Category: Law

MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for $38 Million Catalytic Converter Theft Ring

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Tou Sue Vang, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for his role in transporting thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines, laundering money, and other related crimes, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, Tou Vang, along with his brother Andrew Vang and mother Monica Moua, purchased stolen catalytic converters from local thieves and sold them to a buyer in New Jersey for more than $38 million. Catalytic converter theft has become prevalent across the nation because of their value, relative ease to steal, and their lack of identifying markings. Thieves steal catalytic converters from vehicles on the street for the precious metals they contain, which may be more valuable per ounce than gold, and then sell them to buyers like T. Vang. The black-market price for certain catalytic converters from California can be more than $1,000 each.

This prosecution is part of a nationwide initiative that dismantled a catalytic converter theft conspiracy. In addition to the three California defendants, this case includes 12 New Jersey defendants, including brothers Navin Khanna and Tinu Khanna, who operated DG Auto and purchased the stolen catalytic converters from California for more than $38 million. Tou Vang and his family operated primarily from their private residences and storage units; and did not have a scrap yard or valid business license. Some of the shipments that Tou Vang made to DG Auto were over 1,000 pounds and contained a single type of high-value catalytic converter, such as the Toyota Prius. Tou Vang and his family used the funds they received from the Khanna brothers and withdrew cash from the bank accounts they controlled to purchase more stolen catalytic converters, thereby promoting the carrying on of the unlawful activity.

Tou Vang spent the proceeds of these stolen catalytic converters to fund his lavish lifestyle, including to purchase a five-acre multi-home complex in Rio Linda for $1.235 million in cash, over a dozen motor vehicles (including two Teslas and two Sea Doos), and an additional home in Sacramento. As part of T. Vang’s sentence, the United States forfeited more than $150,000 in U.S. currency, 13 motor vehicles, four personal watercraft, jewelry, and real estate, amongst other property.

“This defendant led a network of criminals that hurt thousands of innocent car owners,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “This case represents the kind of far-reaching investigation that federal, state, and local law enforcement partners can do when working together. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to continuing its law enforcement partnerships to disrupt criminal conspiracies like this one that target the American people.”

“Theft usually happens in the shadows, most often with the help of professional enablers such as Mr. Vang who facilitated the sale of stolen goods. The financial expertise of IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office agents has helped trace the assets and unraveled the truth behind these organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Nguyen. “Today’s sentencing is a true reflection of the collaborative commitment between all the local, state, and federal agencies who contributed to this outcome as our way to protect the people in the communities and bring justice to light.”

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Sacramento Police Department, Davis Police Department, Auburn Police Department, Livermore Police Department, and San Bernardino County Sherriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.

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

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis Felon Who Fatally Shot Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis man who shot an acquaintance in 2023 to nine years in prison.

Clayton Pierce Davis, 39, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

On July 4, 2023, Davis was celebrating with others in St. Louis. After a Fourth of July event, the group went to a shop on the corner of Gravois Avenue and Chippewa Street in south St. Louis. An argument started and Davis fired 12 shots from a handgun, fatally shooting a man and wounding his girlfriend. At least one of the victims was armed and the woman fired one shot.

Davis is a felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms. He has prior convictions for robbery, riot in a penal institution, dog fighting, stealing and assault.

The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie Schneider prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Allen Woman Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in the Pine Ridge Reservation and in Rapid City

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced an Allen, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.

Misty Hornbeck, age 50, was sentenced on May 5, 2025, to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Hornbeck was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024, and pleaded guilty on February 27, 2025.

Hornbeck’s conviction stemmed from the large-scale distribution of methamphetamine on the Pine Ridge Reservation and in Rapid City, South Dakota. Hornbeck, who resided in Colorado during the conspiracy, supplied methamphetamine to her codefendants through her sources in Colorado. Hornbeck’s codefendants then transported the methamphetamine into South Dakota. Once the methamphetamine was in South Dakota, it would be further distributed by multiple individuals, including Hornbeck’s co-defendants Nathan Tobacco-Clifford, Milo Shot With Arrow, and others. Between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine was distributed during the course of this criminal conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

Hornbeck was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.

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MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Porcupine Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter and False Statement

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter and two counts of False Statement. The sentencing took place on April 25, 2025.

Clayton Fire Thunder, age 40, was sentenced to a total of eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $300 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

A federal grand jury indicted Fire Thunder in May 2024. He was found guilty following a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota, in January of 2025.

On the early morning of September 15, 2022, a male drove his partially clothed girlfriend to Indian Health Services (IHS) hospital on the Pine Ridge Reservation and dropped her off at the Emergency Department. The male did not provide his identity nor the female’s identity. The male told medical personnel that a firearm went off while they were engaged in intimate relations and that she had been shot accidentally.

Law enforcement identified and located the male at his residence several hours later. The male was cleaning the crime scene and sent text messages to the female’s relative’s claiming the shooting was an accident. A search of the residence was conducted. Law enforcement was unable to locate the handgun that the male claimed was used in the shooting. The male was arrested and eventually charged with second degree murder, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. A digital surveillance system that recorded traffic to the male’s house was seized by law enforcement.

After reviewing the footage, law enforcement identified a vehicle that appeared at the male’s residence shortly after midnight and just before the female was brought to IHS. After several months, law enforcement was able to identify the driver of the vehicle as Marino Waters and the passenger as Clayton Fire Thunder. The investigation revealed that Waters drove Fire Thunder to the male’s residence just east of Pine Ridge two times on the morning of September 15, 2022. Fire Thunder intended on selling a firearm to the male in exchange for cash and/or methamphetamine. The male did not answer the door when Fire Thunder knocked, and unexpectedly, Fire Thunder discharged one round from the firearm into the residence. The round ended up penetrating the siding, backboard, and drywall of the residence and struck and killed the male’s girlfriend, a 27-year-old female.

When Fire Thunder was interviewed by the FBI in March of 2023, he gave a false statement and said that he did not have a firearm when the shooting occurred. Fire Thunder admitted to being at the residence and told law enforcement that he was inquiring with the male homeowner about a junked car at 4:00 o’clock in the morning. Fire Thunder was reinterviewed again in October 2023. Fire Thunder continued to deny that he possessed a firearm during the shooting death of the female and this time said that he was inquiring about a flatbed at 4:00 o’clock.

Seventeen witnesses and over 200 exhibits were introduced at Fire Thunder trial establishing that Fire Thunder possessed and discharged a firearm on the morning of September 15, 2022, that resulted in the death of a 27-year-old female. The jury found Fire Thunder guilty of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of false statement.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

Fire Thunder was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force Arrests Violent Federal Fugitive in Juana Díaz

Source: US Marshals Service

San Juan, PR – The U.S. Marshals District of Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force arrested today a Puerto Rico man who became a federal fugitive in April after violating the conditions of his bail.

Roric H. Núñez-García, 25, who was one of several people arrested during a police raid in February at the Enudio Negrón Residential Complex in Villalba, was released on bail in April following an order from a federal magistrate and immediately cut off his electronic bracelet.

He is suspected of being involved in a shooting that occurred later that night in the municipality of Villalba.

Deputy U.S. Marshals, in coordination with agents from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau’s Strike Force, Arrest and Search Units, and with the assistance of Public Housing Administration security agents, arrested Núñez-García without incident at an apartment located in the Leonardo Santiago Public Housing Complex in the municipality of Juana Díaz.

During the operation, authorities seized a modified firearm capable of fully automatic fire, multiple magazines, and ammunition.

“Our citizens should know that the United States Marshals Service in Puerto Rico continues to pursue those who believe they can evade the law and escape accountability for their actions,” said Wilmer Ocasio-Ibarra, U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico.

“Núñez-García not only attempted to flee justice but is also suspected of involvement in multiple homicides in Juana Díaz, Villalba, Santa Isabel, and Ponce. He represents a serious threat to our communities. I want to express my sincere gratitude and recognize the outstanding efforts of the members of the Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force for swiftly capturing this dangerous fugitive and protecting our citizens from further harm. They may try to hide, but they should know that the U.S. Marshals Service will not rest until they are found and brought to justice.”

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Five Charged in Human Smuggling Event that Led to at Least Three Deaths

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SAN DIEGO – Two complaints were filed in federal court today charging five people with participating in a human smuggling event that led to the deaths of at least three migrants, including a 14-year-old boy from India. His 10-year-old sister is still missing at sea and presumed dead; their father is in a coma and mother is also hospitalized.

According to court records, on May 5, 2025, witnesses observed an overturned panga boat at a beach in Del Mar, California. Bystanders and San Diego Lifeguards participated in rescue efforts. Law enforcement officials recovered three bodies, including the boy, identified in court records as P.P.B. Four others were rescued and hospitalized, including P.P.B.’s mother and father; nine others were initially unaccounted for, including P.B.B.’s 10-year-old sister.

Two men believed to be involved in the smuggling event – Mexican nationals Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva – were arrested Monday at the beach and charged today with Bringing in Aliens Resulting in Death and Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain.

Later Monday night, Border Patrol agents were conducting operations in Chula Vista, California where they identified a vehicle that had been observed at the scene of the maritime smuggling incident earlier that day. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene. During the investigation, Border Patrol Agents identified two other vehicles that were involved in the smuggling event and were able to successfully stop and arrest the drivers of these load vehicles and locate eight of the nine migrants missing from the boat, with the exception of the 10-year-old sister of P.P.B.

Melissa Jenelle Cota, Gustavo Lara and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa – all Mexican nationals – were arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. Rojas-Fregoso, was identified as an alien who had previously been deported on December 19, 2023.

“The drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths.”

“Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities, leading to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, as we saw in this case,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego. “Yesterday’s heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed. The HSI along with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, and other partners from the Marine Task Force, remains firmly committed to holding those responsible accountable for these senseless deaths.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark and Edward Chang.

DEFENDANTS

Case Number 25mj02403-JLB

Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva   Age: 36   Mexico

Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna                                Age: 30                                   Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Bringing in Aliens Resulting in Death – Title 8, U.S.C., Sections 1324(a)(1)(A)(i), (v)(II), and (a)(1)(B)(iv)

Maximum penalty: Death or Life in Prison and $250,000 fine

Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii)

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison with a three-year mandatory minimum and $250,000 fine

Case Number 25mj2386-JLB

Melissa Jennelle Cota   Age: 33   Mexico

Gustavo Lara                                     Age: 32                                   Mexico

Sergio Rojas-Fregoso                                    Age: 31                                   Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Transportation of Illegal Aliens – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii)

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $500,000 fine

Deported Alien Found in the United States – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1326

Maximum penalty: Two years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations – Marine Task Force

Homeland Security Investigations

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

United States Coast Guard

San Diego Lifeguard Service

San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: District Man Pleas Guilty to Fatal October Southeast Shooting

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Andre Clark, 34, of the District, pleaded guilty yesterday to second-degree murder while armed for the October 2024 shooting of Leonard Taylor, Jr., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Clark’s guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, calls for a range of 15-to-20 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release. Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2025.

According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the morning of Oct. 20, 2024, the defendant walked out of a building on the 1500 block of 19th St., SE and towards the victim, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of a gray sedan parked on that street. Clark walked up to the driver’s side of the car, leaned down towards the driver’s side window, and used his right hand to point a firearm at the victim. As the victim started to drive away, the defendant fired his gun at him, striking the victim in the back and killing him.

The defendant was located and arrested in Baltimore, Maryland, Dec. 19, 2024, and has been in custody since his arrest.

This case was investigated by officers, detectives, and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bromwich.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Three CBP Officers Indicted for Allowing Undocumented Individuals to Enter the U.S. Through Their Inspection Lanes; Two Accused of Taking Bribes

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SAN DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Farlis Almonte, Ricardo Rodriguez and Kairy Stephania Quiñonez are charged in an indictment with allowing vehicles with undocumented individuals to pass through their lanes into the U.S. without inspection while working at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

The indictment alleges that Almonte, Rodriguez, and Quiñonez revealed their lane assignments and hours they were scheduled to work the primary inspection booths at the San Ysidro Port of Entry so that co-conspirators would know when it was safe to transport undocumented individuals across the border with impunity – sometimes using code words to gain admittance.

According to the indictment, the defendants falsely reported in the Transportation Enforcement Communications System – a database known as “TECS” that is used by CBP officers – the number of occupants in co-conspirators’ vehicles to conceal the fact that those vehicles contained undocumented individuals.

Almonte and Rodriguez are also charged with receipt of bribes by a public official. The indictment alleges that in exchange for money, they failed to enforce the immigration laws of the United States by allowing vehicles with undocumented immigrants to enter the United States.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco Nagel and Bianca Calderon-Peñaloza.

DEFENDANTS                                 Case Number 25-CR-1502

Farlis Almonte                                    Age: 38                       San Diego, California

Ricardo Rodriguez   Age: 34 Tijuana, Mexico

Kairy Stephania Quiñonez   Age: 31 Imperial Beach, California

SUMMARY OF CHARGE

Conspiracy to Bring in Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371 and Title 8, U.S.C. Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii)

Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison

Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain, Aiding and Abetting – Title 8, U.S.C. Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) and Title 18, U.S.C. Section 2

Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years in prison with a five-year mandatory minimum

Receipt of Bribes by Public Official – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 201(b)(2)(C)

Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years in prison

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General

Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations

United States Border Patrol

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Would-Be Sex Trafficker Guilty of Attempting to Entice and Coerce a Child and an Adult into Prostitution

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

SAN DIEGO – Steven Terrell Lewis of El Cajon was convicted by a federal jury of attempted coercion and enticement of a 14-year-old high school student and attempted sex trafficking by force or coercion of a 22-year-old woman.

According to evidence presented at trial, on April 22, 2024, as the 14-year-old victim was walking to a friend’s house after school around 3 p.m. in El Cajon, Lewis used his vehicle to pin her on the sidewalk, exited his vehicle and snatched her cellphone from her hand to get her cellphone number. Lewis then proceeded to send sexually explicit text messages (from a phone number ending in 8155) to the victim before she was able to block his phone number. The next day, on April 23, 2024, Lewis continued texting the victim, except this time from a different phone number through TextFree, a mobile application and web service (from a phone number ending in 0014).

When Lewis identified himself as “Pimpin,” sent a sexually explicit photograph and invited the victim to “go get some money” with him, the minor victim immediately notified a coach at her high school. The El Cajon Police Department and San Diego Sheriff’s Office responded.

After Lewis’s attempt to sex traffic the minor victim failed, one week later, on April 28, 2024, he began recruiting the 22-year-old victim through MegaPersonals and sent a ride-share vehicle to take her to Roosevelt Avenue in National City, known as “the blade,” to work street-based prostitution for his financial benefit. Fortunately, on April 29, 2024, the adult victim was picked up by an undercover National City police office posing as a commercial sex buyer and was offered resources to leave prostitution. However, Lewis continued to message the adult victim (from both phone numbers ending in 8155 and 0014), threatening her to continue to engage in commercial sex for his benefit, to include:

Officers from the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force conducted physical surveillance of Lewis, a search of his vehicles, residence and cell phones, and ultimately arrested him on May 16, 2024. The victims did not know each other. Investigators believe that other potential victims exist because they discovered a photograph of a handwritten note during a search of Lewis’s phone that appears to have been written by a concerned parent to Lewis. The note reads, “If I find out one more time that this car is following my daughter down Graves Ave we will have a problem. I suggest you f—- chill.”

At the time, Lewis was driving two vehicles that were registered to him, including a white, four-door 1996 Oldsmobile bearing California license plate number 3TIF671:

And a brown or beige colored, four-door 1986 Chevrolet bearing California licenses plate number 1REC517:

If you believe you or someone you know has had an encounter with Lewis or you know the author of the note, investigators ask that you contact the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.

“The jury’s guilty verdicts are a powerful reminder that human trafficking has no place in our society. These verdicts are not just justice for the victims – it is a warning to human traffickers everywhere that those who exploit and attempt to exploit others for profit will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of law, no matter how long it takes,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “I commend the bravery of the survivors who came forward. Their truth helped convict a predator – and protect countless others.”

“This guilty verdict sends the powerful message that those who exploit children will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego. “This outcome is the result of relentless cooperation among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Our agency remains steadfast in our mission to bring perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice and to stand beside every victim until justice is served.”

“Every year, there are thousands of reported human trafficking cases across the United States — including right here in California,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Whether it’s for sex or labor, abusing power to force or coerce someone into doing something against their will is wrong. At the California Department of Justice, we’re committed to standing up for survivors, disrupting and dismantling human trafficking rings, and securing justice. I am thankful for our federal, state and local partners because it takes all of us to combat human trafficking. If you or someone you know has been affected by human trafficking, there are resources available to you. You are not alone.”

“As a member of the Human Trafficking Task Force the protection of our youth is our top priority,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. “This case highlights the importance of collaboration and the need to share information in order to bring suspects like this into custody.”

Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on August 1, 2025.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndzie M. Carter and Derek Ko.

DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr1349-JES

Steven Terrell Lewis Age: 39 El Cajon, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Attempted Coercion/Enticement of a Minor – 18 U.S.C., Section 2422(b)

Maximum penalty: Ten-year mandatory minimum up to life

Attempted Sex Trafficking by Force/Coercion, 18 U.S.C., Section 1591(a)

Maximum penalty: Fifteen-year mandatory minimum up to life

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

Homeland Security Investigations

National City Police Department

El Cajon Police Department

San Diego Sheriff’s Office

San Diego District Attorney’s Office

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Police and retailer collaboration brings down organised crime groups
Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

Offenders brought to justice responsible for £8m of thefts
- National intelligence unit sees 148 arrests in first year of operation
- 50% reduction in offending from organised crime groups identified
- Retailers praise dedication of team in affecting criminal justice outcomes
A national policing intelligence unit set up in partnership with retailers to tackle organised retail crime has been operational one year (1 May) and continues to reap results, identifying and bringing to justice crime groups responsible for £8m financial impact of offending.

Funded by the Home Office and the Pegasus Partnership (a collaboration between retailers and policing coordinated by CC Amanda Blakeman and PCC Katy Bourne), the team within Opal (policing’s national intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime) collects and develops intelligence around organised retail crime from retailers and police forces.

Since 1 May 2024, the team has received 153 referrals from retailers and police forces across England and Wales with 313 offenders and 105 linked vehicles identified as a result. Action taken following a referral can range from simply identifying an individual or vehicle right through to a complex investigation of an organised criminal network. 37 operations have been adopted from referrals totalling nearly 5,000 offences nationwide (4,710) with 148 arrests to date and 33 court outcomes resulting in custodial sentences and deportations where the offenders are foreign nationals.

Of the organised crime groups identified and monitored through Opal’s work, there has been a 50 per cent reduction in offending since 1 May 2024, demonstrating a clear impact in disrupting these high harm offenders and networks.1

The Pegasus Partnership was set up in October 2023 to bring policing and retailers together in tackling shop theft through improved information sharing, best practice and upskilling. A number of high profile convictions include; three offenders responsible for over 100 crimes nationwide brought to justice by Surrey Police and Opal, an individual who stole more than £50,000 worth of goods from Boots stores across the country investigated by South Wales Police and an offender who worked across 16 police force areas to steal high value electricals and perfumes who was convicted by Devon and Cornwall Police.

Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman is National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for volume crime. She said:

“Partnership and collaboration is vital in our fight against retail crime, policing cannot do this alone and through Pegasus we have built strong relationships and information sharing which enables us to target resources where they are most needed.

“Without the national intelligence coordination from Opal’s highly skilled team, many of these offenders brought to justice over the last year may never have been identified or at the very least, the huge scale of their offending may not have been identified. And in a lot of cases, the scale and level of offending is what has led to the most significant court outcomes.

“I’d like to thank the retailers and Government for their commitment to making the partnership the success it so clearly is and we look forward to seeing our collective impact continue.”

Jason Towse, Managing Director, Business Services at Mitie said:

“We’re proud to have supported the formation of Pegasus and despite only being a year the results are overwhelming. Through technology and collaboration, Pegasus is joining the dots between retailers and the police to secure appropriate outcomes for offenders and in turn drive safer communities across the UK.

“The financial impact of retail crime is only one piece of the puzzle and what the figures don’t show is the psychological impact of the current situation on shopworkers, many of whom feel unsafe in their workplace due to threat of attacks. The tide must turn, and this can only happen through effective data sharing agreements between retailers, security and police that leave violent criminals with no place to hide.”

Katy Bourne is Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner and APCC joint lead for Business and Retail Crime. She said:

“It was very clear that retailers were suffering from shop theft on an industrial scale and needed results, including a better method to share information and intelligence with police forces nationally. This is why, one year ago, I convened our Pegasus Partnership – a unique collaboration of the country’s top retailers joining together to fund a specialist policing team and analysts. The results published today, on our first anniversary of operation, speak for themselves and show the power of collaboration, trust and hard work, leading to nearly 150 criminals arrested and put before the courts.

“I want to acknowledge the support of Chief Constable Blakeman and the OPAL team in galvanising a national police response to shop theft. The Opal team have exceeded the expectations of our Pegasus Partnership and the retailers have seen their investment return valuable results against organised retail crime groups and persistent offenders.

“As we look ahead, it is evident we have built a well-positioned and strong foundation for tackling organised retail crime gangs and I look forward to seeing these results increase. I am delighted that the Government can see the value too with an additional £5million given to extend OPAL’s capacity. This really is a huge step forwards in the fightback against shop theft that will benefit all retailers up and down our country.”

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said:

“Through concerted police, retailer and government action, we can fight back against the currently unacceptable levels of shop theft blighting our communities.

“This is why we are providing £5 million pounds over the next three years to continue to support this work, significantly increasing funding and making government the largest financial backer of this initiative.

“But we can and must go further, which is why I will be discussing with police and retailers at our forthcoming Retail Crime Forum what more we can do to tackle this issue as a whole, targeting not just organised crime gangs and prolific offenders but all perpetrators of shop theft who bring misery to our high streets.

“And it is why through our Plan for Change we are putting 13,000 neighbourhood officers and PCSOs on the beat in every corner of the country – soon to be equipped with new powers to tackle assaults on shop workers and thefts under £200.”

Kari Rodgers is UK Retail Director at Primark. She said:

“Pegasus has been a significant step forward in fostering change and improving safety on our high streets and we welcome the collaboration and intelligence sharing it has facilitated. Our collective job in tackling retail crime is far from over and we remain fully committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with fellow retailers, local police forces and the government to continue driving forward the progress made so far.”

Ben McDonald is Senior Senior Corporate Protection Manager at Morrisons. He said:

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Pegasus to keep our communities safe. The partnership provides Morrisons with the opportunity to work closely with the police in order to prioritise organised retail offenders and bring them to justice. We hope this sends out the necessary deterrent to prevent further crime groups from offending.”

The organised retail crime team within Opal take referrals from retailers of any size, whether or not they are part of the Pegasus Partnership, and will work in a number of different ways to develop intelligence. This could be as simple as identifying an offender, linked offenders and/or vehicles through the Police National Database, looking at patterns of offending and MO’s which are repeated and working with retailers to share information packs about prolific offenders. The team will then support local police forces through an investigation, sharing intelligence, but also working with the Crown Prosecution Service and additional agencies as required.

Results from the Opal Organised Retail Crime team since 1 May 2024 include:
- 153 referrals impacting retail businesses, a third of which came from supermarkets.
- 313 offenders identified
- Offenders identified responsible for £8m loss to retailers
- 105 vehicles identified
- 37 operations (criminal investigations) adopted
- 1,407 positive outcomes
- 33 sentences handed out
- Total custodial sentences for all offenders of over 39 years
- 128 upskilling sessions run with retailers and retail organisations
MIL Security OSI –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Policing Took Action – Now Others Must Step Up
Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

We welcome today’s His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) final report on last summer’s disorder, which rightly recognises the bravery and professionalism of officers who acted decisively to protect communities and restore order. This was a successful operation, despite the complexity of events.
Since the summer, 1,840 arrests have been made, with 1,103 individuals charged, reinforcing policing’s commitment to justice.

The report fails to accurately assess policing’s role in countering harmful online content. It overlooks the reality that law enforcement cannot and should not regulate social media, placing unrealistic expectations on policing while ignoring the critical responsibility of platform providers and regulators. Without robust detection, moderation, and removal of false narratives, misinformation will continue to fuel unrest unchecked.

Policing cannot function effectively when digital platforms allow harmful content to spread without consequence. The lack of accountability in the report undermines the broader need for a multi-agency response to misinformation and disorder.

Public education also has a critical role to play. Equipping communities with the tools to assess online content critically must be a shared effort across government, tech companies, and civil society. Tackling misinformation requires a coordinated, multi-sector approach.

We note the Inspectorate’s concerns about national debriefing. However, policing has already conducted multiple operational debriefs, covering both intelligence and crime, with extensive feedback gathered across forces. These insights, alongside HMICFRS recommendations, are being taken forward under NPCC leadership.

Policing is advancing innovative technology solutions to enhance monitoring of misinformation and disinformation, building on social listening platforms used during the disorder. Strengthening collaboration with the Cabinet Office, we are now more closely integrated across government and policing to improve coordination.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee has expanded the capacity for force neighbourhood teams to engage more effectively with their communities. Additionally, we have been developing advanced technology to better assess real-time public sentiment through enhanced community tensions monitoring.

Policing will continue working with partners to implement these recommendations decisively, ensuring a proactive and resilient approach to disorder prevention while maintaining our commitment to public safety.

Chief Constable BJ Harrington is the NPCC Lead for Operations and the former Gold Commander of Operation Navette. He said:

“We appreciate the Inspectorate’s dedication in engaging with representatives from across policing and for recognising the professionalism and bravery demonstrated by our officers and staff during an extremely challenging period. The commitment of frontline officers to maintaining public safety, often in the face of significant personal risk, deserves acknowledgment, and we are pleased to see this reflected in the report.

“The assertion that no debrief took place does not reflect the extensive review work that has been undertaken since the events last summer. In response to the disorder, policing conducted national debriefs covering both intelligence and crime, ensuring key insights were gathered and shared across forces. These debriefs, convened by the College of Policing and individual forces, allowed policing to review its approach, strengthen intelligence-sharing, and refine operational strategies.

“We welcome the Inspectorate’s recommendations and we’ll continue working with partners to refine and improve our response to fast-moving and unpredictable disorder. However, it is important to recognise the broader role of communications in operational success and ensure a more comprehensive approach to tackling misinformation.”

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens is Chair of the NPCC. He added:

“Following the events of last summer, it was right that policing was questioned and scrutinised, and we recognise the Inspectorate’s role in that process.

“However, a more balanced assessment is needed, particularly regarding policing’s role in tackling misinformation and disinformation. While there are lessons to learn, it is crucial to acknowledge that law enforcement does not – and should not – regulate online content. Responsibility for ensuring information is accurate and does not fuel harm lies with those posting it, platform providers and regulatory bodies.

“The report states that policing has “no proper answer” for tackling misinformation and disinformation, but the issue extends far beyond law enforcement. No public sector organisation or body responsible for public safety is fully equipped to address the scale and complexity of the problem. Policing alone cannot be expected to lead or resolve this volatile challenge; it requires a coordinated, cross government approach. This reality must be acknowledged.

“The report did not fully recognise the successes of the media strategy, particularly in delivering behaviour change and deterrence messaging, which are essential in countering rapidly spreading false narratives that can incite disorder. I pay tribute to colleagues in local policing and communications, who worked tirelessly with media colleagues to ensure accurate information, and the consequences of involvement in violent disorder, were widely known and understood.

“A proactive communication model is needed, one that enables policing to engage directly with communities, providing accurate and timely information without overreliance on traditional media. However, achieving this requires resources that policing simply does not currently have, as financial pressures continue to mount.

“Strengthening intelligence alone is not enough to mitigate the risks posed by misinformation. A comprehensive approach is required – one that incorporates education during peacetime, stronger regulatory oversight, and independent messaging strategies extending beyond policing.

“We remain committed to learning from these events, refining our approach, and ensuring policing is prepared, resilient, and proactive in facing future challenges.”

Notes to editors

The national policing response launched by NPCC – Operation Navette – was created to provide effective national coordination for the planning and response to demonstrations and disorder, as well as engagement and communication with forces, government and key national stakeholders. This included:
- A national Gold group established and led by the NPCC Public Order and Public Safety Lead.
- An intelligence coordination group led by the NPCC Intelligence Lead.
- The activation of the national mobilisation plan and the development of national strategic public order research, with NPoCC assuming a central coordination function for all public order assets across the country.
MIL Security OSI –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Ernst, Colleagues Celebrate National Small Business Week

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and 80 Senate colleagues in a bipartisan resolution declaring the week of May 5th as “National Small Business Week.” The measure recognizes the entrepreneurs and innovators that promote growth and create jobs across America.
“We know that small businesses drive America’s innovations and economic strength. Here in Iowa, they make up 99.3 percent of all businesses, and nearly half of Iowa employees work for a small business. In marking this special week, our resolution recognizes the power of small businesses and honors the men and women who work hard to keep our communities vibrant,” Grassley said.
“Main Street is roaring back under President Trump’s pro-growth policies that are ushering in a Golden Age,” Ernst said. “This week, we celebrate the small businesses that mean so much more than the livelihoods they support and the jobs they create. These shops embody the American spirit and shape the culture of big cities and rural communities across America. I’m proud to recognize these entrepreneurs’ tremendous contributions and will continue to fight to ensure that they have a champion in Washington.”
Full text of the resolution can be found HERE.
Additional cosponsors include Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Angus King (I-Maine), John Kennedy (R-La.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), James Justice (R-W.Va.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Thomas Tillis (R-N.C.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Margaret Hassan (D-N.H.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Colleagues Introduce MOMS Act to Support Mothers, Strengthen Families

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) to introduce the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act. The legislation would provide critical support to women during typically challenging phases of motherhood – including prenatal, postpartum and early childhood development – and bolster access to resources and assistance to help mothers and their children thrive.
“Parenthood is a blessing, and it’s critical that women have the support they need during this crucial time. Our legislation would expand access for moms looking for resources and services in their area. I’m proud to be pro-life, pro-mother and pro-family,” Grassley said.
Additional cosponsors include Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.).
Background:
In 2023, the number of U.S. births hit the lowest rate since 1979, and the total fertility rate in America hit an all-time low. Last year, fertility and birth rates remained near record-lows, reflecting a continued trend in the United States.
The MOMS Act would establish a website with resources for expecting and postpartum moms, as well as those with young children. The bill would also increase access to adoption agencies, pregnancy resource centers and other relevant resources available near the mother’s location. These include health and well-being services, material and legal support and financial assistance.
The bill would improve access to pre- and postnatal resources by establishing a grant program for nonprofit entities to support, encourage and assist women in carrying their pregnancies to term and in caring for their babies after birth.
It would also support moms in rural and medically underserved areas by helping organizations purchase necessary medical equipment and technology to support prenatal and postnatal telehealth appointments.
This legislation is endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Americans United for Life, March for Life Action, the National Right to Life Committee, Students for Life Action, Concerned Women of America, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and the Human Coalition.
The full text of the bill can be found HERE.
A section-by-section of the bill can be found HERE.
-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Security News: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 1300 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the First week in May as part of Operation Take Back America

Source: United States Department of Justice 2

Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from 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).

Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 1300 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.

The Southern District of Texas filed 256 cases in matters aimed at securing the southern border. As part of the cases, 83 face allegations of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, firearms, sexual or violent offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 160 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while 13 cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration-related crimes.

The Western District of Texas filed 352 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases. Among the new cases, David Ysturiz-Villalobos and Yilber Gabriel Caldera-Espinoza were arrested by the San Antonio Police Department during an April 22 traffic stop. Both were identified as Venezuelan nationals unlawfully present in the United States. Ysturiz-Villalobos was in possession of a .40 caliber pistol with a loaded magazine and one chambered round. Caldera-Espinoza admitted the pistol was his. Ysturiz-Villalobos and Caldera-Espinoza are each charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and, if convicted, face up to 10 years in federal prison.

The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 287 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 107 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 156 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 21 cases against 24 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.

The Southern District of California filed 124 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. A sample of border-related arrests this week: On April 27, Emma Alejandra Medina, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Medina was captain of a boat that was transporting eight undocumented immigrants on San Diego Bay. On April 26, Jorge Alexandro Tellez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with attempting to cross the border in a vehicle with 286 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in all four doors, the seats, the spare tire, the tailgate, and in multiple tool bags located inside the vehicle.

The Central District of California this week criminally charged 45 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States following removal, bringing the total number of defendants charged with this crime since Jan. 20 of this year to 347, a year-over-year increase of 3,755%, the Justice Department announced today. The defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include attempted burglary and forgery. Since the change in administration this year, federal prosecutors in the seven-county Central District, which includes Los Angeles, have aggressively pursued criminal illegal aliens. In comparison, federal prosecutors in 2024 charged a total of nine defendants with Title 8 United States Code § 1326 – illegal re-entry following removal. In 2023, the office charged eight such defendants.

The District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. The United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 79 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 11 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), 12 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), and 130 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) and 50 U.S.C. 797, violation of a military security regulation, arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced to 12 Years’ Imprisonment in Connection with $17M Medicare Fraud Schemes

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A California man was sentenced yesterday to 12 years in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in a years-long scheme to defraud Medicare of more than $17 million through sham hospice companies and his home health care company.

According to court documents, Petros Fichidzhyan, 44, of Granada Hills, schemed with others to bill Medicare for hospice services that were not medically necessary and never provided. Fichidzhyan and his co-schemers controlled hospice entities and used foreign nationals’ personal identifying information (PII) to conceal the scheme, using the PII to, among other things, open bank accounts, submit information to Medicare, and sign property leases. The defendant and his co-schemers also misappropriated the names and PII of several doctors, two of whom were deceased, to fraudulently bill Medicare for purported hospice services. Medicare paid the sham hospices nearly $16 million, of which Fichidzhyan received nearly $7 million, with more than $5.3 million laundered through a dozen shell and third-party bank accounts. Fichidzhyan also obtained more than $1 million in false claims paid to his home health care agency, which fraudulently used a doctor’s name and identifying information as having certified Medicare beneficiaries for home health care. When the doctor confronted Fichidzhyan about the fraud, Fichidzhyan attempted to cover up the scheme by paying the doctor $11,000.

Fichidzhyan pleaded guilty to health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering in February 2025. At sentencing, he was also ordered to pay $17,129,060 in restitution, and the court preliminarily ordered the forfeiture of a home bought with fraudulent proceeds. The government has seized $2,920,383 from bank accounts associated with the fraud. The sentence imposed today is the most recent step in the Justice Department’s ongoing effort to combat hospice fraud in the greater Los Angeles area.

“For years, the defendant, working with others, ran multiple sham hospice and home health care schemes, fraudulently billing Medicare over $17 million,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant’s egregious scheme relied on layers of deception and sophisticated money laundering, and wasted millions in taxpayer money. With the help of our law enforcement partners, the Department of Justice is fully committed to stopping these criminal networks and protecting the public fisc.”

“Health care fraud is not a victimless crime. Defrauding the Medicare program not only wastes valuable taxpayer dollars, it causes significant harm to enrollees,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Regional Office. “HHS-OIG, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who defraud federal health care programs.”

“Mr. Fichidzhyan lined his pockets at the expense of the American taxpayer,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The level of fraud and exploitation committed by the defendant is astounding and I’m proud of our investigators and prosecutors who were able to detect his schemes and hold him accountable.”

The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Eric C. Schmale and Sarah E. Edwards 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.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 1300 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the First week in May as part of Operation Take Back America

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from 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).

Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 1300 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.

The Southern District of Texas filed 256 cases in matters aimed at securing the southern border. As part of the cases, 83 face allegations of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, firearms, sexual or violent offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 160 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while 13 cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration-related crimes.

The Western District of Texas filed 352 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases. Among the new cases, David Ysturiz-Villalobos and Yilber Gabriel Caldera-Espinoza were arrested by the San Antonio Police Department during an April 22 traffic stop. Both were identified as Venezuelan nationals unlawfully present in the United States. Ysturiz-Villalobos was in possession of a .40 caliber pistol with a loaded magazine and one chambered round. Caldera-Espinoza admitted the pistol was his. Ysturiz-Villalobos and Caldera-Espinoza are each charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and, if convicted, face up to 10 years in federal prison.

The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 287 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 107 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 156 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 21 cases against 24 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.

The Southern District of California filed 124 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. A sample of border-related arrests this week: On April 27, Emma Alejandra Medina, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Medina was captain of a boat that was transporting eight undocumented immigrants on San Diego Bay. On April 26, Jorge Alexandro Tellez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with attempting to cross the border in a vehicle with 286 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in all four doors, the seats, the spare tire, the tailgate, and in multiple tool bags located inside the vehicle.

The Central District of California this week criminally charged 45 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States following removal, bringing the total number of defendants charged with this crime since Jan. 20 of this year to 347, a year-over-year increase of 3,755%, the Justice Department announced today. The defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include attempted burglary and forgery. Since the change in administration this year, federal prosecutors in the seven-county Central District, which includes Los Angeles, have aggressively pursued criminal illegal aliens. In comparison, federal prosecutors in 2024 charged a total of nine defendants with Title 8 United States Code § 1326 – illegal re-entry following removal. In 2023, the office charged eight such defendants.

The District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. The United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 79 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 11 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), 12 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), and 130 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) and 50 U.S.C. 797, violation of a military security regulation, arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cowardly criminals forced to face victims under flagship Bill
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Cowardly criminals forced to face victims under flagship Bill

Victims will be better protected than ever thanks to new measures across the justice system following the introduction of the Victims and Courts Bill (7 May).
New powers for judges to punish offenders who refuse to attend sentencing

Parental responsibility to be restricted for perpetrators of child sex offences

New powers for Victims’ Commissioner to hold government to account

For the first time ever, judges will be able to hand down prison punishments for cowardly criminals who refuse to attend their sentencing hearing.

The powers of the Victims’ Commissioner will also be strengthened, empowering them to play a greater role in individual cases and requiring them to produce an independent report on compliance with the Victims’ Code.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood said:

This Bill will deliver long overdue reforms to ensure victims see justice done and are given the vital support they need as they rebuild their lives.

There is still more work to do as we fix a justice system that was left on the brink of collapse, but this Bill is a step towards rebuilding victims’ confidence through our Plan for Change.

Measures in the Bill to force offenders to attend their sentencing will go further than ever before. In recognition that those facing long sentences or Whole Life Orders may not be deterred solely by additional time behind bars, this government is going further and giving judges the power to impose a range of prison sanctions on top of additional years on their sentence to ensure heinous criminals who refuse to attend can be appropriately punished.

The Bill also extends the eligibility to all cases in the Crown Court, meaning that all offenders who attempt to evade justice could be subject to tough sanctions – such as confinement to their cell and loss of privileges, like extra time in the gym – as well as up to two more years behind bars.

Offenders who have been ordered to attend by a judge but whose disruptive and disrespectful behaviour results in their removal from the courtroom will also be punishable by the same means.

Minister Davies-Jones said:

I would like to thank the remarkable families of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Jan Mustafa, Sabina Nessa and Zara Aleena and countless others who have campaigned tirelessly for offenders to have to face the reality of their crimes by attending their sentencing.

Justice isn’t optional – we’ll make sure criminals face their victims.

The Bill will also provide greater protection to victims by automatically restricting parental responsibility for vile offenders sentenced for a serious sexual abuse offence against their own child.

Predatory parents will be prevented from actively taking steps in the child’s life, including requesting updates about the child’s schooling or seeking to interfere with their activities, better enabling the family to move forwards with their lives.

London’s Independent Victims’ Commissioner, Claire Waxman OBE, said:

For too long, offenders found guilty of some of the most heinous crimes have refused to attend sentencing hearings and face justice, their victims, and their victims’ families.

I have worked closely with Jebina Islam, Farah Naz, and Ayse Hussein in spearheading this campaign and I want to pay tribute to their tireless campaigning, and also thank the family of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who have fought so hard for this. Over the last few years, I have met with Ministers, the Judiciary, and justice partners to help shape these proposals to ensure they meet the needs of victims. I am pleased this Government has listened and acted on our concerns and have included other measures, such as prison sanctions, which I hope will put an end to this cruel injustice.

This Bill will also bring in other important reforms I have long called for, such as measures to remove parental responsibility from convicted child sex offenders, to ensure these victims are better protected, and new powers to strengthen the vital work of the Victims’ Commissioner. These are all welcome changes and I’ll continue to do everything I can to ensure victims’ and survivors’ voices and experiences are at the heart of criminal justice reform.

To ensure the government and other agencies are held to account in delivering for victims, the Bill also bolsters the role of the Victims’ Commissioner. Under the new legislation, the Commissioner will be able to play a greater role in individual cases which raise systemic issues ensuring lessons are learned to benefit other victims or witnesses.

The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said:

These important and welcome reforms give the Victims’ Commissioner the statutory powers needed to deliver on the role’s promise: championing victims’ rights, scrutinising compliance with the Victims’ Code, holding agencies to account, and spotlighting the true victim experience to drive meaningful change. This marks a step towards a more accountable system that puts victims first.

Crucially, it introduces much-needed oversight and accountability to how agencies respond to anti-social behaviour – an area where victims have too often felt unheard and unsupported.

Taken together, the Bill delivers on multiple manifesto commitments and the Government’s Plan for Change – giving victims greater confidence in the justice system.

Further information

The Commissioner will also be required to produce an independent report on compliance with the Victims’ Code, holding agencies to account on their statutory requirement to comply with the Code. Providing independent scrutiny from a victim-focused perspective and calling out agencies who are not fulfilling their duty will ensure victims are aware of their rights, improving their experience of the justice system.

Further measures within the Bill include:

Updating the Victim Contact Scheme and establishing a new Victim Helpline so victims have a clear route to request information about an offender’s release

Placing a duty on local authorities and social housing providers to co-operate with the Victims’ Commissioner in relation to victims ASB

Increased flexibility for the Director of Public Prosecutions in appointing Crown Prosecutors

Lord Chancellor can now prescribe, through Regulations, rates at which private prosecutors may recover their costs from Central Funds

Increased time limit for the Attorney General to refer a sentence to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that it is unduly lenient where a request is made to the Attorney General in the last 14 days of the current 28-day time-limit

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Published 7 May 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Taskforce Raven lays 482 charges in three months

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Taskforce Raven lays 482 charges in three months

Wednesday, 7 May 2025 – 2:45 pm.

Taskforce Raven members arrested 61 offenders, and charged them with 482 individual offences during their first three months of operation.
The taskforce has cleared 142 offence reports through its work focusing on recidivist offenders and youth crime.
Members have recovered $48,000 worth of stolen property including power tools, jewellery and groceries and seized 8 illegal firearms.
Northern District Commander Marco Ghedini said since the taskforce was established on 3 February this year, the district had observed a downward trend in crime.
“Tasmania remains a safe place to live, and we know that a small number of people are responsible for the majority of crime in Tasmania,” he said.
“Taskforce Raven will continue to focus on recidivist offenders, and in just three months, members have delivered strong results, with a significant number of arrests and prosecutions. We have concurrently observed general reduction in crime across the district”.
“While the taskforce is just one of a range of strategies, we have certainly seen positive indications since its inception.”
Taskforce Raven will continue indefinitely, working in conjunction with Northern CIB, Launceston Uniform and the Northern Drugs and Firearms Unit.
“Through a combination of high visibility foot patrols and proactive investigations, members of the community can expect to continue to see taskforce members out on the streets,” Commander Ghedini said.
“We know concerns about youth crime, and anti-social and unlawful behaviour, particularly within the CBD remain. I can re-assure the communities of Northern Tasmania that our strong focus will continue and ask for your ongoing support.
“We continue to encourage anyone with information that may assist Taskforce Raven to contact police.”
Anyone with information can contact the taskforce on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

MIL OSI News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: 17-year-old charged over Rosny assault

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

17-year-old charged over Rosny assault

Wednesday, 7 May 2025 – 4:07 pm.

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with common assault and stealing following an incident in Rosny this afternoon.
Police were called to the scene about 12.30pm following reports of a disturbance between two parties.
Initial inquiries indicate a woman in her 40s was assaulted after engaging in an altercation with a group of youths.
Three youths were arrested by police a short time later, the 17-year-old boy has since been charged with common assault and stealing and will appear in after hours court.
The woman received medical attention for non-life threatening injuries.

MIL OSI News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Ramirez Reintroduces Bill to Strengthen Immigrants’ Right to Legal Representation
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Delia Ramirez – Illinois (3rd District)

Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez announced the reintroduction of the Securing Help for Immigrants Through Education and Legal Development (SHIELD) Act to ensure that immigrants have access to high-quality legal representation during immigration court proceedings. Ramirez is co-leading the legislation with Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35).

The SHIELD Act would create a grant program to support the recruitment, training, retention, and development of staff and resources for immigrant legal defenders. The bill comes in response to the ongoing illegal deportations and harmful immigration policies that began under the Trump Administration, and aims to restore fairness and due process to our nation’s immigration system.

“The Trump Administration’s attempts to undermine immigrants’ right to representation, coupled with outdated policies and years of under-funding, have created historic court backlogs, strained legal resources, and stripped immigrants of due process. To combat the criminal actions of the Administration and ensure a fair, fully functioning system, we must invest and support immigration legal professionals,” said Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez. “I’m proud to join Representatives Robert Garcia and Norma Torres and immigration advocates in introducing the SHIELD Act, a commonsense solution to ensure representation, clear backlogs, keep families together, and protect our communities from Trump and Noem’s cruel ‘administrative errors’.”

“The unconstitutional deportations of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and Andry José Hernández Romero by the Trump Administration have reminded us of the immediate need to protect the right to due process in our immigration system,” said Congressman Robert Garcia. “These tragic cases are a harsh reminder of what happens when people are denied basic rights and reinforces the need for proper legal representation. The SHIELD Act is a critical step to ensuring that our legal system protects the due process of those who are most vulnerable, providing them with the legal resources they need and working toward creating a more humane and just immigration system in our country.”

“The Trump administration has shown an utter disregard for justice by forcing countless immigrants to face life-altering legal battles without any support, leaving families vulnerable and children at risk of deportation. This cruel reality is a direct result of policies that deny immigrants the right to legal counsel in immigration court,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres. “That’s why I introduced the Fairness to Freedom Act—to guarantee that every immigrant has access to legal representation and a fair due process. I’m proud to co-lead the SHIELD Act with Congressman Robert Garcia, a critical effort to create a grant program that will recruit, train, and retain immigrant legal defenders. We cannot stand by while our family, friends, neighbors and loved ones are denied their basic rights. This is a fight for fairness and justice—because when immigrants have high-quality legal representation, they have a chance to protect their families and secure a fair day in court.”

The SHIELD Act would allocate $100 million for a federal grant program to enhance the legal services workforce tailored to meet the needs of those facing deportation. The bill prioritizes support for pre-existing state and local programs that need additional funding and are in underserved areas while also offering four-year renewable competitive grants through the Department of Justice’s Office of Access to Justice for state and local governments, nonprofits, and educational institutions.

“Legal service providers and their clients—including children and babies—have borne the brunt of the Trump administration’s cruel attacks on due process. The termination of federal funding for immigration legal services programs like the Unaccompanied Children Program, the National Qualified Representative Program serving people with mental health needs, and the Legal Orientation Program for people in detention have depleted the immigration legal infrastructure. The SHIELD Act would help rebuild and expand that infrastructure, promoting fairness and due process for people facing detention and removal. We urge Congress to support this commonsense solution to safeguard due process and keep families together,” said Shayna Kessler, director of the Advancing Universal Representation initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice.

“The terror and destruction of Trump’s mass detention, deportation, and family separation agenda is being felt acutely at the local level, leaving local communities and families in desperate need of solutions that will help them defend their freedom and due process rights. With the SHIELD Act, states and localities would be able to apply for grant funding to build up a legal representation workforce at a mere fraction of the cost of some lawmakers’ proposed billions to supercharge Trump’s destructive deportation plans. We are grateful to Congressman Garcia for bringing forward this solution that ensures that individuals facing the system have a fighting chance to remain safely rooted with their loved ones at home,” said Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans

The full text of the SHIELD Act can be found here.

BACKGROUND

As the proud daughter of immigrants, the wife of a Dreamer, and representative of IL-03, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez has worked tirelessly to humanely address immigration, bring resources back to the district, and is fighting against the anti-immigrant campaign of the Trump Administration.
- Congresswoman Ramirez is calling for the resignation of Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for a long list of unconstitutional, illegal, and inhumane activities under her leadership, including the violation of immigrant rights to representation.
- Congresswoman Ramirez led 40+ members in a letter to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) demanding an explanation about the troubling reports alleging due process violations, mistreatment, prolonged detention, and politicized denials of entry at air and land ports since President Trump took office.
- Congresswoman Ramirez introduced the bicameral Protecting Sensitive Locations Act to codify protections for immigrant communities at sensitive locations like schools, churches, and hospitals amid the rise of vicious targeting and attacks by ICE.
- Congresswoman Ramirez is co-leading with Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) the American Dream and Promise Act, legislation that provides a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients.
MIL OSI USA News –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Sweden increases support to independent media by SEK 70 million

Source: Government of Sweden

Sweden is the world’s third-largest donor in support of free and independent media. This position is now being strengthened with its new SEK 70 million in support to one of the world’s foremost networks for investigative journalism, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Managing Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CONCORD –A Boston man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord in connection with a large-scale drug trafficking operation that was distributing fentanyl and cocaine in the Manchester-area, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

Flemin Soto Baez, age 50, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely, fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for August 13, 2025. The defendant was originally charged with conspiracy on April 26, 2023, along with 20 other defendants, in the matter United States v. Juan Ramon Soto Baez, et al. He is the 15th defendant in the conspiracy to plead guilty.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant was the leader of a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in New Hampshire, particularly Manchester, between September 2019 and April 2023. The organization was run like a business, operating “dispatch” telephone lines where customers could call in to order drugs. The defendant operated the dispatch line and coordinated purchases. He sent runners to meet customers to conduct hand-to-hand exchanges of drugs for money, usually in the runner’s vehicle. On 14 separate occasions between July 14, 2022 and March 2, 2023, the defendant sent a runner to deliver crack cocaine to drug customers in Manchester.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Four Honduran Nationals Indicted in Florida for Years-Long Off-the-Books Payroll Scheme

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendants Allegedly Ran an Unlicensed Check Cashing Business to Facilitate the Employment of Undocumented Aliens and to Evade Payroll Taxes

Last week, a federal grand jury in Orlando, Florida, returned an indictment charging four Honduran nationals with operating an illegal, off-the-books cash payroll system for construction workers to avoid paying employment taxes to the IRS and to defraud workers’ compensation insurance companies. Through the scheme, the conspirators facilitated the employment of undocumented aliens working illegally in the United States.

The defendants, Iris Villafranca, Mario Flores, Osman Zapata, and Cristofer Oseguera Giron, were charged with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Villafranca was additionally charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and with filing false tax returns.

The following is according to the indictment: from 2015 to 2022, the defendants used a series of shell companies to run an unlicensed check cashing and cash courier service business that cashed approximately $89 million in checks from subcontractors in the construction industry. The subcontractors allegedly paid their workers using the cash. As a fee for their services, the defendants allegedly charged a percentage of the dollar amount of the checks they cashed. This scheme allegedly allowed construction contractors and subcontractors to pay their workers in cash without regard to required payroll taxes or whether the workers were legally authorized to work in the United States. Indeed, according to the indictment, the defendants caused the filing of false tax documents with the IRS to conceal the off-the-books payroll scheme and made only minimal employment tax deposits. As another aspect of the scheme, the defendants allegedly defrauded workers’ compensation insurance companies by leasing their certificates of insurance to contractors, and by providing false and fraudulent information to the insurers about, among other things, the number of workers covered by the insurance and the amount workers were paid.

The indictment also alleges that Villafranca filed false individual income tax returns for 2019 through 2022 that did not report all the income she earned from the scheme and also did not report rental income she earned from her real estate.

If convicted, Villafranca faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit tax fraud. She additionally faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing false tax returns.

If convicted, Flores, Zapata, and Giron face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit tax fraud.

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

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Homeland Security Investigations assisted during the investigation.

Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Kavitha Bondada and Rebecca A. Caruso of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Daniels for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

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

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Tampa Man Sentenced To Over 17 Years In Prison For Possessing A Firearm And Committing Armed Robbery While On Federal Supervised Release

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Jutaurio Preshae Clemons (39, Tampa) to 17 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for violating supervised release. The court also ordered Clemons to forfeit a Glock model 30, 45 Auto semi-automatic pistol and assorted ammunition. Clemons pleaded guilty to the felon in possession charge on October 15, 2024, and, following a hearing on April 29, 2025, the court found Clemons in violation of his supervised release.

According to court documents and evidence presented at the violation hearing, Clemons was sentenced to federal prison in 2009 for conspiracy to possess five kilograms or more of cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. After he served his prison sentence, and while he was on federal supervised release, the State of Florida issued an arrest warrant for Clemons for an attempted murder and robbery alleged to have occurred on August 14, 2022. When a United States Marshals Service fugitive task force found Clemons to arrest him on August 29, 2022, he was carrying a firearm inside a holster. The firearm, a Glock semi-automatic pistol, was loaded with four rounds of ammunition.

Evidence presented during the violation of supervised release hearing proved that on August 14, 2022, Clemons, while brandishing a firearm, sneaked up on a man as he was about to enter the front door of his residence and shot him eight times. Clemons then dragged the victim from the front of his residence, took his cellphone, and fled the scene. The victim, who had gunshot wounds to his left hand, left arm, right clavicle, right ear, chest, and upper torso, survived but required several surgeries to repair the gunshot wounds and a broken arm. The shooting was captured on home security cameras, and the victim identified Clemons as the shooter.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Temple Terrace Police Department, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Michael Sinacore.

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

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Court Orders Florida Tax Return Preparer to Shut Down Tax Preparation Business

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

Note: View permanent injunction here.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued a permanent injunction today against Cooper City, Florida, tax return preparer Sunil Ramchandani and his business, SR Chandra Inc. doing business as AHS Income Tax Services. The court ordered the closure of AHS Income Tax Services and barred Ramchandani from preparing or assisting in preparing federal income tax returns for others or transferring his customer lists. Ramchandani agreed to the injunction against him and his business. AHS Income Tax Services had already agreed to entry of a preliminary injunction before the start of filing season.

The complaint alleged that Ramchandani prepared customers’ returns that fraudulently claimed false or inflated residential energy credits, false fuel tax credits, fictious business losses, and other false or inflated deductions and credits, including false education credits and fictitious child and dependent credits.

According to the complaint, the IRS estimated a tax loss of more than $10 million in 2022 and 2023 alone from returns prepared by Ramchandani and AHS Income Tax Services.

The Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS warns taxpayers to avoid “ghost preparers” and lists other improper acts that tax preparers engage in to take advantage of their unsuspecting customers.

In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Rex, Georgia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm Offenses

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

Montgomery, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Rex, Georgia man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. On May 6, 2025, a federal judge sentenced 40-year-old Johnques Wyndell Lupoe to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, in late 2022, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) received information about a suspicious individual near the grounds of one of their facilities in Barbour County during the early morning hours. When officers arrived to investigate, they discovered a duffle bag containing multiple items classified as prison contraband, including a substance later confirmed to be methamphetamine. No individuals were located in the immediate vicinity at the time.

Later that morning, law enforcement officers encountered a man matching the suspect’s description at a nearby location. The individual, identified as Johnques Lupoe, admitted to being on the prison property earlier. Officers also discovered a handgun in his possession. Due to a prior felony conviction, Lupoe is legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

On January 30, 2025, Lupoe pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Alabama Department of Corrections (ALDOC) Law Enforcement Services Division, and the Barbour County, Alabama Sheriff’s Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Dixmont Woman Sentenced for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking Ring
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

BANGOR, Maine: A Dixmont woman was sentenced on Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for her role in a northern Maine drug trafficking ring.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Sarah McBreairty, 36, to 60 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. On March 24, 2023, McBreairty pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiring to make false statements to a federal firearms licensee.

According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, McBreairty and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. McBreairty regularly arranged to obtain quantities of the two drugs from an out-of-state supplier through phone calls and texts using coded language and then distributed those drugs through a network of dealers she supplied in Penobscot and Aroostook Counties. McBreairty used the proceeds of her distribution to purchase more drugs from her supplier. In addition, during the conspiracy, McBreairty and a co-defendant made false statements to an area federal firearms licensee in an attempt to obtain several firearms.

Twenty-two defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in a widespread northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 19 of the defendants have been sentenced while three await sentencing:

Sentenced:
- Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
- Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
- Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
- Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou) – 48 months
- Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
- Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
- Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served (approx. 5 months)
- Carol Gordon (53, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 31 months) plus 6 months of community confinement
- Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months
- Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington) – Time served (approx. 36 months)
- James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months
- Shelby Loring (29, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 32 months)
- Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years
- John Miller (24, Caribou) – 54 months
- Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 33 months)
- Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
- Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle) – Time served (approx. 2 months) plus 24 months home detention
- Tamara Davis (29, Fall River, MA) – Time Served (approx. 14 months)
- Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont) – 60 months
Awaiting sentencing:
- Daquan Corbett (30, Brockton, Mass.) – sentencing to be scheduled
- Daviston Jackson (28, Boston, Mass.) – sentencing to be scheduled
- James Valiante (42, Linneus) – sentencing scheduled for May 27, 2025
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.

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

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MIL Security OSI –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

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

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jeremiah Clinton Gray, 42, of Blue Ridge, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 22, 2024, law enforcement responded to reports of a man inside a Jackson County, Ohio, business with a firearm, body armor and a badge. The individual, later identified as Gray, left the business in a vehicle without a license plate and fled from an attempted traffic stop by law enforcement. The resulting pursuit led law enforcement into West Virginia, where the vehicle was stopped in Charleston with the assistance of spike strips. Gray was arrested and officers found a loaded Taurus model 1911 Officer 9mm pistol on his person and a loaded Mossberg model 590 Shockwave .410-gauge shotgun in the vehicle.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Gray knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of cocaine in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on October 20, 2023.

Gray is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-35.

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MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Portland Sex Offender Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing a Minor Online and Receiving Child Pornography

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison Monday for using multiple social media applications to entice a young child to send him sexually explicit images of herself.

Shawn Alan Smith, 44, was sentenced to 288 months in federal prison and a life term of supervised release. Smith was also ordered to pay restitution to his victim.

According to court documents, between July 11 and September 15, 2020, Smith used multiple fake online social media personas, including several on KIK messenger and TikTok, to communicate with a nine-year-old child. While posing as a minor himself, Smith instructed the child victim to take sexually explicit photos of herself and send them to him, which she did. Smith also engaged in a video chat with the child while pretending to be the father of one of his fake online personas. At the time of the offense, Smith was a registered sex offender following prior state criminal convictions for child pornography offenses in Oregon and Maryland.

On March 9, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Smith’s Portland apartment. While the agents were attempting to gain entry to the apartment through a door he had barricaded, Smith threw his phone and computer out his bathroom window. Smith was arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with production and attempted production of child pornography.

On January 21, 2025, Smith pleaded guilty to a two-count superseding information charging him with online enticement of a minor and receipt of child pornography.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police statement on incident outside east Auckland bar

Source: New Zealand Police

Statement attributable to Inspector Adam Pyne, Counties Manukau Police:

Police are incredibly disappointed at behaviour exhibited by some gang members on a memorial ride in parts of Counties Manukau today.

A Police operation had been monitoring the movements and behaviour of these gang members through the latter part of the morning and into the afternoon.

While most were well behaved, Police did observe some poor driving behaviour on parts of the route and intervened on several occasions, as the group travelled to West Auckland and returned towards Flat Bush.

Two arrests were made for driving offences and two motorbikes were seized.

The group of at least 100 were then monitored travelling to a function at a bar at Botany Junction.

At one point during the afternoon one of these attending the function performed a burnout outside the bar.

Police took affirmative action in putting a stop to this activity.

Some of those present exited the bar and became aggressive towards Police staff present, with objects thrown towards our staff.

Three arrests were made at the scene, one of which was for wearing gang insignia in a public place.

Another three motorbikes were seized at this location.

Police again took action and advised those present to leave the area, and the bar was shut down.

Police are now investigating the actions of those present at the bar in Botany Junction, along with some of the other driving behaviour earlier in the day.

We will not hesitate to take action against those who think that this behaviour is acceptable.

It is very clear that this behaviour will not be tolerated. We have made five arrests today and we expect to make further arrests as our investigation continues.

Anyone who has further information to help assist those enquiries are asked to contact Police on 105 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

May 7, 2025