NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World Must ‘Act to Stem Tide of Hate Speech, Stop Disunity, Discontent Mutating into Violence’, Says Secretary-General, in Rwanda Genocide Observance Message

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, observed on 7 April:

    Today, we mourn the 1 million children, women and men slaughtered in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

    This appalling chapter in human history was not a spontaneous frenzy of horrendous violence.  It was intentional, premeditated and planned — including through hate speech that inflamed division, and spread lies and dehumanization.  The overwhelming majority of victims were Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide.

    As we recall how these crimes came about, we must also reflect on resonance with our own times.

    These are days of division.  The narrative of “us” versus “them” is ascendant, polarizing societies.  Digital technologies are being weaponized to further inflame hate, stoke division and spread lies.

    We must learn from the terrible history of the genocide in Rwanda, and act to stem the tide of hate speech, stop disunity and discontent mutating into violence, uphold human rights and ensure accountability.

    I urge all States to deliver on commitments made in the Global Digital Compact to tackle online falsehoods and hate, to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and to become parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide without delay.

    On this day of remembrance, let’s commit to be vigilant and to work together to build a world of justice and dignity for all — in honour of all the victims and survivors of the genocide in Rwanda.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Washington AG says RealPage and landlords conspired to harm tenants, violate Consumer Protection Act

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE — The Washington state Attorney General’s Office filed suit in King County Superior Court today against software company RealPage and nine local landlords, alleging that RealPage and its software are central to a conspiracy and unfair competition by certain landlords that resulted in rapidly rising rent prices for their tenants.

    The lawsuit says RealPage provides software tools to landlords that push rental prices beyond what landlords could otherwise achieve while reducing the risk that other landlords will undercut them with more competitive rates. Analysis by the Attorney General’s Office shows that in numerous markets, pricing is higher and occupancy is lower for properties managed by landlords who use RealPage’s products than for similar properties managed by landlords who don’t use RealPage.

    “RealPage’s unfair practices are cheating renters and pricing families out of stable housing,” said Attorney General Nick Brown. “Washington is facing a housing crisis and we must respond with every available tool.”

    Washington State was previously part of a multi-state antitrust lawsuit led by the U.S. Department of Justice in federal court, but withdrew to file this challenge in state court under statutes that would cover a greater number of Washingtonians impacted by these actions. This new lawsuit alleges six violations of the state Consumer Protection Act and seeks restitution for a large number Washington renters. An estimated 800,000 leases in Washington were priced using RealPage software between 2017 and 2024.

    The investigation found that RealPage’s pricing software provides landlords with a shared logic that tends to raise rents. Two types of RealPage’s pricing software collect nonpublic, competitively sensitive data from landlords to feed the algorithms. Landlords who use RealPage software agree to provide their data, knowing that the software combines their data with data from other landlords. The algorithm then recommends rents — in many cases increasing them. In feedback to RealPage about its software, one potential client said: “I always liked this product because your algorithm uses proprietary data from other subscribers to suggest rents and term. That’s classic price fixing.”

    Legislative leaders expressed their support for the litigation.

    “The Washington Legislature has passed dozens of bills over the last three years focused on addressing housing affordability,” said House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma. I welcome AG Brown’s entry into this work and his willingness to fight against giant corporations using unfair algorithms across the State of Washington to jack up housing costs.”

    “I am proud that our state is working to protect renters from this kind of collusion and conspiracy,” said Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma. “Renters deserve to have protections against unfair price-fixing, and I thank Attorney General Brown for his swift action on this issue. It is imperative that we prevent any company of taking advantage of Washington renters and that we do anything to prevent unnecessary and increased costs for people just trying to pay their rent and stay in their homes.”

    The lawsuit states that RealPage’s software creates pricing recommendations that will not go below a hard floor, though they may exceed a soft ceiling at the top of the market.

    RealPage also discourages pro-renter practices like price negotiations and concessions for renters and instead favors the highest possible prices in several ways. First, RealPage’s training advises new clients to set its software to automatically accept its pricing recommendations. If a landlord doesn’t want to use auto-accept, RealPage advisors are trained to convince them to turn it on.

    RealPage also encourages landlords to accept its pricing recommendations by forcing them to enter an explanation any time they reject the software’s recommendations. When RealPage’s advisers see the rejections, they can escalate review to higher-level managers.

    Second, RealPage software also advises landlords to keep prices high even when occupancy is down, the lawsuit asserts. The software also recommends adjusting lease timeframes to avoid a glut of apartment units hitting the market at the same time — for instance, recommending 13-month leases instead of 12. That way, rent prices don’t go down because of increased housing supply.

    RealPage also organized a conspiracy of landlords through its user groups for each pricing software product, the suit claims. In user group meetings, landlords vote on changes to the pricing software, discuss competitively sensitive topics, and build anticompetitive strategies around their use of RealPage’s pricing software.

    The lawsuit seeks to end RealPage’s and landlords’ illegal practices and force them to stop colluding, coordinating pricing and occupancy, sharing a pricing algorithm, and exchanging competitively sensitive nonpublic information.

    Assistant Attorneys General Brian H. Rowe, Rachel A. Lumen, Sarah Smith-Levy, Miriam Stiefel, Jessica So, Helen Lubetkin, and Ashley Locke; Paralegals Alicia Stensland, Mark O’Neal, Christina Baker, Kristina Wooster, Connor Hopkins, Tracy Jacoby and Kellie Tappan; Investigator Tony Perkins; and Economic Analyst Matthew Paskash are working on the case for Washington.

    The lawsuit can be found here.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Long Beach Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Smash-and-Grab Robbery of Jewelry Worth $2.6 Million

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

    LOS ANGELES – A Long Beach man was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for his role in a smash-and-grab robbery of a Beverly Hills jewelry store in 2022 in which more than $2.6 million in merchandise was stolen – and the proceeds of which he later displayed on his Instagram account.

    Ladell Tharpe, 39, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him to pay $2,674,600 in restitution.  

    Tharpe pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act).

    “Brazen criminal action that directly targets our small businesses in Los Angeles County will not be tolerated,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “The consequences for such action are severe and penalized accordingly, and I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their exceptional and dutiful work during this investigation.”

    “Mr. Tharpe terrified his victims during this violent robbery carried out in broad daylight, then shamelessly boasted about it online,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our counterparts at local police departments to address violent crime and pursue justice at the federal level where appropriate.” 

    “The Beverly Hills Police Department is committed to protecting our community and ensuring justice,” said Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark G. Stainbrook. “We value our partnership with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and appreciate the investigators who relentlessly pursued and prosecuted those responsible for this crime. As a reminder, crime will not be tolerated in Beverly Hills.” 

    In March 2022, Tharpe and his accomplices, Deshon Bell, 22, Jimmy Lee Vernon III, 33, both from Long Beach, as well as an unnamed minor drove three vehicles to a jewelry store in Beverly Hills and used sledgehammers and crow bars to break the glass surrounding the merchandise while employees and customers were present.

    One of the vehicles driven to the jewelry store had been reported stolen four days prior to the robbery and was left in front of the victim store.

    The thieves removed from the store’s display cases at least 19 bracelets, seven pairs of earrings, four necklaces, a pair of obelisks, eight rings, and 20 watches, all of which was valued at approximately $2,674,600. The robbers then returned to the car in which Bell was waiting and then fled the scene.

    Two days after the heist, Tharpe posted images of large amounts of cash on his Instagram with the text “Robbery Gang.”

    Tharpe has been in federal custody since March 2023.

    Bell and Vernon each pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery. Judge Wu sentenced Bell to one year and one day in federal prison in February 2024, as well as ordering him to pay $2,674,000 in restitution.

    Vernon, whose cellphone fell out of his sweatpants pocket during the conduct of the robbery and was recovered by investigators, was sentenced last month to 80 months in prison and was also ordered to repay $2,674,000 in restitution.

    The FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Kevin B. Reidy of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former School Custodian Admits Possessing Child Pornography

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

    ST. LOUIS – A former high school custodian on Wednesday admitted possessing child sexual abuse material.

    Bernard Ray Mennemeier, 58, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of child pornography. Mennemeier admitted possessing both child pornography and child erotica.

    The investigation began on Jan. 2, 2024, after Mennemeier uploaded five videos containing child sexual abuse material to Dropbox. An FBI agent traced the Dropbox account to Mennemeier, and then conducted a court-approved search of the Dropbox account, and then Mennemeier’s home. In an interview at the O’Fallon Police Department, Mennemeier admitted messaging someone on Twitter who would sell him child sexual abuse material. Mennemeier said he purchased those materials “numerous” times, his plea agreement says.

    Mennemeier is scheduled to be sentenced July 9. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

    “This crime came to light thanks to a CyberTip reported to our partners at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Bernard Mennemeier thought he could anonymously obtain and possess child sexual abuse material,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division.  “When it comes to protecting children, the FBI is even more diligent in identifying, locating and arresting such perpetrators.”

    The FBI investigated the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Millbourne Borough Officials and One Former Official Plead Guilty to Election Fraud Offenses

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

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that MD Nurul Hasan, 48, MD Munsur Ali, 48, and MD Rafikul Islam, 52, all of Millbourne, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to election fraud offenses, at separate hearings before United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III.

    In February, the defendants were charged in a 33-count indictment with conspiracy to commit voter fraud, giving false information in registering to vote, and fraudulent voter registration, arising from their scheme, ultimately unsuccessful, to steal Millbourne Borough’s 2021 mayoral election for Hasan.

    Hasan, the vice president of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all 33 charges against him — one count of conspiracy, 16 counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and 16 counts of fraudulent voter registration.

    Ali, a member of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all 25 charges against him — one count of conspiracy, 12 counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and 12 counts of fraudulent voter registration.

    Islam, a former member of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all seven charges against him — one count of conspiracy, three counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and three counts of fraudulent voter registration.

    As set forth in court filings, in 2021, Millbourne held elections for mayor, three seats on its borough council, and tax collector. Defendant Hasan entered the majority party’s primary election for mayor.

    The primary election was held on May 20, 2021, and Hasan was defeated in the primary by a vote count of approximately 138 to 120. In the same primary, Ali was one of three majority party candidates for borough council to advance to the general election, while Islam lost his bid for reelection to the council.

    After the primary, Hasan decided that he would run as a write-in candidate for mayor in the general election, which was scheduled for November 2, 2021. Ali and Islam agreed to support Hasan in his write-in campaign.

    As detailed in court documents and admitted by the defendants, in or about 2021, defendants Hasan, Ali, and Islam conspired and agreed with one another, and other persons known and unknown to the U.S. Attorney, to steal the 2021 general election for Mayor of Millbourne for defendant Hasan through a multi-step process, which included:

    (a) obtaining personal identification information of non-Millbourne residents, such as their names, addresses, and dates of birth;

    (b) using the personal identifying information to access the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s online voter registration (PAOVR) website and change the voter registration addresses for those non-Millbourne residents to locations within Millbourne;

    (c) using the PAOVR website to request that mail-in or absentee ballots for those non-Millbourne residents be sent to addresses accessible by one or more of the defendants;

    (d) retrieving the ballots from the Millbourne mailboxes;

    (e) impersonating the voters and fraudulently casting write-in votes for defendant Hasan to be mayor;

    (f) enclosing the fraudulently completed ballots in envelopes and forging the voters’ signatures on the envelopes; and

    (g) submitting the ballots in their envelopes to the Delaware County Board of Elections.

    The defendants admitted that, to further this conspiracy, they contacted friends and acquaintances whom Hasan and Ali knew did not live in Millbourne, told these non-Millbourne residents that Hasan was running for mayor in Millbourne, asked if they could register the non-Millbourne residents to vote in Millbourne, and then cast mail-in ballots for Hasan to be mayor.

    Hasan and Ali persuaded many of their non-Millbourne friends and acquaintances to provide them with personal identification information so that defendants Hasan and Ali could register them to vote in Millbourne. During many of these conversations, Hasan and Ali told their non-Millbourne friends and acquaintances that they would not get in trouble, as long as they did not vote in another election in November 2021.

    Hasan and Ali also conspired and agreed to use personal identifying information for other non-Millbourne residents, which the two defendants had obtained from other sources, such as Hasan’s business, to register those nonresidents as Millbourne voters without the knowledge of those non-residents.

    Hasan personally did almost all of the fraudulent voter registrations himself, using a computer at his place of business to access the PAOVR website and change the voting addresses for non-Millbourne residents to locations within Millbourne. Every time that Hasan accessed the PAOVR website to change a voter registration address, he provided an email address for the voter. Many times, Hasan provided one of four email addresses that he used and accessed.

    To divert suspicion from himself, however, Hasan sometimes provided email addresses belonging to other people, who knowingly and willfully permitted Hasan to use their email addresses to cover up Hasan’s actions. One of those people was Islam, who allowed Hasan to use two of Islam’s email addresses when Hasan fraudulently changed the voter registration addresses for six individuals. Islam also permitted Hasan to use two of Islam’s email addresses when requesting mail-in ballots for five non-Millbourne residents.

    In total, the defendants conspired to falsely register nearly three dozen non-Millbourne residents as Millbourne voters and cast ballots for those non-Millbourne residents in the 2021 general election for mayor of Millbourne Borough. Hasan went on to lose the election by a vote of approximately 165 to 138.

    “Protecting the integrity of our elections is crucial to ensuring a fair result, as well as the public’s continued trust in the process,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “That’s why these cases are a priority for my office and the FBI. Election fraud will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”

    “Trust in the electoral process is the cornerstone of our democracy. When public officials betray that trust through fraud, they don’t just break the law — they erode confidence in the very institutions that uphold our system,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI is proud to stand with our partners in safeguarding the integrity of elections at every level of government.”

    “This investigation exposed public officials who forgot that their role in a democracy is limited to accepting the voters’ choice. I applaud the hard work and partnership of the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI and my Special Investigations Unit led by Deputy DA Doug Rhoads. This investigation serves as a reminder that my Office remains committed to election integrity, ensuring that everyone’s vote is counted equally,” said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.

    The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on June 18 and face maximum possible sentences of five years in prison for each of the charges to which they have pleaded guilty.

    The case was investigated by the FBI and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark B. Dubnoff.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Ashland Man of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Distribution of Methamphetamine

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

    BILLINGS – A federal jury yesterday convicted an Ashland man of sexually abusing four women and distributing methamphetamine to two of them over a three-year period, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    After a two-day trial that began on March 31, the jury found the defendant, Stephen “Mutt” John Parker, 60, guilty of four counts of aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Parker faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life on each charge of sexual abuse, in addition to a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of five years to life. For each meth charge, Parker faces zero to 20 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, and at least 3 years of supervised release.

    U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The Court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for July 31, 2025. Parker was detained pending further proceedings.

    “Parker preyed on women on the Northern Cheyenne reservation by plying some of them with drugs and alcohol, seeking to capitalize on their addiction to perpetrate violent sexual assaults. We are pleased with the jury’s verdict, which will help ensure the safety of women on the Northern Cheyenne community. I would like to thank the attorneys and staff in our office for their hard work on this case as well as the FBI agents who conducted the investigation.” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

    The government alleged at trial and in court documents that from 2018 to 2021, Parker sexually abused six women after providing them with alcohol and illegal drugs. During one instance in 2018, he gave a victim food and a place to stay. Parker also provided her with alcohol and methamphetamine. During a party at his house, Parker threatened the victim with a stick before sexually abusing her. On another occasion, Parker distributed meth to a different victim. After hitting her with an ax handle, Parker sexually assaulted her. In other instances, Parker physically assaulted the victims, including punching one victim in the face multiple times, prior to sexually abusing them.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Northern Cheyenne Criminal Investigation Services.

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

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Justice Department to Surge Resources to Indian County to Investigate Unresolved Violent Crimes

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

    Operation Not Forgotten Will Surge 60 FBI Personnel to 10 FBI Field Offices to Support Investigations of Indian Country Violent Crimes

    BILLINGS  — The Justice Department today announced that it will surge FBI assets across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons.

    The FBI will send 60 personnel, rotating in 90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period. This operation is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI will work in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions.

    FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and they will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals.

    “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

    “The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

    “We are very pleased that the FBI is dispatching additional resources to the Salt Lake City Division, which covers Montana, to assist our ongoing efforts to find missing indigenous persons and hold violent offenders accountable. I want to thank the agents already working on these cases in Montana from both the FBI and the BIA’s Missing and Murdered Unit. Together with the Tribal Community Response Plans facilitated by DOJ for each Montana reservation community and DOJ’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, this deployment will help address this critical problem.  Missing and murdered indigenous people will not be forgotten.” said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

    Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.

    Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.

    Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transnational Manager for Colombia’s Clan del Golfo Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A Colombian national and lieutenant for Clan del Golfo (CDG) pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine destined for the United States.

    According to court documents, Fabian Edilson Torres Caranton, also known as David and Cassius, 53, served as a coordinator, intermediary, and lieutenant for the Bloque Roberto Vargas Gutierrez of CDG — a Colombian paramilitary and multibillion-dollar Transnational Criminal Organization. CDG is one of Colombia’s largest and most powerful drug cartels with its membership in the thousands. CDG’s primary source of income is from cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its paramilitary activities.

    According to court documents, in July 2018, Torres Caranton and an individual seeking to broker the purchase of cocaine on behalf of Mexican buyers, attended a meeting with another member of CDG at a ranch in or near Caucasia, Colombia. During the meeting, the other CDG member authorized the production of 500 kilograms of cocaine to be transported from Colombia into and through Central America for delivery to Mexican buyers for final delivery to the United States. Torres Caranton spent several days monitoring the cocaine production at a clandestine laboratory in Coralito, Colombia. Torres Caranton and his co-conspirators made two controlled deliveries of cocaine to an undercover officer: 191 kilograms on Sept. 16, 2018, in Valledupar, Colombia, and 172 kilograms on Oct. 16, 2018, in Cartagena, Colombia. Torres Caranton knew the purported Mexican buyers intended to distribute the cocaine in Houston, Texas.

    Torres Caranton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine for unlawful importation into the United States from Colombia. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 4 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota worked with law enforcement partners in Colombia to secure the arrest and December 2023 extradition of Torres Caranton.

    Trial Attorney Douglas Meisel and Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Local Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Drug, Money Laundering Crimes

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

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local man and woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to drug and money laundering crimes related to assisting two Chillicothe brothers traffic drugs from Mexico and Arizona. 

    Todd Michael Fulkerson, 42, of Columbus, admitted to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.

    In February 2024, Fulkerson traveled to Arizona at the request of Caleb Barillaro, 30, who was acquiring kilogram quantities of the drugs to resell through street-level drug dealers in Chillicothe and the surrounding areas. The men drove separate vehicles to Arizona, and Fulkerson accompanied Caleb on the trip to provide security. Fulkerson was recruited for this role based on his military experience.

    In Arizona, Caleb purchased two kilograms of fentanyl and five kilograms of cocaine for $94,000 in cash. Caleb put the drugs in a cooler and placed ice on top of the drugs to conceal them before putting the cooler in Fulkerson’s car.

    Law enforcement surveilled the two vehicles traveling in tandem back towards Ohio from Arizona.

    The two stopped at a gas station near the Indiana and Ohio border. Caleb discovered that the melting ice in the cooler had ruined some of the kilograms of drugs. He became upset and took the cooler to his car. Caleb feared he was being surveilled by law enforcement as he traveled from the gas station, and he discarded the drugs along the side of the road.

    Fulkerson faces up to 20 years in prison for his role in transporting the drugs.

    Lazae Lett, 24, of Chillicothe, admitted to laundering drug proceeds to Sinaloa, Mexico, to help Dillon Barillaro, 31, obtain more drugs through a source of supply there. She sent several approximately $2,000 money orders via Western Union money orders from Walmart and two Kroger locations in Chillicothe. 

    Dillon Barillaro provided the illicit money to Lett and instructed her on recipient names and payment amounts. Dillon Barillaro drove Lett to the Walmart and Kroger locations to conduct financial transactions in immediate succession.

    Lett faces up to 20 years in prison.

    The Barillaro brothers have each pleaded guilty to federal narcotics crimes punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison and await sentencing.

    Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Field Office; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Chillicothe Police Chief Ron Meyers announced the guilty pleas offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Damoun Delaviz are representing the United States in the related cases.

    These investigations were originally designated as part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs). The 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).

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Possession and Firearms Sales Land Oklahoma City Men in Federal Prison for More Than 19 Years Collectively

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – AUSTIN GAGE OSBORN, 24, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 68 months in federal prison for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and being a drug user in possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. 

    According to public record, beginning in July 2024, undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began purchasing firearms from Osborn and codefendant JOSE ADRIAN HERMOSILLO, 22, of Oklahoma City. Agents identified Hermosillo as a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms. Between July 17, 2024, and August 9, 2024, ATF agents met with Osborn and Hermosillo on several occasions purchasing approximately 20 firearms.  In one specific transaction on July 29, 2024, undercover agents told Osborn and Hermosillo that the guns the agents were purchasing would be transported out of the United States and into Mexico. Despite having reason to believe that the firearms would be trafficked across the border, Osborn and Hermosillo continued to sell firearms to undercover agents for profit, without a federal firearms license, in violation of federal law. 

    On November 26, 2024, Osborn was charged by Superseding Information with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and with being a drug user in possession of firearms. On December 5, 2024, Osborn pleaded guilty to the Superseding Information, and admitted he possessed 19 firearms while being a regular user of marijuana, and that he was illegally dealing firearms as a business without a license to do so. At the sentencing hearing on March 26, 2025, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Osborn to serve 68 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

    Hermosillo pleaded guilty on November 26, 2024, to trafficking firearms, and admitted he willingly transferred firearms to another person with reasonable cause to believe that the use, carrying, or possession of the firearms by the recipient would constitute a felony. Hermosillo was sentenced on March 24, 2025, to serve 168 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

    In announcing the sentences for Osborn and Hermosillo, Judge Palk noted the seriousness of these offenses, the need for the sentences to deter others in the public who may consider engaging in similar behavior, and the history and characteristics of the defendants. Public record further reflects that Hermosillo has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County that include attempted burglary in case number CF-2021-2066 and possession of a firearm after juvenile adjudication in case number CF-2022-3560.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Drew E. Davis and Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case.

    This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Shooting Incident

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a violent shooting incident involving the illegal use of a firearm.

    According to court records, on the night of September 19, 2024, Devin Wade Wyaco shot John Doe (who was riding a bicycle) from the passenger side of his girlfriend’s vehicle, striking John Doe in the abdomen. Doe was transported to Zuni Hospital and later to the University of New Mexico Hospital for treatment. During an interview with investigators, John Doe identified the vehicle as belonging to Wyaco’s girlfriend. Doe survived the shooting.

    Police identified Wyaco, 34, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, as the shooter through statements from his girlfriend, who admitted being present during the incident and confirmed Wyaco’s involvement. A federal search warrant executed at her residence corroborated her account. In his plea agreement, Wyaco confessed that he fired at John Doe after becoming angry when one of the bicyclists threw a rock at the car. He also admitted that as a previously convicted felon—having prior convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and aggravated fleeing from a law-enforcement officer—he knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition in violation of federal law.

    Handgun recovered from Wyaco’s girlfriend’s home.

    Wyaco pled guilty to all three charges contained in the indictment, including assault with a dangerous weapon, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    At sentencing, Wyaco faces no less than 10 years and up to life in prison followed by up to five years of supervised release. Additionally, Wyaco faces up to $250,000 in fines.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: All Charged Money Launderers Tied to Nigerian Sextortion Scheme Plead Guilty

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

              GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge today announced that all five defendants charged with conspiring to launder proceeds for Nigerian sex extortionists have pleaded guilty.

    • Dinsimore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, Alabama, pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025.
    • Kendall Ormond London, 32, of Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025.
    • Brian Keith Coldmon, Jr., 30, of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, pleaded guilty on March 28, 2025.
    • Jarell Daivon Williams, 31, of McDonough, Georgia pleaded guilty on April 2, 2025.
    • Johnathan Demetrius Green, 32, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 2, 2025.

              According to the Indictment, the conspirators used online payment systems to collect sextortion proceeds and send them to a Nigerian individual they referred to as “The Plug.” According to the Indictment, the sextortionists had boys and young men create nude images. After the sextortionists received those images, they allegedly had the victims send funds to the U.S.-based money launderers through online payment systems like Apple Pay, Cash App, and Zelle. The money launderers would keep about 20 percent of the money, convert the rest to bitcoin, and send the bitcoin to The Plug in Nigeria, who kept a portion and then sent the remainder to the sextortionists.

              The indictment alleges that conspirators laundered the funds of sextortion victims, including Jordan DeMay.  In November 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan charged three Nigerian nationals in a sextortion scheme that resulted in the death of Jordan DeMay, a 17-year-old high school student from Marquette, Michigan, and targeted more than 100 other victims. Two of the three defendants in that case were extradited to the United States in August 2023 and pled guilty in April 2024 and were later sentenced.

              “These individuals helped and profited from this awful, heartbreaking scheme and so they now will face the consequences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Birge.  The conspiracy offense is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.  The court will decide the sentences upon consultation with federal sentencing guidelines and the individual circumstances.

              “These guilty pleas by the defendants serve as a strong reminder to anyone involved in sextortion or money laundering schemes,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Michigan Division. “I want to express my sincere gratitude to the dedicated members of our FBI Detroit Cyber Task Force, as well as teams from the Grand Rapids Resident Agency, Lansing Resident Agency, Marquette Resident Agency, FBI Birmingham (Huntsville Resident Agency), and FBI Atlanta for their tireless efforts. We also deeply appreciate our partners at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. The FBI remains committed to protecting the American public and will continue to prioritize dismantling criminal networks that exploit our most vulnerable citizens.”

    Safety Tips and Resources for Victims, Teens, and Parents

              The FBI provides the following tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes:

    • Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
    • Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
    • Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
    • Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and that person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
    • Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
    • Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone. Being a victim of sextortion is not your fault. You can get through this challenge, even if it seems scary and overwhelming. There are people who want to help.

              If you have information about or believe you are a victim of sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at http://tips.fbi.gov. This FBI PSA and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children PSA share survivor stories and resources for individuals to get help. More FBI sextortion resources are available here.

              This case has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru.

              The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Transnational Manager for Colombia’s Clan del Golfo Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Colombian national and lieutenant for Clan del Golfo (CDG) pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine destined for the United States.

    According to court documents, Fabian Edilson Torres Caranton, also known as David and Cassius, 53, served as a coordinator, intermediary, and lieutenant for the Bloque Roberto Vargas Gutierrez of CDG — a Colombian paramilitary and multibillion-dollar Transnational Criminal Organization. CDG is one of Colombia’s largest and most powerful drug cartels with its membership in the thousands. CDG’s primary source of income is from cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its paramilitary activities.

    According to court documents, in July 2018, Torres Caranton and an individual seeking to broker the purchase of cocaine on behalf of Mexican buyers, attended a meeting with another member of CDG at a ranch in or near Caucasia, Colombia. During the meeting, the other CDG member authorized the production of 500 kilograms of cocaine to be transported from Colombia into and through Central America for delivery to Mexican buyers for final delivery to the United States. Torres Caranton spent several days monitoring the cocaine production at a clandestine laboratory in Coralito, Colombia. Torres Caranton and his co-conspirators made two controlled deliveries of cocaine to an undercover officer: 191 kilograms on Sept. 16, 2018, in Valledupar, Colombia, and 172 kilograms on Oct. 16, 2018, in Cartagena, Colombia. Torres Caranton knew the purported Mexican buyers intended to distribute the cocaine in Houston, Texas.

    Torres Caranton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine for unlawful importation into the United States from Colombia. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 4 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota worked with law enforcement partners in Colombia to secure the arrest and December 2023 extradition of Torres Caranton.

    Trial Attorney Douglas Meisel and Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Distribution Operation

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

    MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Charles Edward Scott, 31, of Damascus, Maryland, was sentenced to 156 months in prison for his leadership of a drug conspiracy that sold the drug “boot” in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott, also known as “Whop Whop,” led a group of people selling Eutylone, also known as “boot,” in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. Scott was storing large quantities of the drug and firearms in an apartment in Maryland, and with other known defendants, traveled to West Virginia to distribute. Scott has prior drug, firearms, and theft convictions.

    Scott will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. 

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department; the Virginia State Police, Montgomery County; and Maryland State Attorney’s Office investigated.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

    U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.

    Find the related cases here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/16-indicted-conspiracy-charges-boot-distribution-operation

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How a lone judge can block a Trump order nationwide – and why, from DACA to DOGE, this judicial check on presidents’ power is shaping how the government works

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University

    The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to limit judges’ power to issue what legal experts call ‘nationwide preliminary injunctions.’ Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    When presidents try to make big changes through executive orders, they often hit a roadblock: A single federal judge, whether located in Seattle or Miami or anywhere in between, can stop these policies across the entire country.

    These court orders have increasingly become a political battleground, increasingly sought by both Republicans and Democrats to fight presidential policies they oppose.

    This explains why the Trump administration recently asked the Supreme Court to limit judges’ power to issue what legal experts call “nationwide preliminary injunctions.” Congress also held hearings on curtailing judges’ ability to issue the injunctions.

    But what exactly are these injunctions, and why do they matter to everyday Americans?

    Immediate, irreparable harm

    When the government creates a policy that might violate the Constitution or federal law, affected people can sue in federal court to stop it. While these lawsuits work their way through the courts – a process that often takes years – judges can issue what are called “preliminary injunctions” to temporarily pause the policy if they determine it might cause immediate, irreparable harm.

    A “nationwide” injunction – sometimes called a “universal” injunction – goes further by stopping the policy for everyone across the country, not just for the people who filed the lawsuit.

    Importantly, these injunctions are designed to be temporary. They merely preserve the status quo until courts can fully examine the case’s merits. But in practice, litigation proceeds so slowly that executive actions blocked by the courts often expire when successor administrations abandon the policies.

    Legislation introduced by GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley would ban judges from issuing most nationwide injunctions.
    Sen. Chuck Grassley office

    More executive orders, more injunctions

    Nationwide injunctions aren’t new, but several things have made them more contentious recently.

    First, since a closely divided and polarized Congress rarely passes major legislation anymore, presidents rely more on executive orders to get substantive things done. This creates more opportunities to challenge presidential actions in court.

    Second, lawyers who want to challenge these orders have gotten better at “judge shopping” – filing cases in districts where they’re likely to get judges who agree with their client’s views.

    Third, with growing political division, both parties aim to use these injunctions more aggressively whenever the other party controls the White House.

    Affecting real people

    These legal fights have tangible consequences for millions of Americans.

    Take DACA, the common name for the program formally called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protects about 500,000 young immigrants from deportation. For more than 10 years, these young immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” have faced constant uncertainty.

    That’s because, when President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012 and sought to expand it via executive order in 2015, a Texas judge blocked the expansion with a nationwide injunction. When Trump tried to end DACA, judges in California, New York and Washington, D.C. blocked that move. The program, and the legal challenges to it, continued under President Joe Biden. Now, the second Trump administration faces continued legal challenges over the constitutionality of the DACA program.

    More recently, judges have used nationwide injunctions to block several Donald Trump policies. Three different courts stopped the president’s attempt to deny citizenship to babies born to mothers who lack legal permanent residency in the United States. Judges have also temporarily blocked Trump’s efforts to ban transgender people from serving in the military and to freeze some federal funding for a variety of programs.

    While much of the current debate focuses on presidential policies, nationwide injunctions have also blocked congressional legislation.

    The Corporate Transparency Act, passed in 2021 and originally scheduled to go into effect in 2024, combats financial crimes by requiring businesses to disclose their true owners to the government. A Texas judge blocked this law in 2024 after gun stores challenged it.

    In early 2025, the Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect, but the Trump administration announced it simply wouldn’t enforce it – showing how these legal battles can become political power struggles.

    A polarized Congress rarely passes major legislation anymore, so presidents – including Donald Trump – have relied on executive orders to get things done.
    Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

    Too much power or necessary protection?

    Some critics say nationwide injunctions give too much power to a single judge. If lawyers can pick which judges hear their cases, this raises serious questions about fairness.

    Supporters argue that these injunctions protect important rights. For example, without nationwide injunctions in the citizenship cases, babies born to mothers without legal permanent residency would be American citizens in some states but not others – an impossible situation.

    Congress is considering legislation to limit judges’ ability to grant nationwide injunctions.

    The Trump administration has also tried to make it expensive and difficult to challenge its policies in court. In March 2025, Trump ordered government lawyers to demand large cash deposits – called “security bonds” – from anyone seeking an injunction. Though these bonds are already part of existing court rules, judges usually set them at just a few hundred dollars or waive them entirely when people raise constitutional concerns.

    Under the new policy, critics worry that “plaintiffs who sue the government could be forced to put up enormous sums of money in order to proceed with their cases.”

    Another way to address the concerns about a single judge blocking government action would be to require a three-judge panel to hear cases involving nationwide injunctions, requiring at least two of them to agree. This is similar to how courts handled major civil rights cases in the 1950s and 1960s.

    My research on this topic suggests that three judges working together would be less likely to make partisan decisions, while still being able to protect constitutional rights when necessary. Today’s technology also makes it easier for judges in different locations to work together than it was decades ago.

    As the Supreme Court weighs in on this debate, the outcome will affect how presidents can implement policies and how much power individual judges have to stop them. Though it might seem like a technical legal issue, it will shape how government works for years to come – as well as the lives of those who live in the U.S.

    Cassandra Burke Robertson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. How a lone judge can block a Trump order nationwide – and why, from DACA to DOGE, this judicial check on presidents’ power is shaping how the government works – https://theconversation.com/how-a-lone-judge-can-block-a-trump-order-nationwide-and-why-from-daca-to-doge-this-judicial-check-on-presidents-power-is-shaping-how-the-government-works-252556

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Approximately 13,000 Fentanyl Pills Seized During Undercover Operation, Three Foreign Nationals Detained and Charged

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging three foreign nationals, living in Utah, with drug crimes after agents allegedly seized approximately 13,000 fentanyl pills during a controlled buy and execution of a search warrant in West Valley City, Utah.

    Diego Armando Campos-Fallas, 19, of Costa Rica, Hugo Eduardo Miraba-Franco, 20, of Ecuador, and Jose Enrique Zuniga-Diaz, 19, of, Honduras, were charged by complaint on March 21, 2025.
        
    According to court documents, on March 19, 2025, agents coordinated an undercover operation to purchase 5,000 fentanyl pills during a controlled buy from Campos-Fallas in West Valley City. Upon arrival at the meeting location for the controlled buy, Campos got into the undercover agent’s vehicle with approximately 5,000 fentanyl pills and was subsequently detained. Miraba-Franco, who was seated in the drivers’ seat of Campos’ vehicle was also detained. A search warrant was served at a residence in West Valley City, where Campos, Miraba and Zuniga-Diaz live. At the residence, agents seized an additional 8,000 fentanyl pills, 102.2 grams of marijuana, and 1125.3 grams of THC cartridges. A search warrant was also executed on Campos’ vehicle, a black Hyundai Elantra, and approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills were recovered. The fentanyl provided to the undercover agent during the controlled buy, and the fentanyl seized at the residence, approximately 13,000 in total, were field-tested and tested positive for fentanyl.

    Campos-Fallas, Miraba-Franco, and Zuniga-Diaz are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Campos Fallas and Miraba-Franco are also charged with distribution of fentanyl. Their initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 3, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

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

    The case is being investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

    Assistant United States Attorney Mark K. Vincent of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chester County Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Meth

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBIA, S.C. —Alexander Wright, 37, of Chester, has pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.

    Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Chester County Sheriff’s Department began investigating Wright after complaints from his neighbors. The neighbors reported several cars coming to his home and staying for short periods of time and leaving. Law enforcement began watching the home and confirmed the reports from the neighbors.

    After confirming the information, the police used an informant to make several buys from Wright. On June 5, 2023, the informant contacted Wright to purchase methamphetamine. Under surveillance by the police, the informant went to Wright’s home and purchased 2 ounces of methamphetamine. The informant was instructed by Wright that the drugs were in the rear passenger door of a car parked in his yard and told the informant to leave the money in the car.   After the deal and still under surveillance, the informant returned to law enforcement. The drugs were recovered and were tested with a 96% purity rate for methamphetamine and weighed 56.42 grams.

    Wright faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.  He also faces a fine of up to $10 million, and five years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Wright after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Chester County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Cleveland City Council Member Sentenced to Prison

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

    CLEVELAND – Basheer Jones, 40, of Cleveland, Ohio, has been sentenced to 28 months in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese, after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud by using his role as a public official for personal financial gain by seeking to defraud multiple community stakeholders out of more than $200,000. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $143,598.47 in restitution to local nonprofits.

    According to court documents, from about December 2018 to June 2021, the former Cleveland city councilman for Ward 7 persuaded several local nonprofits to enter into arrangements that benefitted Jones and his romantic partner and co-conspirator. Jones sought and obtained funds from the nonprofits under the guise of working on projects to redevelop Ward 7. Throughout the scheme, he took steps to ensure that his personal connection to his romantic partner, through whom he benefited from these arrangements, was not discovered.

    “Mr. Jones used his position to dishonestly line his pockets with tens of thousands of dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “He betrayed the city of Cleveland and its citizens, who elected him to serve as a leader in our community. With his deceptive actions, he also violated federal laws. Anyone who thinks they can use a public office to defraud nonprofits and obtain bribes will face consequences and pay the price for those decisions, and my office will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

    The defendant’s schemes worked by convincing nonprofits to make payments toward projects they believed were for Ward 7 revitalization projects, including to buy real estate from purported third parties. Instead, the money went into bank accounts that his romantic partner controlled. Jones then instructed her to divert those funds to herself, to himself, and to others he chose.

    Jones also convinced a nonprofit to make payments to an entity controlled by his co-conspiring partner, all while knowing that the funds would flow back to himself. Jones recommended that the nonprofit should hire a consultant for community outreach. Unbeknownst to the nonprofit, the consultant was actually Jones’s romantic partner. She submitted invoices to the unsuspecting nonprofit and was subsequently paid through her consulting business.

    Jones later defrauded the same nonprofit out of an additional $50,000, again through his partner’s consulting business. Jones claimed that he needed $50,000 to plan a community event, which included buying backpacks for schoolchildren, and falsely promised that the city would reimburse the organization. Instead, after the funds were paid, no event was held, and Jones again directed his romantic partner to divide the money amongst herself, Jones, and others Jones chose.

    “Public corruption at any level of government will not be tolerated. Jones abused his position of trust for personal gain while scheming against the people he was elected to serve, including non-profit entities and well-meaning leaders,” said FBI Cleveland Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Johnston. “Elected officials who demonstrate a reckless disregard for violating the oath they swore to uphold is detestable. Today’s sentence underscores the FBIs commitment to ensuring that those who engage in fraud and corruption will be investigated and held accountable. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to root out corruption and ensure elected officials are serving with honesty, fairness, and integrity.”

    Some of the projects Jones pushed included seeking community funding to rehabilitate certain distressed properties while concealing his financial interest in them. In one instance, Jones devised a bribery scheme under which he arranged for co-conspirators, including his romantic partner, to acquire a dilapidated property on Superior Road, and used his position as councilperson to pass ordinances allocating city funds to buy that property from them. Jones arranged for a co-conspirator to buy the property a minimal cost. After asking a nonprofit to purchase and rehabilitate the property, and promising city funding, Jones sponsored an emergency ordinance to fund the nonprofit’s purchase and renovation of the property. When Jones was unable to convince the nonprofit to proceed, he arranged to transfer the property to his romantic partner’s consulting business, with the understanding that she would share the proceeds of the sale with him. After sponsoring another ordinance to reauthorize city funding for the same project, Jones sought to finalize the nonprofit’s purchase of the property from his partner’s entity for $80,000. Ultimately that scheme failed when the nonprofit decided not to proceed with the purchase.

    However, Jones and his romantic partner did succeed in obtaining funds for the sale of a different property to another nonprofit. He misled them to believe that he was assisting with the acquisition of the property from the original owner. Instead, he was simultaneously arranging for his partner to acquire the property from the original owner in the name of another business entity, and then immediately to resell it to the nonprofit. Jones and his romantic partner arranged to purchase the property for only $1, promising to pay a $40,500 city demolition bill. But without paying that bill or disclosing it, Jones’s romantic partner immediately re-sold the property to the nonprofit for $45,000.

    “Basheer Jones abused his position of trust by deliberately engaging in fraudulent schemes to divert HUD money – funds meant to improve the community— for his own personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement to investigate and hold accountable bad actors who exploit HUD-funded programs for their own benefit.”

    This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Barnhill and Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio.

    To report fraud, visit justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin, Schumer, Democratic Senators Urge AG Bondi to Appoint a Special Counsel to Investigate Trump Administration Signal Chat National Security Breach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    April 03, 2025
    The Senators wrote: “These shockingly reckless breaches of security protocols for safeguarding sensitive and classified information clearly warrant an investigation into whether any of the government officials involved violated federal laws”
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services (SASC), Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC) and Foreign Relations (SFRC) Committees—joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and 28 Senate Democrats in sending a letter to U.S. Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi urging her to appoint a Special Counsel to thoroughly and impartially investigate whether any of the government officials involved in the Signal chat security breach violated federal criminal law. On March 24, The Atlantic’s editor in chief reported that President Trump’s National Security Advisor Michael Waltz had included him in a group text chain with several high-ranking national security officials where highly sensitive, classified or controlled information was shared and discussed over Signal—an unsecure commercial messaging app.
    “In addition to the reckless inclusion of a journalist in the chat, we are deeply concerned about this serious breach in the proper handling of such information and deliberations,” the Senators wrote. “Appointment of a Special Counsel is appropriate where the Department may have a conflict of interest or extraordinary circumstances are present, a criminal investigation is warranted and it is in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to investigate the matter. Such circumstances are clearly present here.”
    The Signal chat group started by Mr. Waltz included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, among at least 18 other high-ranking government officials. In addition to discussing the sensitive foreign policy implications of military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, these officials proceeded to discuss key operational information regarding the precise timing of the planned attacks, the types of military aircraft and munitions to be used and the targets and results of the strikes as they occurred. An unprecedented security breach of this magnitude involving top senior government officials presents the kind of extraordinary circumstances clearly contemplated by the Special Counsel regulations.
    “These officials conducted a highly sensitive discussion, including of clearly classified or controlled information, over the commercial messaging app Signal, including in some instances on personal devices and while traveling in foreign countries, rather than using the secure U.S. government channels and facilities that are designed and required for the sharing of such information. Despite subsequent claims to the contrary by you, President Trump and several of the officials involved, including in testimony before Congress, some of the information they shared and discussed over Signal would almost certainly be considered classified or, at a minimum, controlled, prior to and in the immediate aftermath of an impending strike,” the Senators wrote.
    In the letter, the Senators raised concerns if the Signal chat violated federal law. For example, gross negligence in handling national defense information may violate the Espionage Act. Importantly, other laws, including the Federal Records Act, require the preservation of certain government records. Destruction of government records or property may constitute a violation of various criminal statutes. Subsequent statements to Congress and testimony before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees by several of the officials involved raise additional concerns about potential violations of federal criminal laws that prohibit making false statements to Congress, committing perjury in testimony to Congress, inducing another person to commit perjury or conspiring to commit any of the foregoing actions.
    “During your confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, you assured the American people that everyone will be held to ‘an equal, fair system of justice’ if you were confirmed as Attorney General and that ‘no one is above the law.’ As the individuals most seriously implicated in this incident include senior officials at the highest levels, including several of your fellow cabinet members, appointment of a Special Counsel is necessary to ensure that the investigation and any ensuing prosecutions are fair, impartial, and independent and that no official, regardless of seniority or political affiliation, is above the law. The people of this country deserve the assurance that this matter will be taken seriously and addressed swiftly. To do so, we urge you to appoint a Special Counsel immediately,” the Senators concluded.
    Along with Duckworth, Durbin and Schumer, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY),  Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Gary Peters (D-MI).
    Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:
    March 31, 2025
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    On March 24, The Atlantic’s editor in chief reported that President Trump’s National Security Advisor Michael Waltz had included him in a group message chain with several high-ranking national security officials where highly sensitive, classified, or controlled information was shared and discussed over Signal—an unsecure commercial messaging app. In addition to the reckless inclusion of a journalist in the chat, we are deeply concerned about this serious breach in the proper handling of such information and deliberations. Given the extraordinary circumstances of this shocking incident and the significant public interests at stake, it is imperative that you immediately appoint a Special Counsel to thoroughly and impartially investigate whether any of the government officials involved violated federal criminal law. 
    Appointment of a Special Counsel is appropriate where the Department may have a conflict of interest or extraordinary circumstances are present, a criminal investigation is warranted, and it is in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to investigate the matter. Such circumstances are clearly present here.
    The Signal chat group started by Mr. Waltz included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, among at least 18 other high-ranking government officials. In addition to discussing the sensitive foreign policy implications of military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, these officials proceeded to discuss key operational information regarding the precise timing of the planned attacks, the types of military aircraft and munitions to be used, and the targets and results of the strikes as they occurred. An unprecedented security breach of this magnitude involving top senior government officials presents the kind of extraordinary circumstances clearly contemplated by the Special Counsel regulations.
    These officials conducted a highly sensitive discussion, including of clearly classified or controlled information, over the commercial messaging app Signal, including in some instances on personal devices and while traveling in foreign countries, rather than using the secure U.S. government channels and facilities that are designed and required for the sharing of such information. Despite subsequent claims to the contrary by you, President Trump, and several of the officials involved, including in testimony before Congress, some of the information they shared and discussed over Signal would almost certainly be considered classified or, at a minimum, controlled, prior to and in the immediate aftermath of an impending strike.
    These shockingly reckless breaches of security protocols for safeguarding sensitive and classified information clearly warrant an investigation into whether any of the government officials involved violated federal laws pertaining to the proper safeguarding and preservation of such information. For example, gross negligence in handling national defense information may violate the Espionage Act. Importantly, other laws, including the Federal Records Act, require the preservation of certain government records. Signal allows users to schedule messages for deletion after certain time periods and Mr. Waltz appears to have set the chat messages to delete initially after one week and then later in the chat changed the setting to delete messages after four weeks. Destruction of government records or property may constitute a violation of various criminal statutes. Subsequent statements to Congress and testimony before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees by several of the officials involved raise additional concerns about potential violations of federal criminal laws that prohibit making false statements to Congress, committing perjury in testimony to Congress, inducing another person to commit perjury, or conspiring to commit any of the foregoing actions.
    Even prior to his first Administration, President Trump campaigned for the need to prosecute and “lock up” individuals who allegedly “bypass government security” or “sent and received classified information on an insecure server.” Further, as an avowedly loyal and zealous advocate for the President, you echoed these same sentiments prior to your confirmation. Given the extraordinary nature of this security breach by senior Trump Administration officials, the likelihood that these actions needlessly endangered American lives and our nation’s security, the importance of putting our nation’s security before partisan political interests, and the range of federal criminal laws that may have been violated, it is imperative that the Department of Justice conduct a thorough investigation to assess the extent of the damage and determine whether any criminal charges are warranted against any of the government officials involved.
    During your confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, you assured the American people that everyone will be held to “an equal, fair system of justice” if you were confirmed as Attorney General, and that “no one is above the law.” As the individuals most seriously implicated in this incident include senior officials at the highest levels, including several of your fellow cabinet members, appointment of a Special Counsel is necessary to ensure that the investigation and any ensuing prosecutions are fair, impartial, and independent and that no official, regardless of seniority or political affiliation, is above the law.
    The people of this country deserve the assurance that this matter will be taken seriously and addressed swiftly. To do so, we urge you to appoint a Special Counsel immediately.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Human smuggling coordinator sentenced following ICE Arizona, law enforcement partner investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PHOENIX — Greiby Melissa Barcelo-Velasquez was sentenced March 25 to 30 months in prison for her role in smuggling over 100 Colombians into the United States. The investigation, conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol Sector Intelligence Unit, began in late 2023 after numerous Colombian nationals identified the 39-year-old as their smuggling coordinator.

    “The defendant and her associates blatantly disregarded the safety and well-being of others by prioritizing personal profit over human lives,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt these dangerous transnational criminal networks and ensure that those who exploit victims for financial gain are brought to justice.”

    Barcelo-Velasquez owned and operated the Baul Travel SAS travel agency in her native country, Colombia. According to court documents, she allegedly charged the victims a fee to travel to Mexico under the guise of vacationing, with additional bribes required in U.S. currency at Mexican airports.

    Once in Mexico, the Colombian nationals were taken to stash houses near the border and then transported by armed gunmen to cross illegally into the United States.

    This case was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Justice, has been elevated and expanded by the attorney general with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 320 U.S. convictions; more than 265 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Zander and Adriana Genco from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Phoenix handled the prosecution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harbour Grace — Harbour Grace RCMP executes search warrant at home in Carbonear, firearms seized; two individuals charged

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    As part of an ongoing investigation into a recent assault, Harbour Grace RCMP executed a search warrant at home in Carbonear yesterday. A number of firearms were seized. Two individuals, 42-year-old Curtis Power and 36-year-old Chad Butt, were arrested and charged.

    On April 2, 2025, Harbour Grace RCMP, along with RCMP NL’s East District General Investigation Section and Emergency Response Team, executed a warrant, authorized under the Criminal Code, to search a home on Lower Southside Road. Five individuals were arrested.

    Inside the home, police located and seized a number of firearms and various weapons.

    Chad Butt was wanted on a warrant of committal; he was arrested without incident. The co-accused in the assault investigation, Curtis Power, was also arrested without incident. Both are charged with assault and assault with a weapon. Butt remains in custody, remanded until his next court appearance, which will take place in June, 2025. Power was released from custody and is set to appear in court at a later date. Three other individuals were released without charges.

    The investigation is continuing with additional charges anticipated.

    RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: National Sales Director for New York-Based Mobile Diagnostic Company Pleads Guilty to Kickback Scheme

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

    BOSTON – A New York-based national sales director pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.

    David Fuhrmann, 60, of Port Jefferson, N.Y. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2025.

    From at least June 2013 through at least September 2020, Fuhrmann conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. Fuhrmann and his co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Some doctors were paid in cash and others by check. Fuhrmann and his co-conspirators created rental and administrative service agreements. On paper, these agreements made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test.  

    According to the charging documents, the scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare.  

    The charge of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Kelly M.  Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Taunton Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution, Access Device Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft Charges

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

    Defendant used another person’s identity to rent apartments for drug trafficking

    BOSTON – A Taunton has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to participating in drug distribution and a drug conspiracy involving wholesale quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine. He also pleaded guilty to using an unknowing individual’s identity and an unauthorized access device to fraudulently rent locations he used for the purposes of drug trafficking.  

    Terrence Pyrtle, a/k/a “Big T,” a/k/a “T,” a/k/a “big_t558,” 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams and more of fentanyl and 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue; one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft; one count of access device fraud; and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2025. Pyrtle was charged in April 2023, along with co-conspirator Ashley Roostaie.

    Pyrtle and Roostaie utilized the personal identification information (including name, date of birth and Social Security number) of an unknowing individual to fraudulently enter into lease agreements for two apartments in Braintree and Somerville, which Pyrtle then used to participate in a drug conspiracy involving distribution quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine. The drug conspiracy in which Pyrtle participated also extended to other locations across the state.

    Pyrtle and Roostaie also created an email account and obtained a counterfeit driver’s license using the individual’s identification information. Pyrtle and Roostaie also used the individual’s identification information to obtain a Green Dot debit card account, which they used to make payments associated with the apartments. By placing the apartment leases under another individual’s personal identification information, Roostaie and Pyrtle were able to conceal their connection to and use of the apartments which were used by Pyrtle in furtherance of his drug distribution and drug conspiracy.

    In February 2025, Roostaie pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced in May 2025.

    The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of access device fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year prison term consecutive to any term of imprisonment received on a predicate, substantive count, up to a one-year term of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Brockton, East Bridgewater and Bridgewater Police Departments and Plymouth County, Suffolk County and Bristol County Sheriff’s Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell David and Cutshall of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.  

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Omotoso acquittal an “assault” on fight against GBV – Justice Committee

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Parliament’s Justice Committee has expressed concern over the acquittal of televangelist Timothy Omotoso on 32 serious charges, including allegations of rape, racketeering, human trafficking, and other crimes.

    On Wednesday, Gqeberha High Court Judge Irma Schoeman acquitted the pastor and his co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho – stating that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had failed to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Responding to the ruling, Justice Committee Chairperson, Xola Nqola, described the outcome of the case as an “assault on the fight against gender-based violence (GBV)”. 

    “This is totally unacceptable. We need the National Prosecuting Authority to explain the weaknesses in the team, and the case they presented. 

    “Furthermore, the acquittal comes days after community activist and whistle-blower, Pamela Mabini, who was shot dead in her car in the driveway of her home in KwaZakhele, Gqeberha. Mabini was committed to supporting witnesses in this matter. 

    “With her gone, it seems we have failed our women, especially since the court referred to the poor quality of cross-examination as a contributing factor to the acquittal,” Nqola said.

    Assessing options

    In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority said it is studying the judgement and will consider legal options.

    “Delivering the judgment, Judge Irma Schoeman found that the trio was not guilty due to the technicality, mainly that the former prosecutors in the case acted improperly, and the accused were not sufficiently cross-examined by the state.

    “It is for that reason that the prosecuting team will study the judgement and decide which legal avenues to explore.

    “In as much as the NPA does not seek to secure conviction at all costs, it remains committed to ensuring justice is served for the victims of crime and will go at all lengths to give a voice to the victims by exploring all the possible avenues,” the NPA said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Better collaboration aids in deportation of illegal immigrants 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Improved collaboration between stakeholders, among others, has led to the increased deportation of illegal immigrants in the 2024/25 financial year that ended on 31 March 2025, the Department of Home Affairs said.

    “The Department of Home Affairs increased the number of illegal immigrants it deported to 46 898 in the 2024/25 financial year that ended on 31 March 2025,” said the department, adding that the figure has risen by 18 % compared to the previous year’s 39 672.

    “This marked increase in the effectiveness of enforcement operations demonstrates our commitment to upholding the rule of law. It also flows from improved collaboration between the Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and local law enforcement. It further reflects the impact of joint initiatives like Operation Vala Umgodi,” Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, said in a statement on Wednesday.

    According to the department, “this is the highest number of deportations carried out in at least five years.”

    Last month, the department announced a comprehensive upgrade to its digital verification system, a crucial component of national security, as well as both public and private sector services in South Africa.

    The verification system enables government departments, including National Treasury and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), as well as financial sector businesses, to confirm client identities using biometric features, such as fingerprints and facial recognition, against the National Population Register.

    READ | Home Affairs upgrades digital verification system

    “This improved performance, coupled with our digital transformation reforms that will automate entry-and-exit to prevent people from entering the country illegally through our ports of entry, is contributing to enhanced national security and trade facilitation,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Trio appear in court for Fort Hare fraud case 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Thursday, April 3, 2025

    Three suspects linked to a a multi-million-rand fraud and money laundering scheme at the University of Fort Hare have been granted bail, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) said.

    The three were arrested in a  breakthrough against corruption in the education sector by the East London based Serious Corruption Investigation team.

    Former Acting Chief Financial Officer Simbongile Geqeza (41), former Head of Investigation and Vetting Isaac Plaartjies (57) and family friend Claudine Davids (44) appeared before the Alice Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday where they faced charges of fraud, money laundering and corruption.

    “The arrests follow a detailed investigation by the Serious Corruption Investigation of the Hawks, which uncovered two fraudulent schemes that drained university funds amounting to more than R2 million,” the Hawks said in a statement on Wednesday.

    The first case dates back to 2 September 2021, when Geqeza allegedly issued a fraudulent instruction to a bank, authorising an illegal payment of R1.4 million to a company with no legitimate ties to the university. 

    The scheme was exposed when university management noticed financial discrepancies and reported the matter to the Hawks.

    “During the meticulous investigation conducted by the Hawks, a second fraudulent transaction was uncovered, involving a payment of R985,000 to a service provider for investigative services that were never rendered. 

    Furthermore, the service provider allegedly claimed to have assisted the Hawks during the university investigation, even though no services [were] being provided. This payment was allegedly facilitated by Plaartjies in collaboration with the claimant and the funds were allegedly funnelled to Davids.”

    The suspects were arrested in different parts of the country during a coordinated Hawks operation on 1 April 2025. 
    The court granted each accused bail of R10,000.

    “The case has been postponed to 4 April 2025 for further investigation.” – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Justice Minister requests comprehensive report on Omotoso acquittal

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Thursday, April 3, 2025

    Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, has invoked Section 33(a) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Act in relation to the acquittal of former rape and sexual assault accused Timothy Omotoso and his co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho.

    The three were acquitted by the Gqeberha High Court of 32 serious charges, including allegations of rape, racketeering and human trafficking, on Wednesday.

    “The Minister acknowledges the statement made by the NPA indicating that they will study the judgment. However, she has also, in accordance with section 33 (a) of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, formally requested a comprehensive report from the National Director of Public Prosecutions to understand the factors that contributed to this outcome.

    “Minister Kubayi remains resolute in her commitment to the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and reaffirms the government’s unwavering dedication to ensuring that perpetrators of GBVFs are held accountable,” the department said in a statement on Thursday.

    In a stinging judgement, Judge Irma Schoeman noted that the prosecution’s cross-examination of the accused was “shallow and lacking the intention to uncover the truth” – leading to the acquittal as the prosecution did not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.

    “Minister Kubayi’s concern stems from apparent shortcomings in the prosecution’s handling of the case, resulting in a significant setback in the pursuit of justice for victims of gender-based violence and related crimes. The judge was scathing in her judgment, criticising the poor quality of the state’s cross-examination.

    “The Minister has emphasised the need for a strengthened and meticulous approach in prosecuting cases to prevent injustices,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Cost containment should not undermine service delivery – PSC

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Public Service Commission (PSC) says that while cost containment measures demonstrate fiscal discipline and prudent financial management, their implementation must be closely monitored to avoid inadvertently undermining service delivery.

    “This is particularly crucial in essential sectors such as healthcare and education, where cuts to resources or funding could have far-reaching consequences for public well-being and long-term development,” said PSC Commissioner, Anele Gxoyiya.

    Addressing the media during the release of the commission’s Quarterly Bulletin titled: The Pulse of the Public Service for the period: 01 January to 31 March 2025, Gxoyiya said effective cost containment requires a balanced approach. This approach prioritises efficiency and savings without compromising the quality or accessibility of essential services.

    “The PSC recognises the advantages of fiscal consolidation and cost containment, which include reduced waste in public finances and enhanced accountability,” the Commissioner said at Thursday’s briefing in Pretoria.

    In addition, he said that excessive budget cuts could undermine the government’s ability to fulfil its constitutional obligations.

    “The PSC advocates for a balanced approach that combines financial prudence with investments in key areas essential for long-term growth and effective service delivery.

    “The PSC remains committed to promoting constitutional values, advocating for equity and accountability, and ensuring that public resources are used efficiently and effectively for the benefit of all South Africans.”

    Whistleblowers 

    Regarding strengthening whistleblower protection, Gxoyiya said a resolution was made for the establishment of the Whistleblower Protection House.

    This hosting of the Whistleblowers’ Symposium emanated from the 2022 International Anti-Corruption Day celebrations which highlighted the challenges regarding the protection of whistleblowers and their families.

    During the symposium, a resolution was made for the establishment of the protection house to support whistleblowers and to facilitate access to support, creation of awareness of whistleblowers’ plight, provide financial assistance, legal counsel and psychological support.

    The protection of whistleblowers was identified as one of the high priority areas in the national anti-corruption agenda.

    Gxoyiya said this initiative will require the amendment of the current legislation, adding that the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is at an advanced stage in reviewing the Protected Disclosure Act. The Act provides procedures in terms of which any employee may disclose information relating to an offence or a malpractice in the workplace by his or her employer or fellow employees. The Act also provides for the protection of an employee, who made a disclosure in accordance with the procedures provided for by the Act, against any reprisals as a result of such a disclosure.

    “The advent of democracy in South Africa promised a society that will be built on a human rights-based culture to ensure that the lives of ordinary South Africans are improved and protected.

    “Section 195 of the Constitution outlines the basic Values and Principles governing public administration. These values should be the cornerstone upon which to build a public service that is ethical, responsible, responsive and accountable. 

    “Government and other role players agreed that corruption in South Africa and the killing of whistleblowers needs to be addressed collaboratively by all sectors of society as the efforts of whistleblowers contribute to building a capable, ethical and developmental Public Service that is responsive to the needs of the people,” Gxoyiya explained.

    He added that the commission supports the initiatives of establishing the whistleblowers protection regime as it will enable the citizenry to report wrongdoing without fear of reprisal.

    “Fighting corruption is every one’s responsibility in the country. Active citizenship must take its rightful place in fighting against corruption and expose theft, fraud and maladministration through whistleblowing,” he said.

    The commission has encouraged South Africans to report acts of corruption and maladministration anonymously through the National Anti-Corruption hotline on 0800 701 701 and by email at (complaints@opsc.gov.za).

    Citizens can also do walk-ins at PSC offices nationwide where complainants can interact with professionals equipped to safeguard anonymous reporting. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Grassley Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Secret Service’s Ability to Combat Cyber Money Laundering

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to help the Secret Service better detect and deter cybercrimes. The Combatting Money Laundering in Cyber Crime Act would update current law to authorize the Secret Service to investigate new forms of criminal activity involving digital assets.

    “Dangerous criminals are constantly changing their tactics and using new technology to avoid detection,” said Senator Cortez Masto.“Our law enforcement agencies need to adapt to keep communities safe. I will continue to fight to pass this bipartisan legislation that would help the Secret Service more effectively combat cybercrime.”

    “As money laundering schemes continue to evolve, so must our capacity to combat them,” said Senator Grassley. “By enhancing Secret Service’s authority to investigate criminal digital assets, our bill significantly improves law enforcement’s ability to effectively anticipate, identify and prevent cybercrime.”

    The Treasury Department, the Department of Justice, and other national security and financial crime experts have warned that digital assets like cryptocurrencies are increasingly being used for money laundering, drug trafficking, ransomware attacks, theft and fraud schemes, terrorist financing, and other crimes. The Secret Service investigates a variety of cybercrimes that could pose a threat to our national security—however, these cybercrimes can be perpetrated through unlicensed money transmitting businesses outside of the Secret Service’s jurisdiction. The Combatting Money Laundering in Cyber Crime Act makes much-needed updates to U.S. law to ensure the Secret Service has full authority to investigate evolving forms of illicit finance, including countering cartels, defeating scam camps, addressing Chinese money laundering organizations, and combating North Korean theft of digital assets.

    Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported bipartisan measures to combat cybercrime. She joined a bipartisan effort asking the Biden Administration to crack down on illicit financing of international terrorism in response to reports that Hamas raised millions in crypto to fund its operations. She’s also cosponsored the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act, which would close loopholes in current law and bring cryptocurrency companies into greater compliance with the anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism frameworks that govern the traditional financial system. She has passed into law her bipartisan legislation to combat money laundering and terrorism by bolstering the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and ensuring it focuses on virtual currencies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Wicker Lead Bipartisan Group Of 60 Senators In Introducing Legislation To Expand Telehealth Access, Make Permanent Telehealth Flexibilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    Current Flexibilities Set To Expire September 30 Without Congressional Action

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) led a bipartisan group of 60 senators in reintroducing the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act. The CONNECT for Health Act will expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors. Current flexibilities are set to expire on September 30 unless Congress extends them.

    “While telehealth use has rapidly increased in recent years, our laws have not kept up,” said Senator Schatz. “Telehealth is helping people get the care they need, and it’s here to stay. Our comprehensive bill makes it easier for more people to see their doctors no matter where they live.”

    “We live in a digital world, and our health services should reflect that. In the past decade, telehealth has made medical care more accessible for patients across the state and country,” said Senator Wicker. “It is time to make telehealth coverage permanent for Medicare recipients so that more Americans, especially those in rural Mississippi, have access to health care.”

    In addition to Schatz, Wicker, Warner, Hyde-Smith, Welch, and Barrasso, the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Angus King (I-Maine.), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and John Boozman (R-Ark.).

    Telehealth provides essential access to care with nearly a quarter of Americans accessing telehealth in a month, according to the most recent available data.

    The CONNECT for Health Act would:

    • Permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to the location of the patient, including homes;
    • Permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services;
    • Allow more eligible health care professionals to utilize telehealth services;
    • Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirement for telemental health services;
    • Allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and
    • Require more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care, and how it can be improved to support patients and health care providers.

    The CONNECT for Health Act was first introduced in 2016 and is considered the most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress. Since 2016, several provisions of the bill have been enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including provisions to remove restrictions on telehealth services for mental health, stroke care, and home dialysis.

    “Telehealth services have proven to be a safe and effective form of medical care. Through the expansion of telehealth services in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more patients have received quality, affordable care. I’m glad to introduce legislation that will make permanent some of these services and ensure Virginians continue to access affordable health care when they need it, and where they need it,” said Senator Warner.

    “Even before the pandemic, Mississippi recognized the vital role of telehealth. Across America, rural communities, the elderly, and those with mobility challenges have long struggled to access traditional healthcare,” said Senator Hyde-Smith. “This legislation is essential to delivering affordable, accessible, and quality care that Americans deserve, and I’m proud to continue this years-long effort to expand telehealth services.”

    “The COVID-19 pandemic proved that telehealth not only works, but is essential,” said Senator Welch. “Rural and underserved areas in Vermont and across the country desperately need solutions to address the widening gap in health care access, and increasing telehealth services must be part of the answer. This bipartisan bill takes commonsense steps to help bridge that gap and make sure that our policies adapt to the capabilities of our technology.”

    “Telehealth is a critical for rural states like Wyoming,” said Senator Barrasso. “It has given folks access to specialized care no matter where they live. This important bipartisan bill will make it easier for Medicare patients, especially those in remote areas, to continue to have access to the health care they need.”

    Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Mike Thompson (D- Calif.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), and Troy Balderson (R-Ohio).

    The CONNECT for Health Act has the support of more than 150 organizations including the American Medical Association, AARP, American Hospital Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, and American Telemedicine Association.

    The full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –