NewzIntel.com

Category: Law and Justice

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: Trump & Elon’s Layoffs Jeopardize Essential Services Americans Rely On, Threaten Critical Agency Objectives Keeping Americans Safe & Healthy 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) responded to the Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers who are on their “probationary” period—meaning: federal workers who were hired or promoted within the past 1-2 years.  

    There is nothing efficient about indiscriminate mass firings. Although the exact number of employees in their probationary period changes with each pay period, data from March 2024 shows more than 220,000 federal employees were within their probationary period. More than one quarter, or 56,000, were employees at the Veterans Health Administration. The Partnership for Public Service estimates that there are now closer to 250,000 federal employees in their probationary period. Moreover, these employees are younger (around 27% are under the age of 30) and have the highest rates of employee engagement among all government workers. President Trump has also recently signed an Executive Order, which mandates that only one employee be hired for every four who are fired or depart.

    In a statement, Senator Murray said:

    “There is nothing ‘efficient’ about indiscriminately firing thousands upon thousands of workers in red and blue states whose work is badly needed. 

    “We are talking about safety engineers at the Hanford nuclear cleanup site, VA doctors and nurses, utility line workers in my home state, CDC health experts who investigate disease outbreaks, and so many others.

    “Two billionaires who have zero concept of what the federal workforce does are breaking the American government—decimating essential services and leaving all of us worse off. 

    “The lives upended by these callous firings will not just be the federal workers who lose their jobs, but the millions of Americans who rely on services these employees provide: health care, food safety, housing, lifesaving research, and so much else. 

    “Let’s be clear that these sweeping layoffs do not address fraud or waste. These firings are totally arbitrary–pushing out high performers and the promising next generation of our federal workforce who won’t be easily replaced. 

    “The scale and scope of Trump and Elon’s purge will set our country back decades, but we are not powerless in this moment. It is incumbent on every one of us to speak out for a government that works for middle-class families and working people—not just billionaires who will never need to call about their Social Security benefits or file a disability claim at VA.”

    SEE BELOW FOR A SELECT, NON-COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THE IMPACTS OF THESE LAYOFFS:

    VETERANS AFFAIRS: In 2022, Congress passed the largest expansion of veterans’ benefits in two decades, requiring a significant influx of resources and staff to ensure veterans are getting the medical care and benefits they are owed. 

    • The Trump administration’s mass firing of more than 1,000 VA employees just yesterday will badly undercut VA’s ability to process the significant uptick in claims and benefits the agency has seen since the PACT Act was signed into law. The Trump administration has not explicitly exempted doctors, nurses, medical researchers, or disability claims raters from the layoffs. 
    • These layoffs likely mean longer wait times for veterans trying to receive medical care, and they could mean that ongoing clinical trials may be forced to come to an abrupt halt. They likely also mean veterans will wait longer for their disability claims to be processed and approved, and that training for new claims raters that VA has invested in over the last year would go to waste.  
    • There is already a shortage of VA doctors and nurses across the country–in red and blue states. The hiring freeze prohibits new disability claims raters from coming on board, and with the firing of recently hired raters, the backlog of unprocessed claims will grow above 254,000. 

    SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA): The SBA provides essential resources and support to small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country. This week, the Trump administration reportedly moved to fire 720 employees, including those recently hired to help small businesses and homeowners recover from devastating disasters. Communities and main streets across the country–from North Carolina to California–are still reeling from the impacts of hurricanes and wildfires; laying off SBA employees will curtail the SBA’s efforts to help small businesses on the ground recover. 

    OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM): OPM serves as the chief human resources and personnel policy manager for the federal government and processes retirements for all federal workers, including those in the postal service. OPM employees help ensure federal employees in every part of the country receive their paychecks and retirement benefits. Without adequate staffing levels, federal workers will experience disruptions in essential services OPM provides. 

    • On February 13, OPM fired 250 probationary employees. Management was not notified that the agency would be firing people that day and probationary employees were given 30 minutes to leave the building. There were no exceptions given for high-performing employees or those that managers had prioritized on requested forms. 

    GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (GSA): GSA oversees most government contracts, manages federal property, and oversees basic federal government functions. Housed at GSA, Technology Transformation Services is responsible for FedRAMP, which sets cybersecurity standards for federal contractors, and Login.gov, which the American public uses to access their Social Security statements online. GSA was one of the earliest DOGE targets. 

    • An estimated 100 tech workers at GSA have been laid off this week alone. These employees assist with important federal initiatives, including the Direct File program, which is finally helping Americans file their taxes directly with the IRS–for free.  

    HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: The nationwide housing shortage is one area in which both sides of the aisle agree needs urgent solutions, and HUD plays a critical role in working to tackle the crisis. Without sufficient staff to keep things moving at HUD, hundreds of projects across the country are going to be delayed. Many projects will fall apart completely, exacerbating the housing crisis. Even one month of delays on a multimillion-dollar project can cost builders immensely. In just a few weeks of hasty decisions, the Trump administration has proposed drastic cuts that will hurt some of the most vulnerable people and families across the country, undercut economic development, and stunt disaster recovery.

    • Even under current staffing levels, grantees struggle to receive adequate and timely customer service and processing from HUD, and these actions will make it devastatingly worse.
    • Based on current estimates, Trump’s personnel actions to date will result in about a 13% reduction in HUD’s entire workforce.
    • This figure could grow to 50% percent based on reported plans for additional staff cuts across HUD’s programs. One component was directed to reduce staff by 84%, and that office oversees the community and economic development, long-term disaster, and homeless assistance funding that cities around the country, in red and blue states, rely on.  

    DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: The Department of Energy is responsible for overseeing U.S. energy policy and production, our nuclear weapons program, and national nuclear policy. Among other things, Department of Energy staff plays an essential role in turbocharging American innovation, creating new good-paying jobs, lowering families’ energy bills, strengthening America’s energy security, and maintaining our nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile.

    • The Department of Energy has now laid off 1,800 employees out of 15,850 employees, which is roughly 11% of its workforce. The layoffs have occurred Department-wide; however, the climate and infrastructure deployment offices have been hit hardest, including the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and the Manufacturing and Grid Deployment Offices. These layoffs will seriously hamper the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, which have created hundreds of thousands of new jobs–compounding the incredible damage that this administration has already caused with its illegal freeze of funding provided by the two landmark laws. The layoffs include staff responsible for ensuring that funding to lower households’ energy costs gets out the door.
    • In Washington state alone, more than a dozen employees at the Hanford Site and more than 600 at the Bonneville Power Administration have been laid off–which will have cascading ripple effects on the cleanup efforts at the Hanford site and the security of the Pacific Northwest energy grid. Notably, these numbers do not include employees who opted into the “deferred resignation” program.

    INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE: The Indian Health Service provides direct health care to 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, but has, for years, been plagued with chronic staffing challenges and consistently high vacancy rates (upwards of 29%) across all service areas. The staffing shortage has, for decades, undercut the quality of care to Tribal communities across the country. Congress has consistently identified recruitment and retention as a high priority for the agency and has worked on a bipartisan basis to fully fund staffing at IHS facilities and to increase hiring incentives to provide relief.

    • The Trump administration’s mass firing of more than an estimated 850 employees includes doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and lab technicians–and will devastate the Indian Health Service’s ability to provide services for patients and make an already dire situation worse. These indiscriminate cuts to IHS’ health care workforce will leave thousands without access to critical care and could cost lives.
    • American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life expectancy rate of 11 years less than the national average of 65.2 years old. That’s the same life expectancy rate as the overall population of the United States in 1944.

    DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR: The Interior Department is responsible for the management of public lands, waters, and natural resources, including both conservation and development on federal lands under the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management, as well as administering programs affecting Native Americans. The Department is reportedly laying off 2,300 employees.

    • These layoffs will lead to a damaging loss of full-time staff at the National Park Service, which is already operating well below prior staffing levels despite significant increases in visitation. As a result of onerous budget caps during the 2010s, the National Park Service lost 15% of its staff while park visitation also increased by 15%. National Park units experience a summer surge in visitation that peaks in July, and the Service hires more than 6,000 seasonal employees to manage that extra work. Without full-time or seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will not be properly maintained, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether canceled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable.
    • These indiscriminate cuts are also likely to jeopardize the President’s own “America-First” energy agenda, delaying the processing, planning, permitting, environmental compliance, and approval of new and expanded transmission lines, renewable energy projects, oil and gas leasing and drilling, critical minerals mines, coal mining, and other development on federal lands or waters.

    Federal Bureau of Investigation: The FBI is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. The Bureau is reportedly amassing a list of thousands of probationary employees, including special agents, for possible layoffs–which comes at a time of incredible uncertainty at the FBI. The FBI already faces a salaries and expenses resources shortfall, because of the Fiscal Responsibility Act’s tight constraints, which has already resulted in roughly 1,000 fewer staff. A purge—possibly in the thousands—of FBI employees will worsen an already bad situation–seriously undermining the FBI’s ability to combat terrorism, violent crime, cybercrime, drugs and gangs, transnational organized crime, and child and sex trafficking exploitation. 

    • The FBI has over 2,800 probationary employees, nearly 600 of which are special agents. 
    • The first year cost alone of recruiting, hiring, and training a new FBI special agent is nearly $250,000. Firing hundreds of new agents would be a colossal waste of American taxpayers’ dollars. 

    FOREST SERVICE: The Forest Service is responsible for managing 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands and is reportedly laying off 2,400 employees. While some exemptions are expected for law enforcement and firefighters, many of those being let go are qualified to help respond to wildfires and are a vital resource during the height of fire season. Other recent hires were brought on to accelerate hazardous fuels reduction and community wildfire defense projects to decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires to communities across the country.

    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: Approximately 1,700 EPA staff have so far been notified they could be terminated. As of December 2024, EPA had 15,572 total full-time employees on staff, which include scientists, toxicologists, biologists, staff overseeing cleanups at Superfund sites in red and blue states, and many more. Indiscriminate layoffs will seriously jeopardize energy projects that have created good jobs, efforts to keep American families’ water supply clean and safe, waste site cleanup efforts, and much more.

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: HHS’ civil service and nonpartisan leadership consists of scientists, researchers, medical professionals, child welfare specialists, and other dedicated public servants. Its nonpartisan leadership is tasked with implementing laws spanning HHS’ far-reaching responsibilities and accordingly is retained to continue building on advances made in medicine, public health, and social services. HHS’ nonpartisan career leadership does not routinely turn over between administrations.

    • Nonetheless, Secretary Kennedy, now having been confirmed, is expected to seek the unprecedented resignation of HHS nonpartisan career leadership and has already begun firing thousands of probationary employees across HHS. 
    • Injecting politics deep into HHS will undermine everything from biomedical research to public health to substance use treatment to child welfare. This is how now-Secretary Kennedy will substitute his own beliefs for established scientific consensus. 
    • Additionally: firing thousands of staff across the Department will have far-reaching impacts on basic government services, potentially including the administration of Medicare. Firings so far have included nurses, pharmacists, patient care technicians, and other staff critical for patient care at NIH’s clinical center, as well as hundreds of early career scientists and researchers.

    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: So far, Department of Education employees have already been put on administrative leave simply because they took a training encouraged by the first Trump administration. Other employees fired or expected to be fired at the Department of Education will put cybersecurity efforts, ongoing work on the FAFSA, and maintenance of student aid processing systems in serious jeopardy. 

    AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE: ARS is the USDA’s principal in-house research agency that seeks to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority. This includes research related to ensuring high-quality, safe food, assessing the nutritional needs of Americans, and sustaining a competitive U.S. agricultural economy.

    • The blanket firing of hundreds of scientists and technicians across the country who were in probationary periods will undercut new, ongoing, and urgent research projects studying livestock and crop production, food safety, environmental stewardship, human nutrition, and value-added agriculture. 

    ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE: Scores of employees from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) were abruptly fired regardless of performance status. APHIS protects our country against the emergence of deadly animal and zoonotic diseases and prevents the introduction of destructive invasive pests. This work is vital to ensuring our farmers and ranchers can safely feed the world. As avian influenza rages across poultry and dairy farms and continues to infect people, the last thing our country needs is a shortage of staff focused on addressing this threat.  

    RURAL DEVELOPMENT: Hundreds of employees working to help rural communities across the country were laid off overnight. Rural Development provides financial assistance for communities to have safe drinking water, affordable housing, high-speed internet, and access to health and safety services. Without adequate staffing, loans and grants will not be processed, and these communities will not have the resources they need to thrive.

    NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE: Hundreds of employees working to assist producers with access to voluntary conservation programs and practices were laid off. Those employees are based in offices across the country and provide technical assistance to help improve soil quality, reduce the energy used on farms, and provide other climate mitigation benefits. 

    NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION: NOAA is the nation’s leading scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, and managing marine and coastal resources. Americans rely on the National Weather Service’s data forecasts daily but the critical nature of the mission to life and property comes to light during hurricanes, drought, wildfires, tornados, and other extreme weather events. The National Weather Service already struggles with staffing shortages but has made a concerted effort to increase the number of meteorologists. As such, many meteorologists have only been in the role for less than a year and are within their probationary period. 

    • Reports that NOAA will be required to lay off more than a thousand probationary employees, including meteorologists, which amount to 10% of NOAA’s workforce would result in disruptions to weather forecasts. 
    • Similar impacts could be felt to the sustainable management of the nation’s fisheries since NOAA relies on wage mariners to staff the fisheries’ survey vessels that perform stock assessments that feed into accurate sustainable catch limits on which the fishing industry relies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Unlicensed driver blows 6 times legal limit – Darwin

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    A young Darwin man is lucky to be alive after crashing his small vehicle into large utility vehicle on the Stuart Highway this morning.

    At 10:15am the Joint Emergency Services Communications Centre received a report of a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Stuart Highway and Tivendale Road, Knuckey Lagoon.

    Earlier, a 47-year-old male was driving a black, Ford F-150 inbound along the Stuart Highway when a 21-year-old male, driving a silver Toyota Yaris, attempted to make a right-hand turn from the Stuart Highway onto Tivendale Road.

    The driver of the Yaris failed to see the F-150 and collided heavily into the driver’s side causing extensive damage to both vehicles and blocking the inside lane.

    Police, NTFRS and St Johns Ambulance attended the scene. The driver of the F-150 sustained a possible fractured ankle and a laceration to his arm and was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital by ambulance.

    The 21-year-old driver, who is unlicensed, was breath tested at the scene of the crash and returned an indication blood alcohol level of 0.304%.

    He was also taken to RDH for assessment of minor injuries and a blood sample was also taken for analysis.

    Darwin Watch Commander Sean Patterson said the behaviour of the 21-year-old driver was simply unacceptable.

    “The conduct of this offending driver was absolutely ludicrous. He put the community in danger and caused injuries to a person going about his daily business, Watch Commander Patterson said.

    “Sixty people lost their lives on Territory roads last year and the actions of this young man had the potential to cause another, totally unnecessary fatality.

     “This type of behaviour is completely irresponsible and Police make no apology for continuing to target drivers impaired by alcohol and drugs.”

    The Darwin Traffic Operations unit are continuing to investigate the crash.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Final two defendants of 76 indicted in Operation Ghost Busted sentenced to federal prison

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

    Brunswick, GA:  The last of 76 defendants in a major south Georgia drug trafficking operation have been sentenced to federal prison, wrapping up an investigation into a gang-coordinated conspiracy that operated inside and outside Georgia prisons.

    David D. Young, a/k/k “Khaos,” 44, of Hortense, Georgia, was sentenced to 235 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. A co-defendant, Blake K. Screen, 36, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 100 months in prison just five months after his conviction at trial on charges of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered each of the defendants to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    “Altogether as adults, the 76 defendants in Operation Ghost Busted have been convicted of more than 250 felonies – and more egregiously, this investigation linked their drug trafficking operation to multiple deaths from dozens of overdoses,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “Our community is demonstrably safer with these drug distributors off the streets, and we applaud our law enforcement partners for the outstanding investigative work to put these defendants behind bars and bring this case to a successful conclusion.”

    Young and Screen were among the 76 defendants indicted in December 2022 in USA v. Alvarez et al., dubbed Operation Ghost Busted. For more than two years, investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with multiple federal, state, and local agencies to identify the sprawling drug trafficking network. Operating inside and outside Georgia prisons, the conspiracy was coordinated by members of the Ghost Face Gangsters working with affiliates of other criminal street gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples.

    Both Young and Screen served as dealers and sources of supply to the operation. After the December 2022 indictment and subsequent sweep to bring the defendants into custody, Young was a fugitive for more than a year until he was identified through his extensive Ghost Face Gangsters facial tattoos and taken into custody in March 2024 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, after being featured on “America’s Most Wanted.”

    In addition to long histories of arrests and felony convictions, all of the defendants in Operation Ghost Busted have a history of illegal drug use, including several who survived repeat overdoses. Fifty of the defendants are high school dropouts.

    Believed to be the largest drug trafficking prosecution in the history of the Southern District of Georgia, Operation Ghost Busted was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

    Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; and sheriff’s offices from Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Responds to Administrator Zeldin’s Unfounded Attack on Climate Bank, Urges Citibank Not to Give in to Fearmongering

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Boston (February 14, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement after Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin attacked the lawfully established and properly structured deployment of funds through the National Clean Investment Fund and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. These programs, which were included in the Inflation Reduction Act, are expected to mobilize $150 billion in private and public capital to lower energy bills, support community resiliency and clean environments, and create good-paying jobs.  

    “Congress passed a law with a majority of votes that directed the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a national clean financing network to provide financing for local economic development and energy projects across the country. The EPA followed the law—a concept that is apparently unfamiliar to the Trump-Musk administration—and entered into legally binding contracts with grant recipients so these federal dollars can start helping families and small businesses lower their energy bills and create local economic opportunity. Financial Agency Agreements, like the one that EPA developed with Citibank for this program over the course of a rigorous yearlong process, have been available to the U.S. Treasury since the 1860s. These agreements allow federal grant recipients to account for funds they are legally entitled to on their balance sheets, enabling them to leverage private sector dollars. This process has always been transparent—all processes and decisions were based on timelines set by law and with full disclosure to EPA’s Office of the Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office.

    “Make no mistake—this is just another attempt by the administration to fund their millionaire and billionaire tax breaks off the backs of hardworking Americans,” continued Senator Markey. “I urge Citibank not to give into the administration’s fact-free fearmongering and bullying. Administrator Zeldin said clearly that the agency hasn’t found any evidence of fraud. He’s just kicking up dust so you can’t see the administration’s true intent—taking money away from our communities for their own billionaire giveaways. The contracts for this national clean financing network are clear: the funding needs to be accessible to recipients. Laws passed by Congress and contracts between parties can’t legally be broken on a whim. No matter what reality the Trump-Musk administration is operating in, it can’t ignore that fact.”  

    Senator Markey secured numerous provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, including the creation of a $27-billion national climate financing network based on his National Climate Bank Act. Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, Senators Markey and Van Hollen and Congresswoman Dingell—the House lead on the climate financing legislation—welcomed the launch of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in April 2023. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Diego Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin-Filled Bibles Addressed to California Prison Inmates

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – U.S. District Court Judge Todd Robinson sentenced Lucresia Stone-Rojas of San Diego today to 86 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm on November 12, 2023, and possession with intent to distribute heroin on December 27, 2023. Stone-Rojas previously pleaded guilty in federal court to these charges.

    According to court records, police stopped Stone-Rojas on November 12, 2023, after license plate readers identified a stolen Porsche near North Second Street and East Main Street in El Cajon. During the stop, police recovered a loaded 9mm Walther firearm and an additional ammunition magazine. Multiple prior felony convictions prohibit Stone-Rojas from possessing a firearm or ammunition. She was therefore charged with unlawful firearm possession, following investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

    Stone-Rojas was again arrested by federal investigators on December 27, 2023, for a second offense. This time, Stone-Rojas possessed sealed packages and envelopes addressed to multiple prison inmates in the California Department of Corrections. A search of the packages revealed two Bibles containing approximately 23 grams of heroin; the drugs were concealed in the spine of the Bibles and destined for delivery to two different California prisons.

    “Smuggling drugs into our prisons endangers both the inmates and the correctional staff. It will not be tolerated.” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden “Hopefully this case will serve as a warning to anyone who would be willing to abuse the tools of faith and rehabilitation to perpetuate addiction and despair.”

    “Multi-convicted felons who possess firearms will be held accountable as we work to keep our communities safe and firearms out of the hands of prohibited people,” said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kenneth R. Cooper. “ATF will continue to work with local and state law enforcement agencies to investigate the violent career criminals who illegally possess firearms.”

    “Drug distribution, no matter where it occurs, threatens the safety of our community and will not be tolerated,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark.
     

    DEFENDANT                                                                             Case Number 23CR2622 (TWR)

    Lucresia Stone-Rojas                                                 Age: 46                                                        San Diego, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Felon in Possession of a Firearm — Title 18 U.S.C., Section 922(g)(1)
    Maximum Penalty: 15 years in prison and $250,000 fine

    Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin – Title 21 U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
    Maximum Penalty: 20 years in prison and $1,000,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
    Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
    Drug Enforcement Administration
    El Cajon Police Department

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash Evandale

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police and emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash at Evandale.

    About 10.30am on Saturday 15 February, Police were called to the intersection of Bakewell Road and Portrush Road after reports of a collision involving a truck and a car

    Diversions are in place, however please avoid the area if possible.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Killing Girlfriend Inside Apartment

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Koran Brown, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today, to 21 years in prison for shooting Cynthia Barringer insider her apartment at 2312 Green Street, S.E., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Brown pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed in November 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.   

                According to the government’s evidence, Brown and Ms. Barringer argued around 3:45 pm on the day of the murder. During the argument, Brown shot Ms. Barringer one time in the head with a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. He then started a fire in the bedroom where the shooting occurred and fled the building. Brown was captured on surveillance video leaving the building and arriving shortly thereafter at the home of a family member, where he left his bloody t-shirt and the murder weapon. After that evidence was recovered during a search warrant, DNA testing linked the items to both the defendant and the victim.

                In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity and Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington Williams. Finally, they commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Rickard and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana Joseph and Andrea Antonelli, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Backs Effort to Permanently Repeal the Death Tax

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) and 44 additional Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation that would permanently repeal the federal estate tax, commonly known as the death tax.  The Death Tax Repeal Act would end this purely punitive tax that can hit family-run farms, ranches, and businesses as the result of the owner’s death.

    “Small businesses are the lifeblood of Idaho’s economy, and family farmers, ranchers and entrepreneurs have often worked lifetimes to grow their businesses,” said Crapo.  “The death tax can be a devastating blow to American families who want to pass down their farm or small business to the next generation.  It’s time to permanently provide relief from this unfair tax.”

    “Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota,” said Thune.  “Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability.”

    The legislation is supported by the Idaho Cattle Association and the Idaho Farm Bureau.

    “The Idaho Cattle Association supports full repeal of the ‘Death Tax,’” said Cameron Mulrony, Executive Vice President of the Idaho Cattle Association.  “The long-term success of our historic industry has been predicated on the ability to provide profitability and transfer over generations.  The repeal of this tax is critical in the continual success of multi-generational operations and the legacy of our industry.”

    “The Idaho Farm Bureau Federation applauds efforts to permanently repeal the Death Tax,” said Bryan Searle, President of the Idaho Farm Bureau.  “One of the best ways to support multi-generation family farms and ranches is to not penalize the new generation. Farm Bureau thanks Senators Thune and Crapo for leading on this important issue.”

    Additional co-sponsors of the legislation include U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jim Banks (R-Indiana), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Curtis (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and Todd Young (R-Indiana).  Representative Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    The bill is supported by more than 190 members of the Family Business Coalition and more than 105 members of the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition, which includes the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Restaurant Association, the National Association of Home Builders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, King Join Reintroduction of Bipartisan Legislation to Help Prevent Mass Violence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in both chambers of Congress to reintroduce the EAGLES Act to help prevent acts of mass violence. The bill, named after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mascot and introduced on the seventh anniversary of the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, would expand the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to include a greater focus on preventing targeted violence, including school violence.

    “No child should feel unsafe in the classroom, and we must take action to ensure that schools are a secure place for students, teachers, and staff,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would strengthen research and training to prevent targeted violence, including threats to schools, helping educators and law enforcement better identify risks early and respond effectively.”

    “Too many communities in Maine and all across the country have been devastated by mass acts of violence. Whether it’s at school, the supermarket, or church, Americans deserve to feel safe while going about their daily lives. The bipartisan EAGLES Act would expand the capabilities of the National Threat Assessment Center so we can better prevent mass violence and senseless tragedies. This is a proactive, commonsense step forward in combatting public threats and I thank my colleagues for coming together to help keep our communities safe,” said Senator King.

    The U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center was created in 1998 to develop evidence-based indicators for various types of targeted violence, including school violence. NTAC’s findings can then be used to develop best practices and training to prevent future acts of violence. Since 2002, the Secret Service has conducted hundreds of training operations for more than 198,000 school administrators, teachers, counselors, mental health professionals, school resource officers and other public safety partners. The EAGLES Act reauthorizes and expands NTAC, allowing it to scale its threat assessment operations, with a particular focus on school safety.

    In addition to reauthorizing the Center and expanding their research and education capabilities, the bill establishes a national program on targeted school violence prevention and provides additional resources for research and training. Through the bill’s school safety initiative, the NTAC will coordinate trainings and plans with the Departments of Justice and Education. The bill also requires the Secret Service to provide periodic progress reports to Congress.

    Along with Senators Collins and King, and lead sponsors Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), the EAGLES Act is cosponsored by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23).

    The legislation is endorsed by Make Our Schools Safe, School-Based Health Alliance, National Fraternal Order of Police, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, National Association of School Resource Officers, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Safe Schools for Alex, Stand with Parkland, Everytown for Gun Safety, Safe and Sound Schools, National Sheriff’s Association, Sergeants Benevolent Association, and The American Psychological Association.

    The complete text of the bill can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Grassley Lead Reintroduction of Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent Mass Violence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Seven years after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, lawmakers continue bipartisan push for changes to prevent future violence

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) led bipartisan lawmakers in both chambers of Congress to reintroduce the EAGLES Act to prevent acts of mass violence. The bill, named after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mascot and introduced on the seventh anniversary of the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, would expand the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to include a greater focus on preventing targeted violence, including school violence.

    The NTAC provides research and training for behavioral threat assessment and targeted violence, including school shootings and other public threats. The legislation creates a national program on targeted school violence prevention and expands the NTAC’s research and training on school violence and its dissemination of information on school violence prevention initiatives.

    “School shootings have devastated communities across the country, including in Nevada,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This bipartisan legislation will help our law enforcement stop these violent attacks before they occur, so families can send their children to school without fear.”

    “Effective behavioral threat assessments and early interventions can stop deadly ideas from becoming tragic acts,” said Senator Grassley. “Our bill would enable the Secret Service to share their unique tools and expertise with school safety partners across the country, building safer communities. While we cannot undo past tragedies, we can work together to honor the memories of those we’ve lost and prevent future violence.”

    The legislation is supported by Make Our Schools Safe, School-Based Health Alliance, National Fraternal Order of Police, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, National Association of School Resource Officers, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Safe Schools for Alex, Stand with Parkland, Everytown for Gun Safety, Safe and Sound Schools, National Sheriff’s Association, Sergeant Benevolent Association, and The American Psychological Association.

    The U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) was created in 1998 to develop evidence-based indicators for various types of targeted violence, including school violence. NTAC’s findings can then be used to develop best practices and training to prevent future acts of violence. Since 2002, the Secret Service has conducted hundreds of training operations for more than 198,000 school administrators, teachers, counselors, mental health professionals, school resource officers and other public safety partners. The EAGLES Act reauthorizes and expands NTAC, allowing it to scale its threat assessment operations, with a particular focus on school safety.

    In addition to reauthorizing the Center and expanding their research and education capabilities, the bill establishes a national program on targeted school violence prevention and provides additional resources for research and training. Through the bill’s school safety initiative, the NTAC will coordinate trainings and plans with the Departments of Justice and Education. The bill also requires the Secret Service to provide periodic progress reports to Congress.

    The full text of the legislation can be found here, and a summary of the bill can be found here.

    Senator Cortez Masto has pushed to reduce gun violence, including through expanding background checks and other commonsense gun violence prevention measures. She has led bipartisan legislation in the Senate to permanently ban bump stocks and other devices that allow semi-automatic firearms to increase their rate of fire and effectively operate as fully automatic weapons. She voted to pass the bipartisan Safer Communities Act to close the so-called “boyfriend loophole.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Wins Come All Day Under President Donald J. Trump

    Source: The White House

    It was another week filled with endless wins for the American people under President Donald J. Trump.

    Here are only a few of the many victories from the past week:

    • President Trump brought home an American citizen wrongfully detained in Russia and another American detained in Belarus — the tenth and eleventh hostages freed since he took office.
      • Michael McFaul, U.S. Ambassador to Russia under President Obama, reacted to Marc Fogel’s release and said: “Hallelujah! Fantastic news! Praise be to President Donald Trump … This is just fantastic news for anybody who cares about patriotic Americans.”
    • President Trump restored a 25% tariff on steel imports and elevated the tariff to 25% on aluminum imports to protect these critical American industries from unfair foreign competition.
      • The Steel Manufacturers Association released a statement applauding “President Trump for putting the American steel industry and its workers first by imposing a 25 percent tariff on all steel imports. President Trump understands that America’s steel industry is the backbone of our economy. A thriving domestic steel industry is critical to U.S. national, energy and economic security.”
      • The president of the Aluminum Association said: “We appreciate President Trump’s continued focus on strong trade actions to support the aluminum industry in the United States.”
      • Colorado Springs-based, family-owned Western Steel, Inc., praised the move: “What we hope that the tariffs will bring is some sort of stability to U.S. pricing. It allows a little bit more money to be made … on the intermediate level like us.”
    • President Trump unveiled a plan for fair and reciprocal trade, making clear to the world that the United States will no longer tolerate being ripped off.
      • The Renewable Fuels Association said: “The Brazilian tariff on U.S. ethanol now stands at 18 percent and has virtually eliminated all market access for U.S. ethanol producers. We thank President Trump for taking this action and hope this reciprocal tariff will help encourage a return to free and fair ethanol trade relationship with Brazil.”
    • President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in pursuit of finally securing peace.
    • President Trump hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who announced the Kingdom will accept 2,000 sick children from Gaza “as quickly as possible.”
    • President Trump joined Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce new deals between the two countries on immigration, trade, energy, and artificial intelligence.
    • The Department of Energy approved the first liquefied natural gas project since the prior administration banned LNG exports last year.
    • President Trump declared all foreign policy must be conducted under the President’s direction, ensuring career diplomats reflect the foreign policy of the United States at all times.
    • President Trump paused enforcement of the overregulation of American business practices abroad, which negatively impacted national security.
    • Hamas agreed to free additional Israeli hostages after President Trump declared “all hell is going to break out” if the terrorist group delayed.
    • Taiwan pledged to boost its investment in the United States amid President Trump’s tariffs.
    • President Trump received his highest ever approval rating in a CBS News poll — with 70% of Americans agreeing he is keeping his promises.
    • President Trump attended Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, becoming first sitting President to do so and bringing back tradition of pre-Super Bowl interviews.
    • Illegal border crossings have hit lows not seen in decades.
    • Hundreds of illegal aliens from Venezuela were repatriated back to their own country on Venezuelan-owned planes.
    • Illegal aliens have started turning around in droves amid the Trump Administration’s crackdown on dangerous illegal immigration.
    • The Department of Homeland Security “clawed back” tens of millions of dollars in funds paid by rogue FEMA officials to house illegal aliens in luxury New York City hotels.
    • President Trump instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to stop production of the penny, which costs 3.69 cents to make.
    • Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins were confirmed by the Senate — continuing the Trump Administration’s rapid pace of confirmations.
    • President Trump signed an executive order barring COVID-19 vaccine mandates in schools that receive federal funding.
    • President Trump established the National Energy Dominance Council to advise on achieving energy dominance.
    • President Trump established the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which redirects the national focus to promoting health rather than simply managing disease.
    • President Trump signed an executive to end the use of paper straws.
    • President Trump shut down the Biden-era “Climate Corps” work program.
    • President Trump secured the resignations of 75,000+ federal workers, or approximately 3.75% of the federal workforce, in an effort to eliminate inefficiency at taxpayer expense.
    • President Trump commenced his plan to downsize the federal bureaucracy and eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity — including an order that agencies hire no more than one employee for every four employees who leave.
    • The Trump Administration ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the brainchild of Elizabeth Warren, which funneled cash to left-wing advocacy groups — to halt operations.
    • President Trump ended the wasteful Federal Executive Institute, which had become a training ground for bureaucrats.
    • President Trump ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard following years of woke ideologies infiltrating U.S. service academies.
    • Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth restored Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to “Fort Bragg,” in honor of a World War II hero.
    • President Trump instructed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to terminate Biden-era regulations restricting water flow and mandating inadequate lightbulb standards.
    • President Trump proclaimed “Gulf of America Day” after the Department of the Interior officially changed the name on its mapping databases.
      • Google Maps and Apple Maps both updated their apps to reflect the new name.
    • The Department of Justice filed suit against the State of New York and its elected officials over their willful failure to follow federal immigration law.
    • The Environmental Protection Agency canceled tens of millions of dollars in contracts to left-wing advocacy groups and announced an investigation into a scheme by Biden EPA staffers to shield billions of dollars from oversight and accountability.
    • The Department of Education announced an investigation into the Minnesota State High School League and California Interscholastic Federation for violation of federal anti-discrimination law by allowing men to compete in women’s sports.
    • The Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered 2,400 additional records on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which were never provided to the board tasked with reviewing and disclosing the documents. The discovery happened due to President Trump’s executive order calling for the declassification of JFK assassination documents.
    • The Department of Veterans Affairs implemented a new flag policy to promote the prominence of the American flag and ensure consistency among its facilities.
    • President Trump was unanimously elected as Chairman of The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees and fired a slew of the Center’s board members over their obsession with perpetuating radical ideologies.
    • U.S. crude oil stockpiles continued to rise, which they have done every week since President Trump took office.
    • Chicago Lurie Children’s Hospital paused sex change surgeries for minors in response to President Trump’s executive order ending the radical practice.
    • Taxpayer-funded PBS closed its DEI office and Disney dropped two of its DEI programs after President Trump’s executive order reining in such discriminatory practices.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Saint Vincents Catholic Medical Centers of New York Agrees to Pay $29M to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Violations

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    SVCMC Inc., formerly known as Saint Vincents Catholic Medical Centers of New York (Saint Vincent), has agreed to pay $29 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly retaining erroneously inflated payments received from the Department of Defense for healthcare services provided to retired military members and their families.

    Saint Vincent is one of six health plans participating in the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP) program, which is a federal health insurance program funded by the Defense Health Agency (DHA), a component of the Department of Defense. Under the USFHP program, DHA pays Saint Vincent capitated rates to provide healthcare services to military personnel, retirees, and their families. The complaint alleged that, in 2012, Saint Vincent learned that errors had been made in the calculation of the capitated rates resulting in substantial overpayments to Saint Vincent and the other five USFHP plans over the preceding four years. According to the government’s complaint, instead of notifying the government of the overpayments or repaying the funds, Saint Vincent, along with the other five USFHP plans, took steps to conceal the existence of the overpayments from DHA, continued to submit invoices at the inflated payment rates, and conspired to avoid paying the money back. Today’s settlement resolves the government’s claims against Saint Vincent.

    “Those who receive public funds, including participants in government health care programs, must return funds to which they are not entitled,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Together with our partners across the federal government, we will hold accountable those who knowingly violate this obligation to the American taxpayers.”

    “I want to thank the Justice Department for resolving this case on behalf of TRICARE and the Defense Health Agency,” said Dr. David C. Krulak, Director, TRICARE Health Plan, DHA. “Providing excellent health care to our 9.5 million beneficiaries worldwide is essential to maintaining force readiness and keeping our promise to our family members and retirees, while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars at the same time.”

    The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Jane Rollinson and Daniel Gregorie in the District of Maine. From 2007 to 2015, Ms. Rollinson worked at Martin’s Point Health Care, one of the health plans participating in the USFHP program, including as its Interim Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Gregorie was a consultant to the CEO and Board of Martin’s Point Health Care and later served on its Board of Trustees. Under the False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The United States may intervene and proceed with the case, as it did here. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Rollinson v. Martin’s Point Health Care, Inc., No. 2:16-cv-00447-NT (D. Me.). As part of today’s settlement, Ms. Rollinson and Mr. Gregorie will receive $5.655 million. The United States is continuing to pursue the remaining claims in this case.

    The resolution of this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, with assistance from the DHA.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Diana Cieslak and Evan Ballan and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Lizotte and Sheila Sawyer for the District of Maine.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saint Vincents Catholic Medical Centers of New York Agrees to Pay $29M to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Violations

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    SVCMC Inc., formerly known as Saint Vincents Catholic Medical Centers of New York (Saint Vincent), has agreed to pay $29 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly retaining erroneously inflated payments received from the Department of Defense for healthcare services provided to retired military members and their families.

    Saint Vincent is one of six health plans participating in the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP) program, which is a federal health insurance program funded by the Defense Health Agency (DHA), a component of the Department of Defense. Under the USFHP program, DHA pays Saint Vincent capitated rates to provide healthcare services to military personnel, retirees, and their families. The complaint alleged that, in 2012, Saint Vincent learned that errors had been made in the calculation of the capitated rates resulting in substantial overpayments to Saint Vincent and the other five USFHP plans over the preceding four years. According to the government’s complaint, instead of notifying the government of the overpayments or repaying the funds, Saint Vincent, along with the other five USFHP plans, took steps to conceal the existence of the overpayments from DHA, continued to submit invoices at the inflated payment rates, and conspired to avoid paying the money back. Today’s settlement resolves the government’s claims against Saint Vincent.

    “Those who receive public funds, including participants in government health care programs, must return funds to which they are not entitled,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Together with our partners across the federal government, we will hold accountable those who knowingly violate this obligation to the American taxpayers.”

    “I want to thank the Justice Department for resolving this case on behalf of TRICARE and the Defense Health Agency,” said Dr. David C. Krulak, Director, TRICARE Health Plan, DHA. “Providing excellent health care to our 9.5 million beneficiaries worldwide is essential to maintaining force readiness and keeping our promise to our family members and retirees, while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars at the same time.”

    The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Jane Rollinson and Daniel Gregorie in the District of Maine. From 2007 to 2015, Ms. Rollinson worked at Martin’s Point Health Care, one of the health plans participating in the USFHP program, including as its Interim Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Gregorie was a consultant to the CEO and Board of Martin’s Point Health Care and later served on its Board of Trustees. Under the False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The United States may intervene and proceed with the case, as it did here. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Rollinson v. Martin’s Point Health Care, Inc., No. 2:16-cv-00447-NT (D. Me.). As part of today’s settlement, Ms. Rollinson and Mr. Gregorie will receive $5.655 million. The United States is continuing to pursue the remaining claims in this case.

    The resolution of this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, with assistance from the DHA.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Diana Cieslak and Evan Ballan and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Lizotte and Sheila Sawyer for the District of Maine.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking and Illegal Weapons Possession Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alberto Gonzalez Salgado, 45, of Sacramento, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to 13 years and one month in prison and ordered to forfeit $100,000 to the government for drug trafficking and firearms crimes, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, in 2019 and 2020, Salgado trafficked fentanyl pills, heroin, marijuana, and firearms. On multiple occasions Salgado sold heroin and fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills and illegal short-barreled rifles to a confidential source. Salgado also maintained a stash house in Sacramento where he grew over 100 marijuana plants and also kept a firearm to protect his drug trafficking operation. When law enforcement attempted to stop Salgado’s vehicle to arrest him on the way to a fentanyl pill deal in October 2020, Salgado fled, leading law enforcement on a high-speed vehicle chase on public roadways that lasted over an hour and a half and endangered law enforcement officers and the public.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Middle School Teacher Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the arrest of ROSS LANVIN for possession of child pornography.  LANVIN is charged with possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography that depict children ranging from approximately 3 to 4 years old to pre-pubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  LANVIN was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron in Manhattan federal court.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “As alleged, Ross Lanvin, who had close contact with students as a teacher at a public school in Manhattan, possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.  Together with our partners at the NYPD and Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigations for the NYC School District, we will continue to work to root out those who possess child pornography, especially when those individuals work in positions that give them access to children—some of the most vulnerable members of our community.  Our investigation into Lanvin is ongoing, and we encourage anyone with information to contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, at 866-874-8900 or wendy.olsen@usdoj.gov.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]

    LANVIN is currently a math teacher at a public middle school located in Manhattan, New York (“School-1”).  He was employed by the New York City Department of Education from in or about 2006 through in or about 2013, and again beginning in or about 2016.

    From at least in or about September 2021 through in or about December 2024, LANVIN possessed hundreds of images and videos constituting child pornography on a Google account held under a fake name.  On or about December 20, 2024, Google terminated access to this account upon finding that it contained suspected child pornography.

    On February 13, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at LANVIN’s Manhattan apartment and found child pornography on at least one of LANVIN’s electronic devices.   

    *                *                *

    LANVIN, 41, of New York, New York, is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, including images and videos of prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  

    The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department Special Investigations Unit, Computer Crimes Squad, the Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigations for the NYC School District, as well as the Task Force Officers and Investigative Analysts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Phillips is in charge of the prosecution.

    The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
     

    [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Indictment Unsealed Charging Merced Man with Trafficking Hundreds of Kilograms of Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Heroin, and Fentanyl

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — An indictment was unsealed today charging Jesus Magana Mellin, aka “Compadre,” 34, of Merced, with possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, between October and November of 2022, Magana Mellin conspired with others to traffic substantial amounts of controlled substances in California and elsewhere. After a joint federal, state, and local investigation, law enforcement officers executed search warrants on two storage units connected to Magana Mellin’s drug trafficking ring. Inside the storage units, officers found 160 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, 158 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 14 kilograms of heroin, 7 kilograms of cocaine, and 40 grams of fentanyl pills. Three of Magana Mellin’s associates—Vanessa Arauza, Pedro Duarte Sanchez, and Luis Higuera Lopez—have been charged and convicted in the case.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Merced Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET). Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Magana Mellin faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

    This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Pedro Cerna Arias, 62, a Mexican national residing in Milpitas, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, on April 9, 2020, Cerna Arias sold approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine to an undercover officer in Milpitas, in a deal that was initially negotiated between the undercover officer and a Mexico-based drug trafficker. On Oct. 8, 2021, law enforcement searched Cerna Arias’s residence and found about a kilogram of methamphetamine, a bucket with methamphetamine residue, drug ledgers, drug packaging material, and $6,165 in cash. Cerna Arias admitted to law enforcement that the methamphetamine was his and that he distributed methamphetamine in pound quantities.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, the California Highway Patrol, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.

    Co-defendant Jose Moreno Albestrain was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Dec. 19, 2024, by Judge Calabretta for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Georgia Fugitive in Omaha

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Omaha, NE – The U.S. Marshals Omaha Metro Fugitive Task Force has arrested a man wanted on multiple warrants issued in Georgia.

    Patrick Lamar Edwards, 26, was wanted in Rockdale County, Georgia, on outstanding warrants for aggravated assault with a firearm, terroristic threats, and entering a stolen vehicle. These charges stem from a shooting that occurred in Conyers, Georgia, on May 15, 2024.

    Acting on information provided by the Conyers Police Department and the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Marshals determined that Edwards had recently relocated to the Omaha area after evading authorities for several months. Investigators traced Edwards to a residence near the intersection of North 36th Street and Crown Point Avenue.

    As Task Force members moved in to execute the arrest, Edwards attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended at a neighboring property.

    Edwards was subsequently booked into Douglas County Corrections, where he will remain pending extradition to Georgia.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National With Prior Convictions Charged For Illegally Reentering The United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national residing in Las Vegas made his initial court appearance on Monday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after twice being removed from the country. 

    Victor Jesus Apodaca-Gomez, a/k/a Carlos Alberto Cardenas, 31, is charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 2, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Brenda N. Weksler.

    According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made during court proceedings, Apodaca-Gomez is a citizen and national of Mexico who was previously deported and removed from the United States on April 9, 2020, and again on May 17, 2022, and re-entered the United States illegally on or before October 24, 2023. 

    In October 2023, officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrested Apodaca-Gomez on drug-related charges. On March 25, 2024, Apodaca-Gomez was convicted in Clark County of mid-level possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act, and he was sentenced to imprisonment.

    The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), learned on October 25, 2023, of Apodaca-Gomez’s presence in the United States. after he was arrested by state law enforcement, in Clark County, NV. On January 30, 2025, the Nevada Department of Corrections remanded Apodaca-Gomez to ICE custody.

    If convicted, Apodaca-Gomez faces the maximum statutory penalty of two years of imprisonment, a one-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment..

    Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement. 

    The ICE Salt Lake City, Las-Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fresno Man Charged in Assault on Minor at a Veterans Affairs Facility

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Daryl Vinson, 65, of Fresno, charging him with assault and abusive sexual contact on a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, on July 23, 2024, Vinson assaulted the minor at the Veterans Affairs Central California Health Care System in Fresno by touching her breast, pressing his mouth on her mouth and inserting his tongue in her mouth. Vinson is not employed at the facility.

    If you have information related to this case or believe you may be a victim, please submit a tip online or call 1-800-488-8244.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs Police and Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin C. Heinz is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland recidivist sentenced to over three years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm

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

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, on May 8, 2024, at the Tysons Corner Center in Fairfax County, police stopped and searched a vehicle in which Marcus Gibbs, 28, of Capital Heights, was the front-seat passenger. Inside the vehicle, officers found a handbag containing a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine. Also inside the handbag was Gibbs’s wallet, which contained his social security card and state identification card.

    In 2015, Gibbs was convicted of robbery and sentenced to eight years in prison. In 2021, Gibbs was also convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon and sentenced to five years in prison. As a previously convicted felon, Gibbs cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel K. Amzallag prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-178.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Nominates 57 Alabama Students to U.S. Service Academies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) announced his nomination of 57 Alabama students to multiple U.S. service academies including the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and U.S. Naval Academy as part of the class of 2029. This is Senator Tuberville’s fourth round of nominations since assuming office. Earlier this year, Senator Tuberville was named as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Personnel for the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he is positioned to help bolster military recruiting and retention. 
    “Our young people are the number one commodity we have in this country, and Alabama is home to the best and brightest,” said Senator Tuberville. “I’m proud to represent a state with so many patriotic young leaders who want to serve in our nation’s military. It’s an honor to nominate 57 of these students for a service academy appointment. I have no doubt they will continue to make our state and country proud.”
    A complete list of Senator Tuberville’s nominees for the class of 2029 can be found below.
    *indicates additional service academy nomination
    United States Air Force Academy:
    Madeline Ashley Alford: Birmingham, AL; Homewood High School;daughter Josh Alford and Ashley Davenport
    Sarah R. Brock: New Market, AL; Whitesburg Baptist Christian School; daughter of Jason and Heather Brock
    Madelyn Bushong: Daleville, AL; Ridgecrest Christian School;daughter Benjamin and Vanessa Bushong
    John David Dallas: Auburn, AL; Auburn High School; son of Doug and Heather Dallas
    Julianna Ruth Gingrich: Enterprise, AL; Enterprise High School; daughter of Shane and Christina Gingrich
    Samuel Vaughn Holmes: Montgomery, AL; Loveless Academic Magnet Program High; son of Harry and Tina Holmes
    Kenneth Lee Jimmerson Jr.: Montgomery, AL; USAFA Prep School; Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School; son of Kenneth Sr. and Michelle Jimmerson
    Anna Elizabeth Martin: Andalusia, AL; Andalusia High School;daughter of Travis and Heidi Martin
    Jack Messervy: Owens Cross Roads, AL; Huntsville High School;son of Chris and Kim Messervy
    Jackson Noah Mitchell: Adger, AL; Oak Grove High School;son of Paul and Amy Mitchell
    *William McCarton Mitchell: Huntsville, AL; Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering; son of Thomas and Irene Mitchell
    John Willis Parsons: Auburn, AL; Auburn High School;son of Robert and Ashley Parsons
    Richard Dean Rutledge III: Albertville, AL; Plainview High School; son of Richard D. Rutledge II and Susan Rutledge
    Benton Nathanael Shelton: Cecil, AL; Pike Road High School; son of Brian and Carolyn Shelton
    Landon Alexander Ward: Spanish Fort, AL; Spanish Fort High School;son of Eddie and Natasha Ward
    United States Military Academy:
    Trinity Gwenyth Bentley: Springville, AL;  St. Clair County School Virtual Preparatory Academy; daughter of Patrick and Madelyn Bentley
    Matthew James Buhl: Harvest, AL; Westminster Christian Academy; son of Joshua and Rachel Buhl
    Katherine Grace Chatfield: Huntsville, AL; St. Michael’s Academy; daughter of Joseph and Diane Chatfield
    Jackson Best Cook: Mountain Brook, AL; USMA Prep School; Mountain Brook High School; son of Jackson and Catherine Cook
    Cooper Daniel Gillis: Birmingham, AL; Homewood High School; son of Brent and Brooke Gillis
    Sprinnia Anne Gregory:  Mountain Brook, AL; Mountain Brook High School; daughter of Mark and Theresa Gregory
    Heinrich Kai Hanada: Huntsville, AL; German School Tokyo Yokohama; son of Heinrich Miki Hanada
    Aiden Elliot Harkey: Dothan, AL; Slocomb High School; son of Kathi Crick
    Daniel Clark Hill II:  Daphne, AL; Daphne High School; son of Daniel and Linda Kay Hill
    David Wayne Hudry: Decatur, AL; Decatur Heritage Christian Academy; son of Wayne and Twila Hudry
    Charles Hillman Jacobs III: Decatur, AL; Providence Classical School; son of Charles and Christy Jacobs
    Jaden A. Johnson: Huntsville, AL; New Century Technology High School; son of Carl and Valisha Johnson
    Aaron Jacob Lee: Orange Beach, AL; Marion Military Institute; son of Larry and Heidi Lee
    Jason P. Love: Chelsea, AL; Briarwood Christian School; son of Brad and Pam Love
    Judd Johnston Lunsford: Huntsville, AL; Randolph School; son of Bill and Ingrid Lunsford
    Stanley Hawkins McConnell Jr.: Mobile, AL; UMS-Wright Preparatory School; son of Stan and Anna McConnell
    *William McCarton Mitchell: Huntsville, AL; Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering; son of Thomas and Irene Mitchell
    Jason J. Park: Madison, AL; James Clemens High School; son of Eun and Taesoo Park
    Andrew Martin Paul: Athens, AL; St. John Paul II Catholic High School; son of James and Laura Paul
    Spencer Joseph Perkins: Prattville, AL; Prattville Christian Academy; son of Ryan and Alora Fisher 
    Thomas B. Sigler: Madison, AL; Bob Jones High School; son of Jason and Brooke Sigler
    Emily Chambers Spooner: Vestavia Hills, AL; Vestavia Hills High School; daughter of Alan and Melanie Spooner
    Cammi Emma Tillery: Enterprise, AL; Enterprise High School; daughter of Robert and Heidi Tillery
    Emily Minh Chau Tran: Auburn, AL; Alabama School of Math & Science; daughter of Nam Tran
    Savannah Grace Trejo: Auburn, AL; Auburn High School; daughter of Charles and Jazzmin Trejo
    Ava Yasmin Valadi: Phenix City, AL; Brookstone School; daughter of Nojan and Jennifer Valadi 
    *Madison Lydia Walz: Auburn, AL; Auburn High School; daughter of Paul and Heather Walz
    Caiden Williams: Harvest, AL; Life Christian Academy; son of Charles and Rebra Kay Williams
    Ethan Sunghyun Yi: Montgomery, AL; The Montgomery Academy; son of Lee and Heejin Yi
    United States Naval Academy:
    Joshua Robert DeFour: Madison, AL; Sparkman High School; son of Robert and Mary DeFour
    Jonathan Lawrence Ellsworth Eddingfield: Daphne, AL; Daphne High School; son of Lawrence and Valerie Eddingfield
    Hagen Kristopher Holley: Hoover, AL; Spain Park High School; son of Steve and Ramona Holley
    Jonathan Levi Hulcher: Mobile, AL; Alabama School of Math and Science; son of Steve and Peggy Hulcher
    Maggie Christine Mae Ingram: McCalla, AL; Heritage Christian Academy; daughter of Jason and Cheryl Ingram
    Jackson Thomas Kalnoske: Birmingham, AL; Chelsea High School; son of Tom and Courtney Kalnoske
    Truman Lee: Mountain Brook, AL; Mountain Brook High School; son of Tommy and Nidia Lee
    Natalie Holland McCabe: Tuscumbia, AL; Muscle Shoals High School;daughter ofTrip and Jill McCabe
    Millicent Elizabeth McCormick: Pelham, AL; Pelham High School;daughter ofRonald and Amanda McCormick
    Jack Pritchett: Montgomery, AL; Loveless Academic Magnet Program High;son of Bill and Anna Pritchett
    Lillian Litton Rand: Birmingham, AL; St. Andrew’s School; daughter of Edward and Anne Rand 
    Steven David Satcher: Madison, AL; Bob Jones High School; son of Ted and Laura Satcher
    Ellen Mary Vegerita: Brownsboro, AL; Huntsville High School; daughter of Frank and Christian Vegerita
    *Madison Lydia Walz: Auburn, AL; Auburn High School; daughter of Paul and Heather Walz
    George Austin Wright: Demopolis, AL; Demopolis High School; son of Hess and Carrie Wright
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Appoints Associate Circuit Judge for 21st Judicial Circuit, Fills Four Boards and Commissions Vacancies

    Source: US State of Missouri

    FEBRUARY 14, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe appointed a new Associate Circuit Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit and filled four vacancies on various boards and commissions.

    Justin W. Ruth, of University City, was appointed as Associate Circuit Judge for Saint Louis County in the 21st Judicial Circuit.

    Mr. Ruth is a principal attorney at Riezman Berger, PC. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. He is also an active member of several bar associations, including the Missouri Bar, St. Louis County Bar, and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, where he has previously held leadership roles. Ruth was previously appointed by the Supreme Court of Missouri as a member of the OCDC Disciplinary Committee for Region XL. Mr. Ruth will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Nancy Watkins McLaughlin.

    Alfred Brandt, of Linn, was appointed as a member of the State Milk Board.

    Mr. Brandt was previously the owner of Brandt Dairy Farms, and has been a member of the State Milk Board since 2009, serving as the president from 2011 to 2024. He is also an active member of the Holstein Association USA Board and the St. George Parish Council. Previously, he served as President of Missouri Dairy and was a member of the Midwest Dairy Board for the MO-KAN division. Mr. Brandt holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Lincoln University.

    Louise Secker, of Joplin, was appointed to the Missouri Community Service Commission.

    Ms. Secker is a licensed real estate salesperson for Keller Williams Realty Elevate. She previously served as the Director of Development for Lafayette House in Joplin, Missouri. Beyond her professional career,  Ms. Secker has demonstrated a strong commitment to community service, holding leadership roles on the boards of Jasper County CASA, the Joplin Regional Community Foundation, and the Mount Hope Cemetery. She is also serves on the steering committee for One Joplin Collaborative and is an active member of the Friends of St. Avips, a nonprofit organization that supports fundraising efforts for the Spiva Center for the Arts.

    Jennifer Keller, of Lee’s Summit, was appointed as a member of the State Committee of Psychologists.

    Ms. Keller is a licensed psychologist and serves as Senior Director of Behavioral Health – Counseling Clinics and Psychology at University Health. She is also the Section Chief of Psychology and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine. She holds a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, has completed an APA-accredited Pre-Doctoral Internship and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy. With extensive experience in clinical psychology and behavioral health, Ms. Keller has held key leadership positions, including Preadolescent Program Director and Clinical Coordinator of Counseling. Since 2005, she has been an active member of the American Psychological Association and, since 2017, has served on the Missouri Psychological Association’s Evidence-Based Practice Committee.

    Timothy Flora, of Ellisville, was appointed to the Missouri State Board of Private Investigators and Private Fire Investigator Examiners.

    Mr. Flora is the President and Certified Licensed Polygraph Examiner at Mid-West Protective Service, Inc., with over 40 years of experience in law enforcement, investigation, and fire safety. He holds a Master of Arts in Legal Studies from Webster University, a Bachelor of Science in Management from Tarkio College, and a Criminal Justice Certificate from Northeast Missouri State University. Mr. Flora has served in key leadership roles, including Director of the Metro West Fire Protection District and Chairman of the Central County Emergency 911 Dispatch Center. He has been a board member of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis since 2005, and currently serves on the St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Once on FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives List Appears in Court in St. Louis

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – Donald Eugene Fields II, who was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list until his arrest on January 26 in Florida, pleaded not guilty Friday to child sex charges in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.

    Fields, now 60, was originally indicted on Dec. 7, 2022. He now faces a child sex trafficking charge and a charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

    Fields was arrested during a traffic stop by police in Lady Lake, Florida after officers learned that he was on the Most Wanted list.

    Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    “Donald Fields II will finally answer federal charges thanks to the outstanding work by the Lady Lake Police Department,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “We applaud the bravery of the alleged victims, who showed up in court today to face the defendant for the first time since he became a federal fugitive more than two years ago. The FBI will continue to provide victim services to support their emotional journey through the legal process.”

    The case was investigated jointly by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, with assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Members of prolific fentanyl distribution conspiracy sentenced to prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three Virginia men have been sentenced to prison for distributing copious quantities of fentanyl.

    According to court documents, from at least July 2023 through April 2024, Xavier Elijah Coltrane, aka X or Slime, 21, of Arlington; Vaughn Meachem, aka Vaughn Lockhart, 34, of Alexandria; and Cameron Harris, 24, of Gainesville, conspired to distribute fentanyl pills. Over a series of five controlled purchases conducted by the FBI, the conspirators sold approximately 65,000 fentanyl pills and a kilogram of cocaine.

    Coltrane was co-owner of Exquisite Luxury Transportation, a car service that Coltrane used to facilitate drug trafficking activity. Coltrane arranged the five drug sales, communicating through Instagram messaging, Telegram, and speaking directly on the phone. In some of the controlled purchases, the purchaser booked a reservation with Exquisite Luxury Transportation and was driven to a delivery location. Once the purchaser arrived at the deal location, Meachem arrived and distributed fentanyl pills. On one occasion, Coltrane distributed the fentanyl pills directly. On another occasion when Coltrane feared the use of cars through Exquisite Luxury Transportation was attracting law enforcement attention, Harris delivered the fentanyl pills in his personal vehicle.

    Coltrane, Meachem, and Harris each pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl. On Feb. 13, 2025, Coltrane was sentenced to 20 years in prison. On Dec.18, 2024, Harris was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Meachem was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, Virginia State Police, and the Prince William County Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation of this case.

    This investigation is part of the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking (HIDTA) Northern Virginia Gang Initiative, which seeks to identify, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations; reduce drug-related crime and violence; and identify and respond to emerging drug trends.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip Alito, Catherine Rosenberg, and Ryan Bredemeier prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-115.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Metairie Man Guilty of Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that KEVIN LILLIS (“LILLIS”), age 51, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, pled guilty today, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, to distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), in violation of   18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2).

    According to court documents, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents executed a search warrant at LILLIS’s residence in March 2024.  During the execution of the warrant, agents seized and searched electronic devices belonging to LILLIS.  These devices contained files depicting the sexual victimization of children and obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.  Specifically, the items seized included more than 600 images and 6 videos, 1 of which was almost 12 minutes long, depicting the sexual victimization of children, as well as dozens of other images and videos depicting obscene visual representations.  Among the files LILLIS searched, downloaded, stored, and distributed, were images of newborn infants engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and files portraying violent sadistic or masochistic conduct.  LILLIS distributed the files numerous times between January 2024 and March 11, 2024.  Agents also discovered conversations LILLIS had with other individuals on encrypted messaging applications during 2023-2024, in which LILLIS admitted having hands-on sexual contact with multiple young prepubescent minors over the past two decades.

    LILLIS faces a mandatory minimum of five (5) years in prison up to a  maximum of twenty (20) years imprisonment, as to each of Counts 1, 2, and 3.  LILLIS also faces at least five years, and up to a lifetime, of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine per count.  Additionally, he faces payment of a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.  LILLIS may also be required to register as a sex offender.  Sentencing before Judge Milazzo has been scheduled for May 14, 2025.

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

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: West Virginia Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery 1

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LEXINGTON, Ky. – A West Virginia man, Richard Hudson, 72, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 139 months, for bank robbery by intimidation.  

    According to his plea agreement, on February 15, 2024, Hudson robbed the Traditional Bank on Tates Creek Road in Lexington.  Hudson approached a teller, placed a grocery bag and a note on the counter, and demanded that the teller empty the contents of her drawer into the bag.  The teller did so and attempted to hand the bag back to Hudson, who then demanded for her to empty the bottom drawer as well.  The teller did so, and Hudson was able to obtain $14,106 during the robbery.  He fled the scene and was eventually apprehended in Charleston, WV.  Hudson, a career offender, has robbed a series of banks across the Nation since the 1980s.

    Under federal law, Hudson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, Hudson will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. 

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Lexington Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

    — END —

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Guilty Of Methamphetamine Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that LEROY OTERO (“OTERO”), age 35, a resident of Texas, pled guilty before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter on February 4, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectible amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and 846. 

    As to this charge, OTERO faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to a maximum of life in prison, up to a $10,000,000.00 fine, at least five years of supervised release, and a 100 mandatory special assessment fee. 

    His sentencing is set for May 29, 2025.

    During the course of this investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents determined that OTERO was supplying large amounts of methamphetamine to local drug dealers, who, in turn, were selling the drugs in Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes.

    The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Houma Police Department, the Louisiana State Police, and the Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Offices.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Thune, colleagues introduce bill to permanently repeal the death tax

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, joined Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and 44 other colleagues in introducing the Death Tax Repeal Act to end the federal estate tax for Americans.

    Current law requires Americans to pay the federal estate tax when a property, business or land is transferred to them after an individual passes away.

    “The government shouldn’t discourage Louisiana’s farmers or landowners from keeping family businesses alive when a person passes away. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Death Tax Repeal Act to support America’s family-run businesses,” said Kennedy.

    “Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota. Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability,” said Thune.

    Sens. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Curtis (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) cosponsored the bill. 

    Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) introduced the legislation in the House of Representatives.

    The full bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Releases Draft Bill to Secure Americans’ Communications Against Foreign Surveillance Demands

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    February 14, 2025
    Bill Fixes Loopholes in Flawed U.S. Law Used to Demand Apple Build Backdoors for iCloud Accounts, Putting Americans’ Security at Risk
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released a discussion draft of the Global Trust in American Online Services Act to secure Americans’ communications against abusive foreign demands to weaken the security of communications services and software used by Americans.
    The bill reforms the CLOUD Act, which permits foreign governments to make surveillance demands directly of U.S. companies rather than going through the U.S. legal system.
    “Foreign governments shouldn’t get a cheat code to undermine the security of American technology,” Wyden said. “My bill would fix the loopholes in the CLOUD Act, and modernize the law so American allies can request the information they need to investigate serious crimes without sacrificing the security of Americans’ communications services.”
    According to news reports, the United Kingdom issued a secret order to Apple last month, directing the company to weaken the encryption protecting its iCloud backup service. The U.K. was apparently able to secretly issue the order to Apple, rather than seeking assistance from the Department of Justice (DOJ) because of the CLOUD Act. Wyden and Representative Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., urged Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to demand the U.K. withdraw its order in a letter on Thursday.
    The CLOUD Act, enacted in 2018, enables foreign countries to obtain data directly from U.S. firms, bypassing the U.S. legal system once they enter into an agreement with the Justice Department. However, the CLOUD Act failed to require foreign countries to adopt the same due process requirements long guaranteed under U.S. law, enabling foreign governments to demand that U.S. technology companies weaken the security of products used by Americans and putting global trust in U.S. firms at risk.
    The Global Trust in American Online Services Act addresses serious flaws in the CLOUD Act, to ensure that U.S. technology companies can continue to maintain the trust of their international customers, and that the U.S. can compete globally as a safe place for data. The legislation would:
    Prevent foreign governments from using the CLOUD Act to require U.S. providers to adopt specific designs for products, reduce the security of a product, or deliver malware to a customer.
    Allow U.S. providers to challenge foreign CLOUD Act orders in U.S. federal court.
    Require Congressional approval of CLOUD Act agreements rather than the current disapproval mechanism, and enable oversight by requiring that each agreement sunset after five years rather than lasting indefinitely.
    The draft bill is available here. A one-page summary of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –