NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, DEA, and EPA Announce Indictment in Massive Marijuana Cultivation Scheme

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury has indicted three individuals for their alleged roles in a large-scale marijuana cultivation and distribution operation. The indictment charges Dineh Benally, 48, his father, Donald Benally, 74, and Irving Rea Yui Lin, 73, a California resident, with multiple offenses related to the illegal marijuana operation.

    The charges include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, manufacture of 1,000 kilograms and more of marijuana and 1,000 and more marijuana plants, possession with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms and more of marijuana and 1,000 and more marijuana plants, maintaining drug-involved premises, and two counts of knowingly discharging pollutants into waters of the United States without a permit.

    According to the indictment, the operation involved:

    • 25 farms covering approximately 400 acres in the Shiprock area
    • Construction of approximately 1,107 cannabis greenhouses
    • Solicitation of Chinese investors to fund the operation
    • Recruitment of Chinese workers to cultivate the marijuana

    The defendants are also accused of violating the Clean Water Act by discharging pollutants into the San Juan River, filling in a channel along the San Juan River dam, and installing a sandbag dam along the San Juan River. These actions potentially caused significant environmental damage to the area.

    The sandbag dam was installed so that water would pool at a separate location to be used to irrigate the marijuana crops.

    In November 2020, law enforcement seized approximately 60,000 pounds of marijuana and approximately 260,000 marijuana plants from the twenty-five marijuana farms allegedly operated and controlled by the defendants.

    On January 23, 2025, during a raid on two additional marijuana farms operated by Dineh Benally in Estancia, New Mexico (as well as his residence), law enforcement identified 10 Chinese workers and seized approximately 8,500 pounds of marijuana, $35,000 cash, illegal pesticides, 43 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms, and a bullet proof vest, among many other things.

    Benally’s illegal marijuana growing operation that spans two farms in Estancia, New Mexico

    “The Department of Justice will protect the sanctity of the ancestral lands and waters of our Tribal partners from those who would exploit them for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez.

    “The FBI remains committed to continue to dismantle criminal organizations operating in New Mexico.” said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. “Effective law enforcement requires strong partnerships at every level. This operation is a testament to the power of collaboration between state, local, tribal, and federal agencies to ensure justice is served and our communities are protected.

    If convicted, the defendants each face no less than 10 years and up to life in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, and Kim Bahney, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Area Office of the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, made the announcement today.

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigated this case with the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and the Navajo Nation Police Department. In addition, the following law enforcement agencies participated in the law enforcement operation: Torrance County Sheriff’s Office, Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, New Mexico Department of Justice, New Mexico State Police, and the FBI El Paso Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGinley is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Manassas man sentenced to 18 years in prison for sex trafficking a child and possession of child sexual abuse material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for providing drugs and alcohol to a child in exchange for sex acts and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting the same victim as well as other children.

    According to court documents, Olajide Benjamin Ayilaran, 24, met a 14-year-old girl during the summer of 2023 and began communicating with the victim via iMessage. In the messages, Ayilaran offered to provide the victim drugs, alcohol, and nicotine products in exchange for sex acts. Between at least Nov. 21, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024, Ayilaran met the victim nine times, usually in the morning before the victim went to school, to exchange the products for sexual acts. Ayilaran would wait for the victim in his car in a nearby park. When the victim arrived, he gave her the drugs and alcohol and then had the victim perform sex acts on him in the car.

    Ayilaran recorded the sex acts on his cellphone. A forensic examination of Ayilaran’s phone revealed 73 sexually explicit images and videos of the victim and approximately 1,000 images and videos depicting other minors, including prepubescent children, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Ayilaran kept the majority of his CSAM in a folder that he titled with a smiley face emoji.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kai Wah Chan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Halper and Vanessa Strobbe prosecuted the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-164.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Dartmouth — Statement from Chief Superintendent Dan Morrow, Criminal Operations Officer, Nova Scotia RCMP, in response to RCMP member charged with Assault

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Earlier today the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) charged one of our members, Cst. Reece Smith, with Assault in relation to an off-duty incident involving a woman known to him.

    This criminal charge is disconcerting, and undoubtedly alarming to those we serve. The RCMP takes all allegations of misconduct seriously; our employees are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that not only meets, but exceeds, the rightfully high expectations of Canadians.

    Cst. Smith, who’s been an RCMP member since February 2024, is currently on administrative duties. An internal code of conduct investigation has been initiated and is ongoing. Cst. Smith’s duty status will be continuously assessed throughout both the court and internal processes.

    Media release issued by SiRT:

    SiRT Charges RCMP Officer with Assault

    —————————————————————————————————————–

    The Director of the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) has reasonable and probable grounds to believe that an off-duty RCMP Officer committed a criminal offence in relation to an incident involving a female known to him.

    SiRT received the referral on December 22, 2024, from the Bridgewater Police Service regarding an incident that took place on December 20, 2024. SiRT began its investigation into the matter that day. As a result of the SiRT investigation, on January 31, 2025, Constable Reece Smith was charged with assault contrary to s. 266 of the Criminal Code.

    Constable Smith will appear before the Nova Scotia Provincial Court at 141 High Street, Bridgewater, NS, on February 19, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.

    As the matter is before the courts, and in consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, SiRT will not provide further comment on the investigation.

    SiRT is responsible for investigating all matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault and intimate partner violence or other matters of public interest that may have arisen from the actions of any police officer in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

    Investigations are under the direction and control of an independent civilian director, who has the sole authority to determine if charges should be laid at the conclusion of an investigation.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $22,332,003.82 In Criminal And Civil Actions, And $5,043,741 In Asset Forfeiture Actions In Fiscal Year 2024

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III announced today that the Eastern District of Tennessee collected $22,332,003.83 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $10,674,477.21 was collected in criminal actions and $11,657,526.62 was collected in civil actions.  Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, working with partner agencies, collected $5,043,741 in asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2024.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Career Criminal Convicted At Trial

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Ataire Carl Ray (30, Tampa) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The jury further found that Ray is an Armed Career Criminal after having committed at least three prior serious violent or drug offenses. Ray faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. 

    According to evidence presented at trial, on April 1, 2022, Ray got into an argument during which he waived around a 9mm firearm with an extended magazine, while making various threats. Officers from the Tampa Police Department were called to the scene and approached Ray, who ran and threw the loaded firearm into a neighboring property, where it was quickly recovered. Ray was apprehended about a block away from where he had thrown the firearm. At the time, Ray had multiple prior felony convicts and therefore is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.  

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench.

    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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pinellas County Man Indicted for Attempting to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

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

    Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging David Araujo (57, St. Petersburg) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Araujo faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Araujo is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case. 

    According to the indictment, between July 26 and 27, 2024, Araujo attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual whom he believed had not yet attained 18 years of age to engage in sexual activity.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.          

    This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Chiefland Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

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  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Operation Rimu – Homicide, Ōpōtiki

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Varnam:

    A man has died after a violent altercation in central Ōpōtiki overnight, and Police have launched a homicide investigation.

    Emergency services were notified that a group of around six people were fighting on Church Street about 12:20am.

    One of those involved had received an injury to the chest consistent with a stab wound.

    Despite medical attention, the man died at the scene.

    While no arrests have been made, Police are following lines of inquiry to identify and locate those involved.

    It is believed gang members were involved.

    If anyone has any information on what happened, who has not yet spoken to Police, we would urge you to do so.

    Get in touch via 105 over the phone or online.

    You can also give information anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Highlights Potential Cost Spikes for Seniors Due to Trump Administration Policies in Senate Aging Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Highlights Potential Cost Spikes for Seniors Due to Trump Administration Policies in Senate Aging Hearing

    During a Wednesday Senate Aging committee hearing, Senator Reverend Warnock highlighted the dangers of the temporary federal funding freeze issued by the Trump Administration and its impact on health care costs for seniors
    Senator Reverend Warnock also focused on the federal funding freeze’s potential negative impact on food affordability and accessibility
    Senator Reverend Warnock during the hearing: “This Trump freeze will hurt Georgia’s seniors, make life more expensive for them, including our veteran seniors who need care” 
    Hearing expert witness Alex Lawson: “The price of prescription drugs for decades, pharmaceutical corporations have been able to raise the prices year after year, enormously above the rate of general inflation. They do it because they can. They do it for greed alone and seniors pay the consequence of this”

    Watch video of Senator Reverend Warnock’s questioning at Wednesday’s Senate Aging committee hearing HERE
    Washington, D.C. – Today, during a Senate Aging Committee hearing, Senator Reverend Warnock continued to highlight the importance of lowering costs for seniors and working-class Georgians. The hearing, called Making Washington Work for Seniors: Fighting to End Inflation and Achieve Fiscal Sanity, brought attention to several Trump Administration policies and executive orders that are likely to increase everyday costs for seniors, making their medication, utility bills, and other everyday needs more expensive.
    “Seniors, particularly those of modest means, rely on these funds [vouchers programs] to help pay for food, medicine, in-home care, rent, energy and heating bills in the dead of winter, and many other federal programs that ensure dignity throughout a person’s life,” said Senator Reverend Warnock during the hearing. 
    During the hearing, Senator Warnock also addressed the importance of extending Premium Tax Credits, which were established through the Affordable Care Act, citing by example that a senior Georgia couple, with a household income of $80,000, would see their annual premium go up by nearly $17,000 if the credits aren’t extended.
    “Mr. Lawson, how would extending the enhanced PTC support the fiscal sanity of seniors?” Senator Warnock asked Alex Lawson.
    “It would be fiscal insanity not to extend it and think that it’ll do anything other than drive millions of older Americans into poverty because you can’t just increase a bill $16,000 and expect that money to just come from nowhere,” said Lawson.
    Senator Warnock has long championed efforts to expand affordable health care access, starting with his advocacy to close the health care coverage gap in Georgia. In the Inflation Reduction Act, Senator Warnock secured two of his proposals in the law capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month for Medicare patients and capping the cost of prescription drugs for seniors at $2,000 a year. The Senator also pushed for solutions to close the coverage gap. Last year, Senator Warnock introduced the Capping Prescription Costs Act,legislation to expand the cap of annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families. Senator Warnock remains committed to preserving and protecting access to health care for all Georgians.
    Watch the Senator’s full remarks and line of questioning HERE.
    See below the transcript the exchanges between Senator Warnock and the Aging Committee witness.
    Senator Reverend Warnock (SRW): “Today’s hearing, discussing the consequences of high prices on seniors, could not be more timely. On Monday evening, the Trump Administration ordered a total illegal freeze of federal taxpayer funds going out to communities and Georgians. This illegal funding freeze includes programs that are essential to seniors with lower and fixed incomes. I’m thankful that a federal judge temporarily halted this illegal freeze yesterday afternoon, but these programs are still at risk. The Trump Administration, to be very clear, has rescinded the OMB memo. They have not rescinded the executive order.” 
    “Mr. Lawson will the pauses to payments for nutrition programs or the Older Americans Act make food more affordable and accessible for seniors?”
    Alex Lawson (AL): “No, Senator, it would do the opposite.”
    SRW: “So what they did on Monday night won’t help?”
    AL: “It will hurt.”
    SRW: “How about a pause on payments for federal housing vouchers? Will that help?”
    AL: “That will not help. That will also hurt.”
    SRW: “And what about a pause on energy assistance funds?”
    AL: “Same answer. This won’t help at all. It will only hurt seniors.”
    SRW: “I would agree with that. Seniors, particularly those of modest means, rely on these funds to help pay for food, medicine, in-home care, rent, energy and heating bills in the dead of winter, and many other federal programs that ensure dignity throughout a person’s life.”
    “This Trump freeze will hurt Georgia’s seniors, make life more expensive for them, including our veteran seniors who need care.”
    “Mr. Lawson, how can the federal government help bring down costs for seniors?”
    AL: “One of the best ways is to focus in on one of the key drivers, that is really the rock, in the rock and the hard place, that seniors are in.”
    “The price of prescription drugs, for decades, pharmaceutical corporations have been able to raise the prices year after year, enormously above the rate of general inflation.” 
    “They do it because they can. They do it for greed alone and seniors pay the consequence of this.”
    “That’s too often having to cut their pills in half, or forgo their prescriptions, or face the choice of am ‘I going to pay my rent, or my heating bill, or be able to afford my drugs this month.” 
    “That is the reality that millions of Americans face. Now, President Biden and Democrats in Congress passed a bill that allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time ever, and there will be a reduction in the prices of some specific drugs. But what we could do is expand that to all drugs. Why get ripped off on any drugs?”
    SRW: “Absolutely. And I’m proud that in that provision which caps the cost of prescription drugs, my insulin bill, which caps the cost of insulin to no more than $35 of out-of-pocket costs per month for seniors.”
    “Insulin shouldn’t be expensive, and the fact that it is, prior to our engagement in this area, speaks to the outsized influence of Big Pharma in our politics.”
    “On his first day in office, President Trump signed a wave of executive orders, and one of these executive orders rolled back an initiative that would empower Medicare prescription drugs to offer generic drugs that treat chronic conditions for a flat $2 co-pay.”
    “Mr. Lawson, would capping the cost of medication at $2 help with seniors’ ability to afford other essentials like groceries?”
    AL: “Absolutely. There’s no doubt at all on that.”
    SRW: “How do high prescription drug costs affect seniors also dealing with inflation?”
    AL: “When a senior [is] forced to try to go get groceries and they can’t afford those groceries on the $1900 average Social Security cost per month, if their drug prices are going up month after month, 13 percent, they’re going be less able to afford those groceries. And we know that this price cap works because there is now a $2000 price cap on prescription drugs in the same bill that put in negotiation and the freedom that gives seniors the anxiety of ‘will I be able to afford my next bag of groceries’ is enormous.”
    SRW: “Absolutely.”
    “The Affordable Care Act established a premium tax credit to help everyday Americans afford their healthcare costs. Several years ago, Democrats in Congress passed legislation increasing the value of the premium tax credits to help families better afford health care while dealing with inflation. But if Congress fails to extend these tax credits before the end of the year, a 60-year-old couple in Georgia with a household income of say $80,000 will see their annual premium go up by $16,798.”
    “Mr. Lawson, how would extending the enhanced PTC support the fiscal sanity of seniors?”
    AL: “It would be fiscal insanity not to extend it and think that it’ll do anything other than drive millions of older Americans into poverty because you can’t just increase a bill $16,000 and expect that money to just come from nowhere.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: President’s Cabinet

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    Q: Why does the nation’s chief executive have a team of advisors known as the President’s Cabinet?

    A: During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, delegates hashed out how to organize the executive branch and whether the president would act independently or collaborate with a council of ministers. One proposal suggested a council comprised of the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Ultimately, the delegates vested theexecutive power in a single person: the President of the United States. However, they also included constitutional guardrails unique to our system of checks and balances, granting the power of “advise and consent” to the Senate on appointments and treaties. So, while the president’s “Cabinet” is not spelled out in the Constitution, Article II, Section 2, clause 1 authorizes the president “may require the Opinion … of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Officers.” In other words, the president has the power to surround himself with a team of people to carry out the laws of the land.

    President George Washington created the first Cabinet and nominated four individuals for Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of State, Secretary of War and Attorney General. Washington met regularly with his Cabinet to discuss core functions of the new federal government: money supply, diplomacy, defense, enforcement of laws and administration of justice. His successors followed this precedent to surround themselves with trusted advisors to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” The Cabinet has expanded over the years, most recently with creation of the Department of Homeland Security post-9/11. Today, the Cabinet includes the Vice President and heads of 15 executive departments, including the U.S. Attorney General; Secretaries of Agriculture; Commerce; Defense; Education; Energy; Health and Human Services; Homeland Security; Housing and Urban Development; Interior; Labor; State; Treasury; Transportation; and, Veterans Affairs. Also serving in Cabinet-level positions are the Administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency and Small Business Administration; Directors of the Central Intelligence Agency; National Intelligence; and, Office of Management and Budget; U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations; and the U.S. Trade Representative. Since the 113th Congress, Cabinet nominees are confirmed by a simple majority in the U.S. Senate. If approved, nominees are sworn in before beginning their duties.

    Q: What is the Senate’s role in the confirmation process?

    A: The Constitution gives the president and the Senate shared authority to make appointments to high-level positions in the federal government, including the federal judiciary and the president’s Cabinet. History shows the Senate extends deference to presidents selecting advisors to help them carry out the operations of the executive branch of government. In the 19th century, the Senate revised its rules to require the referral of nominations to the appropriate committees. A century later, Senate committees held public hearings and questioned nominees in person. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the 119th Congress, I’ve led confirmation hearings for President Trump’s nominees to serve as the Attorney General and the Director of the FBI. From my assignments on the Senate Agriculture, Finance and Budget Committees, I’ve participated in confirmation hearings for the Secretaries of Agriculture, Treasury, Health and Human Services and Director of the Office of Management and Budget. It’s my policy to wait until after these hearings conclude to make my final decision on the nomination. The Senate’s “advise and consent” authority is one tool to keep check on the executive branch and has factored into the rejection or withdrawl of Cabinet nominees for centuries. At the same time, the Senate has a compelling interest not to impede the continuity of government from one administration to the next. It’s critical to the functioning of government to have these high-level officials in place. For Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, 84 percent of Cabinet secretaries nominated before Inauguration Day received quick Senate approval, an average of 2.4 days. After passing background checks, answering questions in writing, in private meetings and under the Senate microscope in public confirmation hearings and being referred favorably by the committees of jurisdiction, the president’s nominees deserve a timely vote in the U.S. Senate. The devastating collision on Jan. 29 over the Potomac River – the worst aviation crash in America in a quarter century – underscores the urgency to get the president’s team in place.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Shaheen Seek to Prevent Youth Opioid Abuse

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) today introduced the Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act. The bipartisan bill would combat youth opioid abuse by enabling school partnerships with current or former Drug-Free Communities to educate students about the dangers of synthetic opioids. Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

    “Stamping out drug abuse in our communities and schools demands an all-hands approach. One piece of the puzzle is supporting drug prevention programs that educate young people about synthetic opioids and preventable resources,” Grassley said. “I’m glad to support this vital and fiscally responsible bill to protect our next generation from the dangers of addiction.” 

    “Our bipartisan bill will help save lives by educating students and young people across the country about the dangers of synthetic opioids,” Shaheen said. “We’ve made progress in recent years to stem the substance use epidemic, but there’s more we can and should do to ensure kids know just how deadly opioids can be. Our bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act would help do just that.”  

    Find bill text HERE.

    Background:

    The Keeping Drugs out of Schools Act establishes a five-year grant program that would allow elementary, middle and high schools to apply for up to $75,000 in federal funding to plan, implement and evaluate effective drug prevention initiatives. Eligible schools could renew their grant eligibility for up to three more years. 

    Grassley helped create the Drug-Free Communities program in 1998, after establishing Iowa’s “Face It Together,” or FIT – a first-of-its-kind, statewide anti-drug effort. Today, the Drug-Free Communities program serves 751 communities across the nation and supports 6.1 million middle and high school students. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Happy Valley-Goose Bay — Excessive speeder ticketed by RCMP Traffic Services Labrador

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 21-year-old man was ticketed by RCMP Traffic Services Labrador for excessive speeding yesterday.

    On Thursday, January 30, 2025, police observed a vehicle travelling 141 km/h in an 80 km/h zone on Route 520, commonly known as the North West River highway. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was ticketed for excessive speeding. His license was suspended and the vehicle was seized and impounded.

    RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador. We thank the public for continuing to report incidents of excessive speed, dangerous driving and crimes within their communities.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Poplar Bluff Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Recording His Rape of Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a man who recorded his rape of a minor with an intellectual disability to 30 years in prison.

    In March of 2024, the 17-year-old victim’s mother contacted the Poplar Bluff Police Department about Jason R. Hicks-Simpson. The victim told investigators that Hicks-Simpson had been sexually abusing her since she was five, his plea agreement says. She also said Hicks-Simpson threatened to kill her and her kittens if she did not keep the secret. Hicks-Simpson told police that it had only happened once several months earlier. Investigators found videos dating back to May of 2023 on his phone, the plea agreement says.

    Hicks-Simpson, of Poplar, Bluff, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in October to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

    Hicks-Simpson will now be transferred to state court to face charges there.

    The Poplar Bluff Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects Nearly $3M for Taxpayers and Victims in 2024

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Memphis, TN – Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee collected $2,932,631.57 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of that amount, $2,635,982.75 was collected in criminal actions and $296,648. 82 was collected in civil actions.

    Additionally, the Western District of Tennessee worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $23,145.23 in cases pursued jointly by these offices.

    “The federal government has a responsibility to collect restitution for victims of crime. Our Criminal and Civil Divisions, including the Financial Litigation Program, work diligently to ensure that this mission is met,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tennessee’s Western District, working with partner agencies and divisions, also collected $2,688,743 in asset forfeiture actions in fiscal year 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

    Several cases generated significant collection efforts in fiscal year 2024, including:

    U.S. v. Rosemary Covey and Morgan Stanley, 06-cr-20408 and 24-cv-2257. Covey was convicted of Bank Fraud and Access device fraud and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,034,105.49. After years of minimal restitution payments, the USAO learned of a retirement account at Morgan Stanley. The USAO filed a Writ of Garnishment on defendant’s IRA and received $73,843.54 in proceeds that were applied to the restitution.

    U.S. v. Teresa T. Parsley, 07-cr-20035. Parsley was convicted of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. As a result, she was ordered to pay $3,829,605.29 in restitution. After she made only minimal payments, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recovered $143,845 from the proceeds of the sale of her home, which was applied to her restitution.

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

    ###

    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Buchanan Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROANOKE, Va. – A Buchanan, Virginia, man, who exposed the genitals of a minor female during a party at his residence and took pictures of the victim on his cellphone, pled guilty last week to related federal charges.

    Christopher Buono, 45, pled guilty to one count of child sexual exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography.

    According to court documents, in January 2024 a party was hosted the defendant’s home in Buchanan, Virginia. At one point in the evening, Buono and a minor female, who was approximately six-years-old at the time, went to Buono’s game room, and either the minor victim or Buono pulled down her pants and underwear, exposing her genitals.

    Buono then used his cellphone to take sexually explicit photographs of the minor victim. Later that night, Buono used a messaging application to send one of these photos to another individual with a sexual interest in minors.

    At sentencing, Buono faces a maximum of forty years in federal prison.

    Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee announced the guilty plea.

    The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security with assistance from the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.

    The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sin City Deciples Member Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HAMMOND- Yesterday, Brandon Romand Parks “Baywatch,” age 46, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after being found guilty of racketeering conspiracy following an 18-day jury trial, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Parks was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. 

    According to the Second Superseding Indictment, the Sin City Deciples, originally formed in 1967 in Gary, Indiana, is an outlaw motorcycle organization in which its members and associates engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere. 

    Parks served as a National President of the entire club and was involved in the conspiracy to commit acts of racketeering activity between 2016-2018.  As National President, Parks was 2nd in command behind the founder of the club.

    The agencies involved in this prosecution were: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Griffith Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Merrillville Police Department, the Munster Police Department, and the Schererville Police Department.   Also providing assistance were the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Western District of Kentucky, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick and Michael J. Toth.  

    This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.

    This case was also 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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Johns Man Sentenced To Over Eleven Years In Federal Prison For Traveling To Meet A Minor For Sex

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Chad Michael Sadlowski (34, St. Johns) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Sadlowski was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty in October 2024.  

    According to court records, from April 25 through April 28, 2024, an undercover detective with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office posed online on a messaging application as the uncle of an eight-year-old female “child.” Sadlowski engaged the undercover in a variety of sexually explicit messages and expressed a desire to have sex with the “child.” Sadlowski agreed to meet up at a local gas station to engage in sex prior to him going to work as a respiratory therapist at a local hospital. Sadlowski was arrested as he was traveling to the gas station and was in his hospital scrubs when he was taken into custody. After his arrest, Sadlowski admitted to traveling to meet the eight-year-old “child” for sex. In addition, he also admitted to talking to minors on the application by asking them for sexually explicit photos and videos. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators searched Sadlowski’s phone and found additional child exploitation materials in his possession.

    “This investigation highlights the ever-present threat for children online, and this predator’s reprehensible actions demonstrate a coldhearted disregard for the life and well-being of a child,” said Tim Hemker, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge. “HSI, alongside our partners with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the rest of Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force are committed to protecting our children from harm.”  

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. This case was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Wayne Man Convicted at Trial of Firearm and Drug Trafficking Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FORT WAYNE – Late Yesterday, Detric L. Cummings, 42 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was found guilty of firearm and drug trafficking offenses following a four-day jury trial, presided over by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. 

    Cummings was charged in an indictment with a total of eight counts, and prior to the start of the trial, he entered a plea of guilty to five counts of distributing controlled substances, including methamphetamine and fentanyl.  Cummings went to trial on the remaining counts, and a jury found him guilty of those remaining counts, which included possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and maintaining a drug-involved premises.  The jury also found Cummings to have previously committed three violent felonies on occasions different from one another, making him an armed career criminal under federal law. 

    A sentencing hearing will be scheduled on a later date on all counts.  Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Indiana State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Auburn Police Department The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley J. Miller Lowery and Justin C. Sheridan.

    This case was also 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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Northern District of Indiana USAO Collects Over $5,219,650 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2024

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Hammond, Indiana – Acting U.S. Attorney Tina L. Nommay announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana collected $5,219,650 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $2,667,519 was collected in criminal actions and $2,552,131 was collected in civil actions.

    The Northern District of Indiana also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $1,925,938 from cases pursued jointly. Of this amount, $2,200 was collected in criminal actions and $1,923,738 was collected in civil actions.  For example, one of the civil cases handled in conjunction with the Environmental Enforcement Section of the Department of Justice, resulted in the recovery of $1,018,433 as part of a settlement agreement reached in the matter of United States v. Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor, LLC.

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

    Additionally, the Northern District of Indiana, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $855,895 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Seattle Woman Sentenced for Assaulting Flight Attendant on Phoenix-Bound Flight

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

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Aliyah Robyn Stalder, 24, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced last week to three years of probation by United States Magistrate Judge Alison S. Bachus for assaulting a flight attendant while on board a commercial flight. During her term of probation, Stalder will not be permitted to travel by commercial aircraft without prior approval and must pay a $5,000 civil penalty imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Stalder was also ordered to pay over $8,000 in restitution for her actions. Stalder pleaded guilty on November 14, 2024, to Assault by Striking, Beating, or Wounding on an Aircraft.

    On February 9, 2023, Stalder boarded a commercial flight from Seattle to Phoenix. During the flight, Stalder attempted to open multiple cabin doors and ultimately had to be restrained by members of the flight crew and other passengers. During the struggle to restrain Stalder, she assaulted one of the flight attendants.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-00031-PHX-ASB
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-011_Stalder

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: St. John’s — RCMP NL warns of dangerous substance seized for first time in St. John’s

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Federal Policing – Eastern Region is warning the public of a dangerous substance that was seized in St. John’s on December 17, 2024. On January 30, 2025, a drug analysis, completed by Health Canada, confirmed the substance as mixture of fentanyl and medetomidine, a highly-potent Central Nervous System Depressant tranquilizer, intended for veterinary use.

    On December 17, 2024, as part of an ongoing RCMP investigation, RCMP Federal Policing – Eastern Region and the RCMP Emergency Response Team, along with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary’s Weapons and Drug Enforcement Unit, arrested 39-year-old Joseph Reardon for drug trafficking on the parking lot of a commercial property on Frecker Drive in St. John’s. Following his arrest, a vehicle on the parking lot was searched. Police located and seized cocaine, oxycodone, methylphenidate, a quantity of suspected fentanyl and a sawed-off shot gun.

    A laboratory report received on January 30, 2025, confirmed the substance as a mixture of fentanyl and medetomidine. According to Health Canada, this is a first-time seizure of medetomidine in this province. Medetomidine is a veterinary tranquilizer approved for surgical use in animals and is not safe for human consumption. Mixing this substance with fentanyl, which on its own is highly potent and dangerous, makes this an extremely lethal combination.

    An image of the fentanyl/medetomidine mixture that was seized is attached. It is possible that there is more of this substance present in the province. Drug users should make themselves familiar with this substance and avoid consumption.

    As a result of this investigation, Reardon is charged with the following criminal offences:

    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine
    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking oxycodone
    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking methylphenidate
    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl
    • Careless use of a firearm – two counts
    • Unsafe storage of a firearm – two counts
    • Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose – four counts
    • Unauthorized possession of a firearm
    • Unauthorized possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized
    • Possession of a prohibited firearm
    • Possession of a weapon obtained by crime
    • Removing a serial number from a firearm
    • Possession of a firearm/ammunition while prohibited – six counts
    • Breach of a court release order – five counts

    Those who choose to use opioids or other dangerous substances should never do so alone and should plan and prepare for opioid overdose by carrying a Naloxone kit. Please call 811 to find your nearest location for a free naloxone kit or visit https://www.gov.nl.ca/hcs/naloxonekits/.

    If you have information on fentanyl or other illicit or dangerous opioids, RCMP NL’s Federal Policing – Eastern Region wants to hear from you. To report information, please call 709-772-5422.

    RCMP Federal Policing – Eastern Region targets criminal activity involving national security, transnational and serious organized crime and cybercrime throughout the entire province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Charged with Cyberstalking Three Women

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

    CLEVELAND – A grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio, has returned a six-count indictment related to cyberstalking and making online threats. The indictment charges Logan Stanford, 28, of Shelby, Ohio, with cyberstalking at least three individuals. He is also charged with making interstate threatening communications.

    According to the indictment, from Sept. 1, 2021, through May 31, 2024, Stanford used various electronic communication methods to stalk his victims online, known as cyberstalking. This form of threatening behavior can include unwarranted emails, instant and direct messaging, or liking and commenting on social media posts. Stanford allegedly created many accounts under different names on various online platforms. He found victims to target and repeatedly sent them numerous harassing comments. Many of the electronic messages Stanford sent his victims were sexual or violent in nature or threatened to cause them physical harm. He also created multiple email accounts under different names to send similar intimidating messages.

    The FBI Cleveland Division is the investigating agency on the case which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Joyce and Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.

    January is National Stalking Awareness Month. To learn more, or to make a report, visit stalkingawareness.org/what-to-do-if-you-are-being-stalked/. 

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Gate Agent at DFW Airport

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

    A Florida man who assaulted a gate agent at DFW Airport pleaded guilty to interfering with security personnel, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Keith Charles Owens, 53, was charged via criminal complaint in November 2024. He pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging interference with security screening personnel before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton on Wednesday.

    In plea papers, Mr. Owens admitted that he assaulted an American Airlines gate agent at DFW Airport on Oct. 5, 2024.  Security footage showed Mr. Owens repeatedly punched the gate agent in the head.

    According to court documents, around 4:42 p.m., Mr. Owens approached the gate agent at gate A36, explained he was late, and attempted to scan his boarding pass. When the gate agent informed him he was at the wrong gate, Mr. Owens cursed and walked away. The agent then radioed the correct gate, A35, to inform airline personnel that Mr. Owens was headed their way and appeared to be intoxicated.

    Mr. Owens then walked onto the A35 jet bridge without scanning his boarding pass. Airline personnel removed him from the jet bridge.

    A few moments later, at 4:48 p.m., Mr. Owens again approached gate A36. He began yelling at the gate agent, grabbed him by the shoulders, and punched him repeatedly in the face and neck. Eventually, airline personnel were able to restrain him.

    Both the gate agent and the personnel who assisted in restraining Mr. Owens sustained minor injuries. The flight departing from gate A36 was delayed.

    Mr. Owens now faces up to 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing has been set for May 2, 2025.  

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Beck is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Truro — Nova Scotia Human Trafficking Unit charges man with multiple offences

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Nova Scotia Human Trafficking Unit (HTU) has charged a Truro man with human trafficking offences.

    As part of an ongoing investigation, RCMP officers learned of an individual committing human trafficking offences in the Truro area. And on January 29, investigators safely arrested 52-year-old Aaron Keith MacKenzie. He’s been charged with:

    • Human Trafficking
    • Receiving a Financial Benefit from Human Trafficking
    • Procuring a Person to Provide Sexual Services
    • Advertising Sexual Services

    MacKenzie was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Truro Provincial Court on January 31.

    The investigation, led by the HTU with assistance from East Hants District RCMP, Colchester County District RCMP, the Nova Scotia RCMP Cybercrime Unit, and Truro Police Service, is ongoing.

    “We’re here to support victims and survivors of human trafficking,” says Sgt. Jeff MacFarlane of the HTU. “If you’re being trafficked, have been trafficked, or think someone you know is a victim of trafficking, we encourage you to call or text the 24-hour Nova Scotia Human Trafficking Hotline at 902-449-2425; the line is monitored by a police officer who’s ready to work with you and get you help.”

    Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world, and Nova Scotia has the highest rate of human trafficking incidents in Canada.

    “Know the signs,” says Sgt. MacFarlane. “If you or someone you know is in a controlling relationship, withdrawing from family and friends, or being forced to do unwanted things, reach out to police.“

    Tips can also be made, anonymously, by calling Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or using the P3 Tips app.

    Note: The Nova Scotia Human Trafficking Unit is comprised of members of the Nova Scotia RCMP, Halifax Regional Police, and New Glasgow Regional Police, and is supported by police officers from across the province. For more information on human trafficking, visit: https://www.grc-rcmp.gc.ca/en/ns/programs-and-services/human-trafficking-nova-scotia

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Mexican Nationals Sentenced for $4.7 Million Meth, Heroin Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Mexican Drug-Trafficking Organization Distributed Over 335 Kilos of Meth, 22 Kilos of Heroin

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Mexican nationals were sentenced in federal court this week for their roles in a $4.7 million conspiracy to distribute more than 335 kilograms of methamphetamine and 22 kilograms of heroin.

    Jesus Morales-Garcia, also known as “Don Jesus,” 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips on Wednesday, Jan. 29, to 18 years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Santiago Raul Mendieta-Sanchez, 43, also was sentenced to seven years in federal prison without parole.

    On Tuesday, Jan. 28, co-defendant Baltazar Flores-Norzagaray, 53, was sentenced to 16 years and three months in federal prison without parole.

    On Aug. 28, 2024, Morales-Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of participating in a continuing criminal enterprise, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, and one count of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported. Mendieta-Sanchez and Flores-Norzagaray also have pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy that continued from Feb. 28, 2020, to Sept. 20, 2022. Flores-Norzagaray also pleaded guilty to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

    Morales-Garcia admitted that he was a chief local operative of a drug-trafficking organization that distributed hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs sourced from Mexico into the Kansas City region.

    Morales-Garcia also admitted that he was found in the United States after having been deported twice in 2016.

    Flores-Norzagaray also admitted that he was in possession of a Hammerli .22-LRcaliber rifle, a Taurus 9mm handgun, and a Taurus .38-caliber revolver when he was arrested on Oct. 7, 2021. Flores-Norzagaray sold hundreds of grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on at least four separate occasions.

    The conspiracy involved the distribution of more than 335.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an average street price of $300 per ounce, and more than 22.1 kilograms of heroin, with an average street price of $1,500 per ounce.

    On June 8, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led an operation that involved 140 officers and agents from 14 state, local and federal law enforcement agencies. On the day of the takedown, officers executed 16 search warrants and seized 84.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, 4.5 kilograms of heroin, 10.4 kilograms of fentanyl, 7.6 kilograms of cocaine, 10.5 kilograms of marijuana, 687 Xanax pills, 3.1 kilograms of unknown pills, a quantity of bulk cash, five firearms, a 3D printer with manufactured ghost gun parts, and a liquid methamphetamine conversion lab.

    With these sentencings, 24 defendants have now been sentenced in this case in which 44 defendants were indicted.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Olmsted County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

    Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

    This case 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.

    KC Metro Strike Force

    This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbus man sentenced to 17 years in prison for 4 armed robberies of postal carriers

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 204 months in prison for four armed robberies of Postal carriers. 

    Thierno S. Bah, 22, of Columbus, used firearms and robbed postal carriers of their U.S. Postal Service keys on four occasions between December 2022 and May 2023. He was arrested in August 2023.

    “Seventeen years in federal prison is a serious consequence in line with the seriousness of this type of violent crime. We have held numerous individuals accountable in the Southern District of Ohio in recent years for their crimes against United States Postal Service carriers who are simply doing their jobs. As a result of our focused efforts and the vigorous investigations by our federal law enforcement partners, we’ve seen a decrease in new assaults,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.

    Bah, who is also known as “Wopo” and “Wopoonese,” worked with others to steal service keys, which are then used to steal mail from USPS receptacles (a process known as “fishing”). Individuals then “cook” the mail by washing personal and business checks and other financial instruments to reflect new payees and new payment amounts. Bah and others would then recruit third parties to deposit the newly washed checks in their own accounts and split the profit.       

    The thefts occurred in Central Ohio on:

    • Dec. 29, 2022
    • Jan. 3, 2023 (two separate robberies on this date)
    • May 11, 2023

    Bah pleaded guilty in November 2023 and admitted to using a handgun to rob a postal carrier in German Village on Dec. 29, 2022. Bah pointed the handgun at the victim’s stomach and demanded his vehicle and service keys.

    On Jan. 3, 2023, Bah pushed a postal carrier into her mail truck while she was sorting mail in the back of the truck on East Columbus Street. He then pushed a gun into the victim’s side before stealing her keys.

    Later that day, Bah committed another armed postal robbery, this time in Whitehall. Bah approached the victim and pushed the handgun into her stomach before stealing her personal car keys and the USPS service keys.

    On May 11, 2023, Bah robbed a Postal worker at the Post Office Retail Store on West Broad Street. Bah approached the victim while she was outside on a break. Bah asked the victim for her keys, and when she asked, “What keys?” he pistol-whipped her in the head with his handgun. Bah forcibly accompanied the victim into the post office to retrieve her service keys.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler; and Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Getaway Driver in Four Robberies of Suburban Chicago Financial Institutions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted the getaway driver in the robberies of three banks and a credit union in the Chicago suburbs.

    TARANDLE LEE served as the driver while his friend, CHARLES LAWLER, entered the financial institutions and presented demand notes.  Together the pair robbed three banks and a credit union, while Lawler also robbed an additional bank by himself.

    The robberies were as follows:

    • Sept. 22, 2021: Lawler robbed BMO Harris Bank in Naperville, Ill.

    • Sept. 28, 2021: Lawler and Lee robbed Old Second Bank in Lisle, Ill.

    • Oct. 6, 2021: Lawler and Lee robbed Bank Financial in Westmont, Ill.

    • Jan. 3, 2022: Lawler and Lee robbed BMO Harris Bank in Woodridge, Ill.

    • April 14, 2022: Lawler and Lee robbed DuPage Credit Union in Downers Grove, Ill.

    After a week-long trial in federal court in Chicago, the jury on Wednesday convicted Lee, 45, of Bolingbrook, Ill., on all four robbery counts against him. Lawler, 54, of Villa Park, Ill., pleaded guilty prior to trial to the first three robberies and stipulated to his role in the final two.

    Lee faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each of the four robberies he committed, while Lawler faces up to 20 years for each of the three robberies to which he pleaded guilty.  U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman has not yet set Lee’s sentencing date. Lawler is set to be sentenced on March 11, 2025.

    The convictions were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Downers Grove, Ill. Police Department, Bellwood, Ill. Police Department, Woodridge, Ill. Police Department, and Villa Park, Ill. Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandro G. Ortega and Jonathan L. Shih.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Culver City Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Recklessly Crashing Drone into Super Scooper Firefighting Aircraft During Palisades Fire

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Culver City man agreed to plead guilty to recklessly operating a drone that crashed into and damaged a Super Scooper firefighting aircraft fighting the Palisades Fire earlier this month, the Justice Department announced today.

    Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. This morning federal prosecutors filed a criminal information charging Akemann with the misdemeanor offense that carries a prison sentence of up to one year in federal prison.

    In a plea agreement also filed this morning, Akemann agreed to plead guilty to the criminal offense and admitted to his reckless and illegal conduct in flying the drone that posed an imminent safety hazard to the Super Scooper crew. As a result of the drone collision, the firefighting aircraft was taken out of service for a period of time and was not able to continue its firefighting mission. As part of the plea agreement, Akemann agreed to pay full restitution to the Government of Quebec, which supplied the plane, and an aircraft repair company that repaired the plane. Akemann also agreed to complete 150 hours of community service in support of the 2025 Southern California wildfire relief effort.

    “This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives in an attempt to protect lives and property,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “This damage caused to the Super Scooper is a stark reminder that flying drones during times of emergency poses an extreme threat to personnel trying to help people and compromises the overall ability of police and fire to conduct operations. As this case demonstrates, we will track down drone operators who violate the law and interfere with the critical work of our first responders.”

    “Lack of common sense and ignorance of your duty as a drone pilot will not shield you from criminal charges,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Please respect the law, respect the FAA’s rules and respect our firefighters and the residents they are protecting by keeping your drone at home during wildfires.”

    Akemann is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. 

    According to the plea agreement, while the wildfire was burning in and around Pacific Palisades on January 9, Akemann drove to the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and parked his vehicle on the top floor of the parking structure. He then launched a drone and flew it towards Pacific Palisades to observe damage caused by the Palisades Fire.

    Akemann flew the drone at least 2,500 meters (more than 1.5 miles) toward the fire and lost sight of the drone. As Akemann was flying the drone, it collided with a Government of Quebec Super Scooper carrying two crewmembers attempting to fight the blaze. The impact caused an approximately 3-inch-by-6-inch hole in the left wing. After landing, maintenance personnel identified the damage and took the aircraft out of service for repairs.

    At the time of the collision, the Federal Aviation Administration had issued temporary flight restrictions that prohibited drone operations near the Los Angeles County wildfires that erupted earlier this month.

    As a result of the collision, the Government of Quebec and an aircraft repair company incurred costs of at least $65,169 to repair the plane.

    The FBI investigated this matter. The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) provided substantial assistance.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kedar S. Bhatia and Ian V. Yanniello of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sumter County Man Arrested For Obscene Visual Representations Of Child Sexual Abuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Corey Wilkerson (30, Lake Panasoffkee) on an indictment charging him with possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. If convicted, Wilkerson faces up to 20 years in federal prison.  

    According to the indictment, between October 20, 2023, and July 10, 2024, Wilkerson possessed an obscene visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Specifically, Wilkerson possessed animated images depicting the sexual abuse of infants and young girls.

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

    This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jacksonville Man Indicted For Attempting To Entice And Meet An 11-Year-Old Child To Engage In Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Noel Daniel Simonca (47, Jacksonville) with attempting to entice a minor child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Simonca faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Simonca was arrested on January 19, 2025. 

    According to court documents, on December 10, 2024, an undercover FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an online undercover operation to identify adult individuals who were seeking to make contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the UC posted a short message in a public chatroom of a particular online social messaging app. A short time later, an individual using the app name “mdesase” contacted the UC using a private text messaging feature of the app. User “mdesase” confirmed that he would “love to see [the 11-year-old child],” and indicated that he had a preference for children aged “8-13.” On December 11, 2024, the UC and user “mdesase,” who was subsequently identified as Simonca, discussed meeting to have a “play date” and “trade [daughters].”

    Between December 12, 2024, and January 19, 2025, there were more online text conversations between the UC and Simonca during which they discussed meeting in person. On December 26, 2024, Simonca texted the UC and described the sexual activity that he intended to engage in with UC’s “child.” Simonca and the UC ultimately agreed to meet at a specific location in Jacksonville Beach so that Simonca could meet the “child” and take photos of “her.” On the afternoon of January 19, 2025, Simonca drove to the agreed meeting location where he was arrested by FBI agents.  

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.   

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran National Sentenced To 46 Months In Federal Prison For Illegally Reentering The United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Elmer Edin Chavarria-Morales (32, Honduras) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Chavarria-Morales entered a guilty plea on August 28, 2024.

    According to court records, Chavarria-Morales, a citizen of Honduras, was convicted of rape in Indiana state court on June 26, 2018, and was deported from the United States on September 21, 2018. Chavarria-Morales reentered the United States and was convicted of illegal reentry after deportation in the Southern District of Texas on February 22, 2021, and was deported from the United States a second time on November 11, 2022.

    Following his two deportations, Chavarria-Morales was arrested on April 2, 2024, by the Daytona Beach Police Department and was subsequently convicted of assault (domestic violence) on April 16, 2024. After his arrest, law enforcement learned that Chavarria-Morales was illegally present in the United States.

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.

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