NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Bradford Exchange in Court over alleged misleading representations about subscriptions

    Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

    The ACCC has instituted legal proceedings in the Federal Court against The Bradford Exchange Ltd (Bradford) for allegedly making false or misleading representations in its advertising of collectable coins and ingots in breach of the Australian Consumer Law.

    A global retailer of coins and memorabilia, Bradford allegedly made misleading representations to consumers in over 300 newspaper and magazine advertisements for collectable coins and ingots across Australia.

    It is alleged that, in many cases, Bradford represented that it would send consumers a single advertised item, when in fact Bradford sent consumers multiple items subject to a subscription (in some cases up to 24 items) and charged them for those items.

    Bradford also allegedly represented that, if consumers responded to the relevant advertisements, they would be treated as only agreeing to purchase the single item identified in the advertisement, when this was not the case.

    Subsequent items in these collections were typically far more expensive than the originally advertised item, for example, costing $79.99 after the first item was priced at $29.99.

    The ACCC alleges that Bradford applied direct debits, or invoiced consumers for these subsequent items. Consumers who did not pay an invoice were sent follow up invoices, some of which incurred a ‘reminder charge’. If the invoice remained unpaid, consumers would ultimately be referred to a debt collection agency which charged additional fees.

    “We are alleging Bradford’s actions amounted to a ‘subscription trap’ for consumers who thought they were buying one coin or ingot but were treated as if they had agreed to subscribe to receive an entire series and be charged accordingly,” ACCC Commissioner Liza Carver said.

    Subscription traps occur when businesses mislead consumers into signing up for a subscription by representing that the consumer is only making a one-off purchase, or by making cancellation of a subscription difficult.

    The ACCC action relates to alleged misleading representations between 1 January 2021 and 26 June 2023 in advertisements by Bradford for collectable commemorative coins and ingots in various print newspapers and magazines across Australia such as the Herald Sun, the Courier Mail, Woman’s Day magazine and New Idea magazine.

    The advertisements featured a large image of a single coin or ingot, often with historical or nostalgic themes such as Queen Elizabeth II, World War 1, Phar Lap, and the 1971 Ford Falcon.

    In addition, the ACCC alleges Bradford’s advertisements prominently stated a single price for that item and did not state the total price of all the items in each collection.

    “Businesses must be open and transparent when signing consumers up to subscriptions, including by stating the total price of goods or services being purchased,” Ms Carver said.

    “There have been a large number of complaints about this company from consumers who purchased a single item from Bradford but were then sent and charged for additional items.”

    “We consider Bradford’s actions deprived consumers of the ability to make an informed choice about whether to buy an entire collection of items. As a result, many consumers are likely to have paid for subsequent items they did not want or intend to buy and some are likely to have experienced distress and financial loss when Bradford charged them for items they did not intend to purchase,” Ms Carver said.

    The ACCC is seeking penalties, declarations, injunctions, costs and other orders for Bradford’s alleged contraventions.

    Example of Bradford advertisements:

    Bradford exchange platinum jubilee coin ( PDF 2.71 MB )

    Background

    Bradford is a US-based, retailer of limited-edition memorabilia and collectables including coins and ingots, jewellery, prints, model cars, ornaments and figurines. A significant proportion of Bradford’s revenue comes from the sale of collections. Bradford advertises its products through mainstream newspapers and magazines, as well as on its website and social media accounts.

    The Bradford Exchange Group operates globally across fifteen countries including the US, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Germany. Bradford has operated in Australia for 34 years.

    Concise Statement

    ACCC v Bradford Exchange – Concise Statement ( PDF 3.75 MB )

    This document contains the ACCC’s initiating court document in relation to this matter. We will not be uploading further documents in the event these initial documents are subsequently amended.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Businessman Sentenced in Connection with Migrant Labor Employment Scheme, Payroll Tax Evasion, and Worker Death

    Source: United States Attorneys General 10

    A Florida man was sentenced yesterday to 48 months in prison and ordered to forfeit more than $5.5 million to the United States as well as forfeit numerous real properties and cash, and to pay over $55 million in restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and willful violation of a workplace standard that resulted in the death of his employee. Manual Domingos Pita, of Wesley Chapel, previously pleaded guilty to those charges on July 9, 2024.

    According to court documents, Pita owned and operated Domingos 54 Construction, a subcontracting business for the wood framing of new construction homes. Domingos 54 was a shell construction company that Pita used to provide workers, including undocumented aliens, with construction jobs. However, Pita failed to secure the required workers compensation insurance coverage for these employees by falsifying in worker’s compensation insurance applications the number of workers for which he sought coverage. In addition, Pita failed to pay any federal employment taxes on the wages that these workers earned during the course of the scheme between 2018 and 2022. As a result, Pita caused several worker’s compensation insurance companies to sustain a loss of over $22.7 million in premiums that they could have charged had they been aware of the number of workers which they had been manipulated into covering with their policies. In addition, Pita failed to pay to the IRS over $33.7 million in federal employment taxes on those workers’ wages.

    Between February and July 2019, investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued six citations to Domingos 54 for failure to provide fall protection to workers. Even after being cited for these violations, Pita continued to ignore OSHA requirements. In March 2020, Pita assigned a worker and three other carpenters to install sheeting on the roof of a residential home in windy conditions without providing the required fall-protection gear or ensuring its use. As a result, one of the workers was blown off the roof and died from his injuries.

    “Pita’s history of OSHA violations and deception tragically led to a worker’s death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to upholding the rule of law by prosecuting fraud and enforcing worker safety standards.”

    “The defendant in this case engaged in a deliberate scheme to defraud insurance companies, the government and evade taxes, resulting in huge losses to the U.S. Treasury, and to personally enrich himself,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Sara C. Sweeney. “In addition, flagrant violations of OSHA safety standards put workers at unacceptable risk, ultimately resulting in the death of an employee. My office is committed to federally prosecuting and holding accountable anyone who violates these laws and regulations.”

    “Mr. Pita repeatedly violated the longstanding policies designed to protect the workforce which resulted in a tragic death,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office. “The FBI and its partners will aggressively pursue those who selfishly ignore the laws and policies in place to protect America’s workforce.”

    “Not only does this type of scheme give an illegal advantage over honest competitors, it intends to allow the use of illegal, undocumented labor to achieve that advantage,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. “It’s a blatant form of cheating that undercuts fair competition, costs the government millions of dollars in tax revenue, and skirts our nation’s immigration laws. This case reaffirms our unwavering commitment to prosecuting those who engage in fraud at the expense of workers, taxpayers, and law-abiding businesses.”

    The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Insurance Fraud-Criminal Investigations and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay L. Hoffer for the Middle District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: A Secret in South Philly

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

    Asking a community to come forward

    Investigators are confident that the same tightknit South Philly community that raised Richard—and served as a partial backdrop to his love story with Danielle—is keeping the secret of what happened to the couple.

    “The city of Philadelphia is more like a town than a city,” Blessington explained. “Everybody knows everybody. Everybody kind of looks out for everybody.”

    While some area residents have shared information with the FBI, Blessington said, others may be worried about being seen as traitors to their community. But as the what-ifs of the case continue to haunt the victims’ families into a third decade, investigators ask that potential tipsters come out of hiding.

    “…What I can tell those people—and there are people who know things—[is]: If we only do one thing very, very well, we protect the people that are brave enough and try and help us out,” Blessington said. 

    You can learn more about Danielle and Rich, as well as view their pictures, at fbi.gov/missing.

    Investigators encourage anyone with information about the whereabouts of Danielle, Richard, and/or his truck—a black 2001 Dodge Dakota with Pennsylvania license plates YFH 2319—to call the FBI Philadelphia Field Office directly at 215-418-4000. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone.

    And the case team can help potential tipsters work through any concerns, navigate difficult emotions, and work through different legalities related to coming forward.

    “After 20 years, we really need to bring Rich and Danielle home,” Blessington said.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Baltimore Department Of Finance Employee Sentenced To Four Years In Connection With Bribery And Covid-19 Cares Act Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore Department of Finance employee took more than $250,000 in bribes and obtained more than $143,000 in fraudulent COVID-19 relief benefits

    Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett, today, sentenced Joseph Gillespie, age 35, of Baltimore City, Maryland, to four years in federal prison and three years of supervised release in connection with a bribery scheme and conspiracy to commit wire fraud scheme involving COVID-19 CARES Act relief benefits.

    Phil Selden, Acting United States 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.

    “Defendant Gillespie abused the public trust through a bribery scheme and took advantage of money meant to help during the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Acting United States Attorney Selden. “When government employees take bribes and public funds, it harms the very communities they are meant to serve. The District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue those who try to compromise the public trust.”

    “Gillespie’s extensive schemes and lies ultimately cost hardworking taxpayers. Instead of performing his job with honesty, he looked for illicit ways to line his own pockets. This sentence proves that corruption never pays,” said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno. “The FBI and our partners remain committed to holding accountable those who try to cheat the system for their own benefit and profit.”

    According to Gillespie’s plea agreement, beginning in 2016, and continuing to 2023, the Defendant engaged in a bribery scheme in which he abused his position of trust as a public official within the Baltimore City Department of Finance for his own personal gain.

    As an employee of the Baltimore City Department of Finance, Revenue Collections Department, Gillespie routinely accepted bribes from various property owners in Baltimore City (“the City”) whose property was subject to certain financial obligations, and if the obligations remained unpaid, to a tax sale.  He accepted these bribes — typically 10-15 percent of the amount owed to the City — in exchange for removing or extinguishing these financial obligations, including for citations, tax obligations, and water obligations – thereby causing losses to the City.  Gillespie also accepted bribes in exchange for delaying or postponing — without approval or permission from other City officials — due dates for the payment of outstanding financial obligations, fines, and payments owed to the City, thus forestalling the placement of a lien on the property by the City.

    Once Gillespie received the bribe payment, he would extinguish the financial obligation owed to the City by marking the obligations as paid in the City’s online records.  After removing the obligation, the Defendant would, at times, send a photograph of a cashier slip from his office reflecting that a payment was made towards a financial obligation owed to the City when, in fact, no such payment was made.

    Gillespie engaged in multiple covertly recorded telephone and video conversations with an FBI undercover agent (UC), in which the Defendant and the UC discussed the specifics of the bribery scheme outlined above.

    For example, in a recorded phone conversation with the UC, the UC confirmed the size of the bribe payment with the Defendant: “[S]o you want 100 for each property?” Defendant said, “yeah that’s basically how I do.”  Gillespie then informed the UC that he (Gillespie) had a “girl” in “water”— i.e., the Baltimore City Department of Public Works — that could “wipe some s*** out,” referring to financial obligations owed to the City.

    During a covert video recording of the conversation with the UC, Gillespie told the UC that he had the ability to “wipe a bill off” the City’s record of outstanding obligations tied to a particular property or to “put paid next to ‘em,” even though the financial obligation had not in fact been paid.  The Defendant further stated that he removed certain financial obligations linked to the properties that the UC told the Defendant were his, stating “[t]here was a couple, extra miscellaneous bills that y’all had that I wiped off . . . . That s*** gone now.”

    Gillespie also extended the deadline for payment of financial obligations owed to the City on eight properties by three months.  Gillespie asked for $800 in bribes in return — $100 for each of the eight properties, and, during the recorded meeting, the UC provided Gillespie $800 cash.  Gillespie also stated that he had the ability to wipe out overdue water bills owed to the City, “Once I let you know [about a big water bill], I’ll give it to my girl, and I’ll tell you what you need to give me for her to knock it off.”  Gillespie then stated:

    “Going forward, I’m just your inside man . . . That’s what I do for a lot of different people around the City.  You know what I mean – manage their s*** for them a little bit. . . .  I’m gonna go look at your s***.  Anyone with a high water bill I’m gonna text you the address, and I’m gonna tell you what I need, and we can knock them out going forward with that . . . . Any water bill that’s too high, I’ll get my girl to take care of that.”

    Gillespie’s bribery scheme continued for years thereafter, and he admitted that he enlisted the help of multiple co-conspirators in connection with his scheme.  According to the plea agreement, Gillespie received more than $250,000 in connection with the bribery scheme and caused losses to the City in excess of $1,250,000.

    Further, Gillespie also engaged in a scheme to fraudulent COVID-19 CARES relief funds.  Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), administered through the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).

    For example, in 2021, Gillespie and co-defendant Ahmed (“Adam”) Sary submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application to Cross River Bank to obtain a PPP loan for JAG Investments (“JAG”), a company the Defendant owned.  The PPP loan application contained numerous material misrepresentations, including that JAG, in 2019, had 19 employees and an average monthly payroll of more than $55,000. In support of the loan application, a fabricated 2019 Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form 940 – Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return – was submitted, which falsely stated that JAG’s total payments to employees, in 2019, was more than $275,000.

    Based on the false representations and fraudulent submissions made on behalf of Gillespie as the owner of JAG, the PPP loan was funded on March 6, 2021, and approximately $138,000 was distributed to a bank account controlled by Gillespie. Gillespie agreed to pay Sary kickbacks totaling $38,000 for his work in submitting the false application and obtaining the fraudulent PPP loan.  In addition, after receipt of the PPP loan, Gillespie established payroll services for JAG to facilitate documentation that would later be used to substantiate a request for the PPP loan to be forgiven.

    The District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

    For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    Acting United States Attorney Phil Selden commended the FBI for their work in the investigation, the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the Baltimore City Inspector General for assistance as well.  Mr. Selden thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Evelyn L. Cusson who are prosecuting the federal 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.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing for Fatal DUI Crash on Navajo Nation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was sentenced to 75 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, stemming from a fatal drunk driving crash on the Navajo Nation in November 2022.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, on the evening of November 25, 2022, Jane Doe and John Doe were driving from Colorado to visit family in Tse Bonito, NM when their sedan broke down. Jane Doe’s family members came to assist, and her nephew began towing the sedan with his SUV.

    As the group traveled on Navajo Route 12, Olan Jumbo, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, who had been drinking alcohol while driving, crashed his speeding truck into the back of the sedan. The collision caused severe damage to the sedan, resulting in Jane Doe’s death at the scene and serious injuries to John Doe. Jumbo fled the scene but was apprehended two days later.

    Investigation revealed Jumbo was driving between 74-82 mph in a 45-mph zone at the time of impact and had multiple prior drunk-driving related convictions. Open containers of alcohol were found in Jumbo‘s vehicle after the crash.

    Upon his release from prison, Jumbo will be subject to three years of supervised release.

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

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Norman Gray, Founder and CEO Of Biomedical Company, Sentenced For Defrauding Investors Of More Than $13 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NORMAN GRAY, the founder and CEO of a biomedical company (the “Biomedical Company”), who defrauded investors of over $13 million, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer to 10 years in prison.  GRAY was convicted of wire fraud at trial on May 29, 2024.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Norman Gray preyed upon people who wanted to invest in developing life-saving medicine for children with a rare and generally fatal disease.  Gray gained his victims’ trust by lying about everything from his educational background and to his supposed access to off-shore trusts he could use to fund his company alongside the investors.  He even submitted false patent applications, invented a fake mortgage company, and forged FBI background check records.  Thanks to the work of the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, Gray has now received just punishment.”

    According to the Superseding Indictment, public filings, public court proceedings, the evidence presented at trial and in connection with sentencing:

    At all relevant times, GRAY was the founder and CEO of the Biomedical Company, which is headquartered in Hamden, Connecticut.  GRAY presented himself to investors (including “Victim-1” and “Victim-2”) and others as a billionaire scientist and successful entrepreneur with a Ph.D. from MIT at the helm of a company he was personally funding that was potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars.  GRAY claimed to have previously created a successful medical equipment company (“Prior Company”) with over 1,000 employees, which was earning approximately $900 million in revenues before GRAY sold it to a foreign pharmaceutical company.  GRAY claimed that he put the profits from the sale of the Prior Company into his offshore trust (“Offshore Trust”), which he claimed held more than $300 million, and which he was using to self-fund the Biomedical Company.  In reality, GRAY did not have a Ph.D., had not created or sold a nearly billion-dollar company, did not have access to hundreds of millions of dollars to fund Biomedical Company, and, as of 2020, both he and the Biomedical Company were in significant debt. 

    Beginning in 2016, GRAY also claimed to employees and investors in Biomedical Company, including Victim-1 and Victim-2, and in written investment materials, that a flagship medication being developed by Biomedical Company was approved for compassionate treatment in Saudi Arabia, where it was saving the lives of two specific children who were suffering from a rare and generally fatal disease known as MVID.  Victim-2 sent $200,000 to GRAY to continue funding this supposed program.  GRAY submitted treatment data from the supposed program in patent applications for the flagship drug.  But the program did not exist.

    Based on GRAY’s misrepresentations, between 2018 and 2020, Victim-2 invested approximately $7.6 million in the Biomedical Company through wire transfers into accounts controlled by GRAY.  In May 2020, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, GRAY fraudulently induced Victim-2 to invest into a joint venture with GRAY to purchase personal protective equipment (“PPE”) and resell it to hospitals and universities in the United States and Spain. GRAY provided Victim-2 with fabricated purchase orders from two New York-area hospitals purporting to show that he had close to $8 million of committed sales. Victim-2 sent three wire transfers totaling $1,751,342 to GRAY’s account.  Ultimately, the PPE that GRAY purchased  could not be sold, because it was defective or otherwise not fit for market, and Victim-2 lost the $1.75 million supposedly invested by GRAY into the PPE project.

    In or about August 2020, GRAY induced Victim-1 to send him $250,000 as a purported investment in the Biomedical Company.  Rather than purchase equity for Victim-1, GRAY used nearly all of Victim-1’s $250,000 payment to repay a loan that GRAY had taken out from a tenant in the same building where the Biomedical Company is headquartered in order to make payroll. In the ensuing weeks, GRAY extracted an additional $1,217,000 from Victim-1, representing that Victim-1’s funds would be invested in deals involving the procurement of PPE for two major universities in the tristate area who committed to close to $8 million in sales in essentially the same amounts as GRAY’s prior fabricated purchase orders sent to Victim-2.  Notwithstanding the losses Victim-2 had already experienced through GRAY’s venture, GRAY falsely represented to Victim-1 that his prior PPE deals had turned a 40% profit within 90 days, that he already had purchase orders in hand for PPE worth nearly $8 million, and that, therefore, the risk was “virtually zero.” In reality, over the preceding months, GRAY had accumulated a vast inventory of unsellable PPE, the purported purchase orders were recycled fakes, and GRAY did not invest Victim-1’s funds in PPE. Instead, GRAY misappropriated Victim-1’s funds, in part, to purchase himself a nearly $1 million home, a $50,000 luxury SUV, and to pay down $200,000 of his and his family’s credit card debt.

    As part of his scheme to defraud Victim-1, and as a means of dispelling Victim-1’s concern that an investment with GRAY might require Victim-1 to forego the purchase of a home, GRAY offered Victim-1 a mortgage from a purported boutique mortgage company of which he was the sole investor.  GRAY directed Victim-1 to a purported mortgage broker that worked for this boutique mortgage company.  In reality, both the mortgage company and the mortgage broker were completely fabricated by GRAY and did not exist.  To further this aspect of the fraud on Victim-1, GRAY registered an internet domain in the name of the purported mortgage company and created an email address in the name of the invented mortgage broker contemporaneously with making his false representations to Victim-1.   As GRAY’s fraud began to unravel in or about early November 2020, GRAY promised to return all of Victim-1’s money.  Ultimately, GRAY never returned any money to Victim-1 and, after Victim-1 asked GRAY to provide her with the purported PPE purchase orders from the two universities, she never heard from GRAY again.

    Victim-2 was a board member of the Biomedical Company at the time that GRAY defrauded Victim-1.  Following Victim-1’s report of GRAY’s fraud to the board in November 2020, accompanied by publicly available evidence of GRAY’s prior criminal history, GRAY reassured Victim-2 that he had no criminal history beyond driving infractions.  GRAY also produced to the board a fraudulent record purportedly from the FBI disclaiming any criminal history and falsely asserting that GRAY had a “top secret” clearance status renewed on November 14, 2016.  After being reassured by GRAY that Victim-1’s allegations were meritless, Victim-2 provided approximately over $2.3 million in loans separate from his over $7.5 million of Vanessa investments and $1.75 million of PPE investments.

    At trial, GRAY obstructed justice by attempting to introduce into evidence a false document supposedly drafted after GRAY’s fraud on Victim-1 was complete and purporting to memorialize an agreement by Victim-1 to “convert” her PPE investment into shares of Biomedical Company.

    *                *                *

    In addition to the prison term, GRAY, 69, of Hamden, Connecticut, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release.  GRAY also was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $1,467,000 and to forfeit his interest in the home and luxury vehicle discussed above.  The Court also ordered restitution of $1,533,675 to Victim-1.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations.  Mr. Podolsky also thanked the New Haven Police Department, as well as law enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom and Spain and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin A. Gianforti, Vladislav Vainberg, and Jessica Greenwood are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Charged With Multimillion-Dollar Bank Fraud and Pandemic Loan Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment last week against Akash Kumar Singh, 48, of Sacramento, charging him with four counts of bank fraud and three counts of money laundering, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following Singh’s arrest today.

    According to court documents, Singh fraudulently obtained more than $3 million in Paycheck Protection Program loan funds intended to help small businesses maintain payroll and operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Singh obtained at least two PPP loans for a Sacramento software development company he purported to lead called Kryptoblocks. Singh falsely claimed that Kryptoblocks generated millions of dollars in revenue and paid millions of dollars in employee wages in 2019 and 2020. In reality, Kryptoblocks generated little to no revenues and employed no individuals in the United States during this time.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Singh faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million or of twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in each money laundering count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner Files Amendments to Republican Budget Plan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON –  As the Senate prepares for an all-night vote-a-rama on the Republican reconciliation budget bill agenda that will cut taxes for the ultra-wealthy at the expense of Virginia families, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, filed 21 amendments to the GOP budget proposal to address the needs of working Americans and taking aim at the Trump administration’s lawlessness.
    “As President Trump and Senate Republicans try to move a budget resolution clearing the way to cut taxes for the richest Americans at the expense of the programs working families depend on, it’s important to understand what we’re talking about here: the GOP plans to provide tax breaks for billionaires while slashing health care, education and public safety and doing nothing about the really big problems most Americans are facing, like the rising costs of housing and child care,” said Sen. Warner. “I hope some of my Republican friends will think twice about supporting a budget plan that cuts taxes for the richest and doubles down on the chaos of the Trump-Musk administration.”
    Specifically, Warner’s amendments would:
    Put senators on the record for raising costs, gutting programs American families rely on
    Create a point of order against any reconciliation bill that would not decrease the cost of housing for American families. Text
    Establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to providing benefits to survivors of miners who died due to pneumoconiosis. Text
    Create a point of order against reconciliation legislation that would increase monthly student loan costs for borrowers of Federal student loans. Text
    Establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to preserving funding and current staffing levels at the Department of Education. Text
    Establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to providing affordable health care for American families, which may include making permanent the extended and expanded advance premium tax credits. Text
    Create a point of order against reconciliation legislation that would increase the cost of child care for United State families. Text
    Create a point of order against any reconciliation legislation that would increase health care costs for children receiving Medicaid. Text
    Establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to prohibiting cuts to critical health programs, which may include preventing the institution of a Medicaid per capita cap policy. Text
    Put senators on the record on combating Trump-Musk lawlessness and corruption
    Establish a deficit-neutral fund relating to protecting the American people from the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, transnational organized crime, and terrorism by prohibiting the mass termination of critical employees in the intelligence community. Text
    Create a point of order against reconciliation legislation if certain Federal civil service laws are being violated. Text
    Establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to ensuring that employees of the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and elements of the intelligence community are not subject to retaliation and firing due to political preferences of any Presidential administration. Text
    Create a point of order against consideration of reconciliation legislation until the Congressional Budget Office certifies that health, education, research, law enforcement, and foreign aid funding authorized by Congress is not subject to programmatic funding delays, deferrals, or rescissions. Text
    Create a point of order against considering funding legislation for the Office of the President while there is pending litigation alleging a violation of the Take Care Clause. Text
    Create a point of order against reconciliation legislation that would rescind obligated or awarded amount made available under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Text
    Create a point of order against considering reconciliation legislation during a period during which there is an ongoing violation of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Act of 1974, as determined by the Comptroller General of the United States. Text
    Create a point of order against consideration of spending or revenue legislation during any period during which there is an ongoing violation of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, as determined by the Comptroller General of the United States. Text
    Establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to protecting duly-enacted appropriations from unconstitutional cancellation by the President. Text
    Create a point of order against reconciliation legislation during any year in which an employee has been placed in administrative leave for more than a total of 10 work days. Text
    Create a point of order against reconciliation legislation during any period in which there is litigation pending against the President or another Federal officer alleging a violation of certain provisions of title 5, United States Code. Text
    Establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to protecting classified and sensitive information on programs and individuals of the United States from being accessed by DOGE employees. Text
    Establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to prohibiting the closure or relocation of Federal agencies without congressional authorization. Text

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: $29 million set aside for Queensland roads and rail crossings

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    Roads and rail crossings across Queensland will receive important safety upgrades thanks to almost $29 million in new Albanese Government funding. 

    $14.6 million will go towards 50 high-priority improvements to railway level crossings across the state’s regional road network. Projects will increase safety at these critical junctures, with potential works including upgrades to boom gates, flashing lights, signage, sealing and more. 

    The Albanese Government recognises that local governments are crucial to maintaining and upgrading transport infrastructure.

    A further $14.17 million will help fund the following four new projects under the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program (SLRIP):

    • Almost $4.5 million to the Mareeba Shire Council for widening Leadingham Creek Road and upgrading the culvert at Sandy Creek in Dimbulah. 
    • $5 million to theQueensland Department of Transport and Main Roads for a new heavy vehicle rest area on the Kennedy Highway (Cairns–Mareeba) at Koah.
    • Almost $3 million to the Moreton Bay Regional Council for the Caboolture River Road Safety Upgrades in Upper Caboolture & $1.7 million for the O’Mara Road Upgrade at Narangba. 

    The SLRIP is part of the Albanese Government’s commitment to support the delivery of safer roads across Australia. 

    Investment for the level crossings falls under the Government’s Regional Level Crossing Upgrade Fund (RLCUF), which aims to improve railway crossing safety in regional areas and reduce serious and fatal accidents that have a devastating impact on communities.

    Further information on the information on the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program is available here, and Regional Level Crossing Upgrade Fund here.

    Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Catherine King:

    “The Albanese Government recognises that local governments are crucial to maintaining and upgrading transport infrastructure.

    “We have increased funding under the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program to make sure we continue to invest in better, safer local roads across Queensland and Australia. 

    “We are committed to delivering the funding local councils need to improve road safety and in a way that reduces the burden on them, allowing more money to be spent on projects and less on administration.”

    Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Senator for Queensland, Anthony Chisholm:

    “Councils know their local road networks inside out, that’s why we’re backing four much needed roads projects thanks to the additional $14.17 million.

    “But it’s not just roads, our state’s growing dependence on rail transport for freight is why we’re working with the State Government on improving rail crossing safety across Queensland.

    “The $14.6 million worth of funding will support the delivery of low-cost treatments such as boom gates, signage, flashing lights and rumble strips, which aim to better alert motorists and pedestrians approaching regional rail crossings.”

     

    Funded projects – Regional Level Crossing Upgrade Fund:

    Project / Railway crossing

    Project location 

    Jambin Dakenba Road (ID6025)

    Earlsfield

    105 Callemondah Drive (ID6090)

    Callemondah

    105 Callemondah Drive (ID708)

    Callemondah

    Saville Road level crossing improvement works

    Allenview

    Booroondarra Road

    Middlemount

    Bulliwallah Rd Level Crossing Upgrade Project

    Belyando

    Tolmies Road

    Blackwater

    Tryphinia Road

    Locality – Wallaroo

    Stratford Rd Level Crossing Upgrade Project

    Mt Cooloon

    Mourindilla Road

    Dingo

    Robino Road Crossing Light Installation

    Braemeadows

    Camp Creek Road level crossing upgrade to active controls

    Running Creek

    Sarina upgrade

    Sarina

    Jambin Dakenba Road (ID6554)

    Earlsfield

    BSL Greatheads

    Woongarra

    Alma Street Crossing Light Installation

    Halifax

    BSL Managers House

    Qunaba

    BSL Ashfield

    Ashfield

    BSL Klotzs

    Windermere

    BSL Golcherts

    Woongarra

    BSL Bargara School

    Qunaba

    Yarrawonga Road

    Blackwater

    Innisfree Road

    Emerald

    533 Marian – Eton Road Ch 0.344km

    Marion

    824 OLC Upgrade project site 5

    Ingham / Halifax / Bemerside

    824 OLC Upgrade project site 6

    Ingham / Halifax / Bemerside

    Wilson St and Kennedy Development Rd intersection

    Winton

    88A Bowen Developmental Road (Bowen-Collinsville) Ch32.6km

    Bowen

    10G Bruce Highway (St Lawrence – Mackay) Ch142.28km

    Mackay

    10G Bruce Highway (St Lawrence – Mackay) Ch 144.307km

    Mackay

    614 OLC Upgrade project – Site 1

    Ingham / Trebonne / Abergowrie

    614 OLC Upgrade project – Site 2

    Ingham / Trebonne / Abergowrie

    614 OLC Upgrade project – Site 3

    Ingham / Trebonne / Abergowrie

    614 OLC Upgrade project – Site 4

    Ingham / Trebonne / Abergowrie

    614 OLC Upgrade project – Site 5

    Ingham / Trebonne / Abergowrie

    614 OLC Upgrade project – Site 6

    Ingham / Trebonne / Abergowrie

    614 OLC Upgrade project – Site 7

    Ingham / Trebonne / Abergowrie

    614 OLC Upgrade project – Site 8

    Ingham / Trebonne / Abergowrie

    824 OLC Upgrade project site 1

    Ingham / Halifax / Bemerside

    824 OLC Upgrade project site 2

    Ingham / Halifax / Bemerside

    824 OLC Upgrade project site 3

    Ingham / Halifax / Bemerside

    824 OLC Upgrade project site 4

    Ingham / Halifax / Bemerside

    824 OLC Upgrade project site 7

    Ingham / Halifax / Bemerside

    824 OLC Upgrade project site 8

    Ingham / Halifax / Bemerside

    824 OLC Upgrade project site 9

    Ingham / Halifax / Bemerside

    824 OLC Upgrade project site 10

    Ingham / Halifax / Bemerside

    Whitsunday Coast Airport access road (Lascelles Avenue)

    Gunyarra

    Alice Street Mitchell

    Mitchell

    Cunningham Street Dalby

    Dalby

    Nicolson Street Dalby

    Dalby

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal Crash, Glassford Road, Otago

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    One person has died following a serious crash on Glassford Road, Otago overnight.

    Police were alerted to the single-vehicle crash at around 11pm.

    Sadly, one person was located deceased at the scene.

    The Serious Crash Unit examined the scene overnight.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man charged with allegedly causing grievous bodily harm to baby

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Man charged with allegedly causing grievous bodily harm to baby

    Friday, 21 February 2025 – 8:59 am.

    Police have charged a Claremont man with allegedly causing grievous bodily harm to a baby. 
    Police were contacted by the Royal Hobart Hospital yesterday (Thursday 20 February) in relation to a baby who had presented to hospital the night before with significant head injuries. 
    Glenorchy CIB is investigating, and a residence in Claremont has been declared a crime scene.   
    A 24-year-old man from Claremont, who is known to the baby, has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm. 
    He has been detained to appear before the Hobart Magistrates Court at 10am today. 
    The baby remains in hospital in a serious condition.  

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Announces District Court Appointment

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Announces District Court Appointment

    Governor Stein Announces District Court Appointment
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today, Governor Josh Stein announced the appointment of William “Bill” Jones to the District Court for Judicial District 43, serving Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties. Jones is filling the vacancy created after Judge Roy Wijewickrama was appointed to the Superior Court in November 2024. 

    “Bill brings decades of experience as a solo practitioner and Assistant District Attorney, giving him the record to succeed in this role,” said Governor Josh Stein. “As a longtime resident of Judicial District 43, he’s the right person for the job, and I look forward to his service on the District Court.” 

    Bill Jones most recently served as a solo practitioner for over two decades, specializing in domestic and criminal law. He also served as an Assistant District Attorney for the 30th Judicial District from 1998 to 2003. Jones received his B.A. from Western Carolina University and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Law.  

    Feb 20, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Firearms Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to trafficking cocaine and illegal firearms in and around the Boston area.

    Malcolm Desir, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, aiding and abetting; four counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm; one count of firearms trafficking; and one count of knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2025. Desir was arrested and charged in November 2023 along with co-conspirator Cordell Miller and Alan Robinson.

    Miller was identified as a firearms and ammunition trafficker in the metro Boston area. Over a three-month investigation beginning in August 2023, Miller sold several firearms to a cooperating witness during controlled purchases and offered to sell distribution weight cocaine. The drug deals were handled by Desir, who distributed the powder cocaine in a number of controlled purchases. During one controlled purchase, Desir also sold a firearm he had purchased from Miller two years prior. More than a kilo and half of powdered and crack cocaine, unknown prescription pills, indicia of distribution and two illegal firearms were recovered during a search at Desir’s residence.

    In January 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2025. Miller pleaded guilty in February 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2025.

    The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of firearms trafficking provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of a minimum of five years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Duluth Man Sentenced to Over 17 Years in Prison in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Duluth man has been sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, Johnathan Eric Thompson, a.k.a. “Remy,” 34, conspired with others to obtain and distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Thompson regularly traveled to Chicago to obtain methamphetamine and fentanyl to sell throughout the Duluth, Minnesota region. On October 27, 2023, Thompson sold 1,830 grams of methamphetamine to one individual, and on November 16, 2023, he sold 2,280 grams of methamphetamine to another individual. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at an apartment being used by the defendant and his co-conspirators to store and package methamphetamine and fentanyl for sale and found 858 grams of methamphetamine and 568 grams of fentanyl. Thompson was arrested on November 30, 2023. At the time of arrest, he was found in possession of 268 grams of fentanyl and 100 counterfeit fentanyl pills. Between October and November 2023, it is estimated that Thompson possessed 7,321 grams of methamphetamine and 863 grams of fentanyl.

    Thompson was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. In handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud noted the sentence was due in part to Thompson’s negative impact to the city of Duluth, and that his crimes “fed existing addictions and destroyed lives and families.”

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Duluth Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole J. Carter prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gang Member Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Narcotics Distribution Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A member of the East Side Money Gang with multiple prior convictions was sentenced today for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Gang operated in Chelsea, Mass. and surrounding communities.

    Henry Del Rio, a/k/a “Junior,” 28, of Chelsea, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 78 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2024, Del Rio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Del Rio was arrested and charged in January 2023 along with co-defendant Jose Perez.

    In December 2022, police officers attempted to stop a vehicle speeding through Lexington, Mass. that Perez was driving. Perez accelerated and engaged in a high-speed escape attempt, traveling more than 85 miles per hour on residential streets, crashing head-first into another vehicle, and ultimately losing control and colliding into a post. As Perez exited the vehicle, a loaded Glock 34X 9mm semi-automatic handgun dropped to the ground. Perez and Del Rio, the sole passenger, fled and led officers on a foot chase through a parking lot. Once the two men were apprehended, approximately 63 grams of cocaine and a bag containing 44 smaller, individually wrapped bags of fentanyl, totaling approximately 53 grams, were found where Del Rio had fled. A third bag containing approximately 49 grams of cocaine was recovered in the vehicle.

    At the time of the offense, Del Rio was on federal supervised release after serving a five-year prison sentence for multiple felony convictions, including drug and firearms offenses, arising from a prior East Side Money Gang-related case.

    In December 2024, Perez was sentenced to 142 months in prison after being convicted by a federal jury in August 2024.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lexington, Chelsea and MBTA Police Departments and Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Crowley and Sarah Hoefle of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grand Jury Indicts Convicted Felon For Firearms Offense

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

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a criminal bill of indictment charging Anil Dabydeen, 39, of Charlotte, with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon for allegedly shooting at vehicles on I-485, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.

    According to the indictment and a filed criminal complaint, on January 8, 2025, at 3:49 p.m., CMPD officers were dispatched to I-485 at the South Tryon Street exit for a reported shooting. Court documents allege that CMPD received several 911 calls describing a male operating a white Honda sedan on the highway who was shooting at passing vehicles. Law enforcement arrived on the scene and located two victims who had been struck by gunfire. The victims told the officers that they were traveling south on I-485 when their vehicle was struck by gunfire. While on the scene, the officers reviewed a video shot by a witness. It is alleged that the video showed a white sedan stopped on the side of the highway, and an individual, later identified as Dabydeen, walking around the vehicle brandishing a firearm and pointing it at passing vehicles.

    According to allegations in court documents, while the officers were investigating the incident, they observed a white Honda sedan traveling south at a high rate of speed. The officers recognized the vehicle as the one observed during the shooting and began to pursue the vehicle. After a brief pursuit, Dabydeen stopped the vehicle, and he was taken into custody. It is alleged that, over the course of the arrest, officers recovered from Dabydeen a live round of 9mm ammunition, and a Taurus, Model G3c, 9mm pistol that had been reported stolen. It is further alleged that Dabydeen has a prior felony conviction for 1st Degree Manslaughter in New York, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

    Dabydeen is currently in custody. The charge of possession of a firearm by a felon carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.

    The charges against Dabydeen are allegations, and the defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron thanked the ATF and CMPD for leading the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Wanted in Cold Case Murder Sought by the FBI and Long Beach Police Department; Reward Offered

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

    The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the location of a one-time Long Beach resident who was charged with a murder that occurred at a restaurant in Long Beach, California, on October 18, 2008.

    Jose Manuel Flores, 47, is wanted for his alleged involvement in the shooting death of an individual inside the Brite Spot Restaurant in Long Beach, California, on October 18, 2008.

    Following an investigation by the Long Beach Police Department, Flores was charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a felon on March 9, 2010, in the Superior Court of the State of California in Long Beach. Flores had a criminal history and was considered a felon at the time of the alleged murder.

    Once detectives with the Long Beach Police Department determined that Flores had fled the state of California, they requested assistance from the FBI in order to locate Flores, who was thought to have fled south of the U.S. border. On June 24, 2010, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Flores in the United States District Court in Los Angeles after he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

    Flores uses a date of birth of November 25, 1977, and was born in Florida. He has used aliases including “Willie” and “Malo.” He has also used the suffix “Jr.” at the end of his formal name. Flores has brown eyes and brown hair and weighed approximately 160 lbs. in 2010, with a height of 5’7”. Flores is an American citizen of Hispanic descent. He has tattoos on his right arm, back, chest, head and neck. A photo of Flores dated 2008 can be found on the FBI’s wanted poster for Flores at Flores Wanted Poster.

    Flores has ties to or may visit Southern California and Mexico. He previously resided in Long Beach, California, and is believed to currently be living in Mexico. Flores is known to have ties to the Los Zetas cartel in Mexico. Flores should be considered armed and dangerous with violent tendencies.

    The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the location of Jose Manuel Flores.

    If you have any information concerning this case or the whereabouts of Flores, please contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565 or the Long Beach Police Department Homicide Detail at (562) 570-7244. You may also contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Jordan Anthony Hughes, 24, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to production of child sexual abuse materials, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, in September 2022, Hughes knowingly used a child under the age of 12 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct, in Sacramento. Hughes committed hands-on violations of the minor victim and took videos and pictures of that abuse. Hughes’ abuse of the child dated back to at least 2017. In addition, Hughes used the internet to convince other underage victims to send him images and videos depicting themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Hughes did this in part by posing as an underage male himself. Hughes also distributed images of child sexual abuse conduct, often under the guise of helping or teaching his victims how to perform certain sexual acts. At the time of his arrest, Hughes possessed voluminous child sexual abuse materials.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, which includes the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department as well as Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny is prosecuting the case.

    Hughes is in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on July 10, 2025. Hughes faces a mandatory statutory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saint Paul Man and Mounds View Woman Sentenced to Prison for Armed Carjacking in Minneapolis

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – A Saint Paul man has been sentenced to 51 months in prison, and a Mounds View woman will serve 41 months in prison for their respective roles in aiding and abetting a Minneapolis carjacking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, on October 6, 2023, Carvon Antonio Saine, 19, and his co-defendant Isis Martinaz Brent, a.k.a. Jayda Marie White, 20, approached an elderly victim who had just parked a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu on the street in South Minneapolis. Brent brandished a Carl Walther 9mm semiautomatic pistol and demanded the victim’s keys. During the carjacking, an associate of Brent’s forcefully snatched the victim’s bags, causing the victim to fall and suffer bodily injury on their hands and knees. The Malibu experienced mechanical issues and was later found abandoned. A short time later, Brent and Saine approached a second victim in a parking lot on Chicago Avenue South. Brent knocked on the window, demanded the victim’s keys, and again brandished the Walther semiautomatic pistol at the victim. The second victim was able to escape the attempted carjacking. 

    Saine and Brent were sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim, each on one count of aiding and abetting a carjacking. 

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the FBI.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Sentenced for Roles in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking Ring

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BANGOR, Maine: Four individuals from Maine were sentenced today in separate hearings at the U.S. District Court in Bangor for their roles in a northern Maine drug trafficking ring. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced the four defendants:

    • John Miller, 24, was sentenced to 54 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On April 19, 2023, Miller pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
    • Jason Cunrod, 42, was sentenced to 48 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On August 29, 2023, Cunrod pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
    • Joshua Young, 48, was sentenced to time served (approximately 62 days), followed by three years of supervised release to include 24 months of home detention. On April 26, 2023, Young pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
    • Carol Gordon, 53, was sentenced to time served (approximately 30 months and 25 days), followed by three years of supervised release to include six months of community confinement. On March 14, 2023, Gordon pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

    According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Cunrod, Miller, Gordon, Young and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Miller, Cunrod,and Young each regularly arranged to obtain quantities from a coconspirator through phone calls, texts and social media using coded language and then distribute those drugs to customers in Aroostook County, using the proceeds to purchase more drugs from the source. In addition, during the conspiracy, Miller provided his source with dozens of firearms that he acquired from various individuals in Aroostook County. Gordon allowed others to sell drugs from her Bangor home and facilitated distribution events by serving as an intermediate between the seller and customer in exchange for narcotics for her personal use.

    Twenty-one defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in a widespread northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 17 of the defendants have been sentenced while four await sentencing:

    Sentenced:

    • Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
    • Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
    • Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
    • Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou) – 48 months
    • Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
    • Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
    • Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served (approx. 5 months)
    • Carol Gordon (53, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 31 months) plus 6 months of community confinement
    • Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months
    • Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington) – Time served (approx. 36 months)
    • James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months
    • Shelby Loring (29, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 32 months)
    • Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years
    • John Miller (24, Caribou) – 54 months
    • Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 33 months)
    • Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
    • Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle) – Time served (approx. 2 months) plus 24 months home detention

    Awaiting sentencing:

    • Daquan Corbett (30, Brockton, Mass.)
    • Daviston Jackson (28, Boston, Mass.)
    • Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont) – sentencing scheduled 05/05/25
    • James Valiante (42, Linneus) – sentencing scheduled 05/05/25

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.

    Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. 

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Halloween getaway driver convicted

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    VICTORIA, Texas – A federal jury sitting in Victoria has returned a guilty verdict against a 27-year-old Houston man for armed robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    The jury deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Jordan Javon Ashton following a three-day trial.

    The robbery took place at the Morelos Supermercardos in Victoria Oct. 31, 2023, and involved a stolen vehicle with stolen plates and a stolen gun.

    On that Halloween evening, Latrayveon McNeal and Jerrell Potts – wearing masks and brandishing firearms – entered the supermarket and approached the Barri money services counter. They pointed weapons and yelled at the cashier, store employees and customers. Fearing for their lives, the employees complied with demands and provided U.S. currency and a large amount of cashed checks.   

    McNeal and Potts fled in a stolen white truck and met up with Ashton who was armed and waiting for them a few blocks away from the store. Ashton then drove the robbers from the scene leaving the white truck in the middle of the road with the motor still running.

    The jury saw numerous exhibits to include several photographs and surveillance video from the supermarket, the weapons used in the crime and heard excerpts of 911 calls made on that day.

    They also heard that Ashton had previously been convicted of a felony and was on parole during the commission of this crime.

    The defense attempted to convince the jury that he withdrew from the conspiracy. They did not believe those claims and found Ashton guilty as charged.

    McNeal, 26, and Potts, 25, both of Houston, previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the crime. Potts received 87 months in federal prison, while McNeal is pending sentencing.

    U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over trial and set sentencing for May 29. At that time, Ashton faces up to 20 and 15 years for the robbery and the firearms charges, respectively, as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Victoria Police Department, Victoria County Sheriff’s Office and Victoria County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Hubert Booth is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Corpus Christi man admits to recording sexual video of himself with minor relative

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 34-year-old man had entered a guilty plea to production of child sexual abuse material otherwise known as sexual exploitation of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    The investigation into Valentine Cancino began when authorities received multiple cyber-tips indicating child pornography had been uploaded onto the internet. Law enforcement was able to identify Cancino as the source of the content.

    On Jan. 30, 2024, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Cancino’s residence in Corpus Christi. They located and seized two electronic devices.

    One of those devices was a Samsung Galaxy cell phone. Upon inspection, authorities discovered a video recording Cancino made of himself engaging in sexual activity with a minor relative.

    U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing June 4. At the time, Cancino faces up to 30 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    Cancino has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

    Homeland Security Investigations and the Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fresno Man Indicted for Possession of Loaded Gun After High-Speed Chase

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging David Garcia, 32, of Fresno, with being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, on Jan. 23, 2025, law enforcement officers located a vehicle suspected in several recent catalytic converter thefts. When they attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver, Garcia, sped off across an apartment complex lawn before leading officers on a high-speed chase in which he drove the wrong way on the road, collided with another vehicle, and ran multiple red lights and stop signs. In an attempt to escape officers, Garcia tried to drive through a fence into Scandinavian Middle School but his vehicle was disabled. Garcia is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions in Fresno County.

    According to court documents, officers found a loaded Glock 22 handgun with an extended magazine in Garcia’s vehicle. The handgun and vehicle were both reported stolen.

    This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Garcia faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Aliens Charged with Methamphetamine and Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Paducah, KY – A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued this week charging two illegal aliens with aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. One of the defendants was also charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs, and Chief Jason Newby of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement.

    According to court records, on August 28, 2024, a search warrant was executed at a residence in Hopkinsville where Carlos Daniel Davalillo-Silva, 26, and Paola Alexandra Rodriguez, 32, both citizens of Venezuela, had been staying. The search yielded approximately 3 pounds of methamphetamine that the pair intended to distribute.  Rodriguez was also found to be in possession of two firearms. Silva and Rodriguez were charged with aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Rodriguez was also charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.

    Homeland Security Investigations verified that Silva and Rodriguez are Venezuelan and entered the United States illegally.

    The defendants are in state custody and will make initial court appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at a later date. If convicted, they each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.   

    This case is being investigated by the DEA – Paducah Post of Duty, the ATF – Bowling Green Post of Duty, HSI, ICE/ERO, and the Hopkinsville Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Plea in Firearm Assault Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon after an incident that left one of the victims requiring medical treatment for facial injuries.

    According to court documents, Jerome Weaver, 21, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, admitted to intentionally assaulting two victims using a firearm with the intent to cause bodily harm. As a result of the assault, one of the victim’s required medical treatment for facial injuries.

    Weaver will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Weaver faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

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

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: California Department of Justice Releases Report on Officer-Involved Shooting of Pedro Morales Lopez

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Thursday, February 20, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

     

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), today released a report on Pedro Morales Lopez’s death from an officer-involved shooting in Nowalk, California, on February 17, 2022. The incident involved officers from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office (LASD). The report is part of the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ongoing efforts to provide transparency and accountability in law enforcement practices. The report provides a detailed analysis of the incident and outlines DOJ’s findings. After a thorough investigation, DOJ concluded that criminal charges were not appropriate in this case. 

    “The loss of life is always tragic,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We recognize the considerable challenges and difficulties faced by all those impacted, including Mr. Lopez’s family, the law enforcement agencies involved, and the community at large. The California Department of Justice is dedicated to collaborating with all law enforcement entities to maintain a legal system that is fair, transparent, and accountable to every Californian.”

    At approximately 7:00 PM on February 17, 2022, three officer-involved shooting (“OIS”) incidents occurred on Foster Road in the City of Norwalk, Los Angeles County. During an attempt to apprehend Andre M. Mora, the suspect of a carjacking and assault with a firearm that occurred three days earlier, Mr. Mora pointed a semiautomatic handgun at a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective who fired ten rounds at Mr. Mora (OIS #1). Mr. Mora fled on foot and pointed a handgun at another LASD detective. The detective fired nine rounds at Mr. Mora (OIS #2). Mr. Mora made ran into the front yard of a private residence and then into a narrow side yard crowded with various objects. Mr. Mora then pointed a handgun at the detective, who fired fourteen rounds at Mr. Mora (OIS #3). Mr. Mora—who was shot multiple times but survived—then entered the residence through a side door and barricaded himself inside. An uninvolved resident of the location, Mr. Lopez, was in the side yard during the time of OIS #3. Mr. Lopez was fatally struck in the back of the head by a single bullet.

    Under AB 1506, which requires DOJ to investigate all incidents of officer-involved shootings resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state, DOJ conducted a thorough investigation into this incident and concluded that there is insufficient evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officers involved acted without the intent to defend themselves and others from what each of them reasonably believed to be the imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of the officers. As such, no further action will be taken in this case. 

    As part of its investigation, DOJ has identified one policy recommendation regarding body worn cameras (BWC). It is recommended that LASD issue BWCs to all LASD deputies, including plain clothes deputies. It is also recommended that LASD develop policies on the circumstances in which deputies, who are in plain clothes or otherwise not in uniform, can and must activate BWCs. 

    A copy of the report can be found here. 

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Vice President of Health Care Software and Services Company Pleads Guilty to $1B Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

    Source: US State of Vermont

    A Kansas man pleaded guilty today to operating an internet-based platform that generated false doctors’ orders to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs of more than $1 billion.

    According to court documents, Gregory Schreck, 50, of Johnson County, admitted that he and his co-conspirators targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries to provide their personally identifiable information and agree to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items through misleading mailers, television advertisements, and calls from offshore call centers. Schreck and his co-conspirators owned, controlled, and operated DMERx, an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items for these beneficiaries. Schreck, a vice president of the company that operated DMERx, admitted that he offered to connect pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders that were transmitted using the DMERx platform. Schreck and his co-conspirators received payments for coordinating these illegal kickback transactions and referring the completed doctors’ orders to the DME suppliers, pharmacies, and telemarketers that paid for them. The fraudulent doctors’ orders generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when, in reality, purported telemedicine companies paid doctors to sign the orders without regard to medical necessity and based only on a brief telephone call with the beneficiary, or sometimes no interaction with the beneficiary at all. The DME suppliers and pharmacies that paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for these doctors’ orders generated through DMERx billed Medicare and other insurers more than $1 billion. Medicare and the insurers paid more than $360 million based on these false and fraudulent claims.

    Schreck pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. 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 Special Agent in Charge Isaac Bledsoe of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin E. Fleck of the FBI Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG)’s Southeast Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office made the announcement.

    HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Andrea Savdie and Shane Butland assisted in the prosecution.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Inmate Sentenced to Two Additional Years of Prison for Possession of Contraband

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to two years of imprisonment on his conviction of possession of contraband in prison, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Lafon Ellis, 30, who is currently incarcerated at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center.

    According to information presented to the Court, throughout 2023, Ellis repeatedly possessed contraband and otherwise violated the law through his conduct while imprisoned at the Allegheny County Jail. On February 17, 2023, a search of Ellis’s cell revealed a Schedule I controlled substance commonly referred to as K2. On May 3, 2023, a search of his cell revealed a piece of paper that subsequent testing revealed to be K2. He also had 16 intact Suboxone strips and 57 partial Suboxone strips. On August 9, 2023, a search of Ellis’s cell revealed eight sheets of K2. A search of his cell on December 10, 2023, revealed marijuana, K2, and Suboxone. Additionally, Ellis was the subject of about two dozen other misconduct reports, most of which related to Ellis refusing to obey valid orders, threatening employees, engaging in physical altercations with employees, fighting with other inmates, threatening to kill a correctional officer, and possessing a nail that he was fashioning into a weapon.

    Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Marshals Service and Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ellis.

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  • MIL-OSI Economics: African Development Bank Partners with Interpol to Combat Financial Crime and Strengthen Anti-Corruption Efforts in Africa

    Source: African Development Bank Group
    The African Development Bank Group has taken a significant step forward in its fight against corruption and financial crime by signing a Letter of Intent with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) today. The Bank Group is the first multilateral development bank to establish such a…

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven, Cornyn, Colleagues Call on ATF to Overturn Unconstitutional Biden Rules & Support Trump 2A Agenda

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    02.20.25

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) joined Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and 28 of their Senate GOP colleagues in sending a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Deputy Director Marvin Richardson urging him to align the agency with President Trump’s Second Amendment priorities as laid out in his recent Executive Order. The senators called on Richardson to identify and rescind former President Biden’s unlawful firearms regulations, including the “Engaged in the Business” rule, pistol brace rule, “ghost gun” rule and “zero tolerance” policy under which ATF has revoked the licenses of federal firearm licensees (FFLs) over minor bookkeeping violations.

               “On Friday, February 7, 2025, President Donald J. Trump took decisive action to reaffirm law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment rights in issuing his Executive Order, Protecting Second Amendment Rights,” the senators wrote. “We urge you to immediately align ATF’s rules and policies with the President’s strong support for the Second Amendment.”

    “Under former President Joe Biden, ATF adopted numerous policies and rules that infringed upon Americans’ Second Amendment protections. President Trump’s Executive Order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to review and develop a plan of action regarding President Biden’s unlawful firearms regulations,” the senators continued. “We ask that you work with the Attorney General to quickly identify and rescind these policies.”

    Joining Senators Hoeven and Cornyn in sending the letter are Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Barrasso (R-WY), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jim Justice (R-WV), Jim Risch (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), James Lankford (R-OK), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Rick Scott (R-FL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ted Budd (R-NC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Todd Young (R-IN), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Jim Banks (R-IN), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).

    Full text of the letter can be found here

    MIL OSI USA News –