NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland-wide virtual jobs fair week opens new opportunities 17-21 March 2025

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Following the success of our winter virtual job fair, The Highland Council’s Employability team has announced details of their spring fair, to highlight new job opportunities, and will run from the 17 to the 21 March 2025.

    The week-long virtual event is being delivered by the Local Employability Partnership – Work. Life. Highland in partnership with, The Highland Council, Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Department for Work and Pensions, Developing the Young Workforce and UHI North West and Hebrides.

    Economy and Infrastructure Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans, said: “The Highland-wide virtual jobs fair proved very successful last year, and therefore I’m delighted that another has been organised entering the spring/summer months, to offer people and businesses the opportunity to connect and showcase the wide range of opportunities there are to develop and learn new skills. Employers and The Highland Council’s Employability team will be on hand to support attendees, answer questions and explain what opportunities they have for training and up-skilling people.

    “Being held online works well as it offers flexibility, without the need for travel. The sessions are designed for people to drop in and out of throughout the week. It will be accessible to everyone no matter their location or circumstances and will directly connect potential employees with the businesses providing information about work opportunities.”

    Programme Manager at DYW West Highland, Jennifer Grant, said: “This virtual jobs fair is an exciting way for employers to showcase their offer to a wider audience. It’s also a superb opportunity for job seekers of all ages across the Highlands to connect with a range of employers in areas which interest them. We’re delighted to be part of the team working on delivering this opportunity and look forward to further initiatives as our contribution to the Highland Employability Partnership group.”

    Spring is good time to consider employment opportunities, as many businesses gear up for the busy months ahead. Anyone interested in finding out more about career opportunities, looking to change careers or to return to work after a break will be able to log onto sessions hosted by businesses from the comfort of their own home.

    Employers taking part include Balfour Beatty, Cross Reach, RAF, NHSH, Norscot, BBM Solicitors. Castle Project, Go Green, CALA, Glenmorangie House, High Life Highland, Highland Home Carers, Careers At Sea, Police Scotland and The Highland Council. More businesses still to be added.

    They will host sessions to provide information about the full-time and part-time opportunities their businesses have, along with apprenticeship schemes and initiatives to attract seasonal and year-round workers.

    Work. Life. Highland is the brand name for the Highland Employability Partnership (HEP).  The Partnership brings together public, private and third sector organisations supporting individuals on their journey towards, into and within employment.

    To register your interest and receive further information, please email: employ.ability@highland.gov.uk

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Standards for non-EU foods – E-002514/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. The ‘Healthier Together’ initiative[1] provides a strategic framework for the Commission’s support to Member States in reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases. Financial support under the EU4Health programme has been provided for collaborative actions between Member States on health determinants, such as nutrition and tobacco, and on mental health. These actions aim at reducing health inequalities and focus on vulnerable groups such as children. The Commission will continue to work with Member States and stakeholders to provide solutions to facilitate healthier food choices. Together with United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the Commission is developing a prevention toolkit for children to support policymakers in promoting their mental and physical health. In line with the political guidelines and mission letter to the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare[2], the Commission will step up its work on preventive health with a focus on improving cardiovascular health in the EU, and will propose a European cardiovascular health plan.

    2. Ensuring a high level of public health is a fundamental principle of EU food law legislation. Under the General Food Law Regulation[3], all food placed on the EU market must be safe, i.e. not injurious to health or unfit for human consumption. To this end, the General Food Law Regulation lays down the responsibilities of the various actors along the food supply chain and of the Member States’ competent authorities to ensure that food placed on the EU market complies with these requirements. Furthermore, strict EU import rules with respect to food and feed hygiene, consumer safety and animal health status in place aim at assuring that all imports fulfil the same high standards as those required for products originating within the EU.

    • [1] https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/healthier-together-eu-non-communicable-diseases-initiative_en
    • [2] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/b1817a1b-e62e-4949-bbb8-ebf29b54c8bd_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20VARHELYI.pdf
    • [3] Regulation (EC) 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety, (OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1).
    Last updated: 4 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Spanish judiciary continues to face pressure and attacks from Pedro Sánchez’s government – E-003019/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    In the 2022, 2023 and 2024 country chapters on the rule of law situation in Spain[1], the Commission underlined that stakeholders had raised concerns about public statements made by politicians criticising the judiciary.

    In this context, the Commission recalled that, according to European standards, while courts are not immune to criticism and scrutiny, the judiciary must enjoy public confidence to be successful in view of its special role in society.

    This is particularly important in relation to statements by members of the legislative and the executive branches, as all powers of the State must foster and protect the trust of the general public in constitutional institutions including the judiciary.

    This is an issue not specific to Spain alone, and in the Rule of Law Report the Commission has recalled these standards in comparable situations in other Member States.

    • [1] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/abdcd1f9-681e-43be-980b-f4205c3e0556_en?filename=23_1_194017_coun_chap_spain_en.pdf, https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/62fdb34b-78d4-4d53-b9ea-67286facc01e_en?filename=23_1_52576_coun_chap_spain_en.pdf and https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/2bd09a6f-ef56-494a-8303-e0de808ee981_en?filename=23_1_58063_coun_chap_spain_en_0.pdf
    Last updated: 4 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Protecting human rights in the Republic of Peru – E-000730/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000730/2025
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Anthony Smith (The Left), Rima Hassan (The Left), Leila Chaibi (The Left)

    In July 2024, Amnesty International published a report entitled ‘Who called the shots?’, which notes that Dina Boluarte could be held criminally responsible, as commander-in-chief of the Peruvian armed forces and national police, for the deaths that occurred during the protests between December 2022 and March 2023.

    In a speech on 6 February 2025, Dina Boluarte was extremely critical of the activities of international NGOs, maintaining that they weaponise respect for human rights to ‘undermine the authority of the state and delegitimise the principle of order’.

    In the same vein, the bill amending Law No 27692, considered by the Peruvian Congress in 2024, was aimed at significantly restricting the work of civil society organisations in receipt of international cooperation funds. The bill was shelved after diplomatic intervention by the US, which was concerned about the repercussions of such a text on democracy in Peru.

    Could the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy:

    • 1.state her opinion on these government attacks on both democracy and respect for human rights in Peru;
    • 2.condemn government attempts to block the work of international NGOs?

    Submitted: 18.2.2025

    Last updated: 3 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cape Girardeau Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man who admitted recording his sexual activity with a child to 30 years in prison.

    Steven Lee Brown, 33, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in December to one count of producing child pornography.

    According to court documents, the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office received a report that Brown had sexually abused a 10-year-old child last May. The child was interviewed and confirmed the abuse. Officers immediately responded to Brown’s residence. During an interview, Brown admitted that he engaged in various sexual acts with the child. Brown further admitted that he used his cell phone to record some of the sexual activity. Officers seized Brown’s phone and discovered sexually explicit images of the minor child on the device. At his guilty plea hearing, Brown admitted that he used his cell phone to produce the sexually explicit material. After serving his 30-year sentence, Brown will be subject to lifetime supervised release.

    This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Correctional Officer Arrested For Bribery And Introduction Of Contraband Into Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the arrest of Michael Jason Brooks (37, Citra) on an indictment charging him with one count of receiving a bribe by a public official and one count of providing contraband to a federal prisoner. If convicted, Brooks faces up to 15 years in federal prison on the bribery count and up to 6 months’ imprisonment for the contraband offense. 

    According to court documents, on June 12, 2024, Brooks was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. Brooks knowingly agreed to receive and accept money in return for being influenced to introduce contraband into the federal prison for an inmate. On June 12, 2024, Brooks provided contraband in the form of tobacco to an inmate at the prison.  

    An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice – Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Baltimore County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Elder Fraud Schemes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant alleged to have received and transmitted victim funds to fraudsters.

    Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has sentenced Ambrose A. Obinna Warrior, 44, of Milford Mill, Maryland, to 42 months in federal prison. Warrior served as an unlicensed money transmitter in connection with various romance, business email compromise, and investment schemes.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office; and Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Ajay Lall, U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division.

    According to the plea agreement, beginning in March 2018, and continuing through at least August 2021, Warrior received victims’ funds and transferred them to other scheme participants through federally insured financial institutions in exchange for a percentage.  Warrior opened personal and business bank accounts and formed the limited liability company, The Golden Voice of Orientals, to conduct, control, manage, and direct his unlicensed money transmitting business.

    Additionally, Warrior used WhatsApp to communicate bank account information to other scheme participants and his fee for receiving and transmitting funds from victims, which was usually 20 percent or more.  After depositing the funds, Warrior retained a portion of the money as a fee and ensured others received a portion of the fraudulent funds.  Warrior also transferred victims’ funds to scheme participants overseas.

    In total, Warrior transmitted or attempted to transfer more than $700,000 in proceeds from various schemes. Victims lost at least $467,912.

    Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older, and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available. Call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).  This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers through assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps, including identifying appropriate reporting agencies, providing information to callers to assist them in reporting or connecting them with agencies, and providing resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis.  The hotline is staffed from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday.  English, Spanish, and other languages are available.  Learn more about the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at www.elderjustice.gov.  Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and United States Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evelyn Lombardo Cusson and Adeyemi Adenrele who prosecuted the federal case. The FBI’s Baltimore and Salt Lake City Field Offices, along with the St. George Resident Agency, investigated this case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Fitzpatrick, 33, of Pratt, was sentenced today to 16 years and two months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 3, 2024, Fitzpatrick sold approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the Kanawha City area of Charleston. Fitzpatrick admitted to the transaction and further admitted to distributing a total of approximately 90 pounds of a substance that contained methamphetamine to the confidential informant from approximately December 2022 to in or about April 2024.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force, which consists of members of the Mingo County Sheriff’s Office, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police.

    Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-112.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Business-as-usual with Azerbaijan – E-000694/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000694/2025
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR)

    On 24 October, the European Parliament adopted the resolution ‘on situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia’, in which MEPs unilaterally rejected the idea of business-as-usual with the Aliyev dictatorship regime.

    However, on 4 December, the newly-elected Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas met with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, in the margins of the 31st OSCE Ministerial Council. The EU representative later posted that the meeting had been ‘good’ and that the two sides discussed the EU-Azerbaijan partnership.

    In view of the above, can the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy answer the following:

    • 1.What was so ‘good’ about the meeting? Did the Aliyev regime’s foreign affairs minister commit to release more than 320 political prisoners, repatriate Armenian hostages and give assurances about a dignified return of Armenians to Artsakh, in line with the legally binding rulings of the International Court of Justice?
    • 2.Why can’t the EU do away with the policy of appeasement when dealing with dictatorial states like Azerbaijan?
    • 3.Will the VP/HR continue to work with Azerbaijan’s dictatorship regime as normal?

    Submitted: 13.2.2025

    Last updated: 3 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Middle District Of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects More Than $47 Million In Civil And Criminal Actions In Fiscal Year 2024

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, FL ― Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announced today that the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) collected $47,486,214 related to local criminal and civil matters in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024 (FY 2024). Of this amount, $16,429,786 was collected in criminal cases and $31,056,428was collected in civil actions. 

    The MDFL’s Civil Division, led by Civil Chief Randy Harwell, recovered a total of $104,533,923 on behalf of federal agencies and programs in affirmative civil enforcement cases during the last fiscal year. This amount has two components. In addition to its recoveries in local civil cases noted above, the District’s Civil Division also joins forces with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and with the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section to address fraud schemes and illegal practices extending beyond district boundaries. The MDFL’s Civil Division recovered an additional $73,477,495 in FY24 in these jointly handled cases.

    “These strong recovery figures show a continued commitment by our office in the critical areas of criminal and civil enforcement,” said Acting United States Attorney Sara Sweeney. “Safeguarding the interests of crime victims, the American taxpayers, and vital public programs will always be a part of our district’s core mission.”

    U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigation divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

    The MDFL’s Asset Recovery Division, led by Chief Laura Taylor, recovered a total of $16,456,189. This amount has two components―criminal monetary penalties and forfeiture. First, in addition to the $16,429,786 in criminal monetary penalties collected in cases prosecuted by the District, the Asset Recovery Division worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $26,403 in criminal monetary penalties pursued jointly by these offices. 

    Additionally, the District’s Asset Recovery Division, working with partner agencies, forfeited $35,981,653 from criminal and civil asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. For instance, in FY 2024, $10,604,039 million forfeited in the MDFL was returned to victims of the criminal offenses, and more than $4 million was shared with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

    Significant Affirmative Civil Enforcement Cases

    United States ex rel. Jacob v. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Case no. 8:20-cv-858 (M.D. Fla.). This qui tam case alleged that between 2009 and 2020, Walgreens submitted false claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs for prescriptions that it processed but that were never picked up by beneficiaries. Through this practice, Walgreens received tens of millions of dollars for prescriptions that it never actually provided to health care beneficiaries. Collaborating with the Dept. of Justice Civil Frauds Section and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Mexico and Eastern District of Texas, we resolved all of the allegations in the qui tam case for $106.8 million.

    Press release: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/walgreens-agrees-pay-1068m-resolve-allegations-it-billed-government-prescriptions-never

    United States v. Lubin, Case no. 8:21-cv-2231 (M.D. Fla.). This False Claims Act complaint was filed against Dr. Edward Lubin, who was an outlier prescriber of a powerful opioid medication called Subsys which is prescribed primarily for treatment of various oncology conditions. We alleged that Dr. Edward Lubin received kickbacks from the manufacturer of Subsys, Insys, Inc., through a bogus speaker program sponsored by Insys that paid Lubin hundreds of thousands of dollars to incentivize him to prescribe the potent medication. In October 2023, we settled with Dr. Lubin for $1.5 million.

    Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/tampa-pain-management-physician-edward-lubin-agrees-pay-15-million-settle-false-claims

    U.S. ex rel. Loscalzo v. Bluestone Physician Services, et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-295 (M.D. Fla.).  This qui tam case alleged that Bluestone, a geriatric health care provider for residents of assisted living facilities in Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin, submitted false claims to the government by billing monthly medical visits that are either unnecessary or upcoded. In collaboration with the Department of Justice Civil Frauds section and the United States Attorney’s Office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, we corroborated the allegations and on June 5, 2024, resolved the claims in the qui tam complaint for $14.9 million, on an ability to pay basis.

    Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/chronic-disease-management-provider-pay-149m-resolve-alleged-false-claims

    Dan Hurt.  Daniel Hurt owned and operated Fountain Health Services LLC, Verify Health, Landmark Diagnostics LLC, First Choice Laboratory LLC and Sonoran Desert Pathology Associates LLC, that we alleged submitted false claims to Medicare for cancer genomic (CGx) tests that were not medically necessary and that were procured through illegal kickbacks. From January 2019 to November 2021, Hurt allegedly conspired with telemarketing agents to solicit Medicare beneficiaries for “free” CGx tests; with telemedicine providers to “prescribe” CGx tests that were not medically necessary; with reference laboratories to conduct the CGx tests, and with billing laboratories and a hospital to submit claims for payment to Medicare.  Mr. Hurt pled guilty to criminal healthcare fraud offenses and agreed on an ability to pay basis to settle the civil fraud claims for approximately $27 million.

    Press release:  https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/florida-businessman-daniel-hurt-pay-over-27-million-medicare-fraud-connection-cancer?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

    United States v. Robert J. Remington, et al., Case no. 8:24-cv-511 (M.D. Fla.). This False Claims Act case was initiated by a referral from the Veterans Administration Inspector General concerning Jacksonville and Orlando franchises of New Horizons Computer Learning Center.  These schools provide federally subsidized educational programs for veterans.  The complaint alleged that both franchises violated subsidy program requirements concerning the percentage of student population that were entitled to receive the subsidies. We filed a complaint against the two schools in February 2024, and on July 10, 2024 reached an agreement that resolved all claims in return for $1,350,000.

    Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/new-horizons-computer-learning-centers-tampa-and-orlando-resolve-post-911-gi-bill

    United States ex rel. GNGH2, Inc. v. Miles Partnership, LLC, Case No. 8:23-cv-649 (M.D. Fla.).  In this qui tam, the relator alleged that Miles Partnership, LLC (“Miles Partnership”) obtained a $2 million second draw Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan by failing to disclose that it was required to register under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (“FARA”), 22 U.S.C. § 611 et seq .  Any entity required to register under FARA was ineligible for a second draw PPP loan.  Based on various contracts it had with foreign tourism boards, including the Bermuda Tourism Authority, the relator alleged that Miles Partnership was required to register under FARA. On Sept. 17, 2024, we settled these claims for $2,281,950.

    Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/travel-tourism-company-pays-2-2-million-resolve-civil-claims-regarding-funds-obtained

    H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Center.  A leading Tampa, Florida cancer research center disclosed issues to the Health and Human Services Inspector General concerning its bills to Medicare associated with clinical oncology trials. Specifically, Moffitt disclosed that it had billed federal healthcare programs for items and services provided as part of clinical trial research that should have been billed to non-government trial sponsors. The research center cooperated extensively with the United States Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice Civil Frauds section, and HHS OIG, ultimately agreeing in January 2024, to pay $19,564,743 to resolve all of the billing issues that it had disclosed.

    Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/florida-research-hospital-agrees-pay-more-195-million-resolve-liability-relating-self 

    Baptist Health System A Jacksonville, Florida area hospital network voluntarily disclosed conduct to the Health and Human Services Inspector General that may have violated the federal Anti-Kickback statute. Specifically, Baptist Health disclosed that it had offered discounts to patients as an inducement to purchase or refer Baptist Health services that are reimbursed by federal health programs. Baptist Health cooperated with the government’s investigation into these issues and agreed to resolve them in exchange for $1.5 million.

    Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/florida-hospital-system-agrees-pay-15-million-resolve-liability-relating-self 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Parents of Former Boone County Schools Maintenance Director Plead Guilty to Evading Financial Reporting Requirements

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

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael P. Barker, 68, and Lana Barker, 66, both of Foster, pleaded guilty today to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, starting on or about November 7, 2023, through on our about November 28, 2023, the Barkers made or caused to be made 11 cash deposits to their bank accounts in amounts ranging from $8,000 to $9,500 and totaling $97,215. The Barkers admitted that these transactions were specifically designed to avoid currency reporting requirements. Financial institutions are required to report cash deposits of more than $10,000, and federal law prohibits structuring multiple cash deposits to avoid this reporting requirement.

    The Barkers furthered admitted that they used the $97,215, a $30,000 bank loan, and $50,000 provided by their son, former Boone County Schools Maintenance Director Michael David Barker, to purchase property in Foster.

    Michael P. Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025, and Lana Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1, 2025. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a forfeiture money judgment.

    Today’s guilty pleas result from an investigation that led to the indictment of Michael David Barker, 47, of Foster, by a federal grand jury on December 10, 2024. The 18-count indictment alleges that Michael David Barker entered into a scheme to defraud the Boone County Board of Education out of approximately $3,400,000 while serving as maintenance director. The charges against Michael David Barker are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Jesse Marks, 65, of Rush, Kentucky, pleaded guilty on February 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Marks was the sole owner and operator of Rush Enterprises when Michael David Barker contacted him in November 2019 about Rush Enterprises selling custodial and janitorial supplies to Boone County Schools. Marks admitted that he and Barker entered into the overbilling scheme at that time. Marks is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2025.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Department of Education.

    United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price is prosecuting the cases.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-cr-4 (Michael P. Barker) and 2:25-cr-5 (Lana Barker).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Final Defendant Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

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

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jermaine Antoine Johnson, 34, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl as well as cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson participated in the DTO conspiracy in April and May 2024. Johnson admitted to supplying others with controlled substances that they distributed. Johnson further admitted that he spoke to co-conspirators about obtaining and distributing fentanyl during May 2024 phone calls that were intercepted by law enforcement.

    During a May 15, 2024, phone call, Johnson told a co-conspirator about a supplier prepared to sell controlled substances to them, and the two discussed providing $6,000 to this supplier for drugs they planned to distribute in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. Johnson admitted that he was picked up by the co-conspirator on May 20, 2024, and the two traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, where they purchased approximately $6,000 worth of fentanyl. Johnson further admitted that he and his co-conspirator returned to West Virginia the next day and discussed increasing the volume of the purchased fentanyl by adding such cutting agents as sugar and brown sugar.

    Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

    Johnson is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. All 12 have pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment.

    “Today’s guilty plea marks a major milestone in this case, which has disrupted a significant drug trafficking operation in the Beckley area,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The fact that all 12 defendants have pleaded guilty is also a testament to the teamwork of our law enforcement partners and this office and to our shared dedication to protecting our communities.”

    Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

    United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over today’s hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.

    The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: OKX Pleads Guilty to Violating U.S. Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Agrees to Pay Penalties Totaling More Than $500 Million

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

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that Aux Cayes Fintech Co. Ltd, d/b/a “OKEx,” d/b/a “OKX” (“OKX”), a Seychelles-based entity, that since at least 2017 has operated OKX, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, pled guilty today to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. In connection with today’s guilty plea and sentencing, OKX agreed to pay monetary penalties totaling more than $504 million.  The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, who presided over today’s guilty plea and sentencing.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For over seven years, OKX knowingly violated anti-money laundering laws and avoided implementing required policies to prevent criminals from abusing our financial system. As a result, OKX was used to facilitate over five billion dollars’ worth of suspicious transactions and criminal proceeds.  Today’s guilty plea and penalties emphasize that there will be consequences for financial institutions that avail themselves of U.S. markets but violate the law by allowing criminal activity to continue.”

    FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “For years, OKX flagrantly violated U.S. law, actively seeking customers in the United States—including here in New York—and even going so far as to advise individuals to provide false information to circumvent requisite procedures. Furthermore, in their failure to adhere to U.S. law, significant illicit transactions which furthered other criminal activity went undetected on their platform. Blatant disregard for the rule of law will not be tolerated, and the FBI is committed to working with our partners across government to ensure that corporations that engage in this type of conduct are held accountable for their actions.”

    According to court documents and admissions: 

    OKX is one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange platforms, with billions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency transactions occurring daily on its platform.  OKX allows registered users to place orders for spot trades in over three hundred cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. OKX users can also place orders for derivative products, including futures contracts, tied to the value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. 

    Financial institutions that operate wholly or in substantial part in the United States must register with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) as a money services business (“MSB”) and comply with federal anti-money laundering (“AML”) laws, including the Bank Secrecy Act.  These laws require the filing of suspicious activity reports and the maintenance of an adequate AML program, including an effective know-your-customer (“KYC”) program. AML programs are critical to ensure that entry-points into the U.S. financial system do not become tools criminals can use to profit from illicit activity.

    Since 2017, OKX has had an official policy preventing U.S. persons from transacting on its exchange. But contrary to this official policy, OKX sought out customers in the United States, including in the Southern District of New York. 

    From in or about 2018 through in or about at least early 2024, OKX served U.S. retail and institutional customers that engaged in over one trillion dollars’ worth of transactions through OKX. Transactions from those U.S. customers generated hundreds of millions of dollars in trading fees and profits for OKX. 

    Because OKX served U.S. retail and institutional customers, OKX knew it was required by U.S. law to register as a money services business with FinCEN, but OKX chose not to do so.[1] In fact, despite OKX’s official policy prohibiting U.S. persons from transacting on the exchange, OKX was fully aware that individuals in the United States could, and did, easily create and use OKX trading accounts.  From OKX’s founding in approximately 2017 through approximately November 2022, OKX allowed retail customers the option to create an account, receive and transfer funds, and place trades without completing a KYC process. This meant that OKX, a large financial institution, facilitated transactions on behalf of customers that it could not identify. Further, while OKX implemented a policy blocking customers with U.S.-located IP addresses from trading or depositing assets onto OKX (the “IP Ban”), OKX knew that the IP Ban could be circumvented through cheap, widely available VPN technology.  Also, through at least early 2023, OKX allowed existing accounts to continue to receive and transfer funds, and place trades, all without completing a KYC process.  And until approximately early 2024, OKX also allowed customers to place trades on the exchange through third-party entities known as “non-disclosure brokers” without the third-party entity disclosing any identifying information to OKX about the customers on whose behalf the trades were placed. 

    Even after OKX began requiring all customers to provide some KYC information to trade, OKX employees on certain occasions advised customers how to provide false information to circumvent the company’s KYC process and official policy prohibiting U.S. customers.  For example, in April 2023, an OKX employee encouraged a potential U.S. customer to open an account by providing false information about the customer’s nationality during the KYC processing, writing “I know you’re in the US, but you could just put a random country and it should go through. You just need to put Name, nationality, and ID number. You could just put United Arab Emirates and random numbers for the ID number.”  At that time, OKX did not verify the information that customers provided to open an account to trade.  In January 2024, the same employee wrote to another potential U.S. customer and asked if the individual had “any workaround on KYC outside of the US to make it potentially work.”

    During the relevant period, OKX advertised in the United States, sponsoring the Tribeca Film Festival, for example, and used affiliate marketers based in the United States to promote the exchange. OKX also allowed existing customers to promote the exchange, and provided such customers benefits for recruiting additional users. At least one such OKX customer produced a publicly-available, step-by-step instructional video educating U.S. customers about how to register with OKX using a VPN to conceal their U.S. presence.

    OKX also focused its efforts on attracting and retaining certain U.S. institutional customers, including large institutions who could provide liquidity and help OKX become one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges by making a broad range of cryptocurrencies available at competitive rates.  OKX’s U.S. institutional customers were some of OKX’s largest customers, with one such firm alone generating more than a trillion dollars in spot and derivatives transactions on OKX during the relevant period.  They provided significant liquidity, volume and trading fees for the platform, despite OKX’s knowing failure to register as an MSB and OKX’s “official” policy banning U.S. customers.

    Until approximately May 2023, OKX did not adequately or consistently use commercially available software to monitor and detect suspicious activity, including money laundering, and OKX did not have adequate controls to determine whether either party to transactions on the exchange was potentially subject to sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department. As a result, through at least early 2024, OKX was used by numerous customers as a vehicle for laundering the proceeds of suspicious and criminal activities, including more than five billion dollars of suspicious transactions and illicit proceeds, based on a review of third-party transaction data.

    In early 2024, OKX retained an external compliance consultant (the “Consultant”) to advise OKX on policies and controls reasonably designed to prevent U.S. persons from engaging in transactions on OKX’s platform through accounts held at OKX.  As part of the plea agreement, OKX is continuing to retain the Consultant, at its own cost, through February 2027, and has agreed to continue to cooperate with the United States Attorney’s Office.

    *                *                *

    In addition to the guilty plea, OKX, a Seychelles-based entity, also agreed to criminally forfeit $420.3 million and pay a criminal fine of approximately $84.4 million.  OKX received credit for its cooperation with the investigation and timely engaging in remedial measures, resulting in a 25% reduction off the bottom of the otherwise applicable recommended fine range.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Field Office. 

    This matter is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance & Money Laundering Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher D. Brumwell, Eli J. Mark, and Vladislav Vainberg are in charge of the prosecution.

    [1] OKX has an affiliate U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange named OKCoin USA, Inc. (“OKCoin”) which, in contrast with OKX, has registered with FinCEN as a MSB. OKCoin serves customers globally, including in the United States, and offers retail and institutional customers the ability to spot trade, including purchasing cryptocurrency using U.S. dollars. The conduct described herein that gives rise to the charge in the Information, and to which OKX pled guilty, is solely that of the unregistered MSB, Aux Cayes Fintech Co. Ltd., d/b/a “OKEx,” d/b/a “OKX,” the defendant.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Prison Guard Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Inmates

    Source: US State of California

    A Hawaii man pleaded guilty yesterday to sexual abuse of inmates under his custody or control.

    According to court documents, Mikael Rivera, 47, of Kapolei, was a correctional officer at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu from approximately 2014 to 2018. While on duty as a correctional officer, Rivera committed multiple sexual acts with one inmate who did not consent and engaged in sexually abusive conduct with two additional inmates under his supervision.

    Rivera pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual abuse of a ward. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3 and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii, and Special Agent in Charge Zachary Shroyer of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Western Region made the announcement.

    DOJ-OIG is investigating the case with assistance from the FBI.

    Trial Attorney Nicole Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Ayabe for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from former PIN Deputy Chiefs Jennifer Clarke and Marco Palmieri.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ governments enjoy an ‘executive paradise’ – a longer parliamentary term won’t change that

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

    Getty Images

    Extending the length of the parliamentary term is one of those recurring issues in New Zealand politics, emerging from the constitutional shadows every 30 years or so and quickly retreating from the bright light of scrutiny.

    The pending introduction of the Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Bill – a coalition initiative of the ACT Party but which enjoys qualified cross-party support – sees the question once again enjoying a moment in the sun.

    Because of the constitutional protection of the parliamentary term, and if the bill becomes law, an extension would require a public referendum with the 2026 general election (or the support of 75% of all MPs, a route the government will not take).

    The standard maximum term of parliament would remain three years. But a prime minister would have the option at the start of a new parliamentary term of advising the governor-general it would be extended to four years.

    This could only happen if the allocation of places on select committees reflected the distribution of non-executive MPs across all parliamentary parties. Theoretically, this would be a check on executive power.

    But while the coming debate will be framed as one about parliament, the real issue is whether voters wish to extend the length of time governments spend in office. This is a crucial distinction.

    Lack of checks and balances

    New Zealand voters do not directly elect the executive branch. Rather, the government is formed by the party or parties able to command a majority of MPs following each election.

    In short, we elect parliaments, which then provide governments. The length of one is connected to that of the other – meaning elections are one of the few ways New Zealanders can hold their governments to account.

    Perhaps for this reason, voters have consistently supported a three-year term, despite historical attempts by earlier governments to extend it. Two previous referendums, in 1967 and 1990, maintained the status quo.

    This does make New Zealand something of an outlier internationally. Of 190 lower houses and unicameral national legislatures around the world, only nine have terms of three years or less. The vast majority have terms of four or five years.

    But New Zealand also lacks the checks and balances found in many of those other countries: a codified constitution, a Supreme Court responsible for policing it, and an upper legislative chamber.

    Consequently, the frequency with which governments are held accountable to the people really does matter.

    An ‘executive paradise’

    This absence of the sorts of constitutional guardrails common elsewhere is what led former prime minister and constitutional lawyer Geoffrey Palmer to call New Zealand an “executive paradise”.

    Former prime minister Geoffrey Palmer.
    Getty Images

    The introduction of a four-year parliamentary term would do little to alter that, despite the argument it would improve the quality of parliamentary law and the standard of public policy-making.

    A three-year cycle, it is often claimed, forces governments to spend their first year in office removing as many traces of the previous administration as possible, the second consolidating its own policy agenda, and the third campaigning for the next election.

    A four-year term, the logic goes, would give ministers more time to learn the intricacies of their portfolios and develop policy expertise. It would allow for longer parliamentary deliberation on complex legislation, and ensure parliament properly scrutinises government policies, budgets and performance.

    All things being equal, a longer parliamentary term could improve governance and create a more stable, durable policy mix. But, of course, all things are rarely equal.

    Missing provisions

    In and of itself, a longer parliamentary term is unlikely to produce the benefits its proponents promise. Improved policy-making requires resources as well as more time, including policy and procedural expertise, judgement and institutional wisdom.

    These things reside in the professional bureaucracy. Without also addressing the systemic crisis in the public service, an extra year won’t improve matters.

    It would be especially important to ensure a longer term went hand in hand with more effective parliamentary scrutiny of government activity, both its forecasts and actual results.

    As a 2019 report from the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies suggested, investment in MPs’ policy expertise, systematic work plans for select committees and changes to parliament’s Standing Orders are also needed to improve the legislative process.

    But these do not feature in the draft legislation. And without them, an extended parliamentary term would simply tip the balance even further towards the executive branch and away from the legislature.

    Democratic accountability

    There are other important issues the draft legislation doesn’t address, including the implications of making a four-year term discretionary, and what might prevent a government from ignoring irksome select committee recommendations (as can and does presently occur).

    Worryingly, too, advice from the Ministry of Justice to the justice minister points out that parts of the proposed legislation are “constitutionally and practically problematic”.

    The inevitable uncertainty at the start of every new parliament would “undermine democratic accountability” and “risks undermining the legitimacy of parliament and its exercise of public decision-making powers”.

    The advice also says the legislation is “out of step with other long-standing legal and constitutional principles, including that it appears to encroach on the House of Representatives’ right to control its own operations”. In our constitutional tradition it is not for the executive to determine how parliament functions. A king’s head once rolled over this issue.

    The proposed legislation starkly illustrates the tensions that can emerge when constitutional arrangements blur the boundaries between the executive and legislative branches, enabling the former to dictate terms to the latter.

    Without other changes – an increase in the size of the House relative to the executive, say, or restrictions on the power of the prime minister to call early elections – the variable parliamentary term promised by the bill will inject more uncertainty into public life, not less.

    And it will not improve the quality of our laws. It will simply extend the length of time government ministers get to spend in paradise.

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

    – ref. NZ governments enjoy an ‘executive paradise’ – a longer parliamentary term won’t change that – https://theconversation.com/nz-governments-enjoy-an-executive-paradise-a-longer-parliamentary-term-wont-change-that-251139

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Castor, Tonko Unveil Legislation to Rescind Trump’s Day-One Executive Orders on Energy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    March 04, 2025
    Legislation would protect American jobs, keep energy security competitive against China, and support record investments in rural communities
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., along with U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor, D-Fla., and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., today introduced legislation to nullify Donald Trump’s day-one executive orders on energy. The Defending American Jobs and Affordable Energy Act would reassert America’s clean energy leadership, keep energy costs for families as low as possible, and unfreeze critical Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to protect jobs and support rural economies.
    “Since day-one, Trump has been laser focused on giving handouts to the oil and gas industry at the expense of American jobs,” Wyden said. “As the nation braces itself for more spin from Trump during tonight’s State of the Union, here are the facts: crippling clean energy production at home will only lead to clean energy manufacturing packing up and moving to China. Rural communities, which are the American epicenter of clean energy jobs and investments, will suffer the consequences of Trump’s ignorance. America needs a leading clean energy response to continue to be a dominant energy force against China.”
    “President Trump’s reckless energy agenda will hike electric bills, raise costs for families, and give China the upper hand in advancing clean energy solutions,” Castor said. “By reversing progress in clean energy initiatives and thumbing his nose at allies, Trump is forcing American families to pay the price of unchecked climate change while other nations reap the economic benefits of innovation. Floridians know the costs of extreme weather and pollution firsthand, and we must stand firm against policies that harm our economy and environment. That’s why I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in introducing this important legislation, which will protect our significant progress in expanding cleaner, cheaper energy for American families.”
    “Donald Trump’s Day One executive orders were nothing more than a massive giveaway to his Big Oil donors — gutting climate action and stalling clean energy investments while American families were left holding the bag,“ Tonko said. “Trump promised that his actions would lower energy costs for consumers, but instead, energy prices have only gone up. That’s why I’m joining Senator Wyden and Congresswoman Castor to introduce this legislation to repeal these reckless orders, restore American leadership on fighting the climate crisis, and put working families’ pocketbooks over oil industry profits.” 
    The Defending American Jobs and Affordable Energy Act would nullify the “Unleashing American Energy” executive order, the executive order declaring a National Energy Emergency, the executive order behind the U.S. departure from the Paris Climate Agreement, and the executive order that pauses offshore wind leases in the Outer Continental Shelf.
    Cosponsors in the Senate include Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as well as Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Patty Murray, D-Wash., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Coons, D-Del., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Jack Reed, D-R.I.
    Wyden is a longtime champion of keeping energy costs low for consumers while electrifying the grid. In 2019, Wyden and his colleagues introduced legislation to overhaul the federal energy tax code, create jobs and combat climate change. In 2022, Wyden’s Clean Energy For America Act was enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act – significantly lowering carbon emissions while reducing energy costs.
    The text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation, Cyberstalking, and Sextortion Offenses

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

    Jackson, MS – A Jackson man entered a guilty plea to federal charges relating to a “sextortion” scheme that targeted multiple victims, including minors, across several states.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Marquez Cameron Jones Weston, 22, operated a “sextortion” scheme in which he engaged in cyberstalking, interstate threats, extortion, attempted production of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography over the internet. As part of the scheme, Weston attempted to and did extort money and sexually explicit photographic images and videos from numerous female victims, some of whom were minors, over the internet.

    Weston pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography over the internet, extortion, and cyberstalking. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, 2025 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

    The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Sam Houston State University Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and Dave Fulcher are prosecuting the case.

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

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

    If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources can found at Sextortion and Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI.  If you believe you are a victim in this particular case, please also contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pitt County Man Pleads Guilty in Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme that Defrauded Eastern North Carolina Investors

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

    WILMINGTON, N.C. – Willard Timothy Sutton, age 64, pled guilty to one count of mail fraud today for running a Ponzi scheme that resulted in more than 60 investors suffering net losses in excess of $8 million.  At sentencing later this year, Sutton faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.  Sutton will also be required to pay restitution to victims.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, between approximately 2019 and 2023, Sutton operated a largescale Ponzi scheme in connection with an investment program offered through Greenville Auto World, LLC (GAW), a car dealership located in Greenville.  GAW was a “buy here pay here” (BHPH) dealership.  BHPH dealerships enable customers with poor or no credit history to finance the purchase of a vehicle directly through the dealership, rather than through a bank or credit union.  Such loans typically carry significantly higher interest rates than traditional car loans.  Between approximately 2012 and 2023, as part of an investment program sponsored, promoted, and administered by GAW, Sutton sold BHPH finance contracts to outside investors through direct solicitation, referrals, and word-of-mouth advertisement.

    Beginning in approximately 2019, Sutton falsely and fraudulently led BHPH investors to believe that their investments were safe and secure, and that GAW was collecting sufficient repayments from loan customers to be able to fully pay the principal and interest owed to them.  In truth, GAW was collecting millions from investors, but it did not have the means to service the debt through BHPH revenue or any legitimate business income.  Between approximately October 2018 and August 2023, the FBI estimates that GAW collected investor funds in excess of $60 million.  However, GAW’s gross receipts were a small fraction of the total.

    In order to conceal GAW’s financial condition, and avoid the collapse of the business, Sutton operated the BHPH program as a Ponzi scheme in which he would (in a typical transaction) sell a legitimate loan contract to one investor and then sell one or more false and fabricated versions of that same contract to other investors without their knowledge.  Sutton then used the proceeds of the fraudulent sales to pay off earlier investors.  Among other things, Sutton forged loan customer signatures to the fake contracts and, in some instances, provided fake title documents to investors to convince them that their investments were appropriately secured.   

    In approximately 2022, in order to generate additional funds to meet GAW’s mounting debts to investors, Sutton solicited some BHPH investors to help finance GAW’s vehicle inventory.  Sutton falsely and fraudulently represented to these investors that he was using their funds to purchase vehicles when, in fact, Sutton was using their funds to conceal and perpetuate the Ponzi scheme.

    “Over the course of years, instead of helping so-called investors, this defendant bilked his victims out of millions of dollars of their hard earned money,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “Fraudsters should know that they will be held accountable for their crimes in the Eastern District of North Carolina.”

    “Mr. Sutton ran a local business for many years, purporting to help those with poor or no credit get much needed vehicle loans. When he ran into financial trouble, rather than admitting his business was failing, he resold those loans over and over again to outside investors to protect his own reputation at the expense those who trusted he was legitimately investing their hard earned money,” said Robert M. DeWitt the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.    

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after Chief Judge Richard E. Myers, II accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charlotte Field Office, investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-83-M.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Teton County Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    POCATELLO – Jesus M. Beltran-Zazusta, a/k/a Jesus Zazueta-Beltran, 26, a Mexican national unlawfully in the United States and living in Victor, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.

    According to court records, law enforcement officers identified Beltran-Zazusta as the source of supply of methamphetamine for multiple local distributors in Teton and Bonneville Counties.  In November 2023, law enforcement tracked Beltran-Zazusta as he returned to Idaho from a short trip to California.  They followed him to an Idaho Falls residence that belonged to co-defendant Ana Costilla-Delgado.  Officers seized a pound of methamphetamine from co-defendant Jorge Hernandez Venegas as he left the house.  The Idaho Falls Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence where they located nine pounds of methamphetamine in Costilla-Delgado’s bedroom.  Officers had previously identified Beltran-Zazusta as the source of methamphetamine for Fredy Munoz-Morales, of Victor, in a related investigation that occurred in April 2023.

    In January 2024, a federal grand jury in Pocatello indicted Beltran-Zazusta.  The Honorable Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced him to nine years in federal prison on March 3, 2025.  He also ordered Beltran-Zazusta to complete four years of supervised release after he serves his prison sentence.  However, Beltran-Zazusta will likely be deported to Mexico after serving his prison sentence.

    Chief Judge Nye also sentenced Costilla-Delgado to twelve and a half years in federal prison on January 6, 2025, Venegas to nine years in federal prison on December 2, 2024, and Munoz-Morales to twelve and a half years in federal prison on June 28, 2024.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Idaho Falls Police Department, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration which led to the charges.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe H. McLane prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Boston man has pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a drug distribution offense involving fentanyl. Defendant is currently awaiting trial on murder charges in Massachusetts state court.

    Csean Skerritt, a/k/a “Shizz Grimmy,” a/k/a “Black,” 36, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 6, 2025. In March 2023, Skerritt was indicted by a federal grand jury.

    As part of a drug trafficking investigation, on Feb. 1, 2023, Skerritt agreed to sell 50 grams of fentanyl to an individual in exchange for $1,500. Following a series of communications, Skerritt met the individual at a pre-arranged location. There, Skerritt entered the individual’s car and provided approximately 52.3 grams of fentanyl in exchange for the agreed-upon amount.

    On March 9, 2023, Skerritt was indicted for murder in the Massachusetts Superior Court and is awaiting trial.

    The charge of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Prison Guard Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Inmates

    Source: United States Attorneys General 6

    A Hawaii man pleaded guilty yesterday to sexual abuse of inmates under his custody or control.

    According to court documents, Mikael Rivera, 47, of Kapolei, was a correctional officer at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu from approximately 2014 to 2018. While on duty as a correctional officer, Rivera committed multiple sexual acts with one inmate who did not consent and engaged in sexually abusive conduct with two additional inmates under his supervision.

    Rivera pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual abuse of a ward. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3 and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii, and Special Agent in Charge Zachary Shroyer of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Western Region made the announcement.

    DOJ-OIG is investigating the case with assistance from the FBI.

    Trial Attorney Nicole Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Ayabe for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from former PIN Deputy Chiefs Jennifer Clarke and Marco Palmieri.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Plutus Financial Group Limited Announces Exercise of Underwriter’s Over-Allotment Option

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Hong Kong, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plutus Financial Group Limited (“the “Company”) (NasdaqCM: PLUT), a Hong Kong-based financial services company today announced that R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc., who acted as lead underwriter for the Company’s underwritten initial public offering (the “IPO”), has exercised a portion of the over-allotment option and purchased an additional 150,000 ordinary shares of the Company at the IPO price of $4.00 per share. As a result, the Company has raised an additional $600,000 as result of the over-allotment, for a total of $9 million in gross proceeds, before underwriting discounts and other related expenses, through the issuance of a total of 2,250,000 ordinary shares in the IPO.

    R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc. acted as lead underwriter for the IPO offering, with Revere Securities LLC acting as co-underwriter. The Crone Law Group, P.C. served as lead counsel to the Company. Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP served as lead counsel to the underwriters with respect to the Offering.

    A registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-276791) relating to the IPO was previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) by the Company and subsequently declared effective by the SEC on February 4, 2025. The IPO offering was made only by means of a prospectus, forming a part of the registration statement. A final prospectus relating to the IPO offering was filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the final prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained from R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc., 40 Wall Street, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10005, or by telephone at (212) 293-9090.

    Before you invest in the Company, you should read the final prospectus and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the Offering. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About Plutus Financial Group Limited

    Plutus Financial Group Limited is a Hong Kong-based financial services holding company operating through two wholly-owned primary subsidiaries – Plutus Securities Limited (“Plutus Securities”) and Plutus Asset Management Limited (“Plutus Asset Management”). Plutus Securities, a securities broker licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong (the “SFC”) and a Participant on the HKEx stock exchange in Hong Kong, provides quality securities dealing and brokerage, margin financing, securities custody, and nominee services. As a licensed securities broker, Plutus Securities provides a range of financial services, including:

    • Hong Kong stock trading through the internet, mobile app, and customer phone hotline
    • Margin financing;
    • Securities custody and nominee services; providing secure and reliable clearing and settlement procedures;
    • Access to debt capital markets; and
    • Equity capital markets for issuers, offer underwriting for IPO and other equity placements, and marketing, distribution and pricing of lead-managed and co-managed offerings.

    Plutus Asset Management, a wealth management and advisory firm licensed by the SFC, provides wealth management services including:

    • Professional funds management;
    • Discretionary accounts with strategies developed for customers based on individual risk tolerance and investment preferences;
    • Investment consulting and advisory services for funds managed by other companies; and
    • Investment funds, including a real estate fund, a fixed income fund, a private equity investment, and a hedge fund.

    For more information, visit the Company’s website at http://www.plutusfingroup.com./en/index.php.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the Company’s proposed Offering. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, including the expectation that the Offering will be successfully completed. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and in its other filings with the SEC.

    For more information, please contact:

    Investor Relations:
    Plutus Financial Group Limited
    Attn: Jeff Yeung
    ir@plutusfingroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Murder investigation launched after teenage boy was shot in Stockwell

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The Met has launched a murder investigation after a boy was shot in Stockwell.

    Police were called at around 14:30hrs on Tuesday, 4 March to reports of a shooting in Paradise Road, SW4.

    Officers attended the scene along with London’s Air Ambulance and London Ambulance Service.

    Sadly, despite the best efforts of paramedics, the 16-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

    Officers are working at pace to identify the teenager and contact his next of kin.

    Superintendent Gabriel Cameron, who is leading the local policing response, said:

    “This is an enormously shocking incident which I imagine will cause huge distress to the local community.

    “Our thoughts are with the young boy’s family at this devastating time.

    “Local officers are on the scene gathering CCTV and speaking to witnesses to piece together what has happened. They will be supported by specialist homicide investigators shortly.

    “Please rest assured we will work around the clock to identify and find those responsible.”

    No arrests have been made at this early stage of the investigation.

    A crime scene and cordons remain in place while emergency services undertake their enquiries, which are ongoing.

    If you were a witness or have any information, please call police on 101 with the reference 4116/4MAR.

    You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 if you want to remain anonymous.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Escapee Who Fled Federal Facility

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Philadelphia, PA — Members of the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force arrested Keith Freeman, 30, at a residence in the 2400 block of Nicholas Street. Freeman was wanted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons after he escaped from the Kintock Group located in the 600 block of E. Luzerne Street, on February 23rd. After a dispute with a staff member, Freeman climbed over two fences and fled from the facility. At the time of the escape, Freeman was finishing a 96-month sentence for firearms possession.

    At approximately 8 a.m. on March 4th, investigators from the Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Philadelphia surrounded a residence in the 2400 block of Nicholas Street where Freeman was believed to be hiding. Upon entering the residence Freeman was located after trying to conceal himself under a pile of clothes in the living room. He was then taken into custody without incident and transported to the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Philadelphia to serve the remaining time of his sentence.

    “After an extensive investigation, Keith Freeman has been placed back into federal custody without incident. With this arrest, our task force has again demonstrated its excellence in apprehending escaped prisoners,” said Robert Clark, Supervisory Deputy for the Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force.

    The Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force is a team of law enforcement officers led by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent crime fugitives. Membership agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Parole Officers, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General Agents, Immigration Customs Enforcement, Chester Police Department, Bucks County Sheriffs, and Delaware County Sheriffs.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Police in Northern Ireland unlawfully spied on journalists – this is not how covert policing is meant to work

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Steve Christopher, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice (Police Programmes), De Montfort University

    At the end of last year, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (an independent judiciary body) made a shocking landmark judgement. The tribunal found that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Metropolitan Police had unlawfully conducted surveillance into two investigative journalists.

    The PSNI was forced to pay £4,000 in damages to Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney, producers of No Stone Unturned, a 2017 documentary about alleged police collusion in the unsolved Loughinisland massacre in 1994.

    The two journalists were arrested in 2018 by the PSNI over leaked documents that appeared in the film. Their arrest was later ruled unlawful. Suspecting that this was one of multiple attempts by the police to identify their sources, McCaffrey and Birney brought a complaint. The tribunal’s subsequent investigation and ruling has revealed the extent of the surveillance on the pair, and drawn attention to more examples of surveillance on journalists. These are now being investigated by a review set up after the tribunal’s ruling.

    The PSNI admitted last year to making 823 applications for communications data for journalists and lawyers over 13 years. Additionally, more than 4,000 phone communications between 12 journalists were monitored by police over three months.

    The force also admitted employing covert tactics against 320 journalists while intercepting over 4,000 telephone calls and texts between McCaffrey, Birney and a dozen BBC journalists. This is espionage on an industrial scale.

    The treatment of the journalists has rightly raised concerns about press freedom. But as a senior detective who specialised in covert policing, and who now lectures criminal investigation students about the practice, I find this case extremely worrying for the future integrity of covert policing in the UK.

    Covert policing and human rights

    Covert policing refers to a combination of clandestine policing tactics used to
    lawfully access information and evidence that may not otherwise be obtainable. These tactics are an essential investigative tool in tackling contemporary organised and serious crime – they are not intended to police the 4th estate.

    Journalistic confidentiality is a privilege legally protected from covert policing, other than in exceptional circumstances. These privileges (along with legal and medical) are basic and sacrosanct, and cannot simply be ignored or trampled upon. Hence, the reason for the checks and balances in the process of authorising covert policing.

    With the advent of the UK Human Rights Act in 1998, an accountability framework was necessary for covert policing to satisfy the rights set out in the European convention on human rights.

    I was a member of various national working groups which worked tirelessly around the turn of the millennium to legitimise and regulate clandestine tactics through the introduction of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and its associated codes of practice.

    To comply with human rights, the deployment of covert policing must be justified, necessary, proportionate and lawful. Law enforcement agencies employing theses tactics are held accountable through oversight by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

    This framework has largely proved to be very effective and compliant with the relevant laws and human rights. Although there has been a rise in the number of complaints by private individuals to the IPT since 2017, less than 4% were actually found to have failed to comply with the framework.

    UK law enforcement and the public are still coming to terms with serious and systematic abuses by undercover police officers targeting campaigners over a period of 40 years. Against that backdrop, it is imperative that the deployment of covert policing by law enforcement agencies complies with the governance regime put in place.

    The tribunal found that in the case of Birney and McCaffrey, the former PSNI chief constable did not comply with the necessary legal requirements to authorise the surveillance operation. They said that the constable failed to “consider whether there was an overriding public interest justifying an interference with the integrity of a journalistic source”. Clearly, there is public interest in identifying who was responsible for the Loughinisland massacre, which is what the journalists were seeking to do with their documentary.

    Trust in police

    At the heart of this calamity lies public confidence and legitimacy in policing. The British public believes in press freedom to expose unacceptable behaviour, especially by public servants, and greatly dislikes the abuse of power by the police to prevent that.

    In this case, the police service has again overstepped the mark by its egregious conduct. And I am concerned that it is merely the tip of the iceberg. Given the collaboration between the PSNI and Met police reported in this case, it would be very surprising if such proactive “monitoring” of journalists was not underway in many forces.

    McCaffrey, Birney and others are right to call for a public inquiry to establish the extent of such covert operations by the police service. There is a clear and significant danger when the police extend their clandestine reach to unjustifiably and unnecessarily spy on journalists. A review of the extent of such operations across the UK would be in the interests of transparency and accountability. It would also go a long way to repairing the damage caused to public trust in the police and covert policing by this case.

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

    – ref. Police in Northern Ireland unlawfully spied on journalists – this is not how covert policing is meant to work – https://theconversation.com/police-in-northern-ireland-unlawfully-spied-on-journalists-this-is-not-how-covert-policing-is-meant-to-work-247628

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Gow School Administrator Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography

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

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Matthew Fisher, 51, of South Wales, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that between June 2022, and November 2023, Fisher was employed as the Associate Director of Enrollment and Management at the Gow School, a private boarding school in South Wales, NY. Fisher resided on the Gow School campus. He utilized hidden cameras to create and attempt to create videos of at least five minor males engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During the investigation, several of Fisher’s electronic devices were seized and found to contain child pornography depicting the five victims and several yet to be identified minor individuals.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Transit Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Patterson, and the East Aurora Police Department, under the direction of Chief Patrick Welch.

    Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Superseding Indictment Charges Two Brothers and a City Mayor’s Assistant with Tax Fraud, Public Corruption, and Money Laundering

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

    CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury returned a 32-count superseding indictment charging Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq Al Zubair, 42, recently of Bratenahl, Ohio, his brother Muzzammil Muhammad Al Zubair, 31, recently of Pepper Pike, Ohio, and their associate Michael Leon Smedley, 56, of Cleveland, with multiple fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, and public corruption schemes. The initial 22-count indictment was issued Jan. 24, 2024.

    All three defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and Hobbs Act conspiracy. The Al Zubair brothers were both charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, four counts of money laundering, theft of government funds, and aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Zubair Al Zubair was also charged with harboring a fugitive and willful failure to file a tax return.

    According to court documents, from June 2020 through August 2023, the Al Zubair brothers allegedly employed several deceptive strategies to obtain money and property from victims. Their schemes involved investment fraud, a Small Business Administration COVID-19 relief Emergency Income Disaster Loan, cryptocurrency mining, and commercial and residential real estate transactions.

    One scheme was international in scope and involved military munitions. After the Al Zubair brothers found a buyer who was looking to purchase military-grade weapons, they made contact with individuals in Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and New York about finding sources to supply the munitions their buyer was seeking. The true intent was not the actual sale of the munitions, but rather to convince the purchaser to transfer a commission to the brothers for arranging the transaction.

    The Al Zubair brothers’ ill-gotten proceeds allowed them to acquire a trove of jewelry, luxury timepieces and vehicles, as well as more than 80 firearms. Zubair Al Zubair also leased a high-end residential property in Bratenahl, Ohio, before being evicted in August 2023.

    The superseding indictment alleges that the two made exorbitant claims about their extraordinary wealth and government connections. Zubair Al Zubair said he was a member of the royal family of the United Arab Emirates through his marriage to a princess. His brother, Muzzammil, claimed to be a hedge fund manager. According to the superseding indictment, he was not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or as a broker with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and his only education on hedge funds came from watching YouTube videos. Using the illusion of being extremely educated, successful, and well-connected, the brothers befriended a public official employed with the city of East Cleveland to help them to carry out their elaborate and deceptive plots.

    As the chief of staff and executive assistant to the mayor of East Cleveland, Smedley allegedly used his position to help navigate red-tape bureaucracy and obtain specific outcomes for the Al Zubair brothers in return for things of value including checks, food and meals at high-end restaurants, and offers of future employment. For example, Smedley secured official letters on city letterhead to sway administrative and judicial proceedings, helped obtain appointment of Zubair Al Zubair as an International Economic Advisor to the city, obtained city business cards in Zubair Al Zubair’s name, and even provided the brothers with City of East Cleveland Police Badges.

    An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of actors unique to this case. These include each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

    This case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and the IRS−Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Shepherd and Om Kakani for the Northern District of Ohio. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minister Burke and Minister Dillon address inaugural plenary of the Employment Law Review Group

    Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

    4th March 2025

    The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke and Minister of State for Small Businesses and Retail, Alan Dillon attended the inaugural plenary meeting of the Employment Law Review Group (ELRG). 

    Professor Michael Doherty, Chair of the ELRG welcomed the members before both Minister Burke and Minister Dillon addressed the ELRG.

    Minister Burke congratulated members on their appointments and spoke about what the Government wishes to achieve to support workers and conditions

    The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said: 

    “The Government has a strong record on strengthening workers’ rights. The ELRG will be a valuable resource in conducting ongoing assessments of employment law to ensure our legal framework is fit for purpose and adapts to changes in the evolving contemporary workplace.” 

    Minister Dillon thanked the members for their commitment to the important role in reviewing and monitoring Ireland’s employment and redundancy laws to ensure they serve their intended function.

    Minister of State for Small Businesses and Retail, Alan Dillon said:

    “It is very important that the work of the Group balance carefully the need to ensure legislation remains fit for purpose while not placing an undue or additional burden on business, in particular small and medium enterprises.”

    The ELRG will work in accordance with the work programme, which will be determined by the Minister after consultation with the Group. During the inaugural plenary, the ELRG discussed items for this work programme as part of this consultation. The relevant legislative enactments which may be considered in the work programme are listed in the appendix below.

    Following the meeting, the full membership of the Employment Law Review Group has been announced. The full membership of the group and their nominating bodies, as appointed by the Minister is as follows:

    1.

    Michael Doherty (Chair)

    Nominated by Minister for ETE

    2.

    Cathy Smith

    Nominated by Minister for ETE 

    3.

    Kevin Duffy

    Nominated by Minister for ETE 

    4.

    Claire Bruton

    Nominated by Minister for ETE 

    5.

    Desmond Ryan

    Nominated by Minister for ETE 

    6.

    Anne Lyne

    Nominated by Minister for ETE 

    7.

    Deirdre Malone

    Nominated by Minister for ETE 

    8.

    Dónal Hamilton

    Law Society of Ireland

    9.

    Mary Paula Guinness

    Employment Bar Association

    10.

    Gavin Smith

    Restructuring and Insolvency Ireland

    11.

    Nichola Harkin

    Ibec

    12.

    Rachael Ryan

    ICTU 

    13.

    John Barry

    ISME 

    14.

    Áine Maher

    DETE 

    15.

    Orlaith Mannion

    Department of Social Protection 

    16.

    Jane Ann Duffy

    Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

    17.

    Gwendolen Morgan

    Workplace Relations Commission 

    18.

    Lorraine Williams

    Chief State Solicitor’s Office 

    19.

    Deirdre O’Kane

    Office of the Attorney General 

    20.

    Jim Finn

    Courts Service 

    21.

    Appointment Pending

    Labour Court

    The ELRG’s function is to monitor, review, and advise on all aspects of employment and redundancy law, with a specific focus on promoting good workplace relations in the State, simplifying the operation of employment and redundancy law in the State, and ensuring that the State’s suite of employment rights and redundancy legislation remains relevant and fit for purpose and is updated to reflect international developments. 

    The ELRG’s focus is expert, technical, and legal rather than representative of stakeholders’ interests. Members will engage with the work programme of the ELRG and contribute to ELRG reports.

    ENDS

    APPENDIX – List of Relevant Employment and Redundancy Enactments

    Part 1 – Acts of the Oireachtas

    1. Payment of Wages Act 1991
    2. Adoptive Leave Act 1995
    3. Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996
    4. Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Act 1996
    5. Organisation of Working Time Act 1997
    6. Parental Leave Act 1998
    7. National Minimum Wage Act 2000
    8. Carer’s Leave Act 2001
    9. Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001
    10. Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003
    11. Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004
    12. Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts 1973 to 2005
    13. Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Act 2006
    14. Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2007
    15. Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2011
    16. Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Acts 1984 to 2012
    17. Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012
    18. Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2014
    19. Protection of Employment Acts 1977 to 2014
    20. Terms of Employment (Information) Acts 1994 to 2014
    21. Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016
    22. Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019
    23. Sick Leave Act 2022

    Part 2 – Provisions of Acts of Oireachtas

    1. Part IV of the Industrial Relations Act 1946
    2. Section 4 (1) of the Protections for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998
    3. Section 8A (5) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2001
    4. Section 50 of the Competition Act 2002
    5. Section 60 (3) of the Employment Permits Act 2024
    6. Section 8 of the Industrial Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004
    7. Section 55M (1) of the Health Act 2004
    8. Section 27 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
    9. Section 87 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007
    10. Section 26 (1) of the Chemicals Act 2008
    11. Section 62 (1) of the Charities Act 2009
    12. Section 223 (3) of the National Asset Management Agency Act 2009
    13. Section 38 of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010
    14. Section 20 (1) of the Criminal Justice Act 2011
    15. Section 67 (5) of the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011
    16. Section 35 of the Further Education and Training Act 2013
    17. Section 41 (1) of the Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Act 2013
    18. Section 12 (1) of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014
    19. Part 2 of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015
    20. Part 3 of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023
    21. Section 6(3) of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014

    Part 3 – Statutory Instruments

    1. European Communities (Parental Leave) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 231 of 2000)
    2. European Communities (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 488 of 2000)
    3. European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003 (S.I. No. 131 of 2003)
    4. European Communities (Organisation of Working Time) (Activities of Doctors in Training) Regulations 2004 (S.I. No. 494 of 2004)
    5. Organisation of Working Time (Inclusion of Transport Activities) Regulations 2004 (S.I. No. 817 of 2004)
    6. Organisation of Working Time (Inclusion of Offshore Work) Regulations 2004 (S.I. No. 819 of 2004)
    7. European Communities (Organisation of Working Time) (Mobile Staff in Civil Aviation) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 507 of 2006)
    8. European Communities (European Public Limited – Liability Company) (Employee Involvement) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 623 of 2006)
    9. European Communities (European Cooperative Society) (Employee Involvement) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 259 of 2007)
    10. European Union (Cross-Border Conversions, Mergers and Divisions) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 233 of 2023)
    11. European Communities (Working Conditions of Mobile Workers engaged in Interoperable Cross-border Services in the Railway Sector) Regulations 2009 (S.I. No. 377 of 2009)
    12. European Communities (Road Transport) (Organisation of Working Time of Persons Performing Mobile Road Transport Activities) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 36 of 2012)
    13. European Union (Posting of Workers) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 412 of 2016)

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wyoming County Ambulance Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Christopher J. Smyth, 49, of Pineville, was sentenced yesterday, March 3, 2025, to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,616,704.76 in restitution for not paying the taxes withheld from employees’ wages at an ambulance service he operated and obstructing the IRS’ efforts to collect those taxes.

    According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from 2012 through part of 2017, Smyth operated Stat EMS LLC, an ambulance service located in Pineville. Smyth created Stat EMS after a previous ambulance business Smyth operated accrued millions of dollars of employment tax liabilities and filed for bankruptcy. Smyth caused Stat EMS to be founded in the name of a nominee owner but continued operating the business in the same manner as before.

    At Stat EMS, Smyth was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying them to the IRS.  For years, however, Smyth did not fully pay the taxes to the IRS. Instead, he paid various personal expenses and transferred funds to businesses held by his friends and family. The IRS determined that Stat EMS accrued approximately $3.3 million in unpaid taxes.

    Eventually, the IRS assessed the unpaid taxes against Smyth personally and attempted to collect those assessments from him. When interviewed by an IRS revenue officer attempting to collect Smyth’s unpaid tax debts, Smyth stated that he had no personal bank accounts and denied that he used anyone else’s. In reality, however, he regularly deposited his paychecks into an account in a relative’s name. He also attempted to mislead the revenue officer by representing that he had nothing to do with several other businesses, even though he had signature authority over their bank accounts.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.

    “The jury found that Mr. Smyth failed to pay more than $4.6 million withheld from his employees’ wages and obstructed efforts to recover those withholdings,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Ambulance services are critical to our communities, and Mr. Smyth repeatedly chose to jeopardize his by engaging in a 15-year scheme that was immense in its scope and scale. The sentence in this case serves to deter others who seek to break the law at the expense of the American taxpayer.”

    The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) investigated the case.

    Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorneys Kavitha Bondada and Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Goes for the Southern District of West Virginia, prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

    ###

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Marcas Cory Anglin, 30, of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 2, 2020, law enforcement officers attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Anglin in the Pool area of Nicholas County. Anglin fled from officers in his vehicle and later on foot before engaging in a standoff with officers while armed with a loaded Glock model 27 .40-caliber pistol. Officers arrested Anglin and seized the firearm.

    Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Anglin knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for armed burglary of a dwelling in Hillsborough County, Florida, Circuit Court on June 19, 2014.

    Anglin is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the West Virginia State Police.

    Senior United States District Judge David A Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-153.

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