Category: Law

MIL-OSI Security: Walgreens Agrees To Pay Up to $350M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and Submitting False Claims

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.

The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice.

The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

In light of the settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

“Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”

“This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”

“Importantly, Walgreens’s agreements with the DEA and HHS-OIG provide swift relief in the form of monitoring and claims review that will improve Walgreens’s practices immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”

“This landmark civil settlement is the largest Controlled Substances Act resolution in our district’s history and once again confirms the high priority our office has placed upon confronting those responsible for the opioid crisis here,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the energy and collaborative spirit brought to this effort by our colleagues in the DEA, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.”

“With the power to dispense potentially harmful substances comes the responsibility to ensure that every prescription is legitimate before it is filled,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “When pharmacies fail that responsibility, this office will work with others across the country to hold accountable those who put patients and communities at risk.”

“This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”

“Strict compliance with the law is essential to safeguarding the public, who rely on carefully considered and limited prescriptions for their health and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those companies and individuals authorized to provide controlled substances have a professional responsibility to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are within the course of professional practice and regulations. Medically unnecessary prescriptions are a cost ultimately borne by the taxpayers and consumers. As we continue to address the opioid crisis here in Virginia and across the nation, we are determined to ensure pharmacies and pharmacists operate within the law.”

In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a memorandum of agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances.

“Pharmacies have an obligation to ensure that every prescription for highly addictive controlled substances is legitimate and issued responsibly in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “When one of the nation’s largest pharmacies fails at this obligation, they jeopardize the health and safety of their customers and place the American public in danger. The DEA remains committed to protecting all Americans from unscrupulous practices that prioritize profit over patient safety.”

“Pharmacies that neglect their legal duties and their critical role in delivering safe and appropriate medications to enrollees of federal health care programs, and instead exploit these programs for market advantage, squander taxpayer dollars and put patient safety at risk,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to prevent these outcomes. This settlement and corporate integrity agreement reflect HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring compliance, correcting failures in oversight, and protecting the foundation of federally-funded health care.”

“In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General at OPM OIG. “We applaud our investigative staff, law enforcement partners, and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work and unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm.”

The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.

The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS-OIG, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisianaprovided substantial assistance in the investigation.

The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner) and Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.

The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Yakama Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Sexual Abuse in Indian Country of an Incapacitated Teenager

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Yakima, Washington – Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that on April 14, 2025, United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Darius Morningstar Speedis, age 20, of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, to 72 months in federal prison for Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. Judge Dimke also imposed 10 years of supervised release and required Speedis to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in early November 2022, Speedis sexually assaulted a 16-year-old Native American woman who had become intoxicated and incapacitated. The assault occurred after several teenagers, including the victim and Speedis, consumed alcohol – at least some of which was provided by Speedis. The sexual assault occurred on the Yakama Nation.

Although the victim had no independent recollection of the sexual assault, Speedis had recorded the assault and then sent a video to the victim. That video, however, later was deleted and was not recovered by law enforcement.

At sentencing, Judge Dimke took into account the abuse of trust involved in the sexual assault, including the recording of the sexual assault, as well as Speedis’ age and reported remorse before pronouncing sentence. Judge Dimke also noted the “epidemic” of sexual abuse occurring on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation.

“Sexual violence has no place in any community, and it is especially devastating when it targets vulnerable victims and occurs within communities already impacted by an epidemic of abuse,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of Mr. Speedis’ conduct and our unwavering commitment to seeking justice for victims of sexual assault. My office will continue working closely with our Tribal partners to hold offenders accountable and support survivors on their path to healing.”

“Not only did Mr. Speedis sexually assault this victim, he recorded that assault and then sent it to her.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “I hope his acknowledgement of guilt can aid in the victim’s recovery from this disturbing episode. The FBI is committed to justice for Native Women, who too often are targets of crimes of violence.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yakama Nation Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Letitia A. Sikes.

1:24-cr-02043-MKD.

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Subcontractor Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Bribe General Services Administration Official

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, a Mt. Airy, Maryland, man pled guilty to conspiring to bribe a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) official, wire fraud in connection with an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, and possession of a machine gun with an obliterated serial number.

According to court documents, Christopher Brackins, 51, conspired to bribe Public Official A, a former GSA contracting officer’s representative. GSA is a federal agency that manages federal property. Brackins owned a general construction company that performed subcontracting work on GSA projects.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s (DOJ) Criminal Division; Deputy Inspector General Robert Erickson, GSA Office of Inspector General (GSA-OIG); Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Office; Acting Inspector General Steven A. Stebbins, U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD-OIG); and Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG).

As outlined in court documents, between 2018 and 2021, Brackins provided approximately $50,000 worth of money and other things of value to Public Official A in exchange for Public Official A’s role in directing GSA projects to Brackins’s company. For example, in late 2018, as part of the bribery scheme, Brackins paid a fraudulently inflated bonus to one of his employees. Brackins then directed the employee to pay Public Official A $8,000 in cash from the fraudulently inflated bonus check. Similarly, in early 2021, Brackins paid Public Official A $25,000, at Public Official A’s direction, using an intermediary who accepted the payments through the intermediary’s air-conditioning repair business. The defendant and his company earned an estimated $133,413 in profits from this scheme.

Brackins pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal public official. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison followed by up to three years of supervised release. Brackins also pled guilty to wire fraud and possession of a machine gun, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years and 10 years in prison, respectively, and up to three years of supervised release each. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman has scheduled sentencing for Wednesday, September 10, at 2 p.m.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the GSA-OIG, FBI, DOD-OIG, and DHS-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo and DOJ Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson who are prosecuting the federal case.

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

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MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Three Men Indicted for Controlled Substance Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

More than two and a half kilograms of pure methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine seized during the investigation

BOSTON – Three men residing in Boston have been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with a drug trafficking conspiracy involving methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.

Heriberto Perez, 50, whose immigration status is unknown; Jean Carlos Frias Polcano, 27, a Dominican national; and Rafael Vargas-Cabrera, 36, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Perez and Frias Polcano were also indicted on one count each of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to court documents, in July 2024, law enforcement authorities received information about the drug trafficking activities of Perez. Over the course of the investigation, over 2.6 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, as well as hundreds of grams of cocaine and over 60 grams of fentanyl was allegedly seized from Perez and his associates, including Frias Polcano and Vargas-Cabrera, through controlled purchases.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Perez and Frias Polcano are subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Narcotic & Money Laundering Unit 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 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Lieu, Carbajal Announce Transformative Legislation to Address Affordable Housing and Homelessness Crises

US Senate News:

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

Padilla, Lieu, Carbajal Announce Transformative Legislation to Address Affordable Housing and Homelessness Crises

Housing for All Act would invest in proven solutions to address affordable housing shortages and provide historic level of federal funding for existing programs and innovative solutions to keep people housed and reduce homelessness
CALIFORNIA — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representatives Ted Lieu (D-Calif.-36) and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24) announced the reintroduction of the Housing for All Act, a comprehensive approach to address the homelessness and affordable housing crises in California and across the nation. The legislation would invest in proven solutions to address affordable housing shortages and provide a historic level of federal funding for both existing programs to reduce homelessness and innovative, locally developed solutions to help vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness.
As the Trump Administration undermines and defunds critical housing services across the country — including illegal staff cuts at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and potential closures of nearly two-thirds of HUD field offices nationwide — investments to boost the affordable housing stock and reduce homelessness are essential. The investments in the Housing for All Act would build on the creative solutions that cities and states across California have successfully developed to help combat the housing and homelessness crises.
“Housing is a basic human right, not a privilege. As the Trump Administration callously cuts essential housing programs and resources that Americans across the country depend on, our Housing for All Act is a blueprint for building upon locally developed solutions and providing necessary federal investments to finally treat the homelessness and affordable housing crises with the seriousness they deserve,” said Senator Padilla. “For far too long, the lack of affordable housing has hurt Americans nationwide and disproportionately harmed low-income communities and communities of color. Community leaders across California know that we have the tools to end homelessness and lower the cost of housing for Americans, but we need significant federal investments to scale up creative and effective housing solutions. I won’t stop this fight until every person has a place to call home.”
“Housing and homelessness are two significant crises we face today,” said Representative Lieu. “There is not enough affordable housing in California and across this country. Everyday Americans can work more than one job, and it’s still not enough to afford safe and stable housing. This is unacceptable. It’s time we finally invest in the proven, community-driven solutions that combat homelessness and create more affordable housing. I’m pleased to partner with Senator Padilla and Congressman Carbajal to introduce legislation that meets the urgency of this moment and helps get more people into homes.”
“Homes have been too expensive for far too long,” said Representative Carbajal. “While we have the tools to address this crisis, the challenge has always been scale. The Housing For All Act will make historic investments in programs addressing housing and homelessness–including my Safe Parking legislation–to ensure every American has a roof over their head.”
The lack of affordable housing access and the population of individuals experiencing homelessness are growing crises impacting Americans nationwide, disproportionately hurting communities of color and low-income communities. In the United States, over 770,000 individuals and families experience homelessness annually, and significantly more Americans face housing insecurity. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s recent Out of Reach 2024 Report, no state or county exists where a person working 40 hours a week and earning the state or local minimum wage can afford to rent a modest two-bedroom apartment. In fact, the average minimum wage earner would need to work 113 hours per week — nearly three full-time jobs — to afford a two-bedroom rental home.
The Housing for All Act would take an all-hands-on-deck approach to combat these crises, including investments from the federal government in housing solutions. Specifically, the bill would:
Address the affordable housing shortage by investing in the National Housing Trust Fund, the HOME Investment Partnerships program, the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, and the Section 811 Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities;
Address the homelessness crisis by investing in Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Rental Assistance, the emergency solutions grant program (which helps with street outreach, rapid re-housing assistance, emergency shelter, and homelessness prevention), and Continuums of Care;
Support innovative, locally developed approaches to these crises by investing in hotel and motel conversions to permanent supportive housing with supportive services, the Eviction Protection Grant Program to support experienced legal service providers in providing legal assistance to low-income tenants at risk of or subject to eviction, mobile crisis intervention teams to help those with medical or psychological needs get the care that they need, programs that offer a safe place to park overnight and facilitate access to rehousing services and essential services, library programs that support people experiencing homelessness, inclusive transit-oriented development and infill development, and improved coordination of culturally competent, trauma-informed behavioral health and homelessness services.
Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are cosponsoring the bill in the Senate.
Representatives Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.-03), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.-20), Cleo Fields (D-La.-06), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.-02), LaMonica Mclver (D-N.J.-10), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.-03), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), and Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.-13) are cosponsoring the bill in the House.
The Housing for All Act of 2025 has been endorsed by organizations and stakeholders including the National Alliance to End Homelessness; National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC); LeadingAge; National Rural Housing Coalition; UnidosUS; US Conference of Mayors; Corporation for Supportive Housing; Covenant House; Liberation in a Generation; American Library Association; Self-Help Enterprises; California Housing Partnership; California League of Cities; California State Association of Counties; County Welfare Directors Association of California; Center for Law and Social Policy; California Business, Consumer Services and Housing (BCSH) Agency; and more.
“At a time when more households than ever are struggling to make ends meet, and the number of people experiencing homelessness has reached record levels, we must keep up the fight for the resources needed to ensure everyone has a safe, stable, affordable, and accessible place to call home,” said NLIHC Interim President and CEO Renee Willis. “I applaud Senator Padilla for his leadership on the ‘Housing for All Act,’ which would provide bold, long-term solutions required to address the nation’s affordable housing and homelessness crisis at its root.”
“Senator Padilla’s Housing for All Act recognizes the extraordinary work performed by local homelessness systems and would provide them with robust resources, including significant new investments in the Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grants programs as well as Housing Choice Vouchers and Project-Based Rental Assistance,” said Steve Berg, Chief Policy Officer at the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “In addition to providing resources, Senator Padilla’s legislation would promote innovative policies like using motels and hotels for permanent supportive housing and specific efforts to help house the growing numbers of individuals and families experiencing vehicular homelessness. In introducing the Housing for All Act, the Senator is meeting the moment–and his legislation should inspire policymakers in the legislative and executive branches.”
“The Housing for All Act is a common sense, critically needed response to our country’s shortage of affordable homes—particularly for low-income older adults,” said Katie Smith Sloan, President & CEO, LeadingAge, the Association of Nonprofit Providers of Aging Services. “Our nonprofit members have years-long waiting lists—which means that many low-income older adults die before receiving relief in the form of an available, federally assisted house. The programs and policies supported by Senator Padilla’s bill will reverse course on record levels of housing unaffordability: for example, its authorization of $2.5 billion for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program would build new, service-connected affordable homes for older adults with average annual incomes below $17,000 a year. For these older adults, the private market alone has not, cannot, and will not solve the affordable housing shortage. As Senator Padilla makes clear, public resources are critically needed. LeadingAge enthusiastically supports the Housing for All Act.”
“The California Housing Partnership enthusiastically supports Senator Padilla’s Housing for All Act providing expanded federal resources to counteract the acute shortage of affordable homes, which in California has been pushing families and individuals into overcrowded situations and risking homelessness amidst the pandemic,” said Matt Schwartz, President and CEO of the California Housing Partnership.
“Now is the time to strengthen the commitment to programs that are successful in preventing and reducing homelessness as well as increase collaboration between federal, state, county, and city governments,” said Jeff Griffiths, Inyo County Supervisor and California State Association of Counties (CSAC) President. “Senator Padilla’s Housing for All Act would accomplish these goals. CSAC and California’s counties strongly support this legislation, and are grateful for his leadership.”
“The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) is proud to once again stand in support of Senator Padilla’s Housing For All legislation,” said Carlos Marquez III, CWDA Executive Director. “Every day, California’s 58 county human services agencies work to stabilize and rapidly rehouse older adults, former foster youth, families experiencing poverty, and others at high risk of homelessness, but our efforts are limited by a lack of investment in affordable housing and in evidence-based strategies that get people off the street. Senator Padilla’s Housing For All legislation will enable counties to scale what works and provide immediate solutions to our housing crisis.”
“Cal Cities is proud to support the Housing for All Act, which would provide critical funding to connect our unhoused residents to services and keep Californians in their homes,” said League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman. “We all know there’s more work to be done to address the housing and homelessness crisis in our state and that every level of government has a role to play in finding a meaningful path forward. Senator Padilla’s bill will strengthen the partnership between all levels of government by investing in the diversity of solutions that cities throughout the state are carrying out to support vulnerable residents.”
“We’re grateful for Senator Padilla’s leadership in advancing legislation that would provide comprehensive resources to address the housing and homelessness challenges facing California and across the country,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Tomiquia Moss. “California has made significant investments, but we know real, sustained progress will require every level of government working together.”
Senator Padilla believes everyone deserves access to affordable and safe housing and recognizes the need to drastically increase the affordable housing stock to address the homelessness crisis facing California and the country. Last week, Padilla introduced the bipartisan Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act to ensure veterans experiencing homelessness and receiving disability payments maintain access to crucial housing support. In the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, Padilla introduced the bipartisan Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act to expedite, expand, and improve temporary housing available to victims of disasters like wildfires and storms.
Padilla has fought against the Trump Administration’s proposals to cut HUD staff and field offices who help provide crucial housing services. Padilla and U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-Mo.-05) recently led more than 100 Democrats in the Senate and House in condemning staffing cuts and potential closures of HUD field offices across the country. Earlier this year, Senator Padilla sounded the alarm that these wide-ranging cuts would hamper HUD’s ability to support vulnerable communities and address the housing and homelessness crises.
A one-pager on the bill is available here.
A section-by-section summary of the bill is available here.
Full text of the bill is available here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Promoting a Healthier California: Attorney General Bonta Announces New Funding Available for Local Public Agencies Through the 2025-2026 Tobacco Grant Program
Source: US State of California

Funding helps combat the illegal sale of tobacco products to youth

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) is now accepting proposals for the 2025-2026 Tobacco Grant Program, which will provide approximately $28.5 million in grant funding to eligible local agencies. The program aims to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to our youth. Any local public agency within the State of California that has authority to enforce tobacco-related state laws or local ordinances related to retail tobacco sales and marketing is eligible to apply. This may include police and sheriffs’ departments, district and city attorneys and county counsels, public health departments, cities, counties, and public school/college districts. Information on the application process is available at oag.ca.gov/tobaccogrants. DOJ will also hold a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, April 30 at 10:00 AM PT to provide guidance to those interested in applying for the Tobacco Grant Program. To RSVP for the webinar, please click here.

“At the California Department of Justice, we are committed to protecting our youth from the dangers posed by tobacco products. The reality is that, especially in recent years, companies have been aggressively going after our young people and attempting to turn as many of them as possible into regular customers,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I encourage local agencies to apply to the Tobacco Grant Program — it is a critical tool that allows us to collaborate and hold accountable those companies and individuals who violate our laws around tobacco products.”

Companies target our youth by making and marketing tobacco products with a myriad of kid-friendly flavors and loading those products with nicotine, a highly addictive chemical that harms the developing brains of children and young adults. Surveys show flavored tobacco products remain the products of choice for young people. In 2024, among students reporting current e-cigarette use, 87.6% used flavored products. Tobacco usage during adolescence increases the risk for lifelong nicotine addiction and adverse health consequences.

DOJ’s Tobacco Grant Program aims to reduce childhood addiction to tobacco products by supporting local partners who:
- Enforce the statewide flavor ban and similar local flavor ordinances.
- Prosecute and penalize retailers who violate statewide and local tobacco laws, including those who sell or market tobacco products to youth under the age of 21, including over the internet.
- Conduct retail inspections to ensure compliance.
The program is funded by Proposition 56, the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016. To date, the Tobacco Grant Program has distributed approximately $212 million in grant funding to approximately 470 grantees through a competitive process.

Attorney General Bonta remains committed to combating the illegal marketing and sale of tobacco products. Just this year, he announced a lawsuit against Flumgio Technology Inc., Berkeley Int’l Business Crew, and their founder, Mr. Zaoyu Zhu, for importing, marketing, and selling the popular FLUM brand e-cigarettes, which are illegal under California’s retail flavor ban and lack Food and Drug Administration authorization. He also announced lawsuits against two California online retailers of e-cigarettes, Ejuicesteals and E-juice Vapor, Inc., alleging that they engaged in unlawful remote sales of tobacco products and failed to verify the age of California consumers properly. Finally, Assembly Bill 3218 — his sponsored bill to help ensure the successful implementation of the flavored tobacco ban — was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom last year.

MIL OSI USA News –
April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Rating agencies don’t treat the Global South fairly: changes South Africa should champion in G20 hot seat

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Daniel Cash, Reader in Law, Aston University

Credit rating agencies like S&P Global and Fitch have an outsized influence on the economic fortunes of developing countries. Their assessments shape investor perceptions, influence borrowing costs, and ultimately shape a country’s development path. With many African countries now issuing bonds in global markets amid falling levels of official development assistance (ODA), their role is coming under increasing scrutiny.

The major credit rating agencies exist to opine on the likelihood that a debtor (say, a country) will repay their creditors on time and in full. They are rated on a sliding scale. Whenever a rating agency believes that a debtor will not meet their obligations, they are obliged to put that debtor into a ‘default’ rating. This means that the debtor can no longer access private financing.

Read more:
African countries can’t resolve their debt crisis under a system rigged against them

The negative role of rating agencies has been felt in other ways too. For example, threats of downgrades have also led to developing countries steering away from seeking debt relief under a recently introduced G20-initiated debt treatment programme. The reason is that getting help would mean that sovereign debtors have to restructure their debts. But credit rating agencies have warned that doing this will likely lead countries being given a ‘default’ rating.

As a result, no rated country has applied for debt relief through the G20. This has been called a ‘credit rating impasse’.

Change needs to happen on two fronts: the building of credit rating capability in the Global South, combined with shoring up capacity in countries in an effort to rebalance existing relationships with rating agencies.

Read more:
Rating agencies and Africa: the absence of people on the ground contributes to bias against the continent – analyst

As a researcher who has looked closely at the working of rating agencies, I would argue that South Africa’s 2024–25 G20 Presidency presents a rare opportunity to push for more equitable reforms. It also provides a platform to spotlight African-led initiatives that are already making progress.

The aim is not to ensure every country receives a top-tier credit rating. Rather, it is to ensure that all countries have the capacity, knowledge, and tools to engage in the rating process on fair terms.

Alternatives

Among the boldest reform efforts so far is the establishment of the African Credit Rating Agency spearheaded by the African Union. The agency aims to deliver fairer, more contextually grounded credit assessments of African sovereigns.

Structured as a specialised agency owned by AU member states and funded through a mix of regional support and service revenue, the agency is a tangible step toward rating independence. Naturally, there are challenges. These include legitimacy, credibility with global investors, generating the necessary capital to appropriately invest in research and credit analysis, and blowback if and when it will have to downgrade.

Its creation is rooted in dissatisfaction with the big three agencies. But it’s also inspired by parallel developments in other regions, such as China’s own domestic rating ecosystem.

Though still in development, the proposed African agency represents the most advanced reform effort in the credit rating space from a Global South perspective.

But building this institutional capacity is only one piece of a larger puzzle. For many countries, support is urgently needed to engage more effectively with the existing system.

Expertise mismatch

The lag in expertise and experience on the part of countries in the global south is understandable: sovereign debt trading has been around since the 19th Century. The first Eurobond was issued in 1963. In contrast, many African nations only began issuing Eurobonds in the late 1990s, with Tunisia being the first in 1997.

At present, that expertise is often provided by ‘credit rating advisory’ teams embedded within the Investment Banks arranging a country’s bond sale – typically offered at no cost. There is a valid perception that this advice is not independent.

One way to close the gap is through independent credit rating-related capacity building. Done well, it can empower developing countries to engage with credit rating agencies on a more equal footing, improve the quality of credit interactions, and make informed decisions in a market that often prioritises investor interests over national development goals.

A few initiatives are well underway.

The African Union’s Africa Peer Review Mechanism , in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, has been offering tailored, hands-on support. This includes technical workshops, advocacy against problematic ratings, and the publication of the ‘Africa Sovereign Credit Rating Review’, a regular report that helps member states track trends and identify areas for improvement.

Building on this, the UNDP Africa and AfriCatalyst recently launched the ‘Credit Ratings Initiative’. This includes an innovative web platform, a panel of former rating analysts known as the ‘Concilium’, and a community of practice to share knowledge.

Early pilots with East African countries have already made an impact, showing how independent, neutral advice can boost sovereigns’ technical understanding and strategic engagement with rating agencies.

All parties are actively collaborating to share best practice at key global events. This momentum is a promising sign of broader change.

These efforts underscore an important lesson: while long-term reform is crucial, short-term, practical tools can have an immediate and meaningful effect.

Quest for a fairer financing systems

South Africa currently holds the G20 Presidency. The government has adopted the idea of a ‘Cost of Capital Commission’ to examine how financing conditions affect developing nations. One of its aims is to review credit rating methodologies and promote transparency and data efficiency.

Read more:
The G20: how it works, why it matters and what would be lost if it failed

This is a promising start. But there is room to go further. South Africa could use its leadership role to champion the establishment of a global credit rating capacity building initiative. Such a move would align with its development priorities, position Africa as a leader in financial reform, and create a blueprint for global action.

Crucially, this would not be just another technical fix. It would be a shift in the power dynamics of global finance – from crisis response to structural empowerment. As the U.S. prepares to take over the G20 Presidency next, South Africa’s advocacy could lay the groundwork for a broader coalition committed to fairer financing systems.

Daniel Cash does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Rating agencies don’t treat the Global South fairly: changes South Africa should champion in G20 hot seat – https://theconversation.com/rating-agencies-dont-treat-the-global-south-fairly-changes-south-africa-should-champion-in-g20-hot-seat-254735

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Rating agencies don’t treat the Global South fairly: changes South Africa should champion in G20 hot seat

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Daniel Cash, Reader in Law, Aston University

Credit rating agencies like S&P Global and Fitch have an outsized influence on the economic fortunes of developing countries. Their assessments shape investor perceptions, influence borrowing costs, and ultimately shape a country’s development path. With many African countries now issuing bonds in global markets amid falling levels of official development assistance (ODA), their role is coming under increasing scrutiny.

The major credit rating agencies exist to opine on the likelihood that a debtor (say, a country) will repay their creditors on time and in full. They are rated on a sliding scale. Whenever a rating agency believes that a debtor will not meet their obligations, they are obliged to put that debtor into a ‘default’ rating. This means that the debtor can no longer access private financing.

Read more: African countries can’t resolve their debt crisis under a system rigged against them

The negative role of rating agencies has been felt in other ways too. For example, threats of downgrades have also led to developing countries steering away from seeking debt relief under a recently introduced G20-initiated debt treatment programme. The reason is that getting help would mean that sovereign debtors have to restructure their debts. But credit rating agencies have warned that doing this will likely lead countries being given a ‘default’ rating.

As a result, no rated country has applied for debt relief through the G20. This has been called a ‘credit rating impasse’.

Change needs to happen on two fronts: the building of credit rating capability in the Global South, combined with shoring up capacity in countries in an effort to rebalance existing relationships with rating agencies.

Read more: Rating agencies and Africa: the absence of people on the ground contributes to bias against the continent – analyst

As a researcher who has looked closely at the working of rating agencies, I would argue that South Africa’s 2024–25 G20 Presidency presents a rare opportunity to push for more equitable reforms. It also provides a platform to spotlight African-led initiatives that are already making progress.

The aim is not to ensure every country receives a top-tier credit rating. Rather, it is to ensure that all countries have the capacity, knowledge, and tools to engage in the rating process on fair terms.

Alternatives

Among the boldest reform efforts so far is the establishment of the African Credit Rating Agency spearheaded by the African Union. The agency aims to deliver fairer, more contextually grounded credit assessments of African sovereigns.

Structured as a specialised agency owned by AU member states and funded through a mix of regional support and service revenue, the agency is a tangible step toward rating independence. Naturally, there are challenges. These include legitimacy, credibility with global investors, generating the necessary capital to appropriately invest in research and credit analysis, and blowback if and when it will have to downgrade.

Its creation is rooted in dissatisfaction with the big three agencies. But it’s also inspired by parallel developments in other regions, such as China’s own domestic rating ecosystem.

Though still in development, the proposed African agency represents the most advanced reform effort in the credit rating space from a Global South perspective.

But building this institutional capacity is only one piece of a larger puzzle. For many countries, support is urgently needed to engage more effectively with the existing system.

Expertise mismatch

The lag in expertise and experience on the part of countries in the global south is understandable: sovereign debt trading has been around since the 19th Century. The first Eurobond was issued in 1963. In contrast, many African nations only began issuing Eurobonds in the late 1990s, with Tunisia being the first in 1997.

At present, that expertise is often provided by ‘credit rating advisory’ teams embedded within the Investment Banks arranging a country’s bond sale – typically offered at no cost. There is a valid perception that this advice is not independent.

One way to close the gap is through independent credit rating-related capacity building. Done well, it can empower developing countries to engage with credit rating agencies on a more equal footing, improve the quality of credit interactions, and make informed decisions in a market that often prioritises investor interests over national development goals.

A few initiatives are well underway.

The African Union’s Africa Peer Review Mechanism , in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, has been offering tailored, hands-on support. This includes technical workshops, advocacy against problematic ratings, and the publication of the ‘Africa Sovereign Credit Rating Review’, a regular report that helps member states track trends and identify areas for improvement.

Building on this, the UNDP Africa and AfriCatalyst recently launched the ‘Credit Ratings Initiative’. This includes an innovative web platform, a panel of former rating analysts known as the ‘Concilium’, and a community of practice to share knowledge.

Early pilots with East African countries have already made an impact, showing how independent, neutral advice can boost sovereigns’ technical understanding and strategic engagement with rating agencies.

All parties are actively collaborating to share best practice at key global events. This momentum is a promising sign of broader change.

These efforts underscore an important lesson: while long-term reform is crucial, short-term, practical tools can have an immediate and meaningful effect.

Quest for a fairer financing systems

South Africa currently holds the G20 Presidency. The government has adopted the idea of a ‘Cost of Capital Commission’ to examine how financing conditions affect developing nations. One of its aims is to review credit rating methodologies and promote transparency and data efficiency.

Read more: The G20: how it works, why it matters and what would be lost if it failed

This is a promising start. But there is room to go further. South Africa could use its leadership role to champion the establishment of a global credit rating capacity building initiative. Such a move would align with its development priorities, position Africa as a leader in financial reform, and create a blueprint for global action.

Crucially, this would not be just another technical fix. It would be a shift in the power dynamics of global finance – from crisis response to structural empowerment. As the U.S. prepares to take over the G20 Presidency next, South Africa’s advocacy could lay the groundwork for a broader coalition committed to fairer financing systems.

– Rating agencies don’t treat the Global South fairly: changes South Africa should champion in G20 hot seat
– https://theconversation.com/rating-agencies-dont-treat-the-global-south-fairly-changes-south-africa-should-champion-in-g20-hot-seat-254735

MIL OSI Africa –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Lexington Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

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

Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Roberto Ceja, Jr., 33, of Lexington, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 16, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Ceja to 66 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ceja is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

This case involved a Title III wiretap investigation that involved three of Ceja’s cell phones. Co-conspirators were also intercepted involving discussions about narcotics and meeting under surveillance. As part of the investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted three undercover buys from Liban Mohamud Adan who investigators learned was being supplied by Ceja. Ceja was responsible for distributing 88 grams of actual methamphetamine in the Lexington area.

Liban Mohamud Adan pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment followed by a 5-year term of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nebraska State Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Secures Major Reforms to Protect Mental Health Patients at Westchester Medical Center
Source: US State of New York

EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a landmark settlement with Westchester County Health Care Corporation (WMC) and HealthAlliance, Inc. (HealthAlliance), collectively known as WMCHealth, that will expand access to inpatient psychiatric care in the Hudson Valley and overhaul how the hospital system treats patients experiencing mental health crises. An Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation found that three WMCHealth hospitals in the Hudson Valley – Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla (WMC-Valhalla), MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, and HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston – put vulnerable patients at risk by discharging them without adequate mental health crisis evaluation or stabilization and improperly left much-needed inpatient psychiatric beds closed for years. Under the settlement, WMCHealth has agreed to restore inpatient psychiatric beds that were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and implement extensive reforms to better serve emergency room patients experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.

“For too long, vulnerable New Yorkers experiencing mental health or substance use crises have been met with inadequate care when they went to an emergency room for help,” said Attorney General James. “Mental health care is medical care, and mental health crises must be treated as the emergencies they are. This settlement should serve as a patient care model for hospitals in every corner of our great state. My office will continue to fight to ensure all New Yorkers have access to quality, compassionate emergency mental health care.”

This is the first settlement in the nation reached by an attorney general for an investigation of a hospital’s inadequate treatment of mental health and substance use disorder patients under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals to screen and stabilize any patient who presents with an emergency medical condition. The OAG investigation also found violations of the New York Public Health Law, the New York Mental Hygiene Law, and state regulations that provide minimum standards for treatment of patients in emergency departments and prohibit hospitals from taking licensed inpatient psychiatric beds offline without state approval.

The OAG launched an investigation in 2022 after hearing and receiving powerful testimony at Attorney General James’ Mental Health Hearings, which highlighted the serious impact of inpatient psychiatric bed closures at HealthAlliance Hospital and raised questions about inadequate care of young children in mental health crisis at WMC-Valhalla. The ensuing investigation uncovered troubling lapses in patient care at the three hospitals, including:
- Discharging patients with active suicidal ideation or other emergency psychiatric conditions without proper stabilization;
- Improperly medicating agitated children without sufficiently attempting to de-escalate their behavior or documenting those efforts;
- Failing to follow protocols to protect vulnerable patients from leaving the hospital before being properly discharged, leading to preventable tragedies;
- Failing to obtain vital input from family members and community providers; and
- Maintaining incomplete or inaccurate medical records and violating WMCHealth’s own policies.
The investigation revealed that many patients who sought care at WMCHealth emergency rooms were discharged prematurely or received inadequate care or supervision. For example:
- In one instance, an adolescent who had recently attempted suicide was deemed actively suicidal and recommended for inpatient care by a WMCHealth psychiatrist. Instead, she was discharged without properly reassessing and monitoring her behavior to ensure she was stable enough for discharge.
- In another case, a teenager in acute distress was physically restrained and heavily medicated within minutes of arrival. Although she was so agitated that staff administered medications twice more, she was discharged quickly thereafter, without adequate time for monitoring to ensure her condition had stabilized and with insufficient documentation that emergency room staff first tried non-invasive interventions or de-escalation techniques.
- In a third instance, an emergency room psychiatrist ordered constant monitoring for a patient, noting that he had recently left a treatment facility against medical advice. Despite this, the patient remained unsupervised, necessary precautions were not taken, and the patient successfully left the hospital without discharge, tragically passing away shortly thereafter.
The OAG investigators also found that WMCHealth kept an inpatient psychiatric unit at HealthAlliance Hospital closed for far longer than allowed by the state, forcing patients in crisis to travel longer distances for care and filling up local emergency rooms with mental health or substance use patients awaiting beds. In March 2020, HealthAlliance Hospital closed the 40-bed unit to increase capacity for COVID-19 patients – but the beds were never ultimately used to treat any COVID patients, and the beds remained out of service long after June 2021, when pre-COVID regulatory requirements went back into effect.

Declining capacity for inpatient psychiatric beds has harmed communities across the state, especially in the Hudson Valley, where there are very few other hospitals in the region that provide this service. As one WMCHealth nurse testified at Attorney General James’ 2022 Mental Health Hearing, the continued closure of HealthAlliance Hospital’s psychiatric unit “eliminated all in-patient psych beds in Ulster County” and forced patients to instead travel up to 90 minutes for care. Another mental health provider called the loss of beds “horrible for the patients” and said, “85 percent of the patients I used to see on a regular basis are gone and I have no idea where they are.” The provider testified that as a result of the lost capacity, “patients are spending more time in the ER than they should,” and that people were “stuck for days waiting for a bed,” often sleeping on stretchers in hallways, and that the emergency room was “just not set up to hold patients for longer periods.”

Following OAG’s investigation, WMCHealth finally reopened 20 of the psychiatric beds at HealthAlliance Hospital in December 2024 and has announced plans to construct an additional 20-bed psychiatric unit at MidHudson Regional Hospital. These additions will finally restore pre-COVID inpatient psychiatric capacity across the three hospitals, and as part of today’s settlement, WMCHealth cannot close any of its reopened inpatient beds for the next three years. For the two years thereafter, the health system must consult with OAG before making any changes to inpatient capacity.

As a result of the investigation, WMCHealth must implement extensive reforms at its emergency rooms in Valhalla, Poughkeepsie, and Kingston. For one, the hospital must modify its policies and procedures to ensure adequate screening for suicide risk, substance use disorders, violence risk, and elopement safety risk for all patients who come to the emergency room. The settlement requires WMCHealth hospitals try to gather information about patients’ conditions from past medical records, family members, treatment providers, or other sources, and to consider this information when making determinations about the patients’ treatment plans. WMCHealth must also establish relationships and open lines of communication with community behavioral health agencies and residential facilities that frequently send patients to the emergency room – making it easier to coordinate care and ensure all relevant providers are connected to best treat the patient.

To set patients with complex needs (including patients who repeatedly visit the emergency room for mental health conditions) up for success post-discharge, staff will be required to evaluate whether patients may struggle to transition to community-based care after being discharged. For these patients, WMCHealth must develop individualized discharge plans to ensure patients have access to necessary follow-up mental health care and, where appropriate, develop care plans to improve treatment for patients upon any return visit to the emergency room.

In addition, WMCHealth must develop new protocols for using restraints and medication to treat agitated patients, particularly children – meaning emergency room staff will be required to clearly and thoroughly document all uses of restraints or medication to treat agitation, provide adequate clinical justification for use, and demonstrate and document specific efforts to use less restrictive alternatives to deescalate the patients’ behavior.

To guarantee these changes are made, Attorney General James and WMCHealth have agreed to robust oversight measures. WMCHealth will develop a training protocol to enact the settlement requirements and appoint an internal compliance administrator, who will ensure all three hospitals adhere to the agreement and submit compliance reports to OAG every six months for at least two years. WMCHealth must pay $400,000 in penalties and fees and/or costs to New York state and, if it fails to comply with the terms of the agreement, it will be liable for an additional $10,000 penalty per violation.

WMCHealth has also committed to making new and meaningful investments in implementing a new behavioral health service, such as deploying peer counselors in the emergency room, making mental health providers available at its primary care clinics, expanding substance use disorder treatment at the HealthAlliance Hospital and MidHudson Regional Hospital emergency rooms, and enacting an evidence-based procedure to make post-discharge follow-up calls to patients who are screened for moderate or high-risk of suicide.

“Children experiencing serious psychiatric distress were put in danger by inadequate hospital protocol and procedures. Now, thanks to Attorney General James, the children in our care and many others in Westchester will be able to get the emergency care they need,” said Ron Richter, CEO of JCCA. “We are grateful to AG James for listening – and responding – to our struggles trying to get the right urgent care for our kids. She is a true partner in making New York a better place for all. It does take a village, including our state’s hospital system, to ensure the safety of our kids and all community members.”

“After the death of my son Harris by accidental overdose, I founded the Harris Project to drive systemic change for young people, and their loved ones, impacted by co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders,” said Stephanie Marquesano, Founder of The Harris Project. “This settlement acknowledges the real harm caused by fragmented care and creates a powerful opportunity to reimagine emergency departments as compassionate, clinically competent entry points to healing. With restored psychiatric beds, stronger protocols, and meaningful oversight, we can increase access to care, implement quality co-occurring services, and rebuild trust across Westchester and the Mid-Hudson region. Through our Co-Occurring System of Care Committee, we’re bringing people together to listen, learn, and lead—and we welcome Westchester County Health Care Corporation to be part of creating lasting change.”

“We want to thank New York State Attorney General Letitia James for her steadfast commitment to supporting mental health services in Westchester County,” said Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins. “When our residents are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, it is often a matter that must be attended to immediately, and the care these patients receive at Westchester Medical Center is of utmost importance. Ultimately, this settlement means that vulnerable patients who are admitted will not be put at risk or discharged prematurely without adequate mental health crisis intervention. By requiring WMCHealth Hospitals to gather more detailed information about patients’ conditions before determining their treatment, we are ensuring higher quality, more compassionate care.”

“I deeply appreciate this thorough and detailed investigation by Attorney General James into the inadequate treatment of patients experiencing mental health crises,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “The findings on past practices are unacceptable and deeply concerning, and the settlement’s requirements for extensive reforms of policies and procedures, from intake through treatment and release, will ensure that our residents receive the proper mental health care they need and deserve. Ulster County will soon open an around-the-clock Crisis Support Center just blocks from the hospital, and we look forward to partnering with both HealthAlliance and the Office of the Attorney General as we all collectively work to strengthen our system of care for residents struggling with mental health and substance use.”

“Too many families in the Hudson Valley have watched loved ones fall through the cracks of a broken mental health system,” said Senator Nathalia Fernandez. “This agreement marks a turning point in how we treat and value psychiatric care. I commend Attorney General James for stepping in and securing reforms that put patient safety, accountability, and compassion back at the center of care.”

“For years, our Ulster County community has been sounding the alarm about the devastating loss of local mental health and substance use disorder care in Kingston,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “We’re grateful that Attorney General Letitia James has joined us in this fight, leading to new service protections and patient-centered care that will be implemented at Kingston HealthAlliance and across all WMCHealth hospitals so our neighbors have greater access to the life-saving services they deserve.”

“Today’s announcement by New York Attorney General Letitia James marks a significant milestone in tackling the mental health crisis in New York,” said Senator Shelley B. Mayer. “This settlement establishes a robust precedent, ensuring that individuals in crisis receive the essential care they need and rightfully deserve. I commend Attorney General James for her unwavering commitment to the people of New York and for her leadership in driving all hospitals and psychiatric units to make substantial improvements in delivering dignified and high-quality mental healthcare.”

“Comprehensive psychiatric care is not just vital for the safety and well-being of individuals, but for all of society,” said Senator James Skoufis. “Our communities, schools, and families are safer when patients get the care they need. I’m very grateful for Attorney General James’ successful efforts here in the Hudson Valley.”

“This settlement, the first of its kind in the nation, is incredibly welcome news,” said New York Assemblymember Dana Levenberg. “The expansion of access to psychiatric evaluation and care at Westchester Medical Center will save lives in my district. I applaud our Attorney General for her tireless efforts on behalf of New Yorkers, which are truly appreciated.”

“This settlement represents a vital step forward in treating mental health with the urgency, dignity, and care it deserves,” said New York Assemblymember Nader Sayegh. “I commend Attorney General James for holding institutions accountable and ensuring that no patient in crisis is turned away, neglected, or left without a path to healing. This agreement offers not just reform, but hope for families, youth, and individuals who need to know that their lives and well-being matter.”

“Congress passed EMTALA in 1986 to ensure that individuals experiencing mental health crises receive the full, stabilizing care they need,” said Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky. “I am happy that the parties involved here have arrived at this robust settlement, which should restore and improve acute mental health care for Hudson Valley residents. We in state government are well aware New York must keep building its capacity for these critical, and often complex, cases. To that end I will continue to support greater investments in psychiatric and mental health care in the 2025-2026 State Budget and in subsequent budgets—including training and incentives for more mental health professionals to enter the field as providers of inpatient and outpatient services.”

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Michael Reisman and Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant to the First Deputy Gina Bull, under the supervision of Health Care Bureau Chief Sudarsana Srinivasan. The Health Care Bureau is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

MIL OSI USA News –
April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and for Submitting False Claims to the Federal Government

Source: US State of California

Note: View settlement here.

The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.

The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice.

The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

In light of Friday’s settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

“Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”

“This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”

“Importantly, Walgreens’s agreements with the DEA and HHS-OIG provide swift relief in the form of monitoring and claims review that will improve Walgreens’s practices immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”

“This landmark civil settlement is the largest Controlled Substances Act resolution in our district’s history and once again confirms the high priority our office has placed upon confronting those responsible for the opioid crisis here,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the energy and collaborative spirit brought to this effort by our colleagues in the DEA, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.”

“With the power to dispense potentially harmful substances comes the responsibility to ensure that every prescription is legitimate before it is filled,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “When pharmacies fail that responsibility, this office will work with others across the country to hold accountable those who put patients and communities at risk.”

“This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”

“Strict compliance with the law is essential to safeguarding the public, who rely on carefully considered and limited prescriptions for their health and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those companies and individuals authorized to provide controlled substances have a professional responsibility to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are within the course of professional practice and regulations. Medically unnecessary prescriptions are a cost ultimately borne by the taxpayers and consumers. As we continue to address the opioid crisis here in Virginia and across the nation, we are determined to ensure pharmacies and pharmacists operate within the law.”

In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a memorandum of agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances.

“Pharmacies have an obligation to ensure that every prescription for highly addictive controlled substances is legitimate and issued responsibly in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “When one of the nation’s largest pharmacies fails at this obligation, they jeopardize the health and safety of their customers and place the American public in danger. The DEA remains committed to protecting all Americans from unscrupulous practices that prioritize profit over patient safety.”

“Pharmacies that neglect their legal duties and their critical role in delivering safe and appropriate medications to enrollees of federal health care programs, and instead exploit these programs for market advantage, squander taxpayer dollars and put patient safety at risk,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to prevent these outcomes. This settlement and corporate integrity agreement reflect HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring compliance, correcting failures in oversight, and protecting the foundation of federally-funded health care.”

“In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General at OPM OIG. “We applaud our investigative staff, law enforcement partners, and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work and unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm.”

The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.

The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS-OIG, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisiana provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner) and Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.

The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Additional information about the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/fraud-section.

For information about the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, visit:

For information about the federal agencies involved in this investigation and their work to combat the opioid crisis and federal healthcare fraud, visit:

MIL OSI USA News –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Lolo Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

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

MISSOULA – A Lolo man who received and distributed child pornography was sentenced today to 240 months in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Erik Robert Salazar, 29, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that on September 13, 2023, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) detectives received a Cyber Tipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The report originated from Snapchat, who reported to NCMEC that a user, later identified as Salazar, had uploaded two images of child sexual abuse material to their servers on August 19, 2023.

Through legal process, detectives determined the Snapchat account in question belonged to Salazar. Detectives received the remaining contents of Salazar’s Snapchat account and reviewed his communications with other parties.

Salazar’s communications were replete with contact with minor females on dates ranging from September 2015 to October 31, 2023. Salazar consistently requested images and videos of those minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the minors sent Salazar images and videos in response to his requests. Additionally, Salazar used Snapchat to send some of these minors images and videos depicting other minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. For example, beginning on August 4, 2023, Salazar began to communicate on Snapchat with a minor female (MV1) who was then 15 years old. In their communications, MV1 informed Salazar of her age, which Salazar indicated sexually excited him. Throughout the communications, Salazar solicited nude images of MV1, which she sent. MV1 also reported that Salazar sent her at least one video of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. MV1 reported Salazar told her he wanted to have a baby with her and asked MV1 if she would allow him to perform similar acts on their future daughter.

Salazar was arrested in Missoula, Montana, for a related offense on October 31, 2023, and was interviewed by detectives. He admitted the Snapchat account involved in the cyber tip belonged to him and that he received images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct using the account.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the FBI and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.

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

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MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Kalispell Man Sentenced to Mor Than 10 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Drugs on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation

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

GREAT FALLS – A Kalispell man who conspired to distribute drugs on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 128 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Cameron Lee Richard Carr, 34, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that in early November 2023, law enforcement received information Carr was trafficking illegal drugs from Kalispell, Montana to Browning, Montana. On November 28, 2023, Carr was observed leaving the Going to the Sun Inn in Browning. A Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services officer saw Carr run a stop sign and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Carr fled before eventually stopping his vehicle and attempting to run away on foot. He was apprehended by the officer and arrested. The officer saw Carr reach for his waistband when he was arrested, so the officer searched him for weapons before placing him in a patrol vehicle. The officer recovered suspected meth and fentanyl from and noticed a 9 mm Ruger handgun on the ground near the area where Carr was apprehended.

Law enforcement searched Carr’s vehicle and seized 11 additional firearms, 500 grams of methamphetamine, 168 grams of fentanyl in pill and powder form, and small amounts of heroin, oxycodone, morphine, and cocaine. On December 1, 2023, during an interview with law enforcement, Carr admitted distributing drugs in Browning.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the FBI, DEA, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, and the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office.

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 about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

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MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts California Man of Assaulting a Federal Officer

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

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict against a California man after he assaulted a federal officer while law enforcement attempted to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.

Gabriel Gigena, 41, of Valley Springs, CA, was charged by indictment on July 10, 2024.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Saturday May 4, 2024, members of the United States Marshal Service (USMS) were summoned to assist with the apprehension of Gigena, who was wanted for a warrant issued by the State of California. Law enforcement learned Gigena was at a park with his twin three-year-old daughters in Park City, Utah. In a briefing, members of the arrest team outlined their goal to take Gigena into custody while ensuring the safety of his children and others.

According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, as Gigena walked down a parking lot, two task force officers with the USMS were tasked with apprehending Gigena and securing the children. However, security concerns hastened law enforcement’s approach, which resulted in officers charging at and tackling Gigena. During the tackle, one of the officers pushed Gigena’s hands away from the two young girls. As this officer and Gigena fell to the ground Gigena placed his arm around the officer’s neck and started to strangle him. The officer testified in court that Gigena applied maximum force to his neck. Other officers on scene called out “police” and told Gigena to stop. Meanwhile, additional agents arrived on scene in vehicles that had flashing red and blue lights. These additional officers also assisted in taking control of Gigena. At one point, another officer displayed and threatened the use of a taser to get Gigena to comply. Another officer gained control of Gigena’s arm and removed it from the officer’s neck. Officers testified that Gigena never relented his assault or resistance of law enforcement until he was forced to do so.

According to witness testimony, Gigena made multiple statements about being the “chief of the Indian people” and that they were not allowed to arrest him. Gigena was taken into custody soon after the assault.

“His resistance was aimed at injuring the officer,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Yeates during closing arguments. “Despite multiple warnings, despite multiple commands, the defendant fought to the bitter end until he was finally placed in handcuffs.”

Gigena’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 1, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. in courtroom 8.3 before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and J. Drew Yeates of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Robert Garcia, Maxwell Frost, Yassamin Ansari, Maxine Dexter Arrive in El Salvador to Demand Trump Administration Abide by Supreme Court Ruling, Release Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Garcia California (42nd District)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42), Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), and Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (OR-03) arrived in El Salvador on a trip they are leading to demand the Trump Administration abide by the Supreme Court decision to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States after he was illegally deported. This is an independent, personally-funded trip conducted after Chairman James Comer refused to approve the lawmakers’ request for an official CODEL.

“While Donald Trump continues to defy the Supreme Court, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia is being held illegally in El Salvador after being wrongfully deported,” said Congressman Robert Garcia. “That is why we’re here– to remind the American people that kidnapping immigrants and deporting them without due process is not how we do things in America. We are demanding the Trump Administration abide by the Supreme Court decision and give Kilmar and the other migrants mistakenly sent to El Salvador due process in the United States.”

Earlier this month, Congressman Garcia and Congressman Frost sent a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer requesting authorization for a Congressional Member Delegation (CODEL) to visit Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), the maximum-security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador. After the Chairman rejected their request, Congressman Garcia and Congressman Frost planned an independent trip.

Congressman Garcia remains committed to reforming our immigration system, creating fair pathways to citizenship, and treating immigrants with respect and dignity. Earlier this month, Congressman Garcia wrote letters demanding answers from the Trump Administration on its deportation of Andry Hernández Romero, a gay Venezuelan makeup artist who was sent to a prison in El Salvador in violation of a federal court order and in the absence of credible evidence supporting the government’s claims about his affiliation with a criminal gang. In July 2024, Congressman Garcia introduced the SHIELD Act, which allocated grants through the Attorney General and the Department of Justice to local and state governments to support the recruitment of staff and attorneys to ensure that immigrants receive quality, affordable representation in immigration court. Last Congress, Congressman Garcia led investigations into fundamental integrity and credibility issues within the DHS, including identifying what actions have been taken to address the threat of domestic violent extremism within the DHS. Congressman Garcia has also defended humane immigration procedures and condemned extreme rhetoric on immigration and border security that dehumanizes migrants legally seeking asylum. Congressman Garcia has also investigated the use of inappropriate language and behavior among Border Patrol agents within ICE toward immigrants following reports from the Huffington Post.

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and for Submitting False Claims to the Federal Government

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Note: View settlement here.

The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.

The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice.

The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

In light of Friday’s settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

“Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”

“This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”

“Importantly, Walgreens’s agreements with the DEA and HHS-OIG provide swift relief in the form of monitoring and claims review that will improve Walgreens’s practices immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”

“This landmark civil settlement is the largest Controlled Substances Act resolution in our district’s history and once again confirms the high priority our office has placed upon confronting those responsible for the opioid crisis here,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the energy and collaborative spirit brought to this effort by our colleagues in the DEA, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.”

“With the power to dispense potentially harmful substances comes the responsibility to ensure that every prescription is legitimate before it is filled,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “When pharmacies fail that responsibility, this office will work with others across the country to hold accountable those who put patients and communities at risk.”

“This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”

“Strict compliance with the law is essential to safeguarding the public, who rely on carefully considered and limited prescriptions for their health and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those companies and individuals authorized to provide controlled substances have a professional responsibility to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are within the course of professional practice and regulations. Medically unnecessary prescriptions are a cost ultimately borne by the taxpayers and consumers. As we continue to address the opioid crisis here in Virginia and across the nation, we are determined to ensure pharmacies and pharmacists operate within the law.”

In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a memorandum of agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances.

“Pharmacies have an obligation to ensure that every prescription for highly addictive controlled substances is legitimate and issued responsibly in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “When one of the nation’s largest pharmacies fails at this obligation, they jeopardize the health and safety of their customers and place the American public in danger. The DEA remains committed to protecting all Americans from unscrupulous practices that prioritize profit over patient safety.”

“Pharmacies that neglect their legal duties and their critical role in delivering safe and appropriate medications to enrollees of federal health care programs, and instead exploit these programs for market advantage, squander taxpayer dollars and put patient safety at risk,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to prevent these outcomes. This settlement and corporate integrity agreement reflect HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring compliance, correcting failures in oversight, and protecting the foundation of federally-funded health care.”

“In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General at OPM OIG. “We applaud our investigative staff, law enforcement partners, and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work and unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm.”

The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.

The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS-OIG, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisiana provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner) and Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.

The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Additional information about the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/fraud-section.

For information about the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, visit:

For information about the federal agencies involved in this investigation and their work to combat the opioid crisis and federal healthcare fraud, visit:

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont, CTDOT Urge Drivers to Prioritize Safety During Work Zone Awareness Week

Source: US State of Connecticut

(MERIDEN, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, state and local police officers, and safety advocates gathered today at an active work zone in Meriden to recognize the start of National Work Zone Awareness Week, which is observed from April 21 to 25, 2025, and urge motorists in Connecticut to take an active role in protecting roadway workers and drivers.

The event included remarks from local, state, and federal officials, as well as the family of Andrew DiDomenico, a Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) worker who was tragically killed on the job last year. A representative from the Meriden project spoke about the growing number of weekly work zone crashes.

National Work Zone Awareness Week honors the workers and professionals who help keep construction zones safe, including highway crews, public works, utility companies, contractors, and law enforcement. The theme of this year’s awareness week, “Respect the Zone So We All Get Home,” reinforces the importance of safe driving in active work zone areas. Governor Lamont has also signed a proclamation declaring Work Zone Awareness Week in Connecticut.

“Every person working on our roads deserves to make it home safely at the end of the day,” Governor Lamont said. “This week is a reminder that behind every cone and barrier are our neighbors doing essential work to keep our infrastructure safe and strong. Together, we can prevent tragedies and make Connecticut’s roads safer for everyone.”

For more than 25 years, CTDOT’s volunteer-led Work Zone Safety Awareness Committee has worked to eliminate work zone fatalities through education and outreach initiatives.

Work zone crashes remain a major safety issue in Connecticut and nationwide. According to data from the Connecticut Crash Data Repository at UConn, between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024, there were more than 2,000 crashes and six fatalities in Connecticut work zones. Nationally in 2022, the most recent year of verifiable data, there were 891 work zone fatalities.

“Roads are not racetracks,” Commissioner Eucalitto said. “This past year has been especially difficult for us at CTDOT as we lost one of our own, Andrew DiDomenico, in a tragic work zone crash. We need drivers to slow down, stay alert, and Obey the Orange because their choices behind the wheel impact real people, real families, and entire communities.”

“Completing work on the highway is a challenge when vehicles are driving by at high speeds,” Colonel Daniel Loughman, commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police, said. “Please remember that our first responders and CTDOT crews work on the roads at all hours of the day, and we count on drivers to slow down in work zones. At the end of their shifts, they want to return home.”

In 2023, during Connecticut’s one-year pilot program for work zone speed safety cameras, nearly 25,000 motorists received written warnings for exceeding speed limits by 15 miles per hour or more in designated work zones. A permanent work zone camera program is expected to launch again in 2025.

How the public can support Work Zone Awareness Week

There are several ways people can raise awareness about work zone safety.

Wednesday, April 23, is Go Orange Day, and CTDOT is inviting the public to wear orange and post photos on social media with the hashtags #NWZAW, #ObeyTheOrange, and #Orange4Safety to promote work zone safety awareness.

On Friday, April 25, at 12:00 p.m., CTDOT is encouraging everyone to pause for a moment of silence to honor the 39 CTDOT employees and all people who have tragically lost their lives in work zone crashes.

For up-to-date information, safety tips, and news regarding work zone safety, visit ObeyTheOrange.com.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK firmly rejects all acts designed to destabilise Haiti: UK statement at the UN Security Council

Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Speech

The UK firmly rejects all acts designed to destabilise Haiti: UK statement at the UN Security Council

Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Minister Counsellor, at the UN Security Council meeting on Haiti.

The UK is extremely concerned by the significant escalation of violence in Haiti.

Over 2,600 Haitians have been murdered over the past three months, including nearly 400 women and children.

We continue to hear horrifying accounts of sexual and gender-based violence targeting women, girls and boys.

One third of cases of sexual violence against children in Haiti in 2024 were gang rapes.

Through coordinated attacks on civilian communities, including the deliberate destruction of schools, churches and businesses, gangs continue to target the innocent and inflict horror on the people of Haiti.

Mr President, there are troubling reports of coordination between criminal gangs in order to destabilise Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council as they try to ensure security across the country.

We firmly reject all acts designed to destabilise Haiti.

The UK is committed to maintaining pressure via the implementation of sanctions on those who seek to destabilise Haiti, and we call for the full implementation of the UN sanctions regime and the arms embargo in Haiti.

The UK supports the efforts of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, Prime Minister Fils-Aimé and all stakeholders to work towards a secure and stable Haiti.

But now is the time for even greater action to restore security and to allow for elections to enable a transfer of power to an elected successor in February 2026.

This includes an urgent need for the Haitian National Police, supported by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, to re-establish control over all areas of Port-au-Prince.

The UK thanks Kenya for its continued leadership of the MSS mission and pays tribute to those, both Kenyan and Haitian, who have lost their lives in the pursuit of restoring security for the Haitian people.

In light of the deteriorating security situation, it is clear that the MSS mission and the Haitian security forces need to be adequately supported to fulfil their mission.

This Council needs urgently to consider the recommendations of the Secretary General and agree how we can support the enhanced UN security support to Haiti.

Collectively, we must find a way to deliver stability and lasting peace for the people of Haiti.

Updates to this page

Published 21 April 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Transnational Repression Operation
Source: Government of Canada News

As part of its mandate to monitor the digital information ecosystem during the general election, the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force has observed a transnational repression (TNR) operation targeting the 45^th general election.

Sample Images

These are just some examples among many. It is important for the SITE Task Force to avoid amplifying this type of transnational repression campaign any further.

Background

In December 2024, Hong Kong Police announced they would provide monetary rewards for information that would lead to the arrest of six individuals living overseas, including two Canadians.

The decision by Hong Kong to issue international bounties and cancel the passports of democracy activists and former Hong Kong lawmakers, is deplorable. This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct TNR“>TNR abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated.

One of the six individuals targeted by Hong Kong is Joe Tay, Conservative Party candidate for Don Valley North,

and known for his opposition to PRC“>PRC laws and practices in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The People’s Republic of China (PRC), including Mainland China and Hong Kong, uses a variety of tactics to carry out TNR activities. It exploits PRC-based family members to pressure those in Canada to cease certain activities the PRC views as hostile, or to return to the PRC. It also threatens PRC-based family members with a range of potential coercive actions, including detention or financial penalties. The PRC also leverages overseas actors to monitor, surveil and report on others in Canada.

To support its TNR activities, the PRC uses its diplomatic missions, PRC-linked organizations affiliated with the United Front Work Department, community organizations and influential community leaders, among others.

About transnational repression

Transnational Repression (TNR) takes place when foreign governments reach beyond their state borders to advance their interests or silence criticism and dissent using intimidation, threats or violence, often against diaspora and exile communities.

TNR activities typically target political dissidents, human rights and democracy defenders, and religious and ethnic minority groups. But TNR also increasingly targets the people and organizations that defend the victims. This can include activists, international students and scholars, lawyers and doctors, as well as journalists.

Hostile state actors will use a variety of tactics to extend their reach into Canada:
- Physical intimidation and violence: Monitoring and surveillance, vandalism, threats, abduction, assault, or attempted murder. Actors can use coercion or assault as punishment or to influence opinion, and hostile state actors sometimes hire organized crime groups or proxies for this.
- Threats against overseas relatives and other connections: Threats against relatives and partners in the home country, to relay messages or force an action in Canada. This creates a sense of vulnerability, as close relations abroad may be victim to the laws and regulations of a non-democratic country.
- Legal manipulation: Foreign states abusing legal mechanisms for coercive purposes, like libel suits, extraditions agreements, bounties for information on individuals, Interpol Red Notices, imposing sanctions, and refusing visa applications for personal or professional travel.
- Community ostracism: Rejection from community associations, use of labels such as ‘extremist’ or ‘traitor’, or loss of access to social events and employment opportunities.
- Malicious Digital Activity: Hacking, cyberbullying, targeted deepfakes, online defamation and disinformation, doxxing, or threatening online messages.
Impact

TNR causes harm both to the victims and the community.
- At the individual level, there is a profound psychological impact on victims who experience TNR. They might experience fear, anxiety, and stress due to the continuous surveillance and harassment they face. In fact, just knowing that a foreign government can monitor their activities or harm their families can lead many victims of TNR to self-censor or withdraw from public life.
- At the community level, TNR creates mistrust and division. Targeted communities may become fragmented as individuals fear infiltration by foreign agents or retaliation for associating with activists.
Transnational Repression Operation

During the writ period, SITE has observed two significant trends related to Mr. Tay across multiple social media platforms.
1. Inauthentic and coordinated amplification of content related to the bounty and arrest warrant against Mr. Tay, as well as content related to his competence for political office.
  The SITE Task Force has seen that multiple accounts or platforms published or interacted with content at similar times and dates – sometimes within minutes or even seconds of each other. This creates an increased volume of content, making it more likely that users of these platforms are exposed to the amplified narratives.
2. Deliberate suppression of search results, or “keyword filtering” censoring Mr. Tay’s name in simplified and traditional Chinese on platforms based in the PRC.
  The SITE Task Force is observing deliberate efforts to suppress any new content about Mr. Tay, and when users search his name, the search engine only returns information about the bounty.
This is not about a single incident with high levels of engagement. It is a series of deliberate and persistent activity across multiple platforms – those in which Chinese-speaking users in Canada are active, including: Facebook, WeChat, TikTok, RedNote, and Douyin, a sister-app of TikTok for the Chinese market.

Overall engagement levels since December 2024 have been low, with an increase at various points during the writ period. The combined instances, inauthentic and coordinated amplification across multiple platforms, and the concerning trend of deliberate search suppression on platforms frequented by Canadians, have led us to determine that voters need to be aware.

It is clear that this was a deliberate attempt to amplify inauthentic content. However, at least until this point, that content has not generated much traction.

Reporting transnational repression

If you are in immediate danger, always call 9-1-1.
1. Take a record of events:
  As soon as it is safe, write down or record the situation as precisely as possible. Include descriptive details about the person, date and time, location, other witnesses, and event. For instance: Did it happen in-person? Was it a phone call? An email? Any security cameras or witnesses nearby?
2. Report it:
  Contact your local police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Clearly articulate why you believe you are being targeted and mention that you believe this is transnational repression.
Even if the piece of information provided may not on its own be something that meets a criminal threshold, it may be a building block that helps police to identify threats, support a larger police response, or even contribute to another ongoing investigation.

When the matter concerns your vote, you can also reach out to the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, and the SITE Task Force.

MIL OSI Canada News –
April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Wins Three Cases to Allow for Sustainable Timber Management Including Harvesting

Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

Headline: Justice Department Wins Three Cases to Allow for Sustainable Timber Management Including Harvesting

The President’s directive to expand timber production touches on a number, whole-of-government efforts needed to improve forest management. The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) plays an important role in defending those agencies’ actions, and recently the division successfully defended projects in Montana, Idaho, and California that underscore this work.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Oshkosh Man Indicted on Production of Child Pornography Charges

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 15, 2025, a federal grand jury issued an indictment alleging that Bradley D. Hounsell (age: 43) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, “attempted to and did employ a minor under the age of 18, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct” in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a), 2251(e), and 2(a).

According to the unsealed indictment, between on or about November 4, 2023, and November 8, 2023, Hounsell is alleged to have employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor for the purpose transporting child pornography via the internet. If convicted of the offense, Hounsell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years of incarceration. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and would be required to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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

# # #

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer

Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

414-297-1700

Follow us on Twitter

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Previously Convicted Felons from Waushara County Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Firearms, including Machineguns

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 15, 2025, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced John D. Taylor (age: 37) to a total of eight years’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release after Taylor pled guilty to Dealing Firearms Without a License, Felon in Possession of Firearms, Transfer and Possession of Machineguns, and Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(1)(A), 922(g)(1), 922(o), & 924(c).

Relatedly, on November 22, 2024, Judge Griesbach had sentenced Taylor’s co-defendant, Allison A. Mundt (age: 31) to a total of seven years’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release after Mundt pled guilty to Dealing Firearms Without a License, Felon in Possession of Firearms, and Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(1)(A), 922(g)(1), & 924(c).

According to court records, in March and April 2024, law-enforcement officers developed information that Taylor and Mundt, previously convicted felons living in Waushara County, were offering firearms for sale. Law enforcement arranged controlled purchases of firearms and methamphetamine from Taylor and Mundt, which culminated in a search warrant. In all, the investigation recovered approximately 35 firearms, including machineguns, short-barrel rifles, short-barrel shotguns, and pistols, some with no serial numbers.
Officers also seized drum magazines and other high-capacity magazines, over 1,700 rounds of ammunition, and an ounce of methamphetamine intended for distribution.

In sentencing Taylor and Mundt, Judge Griesbach stressed that trafficking in firearms without a license circumvents background checks, increasing the risk that firearms will end up in the hands of convicted felons and other prohibited persons. The court noted that such conduct is even more dangerous with machineguns and other high-capacity rifles and pistols. Moreover, these defendants were previously convicted felons who were using and distributing methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Waushara County Sheriff’s Department, Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group Drug Unit, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Funnel.

# # #

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer

Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

414-297-1700

Follow us on Twitter

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Social Enterprise Grant Program now open

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Our CBR is the ACT Government’s key channel to connect with Canberrans and keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the city. Our CBR includes a monthly print edition, email newsletter and website.

You can easily opt in or out of the newsletter subscription at any time.

MIL OSI News –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: York County man arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material* chargesRead More

Source: US State of South Carolina

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Daniel Cole Prince, 28, of Catawba, S.C., on five charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the York County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, also a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation.

Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Prince. Investigators state Prince possessed files of child sexual abuse material.

Prince was arrested on April 11, 2025. He is charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree (§16-15-410), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.

This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

* Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant. Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Bay Area Defendants Plead Guilty to Bank Robberies in the Eastern District of California and the East Bay

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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Dontae Jerome Jones Jr., 20, and JoMya Mauriyne Futch, 21, each pleaded guilty today to one count of bank robbery, and Futch pleaded guilty to one count of perjury, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

On March 13, 2025, co-defendant Yasmin Charisse Millett, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.

According to court documents, between June 2023 and September 2024, Jones and Millett conspired to commit at least 10 bank robberies in Sacramento, Vallejo, Suisun City, Benicia, Concord, and Antioch. Jones and Millett worked together and with others, primarily women they recruited, such as Futch, to facilitate a patterned series of bank robberies. The participants drove to bank and credit union branches, entered the branches with threatening notes demanding money, presented the notes to branch employees, took cash, and exited the branches to a waiting getaway car. Generally, the notes would instruct the bank employees to provide money or “I will kill everyone in here.” After a successful robbery, the members of the conspiracy distributed the stolen money amongst themselves.

Jones and Millett actively sought and groomed recruits to act as the note passers. Millett advertised the conspiracy on Instagram in videos and photographs of herself and other participants holding large amounts of cash. Jones and Millett sometimes directed recruits to wear dark sunglasses during the robberies to conceal their identities and carry purses in order to carry the stolen money away from the banks and credit unions.

On July 17, 2023, Jones and Millett used a stolen white Audi A7 with dark tinted windows to pick up Futch and commit a bank robbery at a credit union in Suisun City. Jones and Millett provided Futch with instructions on how to commit the robbery. Jones and Millett waited in the vehicle while Futch entered the bank and handed an employee a note demanding money, threatening to shoot the employee if the employee did not comply with the demand. After reading the note, the employee gave Futch money. Futch returned to the waiting getaway vehicle and Jones, Millett, and Futch each took a portion of the stolen money.

The next day, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the stolen white Audi A7. Millett was driving the stolen car and Jones was the front seat passenger. During the traffic stop, law enforcement officers found bait money on Millett and Jones from the bank robbery that occurred the day before in Suisun City. The officers also found a crumpled post-it demand note on the driver’s seat that stated, “Don’t Make eye contact Don’t look suspicious Don’t Push emergency Button Put smile on your face or I will shoot.”

On Aug. 15, 2024, Futch appeared as a witness under oath before a grand jury and knowingly made false statements. During her testimony, Futch stated that on July 17, 2023, she believed that she was going to open up a bank account for Millett—not commit a robbery. Futch further claimed that she had no clue that she was committing a bank robbery, and maintained throughout her testimony that she did not know about any plan to commit a bank robbery. However, these statements were false because Millett informed Futch about her plans to commit a bank robbery in the days leading up to July 17, 2023, and Futch had agreed to commit bank robberies with Millett and Jones.

This case is the product of an investigation by FBI field offices in San Francisco and Sacramento, with assistance from the Police Departments of Sacramento, Vacaville, Suisun City, Vallejo, Antioch, Benicia, Concord, Hayward, and Fremont, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins is prosecuting the case.

Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley is scheduled to sentence Jones and Futch on Aug. 7, 2025. Jones and Futch face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the bank robbery conviction. Futch faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for her perjury conviction. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Residential Marijuana Grows in Sacramento and Placer Counties

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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xiu Ping Li, 48, residing in Skillman, New Jersey, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years in prison and four years of supervised release for three counts of manufacturing marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, Li operated multiple residential marijuana grows in Sacramento and Placer Counties that yielded more than 8,000 marijuana plants and 21.4 pounds of processed marijuana found during the execution of search warrants in 2016 and 2017. Li also acknowledged using proceeds from a marijuana grow to buy another property to continue growing marijuana.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Elk Grove Police Department, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Scott, LA Non-Profit Corporation and Two Daughters Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

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

LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal grand jury in Lafayette, Louisiana has returned an indictment charging a Lafayette man and his two daughters with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Child and Adult Care Food Program (“the Program”), a federal program operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.

The indictment charges Brian Desormeaux, 64, and his two daughters, Amy Desormeaux Hernandez, 38, and Lenzi Desormeaux Babineaux, 34, each with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. According to the indictment, Regional Nutrition Assistance, Inc. (“RNA”) was a Louisiana non-profit corporation located in Scott, Louisiana and was owned and operated by Brian Desormeaux and he served as its Executive Director. Amy Desoremaux Hernandez served as its Assistant Director and Lenzi Desormeaux Babineaux served as its Senior Program Manager.

RNA was a “Sponsoring Organization” for the Program and was responsible for administering it in certain locations, including “Day Care Homes,” which are organized childcare programs for children enrolled in a private home. The Program authorizes assistance to states through grants-in-aid and other means to assist non-profit food service programs for children and adult participants in non-residential institutions that provide care. It is intended to provide aid to the participants and family or group day care homes to provide nutritious foods for the health and wellness of young children, older adults, and chronically impaired persons.

The indictment alleges that the defendants had access to KidKare/Minute Menu HX, the online portal used by Sponsoring Organizations to administer the Program. It is alleged that it was part of the conspiracy that defendant Amy Hernandez would access the online portal at the beginning of the month to change Day Care Home Providers to “inactive” status to avoid monitoring and oversight by the Louisiana Department of Education (“LDOE”). Then at the end of the month, she would change those “inactive” Day Care Home providers back to “active” status so that claims could be submitted to LDOE for reimbursement by USDA.

Allegations in the indictment state that all three defendants submitted or caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to LDOE for reimbursement from USDA, to include claims that children were being cared for and fed at Day Care Home providers when in fact, they were not. In fact, it is alleged that some of those Day Care Home providers were deceased at the time claims were made on their behalf.

The indictment also alleges that Lenzi Desormeaux Babineaux submitted false and fraudulent state fire marshal inspection reports for Day Care Home providers so that they would be in compliance with LDOE’s requirements for inclusion in the Program, which was necessary for reimbursements. The indictment further alleges that these three defendants submitted false and fraudulent claims seeking reimbursement they were not entitled to, causing LDOE and USDA to pay at least $400,000 in fraudulent claims.

If convicted, each defendant faces not more than 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on each count.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Louisiana State Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren L. Gardner.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Wins Three Cases to Allow for Sustainable Timber Management Including Harvesting

Source: United States Attorneys General 1

The President’s directive to expand timber production touches on a number, whole-of-government efforts needed to improve forest management. The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) plays an important role in defending those agencies’ actions, and recently the division successfully defended projects in Montana, Idaho, and California that underscore this work.

In Montana, ENRD defended the Forest Service’s South Plateau Landscape Area Treatment Project on the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The project is designed to increase landscape resiliency to insects and disease, help protect a nearby community from wildland fire and contribute to a sustained yield of timber products. The magistrate judge recommended the district court uphold the project after finding, among other things, consistent and science-based support in the project’s approach to grizzly bear and lynx and their habitat.

In the Central District of California, ENRD defended the North Big Bear Landscape Restoration Project in the San Bernardino National Forest. The project will thin trees and reduce wildfire risk, and the district court’s decision affirmed the Forest Service’s review of the science and makes clear that thinning trees is not always controversial and thus subject to additional levels of scrutiny.

A third case in Idaho focused on two large forest health restoration projects on Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests in Idaho. The projects will improve forest health, reduce fire risk, and provide timber that will support the social and economic structure of local rural communities and provide for regional and national needs. The Forest Service had done an extensive environmental impact statement and other work to comply with a 2021 order from the district court. The court found that the Forest Service’s work addressed its concerns and provided thorough analyses, paving the way for the projects to proceed.

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Houston ISD Official and Contractor Guilty in Nine-Year, Multimillion-Dollar Fraud Scheme

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

HOUSTON – A Houston federal jury has returned guilty verdicts against the former chief operating officer of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and an HISD contractor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX).

The jury deliberated for only six hours before convicting Brian Busby and Anthony Hutchison following a four-week trial. Both were convicted of conspiracy, bribery, filing false tax returns and witness tampering. Hutchison was also convicted of seven counts of wire fraud.

Over the course of the trial, the jury heard testimony from over 50 witnesses regarding the 33 charged counts involving bribery, false invoicing schemes, witness tampering and tax violations. Five former HISD officials testified, all of whom received bribe payments – Rhonda Skillern-Jones, former HISD Board of Education president; Derrick Sanders, officer of construction services; Alfred Hoskins, general manager of facilities, maintenance and operations; Gerron Hall, area manager for maintenance – south; and Luis Tovar, area manager for maintenance – north.

They described the pressure Busby put on them to provide Hutchison’s companies more work with HISD as well as larger projects following Hurricane Harvey. They recounted how they received tens of thousands of dollars over the course of 2017 and 2018 or longer.

Skillern-Jones testified Busby told her she should use Hutchison’s company on school projects with the funds remaining from the school bond passed in 2012. They agreed that if the contract was given to Hutchison, then they could make some money off the projects. Following completion of the Holland Middle School and Pleasantville Elementary School projects, Busby met with Skillern-Jones outside of a Walmart parking lot to give her $12,000 in cash from Hutchison as the bribery payment for allocating her district’s portion of bond funds for projects Hutchison performed.

Sanders, who also socialized with Busby and Hutchison, described taking trips to Las Vegas with them where he would be paid bribes and recounted their lavish purchases. On one occasion when Hutchison paid him, he exclaimed “next,” signaling Busby to come into the room for his payment.

Hoskins testified his maintenance team did not want to use Just Construction because it was often more expensive than other vendors, but Busby pressured him to give Hutchison’s company more work. Testimony further revealed they would bypass the rotation or bid process in selecting vendors and just provide work directly to Hutchison’s companies.

The jury also saw a handwritten ledger seized from Hutchison’s residence which contained detailed notes of all HISD projects awarded to Just Construction. It included entries for bribe payments and locations where they were made.

Detailed evidence also revealed the extensive invoicing fraud scheme Hutchison perpetrated through his company Southwest Wholesale. Since 2015, Southwest Wholesale had been the exclusive mowing and landscape contractor for HISD. The jury heard testimony demonstrating how Hutchison continuously overbilled for years for the approximately 150 schools he was contracted to mow. He also similarly charged HISD over twice the cost of what he paid for the supplies and marked that inflated charge up 20%. He consistently overbilled HISD over the course of years for a loss in excess of $6 million.

Busby also made excessive cash deposits to over 18 bank accounts which was far more than his legitimate income. He attempted to explain it based on other sources of income, but the jury was not convinced it accounted for the close to $3 million cash deposits made over the course of five years that were not declared in his income tax returns for 2015-2019.

Hutchison similarly filed false tax returns in 2017 and 2018 wherein he deducted improper business expenses. Specifically, Hutchison obtained cash he used to pay bribes to HISD officials by writing company checks to vendors, who cashed the checks and provided the cash to him. He falsely stated on the memo line that they were in payment for work performed on HISD properties. He then caused the checks to be improperly deducted on corporate tax returns as business expenses. In reality, they were cashed to pay extensive gambling debts and cash bribe payments.

Hoskins also testified about the steps Busby and Hutchison took to interfere with the investigation. Specifically, Busby called Hoskins and told him to tell investigators Busby had nothing to do with the award of the maintenance contract to Hutchison and his company. Hoskins also described how Hutchison advised him that police had a handwritten ledger with numbers on it and that Hoskins should say it was for gambling.

“HISD is the largest school district in the state, and the people of Houston trusted that district officials would spend their tax dollars wisely and carefully. Instead, Busby and Hutchinson defrauded the school district and the taxpayers of millions of dollars, doing so to line their own pockets,” said Ganjei. “People need to have faith in their public institutions, and they can become understandably cynical when they hear of public servants stealing from school kids by taking bribes and over-billing. SDTX aimed to restore that public trust by bringing this multi-year investigation to trial, which lasted over four weeks and involved over 50 witnesses. I’m proud of the trial team for delivering justice here, and I thank our incredible law enforcement partners. Most of all, I’d like to thank the jury for devoting their precious time and attention over the past month. This case demonstrates that theft from schools won’t be tolerated and that the public can have confidence in their institutions.”

“For years, Busby and Hutchison defrauded the largest public school system in Texas out of millions of dollars – money that was intended to benefit the students of HISD,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “In turn, Busby and Hutchison also defrauded the taxpayers whose hard-earned dollars were fraudulently diverted for their greed and personal gain. Public corruption cases like this one are challenging to investigate and prove and erode the trust we place on our public servants. At the end of the day, we want to make sure corrupt individuals like Busby and Hutchison are brought to justice. Today’s guilty verdict is a step towards that justice. I’m proud of FBI Houston’s public corruption squad for the results of its years-long investigation and thank them, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for their commitment to this case and to its thousands of victims.”

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen presided over the trial and has set sentencing for July 28. At that time, Busby and Hutchison face up to five, 10 and 20 years, respectively, for the conspiracy, bribery and witness tampering charges. Hutchison also faces up to 20 years for each count of wire fraud. All charges also carry a $250,000 maximum possible fine.

Skillern-Jones, 39, Houston; Sanders, 50, Hoskins, 58, Hall, 48, all of Missouri City; and Tovar, 39, Huffman have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charges. They face up to five years in prison.

Busby and Hutchison were permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.

The FBI and IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Johnson and Heather R. Winter are prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Turns 45

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

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is marking the 45th anniversary of its first Joint Terrorism Task Force. Formed in New York in 1980, the first JTTF became a model for law enforcement cooperation across the nation.

Today, the FBI has a JTTF at each of its 55 field offices and at many of its smaller offices—about 280 locations in all. JTTFs gather investigators, intelligence analysts, linguists, and tactical experts from federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Task force members share intelligence and investigative leads and respond to threats and incidents.

“The JTTF model clearly demonstrates the power of law enforcement cooperation at all levels,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Preventing terrorism is a no-fail mission. Only by working together can we keep the nation safe.”

The FBI’s JTTF model dates to the 1979, when the New York Police Department and the FBI’s New York Field Office tackled the surge in violent bank robberies by pooling resources and expertise through a joint task force. In 1980, when terrorist bombings, bomb threats, and other violence plagued the city, officials decided to imitate the bank robbery task force. They announced the formation of the first JTTF in April 1980.

The first JTTF had 10 special agents and 10 police officers. The number of task forces grew over the years, with 35 JTTFs operating by the time terrorists attacked on 9/11. Shortly after 9/11, the FBI required all field offices to establish a JTTF. By the end of 2024, JTTFs drew nearly 4,400 members from 528 state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies and 53 federal agencies.

The FBI established its National Joint Terrorism Task Force to support the local task forces in June of 2002. The NJTTF at FBI Headquarters enhances communication, coordination, and cooperation from partner agencies.

JTTFs have disrupted dozens of plots in the past four decades, including a plan to attack millennial celebrations in Los Angeles in 2000; a plan to detonate a car bomb in Times Square in New York in 2010; and plans to sow chaos in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2022 and 2023 by destroying energy facilities.

JTTFs are also among the first responders to arrive at the scenes of horrific violence—whether they are terrorist-based or not—and lead the investigations of terrorist incidents.

Among the cases JTTFs have investigated are the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York; the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998; the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000; the 9/11 attacks in 2001; the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013; the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, in 2015; the shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida in 2019; and the January 1, 2025, truck attack in New Orleans.

Additional Resources:

MIL Security OSI –

April 22, 2025