NewzIntel.com

Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Residents Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Over $100,000 From North Pole Business Through Wire Fraud, Money Laundering Scheme

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

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Two Chicago residents were sentenced to prison today for their roles in defrauding a North Pole restaurant of over $128,000 from July to August 2022.

    Jacob Centeno, 40, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and will serve three years on supervised release, while his co-defendant Amber Davila, 36, was sentenced to two years in prison and will serve three years on supervised release.

    According to court documents, in August 2022, the owner of the North Pole restaurant noticed funds missing from a business bank account. The victim discovered that between Aug. 4-9, 2022, all of the funds intended for deposit into the restaurant’s account had been diverted to an unrecognized bank account. The total amount of funds diverted was $128,246.05.

    An investigation revealed that, Centeno and Davila opened and used two shell companies in Chicago to steal the restaurant’s funds. In July 2021, they registered EROS LLC and opened a business bank account for the company. In July 2022, the defendants used stolen personal information to register ORODMEDLINE LLC and opened another business bank account for that company.

    On July 29, 2022, an unknown co-conspirator surreptitiously changed the business bank account information connected to the restaurant to the fraudulent ORODMEDLINE LLC bank account so that the funds could be diverted. An email confirming the account change was sent to the restaurant, but Centeno, Davila and their co-conspirator unlawfully accessed the victim’s email, filled out the confirmation form and returned it to the sender. They then deleted all the email traffic to conceal their actions.

    Centeno and Davila used the stolen funds from the ORODMEDLINE LLC account to purchase over $41,000 in money orders in Chicago. Centeno and Davila deposited the money orders into various personal and business accounts in amounts of less than $10,000 to avoid Bank Secrecy Act reporting requirements, and then moved the money to other accounts to further conceal their scheme.

    Centeno and Davila were indicted in June 2024 and pleaded guilty on Jan. 31, 2025. Centeno and Davila both pleaded guilty to all 16 counts of the indictment.  In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized the lasting impact the defendant’s conduct will have on the victims in this case.

    “Mr. Centeno and Ms. Davila orchestrated an elaborate fraud scheme from Chicago to steal over $100,000 from a small business in North Pole, Alaska – 3,300 miles away,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This sentence sends a clear message—we will aggressively pursue and hold accountable criminals in any state who exploit innocent Alaskans for personal gain. I want to thank the FBI and North Pole Police Department for uncovering the truth and delivering justice to the victim.”

    “To fund their own fraudulent lifestyle, the defendants’ complex and interstate fraud scheme involved stealing funds from a local business in North Pole, Alaska, affecting innocent victims along the way,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Today’s sentencings demonstrate that distance and complexity are no barriers to justice for the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners in Alaska.”  

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency, FBI Chicago Field Office and North Pole Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case, with significant legal support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Law Enforcement Seizes Nine DDoS-for-Hire Webpages as Part of Global Crackdown on ‘Booter’ and ‘Stresser’ DDoS Services

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

    LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department today announced the court-authorized seizure of nine internet domains associated with some of the world’s leading DDoS-for-hire services. Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau simultaneously announced the arrests of four administrators of such services, investigations which were assisted by U.S. authorities. Several of the arrested administrators operated websites seized pursuant to previous operations by the Central District of California. 

    Federal law enforcement continues to seize websites that allow paying users to launch powerful distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks flood targeted computers and servers with information to prevent them from being able to access the internet.

    Booter services such as those named in this action allegedly attacked a wide array of victims in the United States and abroad, including schools, government agencies, gaming platforms, and millions of people. In addition to affecting targeted victims, these attacks can significantly degrade internet services and completely disrupt internet connections. 

    The websites targeted in this operation were used for hundreds of thousands of actual or attempted DDoS attacks targeting victims worldwide. While some of these services claimed to offer “stresser” services that purportedly could be used for network testing, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) determined these claims to be a pretense, and “thousands of communications between booter site administrators and their customers…make clear that both parties are aware that the customer is not attempting to attack their own computers,” according to an affidavit filed in support of court-authorized warrants to seize the booter sites.

    Today’s announcement builds on the success of the prior cases by targeting all known booter sites, shutting down as many as possible, and undertaking a public education campaign. In the last four years more than 11 defendants have been charged in Los Angeles and Anchorage for facilitating DDoS-for-hire services. More than 75 domains associated with such services have been seized.

    “Booter services facilitate cyberattacks that harm victims and compromise everyone’s ability to access the internet,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “This week’s sweeping law enforcement activity is a major step in our ongoing efforts to eradicate criminal conduct that threatens the internet’s infrastructure and our ability to function in a digital world.”

    “DDoS for hire criminal booter services impact internet services for victims in every corner of the United States, including Alaska,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This threat highlights the continued need to pursue cybercrime services like booter providers. We remain committed to bolstering our collaborative partnerships in the U.S. and abroad to address threats to critical internet infrastructure and services.”

    “The enforcement actions launched today, made possible by enduring partnerships between law enforcement and private industry, represents continued pressure on DDoS-for-hire services and the cybercriminals and hacktivists who use them.” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office. “This success demonstrates the resolve of the DCIS to relentlessly pursue those who target our warfighters and their information systems.”

    In conjunction with the website seizures, Homeland Security Investigations, DCIS, and the Netherlands Police have launched an advertising campaign using targeted placement ads in search engines, which are triggered by keywords associated with DDoS activities. The purpose of the ads is to deter potential cybercriminals searching for DDoS services in the United States and around the globe, and to educate the public on the illegality of DDoS activities.

    In recent years, booter services have continued to proliferate as they offer a low barrier to entry for users looking to engage in cybercriminal activity. These types of DDoS attacks are so named because they result in the “booting” or dropping of the targeted computer from the internet.

    For additional information on booter and stresser services and the harm that they cause, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/anchorage/fbi-intensify-efforts-to-combat-illegal-ddos-attacks.

    The seizures announced today were performed by DCIS’s Cyber-West Resident Agency.

    These law enforcement actions were taken in conjunction with Operation PowerOFF, an ongoing, coordinated effort among international law enforcement agencies aimed at dismantling criminal DDoS-for-hire infrastructures worldwide, and holding accountable the administrators and users of these illegal services. Principal partners in Operation PowerOFF include EUROPOL; the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska; The Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS); FBI’s Anchorage and Los Angeles field offices; HSI’s Columbus field office; Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA); United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA); Netherlands Police; Polish Central Cybercrime Bureau; Brazilian Federal Police, Japan’s National Police Agency, France’s Police Nationale, and many others.

    Assistance was provided by Akamai, Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, Digital Ocean, Flashpoint, Google, PayPal, The University of Cambridge, and Unit 221B.

    Assistant United States Attorneys James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section and Aaron Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are handling this investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Three Men in the District of Alaska

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

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “This joint initiative underscores the unwavering commitment of our law enforcement partners to find alleged child predators and protect children from exploitation and lasting harm,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “I want to thank the FBI Anchorage Field Office, and our law enforcement partners statewide for their dedicated efforts in safeguarding Alaska’s children—one of our most vital and vulnerable populations.”

    “Through collaborative efforts, this wide-ranging operation was designed to identify and apprehend those accused of child sexual exploitation crimes, regardless of where they live or operate,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Protecting our children is one of the highest callings in law enforcement. I commend the outstanding work by members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as our law enforcement partners across Alaska, in their commitment to fostering safer communities for our children.”

    As a result of the operation, the following individuals are now facing charges alleged through three separate indictments in the District of Alaska:

    U.S. v. Herra:

    Jonathan Herra, 25, of Kenai, was arrested at his mother’s residence in Kenai on April 24, 2025, for allegedly purchasing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from an online platform.

    Herra is charged with one count of sexual attempted receipt of child pornography, one count of access with intent to view child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces between 5-20 years in prison.

    U.S. v. Nungasak:

    Donovan Nungasak, 31, of Utqiagvik, was arrested at his residence on April 28, 2025, for allegedly producing and possessing child pornography.

    In August 2024, the FBI received a tip suggesting that Nungasak had CSAM on his phone. The tip prompted an investigation that revealed Nungasak allegedly had sexually explicit conversations with a minor victim on a digital messaging application. Law enforcement also found 27 images of suspected CSAM on Nungasak’s phone that appeared to depict prepubescent victims.

    Nungasak is charged with one count of production or attempted production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces between 15-30 years in prison.

    U.S. v. Seward:

    Kristian Seward, 30, of Anchorage, was arrested in California on April 28, 2025, for allegedly receiving and possessing child pornography.

    On June 21, 2024, Seward allegedly received and attempted to receive CSAM using a digital device. Between June 21, 2024, and Oct. 8, 2024, Seward also possessed and attempted to possess CSAM using a digital device.

    Seward is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces between 15-40 years in prison.

    Operation Restore Justice was led by the FBI Anchorage Field Office, with substantial assistance from the Anchorage Police Department, as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Operational assistance was provided by the Alaska State Troopers, North Slope Borough Police Department and Kenai Police Department in conducting the arrests. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ainsley McNerney, Mac Caille Petursson and Carly Vosacek.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims. 

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Shaktoolik Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking, Sexually Exploiting a Child

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

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Shaktoolik man pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking and sexually exploiting a child to produce child pornography.

    According to court documents, between December 2021 and July 2023, Matthew Jackson, 23, used a phone to send messages to three 15-year-old victims asking them to create and send him pictures and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct. All three victims sent the visuals Jackson requested.

    During that same time period, Jackson also asked an adult victim for nude images. The adult victim sent Jackson nude images as requested. Jackson then began harassing and threating the adult victim via messaging platforms. Jackson alleged he could make money by selling the images, and that he would sell them if the adult victim refused to engage in sexual intercourse with him.

    He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 22, 2025, and faces a between 15 years and life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers, investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two South Gate Men Charged with over a Dozen Highway Robberies Following Gamblers Targeted for Their Casino Winnings

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Two South Gate men have been charged in a federal indictment unsealed today for allegedly committing more than a dozen armed robberies, stealing gambling winnings from individuals leaving local casinos.

    Juan Gabriel Gonzalez, 22, was arrested and will make his initial appearance in federal court today. Dereck Nathan Lopez, 21, is currently in state custody and expected to appear in federal court in the coming weeks.

    Both defendants are charged with multiple counts of interference and attempted interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), one count of Hobbs Act conspiracy, and multiple counts of using firearms during a crime of violence. Lopez is also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. 

    According to the 10-count indictment, Lopez and Gonzalez entered local casinos under false names to hunt gamblers appearing to win or cash-in a large number of chips. Lopez, Gonzalez and other co-conspirators then followed the victims’ vehicles from the casino, ambushed them on the highway, brandished firearms, smashed the vehicle’s windows, demanded money or chips, and fled. Lopez, Gonzalez, and other conspirators allegedly robbed and attempted to rob individuals leaving casinos in this manner on at least 15 different occasions, including three on a single night. 

    Before one incident, Lopez is seen on casino surveillance video celebrating a gambling victory with a victim he was scouting, including high-fiving the victim after the win, according to court documents. Within an hour, Lopez’s co-conspirators had blocked in her vehicle, brandished firearms, and stolen $21,000 in cash. In a separate incident, Lopez, Gonzalez and their co-conspirators stole at least $130,000 in casino winnings.

    Lopez is also charged with being a felon in possession of three firearms and over 30 rounds of ammunition found at his home in December 2023. Lopez is not legally permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition because his criminal history includes a conviction in San Bernardino Superior Court for grand theft in November 2023 during the pendency of the indicted robbery spree.

    An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

    If convicted of all charges, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

    Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments.

    The FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Justice Bureau of Gambling Control, and the Montebello Police Department are investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey Woman Sentenced to Prison for Forced Labor and Other Federal Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County woman was sentenced to 45 months in prison for forced labor and other crimes related to her coercive scheme to compel two victims to perform domestic labor and childcare in her home, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced.

    Bolaji Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, previously was found guilty of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain and two counts of document servitude following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court. Judge Williams imposed the sentence in Camden federal court.

    “This sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women who the defendant subjected to grueling hours and coercive abuse in her home.  Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society.  My office and the entire Department of Justice is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.”

    – U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

    “The defendant exploited her relationship with the victims to lure them to the United States with false promises,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant confiscated the victims’ immigration documents and subjected them to threats, physical force, and mental abuse to coerce them to work long hours for minimal pay. This prosecution should send a strong message that such forced labor will not be tolerated in our communities. The Justice Department is committed to fully enforcing our federal human trafficking statutes to vindicate the rights of survivors and hold human traffickers accountable for such shameful exploitation of vulnerable victims.”

    “Human nature is generally good. There are situations though that prove some people display more cruel and inhumane behavior,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office. “Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and forced them clean her home and care for her children. Then took it a sickening step further by physically abusing them. Luckily, one of the victims had the courage to tell someone. We ask anyone who notices an odd situation, something that doesn’t look or feel right, to please call us so we can help victims that may be hiding in plain sight.” 

    According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

    From December 2015 to October 2016, Bolarinwa – originally from Nigeria, but living in New Jersey as a U.S. citizen – recruited two victims to come to the United States and then coerced them to perform domestic labor and childcare services for her children through physical harm, threats of physical harm, isolation, constant surveillance and psychological abuse. The defendant engaged in this conduct knowing that one of the victims was out of lawful status while working in her home.

    Once the first victim arrived in the United States in December 2015, Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and coerced her through threats of physical harm to her and her daughter, verbal abuse, isolation and constant surveillance to compel her to work every day, around-the-clock for nearly a year.  Bolarinwa then recruited a second victim to come to the United States on a student visa. When the second victim arrived in the United States in April 2016, Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse.  The two victims lived and worked in Bolarinwa’s home until October 2016, when the second victim notified a professor at her college, who reported the information to the FBI.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Bolarinwa to 3 years of supervised release, imposed a $35,000 fine, and ordered Bolarinwa to pay $87,518.72 in restitution to the victims of her offenses.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to this sentence.

    This case was prosecuted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The Task Force brings together federal and state agencies to collaborate and dedicate resources to combat human trafficking and prosecute human trafficking offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The Human Trafficking Task Force is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the New Jersey Office of Attorney General.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel: Jeffrey Zucker, Esq. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of drug trafficking ring connected to Aryan prison gangs sentenced to more than 17 years in prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tacoma – A co-leader of a drug distribution ring selling fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and heroin throughout the Puget Sound region was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 17 and a half years in prison for his role in the conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Bryson Gill, 32, most recently of Buckeye, Arizona, attempted to evade law enforcement by moving the headquarters of his drug distribution ring to Arizona after the Shelton, Washington, stash house he and his co-conspirators operated was raided in December 2022. When law enforcement moved in on the multi-faceted drug conspiracy in March 2023, Gill was arrested in Arizona.

    At today’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “The seriousness of these offenses cannot be understated. There are so many people out there that become addicted on these drugs or suffer overdoses and are no longer with us.”

    “Make no mistake, Gill’s drug ring used violence and threats of violence as their stock in trade. Gill was heard on the wiretap plotting to kidnap another drug dealer and expressing a desire to murder a law enforcement officer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. ““With the more than $1 million he laundered, Gill bragged that he was going to set up a compound with an airfield in Arizona to further his drug trafficking. This conviction and sentence successfully ended those plans.”

    According to records filed in the case, this drug organization was one branch of three investigated for dealing substantial amounts of drugs in the Puget Sound region. Participants in the drug rings have ties to Aryan prison gangs in the Washington State Department of Correction.

    In the fall of 2022, Gill was in touch with his right-hand man, Michael Slocumb, as the latter made multiple trips to Arizona to pick up and transport narcotics to a stash house in Shelton. Gill instructed Slocumb and other coconspirators about using two pill presses to manufacture fentanyl pills. When Gill’s home and the stash house property was searched on December 9, 2022, law enforcement seized more than 640,000 pills containing fentanyl, as well as a kilogram of fentanyl powder and 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with more than $81,000 in cash proceeds from drug trafficking.

    The stash house property also contained 23 firearms, including a shotgun kept where the drugs were stored, and the pills manufactured.

    During this conspiracy, law enforcement intercepted Gill and Slocumb discussing kidnapping another drug dealer who was also under investigation by federal authorities. Slocumb was surveilling the target’s apartment when law enforcement made a show of being in the vicinity to get Slocumb to leave and ward off any violence.

    Following the stash house raid, Gill and Slocumb were heard on the wiretap discussing plans to move drug operations to Arizona. Gill discussed with his mother his plan to acquire property in Arizona in her name and talked with an incarcerated friend about coming to work for him as a pilot when the man got out of prison. Gill had said he planned to put in an airfield on the property in Arizona where the conspirators had relocated their drug trafficking organization.

    Gill and Slocumb remained in Arizona until they were arrested in March 2023. When law enforcement searched the Arizona property Gill and Slocum had purchased, they seized approximately 70 illegally possessed firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

    From May of 2021 until December 2022, Gill laundered at least $927,059 through bank accounts set up to appear to be for a dog training business. The money was used for things such as luxury cars, expensive jewelry, airline tickets and Seattle Seahawks tickets. Over $81,000 in cash seized from Gill and his conspirators at various locations was forfeited to the government.

    In asking for a 17.5-year sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Gill played a leadership role in purchasing, processing, and distributing massive quantities of fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and methamphetamine. He directed his fellow co-conspirators to transport narcotics from Arizona to Washington, use pill presses to manufacture fake OxyCodone pills laced with fentanyl, and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills throughout the Western District of Washington. … (Washington State Department of Health) data shows the number of drug overdose deaths occurring annually in the state more than doubled from 2019 to 2023. “

    Bryson Gill pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025.

    Law enforcement made two dozen arrests on federal charges on March 22, 2023. The coordinated takedown involved ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers. On that day law enforcement seized 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Earlier in the investigation law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ivorian Men Arrested for International “Sextortion” and Money Laundering Scheme Resulting in Minor’s Death

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    Four men in Côte d’Ivoire have been arrested on criminal charges relating to their role in an international “sextortion” scheme that targeted thousands of victims, including minors, throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Italy.

    In February 2022, Ryan Last, a 17-year-old high school senior from San Jose, California committed suicide hours after being sextorted online by an individual pretending to be a 20-year-old woman. Through a lengthy, coordinated investigation involving U.S. and Ivorian law enforcement, the evidence ultimately led law enforcement to identify Alfred Kassi, an Ivorian citizen living in Côte d’Ivoire, as the individual allegedly conducting the sextortion. On April 29, Kassi was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement. At the time of his arrest, Kassi allegedly still had the sextortion messages he sent to the 17-year-old victim in February 2022 on his phone.

    Additionally, the investigation identified several alleged money laundering accomplices who helped Kassi move the money he received from the 17-year-old victim, who had paid $150 in order to prevent his intimate images from being disseminated. One of those alleged money launderers is Oumarou Ouedraogo, who was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement on April 25. In addition, Ivorian law enforcement arrested two other individuals, Moussa Diaby and Oumar Cisse. Both Diaby and Cisse were part of Kassi’s alleged sextortion network and admitted to their own sextortion crimes. A U.S.-based accomplice, Jonathan Kassi (unrelated to Alfred Kassi), was convicted in 2023 in a California State Court and sentenced to 18 months in jail.

    The government of Côte d’Ivoire does not extradite its own citizens, so these defendants will be prosecuted in their own country under Ivorian cybercrime statutes.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins for the Northern District of California, and Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

    The FBI is investigating the case, with substantial assistance from the San Jose Police Department, the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, and Meta, which provided critical information that assisted with the identification of the offenders. The government of Côte d’Ivoire, specifically the Anti-Terrorist Operational Intelligence Center (CROAT), conducted the investigation and arrests in Côte d’Ivoire.

    Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Harris for the Northern District of California provided legal support throughout the investigation, including compiling and presenting the evidence to Ivorian authorities.  

    If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources can found at Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI

    All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Discusses Trump Cuts To AmeriCorps Programs With Program Alumni

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    May 09, 2025

    CHICAGO   ?  U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined leaders from Public Allies Chicago and North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) , as well as AmeriCorps alumni, to discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s elimination of federal funding for AmeriCorps programs.

    “From rebuilding homes and providing rural health care, to tutoring kids after school and cleaning up after natural disasters, AmeriCorps supports our most under-resourced communities,” said Durbin. “Service providers like Public Allies and North Lawndale Employment Network are left in the lurch thanks to President Trump’s decision to eliminate this critical, bipartisan-supported funding. I will continue urging my Republican colleagues to fight against this Administration’s senseless attempts to eliminate such small amounts of funding that have such incredible, positive impact in their communities like here in Chicago.”

    “Since its founding 1993, Public Allies Chicago has equipped young community leaders with the skills to improve the lives of Chicagoans through service placements at more than 400 local nonprofit and government partners working on critical issues like education, violence prevention and underemployment,” said Mark Payne, Executive Director, Public Allies Chicago. “In just the last few years, Public Allies Chicago has turned $3.7 million in federal funds into a $7.5 million investment in Chicago’s communities. Cuts to AmeriCorps harm Chicago’s service-minded young people and our most vulnerable communities.”

    “Public Allies has been an incredible capacity builder for NLEN, enhancing our ability to serve the community effectively while investing in residents like Michael Bradley and Ronnie Branch, our community leaders of tomorrow.” said Brenda Palms-Barber, NLEN CEO

    Photos of today’s meeting are available here.

    The Trump Administration’s elimination of federal funding for AmeriCorps will lead to the shuttering of 1,000 programs and will end service for more than 32,000 AmeriCorps members across the nation. In Illinois, $12 million in federal grants will be terminated, impacting 632 AmeriCorps employees, including Public Allies Chicago and North Lawndale Employment Network, which provide critical community and career services to Chicagoans.

    Earlier this week, Durbin spoke on the Senate floor about the direct impact that eliminating AmeriCorps funding will have on Illinois, including the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House in East St. Louis, Illinois, which Durbin visited last month.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Illinois Woman Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Murder-for-Hire

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Coal Valley, Illinois woman was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for using interstate facilities in a murder-for-hire.

    According to public court documents, in late 2023, Autumn Jeanine Carianna Markley, 30, attempted to facilitate a murder-for-hire by wiring money through a financial services application, specifically Western Union. Markley, from her residence in Colorado, contacted a confidential source who was located in the Southern District of Iowa. In the communication, Markley made numerous statements that she would pay for someone to murder one of her relatives. Markley went so far as to give the confidential source a target name, address, and downpayment for the murder-for-hire.

    After completing her term of imprisonment, Markley will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Edmond Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – KENNETH LYNCH, 45, of Edmond, has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, announced U.S Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    On February 20, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a three-count Indictment, charging Lynch with sexual exploitation of a child, transportation of child pornography, and possession of and accessing with intent to view material containing child pornography. According to public record, in October 2024, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered images depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that were shared in a chat site on the darkweb, a computer network within the internet that is restricted and cannot be accessed by the general public using a standard search engine. In the course of their investigation, HSI identified the minor victim in the photo, and spoke with her on November 12, 2024. The victim told agents Lynch sexually abused her on multiple occasions and captured the images in question. Edmond police arrested Lynch at his home on January 15, 2025, after executing a search warrant. On Lynch’s phone, law enforcement found some of the CSAM images that started the investigation.

    On May 7, 2025, Lynch pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment, and admitted he used a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a picture of that conduct. At sentencing, Lynch faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.

    This case is the result of an investigation by HSI and the Edmond Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz is prosecuting the case.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force, which is led by HSI. The Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force is an implementation of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.  PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Attorney’s Office Recognizes Police Week 2025

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    National Police Week Honors the Service and Sacrifice of Law Enforcement

     “Honoring Our Fallen, Supporting Our Survivors”

    In honor of National Police Week 2025 scheduled for May 11 to May 17, United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. U.S. Attorney Westphal said “This week we take time to pause and express our gratitude and thanks to the unwavering commitment, courage and sacrifice of law enforcement officers in protecting and serving our communities in Iowa. Not only for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, but those who bravely set out to public serve each day. Every hour of every day, federal, state and local law enforcement officers place the safety of our communities above their own, and their dedication to this duty is one of the main reasons Iowa is such a safe place to live. We stand together in honoring the brave men and women who have died in the line of duty, and supporting the survivors, their families, and fellow officers here in Iowa and across the nation.”

    According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 147 federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2024.

    In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National and Malden Man Indicted for Distributing Cocaine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – Two men have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to distribute cocaine.

    Erick Sandoval-Perez, 43, a Guatemalan national living in Malden and Christhian Castillo, 32, also of Malden, were indicted for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine and distribution of 500 or more grams of cocaine.  Sandoval-Perez was also charged with distribution of cocaine. Castillo and Sandoval-Perez were charged by criminal complaint in February 2025. Castillo was ordered held pending further proceedings and Sandoval-Perez was released on conditions.

    Sandoval-Perez and Castillo allegedly worked together to sell cocaine on several occasions to an undercover law enforcement officer. On Feb. 12, 2025, Sandoval-Perez allegedly arranged to sell a kilogram of cocaine to an undercover. Castillo was arrested when he allegedly handed the kilogram of cocaine to the undercover and Sandoval-Perez was arrested nearby.  

    The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine, and the charge of distribution of 500 or more grams of cocaine, both carry a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000,000. The charge of distribution of cocaine carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sandoval-Perez is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.        

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Chief Ryan Malatos of the Leominster Police Department; and Chief Brian W. Coyne of the Clinton Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.  

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Baltimore Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Prohibited Person

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Derek Harvey, 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 78 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. 

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 

    On January 26, 2024, while observing a Citi Watch Camera (CCTV), a Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) detective observed a hand-to-hand gun exchange on Milton Avenue. The detective saw Harvey and his co-defendant, Robert Jackson, walking southbound on North Milton Avenue in Baltimore.

    Jackson reached into his hoodie and pulled out a tan handgun and handed it to Harvey, who then placed the gun in his waistband. BPD detectives arrested both men shortly after observing the weapon exchange, seizing the firearm and ammunition. Due to prior felony convictions, both men were prohibited from possessing the weapon and ammunition.  

    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.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their help in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who prosecuted the case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Third defendant sentenced to prison in $1.7 million vehicle sale fraud scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BENTON, Ill. – A southern Illinois district judge sentenced a St. Louis man to 87 months in federal prison for his involvement in a vehicle sale scheme targeting victims in Madison, Jasper, Bond and Fayette counties.

    Alen Saric, 36, pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of interstate transportation of property taken by fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

    The 11-count indictment also named co-conspirators Valentino Colic, 34, Almir Palic, 25, and Emad Hasanbegovic, 34, all of St. Louis. Colic was sentenced to 145 months in federal prison in March. Palic was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment in February. In addition to prison time, the district judge ordered Saric and Colic to pay more than $1 million in restitution. Palic was ordered to pay a portion of the restitution as well.

    Hasanbegovic is facing one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of identity theft. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 21.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

    “It’s important for the public to authenticate checks from people not personally known to them by confirming with the issuing bank or waiting until checks are accepted into their bank account before transferring property or otherwise sending funds, as criminals become increasingly skilled at creating fake checks to defraud consumers,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

    According to court documents, the co-conspirators participated in a scheme to defraud private vehicle sellers on Facebook marketplace and Craigslist with fake cashier’s checks from 2018 until August 2023. The checks were printed on security-enhanced check paper with the names and logos of real banks with fake routing numbers.

    Once the fraudsters possessed a vehicle, they would then resell the vehicle to another individual for cash before the original victim could try to cash the check and realize it was worthless. The co-conspirators issued more than $1,710,999 in fake cashier’s checks.

    “This investigation is a testament to the strength of collaboration across local, state, and federal law enforcement,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “This sentencing highlights efforts the FBI and our partners are making to ensure those who attempt to exploit others for personal gain will be held accountable.” 

    To keep the co-conspirators’ names out of the chain of title, they used the names of prior victims to buy and sell the vehicles and forged signatures to complete documents such as titles and bills of sale. When posing as the victims, they often used copies of their photo IDs they had received during the previous sales. By writing bad checks from prior victims, the conspiracy caused even more financial hardship by revictimizing the same people repeatedly.  

    The fraudsters bought vehicles from victims in Madison, Jasper, Bond and Fayette counties within the Southern District of Illinois and are estimated to have defrauded victims out more than a million dollars. Colic and Saric admitted to driving the vehicles over state lines from Illinois to Missouri to benefit the scheme.

    The FBI Springfield Field Office, the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Illinois State Police, Illinois Secretary of State Police, Jefferson County (Missouri) Sheriff’s Department and several local police departments contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Iowa City Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Federal Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to 200 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography and distribution of child pornography.

    According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Evan Robert Steinberg, 26, received and distributed files containing child sexual abuse material. In December 2021, local law enforcement seized electronic devices during a search of Steinberg’s Iowa City residence. A forensic examination of the seized electronic devices showed that Steinberg used the devices to solicit, receive, and distribute images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. Defendant’s five devices contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including prepubescent males, as young as under 1 year old, engaging in sex acts with adults.

    After completing his term of imprisonment, Steinberg will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Steinberg was also ordered to pay $8,000 in assessments.

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department and the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team. 

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

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Dolphin euthanised after Townsville stranding

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 9 May 2025

    A rough-toothed dolphin has been euthanised after beaching itself near the rockpool at the Strand in Townsville.

    A member of the public advised the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) that the dolphin stranded around 2:45pm on Wednesday 7 May 2025.

    The dolphin was in poor condition and following a health assessment by a veterinarian, a decision was made to euthanise the animal.

    Project Manager Tina Alderson said marine animal strandings occurred along Queensland’s vast coastline, and DETSI had added a new function to the QWildlife app that allowed people to report strandings.

    “Marine animals strand for several reasons including age, illness, disease, injuries from predators or boat strikes and entanglement in fishing equipment,” Ms Alderson said.

    “Strandings such as these are sad and can impact on local communities. I encourage everyone who lives or visits Queensland’s coastal communities to download the QWildlife app.

    “A necropsy will be conducted on the dolphin to help determine the reasons it stranded and the results could take several weeks.”

    Fast facts – rough-toothed dolphins:

    • Usually found in deep warm and tropical waters around the world
    • They have a narrow beak and rough teeth with narrow, irregular ridges
    • Adults can grow to 2.8m in length and weigh up to 155kg, with males being larger than females
    • Older individuals have distinctive pinkish, white or yellow markings on their underside
    • Their diet consists mainly of fish
    • Their dorsal fin can be almost 30cm long

    The QWildlife app can be downloaded by visiting the app store or Google Play.

    View more information on downloading the QWildlife app to report a marine animal stranding, Marine wildlife strandings including strandings data.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Conquerall Mills — Police officers arrest two people for drug trafficking

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The South Shore Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit has arrested two people following an investigation into cocaine trafficking in Lunenburg and Queens counties.

    On May 8, at 1:50 p.m., RCMP officers conducted a targeted traffic stop in Hebbville in connection with the ongoing investigation. The occupants of the vehicle, a 30-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man, were safely arrested.

    A short time later, officers executed a search warrant at a home on Charles Boliver Rd. in Conquerall Mills. A search of the home and of the vehicle led officers to seize a quantity of cocaine, hydromorphone, cash, ammunition and cell phones.

    Both the woman and man will face Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (two counts) charges. They were released on conditions and are scheduled to appear in Bridgewater Provincial Court on August 20.

    The Lunenburg District RCMP and Bridgewater Police Service assisted with the ongoing investigation.

    Note: The South Shore Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit is made up of members from the Lunenburg District RCMP and Bridgewater Police Service.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: THREE BATON ROUGE INDIVIDUALS PLEAD GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE’S 2024 NATIONAL HEALTH CARE FRAUD ENFORCEMENT ACTION

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that three Baton Rouge individuals pled guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson in connection with schemes to obtain controlled substances from pharmacies using fraudulent prescriptions with the stolen identities of licensed medical professionals, and to obtain funds from federal pandemic assistance programs by submitting false and fraudulent applications.

    Kevan Andre Hills, age 31, Devin Tyrone Stampley, Jr., age 33, and Asia Deshan Guess, age 28, all of Baton Rouge, admitted that they caused the submission of fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances, such as Promethazine with Codeine and Hydrocodone, to Medicaid, causing Medicaid to be fraudulently billed for filling those fraudulent prescriptions. They used the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration numbers and other identifying information of several physicians and other medical providers, without authority, on the fraudulent prescriptions. As part of the scheme to unlawfully obtain controlled substances for resale, Stampley burglarized a pharmacy in Louisiana.

    Hills, Stampley, and their co-conspirators also submitted, caused to be submitted, and assisted others in submitting numerous false and fraudulent applications for federal funds, seeking at least $293,498 in funds administrated by the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits. Hills, Stampley, and their co-conspirators submitted and caused to be submitted falsified bank statements, tax forms, and other documents in support of the fraudulent PPP applications. Hills, Stampley, and their co-conspirators defrauded the federal pandemic assistance programs of at least $87,663 by posing as fake small business owners and residents in need of assistance. Upon receipt of the illegal funds, Hills, Stampley, and their co-conspirators made electronic transfers and personal purchases. 

    Guess illegally sought at least $125,978 in federal funds, including federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits under the CARES Act for eligible workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guess caused the submission of fraudulent applications and claims for unemployment benefits to the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), Maine Department of Labor (Maine DOL), and other state workforce agencies around the country. Guess assisted in the submission of falsified application details, such as her employment history and residency, to appear eligible for PUA funds and other benefits. Guess fraudulently obtained at least $15,859 in unemployment insurance benefits from the LWC and Maine DOL.

    Hills, Stampley, and Guess pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Hills and Stampley pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Stampley pleaded guilty to one count of burglary of a pharmacy.  Guess pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds.

    Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of thirty years in prison, each count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, each count of theft of government funds carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, each count of burglary of a pharmacy carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison, and each count of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; April M. Leon, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana; Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Dallas Region, Baton Rouge Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer of the DEA, New Orleans Division; and Special Agent in Charge Casey J. Howard of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Central Region, made the announcement.

    HHS-OIG, DEA, and DOL-OIG are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana and Trial Attorneys Gary A. Crosby II and Samantha E. Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Who Sold Fentanyl that Killed Twins Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a man who sold the fentanyl that killed two twin brothers in St. Charles County in 2023 to 14 years in prison.

    Jesse Charleston, 35, of Florissant, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

    Charleston admitted as part of his plea that on March 21, 2023, he supplied the fentanyl that killed the men. He admitted giving one of the men four capsules for free as “testers.” The victims were discovered dead in their apartment in St. Charles County the next evening of acute fentanyl intoxication. Investigators found fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, and text messages with Charleston on one victim’s phone on March 21 discussing a drug transaction.  Early the next morning, Charleston texted, “Did you like it.”

    A detective with the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force began responding to texts to that victim’s phone from Charles. The detective supplied the name of an undercover officer when Charleston asked if he knew anyone else who “likes what the defendant has,” the plea agreement says. The undercover officer purchased 12 capsules containing para-fluorofentanyl and fentanyl from Charleston for $100 on March 27, 2023, at a gas station in St. Charles County. Charleston took those 12 capsules from a bag of about 30 more. He was arrested later that day.

    “This case exemplifies the dangerousness of fentanyl,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome McDonald wrote in a sentencing memo. “In recent years fentanyl and fentanyl analogues have caused far too many overdose deaths in the St. Louis community and across this country, including the two overdose deaths in this case.”

    “This case is just one example that highlights St. Charles County’s regional law enforcement working together with our federal partners to combat serious crime that affects families across the area,” said St. Charles County Police Chief Kurt Frisz.

    The Drug Enforcement Agency, the St. Charles County Police and St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome McDonald prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Dayton man pleads guilty in bulk methamphetamine conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DAYTON, Ohio – Antel Braden, 24, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute bulk amounts of methamphetamine. 

    According to his plea agreement, in August 2024, Braden was the intended recipient of a United States postal package from California containing more than three kilograms of methamphetamine.

    Law enforcement intercepted the mail package and replaced the drugs with sham narcotics before having an undercover agent deliver the package to an address in Dayton.

    Braden arrived at the residence and received the package. After receiving the package of what he believed to be methamphetamine, Braden drove to another location in Dayton to pick up his brother and co-conspirator, Giovantae Braden, 30.

    When law enforcement endeavored to stop Braden’s vehicle on E. Dorothy Lane, he attempted to flee. Braden ran a red light at E. Dorothy Lane and E. Stroop Road, causing a crash and significant damage to both vehicles. The sham narcotics were thrown from the vehicle and the Braden brothers attempted to flee on foot. They were both apprehended by law enforcement.

    Braden faces up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); announced the guilty plea entered on May 8 before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Western District of Texas Adds 316 Immigration Cases in First Week of May

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 316 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 2 through May 8.

    Among the new cases, Cirilo Delgado-Alderete, Dilan Karim Valenzuela-Baca, and Antelmo Eligio Ramirez-Bernardo were arrested at an alleged stash house in Anthony, New Mexico. According to an affidavit, U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations agents observed three vehicles that had been identified as being used to smuggle illegal aliens to Albuquerque, New Mexico, parked at the residence. When agents questioned Ramirez-Bernardo, a Guatemalan national, they allegedly discovered he possessed a key to the residence on his keychain. Agents then located 25 individuals inside the residence who admitted to being citizens of Mexico, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Pakistan without documentation to be in the U.S. Two of the individuals, Delgado-Alderete and Valenzuela-Baca, were identified as alleged stash house caretakes and drivers to harbor and transport the illegal aliens. Delgado-Alderete, Valenzuela-Baca, and Ramirez-Bernardo are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.  The drivers allegedly picked up aliens in El Paso before transporting them to New Mexico.

    Mexican national Erasmo Soto-Aguilar and Cesar Jared Garcia-Raucho, a U.S. citizen, were charged with statutes related to harboring illegal aliens after agents arrested them outside an alleged stash house in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that Soto-Aguilar had been involved in multiple smuggling schemes in which he coordinated pick-up drivers to meet and exchange illegal aliens. The complaint also alleges that Garcia-Raucho admitted to working as an illegal alien caretaker.

    Leonel Sotelo-Santillan, a Mexican national, was arrested after allegedly entering a National Defense Area near El Paso illegally on May 2. Sotelo-Santillan is a convicted felon with two 2015 convictions for domestic abuse battery and theft in Louisiana, as well as a felony conviction in June 2024 for illegal re-entry. He has two prior removals, the last one being Dec. 28, 2024.

    In San Antonio, Mexican national Joandel De Jesus Tierrablanca-Tellez aka Joandel Tierras Blanca was arrested after law enforcement officers allegedly observed him sell four firearms to a buyer in New Braunfels. Homeland Security Investigations had previously learned the firearms were to be sold and trafficked to Mexico for a predetermined amount of U.S. currency. A search of Tierrablanca-Tellez’s vehicle allegedly revealed his Mexican passport and an additional firearm along with .223 caliber and .308 caliber ammunition. Tierrablanca-Tellez is charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and, if convicted, faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

    Alejandro Mata-Zavala, also a Mexican national, was arrested during a traffic stop in Guadalupe County on May 6. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) immigration history inquiry determined Mata-Zavala had been convicted in April 2021 for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, and was removed from the U.S. to Mexico on or about June 2, 2022. He’s currently charged with one count of illegal re-entry and faces up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.

    USBP agents arrested Mexican national Tomas Medina-Martinez near Brackettville on May 1. Medina-Martinez is a two-time convicted felon with three prior removals from the U.S., the most recent being Feb. 12. Mexican national Mauro Morales-Lopez was also arrested by USBP on May 1 near Eagle Pass. Morales-Lopez was deported Nov. 12, 2024 through Atlanta, Georgia following multiple violent misdemeanor convictions for family violence.

    On May 5, Mexican national Sergio De La Cruz-Ruiz was arrested near Brackettville for being illegally present in the U.S. His criminal record includes nine deportations and multiple felony convictions. De La Cruz-Ruiz was also convicted in January 2024 for assault on a family member. His latest removal was April 18 through Harlingen.

    Jorge Luis Benavides-Alvarado, a Mexican national, was encountered by federal law enforcement at the Williamson County Jail and charged with illegal re-entry. He was convicted for possession of a dangerous drug in Georgetown on May 7. In 2017, Benavides-Alvarado was convicted for aggravated robbery in Dallas. He was removed from the U.S. July 26, 2019. Also encountered at the Williamson County Jail, Mexican national Agustin Ruiz-Vazquez was convicted May 7 for assault causing bodily injury. Federally charged with illegal re-entry, Ruiz-Vazquez was previously removed from the U.S. July 10, 2014, two years after being convicted of injury to a child in Austin.

    And in Midland, Salvadoran national Edenilzon Hernandez was encountered at the Ector County Detention Center in Odessa, where he was being held for indecency with child sexual contact. Now facing a federal illegal re-entry charge, Hernandez has three prior removals and a criminal history that includes convictions for burglary of a habitation, assault on a public servant and an additional assault charge.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

    These cases are 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).

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Davenport Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in federal prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography.

    According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in January 2023 that Benjamin Riley Blankenship, 22, had uploaded images and videos containing child sexual abuse material to a Snapchat account registered to Blankenship. A search warrant was executed on Blankenship’s residence. Law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices. The devices had all previously logged into the Snapchat account that uploaded child sexual abuse material.

    After completing his term of imprisonment, Blankenship will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Blankenship was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the Davenport Police Department.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Inland Empire Man Sentenced for Possessing Trade Secrets Belonging to U.S. Employer to Build Business with China Company

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

    A San Bernardino County man was sentenced Thursday for illegally possessing sensitive technologies that he downloaded from his Southern California-based employers and used to market his own competing company to a China-based company.

    Liming Li, 66, of Rancho Cucamonga, was sentenced to 12 months in prison by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt, who also fined Li approximately $14,000 and ordered him to pay an additional $17,000 in restitution. LI was ordered to self-surrender by August 12, 2025.

    Li pleaded guilty to one count of possession of trade secrets in February.

    According to his plea agreement, from 1996 to 2013, Li worked for a Southern California-based business identified in court documents as “U.S. Company #1,” which specialized in precision measuring instruments and metrological technology and equipment. The company designed and sold a range of products such as micrometers, calipers, coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and optical measurement systems.

    Li worked at U.S. Company #1 as a senior software engineer, then as a program manager. From 2013 to 2018, Li worked as chief technologist at a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Company #1. During his employment at U.S. Company #1 and its subsidiary, Li worked on the development of the source code for one of the company’s software programs, which was considered its proprietary information.

    In July 2013, Li signed an employee handbook and confidentiality agreement with U.S. Company #1 that required him to turn over all writings, records, files, technology, trade secrets or data containing any proprietary information belonging to the company. The agreement also prohibited Li from copying the company’s proprietary information without written permission.

    Li admitted in his plea agreement that he occasionally downloaded the company’s proprietary information onto his personal devices without permission. Li failed to return all the proprietary information belonging to U.S. Company #1 after its subsidiary terminated him in January 2018.

    In February 2018, Li operated a consulting company named JSL Innovations Inc. and in March 2020, he signed an employment agreement with Suzhou Universal Group Technology Co. Ltd., a China-based chain-and-bearing manufacturer. Li continued to work for Suzhou Universal until his arrest in May 2023. During this period, Li continued to knowingly possess U.S. Company #1’s proprietary information and – more than once – accessed this information without that company’s authorization.

    Li admitted that he used the proprietary information for his own economic benefit and that it would injure U.S. Company #1’s interests.

    The FBI investigated this matter with substantial assistance from the Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security.

    The case against Li was brought under the auspices of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, which is co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce. The Strike Force seeks to counter efforts by hostile nation-states to illicitly acquire sensitive U.S. technology to advance their authoritarian regimes and facilitate human rights abuses.

    Assistant United States Attorney Aaron B. Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section, Solomon D. Kim of the Major Frauds Section, and David T. Ryan, Chief of the National Security Division are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: SIRT Investigating in Custody Death at Melfort RCMP Detachment

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on May 9, 2025

    On Tuesday May 6, 2025 at approximately 7:13 p.m., the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) received a notification from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regarding an in-custody death at the Melfort RCMP Detachment. 

    SIRT’s Civilian Executive Director accepted the notification as within SIRT’s mandate and directed an investigation by SIRT.

    On May 6 at approximately 9:48 a.m., members of the Melfort RCMP detachment responded to a disturbance call at a residential address in Melfort, where they encountered a 44-year-old man who was acting erratically and had sustained an injury to his hand. The man was taken into custody pursuant to the provisions of The Mental Health Services Act. The man was transported to the Melfort RCMP Detachment, where at 10:14 a.m., he was lodged in a cell, pending the arrival of EMS who had been contacted on the drive to the detachment. At approximately 10:18 a.m., the man was assessed by EMS, and following that examination was transported to hospital by EMS. The man was unrestrained during transport in the ambulance. The EMS vehicle transporting the man was accompanied to hospital by a member of the RCMP in an RCMP vehicle.

    The man arrived at hospital at approximately 10:27 a.m. While the man was being examined, a further disturbance occurred and he was taken back into custody by the accompanying RCMP member. During the process of taking the man back into custody, a physical altercation occurred. The man was handcuffed and transported back to the Melfort RCMP Detachment, and at approximately 10:44 a.m., was once again placed in a cell.

    The man remained in custody at the Melfort RCMP Detachment until approximately 5:10 p.m., when he was observed to have gone into medical distress. RCMP members entered the man’s cell, commenced first aid, and contacted EMS. The man was moved into the cellblock hallway by RCMP members to allow for more room for first aid. At approximately 5:16 p.m., EMS arrived and assumed responsibility for the man’s care before transporting him to hospital at 5:36 p.m. The man was treated at hospital, but despite resuscitation efforts, was pronounced deceased. 

    Following the notification, a SIRT team consisting of the Civilian Executive Director and five SIRT investigators was deployed to Melfort to begin their investigation. A community liaison will also be appointed pursuant to S.91.12 (1) (a) of The Police Act, 1990. SIRT’s investigation will examine the conduct of police during this incident, including the circumstances surrounding the man’s arrest and the cause of his death. The RCMP will maintain responsibility for any investigation into the original incident. No further information will be released at this time. A final report will be issued to the public within 90 days of the investigation ending.

    SIRT’s mandate is to investigate alleged cases of serious injury, death, sexual assault or interpersonal violence arising from the actions or omissions of on and off-duty police officers, or while an individual is in police custody.

    For updates on SIRT investigations, follow SIRT on X, formerly known as Twitter, at Serious Incident Response Team – Saskatchewan (@SIRT_SK) / X.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mobile Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MOBILE, AL – Michael Jerome Elder, age 50, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison after entering a guilty plea to a count of Distribution of Child Pornography.  Elder entered his guilty plea on January 16, 2025.

    According to court documents, a Mobile County Sheriff’s Office deputy was conducting an investigation to identify individuals in the Southern District of Alabama who demonstrate a sexual interest in children. To do so, he utilized law enforcement software to investigate users sharing files of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) via a file-sharing network. The investigator located an IP address that was involved in the sharing of numerous files of CSAM.  He was able to identify Elder as a resident at the residential address associated with the IP address.  The investigator obtained a search warrant and located Elder in the home, and a search team was able to discover a cell phone that Elder had hidden in a vent.  The cell phone was examined and found to contain CSAM.

    Elder had previously been convicted of five counts of Being in Possession of Obscene Material of Minors, violations of Alabama Code 13-A-012-0192(B), in the Circuit Court of Mobile County.  He had been released from custody on that offense on November 15, 2022, less than a year before the MCSO investigator discovered him distributing child pornography.

    At sentencing, Judge DuBose imposed the 180-month sentence of incarceration and a 15-year term of supervised release upon his future release. During his term of imprisonment, Elder will be subject to sex offender treatment, substance abuse testing and treatment, and mental health treatment.  Elder will be required to register as a sex offender and is to have no contact with minors.  Elder was ordered to pay $5,100 in special assessments.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigations and Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Tandice Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

    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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Sounds Alarm on DOJ Threats to Journalists, Joins Resolution Condemning Trump Attacks on Free Press

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla Sounds Alarm on DOJ Threats to Journalists, Joins Resolution Condemning Trump Attacks on Free Press

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined his colleagues in blasting President Trump’s continued attacks on the freedom of the press, a fundamental First Amendment right guaranteed by the Constitution. Padilla joined a letter pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi on her decision to change Justice Department policies to make it easier for the Department to subpoena journalists to obtain confidential information about their sources and potentially harass journalists who write stories critical of the Trump Administration. He also cosponsored a resolution calling for the Executive Branch to respect the rights of journalists and demanding they be allowed to perform their duties “without fear of retaliation.”
    “We write to express our deep concern with the Department of Justice’s April 25, 2025 memorandum changing the guidance that set limitations on the Department’s ability to subpoena materials from journalists and news organizations,” wrote the Senators in their letter to Attorney General Bondi. “The free press is a bedrock of our democracy and reporters must be able to do their jobs without fear of being investigated or prosecuted.”
    “When asked at your confirmation hearing to commit to ‘respect the importance of a free press,’ you said ‘absolutely,’” continued the Senators. “Yet your decision to rescind important limits on the Justice Department’s ability to compel information from the press threatens the ability of journalists to fully perform their critical jobs, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.” 
    The letter was led by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and signed by Senator Padilla and every other Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee: Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
    The bicameral resolution Padilla cosponsored was led by Senator Whitehouse in the Senate and cited President Trump’s various attacks on the operations of the press, including:
    Accusing media outlets such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC of “illegal” behavior during a speech at the Department of Justice;
    Claiming CNN and MSNBC networks are “political arms of the Democrat Party” during a speech at the Department of Justice; 
    Excluding the Associated Press from White House press pool access due to disputes over naming conventions, leading to legal challenges concerning First Amendment violations;
    Filing a lawsuit against CBS News over a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, alleging biased editing and calling for CBS to lose broadcast licenses;
    Seeking to defund National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), including launching a Federal Communications Commission probe and issuing an executive order instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease providing direct and indirect funds to either broadcaster;
    Refusing to take questions from NBC News reporters, claiming the network is “discredited;” 
    Seeking to impose the Administration’s policy preferences on independent news organizations by forcing PBS to eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion office using threats of government funding cuts and ignoring reporters who list pronouns in their email signatures; and
    Rescinding a Department of Justice policy against subpoenaing journalists, exposing journalists’ sources to the threat of possible identification and punishment.
    The resolution is endorsed by PEN America, National Press Photographers Association, American Governance Institute, Radio Television Digital News Association, and Society of Environmental Journalists.
    Full text of the resolution is available here.
    Full text of the letter to Attorney General Bondi is available here and below:
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to express our deep concern with the Department of Justice’s April 25, 2025 memorandum changing the guidance that set limitations on the Department’s ability to subpoena materials from journalists and news organizations.
    The free press is a bedrock of our democracy and reporters must be able to do their jobs without fear of being investigated or prosecuted. When asked at your confirmation hearing to commit to “respect the importance of a free press,” you said “absolutely.” Yet your decision to rescind important limits on the Justice Department’s ability to compel information from the press threatens the ability of journalists to fully perform their critical jobs, as guaranteed by the First Amendment. 
    Under the previous guidance, the Justice Department was authorized to subpoena journalists engaged in news gathering only “[w]hen necessary to prevent an imminent or concrete risk of death or serious bodily harm.” Under the 2025 guidance, Justice Department officials can take the extraordinary step of subpoenaing journalists merely to investigate “unauthorized disclosures that undermine President Trump’s policies,” extending far beyond disclosures of classified information. In other words, under this new guidance, there is little protection for journalists who publish any story critical of the Administration from being threatened with a subpoena and litigation to enforce the subpoena. The threat to journalists is especially concerning given Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel’s claims prior to his confirmation that the news media is “the most powerful enemy the United States has ever seen” and that he would “come after the people in the media . . . criminally or civilly.” 
    Nor does it appear that the Justice Department would subpoena reporters’ records only as a last resort. Under the guidelines, the Justice Department may subpoena journalists after the Attorney General has made only a few subjective determinations, such as whether the information sought is “essential to a successful prosecution,” whether “reasonable attempts” to obtain the information from alternative sources were made, and whether engaging in negotiations would threaten “the integrity of the investigation.” These factors make it far too easy for the Attorney General to compel journalists to reveal sources. 
    This change will also deter whistleblowers from coming forward with information to the news media, depriving the public of valuable information about its government. Whistleblowers that violate the law—for example by disclosing classified information—should be subject to the legal consequences of that action, but the government should not be allowed to intimidate or harass journalists who lawfully report the news. 
    As the Office of Legal Policy prepares regulations to implement your memorandum, we respectfully request that you provide responses to the following questions:
    1. What protections are in place to ensure that journalists are not targeted because they published a news article critical of the Administration?
    2. Will you commit to ensuring that issuing a subpoena to a journalist or news organization will be used only as a last resort when there is a compelling and overriding interest in the information, such as protecting national security?
    3. Will the regulations require the Department to comply with state shield laws?
    4. Is the Department consulting with outside organizations, including organizations representing journalists, as part of the preparation of regulations? If so, what organizations?
    5. What measures will the regulations put in place to ensure that the White House is not allowed to order or influence the issuance of a subpoena to a journalist or news organization?
    6.  What process for review, if any, will be put in place to ensure the new regulations are being followed and are not being abused for political or any other inappropriate purpose?  
    7. Has the Justice Department issued any subpoenas to journalists or news organizations under this new guidance? If so, to whom and seeking what information?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Signs FY26 Budget – Providing Hurricane Helene Relief and Important Investments in Education, Healthcare, and Public Safety

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, House Appropriations Chairman Hatchett, constitutional officers, and members of the Georgia General Assembly, and state leaders today signed the budget for Fiscal Year 2026.

    Excerpt of Governor Kemp’s Remarks

    I’m proud to be here with the nation’s best First Lady, Marty Kemp!

    And we’re both thankful for the great legislative partners you see behind us and next to me, including Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Chairman Matt Hatchett, and the members of the General Assembly from both chambers and parties who overwhelmingly voted for this commonsense and balanced budget.

    Speaker Jon Burns and Chairman Blake Tillery couldn’t join us today, but they also worked very hard on this budget and I know they send their regards.

    We’re also glad to be joined by the Constitutional Officers here with us who serve as great partners in safeguarding taxpayer money and keeping government lean and efficient.

    I want to thank OPB Director Rick Dunn and his team, as well, for all the time and hard work they put into the budget process each year alongside our partners in the House and Senate Budget offices. That hefty document on that table that represents our state’s priorities is the result of their hard work and dedication.

    Today, I’ll sign the budget for Fiscal Year 2026 – a budget that makes important investments to meet the needs of our growing state without growing government or adding to our long-term liabilities.

    It represents an impact across so many different areas of our state – including investments in education, public safety, healthcare, infrastructure, and much more.

    Through this budget, we’re again fully funding our schools. We’re also committing:

    • Over 300 million additional dollars for enrollment and expense growth for K-12 education…
    • 49.7 million dollars to promote our students’ mental health and wellbeing…
    • 13 million dollars in new funding to improve literacy for our elementary students…
    • 267 million dollars to fund higher education growth at the University and Technical College Systems, furthering their ability to provide the workforce we need to meet demand…
    • 20 million dollars to replace 227 school buses…
    • And over 141 million dollars to fund the Promise Scholarship Program, delivering on the promise we made last year to students and their families who deserve an education that is right for them.

    We’re also working to promote the health and wellbeing of all Georgians, with:

    • 257 million additional dollars in support for Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids expense and enrollment growth… just in case someone tries to tell you we don’t spend more each year on Medicaid…
    • 10 million dollars for significant capital repairs at state hospitals…
    • Over 5 million dollars for salary enhancements for social services eligibility caseworkers, building on previous pay raises for these critical employees…
    • And over 4.5 million dollars to improve maternal health.

    In Fiscal Year 2026, we’re also building on our past work to make Georgia safer, to keep our communities and businesses secure, and to take criminals off our streets.

    This budget includes 200 million dollars for the Department of Corrections to increase Corrections Officer salaries and number of positions… to increase salaries for non-security staff… and to meet other operational needs that will make our prison facilities safer.

    This was a priority for both my administration and leaders in the legislature, and I’m proud we worked together to deliver these investments.

    Other key investments in public safety within this budget include:

    • Over 1.7 million dollars for additional positions and technology at the GBI’s Crime Labs across the state…
    • Over 1 million dollars for two crime scene technical leaders and three digital forensic investigators…
    • 1 million dollars for a gang case management system and gang enforcement efforts statewide…
    • Over 268,000 dollars for Attorney General Chris Carr to expand the Gang Prosecution Unit in the Savannah region… and over 748,000 dollars to expand the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit to the Macon and Augusta regions…
    • And over 421,000 dollars to improve operations of the 24/7 hotline to report human trafficking and serve victims through the CJCC… a measure championed by the first lady.

    Last but not least, this budget makes considerable investments in infrastructure statewide… an important factor in keeping us the best place for business and opportunity.

    With 290 million dollars in additional funding going toward transportation projects… and 715 million dollars going to capital projects, including some for K-12 school systems… we are using the funds we have from years of growth to build stronger communities and encourage further investment and success.

    I’m especially proud we’re doing so – for the second straight year – with cash, meaning for two straight years we have not added any new debt.

    That brings our state’s debt service-to-revenue ratio to the lowest level in Georgia history!

    And it ultimately means we’ll save taxpayers 150 million dollars per year for the next 20 years in future debt service costs we won’t have to pay… on top of the billions saved in tax refunds and tax cuts we’ve implemented over the past several years.

    We’re able to take these steps because of our conservative approach to budgeting.

    We don’t follow the path that states like California, New York, Illinois, and others do… They’re growing government and raising taxes to cover budget deficits.

    But here in Georgia, we’re keeping government in check, cutting taxes, and returning taxpayer money where it belongs – back to hardworking Georgians!

    We balance our budgets and encourage economic growth statewide without growing government.

    That’s thanks to this team you see up here that is committed to being good stewards of what Georgians entrust us with.

    So, thank you all, again, for helping us keep Georgia the best place to live, work, and raise a family through budgets like this.

    “This budget is a result of deliberate and effective work by Senate Appropriations Chairman Tillery, the subcommittee Chairs and all members of the Senate Appropriations Committee,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “Governor Brian Kemp’s recommendations at the beginning of session provided a great foundation for our work to begin and for us to ultimately pass a budget focused on Georgia’s children, families and future, while reducing unnecessary or redundant government spending. In Georgia, we are continuing to keep government spending in check, while giving money back to taxpayers – where it belongs. I want to thank everyone for their hard work to ensure our state remains fiscally sound, our reserves remain healthy and our citizens get back their hard-earned money with a reduction in the state income tax. I look forward to continuing to prioritize a fiscally conservative philosophy as we look at budgets next session.”

    “This year’s budget reflects the unwavering commitment of the General Assembly to championing strategic investments that will keep our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family for generations to come—all while putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking Georgia taxpayers,” said Speaker Jon Burns. “Thank you to Governor Kemp, Chairman Hatchett, and each member of the House who worked tirelessly to get this budget across the finish line, securing the current and future success of our great state.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: THE REAL STORY: DHS Sets the Record Straight on Terrorist Sympathizer and Leader of the Columbia Pro-Terrorist Riots Mohsen Mahdawi

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    The mainstream media fawned over this terrorist sympathizer and claimed his arrest was an attack on First Amendment Rights

    WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today set the record straight on Columbia University riots ringleader Mohsen Mahdawi. In recent days, misleading and lazy reporting painted the leader of pro-terrorist demonstrations as a “peacemaker.” Court records allege that Mahdawi told a gun shop owner that he used firearms to “kill Jews.”

    In a brief filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 28 in the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, Mohsen Mahdawi was cited as admitting to being involved in and supporting pro-terrorist acts of violence. Mahdawi also allegedly admitted to familiarity with firearms per a police report. The federal filing reveals: 

    • Mahdawi supposedly told a gun shop owner “that he had considerable firearm experience” and used guns to “kill Jews while he was in Palestine.”
    • Mahadawi was cited as having experience building firearms, including modified 9mm submachine guns.
    • Another member of the community recalled Mahdawi stating “I like to kill Jews.”
    • In a police report, a concerned individual reported that Mahdawi requested to purchase a sniper rifle and a machine gun. He also claimed that he said he used to make guns for Hezbollah.

    Below is an excerpt of the DOJ’s brief:

     

    This week, Mahdawi also accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of staging a citizenship interview as a trap in order to arrest him. Many in the media failed to report the real story here, which is that this terrorist sympathizer allegedly bragged to a gun shop owner that he had considerable firearms experience as he used to “kill Jews while he was in Palestine.”

    Statement Attributable to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin:

    “As the media works overtime to glorify a ringleader of the Columbia pro-terrorist riots, court documents show Mahdawi allegedly told a gun shop owner that he had considerable firearms experience and he ‘used to kill Jews.’ The media tried to paint Mohsen Mahdawi as a martyr for free speech. The truth is he is a terrorist sympathizer and national security threat who does not belong in this country. Why does the media continue to defend terrorist sympathizers?” 

    Below are just a handful of examples of misleading headlines.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Happy Valley-Goose Bay — Happy Valley-Goose Bay RCMP investigates community vandalism

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Happy Valley-Goose Bay RCMP is investigating a recent spree of vandalism that occurred in the community during the night of May 7 and the morning of May 8, 2025.

    So far, 12 residential properties have been identified as being tagged with graffiti where spray paint was used. Graffiti was also discovered in the same area on roadways, signs, and other property owned by the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The vandalism occurred in the areas of Mesher, Learning, and Lethbridge Streets, which are all within three blocks of one another.

    The investigation is ongoing.

    Anyone with information about this incident is asked to please contact Happy Valley-Goose Bay RCMP at 709-896-3383 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –