NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Child Exploitation Crimes

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

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Alan J. Disomma Jr., 61, of Payson, Arizona, was sentenced today to life in prison for two counts of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity.

    A federal jury found Disomma guilty on February 23, 2024, following a two-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that on December 10, 2021, Disomma began messaging a woman located in West Virginia whom he believed to be the mother of two minor girls. Disomma stated in his messages to the individual that he wished to engage in sexual relations with both girls. Disomma also brought up possibly traveling to West Virginia to meet the girls during this online conversation.

    From December 21, 2021 to December 18, 2022, Disomma exchanged text messages with the woman and continued to express his interest in engaging in sexual relations with both girls. During this text messaging, Disomma asked about flying to West Virginia to visit them and also stated that he had previously engaged in sexual relations with a prepubescent girl and subjected her to bestiality. Disomma also expressed interest in having the woman and the girls move to Arizona to live with him.

    On December 18, 2022, Disomma flew from Arizona to Charleston, West Virginia, where he planned to meet the individual and travel with her to her residence where he intended to engage in sexual activity with both girls. Disomma flew to West Virginia with a nearly full bottle of Viagra. Upon his arrival in Charleston, Disomma was arrested by law enforcement officers.

    “This case involved horrific facts that painted a vivid picture of defendant’s intense desire to have sex with two children,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The offense conduct in this case was reprehensible, and today’s sentence reflects their gravity. I commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) West Virginia Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force and the West Virginia State Police for their investigation of this case. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Lesley C. Shamblin and our trial team for their work in this case, which resulted in guilty verdicts on all three counts in the indictment.”

    Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Disomma was sentenced to life in prison for each of the two counts of attempted enticement of a minor, and to a concurrent 30-year term for traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity. The Court also imposed a lifetime of supervised release.

    This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-227.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Columbia Financial, Inc. Announces Completion of Merger of Freehold Bank Into Columbia Bank

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FAIR LAWN, N.J., Oct. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Columbia Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLBK) (the “Company”), the mid-tier holding company for Columbia Bank, announced today the completion of the merger of Freehold Bank with and into Columbia Bank, effective as of October 5, 2024. Prior to the bank merger, Freehold Bank and Columbia Bank were held and operated as separate subsidiaries of the Company.

    In connection with the completion of the bank merger, James H. Wainwright, President and Chief Executive Officer of Freehold Bank, was appointed to the Board of Directors of Columbia Bank.

    About Columbia Financial, Inc.

    Columbia Financial, Inc. is a Delaware corporation organized as Columbia Bank’s mid-tier stock holding company. Columbia Financial, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of Columbia Bank, MHC. Columbia Bank is a federally chartered savings bank headquartered in Fair Lawn, New Jersey that operates 68 full-service banking offices and offers traditional financial services to consumers and businesses in its market area.

    Columbia Financial, Inc.
    Investor Relations Department
    (833) 550-0717

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pinehouse — Pinehouse RCMP: male arrested on multiple warrants

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 4, 2024 at approximately 5:30 p.m., Pinehouse RCMP received a report that an adult male, who was wanted on warrant, was seen walking near Hilltop Avenue in Pinehouse, SK.

    Officers responded and while conducting patrols of the area they located the adult male. The adult male observed the police vehicle and fled on foot into a nearby treed area. An officer exited the police vehicle, indicated that the male was under arrest, and followed him on foot. When the officer caught up to the adult male, he assaulted and attempted to disarm them. A second officer attended the scene and the adult male was arrested without further incident.

    During subsequent investigation, officers located and seized bear mace, a knife, and a small amount of drugs from the adult male’s backpack.

    As a result of continued investigation, 29-year-old Jerry Natomagan from Pinehouse, SK is charged with:

    • one count, disarming a police officer, Section 270.1(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, assault on police officer, Section 270(2), Criminal Code;
    • two counts, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, Section 88(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, fail to comply with release order conditions, Section 145(5)(b), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, resist/obstruct peace officer, Section 129(a), Criminal Code.

    Jerry Natomagan was also arrested on two outstanding warrants from Pinehouse RCMP for charges including sexual assault and assault with a weapon causing bodily harm.

    Jerry Natomagan appeared in court in La Ronge on October 7, 2024.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Battleford  — Battlefords RCMP: male charged with two counts of attempted murder

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 3, 2024 at approximately 4:15 p.m., Battlefords RCMP received a report of a shooting on the 1400 block of 109th Street in North Battleford, SK.

    Officers responded immediately and located two adult males, who had gunshot injuries, at a residence in North Battleford, SK. Both males were taken to hospital by EMS with injuries described as serious in nature.

    Officers located and arrested two adult males and an adult female near the scene.

    As a result of continued investigation, 21-year-old Adrian Dreaver from North Battleford is charged with:

    • two counts, attempted murder, Section 239, Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of a firearm while prohibited, Section 117.01, Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of ammunition while prohibited, Section 117.01, Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of a firearm without a license, Section 95(1), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, possession of a firearm knowing possession unauthorized, Section 92(1), Criminal Code.

    The other adult male and adult female were later released without charge.

    Adrian Dreaver appeared in court in North Battleford on October 7, 2024.

    Battlefords RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of Battlefords RCMP Municipal General Investigation Section

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Shotgun found in stolen vehicle

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police have recovered a firearm after a stolen ute was stopped in rural South Auckland in the early hours of this morning.

    Information was received after midnight that a stolen commercial ute was travelling south through the Wiri area.

    Counties Manukau South Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Clive Wood, says the Police Eagle helicopter was deployed as a result.

    “Eagle quickly picked up the vehicle’s movements and relayed this information to staff on the ground,” he says.

    “The vehicle carried on south until arriving at an address in Ararimu.”

    A Police unit quickly moved in behind the ute.

    “The driver was taken into custody without incident and a further search was invoked of the stolen vehicle,” Senior Sergeant Wood says.

    Inside, Police located a 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition, cannabis and methamphetamine.

    Senior Sergeant Wood says the 32-year-old male driver’s night took a turn, with additional charges being laid on top of being in possession of a stolen vehicle.

    The man has also been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition, as well as drugs offences.

    He will appear in the Pukekohe District Court today.

    Senior Sergeant Wood says: “Investigations are still ongoing into the original incident where several commercial vehicles were stolen from an Ōtara business last week and have been recovered.

    “This is another great result from our team working overnight, with a firearm taken out of circulation in our community and an offender to face up to the courts.”

    ENDS. 

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: High range drink driver arrested- Launceston

    Source: Tasmania Police

    High range drink driver arrested- Launceston

    Tuesday, 8 October 2024 – 9:11 am.

    A 45 year old man has been arrested and charged following a drink driving incident in Launceston recently.
    Police received numerous calls about the man driving a white Ford Ranger in an erratic manner through Launceston on Friday 4 October, causing several crashes in Launceston and Nunamara.
    Police arrested the man in Launceston a short time later where he returned a breath analysis reading of .202 (over four times the legal limit).
    The man was immediately disqualified from driving for 12 months, was charged with driving offences and will appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court at a later date.
    Acting Sergeant Caitlin Rawlings said one driver doing the wrong thing, was one too many.
    “Police will continue to conduct targeted high visibility traffic operations, however road users can expect to see us anywhere, anytime,” she said.
    “Being caught doing the wrong thing is one risk, but causing a crash that results in serious injury or death is a far more serious consequence. Police are committed to enforcing the road rules, to keep people as safe as possible on our roads – but we can’t do it alone.
    “If you’re out on the roads we need you to pay attention, buckle up, watch your speed, rest if you’re tired, and never drink drive.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yorkton — UPDATE: Yorkton RCMP seek public assistance locating missing male

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Alec Zwozdesky was located deceased this afternoon in a rural area near Highway #16 west of Yorkton. His family has been notified.

    Yorkton RCMP continues to investigate the circumstances of his death in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Biden-Harris Administration Ignores Bipartisan Budd Request to Establish Bounty for Hamas Leaders

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — The Biden administration has ignored a bipartisan request from Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) and 11 other Senators to authorize a reward of up to $25 million for information that brings Hamas leaders to justice.

    On September 26, 2024, Senator Budd led a dozen Senators to request that the State Department establish “a reward of up to $25 million under the State Department’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program for information that leads to the arrest of, locates, or disrupts the financial support for Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders or operatives responsible for the murder and kidnapping of Americans on October 7, 2023.”

    The deadline to respond was today, the one year anniversary of the October 7th attacks, and the senators have not received a response and no reward has been issued, as of this release.

    The letter was co-signed by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Kevin Cramer (R-NC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

    Senator Budd said in a statement:

    “One year ago, Hamas terrorists murdered and kidnapped dozens of American citizens. After 365 days, the State Department has failed to issue a bounty that would help bring these terrorists to justice. The fact that the Biden-Harris administration continues to leave tools unused shows a complete disregard for the safety and security of American citizens around the world.”

    Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker said:

    “The Biden-Harris administration should have posted the reward for these monsters’ capture months ago. They are not using every tool at their disposal to defeat Hamas.”

    Full text of the letter:

    Dear Secretary Blinken:

    We write requesting the immediate authorization of a reward of up to $25 million under the State Department’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program for information that leads to the arrest of, locates, or disrupts the financial support for Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders or operatives responsible for the murder and kidnapping of Americans on October 7, 2023. The United States must use every tool and resource at its disposal as leverage to secure the release of hostages, including seven Americans, still being held in Gaza and to bring those terrorists responsible to justice.

    As you know, Congress established the RFJ program when it passed the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism. We can think of no better way to fulfill congressional intent than to offer rewards for those Hamas leaders identified in the recently unsealed federal criminal complaint charging Yahya Sinwar, Mohammad Al-Masri, Khaled Meshaal, Ali Baraka, and others with terrorism, murder conspiracy, and sanctions-evasion charges related to October 7th.

    We respectfully request a response to this letter no later than October 7, 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE conducts single adult, family unit removal flights Oct. 4

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a component agency of the Department of Homeland Security, working in close coordination across the department, including with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, continued to facilitate removal flights of single adults and family units between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4.

    Those included removal flights to Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Peru. If a noncitizen arrives and has no legal basis to remain in the United States, they are processed and removed quickly, consistent with U.S. law.

    In the year following the end of the Title 42 public health order — between May 12, 2023, and May 12, 2024 — DHS removed or returned over 742,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom crossed the southwest border, including more than 111,000 individual family members. Total removals and returns in that period exceeded removals and returns in every full fiscal year since 2010.

    Since the presidential proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of certain noncitizens across the southern border and the complementary joint interim final rule issued by DHS and the U.S. Department of Justice seventeen weeks ago, DHS has removed and returned more than 140,000 individuals to more than 144 countries, including by operating more than 430 international repatriation flights. DHS has almost tripled the percentage of noncitizens processed through Expedited Removal while in CBP or ICE custody. Expedited Removal processing was already at record levels prior to the Proclamation.

    In keeping with standard practice, the United States ensures that all noncitizens without a legal basis to remain in the United States are properly screened for valid protection claims and withholding of removal in accordance with our laws and U.S. international obligations. This applies to all noncitizens, regardless of nationality, to ensure the orderly and humane processing, transfer and removal of single adults and family units.

    Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings present their claims for relief or protection from removal before immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. Due to operational security reasons, ICE does not confirm or discuss future or pending transportation operations.

    ICE Air Operations facilitates the transfer and removal of noncitizens, including family units, via commercial airlines and chartered flights in support of ICE field offices and other DHS initiatives. In fiscal year 2023, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted 142,580 removals and 62,545 Title 42 expulsions to more than 170 countries worldwide.

    B-roll for removal flights is available here. DHS has made additional videos available to the public and the media, including b-roll footage of removal flights, a public service announcement and testimonials from migrants who have been removed.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development works worth Rs. 329 crore in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, today

    Source: Government of India

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development works worth Rs. 329 crore in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, today

    For the first time in India, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has started medical science education in local languages

    The 425-bedded hospital being built with an outlay of Rs244 core will fulfill the health related needs of the people of Mansa for the next 25 years

    Recently, Delhi Police has seized drugs worth Rs 5600 crore and destroyed the international drug syndicate involved in it

    After Modi government came into power, it destroyed the drugs trade which was growing rapidly in the entire North India including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi

    Only Narendra Modi government can achieve the resolve for a Nasha-Mukt Bharat

    Gujarat government has seized drugs worth Rs.8500 crores in just 3 years

    Modi ji has started a campaign to make people healthy with a holistic approach

    Medical education will be started in Gujarati in Mansa Medical College

    Children of Gujarat will become doctors after getting medical education in their own language and it will begin from Mansa

    In 10 years from 2004 to 2014, 1,52,000 kg of drugs worth Rs 768 crore were seized, while in the 10 years of Modi government from 2014 to 2024, 5,43,600 kg of drugs worth Rs 27,600 crore have been seized

    Posted On: 04 OCT 2024 9:36PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various development projects worth Rs.329 crore in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Several dignitaries, including Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, were present on this occasion.

    In his address, Shri Amit Shah highlighted that the Gujarat government is working on the construction of a 425-bed hospital at a cost of ₹244 crores for the residents of Mansa. He mentioned that this 425-bed hospital will cater to the health needs of the people of Mansa for the next 25 years. He also noted that today, the inauguration, foundation laying, and e-inauguration of 10 development projects of the Mansa Municipality are taking place, along with the foundation laying and inauguration of other development projects costing ₹329 crores.

    Union Home Minister said that a beautiful Chandrasar Lake has been developed in Mansa, and efforts have been made to supply water from the Narmada River to this lake. He mentioned that the work of connecting a total of 16 lakes, including Chandradu, Malan, Malai, including previously built 13 lakes in the state, and supplying of Narmada water to them has been completed this monsoon season. He added that this will raise the water level in all surrounding areas and improve agricultural yield, leading to the prosperity of farmers.

    Shri Amit Shah mentioned that the foundation-laying projects include the civil hospital, beautification of Malan Lake, programs for Sasni and Malan lakes, a community hall in Ranyapur, double-laning of the Pilvai-Mahudi road, and a dry waste segregation plant. Moreover, the new hospital will provide all facilities, such as a critical care trauma center, orthopedic surgery, pediatric department, medicine, gynecology, physiotherapy, dialysis, X-ray, CT scan, and MRI, all available in a single building for everyone.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has initiated the teaching of medical science in local languages for the first time in India. He mentioned that medical courses

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police investigate fatal Beaconsfield crash

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Police investigate fatal Beaconsfield crash

    Saturday, 5 October 2024 – 7:24 am.

    Police are investigating a fatal vehicle crash that occurred on Weld Street Beaconsfield at approximately 5pm on Friday 4/10/2024.
    A blue Mitsubishi was being driven in a southerly direction, on Weld Street, by a 44-year-old Beaconsfield woman, when the vehicle collided with a tree. Tragically the driver died at the scene.
    A 20-year-old woman was walking along the roadside at the time of the crash, and she was also injured. The woman is currently in the Launceston General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
    Police will be preparing a report for the coroner.
    Police offer heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased woman and also would like to thank the members of the community who assisted both victims at the scene.
    Anyone with information, or who saw the blue Mitsubishi driving in Beaconsfield prior to the crash, is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Biggs and Senator Hagerty Demand DOJ Accountability for Lack of Response to Election Integrity Concerns

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05)

    Today, Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) led a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding accountability for his agency’s failure to respond to a congressional inquiry into the integrity of American elections. Earlier this year, the Congressmen, joined by 60 of their House and Senate colleagues, inquired about the measures that have been taken by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to safeguard American elections from being hijacked by illegal aliens. The initial inquiry, dated July 12, received no response from Garland’s DOJ. The DOJ’s failure to respond to congressional inquiry is unacceptable.

    Reports regarding alarming events in South Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio raise justified concerns as to the integrity of our federal elections. There is no publicly available information to suggest that the Department of Justice is investigating or bringing cases against aliens who violate federal election law.

    Congressman Biggs and Senator Hagerty’s letter requires AG Garland to provide information regarding the steps, if any, taken by the DOJ to prosecute non-citizens for illegally voting or registering to vote in federal elections. The letter also inquires into whether the DOJ has contacted election officials in Virginia and Texas to obtain information on each of the aliens removed from voter rolls who were unlawfully registering and voting in elections.

    “American citizens must have confidence in the security of our elections,” said Congressman Biggs. “The DOJ’s failure to provide timely answers to our important questions is not acceptable.

    “At least 10 million illegal aliens have been released into our country through our porous borders during Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s Administration. Americans should not have to be concerned that their voices will be drowned out by the voices of illegal aliens when electing officials for public office.

    “I’m grateful to Senator Hagerty for leading this effort in the Senate and to my colleagues who understand the significance of this oversight.”

    House cosigners of this letter include: Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL), Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS), Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Rep. Michael Guest (R-TX), Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX), Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), Rep. Greg Lopez (R-CO), Rep. Keith Self (R-TX), Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX), Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV), and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).

    Senate Cosigners: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), Sen. James Risch (R-ID), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Sen. Shelley Capito (R-WV), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).

    The initial letter may be read here.

    The follow-up letter may be read here.

    Fox News covered the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Attorney Indicted on Tax Charges

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Defendant Allegedly Did Not Report Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from His Law Practice

    A federal grand jury in Detroit charged a Michigan attorney yesterday with filing false tax returns and willfully failing to file tax returns.

    According to the indictment, Shawn Smith, who calls himself “Shawn the Law,” is a lawyer residing in Birmingham. For 2017 through 2020, Smith allegedly filed false individual income tax returns that did not report hundreds of thousands of dollars of gross receipts that he earned from his law business. In addition, Smith allegedly did not file an individual income tax return for 2021 and 2022.

    If convicted, Smith faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each false return count and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan and IRS Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Jeffrey A. McLellan and Kenneth C. Vert of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison

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

    Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERMEL BATES, also known as “Mel Kitty” and “Kitty,” 28, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of June 25, 2023, Bates crashed his vehicle into a parked car in Bridgeport and fled the scene on foot.  Law enforcement conducted a search of Bates’ vehicle and found plastic bags containing numerous blue/green fentanyl pills stamped “M/30,” wax paper folds containing fentanyl and other controlled substances, and approximately 78 grams of crack cocaine.  Bates was arrested later that day and charged with state offenses.

    On March 19, 2024, Bates was arrested on a federal criminal complaint.  In conjunction with his arrest, investigators searched his person and his Newfield Avenue apartment and found plastic bags with thousands of blue-green fentanyl pills stamped “M/30” and weighing more than 400 grams, hundreds of wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, and a bag containing approximately 12 grams of crack cocaine.

    Bates has been detained since his federal arrest.  On May 10, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

    This matter was investigated by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Norwalk Police Department.  The Task Force is composed of personnel from the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Trumbull Police Departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.

    In March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA’s New England Field Division released a public service announcement warning of the danger of fentanyl and the proliferation of counterfeit prescription pills.  Click here for more information.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Real Estate Agent Charged with Tax Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A federal grand jury in Los Angeles returned an indictment yesterday charging a California man with evading the payment of his individual income taxes and obstructing the IRS in its efforts to collect those taxes.

    According to the indictment, Gabriel Guerrero, a Los Angeles-based commercial real estate agent, did not timely file tax returns for many years. In 2014, he allegedly filed more than 10 years’ worth of returns but did not pay the amounts he self-reported he owed. When the IRS began trying to collect those outstanding taxes, Guerrero allegedly sought to prevent the IRS from being able to do so in at least two ways: by not depositing substantial commission checks he earned from commercial real estate sales into his bank accounts and using cashier’s checks to circumvent IRS levies of those accounts. The indictment also alleges that Guerrero further obstructed collection efforts by submitting false financial disclosure forms to the IRS, which significantly underreported his income and by not disclosing a bank account he used to deposit his income.

    In total, Guerrero is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $350,000.

    If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion and three years in prison for obstructing the IRS. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Robert Kemins and Christopher Gerace of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Arkow for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Is 11th Defendant Sentenced in Large-Scale Cocaine and Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy

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

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tyrone Anderson, 44, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base and for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    According to court documents, Anderson is among the 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 and charged in a 45-count indictment for trafficking narcotics as part of a DEA-led multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento. Anderson was intercepted during wiretaps in 2018 and 2019 trafficking kilograms of cocaine and heroin to sub‑distributors in California and from the East Coast. During the wiretap, agents seized 4  kilograms of cocaine that Anderson had sold for $118,000 to a Baltimore sub-distributor. At the time of his arrest, agents seized 567 grams of powder cocaine and 949 grams of heroin from Anderson’s stash location and two loaded firearms from his residence.

    Below is the status of Anderson’s co-defendants:

    On Sept. 29, 2022, Jason Tolbert, 47, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

    On Nov. 17, 2022, Charles Carter, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

    On Nov. 17, 2022, Andre Hellams, 40, of North Highlands, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Hellams is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 24, 2024.

    On Dec. 8, 2022, Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

    On March 16, 2023, Arlington Caine, 50, of Rio Linda, was sentenced to 22 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

    On March 14, 2024, Bobby Conner, 53, of Sacramento, was sentenced to six months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

    On March 28, 2024, Maurice Bryant, 53, of Antelope, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base. Bryant is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17, 2024.

    On April 25, 2024, 2023, Dwight Haney, 52, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. 

    On May 30, 2024, Jerome Adams, 56, of North Highlands, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

    On Aug. 8, 2024, Steven Hampton, 65, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

    On Sept. 26, 2024, Mark Martin, 63, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

    On Aug. 1, 2024, Alex White, 61, of North Highlands, was sentenced to a term of 38 months (time served) for distribution of cocaine base.

    Charges are pending against Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento and Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.

    This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Oviedo Man Indicted for Receipt and Attempted Production of Child Sex Abuse Material

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

    Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Marvin Fredrick Wagner, II (25, Oviedo) with one count of attempted production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and one count of receipt of CSAM. If convicted, Wagner faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the attempted production offense and a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for the receipt offense. 

    According to the indictment, the conduct underlying the attempted production offense took place between June 23 and October 11, 2023. Wagner received CSAM on October 11, 2023.

    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 and the Oviedo Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.

    This 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourteen Indicted in Multi-State Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Linked to Deadly Fentanyl Distributed to Members of the Lummi Nation

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

    Seattle – Law enforcement fanned out across the country and in western Washington yesterday arresting 17 people on indictments and criminal complaints for a multi- state drug trafficking conspiracy. The two-year investigation alleges that the trafficking ring has been linked to a fatal fentanyl overdose on the Lummi Nation reservation in Whatcom County. Law enforcement in Georgia, Missouri, Texas, and Arizona executed search warrants and some arrests.  Ten of 13 defendants arrested in Washington remain detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, pending hearings later this week and next week. Three defendants were released on bond.

    “This investigation revealed that the trafficking organization was a supplier to a community that was rocked by four fentanyl overdose deaths in just four days,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Fentanyl continues to claim lives in our community – especially in our Tribal communities. We will do all we can to stop the flow of this deadly drug.”

    “The significance of this case is that a family drug trafficking organization expanded from Seattle beyond Washington state to locations across the country,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “This group distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States, including in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia. Together with our partners, this demonstrates the national impact of today’s operations by disrupting this source of supply.”

    The drug ring was led by Marquis Jackson, 31, who splits time between Atlanta and the Renton, Washington home of his parents, defendants Mandel Jackson, 50, and Matelita (Marty) Jackson, 49. Also linked to the Renton family home were defendants Markell Jackson, 21, and Miracle Patu-Jackson, 22. Members of the Jackson family are indicted for various conspiracy counts including drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Records filed in the case link some of the Jacksons to a Seattle area street gang.

    Markell Jackson is a fugitive still being sought by law enforcement. Matelita (Marty) Jackson, Miracle Patu-Jackson and Adean Batinga were released on bond.

    The other defendants indicted for drug trafficking include:

    Edgar Valdez, 26, of Phoenix

    Keondre Jackson, 29, Wichita, Kansas

    Michael Young Jr., 43, Tacoma, Washington

    Sir-Terrique Devon Milam, 20, Federal Way, Washington

    Tyrell Lewis, 32, Federal Way, Washington – a fugitive

    Robert Johnson, 20, Renton, Washington

    Diyana Abraha, 22, Seattle – a fugitive

    Adean Batinga, 20, Burien, Washington

    Tianna Karastan, 21, Seattle -a fugitive

    Diallo Redd, 34, Tacoma, arrested in Montana on a Montana indictment.

    Two additional defendants were arrested in the Seattle area in connection with the serving of yesterday’s search warrants:

    Chad Conti, 47, Covington, Washington

    Phillip Lamont Alexander, 48, Des Moines, Washington

    Over the course of the investigation law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine and 29 firearms. They also seized more than $116,000 in cash.

    In Whatcom County, teams led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested four people on criminal complaints for fentanyl distribution. According to the complaints, the Whatcom drug traffickers were linked by phone communication and surveillance to the Jackson drug trafficking organization.

    In September 2023, four tribal citizens died of fentanyl overdose within a period of just four days, prompting the Lummi Indian Business Council to declare a state of emergency in response to the escalating fentanyl crisis.

    Tribal and federal partners examined the phone of one of the overdose victims and found connections to the Jackson Drug Trafficking Organization.  DEA, the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have continued to work closely with the Lummi Nation Police to identify additional members of this drug trafficking organization with the goal of stopping the flow of fentanyl into Indian Country and elsewhere.

    Those arrested on complaints this week include:

    Robert Bellair, 41, Ferndale, Washington

    Thomas J. Morris, 42, Bellingham, Washington

    Patrick James, 40, Bellingham, Washington

    Ronald Finkbonner, 50, Bellingham, Washington

    All four are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.

    “The Drug Enforcement Administration’s top priority is to combat fentanyl traffickers responsible for deaths and misery in our communities,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.  “This case highlights the lengths to which DEA and our partners will go to ensure people trafficking fentanyl are held accountable for the suffering they cause.”

    “The Seattle Police Department appreciates the collaboration with our federal partners in combatting the scourge of the fentanyl crisis and the proliferation of guns from drug trafficking organizations,” said Deputy Chief Eric Barden of the Seattle Police Department. “Fentanyl caused over 1,000 overdose deaths in King County last year. Seattle Police are delighted to partner with the FBI, DEA, USAO and other state and local jurisdictions to dismantle a drug distribution network undoubtedly responsible for deaths in our community.”

    The charges contained in the indictment and criminal complaints are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    This case 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.

    This case is being investigated by the FBI, (Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas, Las Vegas, Montana), DEA (Seattle, Kansas City, Wichita, Montana), the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, the Lummi Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Border Patrol Blaine Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Crystal Correa, and Michael Harder.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Indicts Five Child Exploitation Cases in September, Discusses Joint Effort to Protect Alaska’s Children

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

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker announced that a federal grand jury in Alaska returned five unrelated child exploitation indictments in September, emphasizing Alaska law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute cases to keep children safe.

    “Those who target children for sexual gratification are an urgent threat to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “My office, alongside our dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement partners, maintains our steadfast commitment to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting anyone who tries to harm our children—especially in this digital age, where predators can reach victims from anywhere in the world.”

    “These arrests demonstrate the FBI’s continued prioritization of combatting child exploitation crimes in Alaska – no matter where these violations occur or who commits them,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Together with our law enforcement partners and the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, we will identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who put our most vulnerable at risk.”

    “We, whether it is as a federal law enforcement agency such as HSI or as a community as a whole, have a duty to protect the most vulnerable among us, our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Victims of any type of child exploitation crime are survivors of unimaginable trauma. When we successfully stop child predators, we help victims attain safety and a chance to reclaim their lives.”

    “The U.S. Secret Service stands firmly with our law enforcement partners to investigate crimes that exploit and target children,” said Glen Peterson, U.S. Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Seattle Field Office. “We continue to use our tools, resources and expertise to identify and arrest individuals that victimize children.”

    U.S. v. Feltovic

    According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2024, William Alexander Feltovic, 36, an Anchorage U.S. Postal employee, allegedly attempted to coerce an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity. Feltovic was arrested on Sept. 23 and is charged with one count attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schroeder is prosecuting the case.

    U.S. v. Hadley

    According to court documents, in June 2023, Jesse Hadley, 31, of Kotzebue used a minor in Bethel to produce and possess visuals of child pornography. Hadley was arrested on Sept. 30 and is charged with one count sexual exploitation of a child—production of child pornography and one count sexual exploitation of a child—possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the Bethel Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case.

    U.S. v. Madros

    According to court documents, on Aug. 27, 2024, George Floyd Madros III, 43, of Anchorage, contacted an individual he thought was a 13-year-old female on a social media platform. Madros and the individual began communicating through a private chat via the platform and text messages. Madros then allegedly asked the individual for sexually explicit content, asked to meet in person, and talked about potential sexual interactions if they met in person. Madros was arrested on Aug. 28 on related charges filed in a criminal complaint. The indictment charges Madros with one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney is prosecuting the case.

    U.S. v. Rose

    According to court documents, on Aug. 27, 2024, Robert Nicholas Roy Rose, 44, of Anchorage, contacted an individual he thought was a 13-year-old girl on a social media platform. Throughout the course of the chat, Rose allegedly had sexually explicit conversations with the individual, including explanations of actions he wanted to do or perform with the 13-year-old, and organized a time to meet in person.

    In 2006, Rose was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree in the Superior Court for the State of Alaska. As part of the conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender in Alaska. Rose was arrested on Aug. 30 on related charges filed in a criminal complaint. The indictment charges Rose with one count of attempted exploitation of a child – production of child pornography, one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count offense by a registered sex offender. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison for the one charge of attempted production of child pornography, followed by an additional mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison that runs consecutively for the count of offense by a registered sex offender.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney is prosecuting the case.

    U.S. v. Steadman

    According to court documents, William Steadman, 34, of Juneau, allegedly produced child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) depicting a minor known to him. Additionally, court documents indicate that he allegedly spent time with other children in his community. Steadman was arrested on Sept. 6 on related charges filed in a criminal complaint. The indictment charges Steadman with sexual exploitation of a child, also known as production of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison. 

    The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Caille Petursson, Jack Schmidt, William Reed and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.

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

    If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Woman Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Killing Husband with Controlled Substance

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

    TOLEDO, Ohio – Amanda Hovanec, 37, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp, II, after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including distributing a controlled substance that resulted in the death of her husband. Amanda Hovanec was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,108,559.36.

    According to court documents, Hovanec and her husband, Timothy, were married and had three children.  They moved several times for his job with the U.S. Department of State, which included an assignment in South Africa around 2018. While there, Hovanec developed a relationship with a South African citizen named Anthony Theodorou. Hovanec initiated divorce proceedings against her husband in 2020 after returning to the United States. In December 2021, she began to deny her husband visitation with their children despite a court order to permit it. After her husband filed several contempt motions against Hovanec for denying visitation, a judge ordered that the children be given visitation with their father in April 2022, and further ordered that the husband become the residential parent and legal custodian of their children for two months that summer, beginning in May.

    The children went with their father for an April weekend visitation, as ordered, after which their father returned them to Hovanec’s Wapakoneta residence. Later, a missing persons investigation was opened when the husband failed to check out of an area hotel where he had been staying.

    During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered the husband’s abandoned car in Dayton, Ohio. It had been equipped with a dash camera.  Review of the camera’s video showed that the husband had returned the children to Hovanec’s residence around 7 p.m. on April 24, 2022. Video footage showed Hovanec and her mother, Anita Green, waiting outside the residence next to the garage. Hovanec was then seen walking toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and heard telling the children, “I have a surprise for you inside.” The children entered the residence, followed by Green. Seconds later, the victim was heard saying, “What the heck are you doing?  Did you just assault me?” and then, “Get away from me  . . .  Get off of me.”  The victim and Hovanec came into the camera’s view, at which time video footage captured her pulling on her husband’s shirt as he tried to use his cellphone. She wrestled with him and eventually knocked the phone out of his hand. She then pulled on his back to bring him to the ground, holding him around the neck until his body went limp and he became unresponsive, lying on the driveway. Hovanec stood up, picked up her husband’s cellphone, removed his smart watch, and turned off his vehicle’s engine, at which point the dash camera stopped recording.

    After first attempting to cover up her crimes, Hovanec later confessed to investigators that she injected her husband in the shoulder with “poison” that she understood would kill him within minutes. She also admitted to disposing of his car in Dayton, and burying his body in a wooded area not far from her home. Theodorou was in Ohio at the time of the incident.  He not only obtained the substance used to kill the victim, but also helped Hovanec bury her husband’s body. Green, who both Hovanec and Theodorou confirmed knew about the plan to murder the victim in advance, was charged as an accessory after the fact. She agreed to drive them and the victim’s body to the grave site, which was dug in advance of the murder.

    The investigation determined that the victim was injected with M-99, also known as Etorphine, a Schedule I controlled substance approximately 1000 times more potent than morphine. It is used in veterinary medicine for zoo and wildlife anesthesia.  

    According to court records, Hovanec considered killing her husband for at least a year before the murder and had considered alternate means to do so, including hiring a hitman, before settling on injecting him with M-99.

    “Hovanec’s violent and intentional actions were cold-blooded, calculated, and cruel. Her extreme malevolence toward her husband and complete disregard for how his murder would affect their innocent children is incomprehensible and unforgiveable,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We know that no amount of time served can bring back a family’s loved one. But our hope is that the victim’s family may find some sense of closure as they painstakingly work to heal from this unimaginable and horrific tragedy.”

    Theodorou was sentenced to 18 years in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to import, importation and distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in death. He was also ordered to pay $2,108,559.36 in restitution, of which a part will be paid jointly and severally with Hovanec and Green. Anita Green was sentenced to 10 years in prison and two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to being an accessory to the crimes committed by Amanda Hovanec and Anthony Theodorou. 

    This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Lima Resident Agency, the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the Lucas County Coroner’s Office.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alissa Sterling and Michelle Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio and Virginia Men Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Securities Fraud

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

    CLEVELAND – A jury convicted two men for conspiring to artificially inflate prices on a low-value stock being sold to investors. After a trial that proceeded in two stages for over four weeks, Paul Spivak, 65, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, and Charles Scott, 70, of Alexandria, Virginia, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Spivak was also found guilty on two counts of wire fraud in the first stage of trial, and he then pled guilty to four other counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, and a separate count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Scott was then found guilty of a securities fraud conspiracy and one count of securities fraud in the second stage of trial.

    According to court documents, trial testimony, and exhibits, Spivak was the majority owner and chief executive officer of U.S. Lighting Group, Inc. (USLG), a publicly traded Florida corporation based in Euclid, Ohio, that focused on the design and manufacture of commercial LED lights, aftermarket auto parts, and fiberglass recreational campers and boats. The company traded on OTC Markets under the ticker USLG and was considered a “penny” stock due to its lower market value. Penny stocks are more vulnerable to price manipulation because they draw less scrutiny and have lower trading volume than other stocks.

    Between 2016 and 2019, Spivak and his co-conspirators manipulated USLG’s stock price to their financial benefit. He and his co-conspirators arranged to take USLG public through a reverse merger with a shell company. They sought to artificially inflate or “pump” up the price of USLG stock using call rooms and other manipulative practices. One co-conspirator who helped to take USLG public and inflate the stock price was Richard Mallion, who was previously convicted of securities fraud and banned for life from participating in the securities industry. Numerous investors throughout the country were pressured to purchase USLG stock while Mallion and other co-conspirators covertly arranged for sell orders to match with the buy orders that the call rooms generated.

    While the stock price was artificially inflated, Spivak arranged for co-conspirators to act as unlicensed stockbrokers, cold-calling investors to sell them restricted shares of USLG stock. The brokers used aliases and represented the stock as offered at a steep discount relative to the apparent market price. Spivak arranged to pay those brokers large, undisclosed commissions, while concealing the true nature of USLG’s payments to those brokers by entering into fraudulent consulting agreements with them and requiring them to submit invoices that falsely described commission payments as payments for other services. 

    Between 2016 and 2019, USLG took in approximately $6.9 million from numerous restricted stock investors—many of them elderly and located throughout the country—in increments between $4,000 and $1 million. During that time, the company made approximately 200 payments totaling $2 million in undisclosed commissions to those unlicensed stockbrokers.

    From February through June of 2021, Spivak and Scott engaged with undercover agents and a confidential source, who together posed as co-conspirators arranging to artificially inflate or “pump” up the price of USLG. Spivak arranged for them to receive stock, to be sold at inflated prices, from Scott and another co-conspirator, who had also agreed to kick back proceeds to USLG.

    Spivak and Scott arranged for Scott to sell free-trading USLG stock to undercover agents and to send approximately half of the proceeds of those sales back to USLG in exchange for additional restricted stock. Undercover agents, in turn, would sell USLG stock at inflated prices, and then use some of the profits to buy more free-trading shares from Scott, who would then kick back additional money to USLG to buy more restricted stock.

    Six of the defendants’ co-conspirators previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and other charges in this matter. Those co-conspirators included Mallion, Spivak’s wife, Olga Smirnova, and a number of the unlicensed stockbrokers. A seventh co-conspirator, Robert Louis Carver, also admitted to participating in this scheme as an unlicensed stockbroker using a stolen identity, all while he was a fugitive in a long-pending securities fraud matter in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Case No. 8:11-CR-62).

    “These men orchestrated an aggressive, fraudulent scheme to benefit their company, enrich themselves, and to add to their personal coffers at the expense of others. They not only withheld information, but also purposely engaged a team of affiliates that devised tactics to make it appear that USLG shares were a valuable and valid investment to people who thought they were investing in good faith,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will not tolerate those who think they can outsmart and manipulate the system through fraud and misrepresentation. This verdict helps protect our citizens and our business communities from these predatory methods and serves as a warning to others who are tempted to break federal securities laws because of greed.”

    Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2025 for Spivak, and Jan. 16, 2025 for Scott. Spivak faces a maximum penalty of 170 years in prison. Scott faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Morrison, Megan Miller, and Stephanie Wojtasik for the Northern District of Ohio.

    Report investment, financial, and related violations at https://www.sec.gov/submit-tip-or-complaint.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Sentenced to Almost Six Years for Illegal Possession of AR-15 Rifle and Other Firearms

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

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Rashad Dominic Griggs, 36, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department (HPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, on August 20, 2022, HPD officers responded to a call for service following reports that Griggs was waving a gun at his girlfriend. The officers knew Griggs had active warrants for his arrest for violating a domestic violence protection order and carrying a concealed firearm. Upon arriving at the location, Griggs emerged from the residence and was arrested on the existing warrants. Following a search of the residence, HPD officers found a white powdery substance that was later lab tested and confirmed to be fentanyl. In addition, officers recovered multiple firearms from the residence, including an AR-15 type rifle, multiple magazines including a drum magazine with shotgun rounds, and multiple rounds of ammunition. The officers knew Griggs had prior convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Court records show that Griggs pleaded guilty to a state offense and was placed on probation.

    According to court documents, on June 28, 2023, law enforcement conducted a search of the defendant’s home pursuant to his probation terms. During the search, law enforcement found a rifle magazine loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, a pistol, and multiple rounds of ammunition. During an interview with law enforcement, Griggs acknowledged that he had obtained a pistol approximately seven to eight months prior and stated that he kept the firearm for protection.

    On May 16, 2024, Griggs pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. He remains in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and HPD for their investigation of the case, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, Community Supervision, for their invaluable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Regina Pack and Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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 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: Columbus Man Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Armed Postal Robbery

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

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A sixth co-conspirator in a network of defendants connected to six local armed robberies of postal carriers pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today.

    Malachi S. Royster, 21, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting aggravated robbery of property of the United States and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

    Royster admitted that he helped pre-plan a May 11, 2023, robbery of a postal carrier. He accompanied co-conspirators that morning while they scouted for potential postal workers to rob; served as the getaway driver before, during and after the robbery on West Broad St.; and accompanied co-conspirators while they returned the firearm used in the robbery to other co-conspirators. Royster’s plea agreement includes a sentence recommendation of 60 to 84 months in prison.

    Royster is one of six men charged in connection with six central Ohio postal robberies between November 2022 and May 2023.

    Anthony J. “A.J.” Williams, 20, of Columbus, was the gunman in a Nov. 9, 2022, postal carrier robbery. Williams committed the armed robbery of a USPS letter carrier who was delivering mail on Michigan Ave. in Columbus. The postal carrier was delivering mail to an apartment complex’s “cluster box” at the time. Williams approached the mail carrier and brandished the handgun directly at the victim. Williams demanded the victim’s postal keys and then yanked the postal keys off of the carrier’s belt. Williams also admitted to planning a postal robbery and conspiring to commit the robbery on Christmas Eve 2022. Williams pleaded guilty in July 2024 and faces a sentence of 84 to 108 months in prison.

    Theirno S. Bah, 20, of Columbus, used firearms and robbed postal carriers of their U.S. Postal Service keys on four occasions between December 2022 and May 2023. Cameron D. Newton, 20, of Westerville, aided and abetted the aggravated robberies of mail and the use of a firearm during the crimes of violence.

    Bah used 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. Newton, who was on probation and consequently wearing a GPS ankle monitor at the time, recruited two juveniles to assist with the robbery. Newton also arranged for Bah to use the handgun, which was provided by co-conspirator Jaemaun Evans, 20, of Columbus.

    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. At this robbery, Newton provided surveillance from his vehicle nearby, using the cover of making DoorDash deliveries to evade his home confinement.

    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. Newton again provided surveillance in the vicinity. He also worked to arrange buyers for the stolen postal 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. Newton obtained a firearm for Bah to use during this robbery from Kenan M. Lay, 21, of Columbus. Lay provided the 9mm handgun used in the armed robbery of the elderly female postal worker in exchange for $100.

    Bah faces a sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison and Newton faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison. Lay was sentenced in April to 66 months in prison. Evans was sentenced in September 2024 to a 24-month term of imprisonment to be followed by a 12-month term of house arrest.

    Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.

    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 guilty plea entered this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in these cases.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Black Sturgeon Falls — Lynn Lake RCMP investigating homicide

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 4, 2024, at approximately 1:55 am, Lynn Lake RCMP received a report of an assault in progress involving two teens outside a residence located in Black Sturgeon Falls.

    Officers attended and located a 16-year-old male, who was pronounced deceased, outside the residence.

    A 16-year-old male was arrested and remains in police custody.

    Lynn Lake RCMP, along with RCMP Major Crime Services and RCMP Forensic Identification Services, continue to investigate.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Somerset County Man Sentenced to 64 Months’ Incarceration for Concealing Material Support to Hamas

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

    TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to time served – 64 months – for concealing his attempts to provide material support to Hamas, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger,  Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, FBI-Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado Jr., and FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism David J. Scott announced. 

    Jonathan Xie, 25, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with one count of concealing attempts to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court. 

    “Jonathan Xie not only admitted sending money that he hoped would be used by the terrorist organization Hamas to fund violent acts against civilians in Israel, he professed his desire to travel to Gaza to join them. Brandishing a gun and holding a Hamas flag, he also posted that he was going to shoot everybody at a pro-Israel march and  ruminated how one could go on a rampage by ramming  pro-Israel demonstrators with a car. This supporter of Hamas learned the true cost of supporting terrorists.”

    U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger

    “Xie is an unfortunate example of an emerging and extremely dangerous threat the FBI Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force is seeing with much more frequency,” Newark FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado said. “The average age of the international and domestic terrorism subjects we investigate is under 21 years old, and they’re being radicalized in only a few months. Xie was a teenager when he decided to send money in support of a terrorism organization and then threaten to carry out a plan to kill pro-Israeli people. We need this case to serve as a warning to parents and guardians – pay attention to what your teenagers are doing online.”

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

    Xie knowingly concealed and disguised the nature, location, source, ownership and control of  his  attempt to provide material support and resources to Harakat alMuqawamah al-Islamiyya and the Islamic Resistance Movement, an organization that is commonly referred to as Hamas. Xie admitted that he knew Hamas was a designated foreign terrorist organization and has engaged in terrorist activities. He said he attempted to conceal his attempted support believing it would be used to commit or assist in the commission of a violent act. 

    In December 2018, Xie sent $100 via Moneygram to an individual in Gaza who Xie believed to be a member of the Al-Qassam Brigades – a faction of Hamas that has conducted attacks, to include suicide bombings against civilian targets inside Israel. At approximately the same time that Xie sent the money, he posted on his Instagram account “Just donated $100 to Hamas. Pretty sure it was illegal but I don’t give a damn.” 

    In April 2019, Xie appeared in an Instagram Live video wearing a black ski mask and stated that he was against Zionism and the neo-liberal establishment. When asked by another participant in the video if he would go to Gaza and join Hamas, Xie stated “yes, If I could find a way.” Later in the video, Xie displayed a Hamas flag and retrieved a handgun. He then stated “I’m gonna go to the [expletive] pro-Israel march and I’m going to shoot everybody.” In subsequent Instagram posts, Xie stated, “I want to shoot the pro-israel demonstrators . . .  you can get a gun and shoot your way through or use a vehicle and ram people . . . all you need is a gun or vehicle to go on a rampage . . . I do not care if security forces come after me, they will have to put a bullet in my head to stop me.”

    In April 2019, Xie sent a link to a website for the Al-Qassam Brigades to an FBI employee who was acting online in an undercover capacity. Xie described the website as a “Hamas” website and stated he had previously sent a donation to the group. Xie then sent screenshots of the website to the undercover employee and demonstrated how to use a new feature on the website that allows donations to be sent via Bitcoin. On April 18, 2019, when the undercover employee asked whether Bitcoin was anonymous, Xie responded: “yah… i think thats why hamas is using it now because money transfer is not that anonymous.”   

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Xie to 20 years of supervise release, including six months of home detention with location monitoring for the first six months. 

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger and Assistant Attorney General Olsen credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado; and the U.S. Department of Defense, Army Counterintelligence, 902d Military Intelligence Group, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanks the U.S. Secret Service for its assistance. 

    The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorney Taryn Meeks of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division (currently detailed to the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Verdict in Multi-Million-Dollar Investment Fraud Trial

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – Following a week-and-a-half-long trial and less than four hours of deliberation, a federal jury convicted an Arizona man on multiple charges for orchestrating a fraudulent investment scheme. The charges included 17 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of mail fraud, and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from specified unlawful activity.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, over an eight-year period from 2014 to 2021, John Lopez, 73, engaged in a fraudulent investment scheme through his company, Personal Money Management Company (PMMCO). Lopez claimed to have developed a sophisticated algorithm for trading stocks and bonds that had generated above-market returns and guaranteed high annual returns of 10 to 19 percent. He misled clients, many of whom live in northern New Mexico, by stating that their money was primarily invested in stocks and bonds when, in fact, he used it to purchase precious metals. Lopez even offered one investment with a purported 42% annual rate of return over 20 years.

    Lopez received approximately $19.4 million from clients. Instead of investing this money as promised, he allocated about $13.3 million to buy precious metals and disbursed around $6.1 million to clients as part of a Ponzi scheme, falsely representing these payouts as investment gains. Throughout the scheme, Lopez provided clients with fake account statements indicating that their investments had grown substantially. When government agents seized PMMCO’s assets in November 2021, they found that the asset’s total value was less than $15 million, despite Lopez claiming client accounts were worth approximately $39 million.

    Photo of all the bullion seized from storage unit in November 2021
    Photo of placards of silver coins seized from storage unit in November 2021
    Photo of silver coins from storage unit
    Photo of gold coins from business

    After the asset seizure, Lopez continued to court new clients, persisted in falsely representing a history of producing above-market returns, and kept generating deceptive account statements.

    Although prosecutors sought the defendant to be remanded into custody following his convictions, the Court ordered that Lopez remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Lopez faces up to 20 years in prison.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office brought a separate civil forfeiture action on April 15, 2022, seeking to forfeit assets seized in November 2021. Litigation in the civil proceeding is ongoing.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Woman Admits COVID-19 Relief Program Fraud

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

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida woman today admitted fraudulently obtaining $465,489 in COVID-19 relief funding after submitting fraudulent applications to victim lenders, the U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Jane Batista, 43, of Lake Worth, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

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

    From April 2020 to August 2021, Batista submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for herself, her husband, and two businesses they owned and operated. In support of those applications, Batista lied about the number of employees the businesses employed, the income the employees earned, and the revenue Batista and her husband generated as sole proprietors. Batista also submitted forged documents, including fake tax return documents. After the victim lenders funded the loans, Batista used that money for personal expenses and made several large transfers, including one for $15,000.

    The wire fraud count carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. The money laundering count carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 18, 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Corwin Rattler; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Taj Moore of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

    The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of the five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

    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 at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Admits Conspiring to Engage in Multimillion-Dollar Wire Fraud Scheme

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

    NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man today admitted conspiring to commit wire fraud that caused losses of more than $2 million, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Terrell Fuller, 34, of Baldwin, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud conspiracy.

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

    Fuller and his conspirators submitted a fraudulent application to the Small Business Administration (SBA), which caused the SBA to provide them with approximately $1.2 million. They also opened bank accounts in the names of various entities and individuals, deposited illegally obtained or fraudulent checks into those accounts, and then withdrew and attempted to withdraw money from the accounts. Fuller, using stolen personal identifying information, fraudulently rented locations to live in New York and failed to pay more than $400,000 in rent and fees for those locations. Fuller and his conspirators obtained more than $2 million in money and property through their fraudulent actions.

    The wire fraud conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the value of the funds involved in the transfer, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Franklin Township Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.  

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement Marking One Year Since Hamas’s October 7 Terrorist Attacks in Israel

    Source: US State of California

    The Justice Department issued the following statement marking one year since Hamas’s October 7 Terrorist Attacks in Israel:

    “Monday, October 7 will mark one year since Hamas terrorists murdered nearly 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans, kidnapped hundreds of civilians, and perpetrated the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

    As made clear by the charges we recently unsealed against Yahya Sinwar and other senior leaders of Hamas, the Justice Department is committed to pursuing the terrorists responsible for murdering Americans — and those who illegally provide them with material support — for the rest of their lives. We are targeting every aspect of Hamas’s operations, and our work is far from over.

    We are also committed to continuing to combat the disturbing rise in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities here in the United States that we saw in the wake of last year’s attacks. The Justice Department has responded forcefully to these threats, and we have no tolerance for unlawful acts fueled by hatred of any kind.

    We also recognize that as we mark one year since the attacks, we do so at a time when millions of Jewish Americans are observing the High Holidays. Today, and every day, the Justice Department reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that Jews in this country feel safe and are protected. No person and no community should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence, and the Justice Department will aggressively investigate and prosecute criminal acts and threats of hate whenever and wherever they occur.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran National Sentenced for Transporting Illegal Aliens from Texas to Georgia

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the October 1, 2024 sentencing of WILFREDO GARCIA-HERNANDEZ (“GARCIA”), age 31, a Honduran national, who previously pled guilty to transporting aliens, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii).

    According to court documents, GARCIA was encountered by a United States Border Patrol agent near Slidell, Louisiana.  A traffic stop was conducted and GARCIA was found to be driving two illegal aliens from Texas to Georgia for employment.   

    United States District Judge Brandon S. Long sentenced GARCIA to time served, followed by 3 years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

    U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Border Patrol, in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

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