NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Thoreau Man Sentenced to Probation for Accidental Shooting During Drunken Altercation

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Thoreau man was sentenced to five years of supervised probation for the accidental shooting of his friend during a drunken altercation in 2022.

    According to court documents, on August 20, 2022, Gerrick Mariano, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and John Doe were drinking and shooting Mariano’s recently purchased AR-15 at Doe’s home, located on the Navajo Nation. Mariano pointed his new rifle at one of Doe’s pets, which upset Doe, who demanded Mariano leave his home. This angered Mariano, who then pointed his rifle at Doe’s chest, intending to frighten Doe. Doe quickly pushed the barrel away, which resulted in Mariano inadvertently pulling the trigger once. The bullet struck John Doe in his upper-right shoulder.

    Post-crime photo of the weapon on Doe’s bed.

    Doe required an airlift to a hospital. Mariano initially said the shooting was accidental and alleged Doe had been attempting suicide. Interviewed later, Mariano admitted responsibility and apologized to Doe. Doe continues to experience pain and restricted movement because of the gunshot injury.

    Mariano will be subject to five years of supervised probation. During this period, he cannot consume alcohol or drugs, he must maintain gainful employment or enroll in school, and he must not break any additional laws—federal, state, or tribal. Should he do so, Mariano will face the revocation of probation, which could result in a prison sentence. As a convicted felon, Mariano cannot possess any sort of gun.

    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 Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation, New Mexico State Police, and New Mexico Park Rangers. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bilal A. Essayli Sworn in as United States Attorney, Becoming Chief Federal Prosecutor in Nation’s Most-Populous Federal Trial District

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Bilal A. “Bill” Essayli was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California following his appointment Tuesday by Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

    The appointment of Mr. Essayli, 39, was made pursuant to Title 28 United States Code Section 546, which provides that “the Attorney General may appoint a United States Attorney for the district in which the office of United States Attorney is vacant.”

    Mr. Essayli, who was sworn in this morning in a private ceremony by Chief United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee, now oversees the largest United States Attorney’s Office outside of Washington, D.C. The office, which currently employs more than 250 lawyers, serves approximately 20 million residents in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.

    “It is the honor of a lifetime to lead the United States Attorney’s Office and serve the people of the district that I have called home for so many years,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “As our district’s chief federal prosecutor, I will work diligently and tirelessly with our federal and local law enforcement partners to implement the priorities of the President and the Attorney General and to protect our communities from criminals. Our citizens deserve no less.”

    Mr. Essayli returns to the office after serving as a twice-elected member of the California State Assembly, representing California’s 63rd State Assembly District from December 2022 until Tuesday. The 63rd District is comprised of communities including parts of Riverside and Corona, and the cities of Menifee and Norco.

    In October 2019, he founded and was a partner at the Newport Beach-based law firm Essayli & Brown LLP.

    From October 2014 to February 2018, Mr. Essayli served as an assistant United States attorney in our district, serving in the Los Angeles and Riverside offices. As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Essayli brought justice to victims of violent and organized crime, identity theft, bank fraud, securities fraud and other white-collar crimes.

    Notably, Mr. Essayli was part of the team of federal prosecutors that responded to the terrorist attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino in December 2015. He also obtained a conviction in August 2015 at the conclusion of a three-week criminal trial of a Santa Barbara doctor charged with unlawfully prescribing opiates, which resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen patients.

    For two years prior to first joining the office, Mr. Essayli served as a deputy district attorney in the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

    Before becoming a prosecutor, Mr. Essayli was an associate attorney at the law firm of Paul Hastings LLP, focusing on employment law.

    Mr. Essayli is the son of Lebanese immigrants and a graduate of Centennial High School in Corona. He was the first in his family to graduate college, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Kellogg Honors College of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He received his juris doctorate from Chapman University School of Law. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chester County Man Indicted on Multiple Child Pornography Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Allegedly Engaged in Disturbing, Violent Online Conversations With Victim He Knew Was a Minor

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Aniruth Kuppusamy, 25, of Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with one count each of manufacturing child pornography, receiving child pornography, possessing child pornography, and the use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

    As detailed in court filings, the defendant, who has been in custody since his arrest last month pursuant to a federal complaint and warrant, allegedly engaged in disturbing and violent conversations with Minor #1, who he knew was under the age of 18, and elicited sexually explicit videos of her.

    In addition, the indictment alleges that the defendant knowingly received those visual depictions of Minor #1 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and that he possessed images constituting child pornography on an iPhone 15 that had been shipped and transported using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce.

    The indictment further alleges that Kuppusamy used a facility and means of interstate and foreign commerce, namely the internet and cellular telephone service, to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce Minor #1 to engage in sexual activity for which any person could be charged with a criminal offense, that is, the manufacture and receipt of child pornography.

    If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

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

    The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Bateman.

    An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCST commences visit to Beijing (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SCST commences visit to Beijing  
    Miss Law briefed the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the HKMAO, Mr Xia Baolong, on the major work in the last four months and future plans of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB). She expressed sincere gratitude to Mr Xia and the HKMAO for their guidance and unwavering support. Mr Xia encouraged the Secretary to lead the CSTB in taking forward its duties by staying principled and innovative, to utilise the rich local resources in tourism in particular and pursue innovation, with a view to telling the good stories of Hong Kong.
     
    Also joining the visit to Beijing are the Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ms Vivian Sum; the Commissioner for Tourism, Mrs Angelina Cheung; the Head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong), Mr Yeung Tak-keung; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; the Deputy Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Winnie Tse; the Commissioner for Sports, Mr George Tsoi; and the Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries, Mr Victor Tsang.
     
    Accompanied by the delegation, Miss Law called on the Minister of the GASC, Mr Gao Zhidan, and briefed him on the preparatory work of the 15th National Games and the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games in Hong Kong. Asserting that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region attaches great importance to the mega sports event co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao for the first time, Miss Law said not only does it demonstrate Hong Kong’s ability in hosting major sports events, but it also deepens collaboration between the three places and promotes development of the Greater Bay Area, laying the foundation for hosting more mega events in future.
     
    In the afternoon, Miss Law and the delegation visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and met with the Director of the Museum, Mr Li Zongyuan. Miss Law said it was the second time she visited the Museum and she had a stronger impression this time. Noting that Hong Kong is planning for the construction of a museum to showcase the development and achievements of the country, Miss Law said the content of the Museum of the CPC’s permanent exhibition matches with one of the themes about the CPC’s history and development in the museum-in-planning. She hoped that support and professional guidance from the Museum of the CPC could be given in future exhibitions and collaborations.
     
    At night, Miss Law and some members of the delegation watched a performance by Wiener Symphoniker at the National Centre for the Performing Arts to experience high-level arts and cultural exchanges.
     
    Miss Law and the delegation will continue their visit to Beijing tomorrow (April 3).
     
    Issued at HKT 20:54

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2025

    “Democracy Thrives on Constructive Conversations, Not Arguments” – Dr. Mandaviya

    Adopt Nation First Mindset, Dr. Mandaviya Inspires Youth to Shape India’s Future

    Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament is a Platform that Nurtures Future Young Leaders: Union Minister

    Day 1 Witnesses 105 State-level Winners from across Country Showcase their Ideas and Perspectives

    Posted On: 02 APR 2025 5:58PM by PIB Delhi

    Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the National Round of the 2-day Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament Festival 2025 in New Delhi today. Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Smt. Raksha Khadse was also present on the occasion. The journey to this grand event began when the District Youth Parliament was organized from 16th March 2025 to 27th March, 2025. The winners of the District Youth Parliament-2025 participated in the State Youth Parliament from 23rd – 31st March, 2025 which were organised in many State Legislative Assemblies. A total of 105 State-level winners from across the country earned their place at the national stage.

    Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, in his inaugural speech, highlighted that this year’s Youth Parliament has been integrated with the vision of Viksit Bharat. He emphasized the enthusiasm of the youth, noting that over 75,000 young individuals submitted one-minute videos to be part of this initiative. After rigorous selection at the district and state levels, the participants are finally gathered in the prestigious Parliament, a place where leaders and policymakers have shaped India’s present, he added.

    Dr. Mandaviya encouraged young participants to adopt a ‘Nation First’ mindset, regardless of their profession. He spoke about the Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament as a platform that nurtures future leaders, allowing young individuals to engage in meaningful discussions. He emphasized that democracy thrives not on arguments but on winning the hearts of citizens through constructive conversations. 

    Union Minister praised India’s diversity, stating that despite its differences, the Parliament stands as a symbol of unity. Expressing hope for the future, he wished that many of the youth present today would return to Parliament as Members of Parliament or Ministers. He also underscored the strength of democracy, which provides equal opportunities to all, noting that in India, even a person from humble background can become the Prime Minister. 

    Dr. Mandaviya advised young people to focus on taking a pledge towards Viksit Bharat and moving forward without worrying about the results. Concluding his address, he encouraged the participants to remain open to learning, stating that these two days would be highly enriching for those willing to receive knowledge and experience.

    Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Smt. Raksha Khadse highlighted that the dialogues led by these young minds during Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2025 will pave the way for India’s future. She emphasized the significance of this year’s Youth Parliament, aligning with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of making India a Viksit Bharat, where the youth will not only contribute but also lead the nation toward progress. 

    In her welcome address, Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Smt. Meeta Rajivlochan emphasized that Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2025 represents our collective commitment to democracy and serves as a forum where young people from across the country can actively contribute to public policy.

    The day began with a powerful Inaugural Ceremony, followed by opening remarks by the participants, which was judged by a jury comprising of Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Sushri Shambhavi Chaudhary, Member of Parliament.

    The event proceeded with the two Question Hour sessions, which formed the heart of the Youth Parliament experience. Each Question Hour session featured 18 teams participating: 9 teams representing MPs and 9 teams representing Ministers. The youth MPs raised insightful, policy-based questions, and the ministers responded with structured and detailed answers.

    During Question Hour 1, teams discussed One Nation, One Election (ONOE), examining governance, administrative feasibility, political stability, and legal challenges, with insights from a distinguished jury, including Smt. Raksha Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, and Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, MP. Question Hour 2 focused on Viksit Bharat, where youth MPs debated youth empowerment, education, skill development, and sustainability, assessed by a jury comprising MPs Shri Satnam Singh Sandhu, Shri Dhaval Laxmanbhai Patel, and Shri Nitesh Kumar Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

    This was followed by an insightful master class on oratory skills by Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi, Member of Parliament. This master class provided participants with valuable insights into the art of effective public speaking, a crucial skill for leadership and parliamentary debates.

    The Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament on Day 1 was a resounding success, which concluded on an inspiring note, setting the stage for an engaging and impactful second day of discussions, debates, and policymaking exercises.

    The Day 2 will be followed with a visit to the new Parliament building, where they will witness live proceedings and experience the legislative process firsthand. This will be followed by a focused discussion on the One Nation, One Election, examining its potential implementation models, electoral dynamics, and implications for Centre-State relations. The agenda also includes a deliberation session led by a team representing the Ministry of Law and Justice, who will be initiating a motion in the house for voting. Later in the day, the National Youth Awards for the years 2021-22 and 2022-23 will be presented, celebrating exceptional contributions to youth leadership along with the Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament Awards, 2025.

    ******

    Himanshu Pathak

     

    (Release ID: 2117909) Visitor Counter : 98

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – BUDG-CONT – Lessons learnt from the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation – 7.4.25 – Committee on Budgetary Control

    Source: European Parliament

    BUDG-CONT – Lessons learnt from the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation © Image used under license from Adobe Stock

    On 7 April 2025, the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Budgetary Control will hold a joint public hearing on the “Lessons learnt from the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism and ways to make it more effective for the future”.

    Four years after the entry into force of the Rule of law conditionality Regulation, Members will hear from different stakeholders how they assess the functioning of the legislation, including its impact on the ground, and discuss how the functioning of the mechanism could be improved going forward. The hearing, which complements the recent exchange of views with Commissioner Serafin on the implementation of the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation, should feed into the forthcoming BUDG-CONT implementation report on the Conditionality Regulation.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Schengen Information System (SIS) reporting on returns – E-001100/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001100/2025/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Marieke Ehlers (PfE)

    Regulation (EU) 2018/18601[1] requires Member States to register return orders into the Schengen Information System (SIS) to facilitate the enforcement of return decisions for non-EU nationals who do not have the right to stay in the EU.

    In this regard:

    • 1.According to the 2023 SIS report[2] by the EU Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), Member States introduced 321 549 SIS alerts on returns between 7 March 2023 and 31 December 2023, leading to 10 005 confirmed returns recorded in the SIS. However, Eurostat data[3] indicates that 484 000 third-country nationals (TCNs) were ordered to leave in 2023 and roughly 65 000 TCNs actually returned after receiving a return decision in the same period. How does the Commission assess this discrepancy between the SIS data and the Eurostat figures?
    • 2.Does the Commission have information on whether all Member States are fully complying with their obligation to enter return orders into the SIS?
    • 3.In how many cases does a Member State that has not itself issued the return order execute the return, rather than transferring the individual back to the Member State that issued the return order?

    Submitted: 14.3.2025

    • [1] Regulation (EU) 2018/1860 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the use of the Schengen Information System for the return of illegally staying third-country nationals, OJ L 312, 7.12.2018, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1860/oj.
    • [2] European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), ‘SIS 2023 Statistics Report’, 13 May 2024, https://www.eulisa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/SIS%202023%20Annual%20Statistics%20-%20Report.pdf.
    • [3] Eurostat, ‘Third-country nationals returned following an order to leave, by type of return, citizenship, country of destination, age and sex – quarterly data’, 17 March 2025, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/migr_eirtn1__custom_16030221/default/table?lang=en.
    Last updated: 2 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Spanish Government uses a Royal Decree-Law to undermine the role of the Senate, creating legal uncertainty – E-000004/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission places great importance on ensuring that all EU Member States uphold rule of law. It has various instruments at its disposal to actively promote and protect the rule of law, as part of its rule of law toolbox.

    This includes monitoring through the annual Rule of Law Report and in the context of the European Semester, as well as the possibility to initiate infringement procedures when necessary.

    Further, the Conditionality Regulation[1] applies in case of breaches of the principles of the rule of law, which affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the Union budget or the protection of the financial interests of the EU in a sufficiently direct way.

    The Commission also provides technical and financial assistance to the Member States to support judicial reforms, ultimately boosting the rule of law.

    The Commission does not comment on the role of the Senate in the Spanish constitutional system, which is a matter of Spanish law.

    In its role as guardian of the Treaties, the Commission remains committed to taking necessary measures to ensure compliance with EU law in all Member States and will continue to work with the Spanish authorities to promote the rule of law.

    • [1] Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092.
    Last updated: 2 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Tenney Reintroduces Legislation to Safeguard Medicare Advantage Plans for Upstate New York Seniors

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today reintroduced legislation aimed at addressing reductions in Medicare Advantage (MA) access and benefits. The bill addresses reimbursement shortfalls to local MA plans from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Specifically, the bill allows CMS to adjust benchmark amounts based on local wage indices that have increased by 20 percent or more to ensure enrollees continue to receive comprehensive benefits and quality care.

    Rep Tenney was joined in introducing this legislation by Representatives Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Nick Langworthy (NY-23), and Mike Lawler (NY-17).

    In 2023, CMS made a needed adjustment to the wage index for Upstate New York hospitals, treating geographically rural and rural reclassified hospitals equally. This change led to wage index increases of 20-40% across Upstate New York. While this provided significant relief for hospitals that had been severely underpaid by the fee-for-service program, it inadvertently placed substantial financial pressure on regional MA plans, which are predominantly non-profit organizations. Because CMS did not account for these new costs in their benchmark rates for 2024, MA plans have experienced significant financial challenges that jeopardize plans’ ability to provide affordable, quality coverage to their beneficiaries. Without relief, health plans will be forced to cut benefits and increase premiums for seniors who can least afford it.

    Last week, Rep. Tenney sent a letter to CMS urging the agency to reassess the ongoing misalignment between hospital wage index increases and MA benchmark adjustments in Upstate New York.

    “Our community’s seniors deserve continued access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Unfortunately, the payment disparity has already affected local plans’ offerings and limited seniors’ coverage choices. By adjusting the benchmark rates to reflect the increased costs faced by our regional plans, we can restore MA options for our seniors and protect them from higher premiums in the future. This bill will ensure that Medicare Advantage plans continue to provide the robust benefits that so many members of our community rely on,” said Congresswoman Tenney. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Daily Caller Highlights Grassley’s Oversight of Wasteful DEI Spending at DOJ

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    EXCLUSIVE: GOP Sens Seek Answers For Taxpayers Who Picked Up Tab For Biden’s DEI InitiativesAdam PackMarch 31, 2025
    Senate Judiciary Republicans are seeking accountability for taxpayers who footed the bill for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives under former President Joe Biden.
    Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas and Ashley Moody of Florida wrote to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Thursday to ask the nonpartisan watchdog to perform an audit of the DOJ’s DEI practices under the Biden-Harris administration. The senators asked that GAO investigate how much time and money were spent executing the Biden administration’s executive orders cementing DEI initiatives across the federal government, according to the letter obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
    “The Biden-Harris EO [Executive Order] was a divisive bureaucratic burden on the Executive Branch,” the GOP senators wrote to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro. “The taxpayer deserves to know how much time and money the Biden-Harris DOJ spent on these efforts.”
    “Specifically, the taxpayer has a right to know how many DOJ employees were hired to work on DEIA [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility] programs or initiatives and how much money the DOJ spent on these functions, including salaries, fringe benefits, rent for office space, and supplies for employees,” the senators said.
    Senate Republicans’ request for an audit of the Biden administration’s DEI initiatives comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to roll back Biden’s DEI practices, which Trump has referred to as “illegal and immoral discrimination.”
    “[N]early every Federal agency and entity [under Biden] submitted ‘Equity Action Plans’ to detail the ways that they have furthered DEIs [sic] infiltration of the Federal Government,” Trump wrote in his executive order banning government DEI initiatives on Jan. 20. “The public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination. That ends today. Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.”
    The Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans are specifically requesting that the GAO probe the Biden administration’s EO 14035 titled, “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce,” issued in June 2021.
    “As the Nation’s largest employer, the Federal Government must be a model for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, where all employees are treated with dignity and respect,” Biden wrote.
    The EO led to the creation of new DEI offices in the federal government and new federal spending on DEI initiatives. The GOP senators cited a Parents Defending Education analysis that found that the Biden-Harris DOJ alone spent more than $100 million on promoting DEI initiatives in K-12 school districts.
    The EO also required federal agencies to create individual “strategic plans” to advance DEI priorities. “GAO should review the time and money the DOJ dedicated to these efforts,” the senators wrote.
    Attorney General Pam Bondi has worked to undo the Biden DOJ’s DEI practices and carry out Trump’s EO prohibiting certain DEI practices in the private sector and in educational bodies that receive federal funds.
    The DOJ announced an investigation into four California universities Friday for allegedly using DEI practices in their admission policies.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bombshell Report Confirms Grassley Oversight of Biden-Harris Admin’s Failure to Protect Migrant Children

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) confirmed Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) numerous concerns about abuse in the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) unaccompanied alien children (UAC) program. Under the Biden-Harris administration, more than 500,000 children crossed the Southern border and entered the UAC program, while cartel trafficking activity surged.
    Grassley repeatedly warned that the Biden-Harris UAC program’s inadequate safeguards, lax vetting procedures and limited inter-agency communication allowed children to be lost or released to dangerous adult sponsors. DHS OIG’s report validated all of Grassley’s findings. Notably, the report exposed how DHS was prevented from receiving key HHS information to follow up on potential criminal sponsors. Grassley broke through this inter-agency firewall last year by submitting a law enforcement referral to DHS containing HHS information provided to Grassley by legally protected whistleblowers. DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations followed up on 102 investigative targets Grassley identified.  
    “My oversight revealed the Biden-Harris administration prioritized speed and optics over the safety and security of hundreds-of-thousands of migrant children. DHS OIG’s report echoes my longstanding concerns and further fuels the fire of my investigative and legislative work. I’ll continue fighting to ensure abuse like this never happens again,” Grassley said. 
    The DHS OIG report found that: 
    HHS and DHS lost track of hundreds of thousands of migrant children.
    HHS failed to provide DHS complete sponsor addresses for over 31,000 unaccompanied migrant children. Without sponsor addresses, law enforcement is unable to keep track of migrant children.
    DHS law enforcement officers additionally estimated that addresses collected by HHS were incorrect 80 percent of the time.

    DHS officers failed to enroll over 233,000 migrant children who crossed the border since January 2021 in immigration proceedings, increasing their risk of trafficking and exploitation.
    Of those enrolled, more than 43,000 children failed to appear.

    HHS failed to provide updated sponsor information to DHS when sponsors changed addresses, further hindering DHS’s ability to find children.  

    HHS placed migrant children with potentially dangerous sponsors.
    In Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024, HHS released more than 24,100 migrant children to unrelated sponsors or distant relatives. Law enforcement officers note these children are at the highest risk for trafficking.
    HHS frequently placed migrant children in rundown apartment complexes and dilapidated motels with barred windows, appliances stacked on patios and apartments with no doors or kitchens.
    Local police noted many of these properties were located in areas with high violent crime rates, daily shootings and gang activity.

    Multiple DHS offices confirmed HHS released children to incomplete or commercial addresses, and ICE officials at one field office noted the Biden HHS released 34 children to two addresses that didn’t exist.

    The Biden-Harris administration limited HHS employees’ communication with law enforcement.
    HHS failed to provide DHS law enforcement officers with accurate or timely information regarding the status and safety of migrant children.
    A 2021 Biden-Harris inter-agency agreement restricted HHS from sharing sponsors’ biometric information with law enforcement officers.
    DHS law enforcement noted this restrictive agreement prevents law enforcement from having input regarding children’s sponsors.

    DHS law enforcement officers stated they were open to sharing information with HHS, but HHS did not share information with them. One officer noted, “Getting information from HHS is like pulling teeth.”
    According to these officers, the Biden-Harris HHS feared that sharing sponsor information could lead to law enforcement actions against sponsors, especially those with criminal history or lacking legal immigration status.

    The vast majority of migrant children discussed in the report date to the Biden-Harris administration, according to a related DHS OIG report released in August.
    Read the full DHS OIG report HERE.
    Grassley discussed the report in a speech on the Senate floor. 
    Background:Grassley has led efforts to protect unaccompanied migrant children from exploitation and abuse for more than a decade. See an overview of his work below:
    03.11.2025 | Grassley Reignites Oversight of HHS’s Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program
    01.14.2025 | Grassley, Blackburn Introduce Legislation to Halt Child Trafficking at the Border 
    10.18.2024 | Biden-Harris HHS Can’t Account to Congress for Status of Thousands of Unaccompanied Minors
    10.16.2024 | ICYMI: Grassley Recognized for Work to Combat Sex-Trafficking Crisis: ‘The Only Person in a Position of Power Who Cares’
    09.23.2024 | Grassley Leads Bicameral Colleagues in Calling Out Abuses in the Biden-Harris Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program
    09.18.2024 | Democrats Block Grassley Effort to Protect Unaccompanied Migrant Children from Sexual Harm
    09.17.2024 | Grassley: Not One More Child Should Have to Suffer Abuse Because of Biden-Harris Policies
    09.04.2024 | Grassley Puts HHS Vetting, Information-Sharing under Microscope amid Biden-Harris Admin’s Neglect to Protect Migrant Children
    07.11.2024 | RECORDS: HHS Sent Unaccompanied Minors to Sponsors with MS-13 Ties, Potential Trafficking Rings
    07.09.2024 | Grassley Highlights Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Children During Senate Roundtable
    07.09.2024 | Grassley Delivers Opening Remarks At Roundtable On Abuse Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
    07.08.2024 | ICYMI: WSJ Reveals Alarming ‘Dilemma’ At The Heart Of Biden’s Unaccompanied Minors Program
    06.12.2024 | Grassley Discusses Effort To End Biden Admin’s Abuse Of Unaccompanied Minors Program
    06.05.2024 | Grassley Moves To Overturn Biden Admin Rule Enabling Abuse Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
    04.30.2024 | Grassley Scrutinizes HHS’s Improper Care Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
    03.14.2024 | Grassley Goes Head-To-Head With HHS Secretary On Immigration And Rural Health Care
    01.24.2024 | Grassley Alerts DHS, FBI To Evidence Of Human Trafficking; Calls For Immediate Action To Locate & Rescue Migrant Children
    12.04.2023 | Grassley And Senate Republicans Demand Changes To Biden Admin Rule Endangering Safety And Wellbeing Of Unaccompanied Alien Children
    10.28.2021 | Grassley, Wyden Release Investigation On Misconduct And Abuse At Federally-Funded Facilities Caring For Unaccompanied Migrant Children
    05.09.2019 | Grassley, Wyden Demand Answers On Misconduct And Abuse At Federally-Funded Facilities Caring For Unaccompanied Migrant Children
    03.14.2016 | Feds Skip Child Abuse Checks For Some Sponsors Of Child Immigrants As Surge Continues
    02.23.2016 | The Unaccompanied Children Crisis: Does the Administration Have a Plan to Stop the Border Surge and Adequately Monitor the Children
    02.22.2016 | Feds Fall Short In Care, Tracking Of Unaccompanied Children
    02.19.2016 | Grassley, Cornyn Continue To Press Administration On Vetting Of Sponsors For Unaccompanied Minors
    11.24.2015 | Obama Administration Allegedly Releasing Unaccompanied Minors Into Criminals’ Custody
    10.10.2014 | Grassley, Hatch, Coburn Press For GAO Study On The Office Of Refugee Resettlement Efforts With Unaccompanied Minors
    08.22.2014 | Grassley: Unanswered Questions Plague HHS Response To Unaccompanied Minors
    07.17.2014 | Grassley Presses For Answers On Housing For Unaccompanied Minors Crossing Southern Border
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Statement in Support of Iowan Matt Whitaker

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    Statement for the Congressional Record by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
    “Nomination of Matt Whitaker to be U.S. Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization”
    Wednesday, April 2, 2025
    The Senate [voted yesterday] to confirm my good friend and fellow Iowan, Matt Whitaker, to be the U.S. Ambassador to NATO.
    I want to take a few minutes to express my support for his nomination…
    Matt is someone who’s well known back home in Iowa, and he’s earned the respect of many here in Washington, too. 
    He has a long record of service to our country, from his time as Acting Attorney General in the first Trump administration to his work as Chief of Staff at the Department of Justice. 
    He’s traveled around the world meeting with leaders on important issues, including dealing with the fentanyl crisis and talking with Chinese officials.
    During the George W. Bush administration, Matt served our home state as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District from 2004 to 2009, where he worked hard to keep our communities safe. 
    In Iowa, he’s known not just for his work, but for his deep pride in his home state. 
    He never lets you forget that he’s a proud graduate of the University of Iowa, where he earned his undergraduate degree, MBA and law degree. 
    In fact, he even played football for the Hawkeyes, which speaks to his work ethic and commitment to teamwork.
    Matt carries that same commitment and drive in every role he takes on. 
    Whether it’s on the football field, as a U.S. Attorney, or in his leadership in national law enforcement. 
    This dedication is exactly what he’ll bring to his work with NATO. 
    I’m proud to support a true friend and fellow Iowan who has always shown the highest standards of service to our country.
    I ask my colleagues to support Matt Whitaker’s confirmation. 
    He’ll serve with the same passion and energy that he brings to his love of Iowa football, and I have no doubt that he will represent the United States on the world stage with the same level of commitment.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – National implementation plans for the New Pact on Migration and Asylum – E-003038/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    A swift and effective implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum[1] (Pact) is a top priority for the Commission. Almost all Member States have submitted their national implementation plans to the Commission.

    The Commission is in regular contact with all Member States and is supporting them in making sure that they will be ready to fully implement the Pact in June 2026.

    The Commission will regularly inform the European Parliament and the Council about the state of play with regard to the implementation of the Pact, in line with its obligations under the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation[2].

    The Commission also kindly refers the Honourable Members to the exchanges taking place within the Working Group on Asylum — Implementation of the Pact/Common European Asylum System (Asylum Working Group) of the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

    • [1] https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/pact-migration-and-asylum_en
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1351/oj/eng
    Last updated: 2 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Court Orders SunSetter to Pay $9.25M in Connection with Alleged Failure to Timely Report Defective Awning Covers to the CPSC

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Yesterday, a federal court in Massachusetts entered a consent decree requiring SunSetter Products LP (SunSetter) to pay $9.25 million in civil penalties and implement and maintain a robust compliance program to prevent future illegal conduct, the Justice Department announced.

    In a complaint filed April 6, 2023, the government alleged that SunSetter failed to timely report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) a defect affecting approximately 270,000 protective covers used with SunSetter retractable awnings. According to the complaint, removal of the defective awning cover could cause the retractable awning to unexpectedly spring open with enough force to knock over anyone in the awning’s path, putting consumers using ladders to access the awning at risk of death or serious injury. The complaint alleged that multiple consumers were injured, and one killed, as a result of this defect. The complaint alleged that SunSetter violated the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) by failing to report the defect until 2017, despite being aware of consumer complaints as early as 2012 and completing its own simulation testing in 2015 that confirmed the safety hazard. SunSetter recalled the covers in August 2019.

    “The failure to immediately report dangerous products puts consumers at unnecessary risk,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work with the CPSC to hold accountable companies that fail to follow the law.”

    “This settlement makes clear that companies must prioritize consumer safety and comply with their legal obligations to report hazardous defects in a timely manner,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “SunSetter’s failure to do so had tragic consequences. We will continue to hold companies accountable when they put the public at risk by disregarding federal safety laws.”

    “This consent decree is an important reminder of the affirmative obligation to report product hazards in a timely manner,” said Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. “I appreciate the work of CPSC staff and our partners at DOJ in resolving this matter and keeping American consumers safe.”

    Trial Attorneys Brett Ruff and Nicole Frazer of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anuj Khetarpal for the District of Massachusetts, with the assistance of Renee McCune of CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel and Amelia Hairston-Porter of CPSC’s Office of Compliance and Field Operations, are handling the case.

    For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch visit the Branch’s website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

    The claims resolved by the consent decree announced today are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $61.5M Thruway Pavement Improvement Project Underway

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced a $61.5 million pavement improvement project is underway on the New York State Thruway, Interstate 90, in Ontario and Monroe counties. The project includes pavement rehabilitation and safety enhancements on a 4.3-mile stretch of the Thruway just east of Exit 44 to west of Exit 45 — Canandaigua, Victor, NY Route 332 to Rochester, Victor, Interstate 490. More than 60,000 vehicles per day travel on this stretch of the interstate daily.

    “We are making important investments in infrastructure to provide motorists with a safe and dependable roadway,” Governor Hochul said. “The improvements made on this section of the Thruway will benefit the thousands of New Yorkers who travel through Ontario and Monroe counties and strengthen our transportation infrastructure.”

    Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “The I-90 corridor in the Finger Lakes region is a busy section for commuters, tourism and the commercial trucking industry. Investing in these critical infrastructure projects enhances the safety and reliability of the Thruway system, offers some of the lowest toll rates in the nation for customers and maintains the Thruway as one of the safest superhighways in the country.”

    State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “This project will be vital for the safety of drivers who rely on our New York State Thruway each and every day. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to bolstering our infrastructure statewide and am proud to be her partner in providing the kind of transportation system New Yorkers deserve.”

    Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli said, “Investing in pavement rehabilitation and safety improvements on our highways ensures that they remain safe and sustainable for all users. The New York State Thruway system helps encourage statewide commerce and travel. I am happy to see it and other roads and infrastructure being maintained and strengthened.”

    Ontario County Board of Supervisors Chair Jared Simpson said, “This project will go a long way to enhance the safety of this well-traveled corridor. This section of the Thruway is one of the main gateways into Ontario County, whether for visitors shopping at Eastview Mall, tourists visiting Canandaigua Lake, or people travelling to and from work. The tens of thousands of people who traverse this section of highway each day will appreciate a new, modern and safe roadway. Thank you to our leaders in Albany and to the New York State Thruway Authority for implementing the project.”

    Monroe County Executive Adam J. Bello said, “I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for continuing to invest in New York State’s infrastructure, and this latest road improvement project on the New York State Thruway covering the roadway between Exits 44 and 45 is particularly important for local motorists. This section of the Thruway is used by tens of thousands of Monroe County residents each year, whether for commuting to work or heading out on vacation. These improvements will make Thruway driving safer and more pleasant for people who live, work and visit in Monroe County.”

    To improve the driving surface, crews will utilize a method called “crack and seat” in both directions on I-90 from milepost 347.1 to milepost 351.4. “Crack and seat” involves cracking the concrete pavement, rolling the concrete with a heavy proof roller and overlaying the surface with asphalt. After the crack and seat is completed, the area will be paved with asphalt on the mainline and shoulders.

    Additional work includes milling and replacing the asphalt pavement on the Exit 44 and Exit 45 interchange ramps, replacing the concrete median barrier and replacing the Variable Message Sign (VMS) structure at milepost 349.51 with a new digital sign structure that can display important real-time safety information for drivers.

    The project also includes work at four bridge culverts located at mileposts 350.77, 349.97, 348.67 and 347.81. Concrete repairs will be made to the deck of the bridges, which will then be covered with a waterproof membrane and asphalt wearing surface. Repairs will also be made to the existing bridge railing and drainage systems. These improvements will extend the life of the Thruway and the culverts and enhance safety for motorists. The four bridge culverts included in this project carry traffic on I-90 eastbound and westbound, and conduct traffic on Willowbrook Road, High Street, Victor Egypt Road, and Brownsville Road below the Thruway. During work on the bridge culverts, a section of Willowbrook Road and Victor Egypt Road will be closed with a posted detour for several weeks. The closures on a section of Brownsville Road and High Street at the bridge culvert locations will be conducted at a later date.

    Other improvements in the project include installing a snow fence to prevent blowing snow at Exit 44, a new guiderail, new traffic signs — such as milepost markers, delineators and snow plow markers — and adding new reflective line striping along the mainline and Exit 44 and Exit 45 ramps.

    Villager Construction, Inc. of Fairport, New York is the project contractor following a competitive bidding process. The project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2026.

    Motorists may encounter lane closures on the highway along with traffic shifts and stoppages while construction is underway. All work is weather dependent and subject to change. Motorists are urged to be alert and follow the posted work zone speed limits. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone.

    To further enhance safety for workers in a work zone, Governor Hochul signed legislation establishing the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement pilot program. The safety enforcement program began in April 2023 and is in effect in various active construction zones on the Thruway. Work zones with speed camera enforcement will have clear signage leading up to it and motorists violating the posted speed limit within the work zone will be fined.

    For up-to-date travel information, motorists are encouraged to download the Thruway Authority’s mobile app which is available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic and navigation assistance while on the go. Travelers can also visit the Thruway Authority’s interactive Traveler Map which features live traffic cameras. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert emails, which provide the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.

    About the Thruway Authority

    The Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, built in the early 1950s, is one of the oldest components of the National Interstate Highway System and one of the longest toll roads in the nation. The maintenance and operation of the Thruway system is funded primarily by tolls. The Thruway Authority does not receive any dedicated federal, state or local tax dollars and is paid for by those who drive the Thruway, including one-third of drivers from out of state.

    In 2024, the Thruway Authority processed more than 400 million transactions and motorists drove 8.2 billion miles on the Thruway. The Authority’s approved 2025 Budget invests a total of $477.3 million in dedicated funding for capital projects across the Thruway system beginning in 2025, an increase of more than $33 million compared to the approved 2024 budget. The increased investment will lead to work on approximately 61 percent of the Thruway’s more than 2,800 pavement lane miles as well as the replacement or rehabilitation of 20 percent of the Thruway’s 817 bridges.

    The Thruway is one of the safest roadways in the country with a fatality rate far below the nationwide index, and toll rates are among the lowest in the country compared to similar toll roads. The Thruway’s base passenger vehicle toll rate is less than $0.05 per mile, compared to the Ohio Turnpike ($0.06 per mile), the New Jersey Turnpike (up to $0.39 per mile) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike ($0.16 per mile).

    The Thruway Authority’s top priority is the safety of our employees and customers. In 2024, two Thruway Authority employees died and another was seriously injured in separate incidents while working on the Thruway. The lives of Thruway Authority employees, roadway workers and emergency personnel depend on all of those who travel the highway. Motorists should stay alert and pay attention while driving, slow down in work zones and move over when they see a vehicle on the side of the road. New York State’s Move Over Law, which was expanded in March 2024, requires drivers to slow down and move over for all vehicles stopped along the roadway. Safety is a shared responsibility.

    For more information, follow the Thruway on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram, or visit the Thruway website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Court Orders SunSetter to Pay $9.25M in Connection with Alleged Failure to Timely Report Defective Awning Covers to the CPSC

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Yesterday, a federal court in Massachusetts entered a consent decree requiring SunSetter Products LP (SunSetter) to pay $9.25 million in civil penalties and implement and maintain a robust compliance program to prevent future illegal conduct, the Justice Department announced.

    In a complaint filed April 6, 2023, the government alleged that SunSetter failed to timely report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) a defect affecting approximately 270,000 protective covers used with SunSetter retractable awnings. According to the complaint, removal of the defective awning cover could cause the retractable awning to unexpectedly spring open with enough force to knock over anyone in the awning’s path, putting consumers using ladders to access the awning at risk of death or serious injury. The complaint alleged that multiple consumers were injured, and one killed, as a result of this defect. The complaint alleged that SunSetter violated the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) by failing to report the defect until 2017, despite being aware of consumer complaints as early as 2012 and completing its own simulation testing in 2015 that confirmed the safety hazard. SunSetter recalled the covers in August 2019.

    “The failure to immediately report dangerous products puts consumers at unnecessary risk,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work with the CPSC to hold accountable companies that fail to follow the law.”

    “This settlement makes clear that companies must prioritize consumer safety and comply with their legal obligations to report hazardous defects in a timely manner,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “SunSetter’s failure to do so had tragic consequences. We will continue to hold companies accountable when they put the public at risk by disregarding federal safety laws.”

    “This consent decree is an important reminder of the affirmative obligation to report product hazards in a timely manner,” said Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. “I appreciate the work of CPSC staff and our partners at DOJ in resolving this matter and keeping American consumers safe.”

    Trial Attorneys Brett Ruff and Nicole Frazer of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anuj Khetarpal for the District of Massachusetts, with the assistance of Renee McCune of CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel and Amelia Hairston-Porter of CPSC’s Office of Compliance and Field Operations, are handling the case.

    For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch visit the Branch’s website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

    The claims resolved by the consent decree announced today are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican national pleads guilty to persuading a 10-year-old to produce child sexual abuse material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NORFOLK, Va. – A Mexican national pled guilty to production of child sexual abuse material.

    According to court documents, Isidro Atxel Magana-Calderon, 25, contacted and communicated with a 10-year-old victim, identified as MV1, through TikTok. Magana-Calderon identified himself as “Axel.” MV1 provided Magana-Calderon with her cellphone number and they began communicating through text messages.

    Magana-Calderon suggested a desire to engage in inappropriate contact and began requesting nude images of MV1. MV1 initially rejected Magana-Calderon’s requests. Magana-Calderon sent videos of sexual content to MV1 and continued to request that she provide nude images of herself. MV1 eventually relented to Magana-Calderon’s requests.

    Further investigation revealed that Magana-Calderon engaged in sexually explicit conversations with at least one other minor living out of state.

    Magana-Calderon is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen S. Taylor is prosecuting the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-8.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida couple pleads guilty to their roles in a scheme to provide and receive prohibited labor payments

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida couple pled guilty today to conspiracy to provide and receive prohibited labor payments, in violation of the Labor Management Relations Act, also known as the Taft-Hartley Act.

    According to court documents, since at least 2010 until November 2023, Ricky Dallas O’Quinn, 63, of Melbourne, Florida, served as both an officer and employee of International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA), a labor organization that represents protective security officers at federal workplaces. SPFPA executed collective bargaining agreements with several employers covering the security industry in several states. Ricky’s wife, Mabel O’Quinn, was the founder, incorporator, and an initial director of Company-2, which provided protective security officers at federal workplaces in numerous states. While Mabel served as Company-2’s chief executive officer and president, Ricky was involved in the finance, budget, and operations of the company since its inception in a clandestine role. Both Ricky and Mabel O’Quinn hid Ricky’s involvement in operating Company-2.

    From at least 2010 to 2023, Individual-1 was the president of Company-1, which provides protective security officers at federal workplaces in numerous states. The O’Quinns conspired with Individual-1 to obtain government contracts by exploiting Company-2’s status as a small, woman service-disabled owned business.

    Company-1 used Company-2 as a subcontractor and advised Company-2 on what contracts to bid on and in which geographic locations, which produced financial benefits for both companies. In exchange, Individual-1 and his family would receive 40 percent of the ownership and/or profits of Company-2.

    From at least April 2013 through June 2024, Individual-1 agreed to award subcontracts from Company-1 to supply private security guards at various federal installations to Company-2.  The proceeds from those awards totaled tens of millions of dollars.

    Individual-1 specified which vendors and consultants Company-2 would hire and monitored and directed Company-2’s finances. At Individual-1’s direction, Company-2 paid three of Individual-1’s relatives as consultants at rates of $195 and $225 per hour, totaling millions of dollars in payments.

    Ricky and Mabel O’Quinn are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17, 2025, and face up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew R. Galeotti, head of Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. accepted the pleas.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and Drew Bradylyons for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Vincent Falvo Jr. for the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:25-cr-70 (Ricky) and 1:25-cr-71 (Mabel).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Local man & woman plead guilty to drug, money laundering crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    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 USA: Boozman, Cotton Work to Repeal Tax on Certain Firearm Purchases

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON––U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises (RIFLE) Act, legislation that would remove a burdensome tax imposed on firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act.

    “Arkansas’s hunters and shooting sportsmen and women who exercise their Second Amendment rights responsibly deserve access to firearms and accessories without jumping through bureaucratic hoops. I am proud to join Sen. Cotton and our colleagues to take this outdated and burdensome hurdle off the books for the benefit of law-abiding citizens across our country,” Boozman said. 

    “Law-abiding Americans who exercise their Second Amendment rights should not be subject to unnecessary taxes and restrictions preventing them from doing so. Passed into law in 1934, the National Firearms Act needs to be amended. Our legislation will remove the red tape that places an undue financial burden on would-be gun owners,” said Cotton.

    Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Justice (R-WV), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Rick Scott (R-FL) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) also cosponsored the legislation.

    Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02).

    Background:

    • The 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA) regulates short-barreled shotguns and rifles, automatic firearms and suppressors. In addition to background checks and registration, NFA-regulated items have a $200 tax.
    • The $200 tax, unchanged since 1934, is equivalent to $4,741 in today’s dollars. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has acknowledged the tax was intended “to curtail, if not prohibit, transactions” of firearms.
    • From 2018 to 2023, ownership of NFA regulated items has grown by more than 230 percent as more sportsmen, shooters and firearm enthusiasts exercise their Second Amendment right.
    • The RIFLE Act does not modify the current checks and registration; it solely removes the federally mandated financial burden on law-abiding gun owners.

    The legislation is endorsed by the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Federal Court Orders SunSetter to Pay $9.25M in Connection with Alleged Failure to Timely Report Defective Awning Covers to the CPSC

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    Yesterday, a federal court in Massachusetts entered a consent decree requiring SunSetter Products LP (SunSetter) to pay $9.25 million in civil penalties and implement and maintain a robust compliance program to prevent future illegal conduct, the Justice Department announced.

    In a complaint filed April 6, 2023, the government alleged that SunSetter failed to timely report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) a defect affecting approximately 270,000 protective covers used with SunSetter retractable awnings. According to the complaint, removal of the defective awning cover could cause the retractable awning to unexpectedly spring open with enough force to knock over anyone in the awning’s path, putting consumers using ladders to access the awning at risk of death or serious injury. The complaint alleged that multiple consumers were injured, and one killed, as a result of this defect. The complaint alleged that SunSetter violated the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) by failing to report the defect until 2017, despite being aware of consumer complaints as early as 2012 and completing its own simulation testing in 2015 that confirmed the safety hazard. SunSetter recalled the covers in August 2019.

    “The failure to immediately report dangerous products puts consumers at unnecessary risk,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work with the CPSC to hold accountable companies that fail to follow the law.”

    “This settlement makes clear that companies must prioritize consumer safety and comply with their legal obligations to report hazardous defects in a timely manner,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “SunSetter’s failure to do so had tragic consequences. We will continue to hold companies accountable when they put the public at risk by disregarding federal safety laws.”

    “This consent decree is an important reminder of the affirmative obligation to report product hazards in a timely manner,” said Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. “I appreciate the work of CPSC staff and our partners at DOJ in resolving this matter and keeping American consumers safe.”

    Trial Attorneys Brett Ruff and Nicole Frazer of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anuj Khetarpal for the District of Massachusetts, with the assistance of Renee McCune of CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel and Amelia Hairston-Porter of CPSC’s Office of Compliance and Field Operations, are handling the case.

    For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch visit the Branch’s website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

    The claims resolved by the consent decree announced today are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Empowering Indigenous policing services

    Alberta’s commitment to supporting Indigenous-led policing emphasizes the importance of culturally responsive law enforcement and community-driven safety measures. This investment will help ensure First Nations police services have the modern facilities needed to provide effective policing and keep their communities safe, while promoting empowerment and self-determination within Indigenous communities.

    That is why Budget 2025 invests $6.9 million over three years to expand the existing Lakeshore Regional Police Service detachment building, ensuring it can better serve the five First Nations surrounding Lesser Slave Lake. This expansion project will increase their capacity to effectively address the unique needs of their communities and foster stronger relationships with the residents they serve.

    “Alberta wants to improve public safety through new approaches to local policing. This funding will help ensure Lakeshore Regional Police Service has the modern facilities needed to provide effective policing and keep its communities safe. No one knows a community better than the people who live there. By investing in this expanded building, we are strengthening public safety and supporting the long-term growth of First Nation police services. We are excited to work with them and empower them in true reconciliation.”

    Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

    “It is important for Indigenous communities to have responsive law enforcement. An Indigenous police service can provide families with safe places to grow and strengthen their communities, which is the goal for every community across Alberta. With this $6.9-million investment, our government reaffirms its commitment to protecting communities and creating opportunities for all Albertans to live in a save community, no matter where they live in our province.”

    Nolan Dyck, parliamentary secretary for indigenous and rural policing

    In total, Budget 2025 provides $30.9 million to support policing in First Nations communities with new and expanded facilities, as well as operational support. With this investment, Alberta’s government is reaffirming its commitment to empowering Indigenous policing services and ensuring First Nations communities have access to reliable, well-resourced police services.

    “This commitment from the Government of Alberta affirms what we have always known—our people have the inherent right and responsibility to protect our own, as our ancestors intended when Treaty was made. Self-administered Indigenous policing is an expression of our sovereignty, our laws, and our way of keeping our communities safe. We lift up this investment as a step toward honoring the true spirit and intent of Treaty, and we acknowledge Alberta for walking with us on this path toward self-determination and safety rooted in our own ways.”

    Trevor Mercredi, Grand Chief, Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta

    “Today’s announcement is a positive step forward to ensure all First Nations receiving these policing services are a step closer to a healthy, vibrant and secure community, as desired by all communities in Canada.”

    Chief Dwayne Laboucan, Driftpile Cree Nation

    “The expansion is more than just the addition of space and facilities; it is a testament to the government’s commitment to the safety and well-being of the nations we serve. It reflects government’s understanding that First Nations policing plays a critical role in ensuring that our communities remain secure, and that we have the resources necessary to serve effectively.”

    Dean Syniak, Chief, Lakeshore Regional Police Service

    Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.

    Quick facts:

    • The three-year funding breakdown includes $1.8 million in 2025-26, $3.6 million in 2026-27 and $1.5 million in 2027-28.
    • The Lakeshore Regional Police Service covers five First Nations surrounding Lesser Slave Lake including Driftpile Cree Nation, Kapawe’no First Nation, Sawridge First Nation, Sucker Creek First Nation and Swan River First Nation.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis Co-sponsors Legislation to Stop Unconstitutional Judicial Overreach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis, member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently co-sponsored the Judicial Relief Clarification Act of 2025 (JRCA), legislation that would limit federal court orders to parties directly before the court – ending the practice of universal injunctions and clarifying the constitutional role of the judicial branch.
    Under this legislation, parties seeking nationwide relief would be required to file a class action lawsuit. The bill would amend the Administrative Procedure Act and the Declaratory Judgment Act to limit courts’ decisions to the parties before them, and make temporary restraining orders (TROs) immediately appealable. 
    “The judiciary branch plays an important role in our nation’s political system, but it has become clear that the federal court’s use of nationwide injunctions is unsustainable,” said Senator Tillis. “This commonsense legislation will clarify the scope of judicial rulings and increase the threshold for judges to issue decisions that affect every American.” 
    Download bill text HERE and a fact sheet HERE.
    Background: 
    Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution limits courts to deciding “cases” or “controversies.” Nevertheless, it has become increasingly common for federal judges to issue sweeping “universal injunctions” that apply even to people who are not before the court. Universal injunctions defy two centuries of historic precedent. Scholars have found no clear record of such an order before 1963 – they have only become common in the last decade. In the first two months of President Trump’s second term, district court judges have issued more universal injunctions against his policies than the Biden administration experienced in four years. 
    Concern about this recent practice spans the ideological spectrum. In 2020, Justices Gorsuch and Thomas explained: “By their nature, universal injunctions tend to force judges into making rushed, high-stakes, low-information decisions.” In 2022, Justice Kagan said: “It just can’t be right that one district judge can stop a nationwide policy in its tracks and leave it stopped for the years that it takes to go through the normal process.”
    The Supreme Court can and should end this practice, but has failed to do so. However, Article III gives Congress the authority to establish, organize and regulate the jurisdiction of federal courts.  
    Congress has also enacted rules governing the review of agency actions through the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 (APA). Under Section 706 of the APA, a person or entity that claims to have been unlawfully harmed by a federal agency action may seek relief in federal court. Currently, many courts interpret the APA to allow for a single district judge to vacate agency actions for everyone, including parties that are not before the court.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven, Graham, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Impose Tough Sanctions Against Russia

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    04.01.25
    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) joined Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and 49 bipartisan senators in introducing legislation to impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. These sanctions would go into effect if Russia refuses to engage in good faith negotiations for a lasting peace with Ukraine or initiates another effort, including military invasion, that undermines the sovereignty of Ukraine after peace is negotiated.
    “Our legislation sends a clear message that if Russia rejects peace or escalates its aggression, there will be serious repercussions,” said Hoeven. “The sanctions and tariffs on those supporting Russia’s actions aim to foster peace by holding all aggressors accountable.”
    Joining Senators Hoeven, Graham and Blumenthal in cosponsoring the legislation are Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Todd Young (R-Indiana), Angus King (I-Maine), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), John Curtis (R-Utah), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Maryland), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona), John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Adam Schiff (D-California), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Steve Daines (R-Montana) and Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch, Crapo, Marshall Introduce SHORT Act to Roll Back Biden-Era Anti Gun Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) introduced the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act.
    The SHORT Act ends the unconstitutional taxation, registration, and regulation of weapons under the National Firearms Act (NFA), including short-barreled rifles and shotguns.
    The Biden administration used the NFA to target American gun owners by claiming that pistols with stabilizing braces were illegal short-barreled rifles. Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) used this argument to ban these firearms and force gun owners to participate in an unconstitutional firearm registry. The SHORT Act will prevent the ATF from enacting future versions of this ban and require the ATF to destroy all records relating to the registration, transfer, or manufacture of NFA weapons.
    “Democrats’ attempts to undermine the Second Amendment are unconstitutional and must be stopped,” said Risch. “The SHORT Act protects law-abiding Idaho gun owners from unlawful registry, taxation, and regulation of commonly owned firearms.”
    “Those seeking to strip away Second Amendment rights have sought every creative way possible to advance their agenda through legislation, regulation and litigation,” said Crapo. “Burdening law-abiding Americans with additional firearm restrictions is not the answer to safeguarding the public.”
    “‘Shall not be infringed’ is crystal clear – and the Biden-era abuses of the Constitutionally protected rights of gun owners across the country need to be undone,” said Marshall. “The SHORT Act takes a step toward rolling back nonsensical regulations that the National Firearms Act has placed upon gun owners. I challenge my colleagues in both chambers to pass this legislation and join me in fully restoring and protecting our God-given Second Amendment rights.”
    Risch, Crapo, and Marshall are joined by U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) in introducing the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Sentenced for Role in “Boot” Distribution Operation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.    

    Jose De La Rosa Rosario, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 15 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the sentence imposed. In December 2024, De La Rosa Rosario pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. In October 2024, De La Rosa Rosario was indicted by a federal grand jury.

    De La Rosa Rosario is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States in 2006 through Puerto Rico using false identification. He was convicted of federal conspiracy and cocaine distribution charges in 2011. Following completion of his federal sentence, in July 2018, De La Rosa Rosario was removed from the United States and deported to the Dominican Republic pursuant to a court order. Thereafter, at an unknown time and place, he illegally reentered the United States without permission. In September 2024, De La Rosa Rosario was arrested on new state drug charges and later detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A copy of his fingerprint from his removal document was compared to his fingerprint when he entered federal custody in September 2024, the prints were identical to each other.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Two Years and Six Months in Federal Prison for Fourth Conviction for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on March 31, 2025.

    Blaine Kills Back, age 48, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Kills Back was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025.

    Kills Back is required to register as a sex offender based on two convictions for sexual assault offenses. His first conviction as an adult was for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in February 2000. He was thereafter convicted of Sexual Contact without Consent in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court, Pennington County, South Dakota, in February 2005, after he groped a woman without her consent at the federal halfway house facility while on supervised release for his prior sex offense conviction. Kills Back was convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender on three prior occasions, in 2015, 2018, and 2023. In July 2024, Kills Back was released from prison and began supervised release in Rapid City. Kills Back reported to the Rapid City Police Department’s Sex Offender Registry Office to register an address, but it was within a prohibited community safety zone in Box Elder, South Dakota. Kills Back never attempted to register a valid address thereafter, despite knowing he was required to do so. His whereabouts were unknown for more than a month.

    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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox handled the prosecution.

    Kills Back was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Westchester Registered Sex Offender Sentenced To Over 40 Years In Prison For Receiving, Distributing And Possessing Child Pornography And Transferring Obscene Material To A Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JONATHAN DELAURA, a/k/a “Jon Dulak,” was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to 485 months in prison for receiving, distributing and possessing child pornography, sending obscene material to a fifteen-year-old boy, and sending that obscene material while being a person required by law to register as a sex offender. DELAURA previously pled guilty on July 1, 2024. 

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “DeLaura possessed large quantities of child pornography and took advantage of a fifteen-year-old child, all while he was required by law to register as a sex offender. This case underscores the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them.  As yesterday’s sentencing demonstrates, we will use every tool available to prosecute and punish those who sexually exploit children.” 

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

    On or about October 7, 2009, DELAURA was convicted, upon a guilty plea, of Sexual Misconduct: Engage in Oral/Anal Sexual Conduct Without Consent, in Bronx County Court.  He was sentenced on December 16, 2009 to a term of 60 days’ imprisonment and six years’ probation, and he was required to register with the New York State Sex Offender Registry.

    In December 2010, following DELAURA’s violation of probation, he was resentenced to a term of imprisonment of one year.  He was released from prison in April 2011.

    From at least on or about May 5, 2011, through on or about May 10, 2011, DELAURA received and distributed files containing images and videos of child pornography, in Westchester County, using a file-sharing program. 

    In or about November 2011, DELAURA contacted a 15-year-old boy (the “Victim”) in an Internet chat room claiming to be a 17-year-old girl and using the screen name “sillyrabbit.”  After an exchange of messages, DELAURA sent sexually explicit photographs to the Victim. Thereafter, DELAURA met the Victim on two occasions and engaged in sexual activity with him.  On February 2, 2012, when DELAURA tried to meet the Victim for a third time to engage in sexual activity, he was arrested by officers of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department (“PCSD”).  After DELAURA was arrested, a search warrant was executed at his residence and PCSD officers recovered an iPod, which contained approximately 162 videos containing images of child pornography and approximately 5 still photos of images containing child pornography.  The iPod also contained the sexually explicit photographs DELAURA sent to the Victim.

    On February 3, 2012, DELAURA was convicted of two counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the 3rd degree in Putnam County Court and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 32 months to 8 years.  DELAURA completed that sentence on January 2, 2020, and has been incarcerated on the federal charges since then.

    *               *                *

    In addition to the prison term, DELAURA, 50, was sentenced to ten years of supervised release.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Yorktown Police Department, the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, and the Ellington Police Department in New Jersey in connection with this investigation. 

    The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.   

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien Sentenced for Reentry Violation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Mario Caseiro-Antonio, 37, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for reentry of a removed alien.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Caseiro-Antonio was stopped by law enforcement and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. After his arrest, officers determined he was in the country illegally and had been removed from the United States twice before.

    Caseiro-Antonio will serve one year of supervised release following his prison sentence. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Salem prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Immigration Enforcement and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated.

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

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

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