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Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Security: Montgomery Man Sentenced for Possessing Machinegun Conversion Device During Tuskegee University Shooting Incident

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

    MONTGOMERY, AL – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Montgomery man who was present during a campus shooting at Tuskegee University has been sentenced in federal court. On May 20, 2025, 25-year-old Jaquez Kevon Myrick was sentenced to 24 months in prison for possession of a firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device. Following his prison term, Myrick will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court records and the criminal complaint, on November 10, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to reports of a mass shooting in a parking lot on the campus of Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. Upon arrival, officers encountered a large crowd and heard gunfire in the area. During the response, an officer observed Myrick moving through the parking lot with a firearm in his hand and detained him.

    Upon inspection, agents determined that the handgun Myrick possessed was equipped with a machinegun conversion device—commonly referred to as a “switch.” When installed, such a device transforms a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon, capable of firing up to 20 rounds per second with a single pull of the trigger. Myrick pleaded guilty to possession of the device on January 29, 2025.

    “This case is yet another example of the danger posed by illegal machinegun conversion devices,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson. “These devices turn handguns into weapons of war, with no place on our streets or campuses. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe and hold offenders accountable.”

    The investigation was conducted by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Tuskegee University Police Department, City of Tuskegee Police Department, Macon County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Fifth Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Tara S. Ratz prosecuted the case for the Middle District of Alabama.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gang Leaders Among 16 Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Firearm Offenses

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

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned two multi-count indictments (United States v. Gailliard et al. and United States v. Bailey et al.) charging a total of 16 individuals for their roles in trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl as well as the use of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

    The indictments stem from a lengthy investigation led by the Lowcountry Violent Crime Task Force to address significant drug trafficking in our local communities and the violence associated with such activities.  The individuals charged in these indictments operated primarily out of the North Charleston and West Ashley areas and several are associated with the Gangster Disciple and Fruit Town Piru street gangs.  During the course of this investigation, law enforcement has seized approximately 60 kilograms of cocaine, 1 kilogram of methamphetamine, 24 pounds of marijuana, 600 grams of fentanyl, 500 grams of heroin and thousands of narcotics pills, as well as 12 firearms.

    “These indictments send a clear message that we will not tolerate the proliferation of dangerous drugs and the violence they breed in our communities. The significant quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, along with numerous firearms, underscore the scale and severity of the alleged criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Our local, state, and federal partners demonstrated their commitment to aggressively dismantling drug trafficking networks, particularly those fueling violent street gangs.”

    “These indictments and arrests should provide the community with a sense of reassurance of the FBI’s commitment to work with our state and local partners to make our communities safer,” said Reid Davis, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “Every resident deserves to live in a safe environment, free from the threats of drugs and violence. The FBI is committed to justice, and we will continue to stand firm in protecting our communities by upholding the rule of law.”

    In the Gailliard et al indictment, the following charges have been filed in United States District Court, according to court documents:

    • Shawntez Gaillard, 32, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as two counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of distribution of 50 gram or more of methamphetamine.
    • Bernard Garland Gregory, 36, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine.
    • Harold Alvin Champaigne, 49, of North Charleston was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, as well as one count of distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine.
    • Dominic Jaquan Mack, 44, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
    • Sharon T. Carter, 53, of Summerville, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, as well as one count of possessing with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
    • Mary Nelly Ayala, 48, of Summerville, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
    • Scott Clayton Hollins, 55, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, as well as one count of possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and quantities of cocaine and fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
    • Quentin Rambert, 34, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
    • Levi Cohen, IV, 30, of Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
    • Jabari Cortez Lee, 28, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
    • Marchevis Jefferson, 33, of Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine.

    In the Bailey et al indictment, the following charges have been filed in United States District Court, according to court documents:

    • Jarell Montsho Bailey, 31, of Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, as well as eight counts of distribution of cocaine, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, three counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
    • DaQuan Hakeem Lee, 33, of Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
    • Cleo Williams, Jr, 36, of Summerville, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, as well as one count of distribution of cocaine.
    • Meri Elizabeth Sottile, 42, of Charleston, is charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, as well as one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
    • Amanda Danielle Forth, 34, of Charleston, is charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF

    The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Secret Service, City of Charleston Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, State Law Enforcement Division, North Charleston Police Department, Summerville Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Charleston Aviation Authority and Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Lietzow, Nick Bianchi, and Katie Orville are prosecuting the case. 

    All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Tampa Felon For Illegally Possessing A Firearm

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

    Tampa, FL –United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Cortevious Torrez Crews (31, Tampa) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Crews faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. 

    According to the evidence presented at trial, on May 3, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Crews’ car in Clearwater Beach, Florida. When officers searched the car, they located two firearms. Despite knowing he was a felon and that he was prohibited from owning firearms, Crews had purchased one of the recovered firearms off the streets about a week earlier. 

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PLASKETT RELEASES STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF RECONCILIATION BILL

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

    PLASKETT RELEASES STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF RECONCILIATION BILL

    Washington, D.C., May 22, 2025

    For Immediate Release                                          Contact: Tionee Scotland 

    May 22, 2025                                                           202-808-6129 

    PRESS RELEASE 

    PLASKETT RELEASES STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF RECONCILIATION BILL 

    Washington, DC – Early this morning, the House of Representatives passed the Republican reconciliation package (H.R. 1) with a vote of 215-214-1. Every Democrat in the House voted no.  

    The 2 Republicans who voted against the bill, Congressman Thomas Massie (KY-4) and Congressman Warren Davidson (OH-8), opposed the legislation as they wanted to see further federal funding cuts. They held out hoping for full dismantlement.  

    This bill includes the largest cuts to healthcare in American history. This loss of funding – nearly one trillion dollars – will eliminate healthcare coverage for at least 13.7 million Americans and make it harder for people to access vital medical services. In Medicaid alone, funding is cut by more than $730 billion, which will leave 7.6 million people uninsured. The Virgin Islands presently has 21,000 Medicaid enrollees presently, many of whom will be impacted through loss of service or disenrollment.  

    Medicare funding was cut by more than $500 billion and vital programs, including the Social Services Block Grant – which provides more than $4.2 million to the Virgin Islands – are eliminated until 2034. With 20,000 Medicare enrollees in the U.S. Virgin Islands, services are sure to be impacted.  Federal funding for the Virgin Islands’ Meals on Wheels Program and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has also been eliminated until 2034. 

    Republicans’ reconciliation bill will make everyday life more expensive for Americans and removes programs which gave opportunities and support for a better life. It is estimated that more than 4 million students will see a reduction, or elimination, of their Pell Grants. The requirements for ‘full-time’ students are increased from 12 to 15 credits, which will decrease the maximum award for any student taking 12 credits by $1,479. In addition, students that are enrolled less than half-time will no longer receive Pell aid.  

    This bill harms efforts to lower energy costs, increase clean energy manufacturing and jobs, and eliminate economic assistance for communities on the frontline of the climate crisis. Unobligated funds will be rescinded from Inflation Reduction Act programs including Environmental Justice Block Grants, State-Based Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants, and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.  One of these programs already in place in the Virgin Islands is the Solar for All Program, which provided $62.5 million for homes and businesses. 

    Republicans voted to cut $35 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which includes children, working families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. This includes a $1 million cut to the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT program), which gives food assistance to children when they cannot rely on school lunches. This will impact the more than 15,000 Virgin Islands residents who rely upon SNAP for access to nutritious food for their wellbeing. The $35 billion cut includes a $1 billion decrease in funding for the Nutrition Assistance Program in Puerto Rico despite tremendous efforts and advocacy from their lobbyists, led by Republican Governor, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon and Congressman Pablo Hernandez. 

    The reconciliation bill does not provide the increased rum cover over rate. Rum cover over is the rebate of federal excise taxes on distilled spirits produced in or imported into the rest of the United States from the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Despite Congresswoman Plaskett’s success in securing a Republican lead for the rum cover over legislation (H.R. 1378), Congressman Ron Estes (KS-4), and the support of 24 of her colleagues – 16 Republicans and 8 Democrats – the extension for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands was not included in the bill.  

    It is unfortunate that at the last minute while trying to find additional funds, the Republicans attempted to remove duty drawback – an export-promotion program that American alcohol and tobacco companies rely upon for a refund of duties paid at the time of import when similar goods are exported.  That program saves the alcohol industry alone approximately $30 billion.  Because of that concern, the full push of the rum industry was not present for rum cover over as the industry prioritized its efforts on safeguarding duty drawback which represented direct dollars to their industry. It’s also important to recognize that many discretionary provisions that made it into the bill were included to secure the necessary votes to advance the legislation – which ultimately was not the case with the provision for an increased rum cover over rate.  

    During the 18-hour markup in the Ways and Means Committee for the tax provisions of the reconciliation bill, Congresswoman Plaskett offered an amendment to increase the rate of the rum cover offer, to publicly demonstrate the bipartisan support for this provision. Both Democrats and Republicans emphasize the importance of the increased rum cover over rate.  The Ways and Means Chairman, Jason Smith, publicly stated that he would work to advance this, and the Committee is expected to craft a bipartisan tax bill this summer. “I will continue to work with my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to secure the increased rum cover over rate of $13.25, both retroactively and with an extension, for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.” 

    While Congresswoman Plaskett cannot support the bill in its entirety, Plaskett’s legislation, the Restore Economic Vitality and Investment in the Virgin Islands (REVIVE VI) Act is included in the Republicans’ bill – one of only four Democrat Ways and Means provisions. REVIVE VI fixes an unintentional consequence of the Global Intangible Low Tax Income (GILTI) regime which, as a practical matter, inadvertently overrode the U.S. Virgin Islands’ economic development program that was previously authorized by Congress. This provision restores the Virgin Islands’ right to have an economic development program which will benefit our economy and workforce.  

    The U.S. Senate is anticipated to draft an entirely different bill that proposes fewer cuts to critical programs. Then, the Senate bill and House bill will likely be negotiated on a version that can be passed in both chambers of Congress and then be signed by the President.  

    Congresswoman Plaskett shared, “This bill is a wholesale betrayal of the working class and the future of America. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the bottom 10%–working- and middle-class Americans will be 4% poorer in household wealth under this bill, with most of the benefits going to the top 10% of Americans. Not only does the bill make the largest healthcare cut in our nation’s history, it also makes the largest cuts to food assistance, energy projects and Pell grants. All to give additional money to the wealthiest Americans – an average of $278,000 per year, $762 per day, to the top 0.1% of Americans. This bill is cruel, shameful, unfair and unamerican.”  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sheboygan Man Indicted for Child Pornography Production and Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 13, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Nolan M. Pitsch (age: 31) of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on five counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) & (e) & 2252A (a)(5)(B) &)(b)(2).

    The indictment alleges that between approximately March 1, 2024, and continuing until at least September 30, 2024, Pitsch knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced multiple minor children to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct, knowing and having reason to know that such visual depiction was and would be produced and transmitted using materials that have been mailed, shipped, and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce by any means, including by computer. 

    The indictment also alleges that on September 26, 2024, Pitsch knowingly possessed images of child pornography, including images of minors who were under the age of twelve years old.

    If convicted of any of the production charges, Pitsch faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment.

     If convicted of the possession charge, Pitsch faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.   He also faces up to a $250,000 fine on all of the counts.

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

    This case was investigated by multiply offices of the DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) offices in Albany, NY, and HSI Milwaukee, HSI Chicago and Indianapolis offices, as well as the Sheboygan Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan J. Paulson and Trial Attorney William Clayman from the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

    An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.     

    # # #

    For Additional Information Contact:

    Public Information Officer

    Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

    414-297-1700

    Follow us on Twitter

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Bank Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to rob a local bank.

    Cleburn Bruce Greene, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes today to one count of attempted bank robbery. Greene has been detained in federal custody since his arrest.

    According to reports of bank employees and surveillance videos, on October 1st, 2024, Greene entered the bank at approximately 10:08 a.m. and went to the customer service counter where he wrote on a piece of paper.  Greene then approached a teller and showed the note that read: “Give me your money.” The teller asked Greene if the male had an account at the bank and Greene stated: “No. this is a robbery.” Greene further stated: “Don’t play with me” and “don’t make me do something crazy,” or words to that effect.  While the teller was typing on his computer to get access to emergency cash, Greene exited the bank and threw the note in a dumpster adjacent to the bank. Investigators later recovered the note.  Surveillance video footage captured Greene fleeing the scene in a nearby Kia Sportage vehicle.

    At approximately 3:30 p.m., Kansas City, Missouri Police Department Officers observed Greene in a restaurant parking lot in Kanas City, Missouri.  Greene was wearing the same clothing he had on during the attempted bank robbery. Greene drove to a Gas Station where officers arrested him without further incident.

    Under federal statutes, Greene is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford.  It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of O.C. Staffing Companies Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Tax Crimes, Admits to Cheating IRS Out of Nearly $60 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RIVERSIDE, California – The owner of Orange County-based temporary staffing companies was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison for willfully evading the payment of nearly $30 million in taxes, penalties and interest, assessed against him to the IRS as well as causing a false tax return to be filed with the IRS as part of defendant’s efforts to conceal nearly $30 million in additional tax liabilities incurred by his staffing companies.

    Luis E. Perez, 56, who has maintained residences in Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda, and Dove Canyon, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kenly Kiya Kato, who also ordered him to pay $38,052,767 in restitution. At today’s hearing, Judge Kato emphasized the “astonishing” period of time defendant engaged in his criminal conduct and the “staggering” amount of money he caused in loss to the government.

    Perez pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of tax evasion and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.

    According to his plea agreement, Perez’s companies – which include Checkmates Staffing Inc.; Staffaide Inc.; BaronHR, LLC; BaronHR West Inc.; and Fortress Holding Group LLC – were required to withhold taxes from employee wages and to pay the withheld amounts to the IRS on a periodic basis. These withheld taxes, sometimes known as “trust fund taxes,” include income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare.

    From May 2009 to January 2017, Perez’s companies failed to pay the IRS the payroll taxes for the tax years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, including trust fund taxes that Perez’s companies withheld from employees’ paychecks. Beginning in June 2007, the IRS attempted to collect Perez’s outstanding tax liability, including penalties and interest. By February 2017, the outstanding balance had grown to $29,593,378, which included the unpaid taxes, interest and the “Trust Fund Recovery Penalty.”

    Perez attempted to thwart the IRS’s collection efforts by purchasing luxury items from his business bank accounts – including numerous cars and a boat – and concealing his ownership by placing the titles of these items in the names of his businesses and other individuals. Those luxury items included a Ferrari 360 Spider F, a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Duffy D 22 Bay Island boat, a Mercedes-Benz SLS, a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and a Lamborghini Aventador. Perez also evaded the IRS’s collection efforts by obtaining a Visa Black credit card in the name of another person (now his wife) to make personal purchases and paid off the credit card using funds from his business bank accounts.

    As part of his efforts to impede the IRS, Perez lied to IRS revenue officers during interviews and failed to include material information in documents submitted to the IRS. For example, Perez falsely claimed that he received a salary of only $1,000 per week from BaronHR and he did not receive any other funds from the company, when in fact, Perez distributed money to himself from his businesses by making payments to his now wife for his own benefit.

    While on pretrial release for the abovementioned criminal conduct, Perez engaged in additional criminal tax violations. From October 2018 to August 2019, Perez willfully aided and assisted in the preparation of false tax returns that substantially understated the wages paid to the employees of Anaheim-based temporary staffing company BaronHR West from January 2018 through June 2019.  Specifically, Perez admitted in his plea agreement that he caused BaronHR West to underreport employee wages and other compensation paid by the company by approximately $130,879,521, which resulted in the company’s failure to pay approximately $29,633,516 in federal employment taxes.

    Perez has been in federal custody since August 2024, when a federal magistrate judge revoked his bond after a two-day evidentiary hearing finding probable cause to believe that Perez had violated the terms of his pretrial release by committing still more criminal tax violations between 2021 and 2023. In a motion to revoke Perez’s bond filed with the court in August 2024, the government alleged that Perez had willfully caused his staffing companies to fail to pay over $25 million in federal payroll taxes (including over $13 million in federal trust fund taxes withheld from employee wages) since March 2021. 

    “[Perez] is a prolific employment tax cheat who engaged in a decades long pattern of willful non-payment, false statements, and outright evasion,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Perez] has been unrepentant and unwavering in his violations of the internal revenue laws; he continued his pattern of tax fraud despite extensive efforts to halt his behavior.”

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Brett A. Sagel of the Orange County Office, James C. Hughes of the Major Frauds Section, and Robert A. Kemins of the Department of Justice Tax Division prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 121 Months for Carjacking a Woman at Gunpoint

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kavon Coleman, 23, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to ten years and one month in prison and five supervised release by United States District Court Judge Juan R. Sánchez for carjacking, using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence, and aiding and abetting.

    On December 7, 2023, a grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted Kavon Coleman on one count of carjacking and aiding and abetting, as well as one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

    These charges arose from the defendant and an accomplice committing a gunpoint carjacking of a woman sitting in her car in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 17, 2022. The victim was waiting for a food order at 3300 Fairmont Avenue around 5 p.m., when Coleman and his accomplice approached with guns. Coleman’s accomplice pointed his gun at the victim and demanded her keys, while Coleman got into her driver’s seat. The two men drove her car away. The next day, Coleman and others engaged police in a high-speed chase in a different carjacked vehicle and crashed into another driver during their flight. Police ultimately located a gun discarded by Coleman with no serial number, known as a ghost gun, along with other evidence. On July 9, 2024, the defendant pleaded guilty to the Indictment after jurors had been selected for trial.

    This case was investigated by the joint Carjacking Task Force comprised of the FBI, ATF, and the Philadelphia Police Department. The Carjacking Task Force was launched in January of 2022 to combat the rise of violent carjackings in and around Philadelphia.

    The case was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Shulman and Joseph LaBar.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deltona Man Sentenced To 57 Months In Federal Prison For Possessing Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Juan Santiago (36, Deltona) to 57 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. Santiago entered a guilty plea on December 19, 2024.

    According to court documents, between August and December of 2022, Santiago purchased child sexual abuse material on multiple occasions from an individual that he communicated with via the messaging application Telegram.  Santiago’s cell phone contained over 80 files of child sexual abuse material, including images depicting prepubescent children, toddlers, and infants.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 148 Months in Federal Prison for Involvement in Armed Robberies of U.S. Postal Carriers

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 22, 2025, Huria H. Abu (age 22) was sentenced to 148 months in federal prison for his role in multiple armed robberies of U.S. postal carriers that occurred between October 2022 and March 2023 in Milwaukee. After completing his prison sentence, Abu will also spend five years on supervised release.

    According to court records, Abu and his co-defendants (who named themselves the “Scamily”) robbed U.S. postal carriers at gunpoint for the postal carriers’ arrow keys, which were then used to steal U.S. mail from mail receptacles. The following co-defendants have also been sentenced in relation to their individual roles in this case:

    •          Jessie L. Cook (21): 94 months’ prison, followed by four years of supervised release (sentenced August 9, 2024);

    •          Abdi A. Abdi (24): 96 months’ prison, followed by three years of supervised release (sentenced April 14, 2024);

    •          Darrion M. Allison (24): 72 months’ prison, followed by five years of supervised release (sentenced November 8, 2024);

    •          Abdi I. Baba (27): 120 months’ prison, followed by three years of supervised release (sentenced July 24, 2024)

    This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department.

    It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abbey M. Marzick and Bill T. Berens.

    # #  #

    For Additional Information Contact:

    Public Information Officer

    Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

    414-297-1700

    Follow us on Twitter

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis Felon Admits Being Caught Three Times with Guns

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis felon on Thursday admitted being caught by police three times with a gun.

    Damon L. Foster, 41, pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on Jan. 1, 2024, a license plate reader alerted Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers to a stolen Ford F-250 truck. Officers then located the vehicle. After a high-speed chase, Foster crashed into the wall of a skating rink in a park. He ran away, discarding a 9mm pistol with a 33-round capacity. He also had pouch clipped to his chest that contained fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    On May 15, 2024, Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted Foster on an unregistered motorcycle. He resisted officers but was arrested and police found a 9mm pistol in his pocket.

    On Sept. 7, 2024, police responding to a call about squatters spotted Foster with a silver .22-caliber revolver.

    Foster is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.

    He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Foster’s lawyer have agreed to recommend 70 months in prison.

    The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Hoag is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arden, N.C. Fentanyl And Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced To 11+ Years In Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Franklin Carlos Fair, 55, of Arden, N.C., was sentenced today to 134 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    According to documents filed with the court and proceedings, in July 2023, law enforcement learned that Fair, who had prior state convictions for drug trafficking, was distributing kilogram amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Buncombe County. During a November 7, 2023, traffic stop in Anderson, South Carolina, deputies stopped Fair as he traveled from Atlanta to Western North Carolina. Deputies found nearly $3,800 in cash in Fair’s pockets. They also recovered a heat-sealed package and a plastic bag that contained more than 255 grams of fentanyl, which Fair had tossed out the car window before he was stopped.

    According to court documents, on April 17, 2024, an individual cooperating with law enforcement arranged to buy from Fair $4,400 worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Fair was arrested when he arrived at the agreed location to make the drug sale. After Fair was taken into custody, law enforcement searched his vehicle and recovered more than a half a kilogram of methamphetamine and over 20 grams of fentanyl.

    On October 23, 2024, Fair pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, and Waynesville Police Department for their investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Asheville Drug Distributor Of Fentanyl And Methamphetamine Is Sentenced To Over 28 Years In Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Zachery Micah Rice, a 35-year-old Asheville man, was sentenced today to 342 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking ring that distributed many kilograms of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs in Asheville and surrounding areas, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term, Rice was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

    According to records filed in the case, from 2021 to 2023, Rice was a major distributor methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties. He obtained the drugs from a supplier in Atlanta and transported them back to Western North Carolina for further distribution through a local network of traffickers and dealers. During one trip, law enforcement stopped and searched Rice’s vehicle, seizing over 11.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, a .40 caliber pistol modified to fully automatic with a machinegun conversion device known as a “Glock switch,” and more than $32,683 in cash. Investigators later executed search warrants at stash houses and a storage unit used by Rice, recovering kilogram quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine, multiple firearms, including high-capacity magazines ammunition, digital scales, drug paraphernalia used for drug distribution, and more than $27,470.

    Rice pleaded guilty on October 18, 2024, to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a machinegun.

    Rice remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending placement by the federal Bureau of Prisons.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina,  the Asheville Police Department, the Waynesville Police Department, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, the Swain County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina for their investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Government Watchdog Concludes Trump is Illegally Impounding Funding—Senator Murray Responds

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) decision released this morning, which concludes that President Trump is illegally impounding funding approved by Congress in violation of the Impoundment Control Act (ICA):

    “This legal decision affirms what we’ve long known: the President is breaking the law to block funding Congress passed on a bipartisan basis and that is owed to the American people—simply because he disagrees with it. This plain fact is unacceptable—and it cannot stand any longer.

    “Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by wide margins and specifically provided funding for every state to build out a network of chargers for the electric vehicles that families are increasingly turning to and that are being made right here in America. These investments should be getting out the door—creating new jobs and helping Americans get where they need to go without interruption—but President Trump has illegally choked this funding off.

    “These bipartisan investments need to start flowing immediately—as do the hundreds of billions of dollars in other investments President Trump is holding up. I don’t care about Russ Vought’s personal interpretation of our spending laws; the Constitution is clear, and President Trump simply does not have the power of the purse—Congress does.”

    Presidents do not wield the power to unilaterally withhold or block investments that have been enacted into law through what’s known as “impoundment.” This foundational principal has been affirmed time and again. The Impoundment Control Act (ICA) of 1974 makes this plain and establishes limited procedures the president can and must follow to propose delaying or rescinding enacted funding—procedures Trump has not sought to use.

    The Impoundment Control Act also charges the GAO with the responsibility to investigate and report to Congress when the president illegally withholds funding—as it has done today. In recent testimony to the Committee, the GAO acknowledged that it has opened 39 impoundment investigations and counting. Today’s announcement marks its first decision in one of those investigations. The ICA also authorizes the Comptroller General to file suit when the president illegally impounds funding.

    Since his first hours in office, President Trump has illegally blocked funding owed to communities across the country through a variety of different means. Senate and House Appropriations Committee Democrats have been tracking Trump’s illegal funding freeze and found that, as of April 29th, President Trump is blocking at least $430 billion in funding owed to the American people. More information is available HERE.

    In today’s decision, the GAO concluded the Department of Transportation (DOT) violated the Impoundment Control Act when it delayed expenditures for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program that were required by law to be spent. Its decision states in part: “DOT is not authorized under the ICA to withhold these funds from expenditure and must continue to carry out the statutory requirements of the program. If DOT wishes to make changes to the obligation and expenditure of funds appropriated under the NEVI Formula Program, it must propose funds for rescission or otherwise propose legislation to make changes to the law for consideration by Congress. …. DOT’s withholding of NEVI Formula Program funds violates the ICA.”

    The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided $5 billion in funding from fiscal year 2022 through 2026 for NEVI. The program provides funding to states to strategically create an electric vehicle (EV) charging network, which is critical to meeting new demand from American consumers. A 2024 study projected the U.S. would need 182,000 direct current fast chargers to accommodate the growing EV market—nearly triple the current capacity of just over 55,000. But President Trump has blocked all new obligations of funding for the program—blocking states from using these investments and hurting communities across America.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Delivers Floor Speech Calling for Affordable Flood Insurance Ahead of Hurricane Season

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    [embedded content]

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor highlighting the need for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to remain affordable and the danger that Risk Rating 2.0 poses to low- and middle-income families’ ability to be enrolled in the program.
    “With Risk Rating 2.0 driving up costs for low- and middle-income families, about a fifth of those enrolled in NFIP will be forced to drop their coverage altogether over the next ten years,” said Dr. Cassidy.
    “If we really want to put Americans first, we start by making NFIP affordable now and keeping it affordable 10, 15 years from now,” continued Dr. Cassidy. 
    Background
    In April, Cassidy delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for the continuation of FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program, which helps fund pre-disaster mitigation and flood prevention projects in Louisiana and nationwide.
    In March, Cassidy delivered a floor speech calling for a long-term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and introduced legislation to extend the program through December 31, 2026. Cassidy also met with the Jefferson Business Council where he discussed his efforts to keep flood insurance affordable and extend NFIP long-term.
    In February, Cassidy introduced the Flood Insurance Affordability Tax Credit Act to give low- and middle-income households enrolled in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) a 33% refundable tax credit to combat rising flood insurance premiums. Cassidy released a report last fall outlining the current state of the NFIP and the issues that have led to skyrocketing premiums for millions of homeowners.
    Last year, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on NFIP at the request of Cassidy. The hearing highlighted the urgent need for Congress to act and featured a Louisiana witness. Cassidy also participated in a roundtable hosted by GNO, Inc. and the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance to hear from community leaders and advocates on the issue.
    Cassidy traveled St. Bernard Parish in 2023 to talk with residents about their flood insurance premiums, recording the second episode of his Bill on the Hill series.
    Cassidy’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:
    Mr. President,
    Folks in Louisiana are preparing for hurricane season.
    I just had a meeting with the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury who sent me some photos of a few Lake Charles homes.
    To reduce flood risk and their monthly flood insurance premiums, people are paying to have their houses raised.
    That costs anywhere between 25,000 and 40,000 dollars.
    If your foundation needs repairs, you’re looking at up to 25,000 dollars in additional costs.
    A full replacement of the foundation can cost 100,000 dollars.
    It seems like a worthwhile investment.
    Lifting your home lowers your risk of flooding and insurance premiums go down, saving you money in the long run.
    But unfortunately, that is not the experience people in Louisiana are having under Risk Rating 2.0—FEMA’s current risk assessment program.
    Here are just two instances in Calcasieu Parish in which homeowners invested in flood mitigation to lower their flood insurance premiums.
    These people did everything right!
    They did what they were supposed to!
    These people are not going to flood. And yet, after Risk Rating 2.0, this is what happened to their premiums!
    You’d feel like you got ripped off if that happened to you.
    One pre-mitigation premium nearly doubled.
    This is bad news for all Americans, particularly lower-income families.
    When the number of families getting a bill like this goes up, the number of people able to afford flood insurance at all goes down.
    With Risk Rating 2.0 driving up costs for low- and middle-income families, about a fifth of those enrolled in NFIP will be forced to drop their coverage altogether over the next ten years.
    The pool of policyholders shrinking at this rate will force the program into what’s called an actuarial death spiral.
    Risk Rating 2.0 is like termites eating away at the foundation of a house.
    If we do nothing, it’s going to collapse.
    I introduced legislation back in February to give low- and middle-income households enrolled in NFIP a 33% reduction in their NFIP premium in the form of a refundable tax credit that would go directly to their premium payment at the time it’s due. 
    Hurricane season will not wait on those who need flood insurance to get it. Americans in my state and across the country need relief now.
    If we really want to put Americans first, we start by making NFIP affordable now and keeping it affordable 10, 15 years from now.
    The issue is a pocketbook issue for many families, but when you flood like so many in Louisiana have, it becomes a personal issue—an issue of loss.
    Since the start of 2025, at least 21 Americans across 8 states have been killed as a result of flooding and storms hitting their communities.
    Millions have been without power or evacuated from their homes.
    When you hear “flood insurance” you might think, “Well I don’t live in a coastal state like Louisiana, for example. My house won’t get destroyed by a flood. I don’t need flood insurance!”
    I wish that were true.
    States hit the hardest aren’t the only states hit.
    This is not a one-state problem.
    This is a one-nation problem.
    All fifty states have NFIP policyholders.
    And there are many who don’t have flood insurance who, unfortunately, wish they did.
    When more rain comes—and it will—all Americans need stability.
    The National Flood Insurance Program can provide that certainty.
    Maybe you won’t see flooding as extreme as losing your house—I hope you don’t.
    But I’m not just talking about the worst-case scenario.
    Let’s say you get a couple of inches of water in your living room.
    You’ve got to pull up your carpets and replace the drywall. You’re going to wish you had flood insurance.
    And you probably would if it were affordable.
    The National Flood Insurance Program, often the only flood insurance option for many communities, is broken.
    Right now, the very program designed to help Americans is failing them.
    And when millions of Americans are impacted, Washington must act.
    Let me be very clear: NFIP is a federal program—meaning we can change and improve it. We just need to have the will.
    I urge my colleagues to join me in working with President Trump’s Administration to end Risk Rating 2.0.
    In 2019, my office worked with the Trump administration to successfully delay Risk Rating 2.0 because of the lack of transparency on how FEMA was calculating rates.
    President Trump understood then and understands now that Americans are tired of being ripped off.
    When rivers swell, Americans should not have to fear the cost of rebuilding without insurance.
    Let’s make NFIP affordable for the homeowner, accountable to the taxpayer, and sustainable for future generations.
    Severe weather is relentless. We must be too.
    With that, I yield.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police shut down drug operations across Kumeū

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police have uprooted several illicit drug operations nestled amongst the community in Northwest Auckland.

    In the past week, Police have recovered nearly 400 kilograms of cannabis, 40 grams of cocaine and made three arrests.

    Waitematā North Area Commander, Inspector Mike Rickards says local Police have been targeting large cannabis grow house operations run by Vietnamese organised criminal groups around the Kumeū area.

    Warrants were terminated yesterday, 21 May, and 16 May at two properties.

    “On Wednesday, our Kumeū and Helensville staff terminated a search warrant at a Station Road property where a sophisticated operation was uncovered.

    “At the property, we located 931 cannabis plants weighing 237 kilograms.”

    Police also located a vast amount of equipment used to manufacture.

    It followed a previous warrant last Friday at a nearby address, where two Vietnamese nationals were arrested.

    Inspector Rickards says Police located 130 cannabis plants weighting up to 155 kilograms.

    “Inside, we also seized a large amount of cash as well as high-end equipment used in the manufacturing of cannabis.”

    Cocaine was also located at the property.

    Two arrests were made, and a 27-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man have been remanded in custody on drugs offences.

    A third warrant was also conducted on 16 May, which resulted in a Head Hunters associate being arrested.

    “The Waitematā Gang Disruption Unit and members of the Offender Prevention Team attended,” Inspector Rickards

    “A 36-year-old man was arrested after he initially tried to dispose of illicit drugs at the address.”

    Police located 30 grams of cocaine as well as cannabis at the property.

    The man was arrested and has been charged with possession for supply of cocaine and cannabis.

    Inspector Rickards says Police are pleased with the outcome.

    “Our team’s operations over the past week have in no doubt disrupted the illegal operation and prevented harm in our community.

    “It will have had an impact on drug distribution across the Rodney area.

    “We’re really clear that we won’t tolerate this in our community, and we’ll continue to target these groups who are cashing in on their offending.”

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 05/22/2025 VIDEO: Tennessee Artist Martina McBride Urges Congress to Pass Blackburn’s NO FAKES Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, led a hearing examining the consequences of AI-generated deepfakes. During the hearing, Tennessee multi-platinum country music singer-songwriter, Martina McBride, called on Congress to pass Senator Blackburn’s NO FAKES Act to protect individuals and creators from digital replicas. Read more about this legislation here, and watch full video of the hearing here.

    Click here to download this photo of Martina McBride with Senators Blackburn, Coons, and Klobuchar, who co-authored the NO FAKES Act.  
    Blackburn: Deepfakes Pose Significant Threat to Livelihoods of All American Artists & Creators 
    Senator Blackburn: “Deepfakes cause tremendous harm, and today we’re going to examine those harms and the legislative solutions, including the NO FAKES Act that Senators Coons, Klobuchar, Tillis, and I have introduced… specifically to address these harms. First, these deepfakes pose significant harm to our content creators. From Music Row to Beale Street back over to the Smoky Mountains in Upper East Tennessee, Tennesseans have made their mark in the music world, and we’ve got one of those artists with us today. But the proliferation of these digital replicas created without the artists’ consent pose a real threat to their livelihoods and the livelihoods of all American artists and creators. The NO FAKES Act is a monumental step forward in protecting our creative community. It provides landmark protection of the voice and visual likenesses of all individuals and creators from the spread of these digital replicas that are created without their consent… All these content creators, our children, and all Americans deserve nothing less than our best efforts on this issue.”
    McBride Calls on Congress to Pass ‘Landmark’ NO FAKES Act to Provide a Roadmap for AI and Protect Creators’ ‘Most Personal Human Attributes’
    Martina McBride: “Today, my voice and likeness, along with so many others, are at risk… The NO FAKES Act would give each of us the ability to say when and how AI deepfakes of our voices and likenesses can be used. If someone doesn’t ask before posting a harmful deepfake, we could have it removed without jumping through unnecessary hoops or going to court. It gives every person the power to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ about how their most personal human attributes are used. It supports AI technology by providing a roadmap for how these powerful tools can be developed in the right way, and it doesn’t stand in the way of protected uses like news, parodies, or criticism… I urge you to pass the bill now.” 
    Click here to download video of Senator Blackburn’s opening statement.
    Click here to download video of the full hearing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Charges Filed After Deadly Shooting of Israeli Diplomats in D.C.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, has been charged with federal and local murder offenses in connection with the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Jewish National Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025.

                Rodriguez is charged in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with the murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He is also charged with two counts of first-degree murder under the D.C. criminal code.

                The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen, and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith.

                “This brutal, anti-Semitic violence has no place in our country or anywhere in civilization,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will follow the facts and secure the most severe possible punishment for the perpetrator of this heinous crime, which robbed two wonderful young people of a bright future together.”

                “Our community is reeling. Because of one person’s actions, two families are left to grieve for dreams that will never be realized,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Violence of any kind is unacceptable. Senseless acts that take innocent lives are intolerable. We will hold accountable anyone who inflicts harm on our families, our neighbors, the citizens of our nation, or the visitors to our great capital city. We are united in that purpose, and we hold strong against those whose reckless actions claim as victim any part of our community.”

                “This Civil Rights Division is aggressively pursuing every avenue to investigate this crime,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon.” Let me be clear: hateful violence against Jewish Americans will be met with the full force of the Justice Department. We are expanding enforcement, increasing our outreach, and holding perpetrators accountable wherever they act.”

                “Make no mistake: This attack was targeted, antisemitic violence,” said Assistant Director in Charge Jensen. “The FBI will continue to pursue all leads and use all available resources to investigate this heinous murder.”

                “We continue to work closely with our federal partners and want to assure our community that the safety of all residents and visitors remains our top priority,” said Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith. “Out of an abundance of caution we are increasing our presence at religious institutions citywide.”

                According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Rodriguez allegedly opened fire on the victims as they were leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, which brought together Jewish professionals and members of the diplomatic community. Both victims were employed by the Israeli Embassy. One was an Israeli citizen and an official guest of the U.S. government.

                Surveillance footage reportedly shows Rodriguez walking past the victims before turning and firing multiple rounds. After the victims fell, he allegedly continued firing at close range, including as one attempted to crawl away. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun and 21 spent shell casings at the scene.

                Rodriguez entered the Museum after he committed the murders. Witnesses and surveillance video reportedly confirmed his involvement. He had flown from Chicago to Washington the day prior with the firearm declared in his checked luggage.

                The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with assistance from the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

                A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Woman Caught Dealing Drugs While on Supervised Release Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Gabriela Abundiz, age 45, was sentenced after pleading guilty to distributing methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian imposed a sentence of 180 months to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.

    According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in 2017 Abundiz was convicted of selling drugs in Montana and sentenced to 70 months in prison. Following her sentence, and during the period of her supervised release in that case, Abundiz was found to be selling drugs in the Eastern District of Washington. A warrant was issued for her arrest.

    On April 2, 2024, officers and detectives with the Omak Police Department (OPD) saw Abundiz go into an apartment. OPD obtained a warrant to enter the apartment and arrest Abundiz. Inside the apartment OPD located two backpacks that contained methamphetamine, 2,649 fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, marijuana, a digital scale, and a pipe used for smoking drugs. Abundiz had two cellphones when she was arrested. One of the phones contained pictures of large sums of cash, fentanyl pills, and text conversations regarding illegal drugs.

    “Ms. Abundiz returned to drug trafficking even while under federal supervision for a prior conviction,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker. “Her continued criminal conduct, especially involving fentanyl, posed a serious threat to the safety and health of Eastern Washington communities. Her sentence reflects the consequences of violating the Court’s trust and our office’s continuing commitment to combating drug trafficking in communities and neighborhoods throughout Eastern Washington.”

    “DEA’s core mission is to protect Americans from drug traffickers like Ms. Abundiz and we will go to any legal length to ensure traffickers like her are accountable for their crimes,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Despite serving a lengthy prison term, Ms. Abundiz would not stop selling poison to her community and ultimately paid a heavy price for continuing her wicked ways.”

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Omak Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.

    2:24-cr-00071-SAB

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Indicted Twice in Four Months for Firearms and Controlled Substance Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Gabriel Erasmo Cabrera, 22, of Sacramento, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, Cabrera was originally indicted on Feb. 6, 2025, for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The second indictment now charges that on March 28, 2025, Cabrera was in possession of fentanyl, a semiautomatic Sig Sauer handgun, and .45‑caliber ammunition. Cabrera is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to multiple felony convictions for sale of a controlled substance, infliction of corporal injury on a spouse, and willfully discharging a firearm with gross negligence.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Harman and Justin Lee are prosecuting the case.

    If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, Cabrera faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $$250,000 fine for each count. If convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Charged with Illegal Firearm Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Illegal Possession of a Firearm.

    Jose Montero-Barradas, 34, was charged in a one-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.

    Today’s indictment charges that Montero-Barradas, a citizen of Mexico, knew he was present in the United States illegally and unlawfully, when he knowingly possessed two firearms on March 23, 2025.  According to an affidavit previously filed in support of a federal criminal complaint against Montero-Barradas, members of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department were dispatched to a residential area in Kansas City following a report of shots fired.  Officers arriving on the scene observed Montero-Barradas walking into a residence with two firearms, which were later recovered. Witnesses stated Montero-Barradas and another male had been firing shots into the air and the ground, and provided a cell phone video showing, among other things, Montero-Barradas holding firearms.

    Under federal law it is illegal for an alien to possess a firearm or ammunition.

    The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

    Operation Take Back America

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran Man Charged With Re-Entry Of Removed Alien

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ERIK ROBERTO MACHADO-MENCIA, a/k/a “ROBERTO MACHADO-MENCIA,” (“MACHADO-MENCIA”), age 36, a native of Honduras, was indicted on May 22, 2025, for re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8 United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

    According to the indictment, MACHADO-MENCIA was found in the United States on May 15, 2025, having reentered the United States, without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States, after being previously deported on December 16, 2019.

    MACHADO-MENCIA faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Border Patrol in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Final Defendant Pleads Guilty in Federal Pandemic Fraud Unemployment Benefits Scheme

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    ABINGDON, Va. – The final defendant charged in a 17-member conspiracy that defrauded the United States, committed program fraud and mail fraud in connection with a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits pled guilty today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.

    Jason Dale Worley, 47, of Meadowview, Virginia, pled guilty today to filing a fraudulent claim for pandemic unemployment benefits. He will be sentenced on August 29, 2025.

    Earlier this month, Crystal Shaw was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy. Shaw, one of the lead organizers of this conspiracy, was sentenced to the statutory maximum term of imprisonment. She was also ordered to pay $287,459 in restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission for her role in this conspiracy.

    Previously sentenced as part of the conspiracy were: Christopher Webb, 20 months; Russell Stiltner, 24 months; Jessica  Lester, 19 months; Cara Camille Bailey, 19 months; Justin Meadows, 18 months; Terrence Vilacha, 18 months; Joseph Hass, 27 months; Daniel Horton, 21 months; Brian Addair, 24 months; and Stephanie Amber Barton, Hayleigh McKenzie Wolfe, Clinton Michael Altizer, and Jeramy Blake Farmer were each sentenced to 12 months and 1 day.

    Jonathan Webb, the individual charged with recruiting others to file fraudulent claims, mostly inmates at local jails, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and was ordered to pay $150,218 in restitution. Josef Brown, another incarcerated individual who recruited others to file fraudulent claims, was sentenced to 35 months in prison and was ordered to pay $119,660 in restitution.

    All defendants were also ordered to pay restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission for the fraudulent claims.

    According to court documents, between March 2020 and September 2021, Josef Brown, Jonathan Webb, and Crystal Shaw developed a scheme to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment befits via the Virginia Employment Commission website. The scheme involved the collection of personal identification information (PII) of inmates housed at SWVRJA-Haysi and Abingdon, as well as personal friends and acquaintances of Brown, Webb, and Shaw. The conspirators used that information to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment benefits for incarcerated individuals and others who were ineligible for the benefits.

    In total, the defendants stole $341,205 in pandemic relief to which they were not entitled.

    As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General were charged with identifying major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. According to the United States Department of Labor, Virginia paid approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021.

    Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, Syreeta Scott, Special Agent in Charge, Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the sentences.

    Agencies that assisted with this investigation included the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Virginia Employment Commission.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case for the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Solon-based Manufacturer to Pay $6M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Paycheck Protection Program

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    CLEVELAND – The Justice Department has announced that Cosmax USA, a corporation having previously done business as two separate entities, Cosmax USA and Nu-World Corporation, has agreed to pay $6 million, of which $3 million is restitution, to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) that they knowingly provided false information to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and loan forgiveness. The companies are part of a global conglomerate that supplies cosmetics and nutritional supplements. Nu-World was merged into Cosmax USA in 2023.

    Cosmax USA operated a manufacturing facility in Solon, Ohio up until 2023. This settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by a former employee who worked at that location. Under the whistleblower provisions of the FCA, an individual, known in legal terms as the “relator,” may file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The relator in this case, Alexander Novik, served as Cosmax USA’s controller and also in its human resources department.

    The PPP was launched through the Small Business Administration (SBA), with the enactment of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020. The program provided eligible companies with financial support as businesses faced unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This resolution addresses two alleged violations in which the United States contended that Cosmax USA and Nu-World submitted false information to be eligible to receive PPP funds.

    First, the resolution addresses allegations that Nu-World submitted an application in April 2020 for a First-Draw PPP loan, and an application for forgiveness of that loan in 2021, based on a calculated loan amount that was partially based on payments to temporary employees who were not employees of Nu-World.

    Second, the resolution addresses allegations that Cosmax USA falsely certified that it was a small business with fewer than 300 employees (including employees at affiliated companies) when it submitted its Second-Draw PPP loan application. In reality, the number of Cosmax USA’s employees, when combined with the number of employees working at its affiliate Nu-World, exceeded the PPP program’s 300-employee limit.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel (SBA-OGC) and Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG).

    Trial Attorney Graham D. Welch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Jackson Froliklong for the Northern District of Ohio handled the matter, with assistance from Thomas W. Rigby and Arlene P. Messinger Lerner of the SBA.

    Anyone with information about allegations of CARES Act fraud may submit a report with the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking in Eastern Panhandle

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

    CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Juan Manuel De La Rosa-Tejeda, also known as “Little Papi,” age 39, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for cocaine distribution.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, De La Rosa-Tejeda was one of the leaders of the drug trafficking conspiracy, selling large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Berkeley County and using a business in Hagerstown, Top 3 Sources Appliances, as a central hub for the drug sales. De La Rosa-Tejeda’s home was searched, and officers found $121,670. A search of Top 3 Sources yielded nearly nine kilograms of cocaine and more than one kilogram of heroin.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

    The FBI; the U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative (agencies included are the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Ranson Police Department, Charles Town Police Department, and Martinsburg City Police Department); West Virginia State Police; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Hagerstown Police Department; the National Resources Police Department; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; the New York Police Department; the New Jersey State Police; the Washington County (Maryland) Drug Task Force; the Maryland State Police; the  U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland;  and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania investigated.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Gang Member Sentenced to 16.5 Years After Conviction at Trial for Leadership Role in Memphis Mob Drug Conspiracy

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

    Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced a Memphis man to more than 16 years in federal prison for his involvement in an armed drug trafficking operation.  Jeffery “Bud B” Sevier, 48, of Memphis, was sentenced to 198 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine.  U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris also ordered Sevier to serve four years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. announced the sentence today.

    According to information presented at trial and the sentencing hearing, while looking into drug trafficking activity by members of the Memphis Mob, investigators identified a North Memphis home from which narcotics were being sold.  On March 4, 2019, someone allegedly stole narcotics from the house which led to shots being fired.  A Memphis police officer responded and witnessed someone with a gunshot wound to the head running away from the house.  Surveillance video from the house showed Sevier at the location, with co-conspirators firing into a vehicle occupied by five people including a minor child. One person was injured from the shooting but survived. Sevier was arrested on the scene and provided false information to the police. 

    In addition, the surveillance video showed Memphis Mob members distributing narcotics from the North Memphis house daily until the shooting, after which the group relocated operations.

    In July 2022, Sevier was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.  At sentencing, the Court held Sevier responsible for 4.5 kilograms of cocaine, holding a leadership role in the Memphis Mob directing others to sell narcotics on the gang’s behalf, and maintaining control over the gang’s drug distribution house.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz stated, “The ATF will continue to use its resources to combat illegal firearm possession, drug distribution, and violent acts of crime. We will continue to work closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure public safety in the communities that we serve.”

    This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking organizations and organized criminal enterprises, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Memphis Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Allen and Michelle Kimbril-Parks prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.   

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced For Drug Trafficking and Machinegun Crimes

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

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –TIERON PRICE (“PRICE”), age 22, was sentenced on May 20, 2025 U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion to 106 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of possessing a machinegun, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(o) and 924(a)(2); possession with intent to distribute tapentadol, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i).

    According to court documents, on May 22, 2023, PRICE was driving a stolen vehicle in New Orleans.  When Louisiana State Police troopers attempted to pull him over, PRICE  led troopers on a seven-minute car chase, during which PRICE ran several red lights, disregarded stop signs, and drove the wrong way on one-way streets at high speeds.  The chase ended when PRICE struck a vehicle stopped at a red light.  PRICE and two other occupants fled but were caught.  Inside a backpack carried by one of the other occupants, there was a Glock Model 17, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, equipped with a Glock auto-sear, making the firearm a fully-automatic machinegun.  The machinegun had a bullet in the chamber and was loaded with an extended magazine containing 23 rounds of ammunition.  PRICE’s DNA was on the firearm and he later admitted ownership.

    PRICE was arrested after the car chase but subsequently released on bond.  On January 19, 2024,  New Orleans Police Department detectives executed a search warrant at PRICE’s residence in connection with an auto theft investigation.  During the search, officers found a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, a black Glock auto-sear hidden in a baby bassinet, and a drum magazine loaded with 49 rounds.  PRICE had been observed on a social media app the day before the search with the same gun equipped with the auto-sear, and the drum magazine attached.  During the search officers also found over $6,000 in cash and 95 tapentadol pills that PRICE intended to distribute.

    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.

    The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Hirono Introduce the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (REAHYA), legislation to authorize federal grants for comprehensive sex education programs and youth sexual health services, and end funding for harmful Title V abstinence-only programs. U.S. Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC-12) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07) will introduce companion legislation in the House. 

    Despite growing needs, young people across the country still lack access to comprehensive, evidence-based sex education and sexual health services. REAHYA aims to change that by creating federal grants that would fund programs at high schools, colleges, and organizations to support the sexual health and agency of students and young people. This legislation would also require program grantees to promote gender equity and offer instruction that is inclusive of young people with varying gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations.

    “Young people need access to comprehensive sex education and sexual health services in order to make informed, responsible, and healthy decisions,” said Senator Booker. “Too many young adults are still receiving outdated and inaccurate information when it comes to making decisions about their sexual health, especially in underserved communities. This legislation aims to ensure sex education and sexual health programs are accessible and inclusive to everyone.” 

    “For too long, young people in our country have faced barriers to comprehensive, evidence-informed sex education and access to sexual health services, especially in underserved communities,” said Senator Hirono. “I am proud to reintroduce this legislation to help provide young people with the tools and knowledge they need to make informed decisions regarding their sexual health and to help them develop healthy relationships, while also promoting gender equity and offering education that is inclusive to people of all identities, expressions, and sexual orientations.”

    “For too long, our country’s sex education and sexual health resources have not met the needs of our young people, especially in underserved communities,” said Congresswoman Adams. “The Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act will arm our youth with the information and resources they need to make informed decisions on their bodies and their futures. Together we can work to reduce health disparities in our underserved communities and build a healthier future for generations to come.”

    “As the Trump administration continues to attack our reproductive rights and bodily autonomy and restricting access to scientifically accurate health information, this legislation is critical to protect and enhance young people’s access to comprehensive, culturally responsive, and equitable sex education,” said Congresswoman Jayapal. “REAHYA will equip young people with the necessary tools to make informed decisions about their relationships, sexual health, and overall well-being. This is an important step toward addressing disparities related to race, gender, and sexuality in current sex education programs, while also working to reduce rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.”

    Specifically, REAHYA would:

    1. Authorize funding for sex education programs at elementary and secondary schools, youth-serving organizations, and institutions of higher education;
    2. Ensure these programs are age-appropriate, medically accurate, and evidence-based;
    3. Provide grants for sex education teacher training;
    4. Establish grants for youth-serving organizations or health entities to deliver sexual health services for underserved youth; and
    5. Repeal the Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Program.

    The Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act is endorsed by the following organizations: SiX Action, Equality California, Silver State Equality, American Humanist Association, Reproductive Health Access Project, AIDS United, National Council of Jewish Women, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, PWN-USA Ohio, Power to Decide, EducateUS, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, Ipas US, Ibis Reproductive Health, NASTAD, SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, Healthy Teen Network, Reproductive Freedom for All, The Arc of the United States, ACA Consumer Advocacy, National Partnership for Women & Families, ETR, National Network of Abortion Funds, Center for Biological Diversity, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, Advocates for Youth, Guttmacher Institute, Vivent Health, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity.

    The Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

    To read the full text of the bill, click here. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Global Operation Targets Darknet Drug Trafficking

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

    The April 9 search and arrest of four subjects—led by the FBI’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team and carried out by FBI Los Angeles and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)—was part of a coordinated operation across four continents that has seized more than $200 million in currency and digital assets and over 1,500 kilograms of drugs, including fentanyl.

    In Operation RapTor, participating law enforcement agencies in the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia arrested 270 darknet vendors, buyers, and administrators. (The darknet is a portion of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines and is only accessible through specialized software.) The results of the operation were announced today. 

    More than 144 kilograms (approximately 317 pounds) of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics were seized in this year’s operation, which included arrests in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Just one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people, according to the DEA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says synthetic opioids like fentanyl are the primary driver of overdose deaths in the U.S. 

    The FBI, which established JCODE in 2018 to target drug trafficking—particularly of fentanyl and other opioids—on the darknet, has coordinated global law enforcement operations like RapTor every year since the initiative’s inception.

    “By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today.”

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Signs Wage Theft Bill into Law to Ensure Fair Pay for Workers, Bills to Protect Wildlife and Pets

    Source: US State of Colorado

    GOLDEN/WHEAT RIDGE/DENVER – Today, Governor Polis signed bills into law to ensure workers are paid the wages they have earned, protecting workers and supporting Colorado’s workforce. 

    Governor Polis signed HB25-1001 – Enforcement Wage Hour Laws, sponsored by Representatives Duran and Froelich, and Senators Danielson and Kolker. 

    “This new law will help ensure that every Coloradan is paid fairly. I am proud to sign this bill into law today to strengthen our protections for workers and want to thank the sponsors for their work on this new law,” said Governor Polis. 

    Governor Polis also signed SB25-053 – Protect Wild Bison, sponsored by Senator Jessie Danielson, and Representatives Junie Joseph and Elizabeth Velasco and HB25-1283 – Wild Horse Project Management & Immunocontraception, sponsored by Representatives Monica Duran and Ty Winter, and Senators Janice Marchman and Larry Liston. 

    “Wild bison and horses are important parts of Colorado’s wildlife, culture, and history. These new laws will provide us better tools to protect these iconic Colorado animals. Let’s ensure that wild horses and bison will remain symbols of Colorado’s strong, healthy, and wild future, not just our past,” said Governor Polis. 

    “Colorado is a State rich with natural wonders, a place where we understand the value of protecting what is wild and being a part of nature. That is our ethos, and wild horses and bison are its embodiment. With these important new laws, Colorado continues to lead the way in advocating for the care and dignity of the majestic wild horses and bison with whom we share the land and I want to thank all the sponsors and strong advocates who worked so hard on these bills,” said First Gentleman Marlon Reis. 

    Governor Polis also signed HB25-1207 – Pet Ownership Residential Housing Structures, sponsored by Representatives Javier Mabrey and Monica Duran, and Senators Faith Winter and Tony Exum. 

    “We are laser-focused on saving Coloradans money on housing, and this new law ensures that families will not be forced to decide between beloved furry family members and housing. This bill strikes the right balance on making sure Colorado can continue to promote more housing now and keep families together with their pets,” said Governor Polis. 

    “Our pets are more than just indoor animals. They are family. This new law honors that bond by keeping Colorado families together with their beloved pets when they search for housing,” said First Gentleman Marlon Reis. 

    To make Colorado the best state for four-legged and furry family members and friends, Governor Polis also signed HB25-1180 – Prohibiting Pet Animal Sales in Public Spaces, sponsored by Representatives Monica Duran and Ryan Armagost, and Senators Scott Bright and Dylan Roberts and HB25-1299 – Animal Protection Fund Voluntary Contribution, sponsored by Representatives Monica Duran and Ryan Armagost, and Senators Dylan Roberts and Rod Pelton.

     “We want Colorado to be the best state in the country for Coloradans and pets to live and thrive. These bills will help animal shelters and rescues and increase support for enforcing high animal welfare standards across the state. Coloradans love our animals, and through the new income tax check-off, anyone can donate while filing taxes to protect pets and farm animals from cruelty, neglect, and during emergencies like fires and floods,” said Governor Polis. 

    “The work of protecting animals is, by nature, teamwork. It happens at the community level. It means standing up and speaking out for animals when they’re in trouble and can’t defend themselves. It means looking at every possible avenue by which we can support and uplift animals – and that’s exactly what these bills do,” said First Gentleman Marlon Reis. 

    Governor Polis also signed HB25-1168 – Housing Protections for Victim-Survivors, sponsored by Representatives Mandy Lindsay and Cecelia Espenoza, and Senator Mike Weissman. 

    “I am committed to making Colorado one of the top ten safest states, and this includes providing the necessary support for victims of crime. Victims of domestic violence can often feel forced to stay in an unsafe situation because of a lack of other housing options, and this new law will expand financial and physical protections to help victims stay safe, get back on their feet, and live in a healthy and safe community,” said Governor Polis. 

    Finally, Governor Polis signed the following bills to help create a Colorado For All: 

    • HB25-1239 – Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, sponsored by Representatives Yara Zokaie and Andrew Boesenecker, and Senators Lindsey Daugherty and Mike Weissman
    • HB25-1017 – Community Integration Plan, sponsored by Representatives Chad Clifford and Meg Froelich, and Senators Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Judy Amabile
    • HB25-1154 – Communication Services People with Disabilities Enterprise, sponsored by Representatives Kyle Brown and Meg Froelich, and Senators Iman Jodeh and Judy Amabile 

    “In our Colorado For All, everyone, no matter who you are, can live, work, and thrive. I am proud to continue this effort today by signing laws to protect Coloradans from discrimination, ensure access to the community-based, long-term care that Coloradans with disabilities need, fund initiatives that support deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deafblind Coloradans, and save Coloradans with disabilities money when they plan ahead for future needs,” said Governor Polis. 

    “Colorado is proud to be the best home for individuals with disabilities and these bills will continue to advance these efforts,” said Lt. Governor and Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, Dianne Primavera. “They reflect our shared belief that every person, of every ability, deserves to live with dignity, access, and opportunity. I’m proud that Colorado is choosing to move forward, not backward, in building a state where everyone is seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.” 

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