NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on February 7, 2025.

    Len Homelvig, age 55, was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 for three counts of Production of Child Pornography. As part of a plea agreement with the United States, he pleaded guilty to one count of Production of Child Pornography on October 25, 2024. On February 7, 2025 he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and restitution in the amount of $8,000. Homelvig must register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison.

    The conviction stemmed from an investigation that started in December 2023 when photographs of naked minor females were found on Homelvig’s phone. Upon closer inspection, the photographs and videos were that of the female foster children living in his home. To create the pornography, Homelvig slid his phone under the bathroom door while the minor females were getting dressed or would put his phone over the top of the shower curtain while the girls were showering. Homelvig was able to capture images and videos of the minor females’ private parts. Ultimately, the investigation discovered Homelvig perpetrated on five females living in the home, four of which were minors.

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

    This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

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

     

    SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on February 7, 2025.

    Len Homelvig, age 55, was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 for three counts of Production of Child Pornography. As part of a plea agreement with the United States, he pleaded guilty to one count of Production of Child Pornography on October 25, 2024. On February 7, 2025 he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and restitution in the amount of $8,000. Homelvig must register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison.

    The conviction stemmed from an investigation that started in December 2023 when photographs of naked minor females were found on Homelvig’s phone. Upon closer inspection, the photographs and videos were that of the female foster children living in his home. To create the pornography, Homelvig slid his phone under the bathroom door while the minor females were getting dressed or would put his phone over the top of the shower curtain while the girls were showering. Homelvig was able to capture images and videos of the minor females’ private parts. Ultimately, the investigation discovered Homelvig perpetrated on five females living in the home, four of which were minors.

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

    This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

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

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Over Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon and Distribution of Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schrier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Distribution of a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on February 10, 2025.

    Rickey Eugene Johnson, Jr., 34, was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Johnson was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Distribution of a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty in November 2024.

    On May 13, 2024, Johnson was driving a vehicle in Sioux Falls and was stopped by law enforcement and arrested. The officers found a 9 mm handgun in his vehicle. Johnson is prohibited from having firearms based on prior felony convictions. While on pre-trial release in the firearm case, Johnson sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on January 17, 2024.

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

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapid City Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Camela C. Theeler, U.S. District Judge, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of one count of Bank Fraud and six counts of Theft by a Credit Union Employee. The sentencing took place on February 10, 2025.

    Ashley Viken, 41, was sentenced to 11 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $700 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $50,000 in restitution to Black Hills Federal Credit Union and $69,085.95 in restitution to CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc.

    Viken was indicted on one count of Bank Fraud and 28 counts of Theft by a Credit Union Employee by a federal grand jury in August 2024. She pleaded guilty on November 26, 2024.

    Between July 2022 and March 2024, Viken, while employed as an accountant with Black Hills Federal Credit Union (BHFCU), devised a scheme to defraud BHFCU for her own personal gain. As part of the scheme, Viken wrote 29 cashier’s checks totaling $119,085.95 on an account owned and controlled by BHFCU and fraudulently documented that she was reissuing cashier’s checks or refunding money to BHFCU members, when she instead was depositing the cashier’s checks into accounts she owned or controlled. After fraudulently taking the money, Viken then falsified bank documents to cover her theft and used the funds for her own personal benefit. 

    This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

    Viken was ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service at a future date.   

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Joaquin County Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aaron Michael Correia, 38, of San Joaquin County, was sentenced today to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, during a traffic stop, Correia was found to be in possession of a loaded .22 Ruger revolver and a box of .22 caliber ammunition. Correia is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple state felony convictions, including 2017 and 2021 convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm in San Joaquin County.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Manteca Police Department, the Stockton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Northfield Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Federal Prison for Attempting to Receive 2 Pounds of Methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CONCORD – A Northfield man was sentenced today in federal court for his attempt to receive two packages of methamphetamine in New Hampshire through the United States Postal Service (USPS), Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    Joseph Crawford, of Northfield, age 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 72 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.  On October 30, 2024, Crawford pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    “Joseph Crawford used the United States Postal Service in an attempt to smuggle dangerous drugs across state lines into the Granite State,” said Acting United States Attorney Jay McCormack. “Individuals using the mail as an avenue to traffic illegal narcotics to New Hampshire will be prosecuted and significantly punished.”

    “Joseph Crawford has repeatedly demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law and yesterday’s sentence puts him out of business and behind bars for receiving significant quantities of meth through the mail while on parole for two prior state drug convictions,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.  “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent illegal drugs from hitting the streets in order to make our cities safer.”

    “As methamphetamine seizures are on the rise, DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug out of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division.  “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Crawford accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those who attempt to bring this poison to the Granite State.”

    “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to dedicate the resources necessary to keep methamphetamine producers and traffickers out of our communities,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Today’s sentencing is a result of a coordinated effort of our local and state law enforcement partners to keep methamphetamine and other drugs out of our communities.”

    On July 5 and July 19, 2023, the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) flagged suspicious packages addressed to Joseph Crawford at an address in Northfield, New Hampshire, sent from California. USPIS obtained search warrants for both packages, which contained over two pounds of methamphetamine in total. 

    The United States Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The New Hampshire State Police, Claremont Police Department, and the Lebanon Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Cherniske prosecuted the case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Praises President Trump for Making Tariffs Great Again

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) delivered a floor speech praising President Donald Trump’s recent implementation of reciprocal tariffs to ensure fairness and bolster our national security.
    Read the speech below or watch the full speech here.

    “I come to the floor today to talk to you about President Trump’s tariffs. The media is in full meltdown. They’re in a full meltdown mode after President Trump imposed duties and retaliatory tariffs this week on countries that have basically been ripping the United States of America off, and they’ve been doing it for decades. Apparently, globalists and Democrats are just fine with other countries imposing tariffs on the United States. But when it comes to President Trump trying to equalize it up, establish a level playing field for domestic producers, well, that’s a bridge too far.
    If they have been paying attention to President Trump, they should [not be] remotely surprised. He campaigned on this platform three times and has been crystal clear on his intentions. Now, he is following through on his campaign promises. But in the corporate media, it seems to still be confused about all these tariffs. So, let me spell it out.
    President Trump’s view on tariffs [are both] a negotiating tool to get other countries to do a few things that we ask them to do, a way to boost American manufacturing, and put American workers and businesses first, not last. President Trump has his work cut out for him after the disastrous four years for our small businesses and our corporations under the Biden administration. The Biden administration made it clear to our friends and foes alike that the globalist agenda would take precedent over the safety and well-being [of] the American people. It’s mind boggling. Thankfully, those days are over.
    [The] American people gave President Donald J. Trump a clear mandate to restore our country’s superpower status and [to] put all Americans first, all businesses first. Everybody that does something in this country. And that starts, number one, with securing our borders. Like I’ve said many times, if you don’t have a border, you don’t have a country. And we have really struggled in the last four years. That is changing.
    That’s why the Master Negotiator in Chief, President Donald Trump, threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada [in] just the last couple of weeks. Over the last four years, the Mexican government just basically turned a blind eye while caravans of illegal aliens overrun our borders—coming from Mexico, coming from Central America, all over the world—just overrunning our country. Thousands of women and children were trafficked, raped along the way. Drug cartels made an absolute fortune—absolute fortune. Not just with drugs, by the way, but for the payments of these illegals coming all the way through either Central America or South America to United States with a big, basically, tariff of their own, charging these people to come to the United States. Lawlessness had become the status quo under President Biden. Nobody cared. Democrats in this room, they didn’t care. They didn’t care what was going on. Let’s just let them all come in. Let’s let the drugs come in. We lose 300 people pretty much every few days to illegal drugs in this country with overdoses. But let’s [not] worry about that. Let’s just worry about controlling our country the way they wanted to. Well, it’s been a disaster.
    Mexico showed zero signs of willingness to negotiate when President Trump took office. When he did take office [on] January 20th, they woke up real quick. President Trump correctly understands that Mexico’s economy is heavily dependent on the United States of America and the citizens of this country. In fact, more than 80% of Mexico’s exports come to the United States. 80% come here. And the American citizens buy those products […] Mexico’s economy would almost instantly feel the effects of a 25% tariff, leaving Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum no choice—no choice—but to come to the negotiating table under the master negotiator Donald Trump.
    So that’s why he uses tariffs: to get his point across because people across the world take us for granted. As a result, within hours of President Trump’s announcement of the tariffs, Mexico caved. They saw real quick. Obviously, they’re not stupid. They agreed to help the United States secure the border and crack down on the cartels and the illegal drugs coming in—almost immediately. […] Our neighbor to the North also caved to President Trump after a 25% tariff was threatened on Canada. Not only are illicit drugs like fentanyl coming into our country from Mexico, but there are also about [a] 2000% increase in drugs coming across the border in 2023 and 2024 from Canada. A 2000% increase. In the last fiscal year alone, enough fentanyl was seized at the northern border to kill 9.8 million Americans. And to me, that would be a very serious problem. But do you think that Democrats cared? Nope. There was no action at all by the Biden administration on Canada. No action on Mexico. But thanks [to] President Trump’s leadership, our North American neighbors, from the North and South, are making changes now daily that will protect American citizens from deadly drugs, criminals, and human traffickers. The number one job of the President of the United States to protect the people in this country first, and that’s what President Trump’s doing.
    In addition to using tariffs as a negotiating tool, President Trump also views tariffs as a way to write the wrongs of past, ineffective trade deals. That’s why this week he’s imposing a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, including those of Canada and Mexico. Contrary to what the media is telling you, this isn’t unprecedented. It’s not unusual. In fact, President Trump has helped shine a light on the fact that US exporters face higher tariffs [….] more than two-thirds of the time. We pay more tariffs than anybody. For example, among our major trading partners, [China applies higher tariffs on 85% of U.S. products and India on 90% of U.S. products]. Just think about that. We are paying tariffs on things coming in[to] this country, but when we send things out, we get the heck tariffed out of us from other countries. It’s not fair trade.
    These exports, imbalances, don’t just impact bottom lines, they also discourage domestic production. We have got to produce more in this country. We have got to build more things in this country, and that’s what President Trump’s trying to do. If we don’t cut back on spending and start producing more in this country, this will not be the United States of America much longer because we will be bankrupt. And we’ll be reporting to somebody like China who is buying our treasury bills right and left…or they were. 
    One report conducted by the Department of Commerce in the first Trump administration found that excess production capacity, particularly China, has been a major factor in the decline of domestic aluminum production. Basically, we’re getting overwhelmed by aluminum from China that’s not near as good as what we make in this country.
    President Trump built one of the strongest economies in modern history in his first term. Modern history. But the democrats failed to know that. So, they wanted to change it. And did they ever. [They] almost destroyed our economy. Jobs and wages were up when President Trump was in, inflation was down. Americans had more money in their pocket. And thanks to President Trump’s strategic tariffs, along with the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, companies were reshoring businesses back in the United States right and left. They were coming back because they could make profit. And that’s what it’s all about when you have a corporation. You gotta make a profit. And President Trump was able to, because of tariffs, make more money for manufacturing. […]
    You had companies like Ford canceling plans to build in Mexico, back in President Trump’s first term, and instead opening one in Michigan. This turned out to be extremely important when COVID hit and we were forced to rely on goods manufactured right here in the United States. We found out pretty quick, just in [pharmaceutical] drugs alone, we make very little drugs in the United States. They’re made in India and China. They’ve got to come back here. We have to be self-sustaining.
    Whether it’s our healthcare technologies, agriculture products, or steel, and aluminum, there’s no reason for us to depend on other countries. We are the number one country in this world, have been, and will be in the future in manufacturing production. America has some of the best and brightest manufacturers. Best and brightest producers, farmers, and businesses. We take second to none. And from a national security perspective, it is dangerous to be reliant on other countries who may not have the best interests of the United States in mind. You can’t blame them. They’re looking out for themselves first. Well, we need to do the same thing.
    Not to mention the fact that US produces the cleanest steel in the world. You’d think the Democrats and the Climate Cult would at least be happy about that. Think about that. You know, President Trump just put tariffs on steel and aluminum. A lot of the steel and aluminum come in and, because of how they make it, is some of the dirtiest in the world. We make the cleanest, and why in the world would we want to import something that is going to be detrimental to our country? […]
    The tariffs being imposed this week are an important step in President Trump’s plan to restore fairness to trade, boost domestic manufacturing, and put consumers and producers first. It’s about time. Three weeks into his presidency, President Trump is keeping his promises. President Trump’s strategic tariffs will strengthen and revitalize our nation’s economy, stop the flow of illicit drugs and illegal immigration, and make sure our trade deals are fair to both taxpayers and American manufacturers. America first! President Trump is utilizing every tool at his disposal as we speak, including tariffs, to usher in the Golden Age of the American Economy. We have to make that change. If we don’t, we will not survive as the number one country in the world. We will not regain that status and we will be losing our national security.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Unlicensed drug driver detected speeding in school zone

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Unlicensed drug driver detected speeding in school zone

    Wednesday, 12 February 2025 – 10:59 am.

    An unlicensed driver who tested positive on a drug test was detected speeding in a school zone at Cambridge yesterday.
    Members of Southern Road Policing Services were conducting speed checks in the 40km/h zone on Cambridge Road when the man was detected travelling at 49km/h.
    The 42-year-old Sorell man was subjected to an oral fluid test, and returned a positive result. 
    All drivers are reminded to keep to 40 km/h or under in school zones during operating times and within 50 metres of a school bus with flashing amber light.
    Inspector Kathy Bennett said Tasmania Police will continue to proactively conduct patrols of school zones, and target the fatal five – which includes driving while under the influence of drugs. 
    “It is incredibly disappointing that this driver not only chose to speed in an area where there are vulnerable young children, but also to drive while allegedly under the influence of an illicit substance,” she said.
    “Speeding and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is dangerous – not only for the driver, but for all road users.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Implementing The President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative

    Source: The White House

         By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

         Section 1.  Purpose.  To restore accountability to the American public, this order commences a critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy.  By eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity, my Administration will empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself.

         Sec. 2.  Definitions.  (a)  “Agency” has the meaning given to it in section 3502 of title 44, United States Code, except that such term does not include the Executive Office of the President or any components thereof. 
         (b)  “Agency Head” means the highest-ranking official of an agency, such as the Secretary, Administrator, Chairman, or Director, unless otherwise specified in this order.
         (c)  “DOGE Team Lead” means the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Team at each agency, as defined in Executive Order 14158 of January 20, 2025 (Establishing and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency”).
         (d)  “Employee” has the meaning given to it by section 2105 of title 5, United States Code, and includes individuals who serve in the executive branch and who qualify as employees under that section for any purpose.
         (e)  “Immigration enforcement” means the investigation, enforcement, or assisting in the investigation or enforcement of Federal immigration law, including with respect to Federal immigration law that penalizes a person’s presence in, entry, or reentry to, or employment in, the United States, but does not include assisting individuals in applying for immigration benefits or efforts to prevent enforcement of immigration law or to prevent deportation or removal from the United States. 
         (f)  “Law enforcement” means:
              (i)   engagement in or supervision of the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law; or
              (ii)  the protection of Federal, State, local, or foreign government officials against threats to personal safety.
         (g)  “Temporary employee” has the meaning given to it in 5 C.F.R. part 316.
         (h)  “Reemployed annuitant” has the meaning given to it in 5 C.F.R. part 837.

         Sec. 3.  Reforming the Federal Workforce to Maximize Efficiency and Productivity.  (a)  Hiring Ratio.  Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 (Hiring Freeze), the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit a plan to reduce the size of the Federal Government’s workforce through efficiency improvements and attrition (Plan).  The Plan shall require that each agency hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart, consistent with the plan and any applicable exemptions and details provided for in the Plan.  This order does not affect the standing freeze on hiring as applied to the Internal Revenue Service.  This ratio shall not apply to functions related to public safety, immigration enforcement, or law enforcement.  Agency Heads shall also adhere to the Federal Hiring Plan that will be promulgated pursuant to Executive Order 14170 of January 20, 2025 (Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service).
         (b)  Hiring Approval.  Each Agency Head shall develop a data-driven plan, in consultation with its DOGE Team Lead, to ensure new career appointment hires are in highest-need areas.  
              (i)    This hiring plan shall include that new career appointment hiring decisions shall be made in consultation with the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, consistent with applicable law.  
              (ii)   The agency shall not fill any vacancies for career appointments that the DOGE Team Lead assesses should not be filled, unless the Agency Head determines the positions should be filled.  
              (iii)  Each DOGE Team Lead shall provide the United States DOGE Service (USDS) Administrator with a monthly hiring report for the agency.
         (c)  Reductions in Force.  Agency Heads shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law, and to separate from Federal service temporary employees and reemployed annuitants working in areas that will likely be subject to the RIFs.  All offices that perform functions not mandated by statute or other law shall be prioritized in the RIFs, including all agency diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; all agency initiatives, components, or operations that my Administration suspends or closes; and all components and employees performing functions not mandated by statute or other law who are not typically designated as essential during a lapse in appropriations as provided in the Agency Contingency Plans on the Office of Management and Budget website.  This subsection shall not apply to functions related to public safety, immigration enforcement, or law enforcement. 
         (d)  Rulemaking.  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shall initiate a rulemaking that proposes to revise 5 C.F.R. 731.202(b) to include additional suitability criteria, including: 
              (i)    failure to comply with generally applicable legal obligations, including timely filing of tax returns; 
              (ii)   failure to comply with any provision that would preclude regular Federal service, including citizenship requirements; 
              (iii)  refusal to certify compliance with any applicable nondisclosure obligations, consistent with 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(13), and failure to adhere to those compliance obligations in the course of Federal employment; and
              (iv)   theft or misuse of Government resources and equipment, or negligent loss of material Government resources and equipment. 
         (e)  Developing Agency Reorganization Plans.  Within 30 days of the date of this order, Agency Heads shall submit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a report that identifies any statutes that establish the agency, or subcomponents of the agency, as statutorily required entities.  The report shall discuss whether the agency or any of its subcomponents should be eliminated or consolidated.
         (f)  Within 240 days of the date of this order, the USDS Administrator shall submit a report to the President regarding implementation of this order, including a recommendation as to whether any of its provisions should be extended, modified, or terminated.
         
    Sec. 4.  Exclusions.  (a)  This order does not apply to military personnel.
         (b)  Agency Heads may exempt from this order any position they deem necessary to meet national security, homeland security, or public safety responsibilities. 
         (c)  The Director of OPM may grant exemptions from this order where those exemptions are otherwise necessary and shall assist in promoting workforce reduction.

    Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
              (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
              (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
         (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
         (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        February 11, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, Former WA Federal Workers Highlight How Trump Administration’s Unprecedented Assault on Federal Workers in WA State and Nationwide is Undermining Essential Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Murray: “The American government is not Twitter—you can’t just run around breaking things and hope for the best. Americans rely on our federal workforce. They do essential, and often thankless jobs to keep our country running—and sometimes their work can be the difference between life and death.”
    Steve Kohfal, retired SSA worker, AFGE Local 3937: “Cancelling Field Office leases and reducing staffing to a 50-year low would further demoralize workers and destroy Social Security’s ability to serve the public.”
    ***VIDEO HERE***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a virtual press conference with former federal workers in Washington state to sound the alarm on how the Trump administration and Elon Musk are waging an all-out assault on America’s federal workforce, threatening to functionally decimate—through illegal actions and hostile pressure tactics—federal agencies that are often already understaffed. These attacks on the federal workforce threaten to undermine so many of the essential services Americans rely on, from air traffic control to food safety inspections.
    Joining Senator Murray for the press conference were: Helen Bottcher, who recently retired from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and currently serves as treasurer for the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1110 in Seattle; Jonathan Fox, who recently retired after 35 years as a National Weather Service Forecaster and lives in Spokane; and Steve Kofahl, a retired federal worker based in Everett who spent more than four decades at the Social Security Administration (SSA) and serves as Retiree Coordinator for AFGE District 11 and President Emeritus for AFGE Local 3937.
    From pressuring federal workers to take scammy “buyouts,” to firing and reassigning hundreds of top officials; placing workers on leave en masse including at USAID, CFPB, and the Department of Education; threatening mass layoffs and budget cuts to encourage more federal employees to quit their jobs; and denigrating the essential work public servants do—we have seen an unprecedented assault by Donald Trump and Elon Musk on our nation’s essential federal workforce over the past few weeks. Senator Murray has spoken out on the Senate floor against this administration’s attacks on federal workers, and recently sent an open letter to federal workers and a newsletter to her constituents in Washington state outlining her concerns with the administration’s so-called “Fork in the Road” offer.
    “Over the past few weeks, we have seen a lawless Trump administration attempt a hostile takeover of our nonpartisan career civil service,” Senator Murray said.“There are more than 56,000 civilian federal workers in Washington state and 2.4 million across the country—we’re talking about everyone from folks supporting the nuclear cleanup work at the Hanford site, to scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to the people who are making sure you get your Social Security check… They deserve better than to be threatened, intimidated, and pushed out the door by Elon Musk and Donald Trump.”
    “What everyone needs to understand is that this administration’s attacks on federal workers don’t just hurt those workers—they hurt people all over our country,” Senator Murray continued. “Veterans suffer when they have to wait longer at the VA. Seniors suffer when they can’t get someone to just answer the phone at the Social Security Administration. We all suffer when we don’t have federal watchdogs going after scams, or investigating crimes. When we don’t have researchers at NASA or NIH making new breakthroughs, or park rangers keeping who are our national parks open for people to enjoy. The American government is not Twitter—you can’t just run around breaking things and hope for the best.”
    “The stories I am hearing from my former colleagues are heart-breaking,” said Helen Bottcher, who retired from the EPA in 2023. “I’ve spoken with or heard about employees who are having panic attacks that landed them in the ER, who can’t sleep, and who have become physically ill because of the stress. I’ve seen the infamous ‘Fork in the Road’ email and the subsequent messages urging federal employees to quit. The language in these communications is disgusting – it is insulting, degrading and abusive. No one deserves to be treated this way… People aren’t wrong to be afraid.  The purge has begun at EPA.  Last Thursday, nine employees from EPA’s regional office were placed on administrative leave, suddenly and with virtually no warning. They were targeted because they were identified as working on Environmental Justice issues. They are not allowed to work, to enter the office or to use any agency equipment or systems. They are being paid for now, but they don’t know how much longer their pay will continue. They have simply no idea what will happen next. Will they be fired? Demoted? Assigned a new job? Forced to move to another state? It’s just chaos, and I think that chaos is intentional – it is designed to break people’s spirits and to divide them.”
    “Given the early chaos of the new administration, it is important for the people of Washington state and the country to know the impacts being experienced by our federal employees. There is a real fear about job security that stems from uncertainty about the future. There has been a lack of direct communication from this administration. The only source of information, which is more like misinformation, comes from social media outlets that are only serving to stoke more fear into the federal workforce,” said Jonathan Fox, who retired last month from the National Weather Service—a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—where he was a meteorologist producing lifesaving winter weather, severe weather, and fire weather forecasts for nearly 35 years. “For the National Weather Service employees, their mission is to save life and property and promote the enhancement of the national economy. That is their sole focus, and they all take their responsibility quite seriously. Frankly, they deserve better from this administration.”
    “Cancelling Field Office leases and reducing staffing to a 50-year low would further demoralize workers and destroy Social Security’s ability to serve the public,” said Steve Kohfal, who worked for the Social Security Administration (SSA) for 42 years before retiring in 2015, and now serves as the Retiree Coordinator for AFGE District 11 and President Emeritus for AFGE Local 3937. “Over 1 million disability claims and appeals are pending, and 30,000 applicants died last year while awaiting a decision. That’s unacceptable. Further cuts would be cruel and devastating.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks from today’s press conference are below and video is HERE:
    “Over the past few weeks, we have seen a lawless Trump administration attempt a hostile takeover of our nonpartisan career civil service.
    “From firing career prosecutors at the Department of Justice to gutting the entire federal agency, USAID; pressuring nearly the entire federal workforce to take a so-called “buyout” offer that reads a lot more like a scam; putting people on administrative leave en masse for no reason and threatening sweeping layoffs for people who stay; locking employees out of their offices, out of their devices, and telling them to cease all work—and even communication—without notice; and belittling public employees at every turn, including by calling their jobs ‘lower productivity’ than jobs in the private sector…
    “The assault that Donald Trump and Elon Musk are waging on federal workers is staggering—and unprecedented.
    “And last week, over Democrats’ objections, Senate Republicans confirmed Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget. This is someone who said he wanted to inflict ‘trauma’ on our federal workers. That is an insane way to talk about a workforce we rely on for some absolutely essential services.
    “Now, there are more than 56,000 civilian federal workers in Washington state and 2.4 million across the country—we’re talking about everyone from folks who support the nuclear cleanup work at the Hanford site, to scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to the people who are making sure you get your Social Security check.
    “These are civil servants who took an oath to our country, and are working tirelessly to get veterans their health care, inspect our meat processing facilities, make sure baby formula is safe, approve lifesaving drugs and treatments, manage our air traffic control, protect consumers from fraud, and help ensure we have clean drinking water, just to name a few.
    “They deserve better than to be threatened, intimidated, and pushed out the door by Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
    “But make no mistake, we actually need these people to stay in their jobs or things are going to start breaking. What everyone needs to understand is that this administration’s attacks on federal workers don’t just hurt those workers—they hurt people all over our country.
    “Veterans suffer when they have to wait longer at the VA. Seniors suffer when they can’t get someone to just answer the phone at the Social Security Administration.
    “We all suffer when we don’t have federal watchdogs going after scams, or investigating crimes. When we don’t have researchers at NASA or NIH making new breakthroughs, or park rangers keeping who are our national parks open for people to enjoy.
    “The American government is not Twitter—you can’t just run around breaking things and hope for the best.
    “Americans rely on our federal workforce. They do essential, and often thankless jobs to keep our country running—and sometimes, their work can be the difference between life and death.
    “So I want to say a huge, sincere thank you to federal workers in Washington state and across the country. You make our country better.
    “And I want you to know, I am in your corner and I am going to keep lifting up your stories, fighting for you, and holding this administration to account.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Senate Floor Speech, Durbin Recounts Crimes Of Insurrectionists Pardoned By President Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 11, 2025

    In his remarks, Durbin spoke about the dangerous misconduct and criminal records of pardoned insurrectionists

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered remarks on the Senate floor detailing the crimes that January 6th insurrectionists have been charged with since President Trump’s reckless decision to pardon them for their crimes committed during the storming of the U.S. Capitol, including the violent assault on law enforcement officers. The events of that day resulted in the death of five law enforcement officers and the injury of more than 140 others.  Durbin began his speech by recounting his own experience on January 6, 2021, as Congress had convened to certify the 2020 election.

    “The President made these statements during the course of his campaign, but it still came as something of a shock, when on the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump decided to issue a blanket pardon for those who had been convicted for the January 6 riot that took place in this building,” Durbin began.  “For those of us who were physically present, it’s a moment we’ll never forget.  The Vice President of the United States was sitting in your chair, presiding over the United States Senate as we addressed the constitutional responsibility of counting the electoral votes.  It was roughly ten minutes after 2:00 in the afternoon when someone came along in a suit, walked up to the Vice President of the United States, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him off of the chair.”

    “The Capitol of the United States of America taken over by demonstrators.  The United States Senate and House of Representatives stopped in progress of doing their constitutional responsibility of counting the electoral votes.  And we’ve seen the videotapes.  There are plenty of them that show these mob demonstrators breaking the windows to get into the Capitol building, knocking down the doors, and then beating up on the police officers,” Durbin said.

    “They [law enforcement officers] were beaten up by these mobsters, these thugs, these demonstrators, who were egged on by the President of the United States to come up and go wild in the United States Capitol.  They went wild, spraying bear spray into the face of individual policemen, beating up on them with poles and pieces of furniture,” Durbin said.

    Durbin went on to denounce President Trump’s decision to issue sweeping pardons for those on trial or convicted of crimes related to the January 6th insurrection. 

    “Then came the President of the United States on his first day in office, and what did he do? He decided that every single person arrested for a crime related to January 6 should be released with a full and unconditional pardon.  That’s what he did,” Durbin said.

    Durbin continued on, explaining that there has been a flood of stories related to the disturbing criminal history and new crimes committed by insurrectionists since President Trump has issued his pardon. 

    “In the three weeks that have passed since the President made that decision, there’s some interesting stories… Emily Hernandez pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds in relation to her actions at the Capitol on January 6.  Ms. Hernandez was seen holding a stolen, broken name plate of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  She served 30 days in federal prison and was released. Days after being pardoned by President Trump, she was sentenced to ten years in prison for a 2022 deadly drunk driving crash in Missouri during which she collided with a couple, Victoria and Ryan Wilson, who just left dinner celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary.  Victoria died in the crash, and Ryan sustained serious injuries,” Durbin said.

    “Then there’s Daniel Ball, arrested for throwing an explosive device that detonated on at least 25 officers and forcefully shoving police at the Capitol on January 6.  Daniel Ball was in possession of a gun and ammunition upon his arrest, which was illegal considering his criminal background.  The Department of Justice dismissed Ball’s charges following President Trump’s pardon,” Durbin said.

    Durbin spoke then spoke about Guy Reffitt, the first defendant to stand trial on charges related to the January 6 insurrection.  Just weeks after his pardon, Reffitt returned to the Capitol to support Kash Patel, who has been nominated to serve as FBI Director despite a troubling record of peddling conspiracy theories about January 6 and whistleblower reports that he was personally involved in the ongoing purge of senior law enforcement officials at the FBI.

    “Guy Reffitt…was sentenced to 87 months in prison for bringing a firearm to the Capitol on January 6, 2021.  Reffitt’s 19-year-old son, Jackson, turned him into law enforcement after the attack.  Jackson also indicated that Reffitt had threatened to shoot him and his sister, Peyton, if they reported him to authorities,” Durbin said.

    “After receiving a pardon from President Trump, Guy Reffitt attended Kash Patel’s Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing.  Kash Patel is President Trump’s nominee to be the Director and head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Reffitt attended that committee nomination [hearing].  Here’s what he posted on social media afterward… ‘Present and in support of @KashPatel as the leftist commies continue to spew lies, misinformation and disinformation. My man Klean House Kash…!!!’” Durbin quoted Reffitt.

    “He certainly seems like he learned his lesson, right?  Served time in jail, released with a pardon by the President.  He’s at it again, defying the authorities, defying anyone who disagrees with him politically.  Full, unconditional pardon from Donald Trump,” Durbin concluded his remarks.

    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, State Highway 6, Nelson

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    State Highway 6 near Atawhai Drive, Nelson is currently closed following a crash.

    The two-vehicle crash involving a car and a motorbike was reported just before 11:30am.

    One person has been seriously injured.

    Diversions are in place and motorists are advised to expect delays.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

    Cordell Miller, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, aiding and abetting and one count of trafficking in firearms and conspiracy to do so. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025. Miller was arrested and charged in November 2023 along with alleged co-conspirators Malcolm Desir and Alan Robinson.

    Miller was identified as a firearms and ammunition trafficker in the metro Boston area. In August 2023, Miller arranged for the sale of distribution weight cocaine and several firearms to a cooperating witness. Prior to his arrest in November 2023, Miller and Robinson facilitated the sale of four separate firearms: an AR-15 “ghost gun” rifle; a Polymer 80 “ghost gun” pistol; a HIPOINT 9mm rifle; and a Ruger .38 caliber pistol.

    In January 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2025. Desir is scheduled to plead guilty on Feb. 19, 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. 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.
            
    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hays man admits manslaughter charge in stabbing on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS — A Hays man today admitted to fatally stabbing a woman during a quarrel on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    The defendant, Tonylee Andrew Sears, 24, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter as charged in an indictment. Sears faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 18. Sears was detained pending further proceedings.

    The government alleged in court documents that in the early morning hours of Jan. 13, 2024, Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services responded to reports of a stabbing at Sears’ home. Officers encountered Sears, a witness, identified as John Doe, and the victim, identified as Jane Doe. Jane Doe was on the living room floor, bleeding, and was pronounced dead at the scene. In an interview with law enforcement, John Doe said he and Jane Doe had gone to Sears’ house to drink alcohol and hang out and that the victim and Sears argued. The argument escalated, and Sears grabbed a knife and stabbed Jane Doe while she was on the ground. John Doe pulled Sears off the victim and called 911. Sears threw the knife in the kitchen sink. When interviewed, Sears admitted that he and the victim rolled around on the floor after an argument, and he stabbed her. Officers recovered a knife from the kitchen sink. An autopsy report concluded that Jane Doe died from a stab wound.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Dodge Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Braleigh Schossow, 24, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on February 11, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute fentanyl.

    At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between December 2020 and February 2024, Schossow and others involved in the conspiracy, distributed at least 22 pounds of fentanyl in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and elsewhere.  

    Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Schossow remains in the custody of United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.  Schossow faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.  This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-3026.  

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Willie Mills, age 31, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty on Monday to possession of a firearm as a felon and distribution of fentanyl.

    United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, made the announcement.

    Mills admitted to possessing an EAA semiautomatic pistol and distributing 895 pills containing fentanyl. As a result of his prior felony conviction for criminal possession of a firearm, Mills could not lawfully possess the pistol.

    Mills faces a mandatory prison term of at least 5 years and maximum term of 40 years, a fine up to $5 million, and a supervised release term of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

    DEA is investigating the case with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Paulbeck is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: More than 1100 illegal fires recorded in Victoria since 2019

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    Data released by CFA and the Crime Statistics Agency has revealed a concerning number of fire-related offences across Victoria over the past five years.

    Between 2019 and 2024, there were 1,010 recorded instances of lighting a fire during the Fire Danger Period (FDP) and 187 cases of lighting a fire on a Total Fire Ban (TFB) day. 

    The Fire Danger Period is a designated time in each Victorian municipality when fire restrictions apply due to increased fire risk. A Total Fire Ban is declared on days of extreme conditions, prohibiting any fires in the open air. 

    Under the CFA Act, penalties for allowing an open-air fire to escape during a declared FDP can include fines of up to $23,710, 12 months’ imprisonment, or both. The penalties double if the escape occurs on a Total Fire Ban Day. 

    CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said the stats are worrying.  

    “Lighting a fire during the Fire Danger Period and on days of Total Fire Ban puts lives, homes, and emergency responders at risk,” he said.  

    “If you ignore fire restrictions, you could be facing serious legal repercussions and more importantly, you could be responsible for devastating losses. 

    “Victoria is already one of the most fire-prone regions in the world, so we certainly don’t need unnecessary challenges created by carelessness or deliberate acts.”  

    A recent incident in Diamond Creek serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of ignoring FPD restrictions. 

    CFA was called to a property at around 6:28pm on Monday, January 20, where crews arrived to find smoke issuing from a pile of green tree branches approximately a metre high.  

    Victoria Police attended the scene and are now pursuing charges against the resident for lighting a fire during Nillumbik Shire Council’s Fire Danger Period. 

    All Victorian municipalities are currently in the Fire Danger Period, you can find out more information on what you can and can’t do during the FDP here.  

    If you see illegal or suspicious fire activity, report it immediately by calling Triple Zero (000) or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. 

    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Appoints Toni J. Wehman to the 17th Judicial District Court

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis appointed Toni J. Wehman to the 17th Judicial District Court. The appointment fills the vacancy occasioned by the death of the Honorable Sharon Holbrook and is effective immediately. 

    Ms. Wehman is a Chief Deputy District Attorney for Policy and Public Affairs in the 17th Judicial District, a position she has held since 2021. Her practice consists of policy analysis and public affairs. Previously, she was Deputy General Counsel for Denver Public Schools (2016-2021); Senior Litigation Associate at Caplan & Earnest, LLC (2010-2016); Deputy District Attorney in the 17th Judicial District (2007-2010); and Law Clerk for Justice Nancy Rice (2006-2007). Ms. Wehman earned her B.A. from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1995 and her J.D. from University of Colorado Law School in 2006. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Sam Kerr verdict: what it means for law in the UK and the star athlete’s soccer career

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan McElhone, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Monash University

    A London court has found Sam Kerr not guilty of the racially aggravated harassment of Metropolitan Police officer Stephen Lovell.

    As captain of the Australian women’s national soccer team, Kerr was widely condemned when news broke she had used a “racial slur” against an officer during an altercation.

    The high-profile incident sparked debate across the globe.

    Initially, former Australian soccer player Craig Foster criticised Kerr’s behaviour before retracting it and publicly apologising to her.

    Meanwhile, politicians and academics argued her comments did not amount to racism given the power dynamics at play: not only is Kerr of Indian descent, but official inquiries have found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist.

    Historically, police have played a role in sustaining colonialism, racism and white supremacy. Calling Kerr’s words racist overlooks that they don’t accord with an entrenched, global system of power.

    What happened that night?

    Kerr has maintained she and her partner – United States’ women’s national team player Kristie Mewis – believed they were being kidnapped by a cab driver.

    He refused to let them out of the cab after Kerr vomited, taking them to Twickenham police station instead of their destination.

    There, Mewis broke the cab window in an attempt to get out of the vehicle.

    At the station, Kerr reportedly appealed to officers to “understand the emergency that both of us felt”, referencing the 2021 abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a Metropolitan Police officer.

    The commissioned inquiry into Everard’s murder characterised the Metropolitan Police as institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

    However, Kerr soon faced an allegation of racism after becoming distressed and antagonistic towards the officers.

    Believing they were siding with the cab driver after forming negative preconceptions because of her skin colour, she repeated “you guys are stupid and white, you guys are fucking stupid and white”.

    What are the legal ramifications in the UK?

    Kerr pleaded not guilty to the offence of intentionally causing harassment, alarm, or distress to another by using threatening, abusive, or insulting words under Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986, and to the racial aggravation of the offence per the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

    She faced a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

    Kerr accepted she used the words “fucking stupid and white”. But it still had to be proven she intended and caused harassment, alarm, or distress to Lovell and that the offence was racially motivated.

    Initially, the Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was not enough evidence to charge Kerr.

    But after receiving a request from the Metropolitan Police to review the case, and a new statement from Lovell about Kerr’s words making him feel “belittled” and “upset”, they authorised police to charge the athlete.

    A jury found her not guilty after a seven-day trial.

    Broadly speaking, public order offences criminalise words and behaviour that might breach the peace. Police have significant discretion to use these offences as tools to regulate people’s uses of public space.

    In Australia and the UK, police have been shown to use these powers in discriminatory ways.

    Kerr has conceded her behaviour was regrettable but the charge against her is difficult to align with the purpose of public order legislation.

    What does it mean for Kerr’s soccer career?

    It is unclear what this verdict means for Kerr’s career.

    Her English club, Chelsea, is anticipating she will return from a long-term knee injury soon.

    It is possible the club was kept in the loop about Kerr’s altercation with police from the beginning, as she reportedly threatened to involve its lawyers in the body-cam footage shown at trial.

    The club is yet to make a statement about the trial or verdict.

    Football Australia is in a different position though, having been blindsided by the news Kerr had been charged by police.

    The fact Kerr is the captain of the Matildas, and the sport’s highest-profile marketing asset, adds layers of complexity to Football Australia’s decision-making.

    CEO of Football Australia James Johnson declined to weigh in on Kerr’s captaincy until her trial concluded.

    It is possible the governing body will impose a sanction, with Kerr falling afoul of clause 2.14 of their national code of conduct and ethics after being charged with a criminal offence.

    Kerr could return to the pitch later this month, but has been left out of the Matildas squad for the SheBelieves Cup in the US because of her fitness.

    With the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on the horizon, interim Matildas head coach Tom Sermanni no doubt hopes her recovery stays on track.

    Meanwhile, Kerr is yet to play under Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor. She could prove crucial as the club chases an elusive UEFA Women’s Champions League title, but faces competition for her spot.

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

    – ref. Sam Kerr verdict: what it means for law in the UK and the star athlete’s soccer career – https://theconversation.com/sam-kerr-verdict-what-it-means-for-law-in-the-uk-and-the-star-athletes-soccer-career-249153

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UPDATE: Charges – Murder – Alice Springs

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has charged a 39-year-old man in relation to the death of a woman in Alice Springs on Sunday.

    The man, who is believed to be known to the victim, was arrested on Sunday and was charged with Murder late last night.

    He has been remanded in custody to appear in Alice Springs Court today.

    If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.

    You can also contact police on 131 444, or in an emergency dial 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Doctor Convicted of $24M Medicare Fraud Scheme

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A New York doctor was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury for causing the submission of over $24 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary laboratory tests and orthotic braces.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Alexander Baldonado, M.D., 69, of Queens, received tens of thousands of dollars in illegal cash kickbacks and bribes in exchange for ordering laboratory tests, including expensive cancer genetic tests, that were billed to Medicare by two related laboratories located in New York.

    As part of the scheme, Baldonado authorized hundreds of cancer genetic tests for Medicare beneficiaries who attended COVID-19 testing events at assisted living facilities, adult day care centers, and a retirement community in 2020. Baldonado was not treating any of the patients who attended the testing events and, in many cases, did not speak to or examine the patients prior to ordering cancer genetic tests and other laboratory tests for them. Baldonado also billed Medicare for lengthy office visits that he never provided to these patients. Several Medicare patients for whom Baldonado ordered cancer genetic tests and billed for office visits testified at trial that they did not know who Baldonado was and had never met or spoken to him. Baldonado did not contact the patients after the testing events to review the results of the cancer genetic tests, and, in some cases, the patients never received the test results.

    In addition to the laboratory testing scheme, Baldonado also received illegal cash kickbacks and bribes from the owner of a durable medical equipment supply company in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary orthotic braces for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The evidence presented at trial showed Baldonado on an undercover video receiving a large sum of cash in exchange for signed prescriptions for orthotic braces.

    The medically unnecessary laboratory tests and orthotic braces that Baldonado ordered in exchange for illegal kickbacks and bribes caused Medicare to be billed more than $24 million. Medicare paid more than $2.1 million to the laboratories and the durable medical equipment supply company involved in the schemes.

    Baldonado was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; six counts of health care fraud; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive and solicit health care kickbacks; and one count of solicitation of health care kickbacks. Following his conviction on the 10 counts, Baldonado was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and solicitation of health care kickbacks and five years in prison on each count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive and solicit health care kickbacks. 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, Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office made the announcement.

    HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Trial Attorney Hyungjoo Han of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

    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 the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, 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.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 Pandemic

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    This is the second company charged in connection with the scheme; three individuals also pleaded guilty to misbranding N95 masks

    BOSTON – A California company, and three individuals who owned and managed the company, pleaded guilty to charges relating to the shipment of facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.  

    Advoque Safeguard LLC (ASG) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Jason Azevedo, 33, of Cedar Creek, Texas; Paul Shrater, 52, of Simi Valley, Calif.; and Andrew Stack, 52, of Santa Cruz, Calif., also pleaded guilty to one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencings for June 11, 2025.

    In October 2024, a second company, JDM Supply LLC (JDM), and two individuals, Daniel Motha and Jeffrey Motha, pleaded guilty in connection with this investigation. In addition, in August 2023, another individual, Jason Colantuoni, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging and is awaiting sentencing.  

    In in the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, ASG and JDM conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. One hospital, identified as “HOSPITAL 1,” accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by ASG and sold to a hospital by JDM.  (the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to ASG.) ASG and JDM misled the hospital into believing that the ASG masks were NIOSH-approved N95s when, in fact, they were not. In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the ASG masks that had been shipped to the hospital, and they tested between 83.94% and 93.24% filtration efficiency, and thus fell under the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators.  

    The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation.  The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal 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; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud. 
        
    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 Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Newington Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARTIN DELGADO, 30, of Newington, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a narcotics trafficking offense.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 13, 2024, members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force conducted a court-authorized search of Delgado’s Newington residence and seized approximately 2,500 wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine, and narcotics packaging materials.  Delgado, who fled on foot when officers arrived at his residence, was apprehended a short time later in West Hartford.  Officers located a 9mm handgun near Delgado’s residence that he appeared to have discarded as he fled.  Delgado was charged with state offenses and released on bond.

    Delgado pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.  A sentencing date is not yet scheduled.

    Delgado has been detained since his federal arrest on August 2, 2024.

    This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Hartford Police Department.  The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and Reed Durham.

    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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Somerset County Woman Charged With Bank Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, woman was arrested and charged with bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.

    Ciara Brascom, 39, of Skillman, is charged by complaint with one count of bank robbery. She had her initial appearance on February 11, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court.

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

    On July 28, 2024, Brascom entered a bank in Princeton and demanded cash from a bank teller, while holding what appeared to be a black handgun. During the robbery, Brascom threatened that she would use the gun if the bank’s alarm was activated. Brascom fled from the bank after taking approximately $60,500.

    The charge of bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Christopher Tash, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, for their assistance in the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Shephard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

    The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                                                 ###                                    

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Government moves to legislate better protections for telco consumers

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    The Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen protections for telco consumers with new laws introduced to Parliament today.
     
    The Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025 will give effect to a number of significant reforms to boost the enforcement powers and penalties available to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
     
    The proposed changes will enable the ACMA to take direct and immediate enforcement action against telecommunications providers that have breached their obligations to customers under industry codes.
     
    This will remove the current two-step process whereby the ACMA must first issue a direction to comply to offending telcos – no matter how significant the breach – and only take further action if non-compliance continues.
     
    It allows instead for the ACMA to take quick and appropriate action in response to breaches to immediately address consumer harm and hold telcos to account.
     
    The Bill will also significantly increase the maximum general penalty for breaches of industry codes and standards under the Telecommunications Act 1997 from $250,000 to approximately $10 million. Further changes will allow penalties for codes, standards and determinations to be based on the value of the benefit obtained from the offending conduct or the turnover of the relevant provider – allowing for penalties greater than $10 million in certain circumstances.
     
    This penalty framework will incentivise industry compliance and better aligns with those in other relevant sectors like energy and banking, and under the Australian Consumer Law.
     
    To ensure the ACMA has a range of effective enforcement tools at its disposal, an additional change will expand and clarify the Government’s ability to increase infringement notice penalty amounts the ACMA can issue for all applicable breaches, including consumer protection rules.
     
    The Bill will also increase visibility of providers operating in the market, especially telecommunications retailers, through the establishment of a Carrier Service Provider (CSP) registration scheme.
     
    This will allow for more effective regulation of CSPs, including by empowering the ACMA to stop a CSP operating where they’ve been found to pose unacceptable risk to consumers, or have caused significant consumer harm.
      
    Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
     
    “The significant reforms included in this Bill will better equip the ACMA with the tools and powers it needs to protect telco consumers and hold providers to account.
     
    “The changes provide a powerful deterrent. They incentivise telcos to educate themselves about their obligations to consumers, and to abide by those obligations – boosting compliance and improving the functioning and fairness of the telecommunications sector.
     
    “The introduction of this Bill is another way the Government is putting consumers at the centre of the telco industry, recognising the importance of quality telecommunications services for all Australians.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Two men charged in connection to wounding at Gagebrook on 18 January

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Two men charged in connection to wounding at Gagebrook on 18 January

    Wednesday, 12 February 2025 – 7:23 am.

    Police have charged two men with multiple offences as part of the ongoing investigation into an isolated incident at Gagebrook on 18 January where a man received injuries believed to be from a firearm.
    Police will allege the men were arrested at a residence at Herdsmans Cove yesterday, and several items were seized from the property including loaded firearms, ammunition and illicit drugs.
    A 25-year-old man and a 31-year-old man, both from Herdsmans Cove, were charged with a range of drug and serious firearm offences.
    They were both detained to appear before the Hobart Magistrates Court today.
    Police investigations into the wounding incident on 18 January are ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Bridgewater CIB on 131 444 and quote OR 766527 & 764484. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers Tasmania at crimestopperstas.com.au or on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin: Kash Patel Has Been Personally Directing The Ongoing Purge of FBI Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    February 11, 2025
    In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin reveals that multiple whistleblowers have disclosed to Durbin’s staff highly credible information indicating that Kash Patel has been personally directing the ongoing purge of senior law enforcement officials at the FBI
    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, revealed that multiple whistleblowers have disclosed to Durbin’s staff highly credible information indicating that Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has been personally directing the ongoing purge of senior law enforcement officials at the FBI. Earlier today, Durbin sent a letter to Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz requesting an investigation into these allegations.
    “This Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider whether to recommend Kash Patel’s nomination to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the full Senate for consideration. So far, my Republican Committee colleagues have chosen to ignore the myriad red flags about Mr. Patel, especially his recurring instinct to threaten retribution—political retribution—against his and President Trump’s perceived enemies. This is a dangerous characteristic for a person who wants to lead the nation’s most powerful domestic investigative agency, the FBI,” Durbin said. “I hope that what I reveal today from credible whistleblowers at the highest levels will give my Republican colleagues some pause before it’s too late.”
    Durbin went on to reveal that on January 29, 2025, Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll and Acting FBI Deputy Director Robert Kissane scheduled a meeting where it was relayed that a group of Executive Assistant Directors (EAD) and other supervisors must resign or be fired. The newly-established FBI Director’s Advisory Team (DAT) was in possession of a written list that identified certain officials and was seen by multiple FBI leaders. Their understanding of the list was that “a lot of names were people in the crosshairs.” This meeting had been prompted by a meeting earlier that day between DOJ and FBI leadership.
    Contemporaneous notes from that morning meeting read: “KP wants movement at FBI, reciprocal actions for DOJ.” Acting Deputy Attorney General Bove told meeting attendees that he received multiple calls from Stephen Miller the night before. Mr. Miller was pressuring him because Mr. Patel wanted the FBI to remove targeted employees faster, as DOJ had already done with prosecutors. 
    “According to my sources, Mr. Patel is receiving information from within the FBI from the Director’s Advisory Team. Mr. Patel then provides direction to Stephen Miller, who relays it to Acting Deputy Attorney General Bove,” said Durbin. “It is unacceptable for a nominee with no legal or current role in government to personally direct the unjustified and potentially illegal firings of dedicated, nonpartisan professionals at the FBI. If these allegations are true, then Mr. Patel may have committed perjury before the Senate Judiciary Committee.”
    Durbin then explained how, if the allegations are true, Mr. Patel may have perjured himself before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
    “The day after the meeting I described, where Mr. Patel’s desire for FBI officials to be fired more quickly was discussed, was Mr. Patel’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee,” Durbin said. “During the hearing, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey asked Mr. Patel: ‘Are you aware of any plans or discussions to punish in any way, including termination, FBI agents or personnel associated with Trump investigations? Yes or no.’ Mr. Patel answered that he was ‘not aware of that’ and continued: ‘I don’t know what’s going on right now over there, but I’m committed to you, Senator, and your colleagues that I will honor the internal review process of the FBI.’ Yet, if these whistleblower allegations are true, just two days prior, Stephen Miller, at Mr. Patel’s direction, had ordered DOJ leadership not just to terminate a specific list of officials, but to speed up those terminations.”
    Durbin continued, “Mr. Patel seems to be unable to wait for Senate confirmation to carry out retribution against his perceived political enemies. Patel is a private citizen today and he was when he testified with no current role in government directing baseless firings of career public servants. This speaks directly to the fact that Mr. Patel is not fit to be entrusted with government authority, which is evident to anyone who has seriously reviewed his record.”
    Finally, Durbin explained how the ramifications of these FBI terminations are dangerous, and how they go beyond Mr. Patel’s fitness for office because these terminations have greatly weakened the FBI’s ability to protect the country from national security threats and have made Americans less safe.
    “Among those who were removed, so far by the Trump administration, are the top officials who oversee the FBI’s work combatting international and domestic terrorism… cybersecurity threats, human and drug trafficking, and violent crime. Does that make us any safer? Mr. Patel’s need to punish his perceived enemies is apparently greater than his interest in protecting the American people,” said Durbin. “Given the serious nature of these allegations and the need to protect the identities of my sources, I have asked the Department of Justice Inspector General today in a letter to investigate these claims… I urge my Republican colleagues to please take these allegations seriously and at least pause for a moment to consider whether Kash Patel is the person you want to put in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for ten years.”
    Durbin concluded, “He [Patel] has left behind a trail of grievances throughout his life, lashing out at anyone who dares to disagree with him or fails to respect him sufficiently… And now these credible allegations that he has personally orchestrated a purge of senior FBI law enforcement officials. The FBI is an agency that plays a critical role in keeping us safe from terrorism, violent crime, and other threats. Our nation needs an FBI director who understands the gravity of the mission, not someone who is focused on settling a political score.”
    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon and Related Companies Agree to Pay More than $1 Million to Resolve Allegations that They Falsely Certified Eligibility for PPP Loans

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – Ralph Caruso of Wenham and five companies that he part-owns, have agreed to pay $1.065 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that the companies falsely certified to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) their eligibility for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. As part of the settlement, Caruso and his companies admitted that the loan applications falsely stated that the companies did not have owners who had pleaded guilty to certain felonies, but in fact Mr. Caruso had pleaded guilty to tax and mail fraud charges.

    The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. On Jan. 8, 2021, SBA announced the availability of a second round of PPP loans, known as Second Draw PPP loans. Entities that applied for Second Draw PPP loans had to certify, among other things, that no owner of the applicant had pleaded guilty to any felony involving fraud.  

    As detailed in the settlement agreement, on Jan. 21, 2021, Caruso pleaded guilty in federal court in Massachusetts to seven counts of aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns, and five counts of mail fraud. Between Feb. 26, 2021, and April 1, 2021, five companies in which Caruso had at least a 20% ownership stake applied for Second Draw PPP loans. Caruso’s companies — Caruso Equipment Corp., Flush LLC, Above the Line LLC, LL Burlington LLC, and City Rentals LLC — received a total of $655,635 in loans. These companies, through individuals other than Caruso, later applied for and received forgiveness from SBA of these loans, including interest.

    The United States contends that these companies were not eligible for Second Draw PPP loans due to Caruso’s felony convictions and ownership interests, and that Caruso and these companies thus submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for payment to SBA.  

    “Faced with potential economic catastrophe wrought by the pandemic, SBA made PPP loans available only to certain trusted recipients — not those with felony fraud convictions,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The ink was barely dry on Caruso’s guilty plea when his companies unlawfully applied for these PPP. This office will continue to hold accountable those who took advantage of the PPP and other taxpayer-funded pandemic relief.”

    “The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other Federal law enforcement agencies to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on 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.

    U.S. Attorney Foley and SBA General Counsel Davis made the announcement today. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew A. Caffrey, III and Brian Sullivan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bangor, Orrington Men Sentenced for Roles in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking Ring

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BANGOR, Maine: Two Maine men 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 Joshua Jerrell, 30, to time served, approximately 36 months, followed by three years of supervised release. On February 9, 2023, Jerrell pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiring to make false statements to a federal firearms licensee.

    Judge Neumann sentenced Aaron Rodgers, 43, to time served, approximately 33 months, followed by three years of supervised release. On April 9, 2024, Rodgers 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, Jerrell, Rodgers and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Both men regularly arranged to obtain quantities from a source through phone calls, texts and social media using coded language and then distribute these drugs to customers in Penobscot County. In June 2021, Jerrell made false statements to a federal firearms licensee in Holden in an attempt to obtain firearms for his drug supplier.

    Twenty-one defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in a widespread northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 13 of the defendants have been sentenced while 8 await sentencing:

    Sentenced:

    • Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
    • Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
    • Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
    • Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
    • Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
    • Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served
    • 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
    • Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 33 months)
    • Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months

    Awaiting sentencing:

    • Daquan Corbett (30, Brockton, Mass.)
    • Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25
    • Carol Gordon (53, Bangor) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25
    • Daviston Jackson (28, Boston, Mass.)
    • Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont) – sentencing scheduled 05/05/25
    • John Miller (24, Caribou) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25
    • James Valiante, 42 (Linneus) – sentencing scheduled 05/05/25
    • Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25

    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. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee 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. 

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourteen Members of a Prison-Based Drug Trafficking Ring Sentenced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ATLANTA – Fourteen individuals have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a prison-based drug trafficking ring responsible for the distribution of methamphetamine and heroin in the metro Atlanta area.

    “Several of the defendants even continued their criminal activity by orchestrating drug transactions from prison, posing a serious risk to public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr.  “These sentences reflect the dedication and collaborative efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to disrupt the distribution of poisonous drugs into our communities.”

     “These sentences reflect the destructive impact on the community caused by this drug trafficking organization,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Wherever you operate, if you distribute dangerous drugs, DEA will find you and hold you accountable.”

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: In January 2018, special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) discovered that Jesus Garcia-Gutierez and Miguel Elorza, while inmates at the Jenkins Correctional Center in Millen, Georgia, used a contraband cellphone to arrange drug transactions outside the prison facility.  Garcia-Gutierez and Elorza worked with numerous individuals outside the prison to coordinate several methamphetamine and heroin deals in the metro Atlanta area.

    The defendants’ drug trafficking activity included the following conduct:  

    • On May 24, 2018, Garcia-Gutierez arranged for David Crider, Jr. to receive two ounces of methamphetamine from another individual in Atlanta.  Following the deal, Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers stopped Crider’s vehicle and seized the drugs.
    • On June 3, 2018, Anthony Bernard Jordan consulted with Garcia-Gutierez and then arranged for Sheila Hardy, Larry Mosley, and Nathaniel Jackson to travel from Albany, Georgia to Atlanta, to pick up heroin and methamphetamine from another drug dealer.  After the trio obtained the drugs, GSP troopers stopped their vehicle and seized 982 grams of methamphetamine and 475 grams of heroin.
    • On August 16, 2018, Christopher Butler, who was Elorza’s former cellmate, coordinated with Joseph Brown to sell a kilogram of methamphetamine to a drug customer in Douglasville, Georgia. But Butler and Brown saw Douglas County Sheriff’s officers following them prior to the deal and discarded the drugs in a neighborhood yard, which were recovered by the officers.
    • On August 30, 2018, Quantavius Foster, who was a counselor at the Jenkins Correction Center, met with Corea-Uriostegui in Augusta, Georgia to obtain over 100 grams of methamphetamine to smuggle into the prison for Garcia-Gutierez.  The plan was foiled when Richmond County Sheriff’s officers stopped Foster’s vehicle and seized the drugs.
    • On October 16, 2018, Garcia-Gutierez instructed Darrell White, an Alabama heroin distributor, to travel to Doraville, Georgia to pick up drugs from another individual.  After the deal, GSP troopers stopped White’s vehicle and discovered more than 100 grams of heroin hidden in White’s clothes.
    • On November 1, 2018, Garcia-Gutierez and Corea-Uriostegui arranged for Tiffany Julian and Jonathan Tyler Bryant to pick up 76 grams of methamphetamine and 48 prescription pills from a drug supplier in Atlanta.  After this deal, Bryant led GSP] troopers on a high-speed chase on Interstate 75 South through midtown Atlanta. During the pursuit, Bryant and Julian tossed the drugs from the car window, which were later recovered by law enforcement. 

     In total, the organization was responsible for the distribution of 14 kilograms of methamphetamine and 860 grams of heroin in the Northern District of Georgia.

     All of the defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg as follows:

    • Jesus Garcia Gutierez, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years, six months in prison, consecutive to a state sentence, followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Miguel Elorza, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, served consecutive to a state sentence, followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Anthony Bernard Jordan, 33, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Nathaniel Jackson, 65, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years, six months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Tiffany Julian, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to six years, six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
    • Darrell White, 41, of Anniston, Alabama, was sentenced to six years, five months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
    • Christopher Butler, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to six years, two months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
    • David Crider, Jr., 52, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Jonathan Tyler Bryant, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to four years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Berenice Corea-Uriostegui, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years, four months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Larry Mosley, 46, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Sheila M. Hardy, 51, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to two years, one month in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Quantavius Foster, 33, of Swainsboro, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, three months in prison followed by one year of supervised release.
    • Joseph Brown, 58, of Villa Rica, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

     This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Bureau of Investigation West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Doraville Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany L. Rupert and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Joy prosecuted the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously Convicted Felon from Swissvale Indicted for Possession of Firearm

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

    PITTSBURH, Pa. – A resident of Swissvale, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    The one-count Indictment named Robert Prater, 33, as the sole defendant.

    According to the Indictment, on or about January 27, 2025, Prater possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

    The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

    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.

    An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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