Category: Law Enforcement

  • MIL-OSI Security: Springfield, Vermont Man Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

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

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Ernest Lamphere, 44, of Springfield, Vermont, pleaded guilty today to a gun possession charge before U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III.

    According to court records including the stipulated facts in the plea agreement between the parties, in late February 2024, Lamphere was subject to a State of Vermont relief from abuse order, which was sought by his family members and prohibited his possession of firearms. When law enforcement served the relief from abuse order on Lamphere on February 27 at his home, he turned over four firearms and also admitted opiate use. Two days later Lamphere was located alone in his vehicle, blocking the drive-thru lane at the McDonald’s in Springfield, Vermont and nodding off from illegal drug use. Lamphere had opiates in his system at the time. Along with significant quantities of illegal drugs located in his vehicle and on his person, Lamphere was also in possession of two AR-style rifles, a silencer, and assorted ammunition.

    Lamphere pleaded guilty today to being a drug user in possession of a firearm, a charge which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. The actual sentence will be determined by the District Court with reference to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and statutory sentencing factors of the United States Code. If accepted by the court, the plea agreement signed by Lamphere and the government recommends (1) that sentencing be delayed for one year, and (2) that Lamphere receive a time-served sentence, to be followed by three years of supervised release, if he abides by the terms of the plea agreement during the intervening year.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Springfield, VT Police Department for their work on this case.

    U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest has handled the case for the government. Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth represents Ernest Lamphere.

    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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government’s Three Strikes reboot fails victims, again – Sensible Sentencing Trust

    Source: Sensible Sentencing Trust

    The Sensible Sentencing Trust is slamming the Government’s tweaks to it’s Three Strikes 2.0 law labelling them a ‘weak compromise that lets victims down’.

    Lawyer, and Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman, Stephen Franks, said:

    “The Three Strikes changes are a triumph of public service bureaucrats over evidence-based policy.  Changing the threshold so a strike only counts if a crim get12 months imprisonment at the first strike stage and two year threshold for second and third strikes makes no sense at all.”

    “The Government just doesn’t get it. The whole idea of Three Strikes is that the strike occurs upon conviction not based on the sentencing judge’s discretion.”

    “We’ve modelled the Government’s changes using the 25 ‘third strikers’ under the original regime. Under the Bill as it was, just seven would qualify for a third strike. And with these changes, it’s still just eight – less than a third who would face the deterrent of a third strike under the original law.”

    “It doesn’t even carry over the existing strikes of of the old regime. It restores strike status only to those who meet these new thresholds. It’s literally letting previous strikers off.”

    “National and ACT talk tough on crime, but are failing to deliver. This watered down version of Three Strikes won’t work.”

    “What was the point of ACT campaigning on reinstating what the judges and Labour’s luvvies canned, if they bottle it when in power?

    NOTES:

    Analysis by the Sensible Sentencing Trust shows that only one additional third striker would qualify under the changes announced today compared to the proposal introduced in April.

    This new threshold also applies to the “carry over” aspect – which means that most of the 14,687 former strikers will not qualify at all (so will be ‘let off’ from their existing strikes, despite convictions for serious offences).’

    We’ve also modelled applying the 12 month sentence threshold to just the third strike stage.  If that proposal had been adopted, just two cases that would not qualify as third strikers. These two cases are those opponents of Three Strikes regularly refer to: Both Daniel Fitzgerald and Raven Campbell would not qualify as Third Strikers.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks by Vice President Harris and Liz Cheney at a Campaign Event | Malvern,  PA

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    People’s LightMalvern, Pennsylvania
    11:54 A.M. EDT
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let’s get to it.
         MS. LONGWELL:  Let’s do it.  Let’s do it.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everyone.
         AUDIENCE:  Good morning.
         AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Happy birthday!
         MS. LONGWELL:  Oh, happy belated birthday.  (Applause.)  Oh, yeah.
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  I appreciate that.  Thank you. 
         MS. LONGWELL:  Audience members showing me up — that’s tough.  (Laughter.)
    Okay.  So, I’ve got to start with the thing that brings us here today, because I’ve got to say it is unusual for somebody who was as high up in the Republican leadership as Liz Cheney was to be out here campaigning with the Democratic nominee for president. 
    And so, maybe — why don’t both of you tell us, but you start: You’ve actually marshaled unprecedented support from Republicans in this election.  Why do you think that is?
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Sarah.  Thank you for being here and for your work.  And the congresswoman, thank you. 
    I — I have said before and it must be repeated each time: There are moments in the history of our country which challenge us, each of us, to really decide do we stand for those things that we talk about, including, in particular, country over party.  And you have been extraordinarily courageous in the way that you have done that.  And I thank you for that.  (Applause.)
    So, you know, I have in my career now — whether it was as the elected district attorney, elected attorney general, and then elected United States senator, and, of course, now vice president — I’ve counted that I have taken the oath of office six times.  And for the elected leaders here, we know it is an oath that one must take sincerely and unequivocally, which is an oath, among other things, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and to understand what those principles represent and what they require of the individual who holds the office and the public trust.
    And let’s not undervalue that point as well.  It is not about the individual.  It is not about what is in their personal interests.  It is about what is for and in the spirit of the public good.     
     And this is a moment in this election that presents a real contrast among how I, as one of the two nominees, and my opponent, the former president, think of that duty.  And it is a duty, by the way.  There are certain things in our lives that we have the choice if we feel like it — (laughter) — and then there are certain things that are just fundamentally a duty, like to raise our children.  Things of that nature.  It is a duty to take seriously that oath and do it for the sake of the public good and in the public trust.
    And I think that at this moment, with the choice that the American people have in this election in — in two weeks and one day, this election is presenting — for the first time, probably, in certainly recent history — a very clear choice and difference between the two nominees.  And I think that is what, as much as anything, is bringing us, as Americans, together, who are understanding that we cannot, with such fundamental stakes being presented, afford to be mired in ideological differences without really staking our claim to the most fundamental ideals upon which our country stands.
    MS. LONGWELL:  Thank you.  And, you know, Congresswoman Cheney, it’s a — sort of the same question to you.  But I got to ask: You know, it’s one thing for Republicans to sign a letter.  You know, we’ve seen that she has — Vice President Harris has been endorsed by 200 Republicans in the national security space, all kinds of people from George W. Bush’s administration.  There’s been a lot of people — they’ll sign letters and maybe they’ll go on T.V., they’ll release a statement.  I was just with Republican Congressman Charlie Dent — former Republican congressman here from the state.  He voted for you in his early voting. 
    But you are out here campaigning.  You are out here holding events.  So, talk about why it’s been so important to you to be as involved as you are in getting Vice President Harris elected.
    MS. CHENEY:  Well, thank you so much, Sarah, for the question.  And — and it’s an honor to be here today with you, Madam Vice President. 
         You know — (applause) —
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.
    MS. CHENEY:  — for me, every — every single thing in — in my experience and in my background has — has played a part in my decision to endorse Vice President Harris. 
    And, you know, that — that begins with the fact that I’m a conservative, and I know that the most conservative of all conservative principles is being faithful to the Constitution.  And you have to choose, in this race, between someone who has been faithful to the Constitution, who will be faithful, and Donald Trump, who it’s not just us predicting how he will act.  We watched what he did after the last election.  We watched what he did on January 6th.
    And so, coming to this as someone who’s been a lifelong Republican, a lifelong conservative, also as someone who spent — I spent time working overseas before I was elected to Congress, and I’ve — I’ve spent time working in countries where people aren’t free and where people are struggling for their freedom, and I know how — how quickly democracies can unravel. 
    And I know that, as Americans, we can become accustomed to thinking, “Well, we don’t have to worry about that here.”  But I tell you, again, as someone who has seen firsthand how quickly it can happen, that that is what’s on the ballot.  That’s absolutely what’s on the ballot.
    I also — I come to this decision as a mother.  I have five children.  And there was a moment right after January 6th when my husband and I were having dinner with our two youngest, our two sons, and I looked across the table at my — my young sons, and I thought to myself, “You know, in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol, are they going to grow up in a country where we don’t have to worry about the peaceful transfer of power?  Are they going to grow up in a country where that is guaranteed?”
    And — and I believe that every one of us in this election has a duty and an obligation to do what we know is right for the country, and that’s to support Vice President Harris.  So, I’m very honored to be here and to do that.  (Applause.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.
    You know, if I can just echo the congresswoman’s point.  So, I’ve now, as vice president, met over 150 world leaders — presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, and kings — many of them multiple times, to the point we’re on a first-name basis.  And the last few times that I’ve seen them in the relative eve of this election, they are very concerned, our allies.  Because, as you know, when we walk in those rooms around the world representing the United States of America, we have traditionally been able to walk in those rooms chin up, shoulders back, with the self-appointed and earned authority to talk about the importance of democracies and rule of law.
    But as all the role models here know, as a role model, people watch what you do to see if it lines up with what you say.  People around the world are watching this. 
    And I — I tell you, sometimes I do fret a bit about whether we, as Americans, truly understand how important we are to the world.  I hope everyone does really understand that we represent something — imperfect though we certainly are; flawed though we may be — we represent, in terms of our ideals, the — the basis of our Constitution, we represent a gold standard. 
    And when we have someone who has been president, who wants to be president again, who is saying he would be dictator on day one, would weaponize our Department of Justice — one of the principles of our democracy is that we say we have a justice system that is blind, that is not punitive against one’s enemies, they are watching.
    So, this is about direct impact on the American people, and it most certainly will impact people around the world. 
    MS. LONGWELL:  You know, I’m so glad you brought that up.  And I — I — as a follow-up, I would just ask Congressman Cheney too.  We live in a dangerous time.  I mean, I think Americans are watching what’s happening overseas in Ukraine, in Israel.  Republicans — we used to be the party that would be on the side of our democratic allies like Ukraine. 
    Talk to me a little bit and all of us about why, from a foreign policy standpoint, you find yourself able to endorse Democrats, who w- — wouldn’t — it didn’t used to be that way.
    MS. CHENEY:  Well, it — it’s not just able to endorse them.  But — but if you look at the numbers of the most senior officials who served Donald Trump — his own vice president; national security advisors; his chief of staff; you know, the — the leading generals who served him — who’ve all said he’s unfit, and people really need to stop and think about how completely unprecedented that is.
    And the — the idea — when people sort of say, “Well, we might, you know, be tempted, for some reason or another, to vote for Donald Trump” — if the issue is foreign policy, I would just ask everyone: Think about how dangerous and damaging it is to have someone who’s totally erratic — totally erratic, completely unstable — someone who has aligned himself with, who idolizes tyrants.  He idolizes tyrants. 
    You know, the — the — again, the choice here, with respect to national security policy, is a man who has proven — he has absolutely proven that he will not stand up, he won’t defend this nation with respect to our own Constitution and rule of law, and Vice President Harris, who has been clear in terms of support for Ukraine, in terms of recognizing and understanding across the board that America cannot maintain our own freedom and security if we walk away from our allies around the world. 
    And our adversaries know that they can play Donald Trump.  They absolutely know that they can play him.  And we simply can’t afford to take that risk.
    So, as someone who has spent a career on national security issues — again, this was not at all a difficult choice for me — the — the choice here is absolutely clear in terms of the necessity of supporting Vice President Harris.
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And — and if I may emphasize, part of the backbone of our national security is our military.  And let’s please not overlook how someone who wants to be commander in chief and was has talked about our servicemen and women; has talked about an American hero like John McCain, who was a prisoner of war — said he didn’t respect him, didn’t like him because he got caught; has talked about our service members as — as though they are less than the most courageous of us. 
     Those who put on the uniform, who represent the United States of America, who are willing to die for the sake of everything we stand for, and he calls them “suckers” and “losers.”  These things cannot be overlooked. 
    And — and I have said many times publicly, and I’ll say it again: In many, many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of him being president of the United States are brutally serious.  There are things that he says that will be the subject of skits and laughter and jokes, but words have meaning coming from someone who aspires to stand behind the seal of the president of the United States.  These are the things that are at stake.
         MS. LONGWELL:  Couldn’t agree more. 
    So, I do want to ask you another question, though, before we go to the audience.  You know, you talk a lot about a new way forward.  You talk about turning the page.  What’s on the next page?  Talk to us about a —
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  You want a preview.
    MS. LONGWELL:  Yeah.  Give me — a spoiler alert.  You know?  (Laughter.)  Just —
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.
    MS. LONGWELL:  — tell us — tell us what’s — what’s in the rest of the chapter.
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, I will say that it — it is a metaphor that is meant to also describe my intention to embark on a new generation of leadership.  And needless to say, mine will not be a continuation of the Biden administration.  I bring to it my own ideas, my own experiences.
    But it is also about moving past what, frankly, I think has been the last decade of — of the American discourse being influenced by Donald Trump in a way that has had the effect of suggesting we, as Americans, should point the finger at one another, in a way that has been using the power of the presidency to demean and to divide us.
    I think people are exhausted with that, rightly.  And it, frankly, does not lead to the strength of our nation to tell the American people that we must be suspicious of one another, distrust one another.
    You know, yesterday, I — I did a couple of church services, and there’s a — we — many people here know the — the parable of the Good Samaritan.  And there is an essence — a piece of that, in my own words, that really requires us, I think, to see in the face of a — of a stranger, to see a neighbor.  Right?  That spirit.  And I think we need to get back to that.
    The spirit of the American people is such that, you know, we are an ambitious people.  We are aspirational.  We have dreams.  And that is productive. 
    It is not productive of us to be a nation of people who are pointing fingers at one another, who don’t understand that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.
    So, that’s what I mean about turning the page.  And then a new generation of leadership about being ambitious, about all we have yet to do. 
    Part of my economic policy — I refer to it as an opportunity economy — is about investing in American industries while leaving none of our traditional, wonderful industries behind; repurposing and retooling the factories that have led to America’s success in industry, while at the same time redefining how we are thinking about which worker has the experience and skill to do the — the job and is qualified and understanding we shouldn’t be falling into a trap that suggests only those with a college degree have the skill or the experience to do the job.  So, let’s look at how we redefine and perhaps even reorder. 
    And, in fact, I’m going to start with federal jobs, and then I’m going to challenge the private sector to do the same.  Let’s look at which of those jobs would benefit from a skilled, experienced worker who perhaps went through an apprenticeship program — not a four-year college, but still had a four-year degree, in essence.
         So, these are the kinds of things that are about seeing the opportunity of this moment and investing in it.
         I’ll tell you — and I know this is a controversial topic for many of us — I love Gen Z.  (Laughter.)  Because we have Gen Zs in our lives.  We have kids who are Gen Zs.  It can be complicated, I know.  I love Gen Z.
         These young leaders are so — they’re clear-eyed.  You know, they’ve only known the climate crisis.  They’ve only known active shooter drills.  I mean, we had fire drills.  Not — not our kids, right?
         But they also — they’re — they’re so wonderfully impatient — (laughter) — ri- — no, really, that’s good.  That’s good.  They are ready to get in there.  Let’s invest in them.  Let —
         So, for example, one of my — one piece of my opportunity economy is we got to deal with the reality of where we are right now.  The American dream, for previous generations, was something that people could kind of count on.  Not so much anymore, in terms of homeownership.  We have a housing shortage in America.  We have a supply shortage.
         So, part of my plan is, hey, let’s be clear-eyed about this moment.  Let’s invest in the future.  And as a — a devout public servant, I also know the limitations of government.  I want to work with the private sector.  I have, in my career.  The skills, the breadth, the depth of — of value in those active partnerships benefit us all.
         So, part of my plan for housing is to actively partner with building developers, with homebuilders to create tax credits to increase the supply of housing in America.  My estimate is — I think we can actually do it — by 3 million by the end of my first term.
         Part of my approach that is about a new generation, potentially, of leadership and certainly a different approach: Most of my career was not spent in Washington, D.C.  I say that with pride.  (Laughter.) 
         In that, you know, most of my career was spent as a prosecutor, but I — making decisions that had a direct impact on people’s lives.  You know, I learned at a very young age, as a prosecutor, that the things that I would do with the swipe of my pen could result in someone having their liberty or not.  
         When I was attorney general of California — which is, you know, by estimates, the fifth-largest economy in the world — I was acutely aware the words I spoke could move markets. 
         I like getting things done.  And part of my approach, which is, I think, about a new generation of leadership, is: Let’s cut through the red tape.  Let’s cut through the bureaucracy while still knowing the virtues of the work that we can do in the public sector, be it public education, public health, public safety.
         MS. LONGWELL:  This is a perfect segue into our first audience question, which is going to come from Alexandra Miller from Delaware County.  Main section, right — right there. 
         Hi, Alexandra. 
         Q    Hello.  Hello, Madam Vice President and Representative Cheney.
         MS. CHENEY:  Hi there.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi.
         Q    Thank you for taking my question today.  My name is Alex.  I have a 7-year-old son and a wonderful 72-year-old mother who is suffering from dementia and requires full-time care. 
         My son is in second grade, my mother is in a nursing home, and I work full time.  The costs of childcare and of eldercare are staggering.  But simultaneously, professionals that help care for both our children and our elders are generally underpaid, which makes it difficult for them to support their own families and do the jobs that they need to do. 
         How do you propose to help bridge this gap, making both child- and eldercare more affordable for hardworking families and also retaining and attracting quality talent for this — these essential jobs?
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, first of all, you’re dealing with a lot.  You’re dealing with a lot, and I just wish you strength and support.  You are a part of what we call the “sandwich generation,” which are those parents and children who are right in the middle.  They are taking care of their young children and taking care of their parents as they age.  And it’s a lot.
         And so, I actually plan to address this in a substantial way because I actually bring a personal experience to it as well.  I took care of my mother when she was sick, and that work is the work of trying to cook something that they feel like eating — right? — trying to figure out which clothes will not irritate their skin and help them put on a sweater.  It’s about trying to figure out how you can say something that brings a smile to their face or makes them laugh.  It’s about dignity. 
         Meanwhile, you have a second-grader.  You’re trying to teach that kid how to read — (laughter) — spending time with them, reminding them they are special and can be anything. 
         And in the middle of all of that, if you are working or just to have a minute to breathe, it’s a lot.  It’s a lot. 
         So, what — the way that this plays out for many people is — is one of just a couple of ways.  One, if you have the good fortune of having enough extra money, you can hire somebody to come in.  And then, exactly as you said, you — knowing what you just shared with us about yourself — would pay them the value of their work.  Or someone in this position would have to basically spend down all their savings so they could qualify for Medicaid, which means they pretty much have to get rid of everything.  Or they have to quit their job, which means one less income in their household. 
         And this is a matter — this issue, for me, is a matter of dignity — yours, your parents, and the well-being of your child and you being able to do what you naturally want to do, and which — and the thing that we should value in our society, which is someone like you who is taking on the duty and the responsibility of all of that. 
         So, my plan is that instead of those scenarios I just mapped out, we will restructure it so that Medicare covers the cost of in-home health care for your parent so that they can be at home — (applause) — and you can then have the assistance with someone who can help prepare that meal, help them get dressed, and you can still give that baby of yours all the love that they deserve.  And you can have sanity in the process.  And everyone can have dignity. 
         And so, this is — this is my approach, which is let’s just look at this as an — let’s just come at it from common sense, by the way.  It’s just common sense.  And what makes — what is a — a commonsense, practical approach to doing this, because when you are able to be productive, we all benefit, by the way.  When that child is able to have a parent who is able to help them with their reading and remind that child that they are special, we are all going to benefit from that. 
         So, thank you for raising the subject.  (Applause.)  And you take care of yourself.
         MS. LONGWELL:  Okay.  Next we’re going to call on Ashley Scott, speaking of Gen Z — although I guess I shouldn’t assume I know what generation she’s from, but she is a student from Bucks County.  Hi.
         Q    Hi, Vice President Harris and Congresswoman Cheney.  My name is Ashley Scott.  I’m from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and I am Gen Z.  I’m 22 years old.  (Laughter.)
         MS. LONGWELL:  Nailed it.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good for you.  (Laughs.)
         Q    So, thank you for that compliment.  But yeah, my question is about maternal health.  Specifically, in the United States, maternal mortality is devastating.  The rates are terrible.  And I was wondering if you have a plan to combat the crisis.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Ashley, and thank you for being here and your voice.  It’s a big issue.  So, we have the very, I think, shameful distinction of — of any wealthy nation having one of, if not the highest, rate of maternal mortality. 
         And I’ve studied this issue.  I worked on it was on — when I was in the United States Senate and as vice president.  And the fact is that 90 percent of them are preventable, which tells us we can do something about it, right? 
         And it is an issue — so, Black women are three to four times more likely to die in connection with childbirth; Native women are, like, twice as likely; rural women, one and a half times as likely. 
         One of the common threads that you will see in those demographic populations is a lack of appropriate prenatal care and then care during the term of their pregnancy and then postpartum care.  And we know that when that care is available, they are having a healthier and, by the way, happier experience.  And the long-term impact to all of us as a society, much less to that family, is immense. 
         And so, the work that we have been doing and the work I intend to do going forward is to address that, right?  So, for example, in rural America, the — the way that the system has been structured — the health care system has been structured is a lot of those hospitals and clinics have had to close because of the way we — we reimburse based on population size.  And as people are leaving rural America, then the hospitals and the clinics can’t afford the overhead. 
         I’m oversimplifying but just to make the point.  So, we need to address that in terms of how we’re structuring, how we create incentives and — and give the resources to those health care facilities, be they clinics or hospitals. 
         The other piece that we have to do is really just talk more about the issue around also how, in the health care system, we are treating women and are we taking women seriously when they talk about their health care concerns. 
         So, again, personal experience, my mother had two goals in her life: to raise her two daughters, my sister and I, and to end breast cancer.  My mother was a breast cancer researcher.  And she was so passionate about women’s health care, and I remember it as a young girl and throughout my life. 
         And we still have a lot of work to do to make sure that when she walks into that clinic, that doctor’s office, that hospital, that when — that she’s taken seriously.  And — and that’s also about what we do in terms of training within the profession.  It’s also about what we do in terms of public education to get information to women so that they know that they are not just complaining and they should not suppress or subordinate what their concerns might be about themselves because they’re taking care of everybody else. 
         So, there’s a lot of work to do.  And, of course, there’s a connection between this and what we need to do since the Dobbs decision came down, when we are looking at — I’ve met with a lot of, in particular, OB-GYNs who are concerned that there are kids going through — excuse me, young people going through their medical school who are now feeling deterred from engaging in reproductive health work. 
         And reproductive health work is vast.  It is not only about abortion; it is about a whole array of care.  And we want to make sure that we’re not creating disincentives for people to go into that very, very important profession. 
         And then we also want to make sure that we are, in the whole issue of reproductive care, not suggesting to women or the people who love them that they should be judged, because there is that also when you’re talking about reproductive care, where women sometimes are made to feel or do feel embarrassed to talk about their needs as it relates to their reproductive health.
         And then, of course, I feel very strongly the government should not be telling any woman what to do with her body.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)  And when Congress passes a law reinstating the reproductive freedoms of women, I will gladly and proudly sign it into law, because I strongly believe one does not have to give up or abandon their own faith or beliefs to agree that — not the government telling her what to do.  If she chooses, she will consult with her priest, her pastor, her rabbi, her imam, but not the government. 
         We’ve seen too much harm — real harm — happen to women and the people who love them around our country since that decision came down, including women who have died.  And I don’t think that most people who — before the Dobbs decision came down — who had strong opinions about this — I don’t think most people intended that the harm that we’ve seen would have actually happened.
         MS. CHENEY:  Can I add to this just to — because I — I think it’s such an important point.  And I think there are many of us around the country who have been pro-life but who have watched what’s going on in our states since the Dobbs decision and have watched state legislatures put in place laws that are resulting in women not getting the care they need. 
         And so, I think this — this is not an issue that we’re seeing break down across party lines —
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.
         MS. CHENEY:  — but I think we’re seeing people come together to say what has happened to women, when women are facing situations where they can’t get the care they need — where in places like Texas, for example, the attorney general is talking about suing — is suing to get access to women’s medical records — that’s not sustainable for us as — as a country, and — and it has to change.  (Applause.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  Yeah.
         MS. LONGWELL:  So, as we come close to time here, I want to ask you both kind of a final question.  You know, I — I watch the — the conversation in the country and the way that the media covers this election, and it’s often about the race: Who’s up in a poll?  Who’s down in a poll?  And I — I don’t always feel like we’re talking about the stakes enough. 
         And Liz Cheney would not be here if she didn’t think that the stakes were very high.  And frankly, the Republicans wouldn’t be so angry at you if they didn’t think you were an effective surrogate as somebody speaking about the stakes.  (Applause.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Some Republicans.  Some Republicans.
         MS. LONGWELL:  Some Republicans.  Some Republicans.  #NotAllRepublicans.  (Laughter.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Because I’ve seen a lot of Republicans — just I’ve seen it and I know it happens — who thank her constantly. 
         MS. LONGWELL:  I — I know it.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  Yeah.
         MS. LONGWELL:  I know it.
         MS. CHENEY:  They’re going to vote the right way on November 5th. 
         MS. LONGWELL:  That’s right.
         MS. CHENEY:  They might not think public about it, but — but they’ll do what — what they know is right.  (Applause.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  I agree.  I agree.  I agree.
         MS. LONGWELL:  But just to close and — and maybe starting with you, Congresswoman, so you can have the last word.  Talk to me and all of us about the stakes.  Many people in the room here are undecided voters.  What’s — what’s kind of the last pitch that you would make about why this election is so important and why you believe they should vote for the vice president here?
         MS. CHENEY:  Well, I think that in this election, and especially here in Pennsylvania, we have the opportunity to tell the whole world who we are.  And we have the chance to say, you know, we’re — we’re going to reject cruelty.  We’re going to reject the kind of vile vitriol that we’ve seen from Donald Trump.  We’re going to reject the misogyny that we’ve seen from Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.  (Applause.) 
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.
         MS. CHENEY:  And we have the chance in this race to elect somebody who you know is going to defend the rule of law.  You know Vice President Harris is going to defend our Constitution. 
         We have the chance to remind people that we are a good country.  We are a good and honorable people.  We are a great nation. 
         And — and in this race, we have the opportunity to vote for and support somebody you can count on. 
         We’re not always going to agree, but I know Vice President Harris will always do what she believes is right for this country.  She has a sincere heart, and that’s why I’m honored to be here and supporting her in this race.  (Applause.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I mean, I — exactly.  The — listen, so, in my career as a prosecutor — you’ve heard me say this — I — I never, ever asked a victim or a witness, “Are you a Republican or a Democrat?”  Never.  It wouldn’t have even occurred to me to ask them.  I did, every time, ask, “Are you okay?”
         And I — you know, and I feel very strongly that — for example, in — on the issue of partisanship, yes, we’re going to have disagreements, but I actively invite good ideas from wherever they come.  That’s why I’m going to have a Republican in my Cabinet, by the way — (applause) — because I want good ideas.
         And, by the way, I know it is in our best interest as a nation, in our — the interest of our strength and our future as a nation.  We need a healthy two-party system.  We need a healthy two-party system.  (Applause.)
         We need to be able to have these good, intense debates about issues that are grounded in fact.  (Laughter.)  How about that?
         MS. CHENEY:  Imagine.
    .
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let’s start there.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)
         Wow.  Can you believe that’s an applause line?  (Laughter.) 
         Oy.  But, you know, it’s — (laughter) — it’s — 
         We have in our grasp in these next 13 days — 13 days, we are — or 15 days, excuse me.  I — I’m just jumping ahead.  (Laughter.)  In these next 15 days, we have in our grasp the ability to determine the course of our country. 
         You know, every election, we’ve said, “This is the one.”  This is the one.  This truly is the one. 
         I mean, to the congresswoman’s point, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff referred to Donald Trump as being “fascist to the core.”  And no one would ever accuse the former chairman of being partisan in any way.  The people who know him best — from the former chief of staff; Defense secretaries, two of them; national security advisor to the former vice president.
         And so, we have in — in our grasp — because we still have a democracy.  As the saying goes, as long as we hold on to it, we still have a democracy, which means in a democracy — and here’s the beauty of it — we each have the power to make a decision about the future of our country through our vote.
         And my request, then, of each of you who have spent time out of your busy lives to be here — and I thank you for that — is please just help us get the word out to your neighbors and friends and family members to just remind them of what is at stake and this conversation. 
         I ask for your vote.  I ask for their votes.  And I promise to be a president for all Americans.  I promise and pledge that.  (Applause.)
         MS. LONGWELL:  All right, everyone.  Congresswoman Cheney and Vice President Kamala Harris.  Thank you so much. 
         Yes, let’s give them another round of applause.  That was wonderful.  (Applause.)
         Thank you so much.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.
         MS. LONGWELL:  Thank you.  (Applause.)

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: The on-farm benefits of good effluent management

    Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

    Environment Canterbury © 2024
    Retrieved: 11:07am, Tue 22 Oct 2024
    ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/2024/the-on-farm-benefits-of-good-effluent-management/

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Appalling process on three strikes law

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    The Government is subverting parliamentary process on laws the evidence already shows don’t work.

    “The Justice Select Committee has not reported back, and yet the Government is making changes based on what it claims that committee heard and the public has said,” Labour’s justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said.  

    “We are yet to even receive a draft of the select committee report, and released submissions so far show overwhelming opposition to the bill.

    “The proper process to have input is through the select committee, not a selection of private emails to the Minister.

    “The fact Minister Nicole McKee is jumping the gun and making these changes shows she is not interested in evidence or good process.

    “They are beating the tough on crime drum to cover for wider government failures and misbehaviours.

    “The first three strikes bill was a failure and the proposed changes to this bill will only make it worse,” Duncan Webb said.


    Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on FacebookInstagram, and X.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Loch Fire Brigade the link to their local community

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    Andy Teitge and Phillip Clarke – Loch Fire Brigade Volunteers

    If you live in a rural Victorian town, you undoubtably know your local CFA.
    Loch Fire Brigade rolled up their doors to show others what giving time to your local fire brigade looks like and how fulfilling it can be.

    Are you

    Volunteering with Loch has been the link to getting to know the local community for Andy Teitge, who joined only two years ago.

    Phillip Clark who has been a volunteer with CFA since his junior years, credits his long-term involvement with CFA for his passion for emergency services – having also volunteered with Ambulance Victoria and now through his current employment with Victoria Police.

    If you’re interested in joining CFA or learning more about volunteering, head to http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/volunteer to ‘Give Us Hand’. 

    Submitted by Courtney Walker

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saskatoon — Saskatoon RCMP seek public assistance locating missing 15-year-old male

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 18, 2024, Saskatoon RCMP received a report of a missing 15-year-old male, Landon Daniels.

    Landon was last seen on October 18, 2024 at approximately 3:15 p.m. in Allan, SK. Since he was reported missing, Saskatoon RCMP have been checking places Landon is known to visit and following up on information received. They are now asking members of the public to report information on Landon’s whereabouts.

    Landon is described as 5’8″ tall and 190 pounds. He has brown eyes and short brown hair. He was last seen wearing a light grey zip up hoodie with a Nike logo, light brown pants and brown shoes.

    If you have seen Landon or know where he is, contact Saskatoon RCMP at 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or http://www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stowe Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Jail for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

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

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on October 21, 2024, Theodore Bland, 29, of Stowe, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 14 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a two-year term of supervised release. Bland previously pleaded guilty to possessing a Mossburg 12-gauge shotgun on March 17, 2023, while being an unlawful user of controlled substances and knowing that he was an unlawful user of controlled substances.

    According to court records, on March 17, 2023, Bland brandished a 12-gauge Mossburg Model 88 Maverick shotgun while threatening the driver of a vehicle in the parking lot of a South Burlington convenience store. The two female passengers that had been travelling with the threatened driver then got in Bland’s car. Bland and the two females then drove around for several hours, during which time Bland smoked cocaine base and continued to possess the shotgun. When Bland was stopped by the Vermont State Police, officers observed the Mossburg shotgun and various controlled substances located in the vehicle.

    After the sentencing hearing, Bland was arraigned on a separate, pending indictment, which charges drug and firearms crimes. The United States issued a press release on that matter on September 19, 2024. Bland pleaded not guilty to those charges and was detained pending trial.

    United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the South Burlington Police Department, the Vermont State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Stowe Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Morristown Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Turner and Paul Van de Graaf. Bland is represented by David Sleigh, Esq.

    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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Cramer: Department of Energy Awards Nearly $49 Million for Project Tundra Construction

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    Click here to download audio.
    BISMARCK, N.D. – The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management announced the award of nearly $49 million to DCC East Project LLC in Grand Forks to construct a large-scale geologic carbon storage facility in support of Project Tundra. The project will add full-time equivalent jobs to the already existing 360 jobs at Minnkota’s Milton R. Young Station and the adjacent coal mine.
    “Project Tundra really is the embodiment of North Dakota’s energy dominance and, more importantly, innovation, and the state’s commitment to lignite coal always being available, low-cost, reliable, abundant and a chosen, clean form of generating electricity,” said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. “This award recognizes that leadership in responsible energy development and it gets this important project one step closer to completion.”
    This project, funded by the fully-paid-for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support the Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Initiative. Established in 2016, the CarbonSAFE Initiative aims to address gaps in carbon capture and storage deployment.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal judge orders Florida water park to pay $151K in penalties after Department of Labor again finds child labor violations

    Source: US Department of Labor

    ORLANDO, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent order requiring a Jacksonville Beach water park to pay $151,606 in penalties after investigators found the company assigned young teenagers to work late hours during the school year and as attendants on elevated water slides without certification.

    The consent order by the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division. Investigators determined 1944 Beach Boulevard LLC, operator of Adventure Landing, employed 14- and 15-year-olds to work past 7 p.m. on weeknights and past 9 p.m. on Fridays between the day after Labor Day and May 31, outside of the limitations permitted under federal law. 

    “Employing children to work excessively can jeopardize their well-being and education,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Vilma Bell in Orlando, Florida. “We are committed to ensuring that young people have positive first employment experiences that teach them valuable skills while earning wages. Employers must understand and comply with federal child labor laws to ensure young workers’ safety.” 

    Investigators also found Adventure Landing assigned 14-year-old employees to work as attendants atop elevated water slides without required certifications. The Fair Labor Standards Act makes employing 14-year-olds in this type of work illegal.

    In addition to paying $151,606 in civil money penalties, the employer signed a compliance agreement to enhance child labor safeguards and prevent future violations. Adventure Landing will take the following steps:

    • Review and enhance training on child labor regulations for all employees, including translating content, and making those training materials easily reviewable by the department’s investigators.
    • Ensure managers report known child labor violations.
    • Provide a report that outlines steps to come into compliance. 

    This is the second time division investigators uncovered federal child labor violations at Adventure Landing. In 2018, the division assessed $6,199 in penalties after the employer assigned eight 14- and 15-year-olds to work longer and later than allowed and one child to perform prohibited work at its Pineville, N.C. location.

    In fiscal year 2023, the division found nearly 5,800 children employed nationally in violation of federal law, including more than 500 illegally employed in hazardous occupations, and assessed employers more than $8 million in child labor-related penalties, up 83 percent from the previous year.

    The department’s YouthRules! initiative promotes positive and safe work experiences for teens by providing information about protections for young workers to youth, parents, employers and educators. Through this initiative, the department and its partners promote developmental work experiences that help prepare young workers to enter the workforce. The division has also published Seven Child Labor Best Practices for Employers to help employers comply with the law. Learn more about the Fair Labor Standards Act’s child labor provisions. 

    Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division. Workers and employers can call the division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) confidentially with questions, regardless of immigration status. The division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages. Download the agency’s free Timesheet App for Android and iOS devices, available in English and Spanish, to help track work hours and pay.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Simpson County Sheriff’s Deputy Indicted for Using Excessive Force Against a Handcuffed Arrestee

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

    Jackson, Miss. – A Simpson County Sheriff’s Deputy appeared for an arraignment today following an Indictment filed in Jackson on criminal charges related to his use of excessive force against an arrestee.

    According to court documents, Adrian Durr, 43, of Magee, used excessive force against an arrestee in the custody of the Simpson County Sheriff’s Office. The Indictment alleges that while the arrestee was handcuffed to a bench that was bolted to the floor and shackled with leg irons on his ankles, Durr struck the arrestee in the head with the handgrip of his taser. After striking the arrestee with his taser, Durr kicked the arrestee in the head rendering him unconscious. At all times, the arrestee was handcuffed and hobbled with leg irons on his ankles. 

    “Law enforcement officers in Mississippi and throughout the nation are required to take care of the safety and welfare of the people they arrest,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee. “Unlawful physical assaults on arrestees are federal crimes that the Justice Department will prosecute.”

    “Our citizens deserve credible law enforcement to safeguard the community from crime,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff. “The actions of Mr. Durr significantly deprived the citizens of that protection and eroded the trust earned each day by honest law enforcement officers throughout the nation. The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating those who misuse their authority and violate individual’s rights in the execution of their sworn duties.”

    Durr is charged by Indictment with Deprivation of Civil Rights Under Color of Law. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Statement from Met Commissioner following acquittal of Sgt Martyn Blake for murder

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A jury at the Old Bailey has cleared a Met firearms officer of murder following the police shooting of Chris Kaba in Lambeth in September 2022.   
       

    Sergeant Martyn Blake, 40, was acquitted unanimously following a trial which ended on Monday, 21 October.

    Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “The jury system is the cornerstone of British justice and today, after two weeks of evidence, 12 men and women have cleared Sgt Martyn Blake of murder.

    “Over the past two years Sgt Blake has paid a huge personal and professional sacrifice. This has been an incredibly difficult time for him and his family and he has acted with professionalism and dignity throughout.

    “This case has had an enormous impact on many. Chris Kaba’s family and friends continue to grieve the loss of a loved one and today will be tremendously difficult for them.

    “Today’s verdict is significant. No firearms officer sets out on duty intent on ending a life. Their sole purpose is the complete opposite – the protection and preservation of life.

    “Throughout the trial the jury heard significant detail about the scenes facing Sgt Blake that night. They were told the car Mr Kaba was driving had been linked to a reported shooting the night before, the suspects were still at large, and no gun had been recovered.

    “Armed officers bravely intervened not knowing the risks they were about to face. The court heard that Mr Kaba tried to evade police, ramming his vehicle into others around him.

    “Sgt Blake made a split-second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and to protect London. The jury decided that was an honestly held belief and the force used was reasonable.

    “Any fatal use of force understandably prompts huge concern among communities, particularly in Black communities where trust in policing is low. There remains much for us to do to strengthen confidence in our service, and we know incidents like this place further strain on already challenged relationships.

    “No police officer is above the law, but we have been clear the system holding police to account is broken. I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best, but most of all I worry for the public. The more we crush the spirit of good officers, the less they can fight crime. That risks London becoming less safe. 

    “Our armed officers respond to more than 4,000 incidents each year, but there are only one or two incidents where shots are fired by police. It is undeniable that they are the most professional, most accountable and most cautious in their use of lethal force in the world.

    “Their operations have prevented countless acts of violence across our city. Last year alone they removed more than 400 guns from our streets.

    “I remain humbled and deeply proud of officers who continue to protect London despite all the risks they face. They continue to have my full and my unwavering support.”

    Sgt Blake was suspended throughout this period. His suspension will now be immediately lifted.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Orlando Middle School Employee Arrested For Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Mitchell Regan (36, Leesburg) on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Regan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.   

    According to the complaint, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Regan’s residence on October 17, 2024. During a search of Regan’s cellphone, an HSI computer forensic agent located an image of child sex abuse material in his photo gallery. Regan admitted to agents that he had sent and received child sex abuse material using an online social media application. Regan also advised law enforcement that he is currently employed at a middle school and the Boys and Girls Club and that he teaches chess club and music lessons. 

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

    This case is investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Evansville Methamphetamine Ring Dismantled, Trio Sentenced to a Combined Thirty One Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

     

    EVANSVILLE—Michael Bravo, 27, of Conroe, Texas, George Hartley, 66, of Evansville, have each been sentenced to ten years in federal prison, and Patricia Latouche, 44, of Evansville, has all been sentenced to 140 months in federal prison after each of the defendants pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Each of the defendants will also serve five years of supervised release following their release from prison.

    According to court documents, between June and November of 2020, the group worked together to distribute over 30 pounds of methamphetamine into the Evansville area. Bravo trafficked methamphetamine from Texas to his Evansville-based co-conspirators. After obtaining the methamphetamine from Bravo, Hartley and another individual, who is now deceased, further distributed it to mid-level dealers within the drug trafficking organization, including Patricia Latouche.

    “Methamphetamine and other deadly controlled substances have devastating impacts on users, their loved ones, and our communities,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Drug traffickers like these defendants, responsible for pushing this poison from across the country into our neighborhoods must be held accountable for the suffering they cause in search of quick profits. This operation is an outstanding example of the impact we can have with the help of our state and local law enforcement partners. I commend the efforts of the DEA and Evansville Police Department to make our communities safer by getting meth and meth dealers off our streets.”

    The DEA and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. 

    U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Placentia — Human remains recovered from ocean outside of Placentia Bay, investigation continuing

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Human remains were recovered from the ocean outside of Placentia Bay on October 19, 2024.

    The remains, which were found on Saturday morning by a commercial vessel that was working in the area, were recovered and transported to the Port of Argentia, where they were turned over to Placentia RCMP.

    The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is engaged and the investigation is continuing to determine the identity of the deceased.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met officers charge man with murder following death in Farringdon

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Met officers have charged a man with murder following the death of a man who was found with stab injuries on Friday.

    Police were called to the scene at Back Hill, Farringdon, at 21:36hrs on Friday, 18 October, following reports of a moped colliding with a wall. Officers attended with paramedics from the London Ambulance Service.

    When medics were treating the 20-year-old man, they found he also had stab wound injuries.

    He was taken to hospital but sadly died of his injuries on Monday, 21 October. The man’s family are being supported by specialist officers – we await confirmation that family members have been informed before releasing the victim’s name.

    Oguzcan Dereli, 26 (08.04.1998) of Islington was arrested on Sunday, 20 October and was charged with murder the following day. He will appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court at 10:00hrs on Tuesday, 22 October.

    Superintendent Jack Rowlands, one of the senior officers responsible for policing Camden, said: “A young man has tragically died in this incident and our thoughts go out to the victim’s friends and family at this terribly sad time.

    “We made a quick arrest, and have been able to bring murder charges against the suspect as we accelerate this investigation following the untimely death of the victim.

    “We understand a close-knit community is in shock but we are determined to bring justice for the victim’s loved ones and continue to support the local neighbourhood as best as we can during this difficult time.”

    Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote reference CAD 8294/18Oct.

    Alternatively, you can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Tax Preparation Company Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and $2.1 Million COVID Relief Fraud

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

    Defendant fled the United States after being indicted and remained a fugitive for 19 months

    BOSTON – A Lawrence woman was sentenced in federal court in Boston for using stolen identities of taxpayers and businesspeople to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a bank, and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

    Luz Paulino, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 54 months in prison, four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $37,056 in restitution to MetaBank and $456,300 to the Small Business Administration. In June 2024, Paulino pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy, one count of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

    Paulino was arrested in December 2020 and indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021. While on pretrial release, Paulino fled the United States and remained a fugitive for 19 months.  Panamanian authorities ultimately returned her to the United States, where she was arrested for a second time.

    Paulino owned and operated Agape Financial Services, a Lowell-based company that provided tax preparation and notary services. In 2019 and early 2020, Paulino filed false and fraudulent federal tax returns using the stolen identities, names and Social Security numbers of individual victims. The fraudulent tax returns reported false information regarding wages, employers and dependents, among other things, to claim tax refunds. To conceal her involvement, Paulino falsely represented to the IRS that the returns had been prepared by two former employees of Agape. Paulino then used the fraudulent returns to obtain Refund Advance Loans from a bank in the names of her victims.  Paulino and others she recruited then cashed the loan checks using false identification documents and forged signatures.  

    Paulino separately used stolen identities of businesspeople living in California, Michigan, Indiana and elsewhere to apply to the SBA for $2.1 million in COVID-19 Emergency Injury Disaster Loans. Between June 2020 and October 2021, Paulino’s false applications listed fictitious companies that purportedly lost revenue during the pandemic. She used the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds to wire more than $395,000 to the Dominican Republic and to buy a 2020 Cadillac for $86,000, among other purchases.
        
    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations; and Melix Bonilla, Acting Chief of the Lawrence Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

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

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Falmouth Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1.3 Million

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

    BOSTON – The former bookkeeper of a Falmouth flooring company pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $1.3 million from her employer.  

    Susan Figuerido, 73, of Falmouth, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing a false tax return. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Jan. 15, 2025.

    Between June 2015 and February 2023, Figuerido embezzled more than $1.3 million from her employer by writing checks to herself drawn on her employer’s bank account. To conceal her scheme, Figuerido did not record the checks that she wrote to herself in her employer’s accounting system. Figuerido did not report or include the funds that she embezzled on her federal income tax filings, resulting in a tax loss of approximately $353,000.  

    The charge of wire fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Harry T. Chavis Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The Falmouth Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Teva Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay $425 Million to Resolve Kickback Allegations

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

    Settlement resolves allegations that the company funneled kickbacks through co-pay assistance foundations

    BOSTON – Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. and Teva Neuroscience, Inc. (collectively Teva) have agreed to pay $425 million to resolve allegations that Teva paid kickbacks via two co-pay assistance foundations in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and False Claims Act.

    The government’s complaint, filed in 2020, alleged that from 2006 to 2017, Teva manipulated the co-pay foundation assistance system by conspiring with multiple third parties, including a specialty pharmacy and two allegedly independent co-pay assistance foundations, to direct its supposed charitable payments specifically to patients taking its own multiple sclerosis drug, Copaxone. At the same time, Teva steadily raised Copaxone’s price by thousands of dollars. The United States alleges that this conduct violated the AKS and caused the submission of false claims to Medicare. The settlement was reached after the government’s review of Teva’s financial disclosures concerning its financial condition.

    This settlement is the latest in a string of enforcement actions against pharmaceutical companies that allegedly used third-party foundations as conduits to pay kickbacks. Since 2017, the United States Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts has collected over $1.4 billion from this enforcement initiative. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also settled with four of the third-party foundations that participated in this conduct and a specialty pharmacy.  Today’s resolution with Teva is the largest co-pay assistance settlement to date.

    When a Medicare beneficiary obtains a prescription drug covered by Medicare Part B or Part D, the beneficiary is often required to make a partial payment, which may take the form of a co-payment, co-insurance, or deductible (collectively “co-pays”). These co-pay obligations may be substantial for expensive medications. Congress included co-pay requirements in these programs, in part, to encourage market forces to serve as a check on health care costs, including the prices that pharmaceutical manufacturers can demand for their drugs. The AKS prohibits pharmaceutical companies from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration – which includes money or any other thing of value – to induce Medicare patients to purchase the companies’ drugs.

    “For far too long, Teva gamed the charitable foundation process by paying kickbacks through two foundations, and with the aid of a specialty pharmacy. Those kickbacks undermined the purpose of the Medicare co-pay system and violated the Anti-Kickback Statute,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This Office has taken the leading role in cracking down on these highly lucrative schemes that drive up the cost of essential drugs by bringing multiple enforcement actions that have returned more than $1 billion to the Medicare system. We will continue to pursue these actions to ensure that all pharmaceutical companies play by the rules and to protect the American taxpayers.

    “Kickbacks designed to induce referrals or purchases of healthcare goods or services distort physician and patient decision-making, thwart competition and bypass controls put in place to protect federal health care programs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department is committed to pursuing those who engage in kickback violations, including drug manufacturers, to ensure that federal health care programs continue to serve the interests of taxpayers and program beneficiaries.”

    “Pharmaceutical companies that disguise kickbacks as charitable donations to subsidize co-pays for their own drugs undermine a critical safeguard against the excessive inflation of drug prices.  The costs of these schemes are ultimately passed on to consumers and taxpayers,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Such conduct cannot be tolerated within our health care system, and we will continue to vigorously pursue such allegations.”

    “Today’s record-breaking settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals is a victory for the public and highlights the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding the financial integrity of the Medicare program,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Pharmaceutical companies that look to bolster their drug prices by paying illegal kickbacks – whether directly or indirectly – undermine taxpayer funded healthcare programs and compromise patient care. The FBI will continue to pursue these investigations until pharmaceutical companies stop engaging in this conduct.”

    Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, Principal Deputy AAG Boynton, HHS-OIG SAC Coviello and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham R. George, Chief of the Civil Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Seol and Evan Panich of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; and Trial Attorneys Douglas Rosenthal and Nelson Wagner of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.

    The civil action in Massachusetts is captioned United States v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., et al., No. 20-cv-11548 (D. Mass.). 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Magellan Diagnostics Sentenced for Concealing Malfunction in Lead Testing Devices

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

    Company failed to notify FDA about serious malfunction in lead testing devices that resulted in inaccurately low blood level results in children and adults

    BOSTON –Magellan Diagnostics, Inc., a medical device company headquartered in Billerica, Mass., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for criminal charges related to the concealment of a device malfunction that produced inaccurately low lead test results for tens of thousands of children and other patients.

    Magellan has been ordered to pay a $21.8 million fine, $10.9 million in forfeiture and a minimum of $9.3 million to compensate patient victims. Magellan pleaded guilty to two counts of introducing a misbranded medical device into interstate commerce. Magellan was charged criminally on May 21, 2024

    “Keeping the people of Massachusetts safe takes a variety of forms. In the case of Magellan Diagnostics, it means protecting children who may have been exposed to dangerous levels of lead that can lead to serious health consequences. This company has admitted that it left lead blood level monitoring devices in pediatricians’ offices that it knew were providing inaccurately low readings, putting thousands of kids at risk of not having their elevated lead levels accurately diagnosed. In addition to holding the company accountable, this criminal sentence requires the company to undertake an extensive effort to identify and compensate victims.”

    “Medical device makers have an obligation to provide truthful information to protect patients. By deliberately concealing and consistently misleading consumers and the FDA about device malfunctions, Magellan acted with gross disregard for its responsibility to comply with FDA requirements and put patients at risk,” said Fernando McMillian, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office. “We will continue to thoroughly investigate those whose actions undermine the integrity of the FDA regulatory process which exists to protect consumer health.”

    “It’s absolutely appalling that Magellan Diagnostics was more concerned about its bottom line than it was about coming clean to their customers and the FDA about a serious malfunction in its lead testing devices that we believe unnecessarily endangered the health of incredibly vulnerable victims,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “When you’re not feeling well, and you’re trying to find out why, the last thing you should have to worry about is whether the diagnostic test you’re relying on lives up to its manufacturer’s claims. The FBI is grateful to see that the victims affected by Magellan’s actions in this case are one step closer to being compensated.”

    “Magellan concealed a serious flaw in its lead testing devices while ignoring the well-being of patients and knowingly providing inaccurate results of lead levels in the blood,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “This type of egregious conduct, which only sought to benefit the corporate bottom line, can erode the public’s trust in our nation’s health care system. Today’s sentencing should send a clear message that any company engaging in such dangerous activity will be held accountable.”

    Magellan’s LeadCare Ultra and LeadCare II devices detected lead levels and lead poisoning in the blood of children and adults using either venous (blood draws through the arm) or fingerstick samples. LeadCare II, which was predominantly used to test fingerstick samples, accounted for more than half of all blood lead tests conducted in the United States from 2013 through 2017. LeadCare Ultra was predominantly used to test venous samples.

    According to court documents, Magellan failed to timely notify the FDA about a serious malfunction that caused the company’s LeadCare devices to produce inaccurate blood lead level results when used to test venous blood samples. Magellan also changed the user instructions for the LeadCare devices without prior FDA notice or approval.

    Magellan first learned that a malfunction in its LeadCare Ultra device could cause inaccurate lead test results – specifically, lead test results that were falsely low – during the FDA clearance process in June 2013. Magellan, however, released LeadCare Ultra to the market in late 2013 without informing customers or the FDA of the malfunction. In August 2014, LeadCare Ultra customers independently discovered the malfunction and complained about inaccurate results. FDA regulations required the company to file a medical device report about the malfunction within 30 days, but Magellan did not do so.

    In November 2014, Magellan sent a letter to its LeadCare Ultra customers advising them of the malfunction and recommending that they wait 24 hours before running their tests. This contradicted the instructions for use approved by the FDA. Magellan did not, however, report the malfunction to the FDA or advise the FDA of its change to the instructions until April 2015, nearly 21 months after Magellan discovered the malfunction and almost 8 months after customers discovered the malfunction on their own. In August 2015, Magellan changed the label instructions for the LeadCare Ultra device to require users to wait 24 hours before using the device to test blood samples, rather than testing the samples immediately. FDA regulations required the company to provide advance notice of the label change and file necessary reports of device correction, but Magellan did neither.  

    Magellan’s testing in 2013 also indicated that the same malfunction affected the LeadCare II device when it was used to test venous samples. Magellan, however, did not notify the FDA about the LeadCare II malfunction until November 2016.

    The FDA ultimately found that the LeadCare devices could not accurately test venous samples, leading to a recall of all LeadCare devices using venous samples and a warning to the public not to use LeadCare Ultra, LeadCare II or LeadCare Plus for testing venous blood samples because of the malfunction and a recommendation that doctors retest certain patients.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no safe level of lead in the blood. Lead exposure may cause irreversible lifelong physical and mental health problems. Young children and pregnant women are most vulnerable to lead exposure, especially those from low-income households and those who live in housing built before 1978 because those homes are more likely to contain lead-based paint and have fixtures containing lead.

    As part of the criminal resolution, Magellan has agreed to compensate patients who were demonstrably harmed for the economic damages they suffered as a result of the malfunction in Magellan’s blood lead testing devices. If you or a family member believe you received an inaccurate blood lead test result from a LeadCare device between 2013–2017, please complete the questionnaire located on the FBI’s website at http://www.fbi.gov/MagellanCaseInquiry. Information about the status of the case is located on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/magellan-diagnostics-inc.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FDA SAC McMillan; FBI SAC Cohen; and HHS-OIG SAC Coviello made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Herbert, Kelly Lawrence and Leslie Wright of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lynn Man Charged with Threatening an Elected Official

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

    BOSTON – A Lynn man was arrested and charged for allegedly making threats to an elected official.

    Justin David Gaglio, 50, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of transmitting interstate threats. Gaglio was arrested on Sept. 27, 2024 made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston later that day. The defendant remains in federal custody following a detention hearing held on Sept. 30, 2024, as the Court took the matter of detention under advisement.

    According to the charging document, beginning in or around January 2023, Gaglio began contacting the victim via online submissions through the victim’s website. Between January 2023 and September 2024, Gaglio allegedly submitted over 80 separate messages to the victim via the website – sometimes sending multiple messages within minutes of each other.  

    It is further alleged that, on or about Sept. 8, 2024, Gaglio submitted a contact request to the victim’s website in which he threatened to murder the victim and their family.

    The charge of transmitting interstate threats carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was  provided by the United States Capital Police, the Massachusetts State Police and the Lynn and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash: Roscommon Road, Wiri

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Emergency services are responding to a crash on Roscommon Road in Wiri.

    The crash, involving a vehicle and a motorcycle, was reported to Police at 10.29am.

    One person has been injured and is reported to be in a critical condition.

    The crash has closed Roscommon Road heading north, near the intersections with Oil Terminal Road and Vogler Road.

    Diversions are being put in place and motorists are advised to expect delays or avoid the area if possible.

    The Serious Crash Unit has been notified and will conduct a scene examination.

    ENDS

    Tony Wright/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lewisporte — Man deceased following crash on TCH near Norris Arm, Lewisporte RCMP investigates

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 22-year-old man is deceased following a single-vehicle crash that occurred on the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) on October 18, 2024.

    Shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Friday, Lewisporte RCMP received the report of the crash. Upon arrival, officers determined that the vehicle departed the TCH and the driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected and died at the scene. An occupant of the vehicle was transported to hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

    A Collision Reconstructionist with RCMP Traffic Services attended the scene and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was engaged. The investigation is continuing.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Found Man Guilty of First-Degree Murder and Assault

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on all four counts of an Indictment filed in March 2024. Cameron Lynn, 34, was convicted of First Degree Murder in Indian Country, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country.

    “Our community is a much safer place due to Cameron Lynn’s conviction,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I want to thank the Tulsa Police Department and the FBI for their hard work in solving this case and working collaboratively during this investigation.” 

    According to evidence presented at trial on February 24, 2024, Tulsa Police officers were dispatched around midnight to a call where someone was shot. The caller was in a heavily wooded area near railroad tracks, flagged down officers and led them to the encampment. Officers found two victims in their tents that were shot. Medical personnel arrived on the scene and rendered aid to both victims. One victim was shot in the abdomen and transported to a local hospital. The other victim, Alcides Monroig, died at the scene.

    The caller and surviving victim told officers that they were asleep when Lynn approached their encampment. They explained that Lynn started going through their belongings, stating he was trying to find his stuff. They told officers they shined a flashlight, trying to see Lynn, and asked him to leave. Lynn refused and shot several times at both tents before fleeing.

    Several witnesses testified that they saw Lynn heading towards the encampment. After they heard several shots fired, Lynn ran toward the witnesses, telling them that they needed to leave the area and that he shot in self-defense. Before being detained, Lynn attempted to alter his appearance to avoid detection by officers. When interviewed by Tulsa Police detectives, Lynn claimed that his brother was the shooter.

    Lynn is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He will remain in custody. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

    The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and Stephen Flynn.

    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. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Placentia — Placentia RCMP investigates fatal collision in Dunville

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 61-year-old man is deceased following a collision that occurred on October 18, 2024, in Dunville.

    Shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Friday, Placentia RCMP received a report of a collision that occurred at the intersection of Main Road and Greenhouse Road in Dunville between a backhoe and a moped motorcycle. The operator of the moped was transported to Placentia Health Centre with injuries and died a few hours later. The operator of the backhoe was uninjured.

    The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is engaged and the investigation is continuing.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: La Ronge — La Ronge RCMP seek public assistance locating missing 17-year-old female

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 20, 2024, La Ronge RCMP received a report of a missing 17-year-old female, Karina Charles.

    Karina was last seen on October 20, 2024 at approximately 11:00 p.m. on Backlund Street in La Ronge.

    Karina has brown eyes and long blonde and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a pink sweater with green pajama pants. We are working to obtain a photo of her.

    If you have seen Karina or know where she is, contact La Ronge RCMP at 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or http://www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals, CT Police Arrest MA Fugitive Hiding in Woods

    Source: US Marshals Service

    New Haven, CT — The U.S. Marshals in Connecticut, working the USMS in Massachusetts and the Connecticut State Police, today arrested a man wanted in Massachusetts on multiple charges.

    Steven Labrecque, 40, was taken into custody at a secluded campsite in Woodstock, where he is alleged to have been hiding for months.

    Labrecque is wanted by Franklin and New Bedford police in Massachusetts on charges of child pornography, photographing intimate parts of a child, intimidation of a witness, reckless endangerment of a child, threatening, obscene matter to a minor, assault, and battery.

    After attempts to locate and apprehend Labrecque were unsuccessful, local police requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals. The USMS investigation led to the Woodstock hideout.

    After his arrest Labrecque was transported to Connecticut State Police where he was processed as a fugitive from justice and awaits extradition back to Massachusetts to face the charges against him.

    “The high-risk apprehension of Mr. Steven Labrecque on charges related to child pornography is the culmination of investigative efforts spanning multiple states and involving the close collaboration between federal, state, and local departments,” said Lawrence Bobnick, acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Connecticut. “Despite his extraordinary efforts to elude capture, the apprehension of Mr. Labrecque demonstrates the tenacity of the USMS Violent Fugitive Task Force and the incredible value our law enforcement partnerships have in fulfilling our mutual mission of improving the safety of the communities we serve. The U.S. Marshals Service in the District of Connecticut would like to extend our sincere appreciation for the tireless assistance provided by the Connecticut State Police Swat Team, CSP Troop D, the Douglas Police Department, the Franklin Police Department (Massachusetts), and the U.S. Marshals Service in the District of Massachusetts.”  

    Since the inception of the U.S. Marshals – Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force in 1999, these partnerships have resulted in over 11,046 arrests (Updated as of 9/08/2022). The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent fugitives and sexual predators. Membership agencies include Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Norwalk, Waterbury Police Departments and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, eight regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gerald  — Update #2: Esterhazy RCMP responding to train-related incident near Gerald, Saskatchewan

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    October 16, 2024
    Gerald , Saskatchewan

    News release

    Esterhazy RCMP continue to investigate the collision and resulting train derailment. No investigational updates are available at this time.

    It is anticipated that Range Road 1322 will remain closed until at least the evening of October 18 to facilitate the ongoing investigation and site clean-up.

    –30–

    Backgrounder

    Update: Esterhazy RCMP responding to train-related incident near Gerald, Saskatchewan

    2024-10-16
    5:41 p.m.

    The collision involved a tractor and a train; the driver of the tractor, an adult male from the Esterhazy area, died as a result. Several train cars derailed (we don’t have specific numbers available); however, no spills have been reported to RCMP except for dried/material goods.

    Range Road 1322 will remain closed until the morning of October 17 for an RCMP Collision Reconstructionist to investigate. The public is asked to please avoid the area to ensure the safety of investigators on scene.

    Esterhazy RCMP responding to train-related incident near Gerald, Saskatchewan

    2024-10-16
    3:00p.m.

    Esterhazy RCMP are on the scene of a collision that resulted in a train derailment north of Gerald, Saskatchewan. People are asked to avoid Range Road 1322 at this time.

    This is an unfolding investigation and further details and updates will be provided as they become available.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Second person charged in relation to aggravated armed robbery at Red Hills in April

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Second person charged in relation to aggravated armed robbery at Red Hills in April

    Tuesday, 22 October 2024 – 9:28 am.

    Police have charged a second person – a 26-year-old Launceston woman – in relation to an aggravated armed robbery at Red Hills on 30 April 2024. 
    Around 6:10pm, two people allegedly entered a residence at Red Hills and threatened the occupants with what was reported to be a firearm.
    No one was physically injured during the incident and the offenders reportedly left the area in a vehicle, believed to be a blue Mazda hatch. 
    The 26-year-old Launceston woman will appear in court at a later date. 
    A 24-year-old Newnham woman has already been charged in relation to this matter.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sherrill’s Office Holds Information Session for Local Municipalities Applying for Federal Brownfields Remediation Grants

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    LIVINGSTON, NJ – Last week, Representative Mikie Sherrill’s (NJ-11) office hosted a webinar with experts from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities Team (NJIT TAB) to discuss opportunities for local communities to apply for brownfields remediation grants. Since first taking office, Sherrill has fought to bring back federal funding to help New Jersey clean up toxic waste from former manufacturing sites – including securing over $1.5 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund brownfields remediation nationwide.

    Watch the full webinar  here.

    “Cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields is a common sense solution that will allow our communities to repurpose existing properties for economic development, including housing and recreation, while protecting our environment. That’s why I fought so hard to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included funding to help towns and municipalities clean up contaminated sites without putting pressure on local budgets. Thank you to EPA Region 2, NJDEP, and NJIT TAB for taking the time to share their expertise about potential funding opportunities with community leaders from across New Jersey’s 11th District,” said Rep. Sherrill.

    “EPA is pleased to partner with Representative Mikie Sherrill to inform New Jersey communities about the many amazing opportunities in the Brownfields Program,” said Lisa F. Garcia, EPA Regional Administrator. “We encourage communities to contact us and find out more about the opportunities, such as, applying for a grant or receiving technical assistance. Brownfields can truly reshape neighborhoods and, with an extra boost from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are awarding this transformative funding to more communities than ever.”

    “My DEP colleagues and I thank Rep. Sherrill for championing this landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investment in community redevelopment. The DEP’s Brownfield Development Area program and Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund provide critical assistance to communities repurposing blighted brownfield sites into community assets,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “The HDSRF program has been long at work proving environmental, economic, community and public health benefits across New Jersey. The program is possible because of strong partnerships with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New Jersey Economic Development Authority and thank them for their continued commitment and support for community revitalization.”   

    “NJIT TAB was honored to take part in this important webinar with Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill’s office, the EPA, and NJDEP. Cailyn Bruno, our Director of Environmental Services, provided insights on how communities can repurpose brownfield sites for sustainable development and environmental justice. NJIT TAB remains committed to offering free technical assistance to help communities across New Jersey navigate these complex projects and unlock opportunities for economic growth and revitalization,” said Acting Executive Director, Sean Vroom.  

    The EPA Brownfields Program provides funding and resources to redevelop and repurpose contaminated properties like former gas stations, dry cleaners, warehouses, dump sites, and vacant lots. Reinvesting in brownfields properties has tremendous potential for:

    • Improving and protecting the environment
    • Increasing local tax bases
    • Facilitating job growth
    • Making use of existing infrastructure
    • Taking development pressures off green spaces 

    The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $1.5 billion into the Brownfields Program, creating great opportunities for local communities to pursue projects for housing, recreation, community or commercial spaces, and more. 

    Rep. Sherrill has been a leader in addressing negative environmental impacts such as brownfields, harmful algal blooms, and superfund sites. She is co-leading the Brownfields Redevelopment Tax Incentive Act, legislation that would lower the cost of developing vacant commercial areas that remain undeveloped because of environmental contamination. Additionally, she has secured millions of dollars in federal Community Project and Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) funding to remediate PFAS contamination, replace lead drinking water pipes, and improve flood mitigation corridors in New Jersey’s 11th District. She helped secure federal funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act for superfund site cleanup nationwide, including $30 million for the Unimatic Superfund Site in Fairfield, NJ.

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    MIL OSI USA News