business Administration

    United States v. Aydin Kalantarov, et al. (Northern District of Ohio)

    According to court documents, from May 2020 through October 2020, Aydin Kalantarov, along with his two brothers, Zaur Kalantarli and Ali Kalantarli, conspired to defraud the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) of nearly $7 million in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). As part of the scheme the brothers created 70 fictious Ohio corporations with agriculture sounding names. Once the fictitious corporations were created, the brothers submitted fraudulent EIDL loan applications to the SBA claiming that their business was adversely affected by the pandemic. The SBA funded 47 of the applications for a total of approximately $7 million. $5.6 million in forfeited funds was transferred to the clerk of the court for payment to the SBA.

    $2.28 Million Returned to Victims of Two Business Email Compromise Schemes

    United States v. Contents of TD Bank Account, Account Ending 7684, Held in the Name of O’Shane K. Malcolm, et al. (District of Connecticut)

    United States v. Contents of Truist Bank Account Ending 5792, Held in The Name of Quest Freight LLC (District of Connecticut)

    In the first scam, criminal actors compromised an email account associated with a member of the management team of a city’s Board of Education.  In June 2023, these actors created a fake email account that mimicked the email of a bus company that held a contract with the Board of Education for bussing. Using the fake bus company email address, the criminal actors then were able to change the bus company’s payment information from the real bus company to an account held by the criminal actors, and the city sent approximately $5.9 million dollars to the account.  The government successfully seized and forfeited approximately $1,187,691 of the stolen money, which was returned to the city through remission.

    The second forfeiture action involved a healthcare company that was a victim of a business email compromise (BEC) attack.  In April 2023, the company’s yearly medical malpractice insurance payment was set to be paid.  Shortly before the due date, the company received a fraudulent email, purportedly from its malpractice insurance company, with new wire instructions.  The company sent approximately $1,652,254 via a wire transfer using the newly provided instructions. The government successfully seized and forfeited approximately $1,100,694 remaining in the account, which was returned to the healthcare company through remissions.

    $328,500 to an Elderly Victim of a Computer Support Scam

    United States v. Discovery Bank Account Ending in 2237 (District of Connecticut)

    According to court documents, in February 2024, an elderly woman who was tricked by a computer support scheme that mimicked Microsoft customer support transferred approximately $550,000 to the scammers in two wire transfers. Within two days of the transfers, the victim and a family member reported the incident to a local police department, who then partnered with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to investigate the crime. Fortunately, one of the wire transfers, in the amount of $221,000, was reversed by the bank and returned to the victim. HSI traced the remaining money, totaling approximately $328,573, and seized it. The U.S. Attorney’s Office then filed a civil asset forfeiture action to forfeit the money to the government, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and HSI then worked with the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section to return the money to the victim.

    $6.4 Million to the Internal Revenue Service

    United States v. Michael Little (Middle District of Florida)

    From 2019 to 2021, Michael Little filed a series of false tax returns claiming massive, bogus fuel tax credits. He filed the false returns in his own name and in the names of co-conspirators and identity theft victims. As a result of this scheme, Little and his co-conspirators obtained at least $12.3 million in fraudulent tax refunds and attempted to obtain at least $27 million more. Little and his co-conspirators also conspired to launder their ill-gotten gains and used significant portions of the fraudulent tax refunds to purchase real estate and other assets.  Over $6.4 million in forfeited funds were transferred to the clerk of court for payment to the IRS.

    $52,000 to a Survivor of Human Trafficking

    United States v. Thuy Tien Luong (Western District of North Carolina)

    Thuy Tien Luong was convicted of forced labor and ordered to serve 15 years in prison for compelling the labor of one of her nail technicians at a salon she owned and operated. From October 2016 to June 2018, Luong forced the survivor’s labor by, among other things, physically assaulting the survivor, threatening to ruin the survivor’s reputation with her family, and falsely claiming that the survivor owed Luong a fictitious debt. In addition to resulting in the return of funds seized from Luong to the Clerk of Court to pay the survivor, the case also resulted in the return to the survivor of a seized bracelet that Luong had held as “payment” towards the survivor’s fictitious debt.

    $6.3 Million Returned to Estate Victims of an Embezzlement Scheme

    United States v. Richard J. Sherwood, et al. (Northern District of New York)

    Starting in 2006, Richard J. Sherwood and Thomas K. Lagan provided estate planning and related legal services to Capital Region philanthropists Warren and Pauline Bruggeman, and to Pauline’s sister, Anne Urban, all of Niskayuna, New York.  They were advising the Bruggemans when, in 2006, the Bruggemans signed wills directing that all their assets go to churches, civic organizations, a local hospital, and a local university scholarship fund, aside from bequests to Urban and Julia Rentz, Pauline’s sisters.

    Warren Bruggeman died in April 2009, and Pauline died in August 2011. In each pleading guilty, Sherwood and Lagan admitted that they conspired to steal, and did steal, millions of dollars from Pauline Bruggeman’s estate as well as from the estate of Urban, who died in 2013. The co-conspirators admitted that they stole $11,831,563 and Sherwood also admitted that he transferred to himself the Bruggeman family camp located on Galway Lake, in Saratoga County.

    For additional information about the Department of Justice’s victim compensation program, please visit: Criminal Division | Victims.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Justice Department Surpasses $12 Billion in Compensation to Crime Victims Since 2000

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    To commemorate the 2025 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the Department of Justice reaffirms its steadfast commitment to compensate crime victims with federally forfeited assets. The Justice Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program has surpassed $12 billion in compensation to crime victims.

    In fiscal year 2024 and the beginning of fiscal year 2025 alone, more than $735.3 million has been returned to victims of human trafficking; romance, investment, and healthcare fraud; business email compromise and government imposter schemes; drug diversion; and cryptocurrency-related thefts and frauds.

    “This extraordinary milestone demonstrates the effectiveness of the Asset Forfeiture Program in taking the profit out of crime and compensating victims,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “While the Criminal Division is deeply proud of these efforts, we recognize that crime victims often lose much more than money. We hope that victims, from exploited children to older Americans targeted by sophisticated criminal schemes, can move forward in their recovery through this compensation. This milestone was made possible by the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, which manages the Asset Forfeiture Program, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and the many federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies that have dedicated their time and resources to these investigations.”  

    Recent cases in which victims were compensated for their losses with forfeited assets in 2024 or 2025 include:

    $4.3 Billion to Victims of Bernie Madoff

    United States v. Bernard L. Madoff (Southern District of New York)

    In December 2024, the Justice Department announced that the Madoff Victim Fund (MVF) would make its 10th and final distribution of over $131.4 million to victims of the Bernard L. Madoff fraud scheme. These funds were forfeited by the U.S. government in connection with the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS) fraud scheme. Through its 10 distributions, MVF paid over $4.3 billion from forfeited funds to 40,930 victims in 127 countries for losses they suffered from the collapse of BLMIS, bringing recovery for victims to nearly 94% of their fraud loss. According to court documents and information presented in related proceedings, for decades, Madoff used his position as chairman of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, the investment advisory business he founded in 1960, to steal billions from his clients. On March 12, 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies, admitting that he had turned his wealth management business into the world’s largest Ponzi scheme, benefitting himself, his family, and select members of his inner circle.

    $420 Million to Victims of Fraud Schemes Facilitated by Western Union

    United States v. The Western Union Company (Middle District of Pennsylvania)

    In 2017, Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the United States. Pursuant to the DPA, Western Union acknowledged responsibility for its criminal conduct, which included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud.  Western Union agreed to forfeit $586 million, which has been made available to compensate victims of the international consumer fraud scheme through the remission process. Western Union simultaneously resolved a parallel civil investigation with the Federal Trade Commission. To date, the Criminal Division has disbursed more than $420 million to approximately 175,000 victims.

    $8 Million Returned to Victims of Email Business Compromise Scams

    United States v. Olalekan Jacob Ponle (Northern District of Illinois)

    Olalekan Jacob Ponle worked with co-schemers to engage in numerous business email compromise schemes. The co-schemers used phishing links to gain unauthorized access to email accounts and then created false instructions directing employees of the victim companies to wire money to bank accounts opened by money mules at Ponle’s direction. After unwitting employees wired money, in some cases millions of dollars, to the bank accounts, Ponle instructed the money mules to convert the proceeds to Bitcoin and send them to him. As a result of Ponle’s scheme, victim companies suffered more than $8.03 million in actual losses. The government seized the Bitcoin, obtained a final order of forfeiture, liquidated the cryptocurrency, and used the proceeds to compensate the victims of Ponle’s fraud.

    $5.6 Million to the Small Business Administration

    United States v. Aydin Kalantarov, et al. (Northern District of Ohio)

    According to court documents, from May 2020 through October 2020, Aydin Kalantarov, along with his two brothers, Zaur Kalantarli and Ali Kalantarli, conspired to defraud the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) of nearly $7 million in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). As part of the scheme the brothers created 70 fictious Ohio corporations with agriculture sounding names. Once the fictitious corporations were created, the brothers submitted fraudulent EIDL loan applications to the SBA claiming that their business was adversely affected by the pandemic. The SBA funded 47 of the applications for a total of approximately $7 million. $5.6 million in forfeited funds was transferred to the clerk of the court for payment to the SBA.

    $2.28 Million Returned to Victims of Two Business Email Compromise Schemes

    United States v. Contents of TD Bank Account, Account Ending 7684, Held in the Name of O’Shane K. Malcolm, et al. (District of Connecticut)

    United States v. Contents of Truist Bank Account Ending 5792, Held in The Name of Quest Freight LLC (District of Connecticut)

    In the first scam, criminal actors compromised an email account associated with a member of the management team of a city’s Board of Education.  In June 2023, these actors created a fake email account that mimicked the email of a bus company that held a contract with the Board of Education for bussing. Using the fake bus company email address, the criminal actors then were able to change the bus company’s payment information from the real bus company to an account held by the criminal actors, and the city sent approximately $5.9 million dollars to the account.  The government successfully seized and forfeited approximately $1,187,691 of the stolen money, which was returned to the city through remission.

    The second forfeiture action involved a healthcare company that was a victim of a business email compromise (BEC) attack.  In April 2023, the company’s yearly medical malpractice insurance payment was set to be paid.  Shortly before the due date, the company received a fraudulent email, purportedly from its malpractice insurance company, with new wire instructions.  The company sent approximately $1,652,254 via a wire transfer using the newly provided instructions. The government successfully seized and forfeited approximately $1,100,694 remaining in the account, which was returned to the healthcare company through remissions.

    $328,500 to an Elderly Victim of a Computer Support Scam

    United States v. Discovery Bank Account Ending in 2237 (District of Connecticut)

    According to court documents, in February 2024, an elderly woman who was tricked by a computer support scheme that mimicked Microsoft customer support transferred approximately $550,000 to the scammers in two wire transfers. Within two days of the transfers, the victim and a family member reported the incident to a local police department, who then partnered with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to investigate the crime. Fortunately, one of the wire transfers, in the amount of $221,000, was reversed by the bank and returned to the victim. HSI traced the remaining money, totaling approximately $328,573, and seized it. The U.S. Attorney’s Office then filed a civil asset forfeiture action to forfeit the money to the government, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and HSI then worked with the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section to return the money to the victim.

    $6.4 Million to the Internal Revenue Service

    United States v. Michael Little (Middle District of Florida)

    From 2019 to 2021, Michael Little filed a series of false tax returns claiming massive, bogus fuel tax credits. He filed the false returns in his own name and in the names of co-conspirators and identity theft victims. As a result of this scheme, Little and his co-conspirators obtained at least $12.3 million in fraudulent tax refunds and attempted to obtain at least $27 million more. Little and his co-conspirators also conspired to launder their ill-gotten gains and used significant portions of the fraudulent tax refunds to purchase real estate and other assets.  Over $6.4 million in forfeited funds were transferred to the clerk of court for payment to the IRS.

    $52,000 to a Survivor of Human Trafficking

    United States v. Thuy Tien Luong (Western District of North Carolina)

    Thuy Tien Luong was convicted of forced labor and ordered to serve 15 years in prison for compelling the labor of one of her nail technicians at a salon she owned and operated. From October 2016 to June 2018, Luong forced the survivor’s labor by, among other things, physically assaulting the survivor, threatening to ruin the survivor’s reputation with her family, and falsely claiming that the survivor owed Luong a fictitious debt. In addition to resulting in the return of funds seized from Luong to the Clerk of Court to pay the survivor, the case also resulted in the return to the survivor of a seized bracelet that Luong had held as “payment” towards the survivor’s fictitious debt.

    $6.3 Million Returned to Estate Victims of an Embezzlement Scheme

    United States v. Richard J. Sherwood, et al. (Northern District of New York)

    Starting in 2006, Richard J. Sherwood and Thomas K. Lagan provided estate planning and related legal services to Capital Region philanthropists Warren and Pauline Bruggeman, and to Pauline’s sister, Anne Urban, all of Niskayuna, New York.  They were advising the Bruggemans when, in 2006, the Bruggemans signed wills directing that all their assets go to churches, civic organizations, a local hospital, and a local university scholarship fund, aside from bequests to Urban and Julia Rentz, Pauline’s sisters.

    Warren Bruggeman died in April 2009, and Pauline died in August 2011. In each pleading guilty, Sherwood and Lagan admitted that they conspired to steal, and did steal, millions of dollars from Pauline Bruggeman’s estate as well as from the estate of Urban, who died in 2013. The co-conspirators admitted that they stole $11,831,563 and Sherwood also admitted that he transferred to himself the Bruggeman family camp located on Galway Lake, in Saratoga County.

    For additional information about the Department of Justice’s victim compensation program, please visit: Criminal Division | Victims.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Lead Illinois Democratic Delegation In Message To Secretary Kennedy: The Dismantling Of HHS Does Nothing To ‘Make America Healthy Again’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    April 11, 2025

    In a letter to the HHS Secretary, the lawmakers pushed back against the destruction of HHS and its impact on the state

    SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today led the Illinois Democratic Delegation in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressing frustration and concern that HHS has slashed critical federal funding for the state’s public health programs and infrastructure.

    “We write to express our real concern about the Department and Health and Human Services’ (HHS) actions to terminate federal funds for state and local health departments, fire critical public health staff, dismantle health agencies, and close regional offices, including the HHS Region 5 office in Chicago, Illinois.  Your decision puts the health and well-being of our people at risk, and will do nothing to ‘Make America Healthy Again,’” the lawmakers wrote.

    Last month, it was reported that HHS would terminate $11.4 billion in federal funding for state and local health departments, including more than $125 million in funding for the Illinois Department of Public Health.  Lawmakers were also told that Illinois would lose access to an additional $324 million in anticipated federal funding that was already allocated to protect Illinois residents from infectious diseases.  Further, Illinois could lose up to $28 million in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants for mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

    In an effort to combat the Trump Administration’s destructive funding rescissions, a 24-state coalition, which included Illinois, filed a lawsuit against HHS for the rollback of public health funding.  Earlier this month, a federal court barred HHS from terminating these funds for a 14-day period.

    “The state’s [Illinois’] efforts to prepare for future public health emergencies—which could include the worsening avian flu situation, measles outbreaks, and other respiratory illness challenges—will be severely hampered if HHS rescinds this essential federal funding.  Now that a federal court has blocked HHS from terminating these funds, we urge you to abandon these ill-conceived and dangerous plans,” the lawmakers continued their letter.

    In addition to ripping away billions in promised federal funding, Secretary Kennedy has overseen the destruction of HHS’ workforce and infrastructure, putting thousands of dedicated career civil servants out of a job while gutting critical federal agencies.  Since President Trump’s inauguration, 10,000 HHS employees have left the agency or been fired.  A couple weeks ago, HHS announced that an additional 10,000 public health workers will be fired, including 3,500 from the Food and Drug Administration, 2,400 workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,200 workers from the National Institutes of Health, and 300 workers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

    “A reduction in force of this magnitude threatens the ability of HHS to ensure the safety of our nation’s foods, drugs, and medical devices; to inspect and regulate nursing homes; to develop breakthrough cures and treatments for patients with cancer, ALS, and heart disease; and to respond quickly when a public health crisis emerges,” the lawmakers wrote.

    The lawmakers continued their letter, emphasizing that closing regional health offices and shutting out states from federal resources does nothing to support the health and safety of Americans.

    “Finally, it was reported that HHS would dismantle and consolidate several health agencies under an ‘Administration for a Healthier America,’ and close several regional offices, including the HHS Region 5 office in Chicago.  HHS Region 5 has been an essential partner in implementing and coordinating federal resources and initiatives.  It has worked with state, local, and tribal governments in Illinois to address a range of public health concerns, including infectious disease outbreaks, mental and behavioral health needs, food recalls, and more,” the lawmakers wrote.  “Eliminating this office or consolidating it into another regional office risks reducing access to agency personnel and HHS resources for Illinois.”

    The lawmakers concluded their letter by reminding Secretary Kennedy of his responsibility to improve public health, not destruct the institution that ensures Americans have the resources to stay healthy.

    “It is one thing to undertake efforts to address waste, fraud, and abuse in government.  It is quite another to cite these reasonable goals as an excuse to instead decimate our nation’s public health infrastructure.  HHS has provided no details on its plans or any explanation of how these steps will improve HHS’ ability to carry out its mission to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans.  The complete lack of transparency on these critical decisions supports the logical conclusion that these decisions were made for political purposes without considering their real-world impact,” the lawmakers wrote.

    “As HHS Secretary, you are tasked with the serious responsibility of protecting our nation’s health and you have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of millions of Americans.   Do not neglect this responsibility, and do not waste this opportunity,” the lawmaker concluded their letter.

    A copy of the letter is available here and below:

    April 11, 2025

    Dear Secretary Kennedy,

                We write to express our real concern about the Department and Health and Human Services’ (HHS) actions to terminate federal funds for state and local health departments, fire critical public health staff, dismantle health agencies, and close regional offices, including the HHS Region 5 office in Chicago, Illinois.  Your decision puts the health and well-being of people at risk, and will do nothing to “Make America Healthy Again.”

    In March, it was reported that HHS would be terminating $11.4 billion in federal funding for state and local health departments, including more than $125 million for Illinois.  We also have been informed that Illinois will not be able to access an additional $324 million in anticipated federal funding for future work to prevent and address infectious disease.  The Illinois Department of Public Health has leveraged these federal funds to improve its technologies and laboratories, support the public health workforce, and strengthen local health departments.  However, the state’s efforts to prepare for future public health emergencies—which could include the worsening avian flu situation, measles outbreaks, and other respiratory illness challenges—will be severely hampered if HHS rescinds this essential federal funding.  Now that a federal court has blocked HHS from terminating these funds, we urge you to abandon these ill-conceived and dangerous plans. 

    It also was announced that an additional 10,000 public health workers will be fired from HHS, including 3,500 from the Food and Drug Administration, 2,400 workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,200 workers from the National Institutes of Health, and 300 workers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  This is on top of the reported 10,000 HHS employees who have already left the agency since January 20, including probationary employees who were fired earlier this year, many of whom were not rehired, despite two court rulings ordering their reinstatement.  A reduction in force of this magnitude threatens the ability of HHS to ensure the safety of our nation’s foods, drugs, and medical devices; to inspect and regulate nursing homes; to develop breakthrough cures and treatments for patients with cancer, ALS, and heart disease; and to respond quickly when a public health crisis emerges.

    Finally, it was reported that HHS would dismantle and consolidate several health agencies under an “Administration for a Healthier America,” and close several regional offices, including the HHS Region 5 office in Chicago.  HHS Region 5 has been an essential partner in implementing and coordinating federal resources and initiatives.  It has worked with state, local, and tribal governments in Illinois to address a range of public health concerns, including infectious disease outbreaks, mental and behavioral health needs, food recalls, and more.  Eliminating this office or consolidating it into another regional office risks reducing access to agency personnel and HHS resources for Illinois.

    It is one thing to undertake efforts to address waste, fraud, and abuse in government.  It is quite another to cite these reasonable goals as an excuse to instead decimate our nation’s public health infrastructure.  HHS has provided no details on its plans or any explanation of how these steps will improve HHS’ ability to carry out its mission to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans.  The complete lack of transparency on these critical decisions supports the logical conclusion that these decisions were made for political purposes without considering their real-world impact.  

    As HHS Secretary, you are tasked with the serious responsibility of protecting our nation’s health and you have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of millions of Americans.   Do not neglect this responsibility, and do not waste this opportunity. 

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.  We look forward to your timely response.

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Hirono, Warren, Lead Colleagues In Urging DOJ To Reverse Decisions Greenlighting Cryptocurrency-Based Crime

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    April 11, 2025

    Senators: “These are grave mistakes that will support sanctions evasion, drug trafficking, scams, and child sexual exploitation.”

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee led six Senators in urging Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to reverse the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent decisions to effectively terminate the Department’s cryptocurrency investigations and prosecutions. The memo, sent to staff earlier this week, also stated that DOJ will disband its National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), which was established to investigate and prosecute criminal misuse of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. In their letter, the Senators also raise concerns about the potential connections between DOJ’s actions and the cryptocurrency ventures of President Trump and his family.

    “We write in response to your April 7, 2025 memo announcing your decision to give a free pass to cryptocurrency money launderers and to disband the DOJ’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (“NCET”),” the Senators wrote. “These are grave mistakes that will support sanctions evasion, drug trafficking, scams, and child sexual exploitation.”

    Specifically, the DOJ memo announced that the Department would no longer be enforcing a number of federal laws against entities that handle digital assets, including mixing and tumbling services. Mixers are often used to launder stolen cryptocurrency and used by drug traffickers, those who trade child sexual abuse material, and even North Korea, which uses mixers to evade sanctions and fund weapons of mass destruction.

    “It makes no sense for DOJ to announce a hands-off approach to tools that are being used to support such terrible crimes,” wrote the lawmakers.

    “Drug traffickers, terrorists, fraudsters, and adversaries will exploit this vulnerability on a large scale,” the Senators continued. “Further increasing the risks posed by bad actors is your decision to disband NCET, which has coordinated a Department-wide effort to prosecute illicit activity involving cryptocurrency.”

    Since its creation in 2021, NCET has worked with U.S. Attorneys’ offices to prosecute illicit activity involving cryptocurrency, including prosecuting cases involving hundreds of millions worth of digital assets.Despite this proven record of success, Blanche’s memo stated that the disbandment of NCET will allow the DOJ to “focus on other priorities, such as immigration and procurement frauds.”

    The Senators also warned about the proliferation of cryptocurrency scams and fraud. In 2023 alone, the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimated that $5.6 billion were lost to cryptocurrency fraud—an increase of 45 percent from 2022.

    “You claim in your memo that DOJ will continue to prosecute those who use cryptocurrencies to perpetrate crimes. But allowing the entities that enable these crimes—such as cryptocurrency kiosk operators—to operate outside the federal regulatory framework without fear of prosecution will only result in more Americans being exploited,” wrote the Senators.

    “Your decisions give rise to concerns that President Trump’s interest in selling his cryptocurrency may be the reason for easing law enforcement scrutiny,” the Senators concluded. “We urge you to reconsider these decisions.”

    In addition to Senators Hirono, Warren, and Durbin, this letter was also signed by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

    The full text of the letter is available here and below.

    Dear Deputy Attorney General Blanche:

    We write in response to your April 7, 2025 memo announcing your decision to give a free pass to cryptocurrency money launderers and to disband the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (“NCET”). These are grave mistakes that will support sanctions evasion, drug trafficking, scams, and child sexual exploitation.

    Your memo announces that pursuant to Executive Order 14178, DOJ will generally “no longer target . . . virtual currency exchanges [and] mixing and tumbling services . . . for the acts of their end users or unwitting violations of regulations.” As you know, a cryptocurrency mixer (or tumbler) is a service that blends the cryptocurrencies of many users together to obfuscate the origins and owners of the funds. “[M]ixers are . . . ‘go-to tools for cybercriminals’ seeking to launder stolen cryptocurrency.” Nearly a quarter of the funds sent to mixers in 2022 were tied to money laundering efforts.” Mixers are a favorite tool of North Korea—which uses them to launder the illicit proceeds of its state-sponsored cybercrime and then uses the proceeds to fund its weapons programs—and of sanctioned Russian oligarchs, who already benefit from DOJ disbanding TaskForce KleptoCapture. Mixers are also a favorite tool of drug traffickers and those who trade child sexual abuse material. It makes no sense for DOJ to announce a hands-off approach to tools that are being used to support such terrible crimes.

    Similarly nonsensical is your announcement that DOJ will no longer prosecute a host of crimes involving digital assets, including violations of the Bank Secrecy Act. Congress imposed anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) obligations on a wide range of domestic and foreign entities to combat fraud, drug trafficking, and terrorism, among other crimes. By abdicating DOJ’s responsibility to enforce federal criminal law when violations involve digital assets, you are suggesting that virtual currency exchanges, mixers, and other entities dealing in digital assets need not fulfill their AML/CFT obligations, creating a systemic vulnerability in the digital assets sector. Drug traffickers, terrorists, fraudsters, and adversaries will exploit this vulnerability on a large scale.

    Cryptocurrency-related fraud has exploded in recent years. The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimated losses associated with cryptocurrency fraud at $5.6 billion in 2023 alone—an increase of 45 percent from 2022. You claim in your memo that DOJ will continue to prosecute those who use cryptocurrencies to perpetrate crimes. But allowing the entities that enable these crimes—such as cryptocurrency kiosk operators—to operate outside the federal regulatory framework without fear of prosecution will only result in more Americans being exploited.

    Further increasing the risks posed by bad actors is your decision to disband NCET, which has coordinated a Department-wide effort to prosecute illicit activity involving cryptocurrency. DOJ formed NCET in 2021 “to tackle complex investigations and prosecutions of criminal misuses of cryptocurrency, particularly crimes committed by virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, and money laundering infrastructure actors.” NCET combined the expertise and resources of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery and Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Sections with Assistant U.S. Attorneys from around the country. Since its formation, NCET has worked with U.S. Attorneys’ offices to:

    • secure the conviction of the operator of a cryptocurrency exchange that laundered over $9 billion in proceeds from hacking, ransomware attacks, identity theft schemes, and narcotics distribution rings;
    • obtain a guilty plea from a man who processed more than $700 million worth of illicit funds in support of online drug trafficking;
    • secure the conviction of a man who operated a $110 million manipulative trading scheme on a cryptocurrency exchange;
    • seize over $112 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment schemes; and
    • seize nearly $9 million in cryptocurrency that resulted from the exploitation of over 70 victims through romance scams and cryptocurrency confidence schemes, among many other cases.

    Further, NCET operates as a critical resource for state and local law enforcement who often lack the technical knowledge and skill to investigate cryptocurrency related crimes.  Disbanding NCET will make the work of these state and local law enforcement agents that much harder.

    Why would you dismantle a team that is such an important player in fighting cryptocurrency-based crime? Your decisions give rise to concerns that President Trump’s interest in selling his cryptocurrency may be the reason for easing law enforcement scrutiny.

    We urge you to reconsider these decisions. In addition, we request a staff-level briefing no later than May 1, 2025, providing detailed information on the rationale behind these decisions and their anticipated impacts on the Department’s ability to enforce the law and protect Americans from cryptocurrency-based crimes.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Missouri Gang Member Indicted for Murder in Aid of Racketeering and Other Crimes Including Three Murders

    Source: United States Attorneys General 2

    A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri returned an indictment on Wednesday charging Travis Santel Jones, 21, of St. Louis, Missouri, with one count of murder in aid of racketeering, RICO conspiracy, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death with a firearm, all related to Jones’s alleged part in the Cochran Crips, a violent street gang based in St. Louis. Two victims were gunned down in the street and one victim was killed at his own home.

    “There is no place in our communities for groups that terrorize their neighbors,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment alleges violent criminal acts and the tragic loss of three lives, all at the hands of a dangerous gang member. The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division will continue to pursue justice for these victims and for the people of St. Louis.”

    “The alleged activity here is exactly the type of case that the Violent Crime Initiative was designed to tackle — complex criminal conspiracies involving drugs and years of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri. “There are severe federal consequences for anyone who is tempted to kill and maim to peddle poison.”

    “For years, FBI St. Louis has been investigating violent crimes and drug trafficking by Cochran Crips gang members. In 2020, our office surged resources to assist the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department after two innocent Saint Louis University students were gunned down simply because their vehicle was misidentified by the gang,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not stop until we bring all those involved in the murders to justice.”

    “Violence has no place in our community, and this indictment sends a clear message: we will always be a voice for victims, and we will not stop pursuing justice until there is accountability,” said St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Tracy. “I am proud of the dedication by our investigators on this case, and we will continue to work with our federal law enforcement partners to keep our neighborhoods safe and take dangerous criminals off our streets.”

    According to court documents, Jones conspired with other Cochran Crips members to commit multiple acts of murder and multiple drug trafficking offenses. Specifically, it is alleged in July 2020, Jones and other members were driving the streets of St. Louis, armed with multiple firearms, looking for “get backs” (retaliation) against a rival gang. While searching for rival gang members, Jones and others allegedly killed two innocent people whom they mistakenly believed to be rivals. After allegedly shooting and killing the victims, Jones and other Cochran Crips allegedly sped away, fleeing the scene and endangering other motorists on the road. Just a day after the murders, it is alleged that Cochran Crips gang members glorified the murders in a rap song.

    In 2022, Jones allegedly murdered another Cochran Crips member when the gang believed that the victim had disrespected a fellow gang member. The gang members are alleged to have obtained a car, armed themselves with multiple firearms, drove to the victim’s home, and murdered him.

    If convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, Jones faces a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty. All other charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.  

    The FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Jared A. Hernandez and Matthew Mattis of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj for the Eastern District of Missouri are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in St. Louis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Missouri and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in St. Louis.

    This case is also 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    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 Canada: Escape and return of an inmate from Grierson Institution

    Source: Government of Canada News

    April 11, 2025 – Edmonton, Alberta – Correctional Service Canada

    On April 11, 2025 inmate Jason Draude failed to report to his work location while on an approved work release from Grierson Institution in Edmonton, Alberta.

    The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) immediately contacted the Edmonton Police Service, and a warrant for the inmate’s arrest has been issued.

    At 12:56 p.m., inmate Jason Draude was back in custody. CSC will investigate the circumstances of this incident.

    Ensuring the safety and security of institutions, staff, and public remains the highest priority in the operations of the federal correctional system.

    -30-

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Spencer Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Spencer woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits.

    Gina Llerena-Donohue, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2025.

    From February 2006 through May 2021, Llerena-Donohue, fraudulently obtained approximately $41,954.20 in Social Security benefits. Llerena-Donohue held a power of attorney (POA) for a Social Security beneficiary that died in January 2006. She did not report the beneficiary’s death to either the Social Security Administration or the bank where the benefits were deposited. Instead, Llerena-Donohue accessed the improperly paid benefits through several counter cash withdrawals. Further, she submitted four false affidavits to the bank in 2018 and 2019 stating that the POA was still in effect because it had not been terminated by the death of the beneficiary.

    The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lancaster Man Who Fled Mid-Trial Found Guilty in Absentia of Producing, Enticing, and Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – An Antelope Valley man has been found guilty in absentia of producing and receiving sexually explicit images of a teenage girl whom he had enticed to engage in criminal sexual activity, the Justice Department announced today.

    Gregory Cole Jr., 30, of Lancaster, was found guilty late Thursday of one count of production of child pornography, one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one count of receipt of child pornography.

    Cole, who removed the location-monitoring unit from his ankle mid-trial and stopped appearing in court, is believed to be a fugitive. United States District Judge Percy Anderson issued a bench warrant and revoked Cole’s bond.

    According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, in March and April of 2024, Cole enticed the victim – a 16-year-old girl – to send him sexually explicit images of herself via direct messages on Instagram. 

    Law enforcement searched Cole’s Instagram account and discovered he enticed the victim to create and send him CSAM. Cole demanded CSAM from the victim and sent her pornography of adult women in poses he wanted the victim to photograph herself in for him, which the victim did.

    Cole deleted his Instagram account after the victim’s mother discovered his messages with her daughter.

    Cole faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

    The FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys J’me K. Forrest and Derek R. Flores of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National And Florida Man Indicted For Drug Trafficking And Possessing Firearm In Furtherance Of Trafficking Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Carlos Antonio Leon (29, Plant City) and Luis Fernando Aguirre Marin (29, Mexico) with drug trafficking conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. If convicted on all counts, Leon and Aguirre Marin each face a minimum of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Leon and Aguirre Marin that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition alleged to be involved in, or used to facilitate, the offense.

    According to the indictment, beginning not later than March 2025, Leon and Aguirre Marin conspired to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The indictment specifically alleges that, on March 21, 2025, they possessed with intent to distribute more than 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Further, it is alleged that they possessed a firearm in furtherance of those offenses.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Plant City Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall.

    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).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Pine Ridge Man Guilty of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Frank Long Black Cat, age 31, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on April 9, 2025.

    The conviction carries a maximum penalty of ten years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

    Long Black Cat was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025.

    Evidence at trial established that Long Black Cat used a knife to repeatedly stab another person in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Schroeder and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

    A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for July 14, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Owner Of Florida Health Care Companies Sentenced for Employment Tax Crimes

    Source: US State of California

    A Florida man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,381,265.76 in restitution to the United States for willfully failing to pay over employment taxes and willfully failing to file individual income tax returns.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Paul Walczak controlled a network of interconnected health care companies operating under various names, including Palm Health Partners. Through another of his entities, Palm Health Partners Employment Services (PHPES), Walczak employed over 600 people and paid over $24 million annually in payroll. As such, Walczak was required to withhold Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from his employees’ paychecks and to pay those monies over to the IRS each quarter, and to pay the companies’ portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes.

    For more than a decade, Walczak was not compliant with his tax obligations and instead used the withheld taxes to enrich himself. In 2011, Walczak did not pay two quarters of withheld taxes to the IRS. In 2012, the IRS began collection efforts, including by sending him notices about his unpaid taxes, and by meeting with Walczak to help bring him into compliance. When that effort was unsuccessful, the IRS assessed the outstanding taxes against him personally. After that was imposed, Walczak paid the assessments in October 2014. Walczak’s compliance did not last long, however. By the end of the following year, Walczak was again withholding taxes from his employees’ paychecks and keeping the money.

    From 2016 through 2019, Walczak withheld $7,432,223.80 of taxes from his employees’ paychecks, but did not pay those taxes over to the IRS. While Walczak was withholding taxes from the pay of his employees under the pretext of paying these funds to the IRS, he used over $1 million from his businesses’ bank accounts to purchase a yacht, transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to his personal bank accounts, and used the business accounts for personal purchases at retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman, Cartier, and Saks. During this same time, he also did not pay $3,480,111 of his business’s portion of his employees’ Social Security and Medicare taxes.

    By 2019, the IRS had assessed millions of dollars in civil penalties against Walczak. Beginning with the 2018 tax year, Walczak also stopped filing personal income tax returns despite that he was still receiving income including a $360,000 salary from PHPES and $450,000 in transfers from his business bank accounts.

    Moreover, in 2019, Walczak created a new business, NextEra. Walczak used a family member as the 99% nominal owner of NextEra, but Walczak had ultimate control of the finances and operations of NextEra. Through NextEra, Walczak transferred in 2020 just under $200,000 to a bank account titled in a family member’s name, over $250,000 to a bank account in his wife’s name, and over $800,000 in payments directly to third parties for Walczak’s personal expenses, including clothing stores, department stores, and fishing retailers.

    In total, Walczak caused a tax loss to the IRS of $10,912,334.80

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    IRS-CI investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brian Flanagan, Andrew Ascencio, and Ashley Stein of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner Of Florida Health Care Companies Sentenced for Employment Tax Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Florida man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,381,265.76 in restitution to the United States for willfully failing to pay over employment taxes and willfully failing to file individual income tax returns.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Paul Walczak controlled a network of interconnected health care companies operating under various names, including Palm Health Partners. Through another of his entities, Palm Health Partners Employment Services (PHPES), Walczak employed over 600 people and paid over $24 million annually in payroll. As such, Walczak was required to withhold Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from his employees’ paychecks and to pay those monies over to the IRS each quarter, and to pay the companies’ portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes.

    For more than a decade, Walczak was not compliant with his tax obligations and instead used the withheld taxes to enrich himself. In 2011, Walczak did not pay two quarters of withheld taxes to the IRS. In 2012, the IRS began collection efforts, including by sending him notices about his unpaid taxes, and by meeting with Walczak to help bring him into compliance. When that effort was unsuccessful, the IRS assessed the outstanding taxes against him personally. After that was imposed, Walczak paid the assessments in October 2014. Walczak’s compliance did not last long, however. By the end of the following year, Walczak was again withholding taxes from his employees’ paychecks and keeping the money.

    From 2016 through 2019, Walczak withheld $7,432,223.80 of taxes from his employees’ paychecks, but did not pay those taxes over to the IRS. While Walczak was withholding taxes from the pay of his employees under the pretext of paying these funds to the IRS, he used over $1 million from his businesses’ bank accounts to purchase a yacht, transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to his personal bank accounts, and used the business accounts for personal purchases at retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman, Cartier, and Saks. During this same time, he also did not pay $3,480,111 of his business’s portion of his employees’ Social Security and Medicare taxes.

    By 2019, the IRS had assessed millions of dollars in civil penalties against Walczak. Beginning with the 2018 tax year, Walczak also stopped filing personal income tax returns despite that he was still receiving income including a $360,000 salary from PHPES and $450,000 in transfers from his business bank accounts.

    Moreover, in 2019, Walczak created a new business, NextEra. Walczak used a family member as the 99% nominal owner of NextEra, but Walczak had ultimate control of the finances and operations of NextEra. Through NextEra, Walczak transferred in 2020 just under $200,000 to a bank account titled in a family member’s name, over $250,000 to a bank account in his wife’s name, and over $800,000 in payments directly to third parties for Walczak’s personal expenses, including clothing stores, department stores, and fishing retailers.

    In total, Walczak caused a tax loss to the IRS of $10,912,334.80

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    IRS-CI investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brian Flanagan, Andrew Ascencio, and Ashley Stein of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Tanzania: Stop repression of opposition leaders and immediately release Tundu Liss

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Responding to news that treason charges were brought against Tundu Lissu, leader of Tanzania’s main opposition Party for Democracy and Progress (Chadema) on 10 April, following his arrest on 9 April, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah said:

    “The Tanzanian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Tundu Lissu whose arbitrary arrest and detention comes amid a growing crackdown on opposition leaders ahead of the October 2025 general elections.

    “The authorities’ campaign of repression saw four government critics forcibly disappeared, and one unlawfully killed in 2024. The police have also prevented opposition members from holding meetings and other political gatherings, subjecting them to mass arrest, arbitrary detention and unlawful use of force.

    “Instead of using these heavy-handed tactics to silence critics, authorities in Tanzania should focus on upholding fundamental human rights in the country, including the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

    Tundu Lissu

    Tundu Lissu was arrested on 9 April 2025 after holding a political rally in Mbinga town, southwest of Tanzania. He was then transferred to Dar es Salaam, more than 1,000 kilometres away by road during the night. Police used excessive force, including by firing teargas and shooting in the air to disperse his supporters who gathered around during the arrest.

    On 10 April, police charged him with the non-bailable offence of treason, in relation to social media posts he made on 3 April calling for Tanzanians to boycott the forthcoming elections, citing the possibility of rigging.

    The state also charged him with three offences in relation to the “publication of false information” using the country’s cybercrime laws. On 3 April 2025, Tundu Lissu, in a You Tube post also stated that Tanzanian police participated in alleged electoral malpractices that he claimed were ordered by the president following the November 2024 local elections. He further stated that judges in the country are not independent and subject to pressure of the ruling party.

    Dioniz Kipanya, a Chadema party official, disappeared on 26 July 2024 when he left home following a telephone conversation with an unidentified person. Deusdedith Soka and Jacob Godwin Mlay, both Chadema youth activists, and Frank Mbise, a motorcycle taxi driver, were abducted by a group of men suspected to be police officers on 18 August 2024.

    The body of Ali Mohamed Kibao, a senior Chadema member, was found on 8 September 2024. Suspected security agents had abducted him from a bus on 6 September 2024 while he was travelling home to Tanga from Dar es Salaam. According to a post-mortem his body had been soaked in acid and bore signs of a beating.

    Tundu Lissu will be arraigned in Kisitu Magistrates Court of Dar es Salaam on 24 April 2025.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Tanzania: Stop repression of opposition leaders and immediately release Tundu Lissu

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Responding to news that treason charges were brought against Tundu Lissu, leader of Tanzania’s main opposition Party for Democracy and Progress (Chadema) on 10 April, following his arrest on 9 April, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah said:

    “The Tanzanian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Tundu Lissu whose arbitrary arrest and detention comes amid a growing crackdown on opposition leaders ahead of the October 2025 general elections.

    “The authorities’ campaign of repression saw four government critics forcibly disappeared, and one unlawfully killed in 2024. The police have also prevented opposition members from holding meetings and other political gatherings, subjecting them to mass arrest, arbitrary detention and unlawful use of force.

    The Tanzanian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Tundu Lissu whose arbitrary arrest and detention comes amid a growing crackdown on opposition leaders ahead of the October 2025 general elections.

    Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa

    “Instead of using these heavy-handed tactics to silence critics, authorities in Tanzania should focus on upholding fundamental human rights in the country, including the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

    Background

    Tundu Lissu was arrested on 9 April 2025 after holding a political rally in Mbinga town, southwest of Tanzania. He was then transferred to Dar es Salaam, more than 1,000 kilometres away by road during the night. Police used excessive force, including by firing teargas and shooting in the air to disperse his supporters who gathered around during the arrest.

    On 10 April 2025, police charged him with the non-bailable offence of treason, in relation to social media posts he made on 3 April 2025 calling for Tanzanians to boycott the forthcoming elections, citing the possibility of rigging.

    The state also charged him with three offences in relation to the “publication of false information” using the country’s cybercrime laws. On 3 April 2025, Tundu Lissu, in a You Tube post also stated that Tanzanian police participated in alleged electoral malpractices that he claimed were ordered by the president following the November 2024 local elections. He further stated that judges in the country are not independent and subject to pressure of the ruling party.

    Dioniz Kipanya, a Chadema party official, disappeared on 26 July 2024 when he left home following a telephone conversation with an unidentified person. Deusdedith Soka and Jacob Godwin Mlay, both Chadema youth activists, and Frank Mbise, a motorcycle taxi driver, were abducted by a group of men suspected to be police officers on 18 August 2024.

    The body of Ali Mohamed Kibao, a senior Chadema member, was found on 8 September 2024. Suspected security agents had abducted him from a bus on 6 September 2024 while he was travelling home to Tanga from Dar es Salaam. According to a post-mortem his body had been soaked in acid and bore signs of a beating.

    Tundu Lissu will be arraigned in Kisitu Magistrates Court of Dar es Salaam on 24 April 2025.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston, federal partners arrests illegal Ecuadoran national charged with more than 20 sex crimes against Massachusetts minor

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    LAWRENCE, Mass. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with federal partners from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested an illegally present Ecuadoran national charged with more than twenty counts of sex crimes against a minor. Officers with ICE Boston and agents from DEA New England and ATF Boston arrested Gilberto Avila-Jara, 64, in Lawrence April 1.

    “There are no appropriate words to describe the amount of damage Gilberto Avila-Jara has allegedly done to our Massachusetts community,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Children are the most precious and most vulnerable members of our communities, and we will do everything in our power to protect them from illegal sex offenders. ICE Boston remains committed to prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing alien sexual predators from New England.”

    Avila illegally entered the United States near San Ysidro, California Feb. 10, 1996, without being inspected, admitted, or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.

    Officers with the Immigration and Naturalization Service apprehended Avila March 2, 1996, at Los Angeles International Airport.

    On March 11, 1996, a Justice Department immigration judge ordered Avila removed from the United States to Ecuador. INS removed Avila from the United States to Ecuador July 2, 1996. Avila illegally reentered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location and without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration official. The Lawrence District Court arraigned Avila on Dec. 18, 2020, for more than 20 offenses including indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, rape of a child with force and aggravated statutory rape of a Child. Later that day, ICE Boston lodged an immigration detainer against Avila with the Lawrence Police Department.

    The Lawrence District Court refused to honor the ICE detainer and released Avila from custody on bail March 17, 2021.

    On April 22, 2021, the Essex County Superior Court arraigned Avila for six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, eight counts of rape of a child with force and eight counts of aggravated statutory rape of a child.

    Officers with ICE Boston and agents from DEA New England and ATF Boston arrested Gilberto Avila-Jara, 64, in Lawrence April 1.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROBoston

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Panama Express Strike Force interdicts nearly $510 million in illegal narcotics in Eastern Pacific Ocean

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    MIAMI – The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces interdicted and announced the seizure of more than 44,550 pounds of cocaine and 3,880 pounds marijuana valued at approximately $509.9 million as part of the joint multiagency Panama Express Strike Force mission in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

    The PANEX mission is a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multiagency approach to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alongside the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.

    This patrol resulted in 11 interdictions and the detainment of 34 suspected narco-traffickers who were transferred ashore to face federal prosecution. These interdictions are tied to criminal investigations by federal partners and have been linked to transnational criminal and foreign terrorist organizations including the Clan del Golfo, Sinaloa Cartel, and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion.

    These PANEX Strike Force interdictions deny these sophisticated criminal organizations more than half a billion dollars in illicit revenue. They provide critical testimonial and drug evidence as well as key intelligence for their total elimination.

    Interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Eleventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda, Calif. Once the seized narcotics and suspects are ashore, the investigations into the origins of the narcotics and innerworkings of the transnational criminal organizations are conducted by ICE HSI, DEA, and FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s office charges and prosecutes the suspected narco-traffickers.

    The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk, U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron Jacksonville, U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team-Pacific, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations) aircrews, Joint Interagency Task Force-South assisted PANEX and the Coast Guard Cutter James during interdiction operations.

    The interdictions were:

    • On Jan. 5, the CGC James’ unmanned aircraft system (drone) spotted a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 260 miles off the coast of Ecuador. The cutter’s boarding team interdicted the vessel, apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized over 2,025 pounds of cocaine.
    • On Jan. 6, a maritime patrol aircraft spotted three suspicious go-fast vessels headed in the same direction approximately 280 miles off the coast of Ecuador. James simultaneously intercepted the three go-fast vessels, with the help from a drone and Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) aircrew, James’ boarding teams interdicted the vessels, apprehended nine suspected narco-traffickers and seized over 13,960 pounds of cocaine.
    • On Jan. 7, a maritime patrol aircraft detected a suspicious low-profile go-fast vessel in international waters, approximately 330 miles southeast of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. James’ embarked HITRON employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the non-compliant vessel to stop, and the boarding team apprehended three suspected narco-traffickers and seized over 8,240 pounds of cocaine.
    • On Jan. 11, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Air and Marine Operations aircrew detected a suspicious go-fast vessel approximately 275 miles southwest of Ecuador. James’ boat crew and Coast Guard Cutter Stone’s helicopter aircrews interdicted the go-fast vessel, apprehended three suspected narco-traffickers and seized over 3,385 pounds of cocaine.
    • On Jan. 18, Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk’s crew detected a suspicious go-fast vessel, approximately 185 miles west of Ecuador. After the suspected smugglers jettisoned the presumptive narcotics into the water, James’ small boat chased down the fleeing go-fast vessel from 60 nautical miles away while Mohawk’s crew recovered the jettisoned bales. James’ boarding teams interdicted the go-fast vessel and apprehended three suspected narco-traffickers, seizing approximately 5,950 pounds of cocaine.
    • On Jan. 30, James’ drones detected multiple suspicious go-fast vessels approximately 380 miles west off the coast of Peru. James’ boarding team employed surface use of force tactics to interdict the go-fast vessel, apprehended three suspected narco-traffickers and seized over 3,870 pounds of cocaine.
    • On Feb 1, James’ drones spotted a suspicious go-fast vessel operating approximately 280 miles off Ecuador. James’ boarding team interdicted the vessel, apprehended three suspected narco-traffickers and seized over 3,630 pounds of cocaine.
    • On Feb. 3, James’ drones detected multiple suspicious go-fast vessels operating 215 miles off Peru. James’ boarding team interdicted the vessel, apprehended three suspected narco-traffickers and seized nearly 3,490 pounds of cocaine.
    • On Feb. 15, a CBP-AMO aircrew spotted a suspicious go-fast vessel, operating 260 miles off Costa Rica. James’ helicopter interdiction aircrew employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the non-compliant vessel stop. James’ boarding team interdicted the vessel, apprehended four suspected narco-traffickers and seized nearly 3,880 pounds of marijuana.

    PANEX continues increased operations to interdict, seize, and disrupt transnational shipments of cocaine, marijuana, and other bulk illicit drugs by sea. These drugs fuel and enable cartels and transnational criminal organizations to produce and traffic illegal fentanyl, posing a significant threat to the safety of the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE removes former Mexican governor convicted of money laundering in the US

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SAN DIEGO — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed Tomas Jesus Yarrington Ruvalcaba, 68, a citizen of Mexico wanted by Mexican authorities, April 9.

    Enforcement and Removal Operations Harlingen and San Diego deportation officers, in coordination with ERO Mexico City, removed Yarrington, a former governor of Tamaulipas, Mexico, and former presidential candidate in Mexico, at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Yarrington was turned over to Mexican authorities without incident. He is wanted in Mexico for organized crime and transactions with illegally obtained resources.

    ICE ERO Mexico City and Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement Initiative were instrumental with providing essential documentation regarding Yarrington’s history during his immigrations proceedings that resulted in his removal to Mexico.

    On March 25, 2021, Yarrington pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in the United States District Court, Southern District of Texas and was sentenced to serve 108 months imprisonment.

    ICE Homeland Security Investigations Brownsville special agents investigated the case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas handled the prosecution.

    According to court documents, Yarrington accepted bribes from individuals and private companies in Mexico to do business with the state of Tamaulipas while he served as governor. Yarrington was in that position from 1999 to 2005. He was also an Institutional Revolutionary Party candidate for the president of Mexico in 2005. Yarrington used the bribery money he received while governor to purchase properties in the U.S. He had nominee buyers buy property in the U.S. to hide his ownership of the properties and the illegal bribery money used to purchase them. Yarrington laundered his illegally obtained bribe money in the United States by purchasing beachfront condominiums, large estates, commercial developments, airplanes and luxury vehicles.

    In April 2017, authorities captured Yarrington in Italy while he was traveling under an assumed name and false passport. He was taken into custody on a provisional arrest warrant based on the indictment returned in May 2013. Although Yarrington contested extradition, Italian authorities eventually authorized his extradition to the U.S. He arrived in April 2018. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs secured the extradition from Italy to the United States.

    ICE ERO officers took custody of Yarrington from the Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution Thomson in Thomson, Illinois, July 3, 2024, and transferred him to ICE custody where he continued his immigration proceedings.

    On Feb. 27, an immigration judge with the DOJ Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Yarrington removed. He waived his right to appeal.

    Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: PDS Gang Member Sentenced for Drug Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Dartanyan Ricardo Hawkins, 30, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison in connection with his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large quantities of marijuana in the District of Columbia.

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

                Hawkins, aka “Shitty,” was a member of the Push Dat Shit (PDS) and Jugg Gang (JG) street crews. He pleaded guilty November 1, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of marijuana. As part of his plea, Hawkins admitted to possessing a firearm as part of the offense and further admitted to using Instagram to sell marijuana.

                In addition to the 60-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Hawkins to serve four years of supervised release.

                According to court documents, PDS maintained gang territory in the 3300 – 3500 blocks of Wheeler Road, Southeast and operated an open-air drug market outside a market. In August 2018, PDS allied with a neighboring street gang known as Jugg Gang, or “JG,” that included Hawkins. The combined gang also conspired to carry firearms – including machine guns – to protect themselves, their drugs, their cash, and their territory from rival crews with whom they had “beefs.”

                This sentence is part of an ongoing joint investigation which has resulted in 27 convictions and the seizure of two vehicles, 35 firearms, four machine guns, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 60 pounds of marijuana, 41 grams of cocaine base, dozens of oxycodone pills, and approximately $500,000 in cash.

                The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.

    23cr379

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Medina man charged with possession of child pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Kyle Stack, 39, of Medina, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent minors, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in December 2019, Adobe Systems Inc. reported that four images containing child sexual abuse material were uploaded to Adobe’s servers from screen/username “Kyle Stack.” Subsequent investigation traced the uploads to the defendant. In July 2020, the New York State Police executed a search warrant at Stack’s Bates Road residence, seizing six electronic devices, two of which were later found to contain child sexual abuse material. A forensic review of Stack’s cell phone recovered a total of 4,822 images and 32 videos of child sexual abuse material, as well as 2,319 images and four videos of child erotica, and 25 animated child sexual abuse material. A review of his laptop recovered 3,476 images, eight animated images, 16 images of child bestiality and bondage, 5,930 videos, three animated videos, and 43 child bestiality and bondage videos.

    Stack made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.

    The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.   

     

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds 295 New Immigration Cases in One Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 295 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 4 through April 10.

    Among the new cases, Mexican national Jorge Alberto Garcia-Drue was encountered at the Frio County Jail in Pearsall after he was arrested for allegedly refusing to provide accurate identification. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Enforcement Removal Operations agents determined that Garcia-Drue was an alien illegally present within the United States and that he had been previously removed from the country. A review of his criminal history revealed that he had also been convicted on Dec. 10, 2014 of harboring illegal aliens and aiding and abetting. For that conviction, Garcia-Drue was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.

    In El Paso, agents responded to an address on April 3. A criminal complaint alleges that one of the agents recognized an alarming amount of smoke inside the residence. Responding to the smoke, agents entered the home and noticed that two cell phones were burning inside a toilet. At the same time, an agent noticed a broken skylight in the bathroom was broken and believed someone had escaped through the roof. Two individuals were then located and apprehended on the roof of the house. The individuals were identified as Victor Adolfo Gonzalez-Serrano and Alberto Antonio Barrera-Soria. Back inside the residence, the criminal complaint indicates that agents located air mattresses, bags full of trash, and wet clothing and shoes. 17 additional people were located inside the residence. The home had been used as a stash house, allegedly managed by Gonzalez-Serrano and Barrera-Soria, who both stated they were being paid to harbor and care for the illegal aliens. Barrera-Soria has been deported two times—most recently on July 23, 2024. He, along with Gonzalez-Serrano and a third defendant, Diego Axel Barrera-Granados, who alleged that he had been smuggled into the U.S. to transport illegal aliens, are Mexican nationals in the United States illegally and have been charged with bringing in and harboring aliens.

    On April 7, Border Patrol agents apprehended an individual east of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges that, during processing, the individual was receiving multiple phone calls and texts, causing suspicion that an alien smuggling scheme was ongoing. The apprehended individual allegedly consented for agents to use his cell phone and, when a USBP agent answered an incoming call, the agent posed as an illegal alien to coordinate a pickup. This led agents to Luis David Castro, who arrived at an agreed upon location and believed he was going to pick up an illegal alien for smuggling. He’s charged with one count of bringing in and harboring aliens. Castro is a felon convicted in 2016 for aggravated robbery with 2023 conviction for burglary of a building. 

    Guatemalan national Julio Pop-Tiul was arrested in El Paso on April 7 for illegal re-entry, having been previously removed from the U.S. on May 13, 2024. A criminal complaint alleges that Pop-Tiul is a twice-convicted felon and admitted affiliation with the 18th Street Gang. He was convicted in Los Angeles, California in 2019 for assault with a deadly weapon and in 2021 for taking a vehicle without consent.

    In Del Rio, Mexican national Jose Alfredo Almendarez-Alvarez was arrested by USBP agents for being an alien illegally present in the U.S. Almendarez-Alvarez was deported in October 2024 through Laredo. A convicted felon, he was sentenced in Huntsville in 2023 to two years’ confinement for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

    Other arrests this past week in the Del Rio sector include Mexican nationals Jose Eufracio-Plata, Isaias Gomez-Cruz, and Antonio Manuel Vazquez-Rodriguez. Eufracio-Plata was just deported March 7 for the third time and has four felony convictions, including two for illegal re-entry and two related to marijuana possession. Gomez-Cruz was apprehended April 3 near Carrizo Springs. Gomez-Cruz was most recently deported for the fifth time on March 3 following a conviction for illegal re-entry on Feb. 26. His criminal record includes two DWI convictions and a conviction for reckless driving. Vazquez-Rodriguez was deported March 14 through Laredo and was convicted in September 2024 for evading arrest. He was also convicted for the same offense in March 2023. Lastly, Mexican national Eduardo Gaspar-Santos was arrested April 2 after being previously deported Dec. 6, 2024. Gaspar-Santos was convicted in November 2024 in Lewisville for assault causing bodily injury.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

    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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Sentenced to Eight Years for Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Guatemalan national with a history of serious crimes and multiple deportations, has been sentenced to 100 months in prison following his latest encounter with U.S. authorities.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court records, Darwin Yuvini Escobar-Lopez a.k.a Carlos Antonio Aguilar-Garcia, a 40-year-old Guatemalan national, was encountered in New Mexico by U.S. Border Patrol agents on July 23, 2024. Escobar-Lopez criminal history includes a conviction in California in 2005 for “Lewd or Lascivious Acts with a Child Under 14,” classified as an aggravated felony, for which he served a three-year prison sentence. Following his conviction, Escobar-Lopez had been deported from the United States four times, with the most recent removal occurring in April 2024.

    On December 9, 2024, Escobar-Lopez pleaded guilty to reentry of a removed alien. Upon his release from prison, Escobar-Lopez will be subject to deportation proceedings.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, made the announcement today.

    The U.S. Border Patrol investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson Hehr prosecuted this case as 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. [use if applicable] Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pine Bluff Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Perjury

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LITTLE ROCK—Dezstiny Collins will spend the next 18 months in federal prison for lying to a grand jury. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on April 10, 2025, by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.

    A federal grand jury indicted Collins, 29, of Pine Bluff, in an indictment on August 3, 2022. She was charged in a one count indictment of false declarations before a grand jury. On December 5, 2024, Collins pleaded guilty to the perjury charge in the indictment.

    Collins was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury on March 2, 2022, as part of an ongoing federal investigation into ammunition possessed by convicted felons during a shooting and homicide in Pine Bluff. During her testimony before the grand jury, Collins repeatedly denied being with the suspects from the February 26, 2019, shooting despite being confronted with surveillance video footage from local businesses that placed her with the suspects immediately prior to the shooting. At the change of plea hearing, Collins acknowledged that the testimony she provided before the grand jury was not truthful.

    In addition to the 18-month sentence, Judge Miller sentenced Collins to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

    The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the FBI and Pine Bluff Police Department. The case was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Arkansas by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Fields.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Individuals arraigned on immigration charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – Two individuals accused of harboring and re-entry appeared this week for arraignment, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    • Kristin Louise Mitchell, aka Kristin Louise Short, 41, of Shelby pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging her with attempted harboring of illegal aliens. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, Mitchell faces five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
    • Carlos Alexis Ponce-Lopez, 33, of Honduras, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with re-entry of removed alien. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, Ponce-Lopez faces two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge John Johnston presided. Mitchell was released on conditions, and Ponce-Lopez was detained pending further proceedings.

    Count 1 of the indictment alleges that on March 4, 2025, near Shelby, Mitchell attempted to conceal, harbor and shield from detection three illegal aliens and took a substantial step toward the commission of that offense. Ponce-Lopez is charged in count 2 of the indictment with illegal reentry of a removed alien near Billings on February 21, 2025. The indictment alleges Ponce-Lopez is a citizen of Honduras, was removed from the United States in August 2014, and reentered the country without the permission of the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Border Patrol, Montana Highway Patrol, and Toole County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

    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).

    The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    PACER case reference. 25-34.

    The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

    XXX

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