NewzIntel.com

Category: Law Enforcement

  • MIL-OSI: HZJL Cayman Limited Announces Entering into a Merger Agreement with Rising Dragon Acquisition Corporation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HANGZHOU, CHINA, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HZJL Cayman Limited (“HZJL”), a comprehensive solution provider empowering local businesses with innovative branding, software, and supply chain services, announced the execution of an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) for a business combination with Rising Dragon Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq: RDACU, RDAC, RDACR) (“RDAC”), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company.

    Upon consummation of the transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (i) RDAC will reincorporate by merging with and into Xpand Boom Technology Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company and wholly owned subsidiary of RDAC (“Xpand Boom Technology”), and (ii) concurrently with the reincorporation merger, Xpand Boom Solution Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company and wholly owned subsidiary of Xpand Boom Technology, will be merged with and into HZJL, resulting in HZJL being a wholly owned subsidiary of Xpand Boom Technology (the “Business Combination” and the transactions in connection with the Business Combination collectively, the “Transaction”). Upon the closing of the Transaction, the parties plan to remain Nasdaq-listed under a new ticker symbol.

    HZJL Overview

    HZJL is a dynamic solution provider dedicated to empowering local lifestyle businesses such as restaurants, coffee shops, beauty salons, convenience stores, and massage centers, through innovative online social branding, software application, and supply chain services.

    HZJL’s core service offering is its online branding service, which leverages the power of social media to promote compelling success stories for both businesses and their founders. This service helps businesses build strong, authentic identities that resonate with their target audience, and enhance brand visibility and customer loyalty. In addition, HZJL offers a sophisticated online application designed to streamline operations and optimize customer relationship management. HZJL also provides comprehensive supply chain solutions, with a special focus on supporting local restaurants.

    With a mission to fuel scalable growth for business owners, HZJL combines these three key service areas that work together to drive operational excellence, customer engagement, and efficient growth strategies.

    Key Transaction Terms

    Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, RDAC’s wholly owned subsidiary, Xpand Boom Technology, will acquire HZJL, resulting in Xpand Boom Technology being a listed company on the Nasdaq Capital Market. At the effective time of the Transaction, HZJL’s shareholders and management will receive 35 million ordinary shares of Xpand Boom Technology. In addition, certain HZJL shareholders will be entitled to receive earn-out consideration of up to an additional 20 million ordinary shares of Xpand Boom Technology, subject to HZJL meeting certain revenue targets in the two subsequent years as set forth in the Merger Agreement. The shares held by certain HZJL’s shareholders will be subject to lock-up agreements for a period of six months following the closing of the Transaction, subject to certain exceptions.

    The Transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both RDAC and HZJL, is subject to regulatory approvals, the approvals by the shareholders of RDAC and HZJL, respectively, and the satisfaction of certain other customary closing conditions, including, among others, a registration statement, of which the proxy statement/prospectus forms a part, being declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and the approval by Nasdaq of the listing application of the combined company.

    The description of the Business Combination contained herein is only a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Merger Agreement relating to the Business Combination. A more detailed description of the Transaction and a copy of the Merger Agreement will be included in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by RDAC with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Comments on HZJL

    “We are excited for the proposed Business Combination with HZJL and admire the company that Mr. Xiong Bin and the HZJL management team have built,” said Xing Lulu, Chief Executive Officer of RDAC. “I look forward to working with HZJL’s first-class management team to help them thrive as a public company while they continue to grow.”

    Xiong Bin, founder of HZJL, stated: “For several years, HZJL has been evolving with the local lifestyle business services market. Our motto, ‘Scalable Growth-Engine Empowering Local Business,’ underlines our ongoing commitment to delivering innovative solutions that foster substantial local business growth and scalability. We have garnered valuable industrial experience and know-how from assisting our customers from various industries in achieving their goals, including with respect to brand building, business operations and supply chain optimization. Our solutions specifically address the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises, providing them critical assistance in overcoming marketing and management hurdles. We are excited to collaborate with RDAC, with which we share similar market visions and business strategies. We are confident that the RDAC team will play a key role in helping us achieve our aspirations and long-term success.”

    Advisors

    Loeb & Loeb LLP, Joint-Win Partners, and Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP serve as legal counsel to RDAC. Han Kun Law Offices, Han Kun Law Offices LLP, and Harney Westwood & Riegels serve as legal counsel to HZJL. Chain Stone Capital Limited (CTM) serves as the financial advisor to HZJL.

    About Rising Dragon Acquisition Corporation

    Rising Dragon Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. The company’s efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region.

    About HZJL Cayman Limited

    HZJL is a comprehensive solution provider empowering local businesses with innovative branding, software, and supply chain services. The company is dedicated to fuel the scalable growth of business owners by combining technology, customer service, and operational excellence to unlock new levels of success. The company’s innovative solutions can help small and medium-sized enterprises better leverage social platforms to build their own stories in the rapidly changing Internet era, use online applications to improve efficiency and engage new customers, and use optimized supply chain services to produce better products and services, helping these companies grow bigger and faster.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    Xpand Boom Technology Inc., Rising Dragon Acquisition Corp., and their respective directors, executive officers and employees and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the holders of RDAC ordinary shares in respect of the proposed Transaction. Information about RDAC’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of RDAC’s ordinary shares is currently set forth in RDAC’s prospectus related to its initial public offering dated October 11, 2024, as modified or supplemented by any Form 10-K, Form 3 or Form 4 filed with the SEC since the date of such filing. Other information regarding the interests of the participants in the proxy solicitation will be included in a registration statement on Form F-4 (as may be amended from time to time) that will include a proxy statement and a registration statement/preliminary prospectus (the “Registration Statement”) pertaining to the proposed Transaction when it becomes available. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated below.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Transaction and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of RDAC or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

    Important Information about the Proposed Business Combination and Where to Find It

    In connection with the Transaction, Xpand Boom Technology will file relevant materials with the SEC, including the Registration Statement. Promptly after the Registration Statement is declared effective, the proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all RDAC shareholders entitled to vote at the special meeting relating to the Transaction. Before making any voting decision, securities holders of RDAC are urged to read the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the Transaction as they become available because they will contain important information about the Transaction and the parties to the Transaction.

    Stockholders will also be able to obtain copies of the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, and other documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC through RDAC through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to the contacts mentioned below.

    Wenyi Shen
    Chief Financial Officer
    Rising Dragon Acquisition Corp.
    Email: woody.shen@hywincapital.cn

    Zhiguo Sun
    HZJL Cayman Limited
    Investor Relations Officer
    Email: ir@xpandboom.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. RDAC’s and HZJL’s actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “might” and “continues,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, RDAC’s and HZJL’s expectations with respect to future performance and anticipated financial impacts of the Business Combination, the satisfaction of the closing conditions to the Business Combination and the timing of the completion of the Business Combination. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results. Most of these factors are outside the control of RDAC or HZJL and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement relating to the proposed Business Combination; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against RDAC or HZJL following the announcement of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; (3) the inability to complete the Business Combination, including due to failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of RDAC or other conditions to closing in the Merger Agreement; (4) delays in obtaining or the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals (including approval from PRC regulators) required to complete the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; (5) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement or could otherwise cause the transaction to fail to close; (6) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the post-acquisition company’s ordinary shares on Nasdaq following the Business Combination; (7) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; (8) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; (9) costs related to the Business Combination; (10) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (11) the possibility that HZJL or the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (12) other risks and uncertainties to be identified in the Registration Statement filed by RDAC and Xpand Boom Technology (when available) relating to the Business Combination, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and in other filings with the SEC made by RDAC and HZJL. RDAC and HZJL caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. RDAC and HZJL caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Neither RDAC or HZJL undertakes or accepts any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, subject to applicable law. The information contained in any website referenced herein is not, and shall not be deemed to be, part of or incorporated into this press release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Financial Institutions, Inc. Appoints Angela J. Panzarella to Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WARSAW, N.Y., Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI) (the “Company”), the parent company of Five Star Bank (the “Bank”) and Courier Capital, LLC, today announced the appointment of Angela J. Panzarella as a new independent member of the Boards of Directors of both the Company and the Bank, on January 22, 2025.

    Ms. Panzarella brings extensive business and nonprofit leadership experience, including as CEO of the YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County from 2018 to 2020 and through her 20-year tenure with Bausch + Lomb, as well as prior public company board experience. During her eight years of board service to publicly-traded Transcat, Inc., a Rochester-based calibration services and equipment provider, she served as Chair of the Compensation Committee and as a member of the Technology and Governance Committees. Ms. Panzarella’s appointment increases the size of the Company’s Board to twelve members, eleven of whom are independent and three of whom were appointed within the last four years. She will serve on the Audit and Management Development & Compensation Committees.

    “We are incredibly pleased to welcome Angela Panzarella to the Boards of Directors of both Financial Institutions, Inc. and Five Star Bank,” said Susan R. Holliday, Chair of the Boards of Directors of the Company and the Bank. “Having spent the majority of her career in the highly regulated health care industry, we expect that her experience overseeing corporate strategy, financial and business operations, business development, and more, will prove to be a tremendous asset as our Company continues to execute on its long-term strategy.”

    “Angela is not only a seasoned executive with a proven ability to develop and execute successful business strategies that drive strong financial outcomes, often on a global scale, but a respected leader in the Greater Rochester community, a key growth market for us,” said Martin K. Birmingham, President, CEO and Director of the Company and the Bank. “As we continue to grow and evolve as a company, we look forward to benefitting from her perspective and counsel.”

    Prior to joining the YWCA, Ms. Panzarella served as President of ACM Medical Laboratory, Inc., a leader in clinical and global central laboratory services. From 1988 to 2008, she held a variety of executive and legal roles at Bausch + Lomb, most recently as President of the Canada and Latin American Division and Corporate Vice President of Global Vision Care. She began her career as an attorney with Harris Beach PLLC.

    Active in the community, Ms. Panzarella previously served on the boards of directors for UR Medicine Home Care and the United Way of Greater Rochester. She earned her B.A. from St. John Fisher College and J.D. from the Albany Law School of Union University.

    About Financial Institutions, Inc.
    Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI) is a financial holding company with approximately $6.2 billion in assets offering banking and wealth management products and services. Its Five Star Bank subsidiary provides consumer and commercial banking and lending services to individuals, municipalities and businesses through banking locations spanning Western and Central New York and a commercial loan production office serving the Mid-Atlantic region. Courier Capital, LLC offers customized investment management, financial planning and consulting services to individuals and families, businesses, institutions, non-profits and retirement plans. Learn more at Five-StarBank.com and FISI-Investors.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release may contain forward-looking statements as defined by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that involve significant risks and uncertainties. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “focus,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “preliminary,” “should,” “target” or “will.” Statements herein are based on certain assumptions and analyses by the Company and factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in or implied by such statements for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: additional information regarding the deposit fraudulent activity; changes in interest rates; inflation; changes in deposit flows and the cost and availability of funds; the Company’s ability to implement its strategic plan, including by expanding its commercial lending footprint and integrating its acquisitions; whether the Company experiences greater credit losses than expected; whether the Company experiences breaches of its, or third party, information systems; the attitudes and preferences of the Company’s customers; legal and regulatory proceedings and related matters, including any action described in our reports filed with the SEC, could adversely affect us and the banking industry in general; the competitive environment; fluctuations in the fair value of securities in its investment portfolio; changes in the regulatory environment and the Company’s compliance with regulatory requirements; and general economic and credit market conditions nationally and regionally; and the macroeconomic volatility related to the impact of a pandemic or global political unrest. Consequently, all forward-looking statements made herein are qualified by these cautionary statements and the cautionary language and risk factors included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with the SEC. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this press release.

    For additional information contact:
    Kate Croft
    Director of Investor and External Relations
    (716) 817-5159
    klcroft@five-starbank.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fd49cdb2-c77b-4d34-9745-23f9029a6398

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nasdaq Announces Mid-Month Open Short Interest Positions in Nasdaq Stocks as of Settlement Date January 15, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At the end of the settlement date of January 15, 2025, short interest in 3,099 Nasdaq Global MarketSM securities totaled 12,402,417,655 shares compared with 12,137,206,474 shares in 3,085 Global Market issues reported for the prior settlement date of December 31, 2024. The mid-January short interest represents 2.56 days compared with 2.50 days for the prior reporting period.

    Short interest in 1,635 securities on The Nasdaq Capital MarketSM totaled 2,424,890,788 shares at the end of the settlement date of January 15, 2025, compared with 2,331,105,942 shares in 1,643 securities for the previous reporting period. This represents a 1.00 day average daily volume; the previous reporting period’s figure was 1.00.

    In summary, short interest in all 4,734 Nasdaq® securities totaled 14,827,308,443 shares at the January 15, 2025 settlement date, compared with 4,728 issues and 14,468,312,416 shares at the end of the previous reporting period. This is 1.82 days average daily volume, compared with an average of 1.78 days for the prior reporting period.

    The open short interest positions reported for each Nasdaq security reflect the total number of shares sold short by all broker/dealers regardless of their exchange affiliations. A short sale is generally understood to mean the sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale that is consummated by the delivery of a security borrowed by or for the account of the seller.

    For more information on Nasdaq Short interest positions, including publication dates, visit http://www.nasdaq.com/quotes/short-interest.aspx or http://www.nasdaqtrader.com/asp/short_interest.asp.

    About Nasdaq:
    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions, and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.

    Media Contact:
    Jennifer Lawson
    jennifer.lawson@nasdaq.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3d7a3942-1329-4f8e-8919-a36537776f50

    NDAQO

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Melfort — Melfort RCMP investigating fatal collision

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On January 24, 2025 at approximately 12:30 p.m., Melfort RCMP received a report of a collision on Highway #41 in the RM of Flett’s Springs.

    Officers immediately responded. Investigation determined two SUVs collided.

    One SUV had three occupants. All three were declared deceased by EMS at the scene. They have been identified as a 70-year-old female from Crystal Springs, a 42-year-old female from Saskatoon and a 44-year-old male from Saskatoon. Their families have been notified.

    The driver of the other SUV, who was the only occupant in the vehicle, was taken to hospital for injuries described as non-life-threatening in nature.

    Highway #41 was closed during initial investigation but has since re-opened. Melfort RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Moose Jaw — Moose Jaw RCMP investigating fatal rollover

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On January 25, 2025 at approximately 9:55 p.m., Moose Jaw RCMP received a report of a rollover on Highway #1 near Parkbeg, SK.

    Officers immediately responded. The driver, who was the only occupant of the vehicle, was declared deceased by EMS at the scene.

    He has been identified as a 48-year-old from Dinsmore, SK. His family has been notified.

    Moose Jaw RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Joins Bipartisan Legislation to Support Firefighters with Service-Related Cancers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    January 27, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today that he joined the reintroduction of legislation that would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who died or became permanently disabled from service-related cancers. 
    The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.
    “In the wake of record wildfires last year in Oregon and California’s current wildfires, we have seen firefighters and first responders work tirelessly around the clock to save lives,” Wyden said. “They put their health, safety, and lives on the line without receiving an ounce of support that comes with the long-term risks of fighting fires. Let’s give these everyday heroes and their families the help they deserve so they don’t have to shoulder these challenges alone.”
    Currently, firefighters are only eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program for physical injuries sustained in the line-of-duty, or for deaths from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and 9/11 related illnesses.
    The PSOB program provides benefits to the survivors of fire fighters; law enforcement officers; and other first responders killed as the result of injuries sustained in the line of duty. The program also provides disability benefits where first responders become permanently or totally disabled. The Public Safety Officers’ Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance administers the PSOB and PSOEA programs.
    In addition to Wyden, the legislation is led by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and cosponsored by Senators Jim Banks, R-Ind., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Coons, D-Del., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, John Hoeven, R-N.D., Jim Justice, R-W. Va., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Mark Warner, D-Va., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
    The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters, as well as the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies; Congressional Fire Services Institute; Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; Fraternal Order of Police; International Association of Fire Chiefs; Major County Sheriffs of America; Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association; National Association of Police Organizations; National Fallen Firefighters Foundation; National Fire Protection Association; National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition; National Volunteer Fire Council; and Sergeants Benevolent Association of the New York Police Department. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Schumer, Murray, Kim Lead 47 Senators In Introducing Resolution Condemning Trump’s Pardons Of Jan. 6 Rioters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    January 27, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) on Monday led a group of 47 senators, including U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), in introducing a new resolution condemning the pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers. The resolution follows the move by President Trump, on the first day of his second term, to grant full, complete, and unconditional pardons to over 1,500 people charged with committing crimes in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and to commute the sentences of 14 others, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers— far-right militias. Among those pardoned by Trump were 169 people who pled guilty to assaulting police officers on January 6th.  During the siege of the Capitol that day, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted, as well as over 60 officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
    The senators’ resolution, Condemning the pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers, simply states: “Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.” Murphy and Blumenthal will seek unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the resolution.
    “Trump’s pardons of January 6th rioters who viciously assaulted law enforcement officers send a dangerous message: if you’re willing to commit violence in his name, there are no consequences,” said Murphy. “This endorsement of political violence not only undermines our justice system, but it also makes our nation less safe and emboldens those who would attack our democracy.”
    “President Trump’s blanket pardons of armed insurrectionists, who were convicted by juries of everyday Americans, is the ultimate disrespect for police officers who were brutally assaulted on January 6,” said Blumenthal. “These sickening pardons are a clear endorsement of political violence and discredit justice and the rule of law. I urge my Republican colleagues who were protected that terrible day—and who now stay silent—to join in condemning the violence that occurred and standing with the officers who put their lives on the line for their safety.”
    U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also cosponsored the resolution. In total, 46 senators signed onto the resolution.
    Full text of the resolution is available HERE.
    According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants have been federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 171 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As proven in court, the weapons used and carried on Capitol grounds during the January 6th attack include firearms; OC spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves.
    Among others, the individuals who assaulted law enforcement officers and were granted full, unconditional pardons by President Trump this week include:
    Taylor James Johnatakis, of Kingston, Washington, was convicted of three felonies in November 2023, including assaulting officers. Prosecutors said that he “coordinated a violent assault on a line of police officers defending” the Capitol and that video shows he “used a metal barricade to attack officers head on and grabbed one officer to prevent him from defending himself against other attacking rioters.”
    Julian Khater, who assaulted a U.S. police office—Brian Sicknick—and later pled guilty to assaulting a police officer with a dangerous weapon.
    Robert Palmer, who attacked police with a fire extinguisher, a wooden plank, and a pole.
    Tyler Bradley Dykes of Bluffton, South Carolina, who was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing a police riot shield and twice using it against officers. He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.
    Devlyn Thompson, who hit a police officer with a metal baton.
    Andrew Taake, of Houston, Texas, who was sentenced to a little more than six years for assaulting law enforcement officers with bear spray and a metal whip.
    Christopher Quaglin, who federal prosecutors said “viciously assaulted numerous officers” and was one of the most violent rioters, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.
    David Dempsey, who, according to prosecutors, “was one of the most violent rioters,” and received 20 years in prison. Prosecutors also said Dempsey had a “very significant history of arrests and convictions” prior to the January 6th attack.
    Daniel Rodriguez, of Fontana, California, who plunged a stun gun into the neck of Washington Police Officer Michael Fanone multiple times.
    Ryan Nichols, of Longview, Texas, who assaulted officers with pepper spray, and later on Jan. 6, at his hotel room, he called for additional violence.
    Howard Richardson, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, who struck a police officer three times with a flagpole, hard enough to break the flagpole.
    Robert Sanford, from Chester, Pennsylvania, who hit two police officers in the head with a fire extinguisher and threw a traffic cone at another officer.
    Jonathan Munafo, of Albany, New York, who punched a police officer, stole the officer’s riot shield, and struck a Capitol office window with two poles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The Constitutional Court of Romania’s decision from the perspective of rules on the rule of law – E-000133/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000133/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Erik Kaliňák (NI)

    The results of the presidential elections in Romania have been annulled by the Constitutional Court of Romania, but constitutional lawyers have raised a number of concerns with this decision. They point, for example, to the absence of a constitutional or statutory provision allowing the Constitutional Court to initiate ex officio proceedings to review the legality of presidential elections. According to the Law on Presidential Elections, candidates, political parties, political or electoral associations and members of national minority organisations represented in the Council are entitled to lodge a complaint. Furthermore, there is no provision in Romanian law allowing for the annulment of the entire electoral process. The law only provides for the possibility of cancelling and repeating one of the two rounds of elections for very specific reasons (fraudulent acts affecting the ranking of candidates eligible to participate in the second round or the granting of the presidential mandate). Thirdly, the law provides for a three-day period for lodging a complaint against the results of the elections, starting from the close of voting. There is no legal provision to allow proceedings to be initiated later (the decision of 6 December was issued 12 days after the close of voting).

    One can sympathise with the concerns raised by Romanian lawyers. In the light of the foregoing:

    • 1.Does the Commission not view the actions taken by the Constitutional Court without an adequate legal basis as being ultra vires and therefore a violation of the rule of law?
    • 2.What measures does it intend to take to protect the rule of law in order to prevent the abuse of judicial power for political purposes?

    Submitted: 15.1.2025

    Last updated: 27 January 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Enlargement without any concessions – E-002188/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The enlargement process is merit-based and depends on the objective progress made by each of the partners. The speed of the accession process depends on the speed and implementation of reforms.

    Credible reforms and irreversible progress especially on the fundamentals of enlargement are essential. This is at the core of the revised Enlargement Methodology[1] adopted in 2020 and continues to guide the process.

    The inclusion of some enlargement countries in the Rule of Law Report as of 2024[2] (Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) supports the implementation of the related recommendations under the enlargement package[3]. Other accession countries will be included in the Rule of Law Report as and when they are ready.

    Reaping the benefits of EU membership requires thorough preparation and the putting in place of appropriate safeguards against backsliding on reforms.

    The experience of the 2004 EU enlargement demonstrates the positive impact that membership of the EU single market and structural funds has on economic convergence.

    Accelerating socioeconomic convergence already prior to accession is being pursued through dedicated instruments such as the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans[4], as well as the association agreements, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs) with Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.

    • [1]  COM(2020) 57 final.
    • [2] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/upholding-rule-law/rule-law/annual-rule-law-cycle/2024-rule-law-report_en
    • [3] COM (2024) 690 final.
    • [4] COM(2023) 691 final.
    Last updated: 27 January 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: New Permanent Representative of Malta Presents Credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    Randolph De Battista, the new Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. De Battista had been serving as a member of Parliament in Malta’s House of Representatives since 2022.  He was Chief Executive Officer of Malta’s Labour Party Partit Laburista for two separate terms, from 2022 to 2024 and from 2017 to 2020.  He worked as Chef de Cabinet in the office of Malta’s Permanent Representative to the European Union in Brussels from 2014 to 2017 and as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of European Union Affairs in Malta from 2013 to 2014.

    Mr. De Battista began his career as a reporter.  He worked as editor of an online media portal from April 2021 to April 2022. He has a Doctor of Laws (2012), a Diploma of Notary Public (2010), and a Bachelor of Laws (2009), all from the University of Malta. 

    _________

    CR.25.047E

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the information media; not an official record.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Information sought following incident in Palmerston North bar

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police are investigating a reported stabbing in Palmerston North last night and would like to speak to witnesses.

    Police were called to a bar on Main Street about 11:30pm, after reports of an altercation between a small group of people.

    Upon arrival one person was located with a stab wound to the neck, requiring hospital treatment.

    A scene guard was in place at the premises overnight and Police will conduct a scene examination today.

    If anyone has any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.

    Please use the reference number 250128/6100.

    Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: PD Edge catches suspect in Colonel Light Gardens

    Source: South Australia Police

    PD Edge arrested a man in Colonel Light Gardens after he was caught allegedly stealing CCTV cameras this morning.

    About 2am Tuesday 28 January police were called to a home under construction on Goodwood Road after a man was seen on the owners CCTV cameras in the rear yard.

    The owner, who was not at the property at the time, was able to provide police with a good description of the suspect including the clothing he was wearing.

    PD Edge was called in and tracked through the property then out into an alley way and back on to Goodwood Road. Clever PD Edge quickly chased down the suspect detaining him in the front yard of a nearby home.

    Southern Patrols searched the area locating gloves, a drill, a head lamp and stolen CCTV cameras dumped in a wheelie bin.

    The 50-year-old Firle man was charged with being unlawfully on premises, theft and going equipped to commit an offence. He was bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on 11 March.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Beaver County — Alberta RCMP officer involved in shooting in Beaver County

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On Dec. 23, 2024, at approximately 12:10 p.m., members of the Tofield RCMP Detachment attended a rural residence, located in Beaver County, to arrest a male wanted on outstanding warrants.

    Members established containment, notified the neighbouring residents for safety and the Alberta RCMP Emergency Response Team from Edmonton arrived to provide assistance. Unfortunately, during the interaction the male was fatally injured. Life saving measures were immediately attempted but were unsuccessful and he succumbed to his injuries on scene. No other members of the public or RCMP officers were injured.

    In compliance with legislative requirements, the Director of Law Enforcement was immediately notified resulting in the deployment of ASIRT to conduct an independent investigation. The RCMP believes in accountability and transparency and in so doing will provide full support to the ASIRT investigators. Events like this are difficult for everyone involved.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Cortez Masto join 45 Senators in Introducing Resolution Condemning Pardons of Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    Resolution comes after Trump pardons 1,500 Jan 6 insurrectionists—including those convicted of violently assaulted police officers
    The senators will seek unanimous consent to pass the resolution this week
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and 45 of their colleagues introduced a new resolution condemning the pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers. The resolution follows the move by President Trump, on the first day of his second term, to grant full, complete, and unconditional pardons to over 1,500 people charged with committing crimes in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and to commute the sentences of 14 others, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right militias. Among those pardoned by Trump were 169 people who pled guilty to assaulting police officers on January 6th.  During the siege of the Capitol that day, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted, as well as over 60 officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
    The senators’ resolution, Condemning the pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers, simply states: “Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.” This week, Senator Murray will seek unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the resolution.
    “It’s unconscionable that one of President Trump’s first actions in office was to pardon criminals who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021,” said Senator Rosen. “A number of these convicted felons attacked police officers and injured them. It should not be a partisan issue to fully condemn these actions and President Trump’s pardons.”
    “President Trump is pardoning violent criminals who assaulted police officers and attempted to overturn a fair and free election,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This is an insult to law enforcement across the country and an endorsement of political violence. The very least my Republican colleagues can do to back law enforcement is to support this resolution.”
    According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants have been federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 171 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As proven in Court, the weapons used and carried on Capitol grounds during the January 6th attack include firearms; OC spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves.
    The full text of the resolution can be read HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Meets with Nominee for Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Presses Him on Clean Energy Investments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    As A Result Of Mr. Wright’s Lack Of Commitment To Support Clean Energy Investments In Nevada, Senator Rosen Has Serious Concerns About His Nomination
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) met with the nominee to be the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, and pressed him on President Trump’s misguided action to pause clean energy investments, delaying projects that are critical to growing our clean energy economy and reducing our reliance on China. She also asked Mr. Wright to acknowledge Yucca Mountain is dead and to commit to no new federal funding or support for it.
    “The historic investments we’ve made in clean energy are bringing good-paying jobs to Nevada and helping reduce our reliance on China, which is why I’m going to fight back against the Trump Administration’s attempt to delay and roll back investments,” said Senator Rosen. “After discussing this issue with Mr. Wright and hearing his lack of commitment to support these investments, I’m deeply concerned that the Department of Energy’s actions and future direction will hurt Nevada.”
    Senator Rosen has been a strong supporter of Nevada’s clean energy economy. She helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, which are making significant investments in Nevada’s clean energy economy and the jobs it supports. Senator Rosen has also been a strong supporter of Nevada’s solar industry, successfully leading the charge against solar tariffs that would have decimated the industry. Senator Rosen has also sent letters urging Senate appropriators to fund the Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office to support a reliable, clean energy source for the United States that would allow the country to secure its energy grid.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 01.23.2025 Cruz, Daines, Leader Thune, GOP Colleagues Introduce Bill to Give Small Businesses Permanent Tax Break

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and 37 additional Republican Senators introduced the “Main Street Tax Certainty Act.” This bill would make the 20-percent pass-through business tax deduction permanent.
    Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, providing jobs and opportunities for millions of families across Texas and America. With Biden’s catastrophic inflation continuing to burden hardworking Americans, the last thing they need is a massive tax hike. Making the 20-percent pass-through deduction permanent is essential to ensuring our small businesses can prosper, expand, and keep our nation strong. I’m proud to support the ‘Main Street Tax Certainty Act’ and will continue fighting to protect small businesses.”
    Sen. Daines said, “As the son of a contractor, I’ve seen firsthand the hard work it takes to keep a small business flourishing- especially as Americans are still grappling with the effects of Joe Biden’s inflation. It’s absolutely crucial that we pass this legislation to prevent a 20 percent tax increase for hardworking Montanans and I’ll keep fighting for ways to support Montana small businesses, which provide the majority of jobs in our state.”
    Sen. Thune said, “Small businesses are the economic engine that drive growth and jobs in South Dakota and across our country. This legislation is critical to permanently extending a key provision from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and ensuring our small businesses and farms and ranches are not hit with a crippling tax hike at the end of 2025.”
    The legislation was also co-sponsored by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Kennedy (R-La.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), John Boozman (R-Ark.).
    Read the bill text here.
    BACKGROUND
    The 20-percent small business deduction, section 199A, was created as a part of President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts to level the playing field between small businesses and corporations. Without Congressional action, it will expire at the end of 2025, causing 9 out of 10 small businesses to incur a significant tax hike. This legislation is endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers, National Federation of Independent Business, and over 230 trade associations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Introduces Resolution to Express Support for Paris Climate Agreement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined his colleagues in introducing a resolution to express support for the Paris Climate Accords, an international agreement on climate change. The resolution also highlights significant climate and clean energy actions taken by local and state governments, critical investments made through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, and widespread support for the Paris Agreement. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the agreement – meaning that the U.S. joins Iran, Yemen, and Libya as the only countries in the world not party to the Paris Accords.
    “From sea level rise in Hampton Roads and on the Eastern Shore to hurricanes in Southwest Virginia, climate change is affecting us all and threatening the safety of our communities,” said Kaine. “I’m disappointed, but not surprised, by President Trump’s short-sighted withdrawal from the Paris Accords, and that’s why I’m joining my colleagues in introducing this resolution to express support for the goals of the climate agreement. I remain committed to building on our progress in recent years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve resiliency, accelerate clean energy production, and keep Americans safe.”
    On November 4, 2020, the first Trump Administration withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. The Biden Administration re-entered the U.S. into the agreement in January 2021. In December 2024, the Biden Administration released an updated Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, establishing an emission-reduction target of 61 to 66 percent below 2005 levels by 2035.
    The resolution is led by U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).
    The resolution is endorsed by Union of Concerned Scientists and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
    Full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sapulpa Couple Sentenced for Their Role in Abusing Three-Week-Old Baby

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Jeannie Rene Romero, 25, for Child Abuse and Child Neglect in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Jeannie to serve 60 months, followed by five years of supervised release.

    In October 2022, Jeannie was taking care of her three-week-old baby. While changing the baby’s diaper, Jeannie admittedly used unreasonable force, breaking the baby’s femur in half. She failed to seek medical attention for more than 48 hours. Doctors noted that the baby had additional injuries consistent with abuse.

    In June, Judge Hill sentenced Jeannie’s husband, Jacob Alejandro Romero, 24, for Child Neglect in Indian County. Jacob was at work when the abuse occurred. However, the infant’s injury was noticeable, and he failed to seek help. Judge Hill ordered Jacob to serve 24 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

    The baby and its sibling were removed from the home and placed in the care of the family members. Jeannie and the baby are citizens of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.  

    Jeannie will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Jacob was previously released on bond and taken into custody following his sentencing in June. 

    The FBI and Sapulpa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Ihler prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Louisville Man Sentenced to Over 20 Years in Federal Prison for Carjacking Resulting in Death

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Louisville, KY – Today, a Louisville man was sentenced to 20 years and 5 months in federal prison for a carjacking which resulted in the death of teenage motorist.

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Shelby County Sheriff Mark Moore made the announcement.

    According to court documents, Michael Dewitt, 31, was sentenced to 20 years and 5 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for carjacking resulting in death. Dewitt committed a carjacking at gunpoint on March 1, 2021, and stole a 2011 Ford F350 from its owner in Simpsonville, Kentucky. During the immediate flight from the carjacking, and while still in possession of the stolen truck, Dewitt collided with a vehicle on Dixie Highway in Louisville, causing the death of a minor victim. Dewitt had controlled substances in his system at the time.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Louisville Field Office, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Bonar and Mac Shannon prosecuted this case.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Voluntary assisted dying is legal in Australia – but many of us don’t know

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben White, Professor of End-of-Life Law and Regulation, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology

    imtmphoto/Shutterstock

    Voluntary assisted dying is lawful in all Australian states. This allows terminally ill adults who are suffering and have decision-making capacity to choose to receive help to die.

    Victoria’s law was the first, coming into effect in 2019. New South Wales was the last state, with its voluntary assisted dying law beginning in late 2023.

    Voluntary assisted dying will be allowed in the Australian Capital Territory in November, and a Northern Territory report has recommended it pass a voluntary assisted dying law too.

    While the vast majority of Australians now live in jurisdictions where voluntary assisted dying is permitted, accessing voluntary assisted dying depends on knowing it’s a legal option. But our new research suggests many Australians don’t know this.

    A study in Queensland

    Voluntary assisted dying became legal in Queensland on January 1, 2023. We conducted an online survey of 1,000 Queensland adults in mid-2024 to find out if the community knew about this new end-of-life choice.

    We set quotas for age, gender and geographical location to ensure the people we surveyed represented the overall Queensland population.

    First, we asked whether people thought voluntary assisted dying was legal in Queensland. Only one-third (33%) correctly identified it was. Of the 67% who didn’t, 41% thought voluntary assisted dying was illegal and 26% said they didn’t know.

    People who did know voluntary assisted dying was legal had generally found out in one of three ways:

    • from the media

    • from professional experience (for example, working in health care)

    • from personal experience (for example, knowing someone who had asked about, requested or accessed voluntary assisted dying).

    We then told our survey participants voluntary assisted dying was legal in Queensland and asked if they would know how to go about accessing it if they wished to. Only one-quarter (26%) answered yes.

    The survey also asked people where they might look for information about voluntary assisted dying. Most people said they would seek this information online, but asking health practitioners, especially doctors, was also important.

    We found two-thirds of people didn’t know voluntary assisted dying was legal.
    Ground Picture/Shutterstock

    Legal and cultural barriers

    Perhaps it’s not surprising so few members of the surveyed public know voluntary assisted dying is a legal choice. It’s still a relatively new law. But there are specific barriers in Australia that can prevent people finding out about it.

    One major barrier is health practitioners are often not able to freely discuss voluntary assisted dying with their patients. The laws in all states control how conversations about voluntary assisted dying can occur.

    For example, in Queensland, only doctors and nurse practitioners can raise voluntary assisted dying and only if they also discuss available treatment and palliative care options and their likely outcomes.

    But the most problematic are Victorian and South Australian laws which prohibit health practitioners from raising the topic with patients altogether. Many people rely on their doctor to tell them about treatment options, so it’s a problem if the onus is on the patient to bring it up first.

    Conscientious objection is another significant barrier. Some doctors are opposed to voluntary assisted dying and even if they practise in a state where they can legally raise it, may choose not to tell their patients about it. This is another reason patients may not know voluntary assisted dying could be a choice for them.

    It’s important to note our study was only done in Queensland, so we can’t be confident the findings represent the wider Australian population. But given these barriers to knowing about voluntary assisted dying, it’s reasonable to anticipate similar trends in other states.

    A national challenge

    Raising community awareness of voluntary assisted dying is a challenge around the country. Voluntary assisted dying oversight boards from five states (Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia) have all discussed this issue in their most recent annual reports.

    In addition, Western Australia recently reviewed its voluntary assisted dying laws, identifying lack of community knowledge as a problem. The review called for a strategy to fix this.

    We see this challenge as one of “voluntary assisted dying literacy”. Greater voluntary assisted dying literacy will enable members of the public to know the options available to them, and how to make the choices they want.

    Raising community awareness about voluntary assisted dying is a challenge nationally.
    Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock

    What can we do about this?

    We need community awareness initiatives to increase knowledge that voluntary assisted dying is legal and ensure people know where to find information about this option. Information about voluntary assisted dying is already available from all state government health departments, but more action is needed to ensure it reaches more people.

    Respondents in our survey suggested using social media campaigns, advertising, and sharing information through Centrelink, health clinics and other trusted community channels.

    We also propose targeted information for particular patient groups who may be eligible for voluntary assisted dying, such as people with cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. This means they will know voluntary assisted dying may be one of the treatment options available to them, and how to navigate the process should they wish to.

    These initiatives would need to be designed sensitively with a focus on providing information to avoid any perception that people could feel induced or directed to access voluntary assisted dying.

    Training for health practitioners is also important. This is particularly needed for GPs and specialists working in end-of-life care. Training will support health practitioners to facilitate informed discussions with patients and families.

    Strong community support was a key argument in legalising voluntary assisted dying in Australia. The public wanted this as an end-of-life choice. But that choice is only a real one if people know it exists.

    Our online resource End of Life Law in Australia has more information about voluntary assisted dying and contact points for accessing it in each state.

    Ben White has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, Commonwealth and state governments, and philanthropic organisations for research and training about the law, policy and practice relating to end-of-life care. In relation to voluntary assisted dying, he (with colleagues) has been engaged by the Victorian, Western Australian and Queensland governments to design and provide the legislatively mandated training for health practitioners involved in voluntary assisted dying in those states. He (with Lindy Willmott) has also developed a model bill for voluntary assisted dying for parliaments to consider. Ben is a recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (project number FT190100410: Enhancing End-of-Life Decision-Making: Optimal Regulation of Voluntary Assisted Dying) funded by the Australian government. He is also a Chief Investigator on a current Australian Research Council Linkage Project on voluntary assisted dying (partnering with Voluntary Assisted Dying (Review) Boards and/or Departments of Health in five Australian States. The research this article discusses was funded by Queensland Health.

    Lindy Willmott receives or has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council and Commonwealth and state governments for research and training about the law, policy and practice relating to end-of-life care. She is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Linkage Project on voluntary assisted dying (partnering with Voluntary Assisted Dying (Review) Boards and/or Departments of Health in five Australian States. She (with colleagues) has been engaged by the Victorian, Western Australian and Queensland governments to design and provide the legislatively mandated training for health practitioners involved in voluntary assisted dying in those states. She (with Ben White) has also developed a model bill for voluntary assisted dying for parliaments to consider. Lindy Willmott is also a member of the Queensland Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board, but writes this piece in her capacity as an academic researcher. She is a former board member of Palliative Care Australia.

    Rachel Feeney receives funding from the Australian Research Council for research about voluntary assisted dying. Rachel has been employed on multiple research projects as a research fellow at the Australian Centre for Health Law Research. She is also employed on End of Life Law for Clinicians, a training program for clinicians about end of life law, funded by the Commonwealth government. Rachel was previously engaged as a clinical consultant for the Voluntary Assisted Dying Training Education Module for Healthcare Workers in Queensland.

    – ref. Voluntary assisted dying is legal in Australia – but many of us don’t know – https://theconversation.com/voluntary-assisted-dying-is-legal-in-australia-but-many-of-us-dont-know-248114

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Staffing shortages risk Ontario’s $10-a-day child care

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Emis Akbari, Adjunct Professor, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at Ontario Institute for the Study of Education (OISE) and Senior Policy Fellow at the Atkinson Centre, University of Toronto

    Ontario’s agreement under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program is set to expire in March 2026, and troubling signs suggest the province is far from meeting its commitments.

    Despite receiving $13.2 billion — almost half of the total $27.2 billion federal investment — Ontario has fallen short on critical benchmarks.

    Unlike most families across Canada, Ontario parents have yet to see significant growth in available spaces or $10-a-day child care.

    This provincial inaction is particularly troubling in a federal election year. While federal maintenance funding is to continue post-2026, without the benefits of the child care plan widely realized and apparent to voters, future governments could easily scale back any gains.

    Our recent study, conducted in collaboration with regional governments tasked with implementing Ontario’s early learning and child-care agreement, shows how staffing shortages have created long wait-lists for care. Children are ageing out of child care before a space becomes available. The unmet demand, regional officials told us, is eroding public confidence in the program as parents become frustrated in their search for affordable care.

    While other provinces have enacted comprehensive compensation reforms — including pensions, benefits and wage increases of up to 50 per cent — to attract and retain qualified educators, Ontario’s support for trained early childhood educators tops out at $24.86 per hour, well below the federal poverty line for a family of four.

    Low wages, staffing shortfalls

    Low wages deter new graduates from entering the child-care field and drive away those already employed. Of the 4,200 early childhood educators that Ontario colleges graduate annually, fewer than 60 per cent enter licensed child care, and only 40 per cent remain after five years.

    Small wonder for the exodus. One in five child-care staff responding to our survey told us they hold a second job to make ends meet. Over 55 per cent of couple families, and 83 per cent of lone parent families, are concerned about their housing.

    The province acknowledges a shortfall of 8,500 educators needed to meet its expansion goal of 86,000 new spaces. Yet the issue runs deeper. Staff shortages mean existing child-care rooms are empty. A single absence can force centre directors to abruptly close rooms, leaving parents scrambling for alternatives.

    The human costs

    The consequences extend beyond empty classrooms. Staff shortages compromise the quality and inclusivity of early childhood programs. Our report found that children with disabilities are often sent home or denied admission altogether due to insufficient staffing.

    This is despite Jordan’s Principle, which the federal government says ensures all First Nations children access the products, services and supports they need, when they need them.

    Ontario’s requirement for qualified staff is among the lowest in Canada, mandating that only half of a centre’s staff hold a college diploma in early education. The use of ministry “approvals,” a stop-gap measure allowing untrained staff to fill roles until qualified educators are found, has become standard practice.

    Our research found entire programs, particularly those in northern regions and those serving francophone and Indigenous families, operating without a single qualified early childhood educator.

    Educator shortages not only exclude children from child care, but degrade the quality of care. While less than one per cent of the province’s almost 28,000 early childhood educators working in licensed child care are reported to authorities, incidents involving the improper handling of children have seen an uptick.

    This may partly reflect the COVID-19 pandemic’s aftermath, but it also may signal staff burnout and the prevalence of untrained workers.

    Equally alarming, 14 per cent of respondents in our study indicated they would be reluctant to recommend their own centre to a family member or friend seeking child care.

    Quality and staffing challenges vary significantly across Ontario’s child-care network of over 5,700 centres. Publicly operated centres and established community providers, where wages and benefits are higher, report fewer staffing shortages or quality problems.

    In contrast, for-profit centres, where wages are significantly lower, experience the highest staff turnover and lowest levels of job dissatisfaction.

    These disparities are particularly concerning given Ontario’s pressure on regional governments to divest their public centres, and its push to lift the cap on the percentage of new for-profit spaces allowed under its agreement with Ottawa.

    A blueprint for change

    Ontario’s challenges are not insurmountable. Other provinces and territories are showing that fair compensation tied to qualifications and responsibilities can help to stabilize the child-care workforce.

    Publicly funded pensions, benefits, and additional incentives for educators in remote, Indigenous and francophone communities have proven effective in attracting and retaining staff.

    Ontario must urgently follow suit. The CWELCC program isn’t just about child care; it’s a highly effective economic strategy. The province’s Financial Accountability Office estimates that the national plan could enable 98,000 more Ontario mothers to join the workforce.

    However, this potential can only be realized if sufficient child-care spaces are created. Without early childhood educators new spaces are wasted infrastructure. This represents squandered economic development, children denied quality early education and families left to struggle financially.

    The time to act is now. Ontario must seize the promise of CWELCC before it becomes another missed opportunity.

    Emis Akbari receives funding from the Atkinson Foundation, the Lawson Foundation, and the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation.

    Kerry McCuaig receives funding from the Atkinson Foundation, the Lawson Foundation and the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation.

    – ref. Staffing shortages risk Ontario’s $10-a-day child care – https://theconversation.com/staffing-shortages-risk-ontarios-10-a-day-child-care-247273

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Accused of Murder in Teenager’s Overdose Death Captured by U.S. Marshals

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Memphis, TN – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) captured a Memphis murder fugitive, Samuel Sipes, 22, in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

    In January of 2023, a 17-year-old male was found dead of an overdose in a home on Wrenwood Street in Memphis. It is alleged that he died of a fatal dose of fentanyl. In April of the same year, Samuel Sipes was charged with second degree murder in connection to this crime and released on a $100,000 bond; however, he failed to return for his court date.

    A failure to appear warrant was issued on November 12, 2024. The case was adopted for a fugitive investigation by the USMS Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task (TRVFTF) in Memphis.

    On January 27, 2025, the TRVFTF and Desoto County (Mississippi) Sheriff’s Deputies went to an apartment complex in Olive Branch. Deputy marshals and task force officers found Sipes inside an apartment. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Desoto County Jail where he awaits extradition to Tennessee.

    The U.S. Marshals Service Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Gibson County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured approximately 3,000 violent offenders and sexual predators.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Whitehorse — RCMP update regarding Lake Laberge investigation

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On January 25, 2025 police and other emergency services responded to a report of a submerged vehicle in Lake Laberge, Yukon. Three occupants were in the vehicle and only two were able to make it out of the vehicle safely.

    Although it was anticipated that the recovery operation would take several days, British Columbia RCMP Under Water Recovery Team arrived to the Yukon and were able to locate and recover the person from the vehicle late in the afternoon on January 26, 2025.

    Whitehorse RCMP would like to thank all of the first responders including volunteer first responders who attended the incident for their support.

    Out of respect for the privacy of the family, no information will be released by the police about the deceased.

    This matter is still under investigation and as such, no further information will be provided at this time.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Rosen join 46 Senators Introducing Resolution Condemning Pardons of Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Resolution comes after Trump pardons 1,500 Jan 6 insurrectionists—including those convicted of violently assaulted police officers
    The senators will seek unanimous consent to pass the resolution this week
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and 44 of their colleagues introduced a new resolution condemning the pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers. The resolution follows the move by President Trump, on the first day of his second term, to grant full, complete, and unconditional pardons to over 1,500 people charged with committing crimes in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and to commute the sentences of 14 others, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right militias. Among those pardoned by Trump were 169 people who pled guilty to assaulting police officers on January 6th.  During the siege of the Capitol that day, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted, as well as over 60 officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
    The senators’ resolution, Condemning the pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers, simply states: “Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.” This week, Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) will seek unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the resolution.
    “President Trump is pardoning violent criminals who assaulted police officers and attempted to overturn a fair and free election,” said Senator Cortez Masto.“This is an insult to law enforcement across the country and an endorsement of political violence. The very least my Republican colleagues can do to back law enforcement is to support this resolution.”
    “It’s unconscionable that one of President Trump’s first actions in office was to pardon criminals who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021,” said Senator Rosen. “A number of these convicted felons attacked police officers and injured them. It should not be a partisan issue to fully condemn these actions and President Trump’s pardons.”
    According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants have been federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 171 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As proven in Court, the weapons used and carried on Capitol grounds during the January 6th attack include firearms; OC spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves.
    The full text of the resolution can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Owners of Florida Labor-Staffing Companies Sentenced for Tax and Immigration Fraud and Money Laundering

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    Two Ukrainian nationals who were extradited from the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States in September 2024 were sentenced today on charges related to labor-staffing companies they operated in Florida. Oleg Oliynyk and Oleksandr Yurchyk were each sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    According to court documents, Oliynyk, Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in South Florida — including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC — from at least April 2008 and August 2021. Through these staffing companies, Oliynyk, Yurchyk and co-defendants Oleksandr Morgunov, Mykhaylo Chugay and Volodymyr Ogorodnychuk facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in the hospitality industry who were not authorized to work in the United States and helped evade the assessment and collection of more than $25 million of federal income and employment taxes.

    In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez ordered Oliynyk and Yurchyk to each serve three years of supervised release, pay $10,863,233.05 in restitution to the United States and to forfeit $11 million.

    Oliynyk and Yurchyk are the latest defendants sentenced as part of Operation RoomKey, a joint criminal investigation initiative led by the Tax Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

    Co-defendant Chugay, was convicted at trial in June 2022, and was sentenced in August 2022 to more than 24 years in prison. Co-defendants Morgunov and Ogorodnychuk each pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 96 months in prison and 48 months in prison, respectively.

    In March 2022, Mikus Berzins, former City of Key West Police Officer Igor Kasyanenko, Roman Riabov and Andrejs Kozlovs each pleaded guilty to their crimes in the operation of the labor staffing company, Phoenix ADB Services Inc. (Phoenix ADB), which, according to court records, facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization.

    In May 2022, the court sentenced Igor Kasyanenko and Riabov to 22 months and 18 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the tax and immigration conspiracy. The court also sentenced Berzins and Kozlovs to 28 months and 12 months in prison, respectively, for knowingly hiring ten or more aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. Later, in September 2023, Nataliya Vasylivna Kasyanenko, a former housekeeping manager at a large Key West hotel, was sentenced for participating in the tax and immigration conspiracy related to the operation of Phoenix ADB.

    Batyr Myatiev, the owner and operator of two labor staffing companies, AmeriHos LLC and Golden Sands Management LLC, pleaded guilty in March 2023 and was sentenced in June 2023 to 32 months in prison. According to court records, Myatiev’s labor staffing companies caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $3.5 million and facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization.

    In July 2023, Eka Samadashvili and Davit Pavliashvili were sentenced for their respective roles in the operation of several labor staffing companies, including PSEB Services JD Inc., Paradise Hospitality Solutions LLC, Paradise Hospitality Group LLC, Paradise Hospitality Inc. and HBSM Corp. According to court records, these labor staffing companies caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $8.4 million and facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in hotels, bars and restaurants in Key West and elsewhere who were not authorized to work in the United States.

    Finally, in March 2024, Petr Sutka was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in operating a series of labor staffing companies — including PSEB Specialty Service Inc., Perfect Service Excellent Benefits Services Inc., Starline Hospitality Inc., Norbert Janitorial Service Inc., E.S.F. Services Inc. and Expert Services F.S. Inc. — which, according to court records, caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $3.5 million and facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization. In April 2024, Sutka’s co-defendants, Zdenek Strnad and Vasil Khatiashvili, were each sentenced to more than three years, respectively, for their roles in the tax and immigration conspiracy.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.

    HSI and IRS-CI are investigating the case.

    Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft, Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson Rae Stamm of the Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Chris Clark for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Jersey Return Preparer Charged with Preparing False Tax Returns and Obstructing the IRS

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    An indictment was unsealed last week charging a New Jersey return preparer with preparing and filing 55 false income tax returns on behalf of clients and obstructing the IRS.

    According to the indictment, from at least 2018 through 2023, Christopher Demba, of Hillsborough, owned and operated Demba & Associates CPA LLC, a return preparation business. Demba allegedly prepared returns for clients that claimed false deductions, credit carryforwards or fraudulently recategorized income to claim expenses that would otherwise be disallowed. The indictment further alleges that Demba obstructed the IRS by providing false working papers to IRS personnel in an attempt to justify some of the claims made on returns he prepared for clients. 

    If convicted, Demba faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and Alexis Hughes of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cold Lake — Cold Lake RCMP lay charges in relation to attempted child abduction

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On Dec. 3, 2024, at approximately 4:42 p.m., Cold Lake RCMP were called to an attempted child abduction at a restaurant located on 50h Street in Cold Lake South.

    Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that a female suspect had entered the establishment, approached the child, and picked them up from their chair. The suspect then attempted to leave with the child but was stopped when the family intervened and regained custody of the child.

    The suspect then fled the area. Through active patrols, Cold Lake RCMP officers was able to locate and arrest the suspect.

    A 30-year-old individual, a resident of Cold Lake, has been charged with the following offence:

    • Abduction of a person under 14

    The individual was brought before a justice of the peace and remanded into custody. She is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 5, 2024, at the Alberta Court of Justice in St. Paul, Alta.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort McMurray — Wood Buffalo RCMP investigates stabbing, suspect charged

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On Jan. 4, 2025, at approximately 8 p.m., Wood Buffalo RCMP responded to a complaint of a physical altercation and possible stabbing at MacDonald Island Park, located at 1 C.A. Knight Way, in downtown Fort McMurray, Alta. The altercation occurred near the fitness gym on the second floor of the facility and was witnessed by a large group of people. A 41-year-old male was found suffering from a stab wound to the shoulder as a result of the altercation. He was transported by ground ambulance to Northern Lights Regional Health Centre in non-life-threatening condition.

    A 17-year-old individual, a resident of Fort McMurray was arrested and is facing charges:

    • Aggravated assault
    • Possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose
    • Carrying a concealed weapon

    The individual, who cannot be named under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was held for a judicial interim hearing. The individual was released from police custody on a release order with conditions.

    The individual is set to appear next in the Alberta Court of Justice – Fort McMurray on Jan. 21, 2025.

    While the RCMP investigation into the incident is continuing, the incident is not believed to be a random act of violence. Wood Buffalo RCMP are aware that multiple bystanders took videos of the incident and are looking to obtain those videos. RCMP are asking anyone who has not previously spoken with them to contact Wood Buffalo RCMP at (780) 788‐4040.

    RCMP encourage the public to report any criminal or suspicious activity to police. Reports tell us where to look, who to look for, and where to patrol in the future. If you see a crime in progress, dial 911. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Springdale — Man arrested by Springdale RCMP charged with arson and other criminal offences

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Following reports of a disturbance at a cabin area near South Brook, known as West Bottom, on January 24, 2025, 41-year-old Matthew Burton was arrested by Springdale RCMP. He is charged with arson and a number of other criminal offences.

    Burton allegedly damaged a neighbouring property using his truck and further used his truck to block access to another neighbour’s driveway, while continually sounding the vehicle’s alarm system. Further to this, Burton allegedly cut down a property’s fence and lit it on fire.

    Upon police arrival, Burton ignored officers’ commands and ran into a residence. He was arrested inside the home where officers located and seized a loaded shotgun and additional ammunition that was improperly stored and readily available.

    Burton is charged with the following criminal offences:

    • Mischief under $5000.00 – damage to property – two counts
    • Mischief – obstructing the lawful enjoyment to property
    • Arson – damage to property
    • Unsafe storage of a firearm
    • Resisting/Obstructing a peace officer

    He attended court on January 25 and was held in custody. He appears in court today for a bail hearing.

    The investigation is continuing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: CTRL Group Limited Announces Full Exercise of Underwriter’s Over-Allotment Option

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Kowloon, Hong Kong, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CTRL Group Limited (the “Company”) (NasdaqCM: MCTR), an integrated marketing and advertising services provider in Hong Kong specializing in mobile games promotion for the local market, today announced that R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc., which acted as the representative of the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering (the “IPO”), has exercised the full over-allotment option and purchased an additional 300,000 ordinary shares of the Company at the IPO price of $4.00 per share. As a result, the Company has raised an aggregate of $9.2 million in gross proceeds, before underwriting discounts and other related expenses, through the issuance of a total of 2,300,000 ordinary shares in the IPO.

    R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc. acted as the representative of the underwriters, with Revere Securities LLC acting as co-underwriter (collectively, the “Underwriters”) for the Offering. The Crone Law Group, P.C. served as counsel to the Company. VCL Law LLP served as counsel to the Underwriters.

    A Registration Statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-277979) (the “Registration Statement”), was previously filed with and subsequently declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on December 31, 2024. The Offering was made only by means of a prospectus, forming a part of the Registration Statement. A final prospectus relating to the Offering was filed with the SEC on January 22, 2025, and is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, electronic copies of the prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained from R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc. at 40 Wall Street, 27th Floor New York, NY 10005, or by telephone at +212.293.9090.

    This press release has been prepared for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About CTRL Group Limited

    The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary and operating company, CTRL Group Limited, is an integrated marketing and advertising services provider in Hong Kong specializing in mobile games promotion for the local market. The Company provides services to mobile game developers, principally developers of mobile gaming applications or “apps” that gamers download from the developers’ websites and applicable mobile operating systems, such as Apple Store or Android Google Play Store. The market for specialized mobile game advertising in Hong Kong is occupied by a few market players who compete with one another. The Company’s prominent market share and proven track record are indicative of its audience reach and engagement, as well as its relevance to advertisers in Hong Kong markets. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: https://www.ctrl-media.com/

    Forward-Looking Statements

    All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, including the expectation that the Offering will be successfully completed. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and in its other filings with the SEC.

    For more information, please contact:

    Investor Relations
    CTRL Group Limited
    Phone: +852-3107-4887
    Email: project@ctrl-media.com

    The MIL Network –