Category: Law

MIL-OSI USA: Good To Go! warns of scam texts

Source: Washington State News 2

OLYMPIA – Good To Go! is asking people to be cautious as scammers are impersonating toll agencies nationwide. They are attempting to trick people into making payments and sharing their banking information.

Good To Go! is aware of fraudulent text messages claiming to be from Good To Go! and linking to a convincing fake website mirroring the official one for that payment. The text messages were not sent by Good To Go!. Good To Go! never sends texts asking for payment.

People who suspect they’ve received a scam text should not click on any of the links. Instead, they should log into their account as any information Good To Go! would send about a toll bill will also be visible on your account. If you do not have a Good To Go! account Good To Go! would not send you a text. Good To Go! never asks customers to pay on websites other than Good To Go! and does not charge additional fees to make a payment.

Good To Go! encourages anyone who received a fraudulent text to file a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. Be sure to include the phone number or email address from where the message was sent, and the website listed in the text of the message.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Coos Bay Man Faces Federal Charges for Producing and Distributing Child Pornography

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

EUGENE, Ore.—A Coos Bay, Oregon man was arraigned in federal court today for possessing, distributing, attempting to produce, and producing child pornography.

Thomas Owen Barnett, 39, has been charged with attempting to use and using a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and possessing and distributing child pornography.

According to court documents, between September and December 2023, Barnett is alleged to have knowingly and intentionally used a minor to engage in and record sexually explicit conduct. In September 2024, Barnett is further alleged to have used Kik and Instagram, online social media platforms, to engage in chats involving child sex abuse, seek opportunities to engage in child sexual abuse, and advertise the sale of child pornography. At times, Barnett posed as a young man or a minor female to persuade his victims to produce and exchange child pornography, including requests for sexually explicit materials depicting an infant.

Barnett made his initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on May 27, 2025.

Attempting to use a minor and using a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct are each punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison with a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence, distribution of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years in prison with a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence, and possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. If convicted, Barnett also faces up to a lifetime term of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 for each count.

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

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

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

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Bonanno Crime Family Soldier Sentenced to 37 Months’ Imprisonment for Extortionate Collection of Credit

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendant Continued to Demand Payments from Victim While Facing Charges for Illegal Collection of a Debt and Under Court Supervision

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, John Ragano, also known as “Bazoo,” a member of the Bonanno organized crime family, was sentenced by United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez to 37 months in prison for extortionate collection of credit in connection with a $150,000 loan. The sentence imposed today will be served following the completion of Ragano’s 57-month sentence for the conspiracy to commit extortionate collection of credit of the same victim. Additionally, as part of the sentence, Ragano was ordered to pay the government $3,000 in forfeiture. Ragano was convicted of the charge in October 2024 following a four-day jury trial.

John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.

“Today’s sentence punishes Ragano’s blatant disregard for the law, even while under court supervision for crimes brazenly carried out within the federal courthouse,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “This prosecution represents my Office’s steadfast commitment to combatting the Mafia in our district.”

“Despite previous arrests and detention, John Ragano tormented his victim to make weekly exorbitant loan payments and enforced humiliating methods when faced with resistance,” stated Acting FBI Assistant Director in Charge Backschies. “His actions reflected his apathy to the criminal justice system as he repeatedly attempted to extort his victims in the midst of active legal proceedings. Today’s verdict emphasizes the FBI’s intolerance of the mob’s historical inclination to utilize coercive and threatening tactics to fulfill their greedy demands.

In early 2021, the defendant Ragano loaned the victim $150,000 in cash and required the victim to make interest payments of approximately $1,800 a week. These payments did not reduce the principal of the $150,000 loan. On September 14, 2021, Ragano was arrested in connection with the extortionate loan to the victim, as well as separate schemes to traffic marijuana and commit fraud. After Ragano was released on bond from the Metropolitan Detention Center in December 2021, he continued to try to collect the $150,000 loan from the victim while under pretrial supervision. He did so by approaching the victim in-person at status conferences held at the federal courthouse, and by directing another individual (Individual #1) to contact the victim. On November 28, 2022, Ragano pleaded guilty to conspiring to issue the extortionate loan to the victim. However, in 2023, despite his previous guilty plea, ongoing court supervision, and sentence to 57 months’ imprisonment in connection with his previous guilty plea as to the 2021 loan, Ragano continued to extort the victim to collect payments on the 2021 loan, which resulted in a subsequent indictment for extortionate collection of credit and harassment of a witness.

As proven during Ragano’s October 2024 trial, on March 25, 2023, the victim recorded a meeting with Individual #1, who explained that Ragano wanted the entire amount of the loan repaid and that “nobody’s looking for anybody to get hurt.” A week later, on March 31, 2023, Individual #1 told the victim that Ragano was “a little upset” that the loan was outstanding. On July 5, 2023, the victim went to a used auto parts yard where Ragano worked to discuss the loan. Unbeknownst to Ragano, the victim recorded the meeting. The victim told Ragano that he was going to stop repaying the loan. Ragano accused the victim of cooperating with the government and demanded that he remove all his clothes. Ragano stated: “Okay, well then take off your f–king s–t right now my man. Take off your f–king pants right now, lemme see, I want to see.” At Ragano’s insistence, the victim complied and took off all his clothing. At that point, two men at the business walked up behind Ragano, one of whom was holding metal tools. Ragano then demanded the victim pay the money the defendant believed he was owed, telling him, “You owe me my f—king money, let’s see how you’re gonna do when I get out.” Despite being forced to strip naked, the victim was still able to record the confrontation, including Ragano’s parting words, “I’ll see you when I get out tough guy…Don’t forget I know where you’re at now.”

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Devon Lash and Andrew D. Reich are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kristina Kim. Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.

The Defendant:

JOHN RAGANO (also known as “Bazoo”)
Age: 62
Franklin Square, Long Island

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-50 (HG)

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Previously Deported Sentenced to Six Years for Illegal Firearm

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National illegally residing in Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Mario Alberto Hernandez-Lugo, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to six years in federal prison without parole.

On August 1, 2024, Hernandez-Lugo pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Hernandez-Lugo admitted he was in possession of a Beretta, 9mm pistol and .45 caliber and 9mm ammunition following his arrest during a traffic stop by Independence, Missouri Police Officers on May 28, 2023.

Under federal law it is illegal for any alien knowingly illegally or unlawfully in the United States to possess a firearm or ammunition. Hernandez-Lugo admitted he was in the United States illegally, having been previously deported and removed from the United States. At sentencing District Judge Greg Kays noted that Hernandez-Lugo had previously been deported or removed from the United States on seven separate occasions.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Kansas City and Independence, Missouri Police Departments, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

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

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s defiance of a federal court order fuels a constitutional crisis − a legal scholar unpacks the complicated case

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University

The Supreme Court is seen on March 17, 2025, one day before Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare rebuke of a president. Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act on March 15, 2025, and deported about 200 Venezuelan immigrants his administration alleged have ties to a Venezuelan gang. U.S. District Court Judge James Bloasberg verbally issued an order that same day telling the government that the planes carrying the deportees must return to the United States.

The U.S. government, though, allowed the flights to continue and for the Venezuelans to be detained at a facility in El Salvador infamous for its mistreatment of prisoners.

The subsequent legal back-and-forth, which is still going on, intensified so quickly and dramatically that many legal scholars say the U.S. is past the point of a constitutional crisis, as the Trump administration appears to be defying a federal court order, for which Boasberg may hold the government in contempt. Trump has also called for Bloasberg to be impeached. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts then issued a rare public statement that day rejecting Trump’s statement.

“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said in a written statement on March 18.

Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor at The Conversation U.S., posed a few questions to Cassandra Burke Robertson, a scholar of civil proceedings and legal ethics, to break down some of the dynamics of this complex, evolving case.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Is it rare for a Supreme Court justice to weigh in on politicians’ activities or statements?

It’s uncommon for a Supreme Court justice to publicly contradict a president. Roberts has typically shown great respect for the separation of powers between branches of government. He has also consistently recognized that presidents have broad authority to run the federal government.

However, this isn’t the first time Roberts has spoken up to protect judicial independence. During Trump’s first term in 2018, the president criticized rulings as coming from “Obama judges.” Roberts responded publicly, and said, “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.”

Why is Roberts’ statement of note, and what influence does he have in this situation?

Roberts leads the U.S. Supreme Court. He also oversees all federal courts across the country.

Roberts takes this leadership role very seriously. He has been willing to speak up when he believes something threatens judicial operations and independence.

Since Roberts was confirmed as chief justice in 2005, he has often spoken publicly about why judges need to remain independent from political pressure. He has pointed out four main threats to judges’ independence: “violence, intimidation, disinformation and threats to defy lawfully entered judgments.”

When Roberts makes a public statement, it carries weight because he speaks as the top judicial officer in the country. His words are a reminder about the importance of keeping courts free from political interference.

What is most important for people to understand about the Alien Enemies Act case that Judge Boasberg is currently considering?

First, Trump is using a rarely used wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act. This law allows for deportations during a time of war without the normal legal protections like court hearings. Some legal experts argue that Trump doesn’t have the authority to use this law since the U.S. isn’t officially at war with Venezuela or with the gang the administration has cited, Tren de Aragua. They worry that invoking the Alien Enemies Act inappropriately expands presidential power beyond constitutional limits and could be misused to target other immigrant groups.

Second, Boasberg ordered a stop to these deportations on March 15. But the Trump administration went ahead with the deportations anyway. It later claimed it did not violate the judge’s order because the planes were over international waters. Under our legal system, the executive branch must obey valid court orders. This case raises concerns about whether the president is respecting the authority of the courts.

James E. Boasberg, chief judge of the District Court, District of Columbia.
https://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/content/chief-judge-james-e-boasberg

Third, Trump has publicly called for Boasberg to be impeached, saying the judge overstepped his authority by ruling against the president’s actions. There’s no evidence that Boasberg acted corruptly or improperly – he simply made a legal ruling the president disagreed with.

The case touches on fundamental questions about the balance of power between presidents and courts, and what happens when an administration chooses not to follow a judge’s orders. This confrontation between branches represents one of the most direct challenges to judicial authority by a president in American history.

What would it take for a judge to be impeached, and what is the precedent for doing so, based on disagreements about a case?

Federal judges can only be impeached by Congress for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” That generally means serious wrongdoing, not just making unpopular decisions.

The impeachment process for judges works just like it does for presidents.

First, the House of Representatives votes to impeach, needing just a simple majority. Then, the Senate holds a trial where a two-thirds majority is needed to remove the judge.

Only 15 federal judges have ever been impeached in the U.S., and of those, only eight were convicted by the Senate.

The only two judicial impeachments during this century involved very serious misconduct – including a judge who lied about sexually abusing two female employees in 2009.

Only judges who have serious misconduct have been impeached and removed from office – not those involved in cases of political disagreements about judicial decisions.

What are the most important legal and ethical questions that this case raises?

This case raises important questions about the rule of law in the U.S. A key American belief is that no one, not even the president, is above the law. As Thomas Paine famously wrote in 1776, “In America, the law is king.”

This doesn’t mean every court decision is always right. That’s why the legal system has appellate courts, as Roberts pointed out – so decisions people disagree with can be challenged through an appeal in proper channels. My scholarly research on the right to appeal explores how this process serves as a crucial safeguard in the country’s legal system.

Twenty years ago, Roberts also stressed how important the rule of law is, saying it “protects the rights and liberties of all Americans.”

When a government chooses to ignore court orders instead of appealing them through the legal system, it creates a serious threat to this principle. The current situation raises concerns about whether the federal government will continue to respect the boundaries established by the Constitution in the country’s legal system.

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

– ref. Trump’s defiance of a federal court order fuels a constitutional crisis − a legal scholar unpacks the complicated case – https://theconversation.com/trumps-defiance-of-a-federal-court-order-fuels-a-constitutional-crisis-a-legal-scholar-unpacks-the-complicated-case-252591

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Preston Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

Source: US State of Idaho

[BOISE] – Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced that Michael Thomas Baird, 35, was convicted of two (2) counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material. The Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Baird was sentenced on March 13, 2025, by District Judge Cody L. Brower.
“Removing these predators from our communities is a top priority for our office,” said Attorney General Labrador. “Our ICAC prosecutors and investigators work tirelessly to deliver justice for these tragically young victims of abuse. I’m continually grateful for the broad partnerships that have been built across the state to protect kids and put these offenders behind bars.”
In July of 2024, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit received a CyberTip that an account belonging to Baird had uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). On August 20, 2024, officers executed a search warrant on Baird’s home and seized various digital devices. Forensic examiners from the Office of the Attorney General were able to locate various files containing CSAM on devices seized during the search warrant. These files depicted predominately female children between three and eleven (3-11) years of age. Many of the images depicted children engaged in sex acts with adults. Baird was on probation for felony Aggravated Assault and felony Malicious Injury to Property at the time of his arrest.
Judge Brower sentenced Baird to a total of fifteen (15) years in prison. Baird will be eligible for parole after five (5) years, and he will have to register as a sex offender pursuant to Idaho law.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General James Haws. The lead investigator on the case was Korey Payne from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office who serves in the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit. The successful prosecution of this case was the result of a collaborative effort lead by the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit and assisted by various law enforcement agencies across the State, including the Preston Police Department, the Frankin County Sherrif’s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Fish and Game, and the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: MEDIA ADVISORY: House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Hearing

Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Media Contact 202-226-8467

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere will hold a public hearing titled, “INL Should Fight Crime, Not Fight Conservatives” on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.

What: House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Hearing

Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Time: 2:00 p.m. ET

Location: 2200 Rayburn

Subject: INL Should Fight Crime, Not Fight Conservatives

Witnesses:

Ms. Chelsa Kenney

Director

International Affairs and Trade

U.S. Government Accountability Office

Mr. Rodrigo Arenas

Editor in Chief

Republica.com

***Check here for updates. The hearing will be webcast live here and open to the public and press. Members of the media who would like to attend in-person should RSVP with Joe Clark at joseph.clark@mail.house.gov by 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, 2025. ***

MIL OSI USA News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Mississippi Man Indicted for Federal Civil Rights and Arson Charges for Setting Fire to Mormon Church

Source: US State of North Dakota

A federal grand jury in Gulfport, Mississippi, returned a six-count superseding indictment today charging Stefan Day, also known as Stefan Pete Day Rowold, with federal civil rights and arson violations for vandalizing and setting fire to a house of worship.

According to the superseding indictment, on July 5, 2024, and July 7, 2024, Day set fire to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Wiggins, Mississippi. Counts one and four of the superseding indictment charge Day with arson for setting fire to the church. Counts two and five of the superseding indictment charge Day with intentionally damaging, defacing, and destroying religious real property because of the religious character of the property. Counts three and six of the superseding indictment charge Day with using fire to commit a federal felony offense.

If convicted, Day faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the arson charges, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the civil rights charges, and a minimum penalty of ten years in prison for the use of fire to commit a federal felony offense.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi State Fire Marshal, and the Wiggins Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner for the Southern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorney Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

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

MIL OSI USA News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Pictou — RCMP investigating suspicious incident in Pictou

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Pictou County District RCMP is asking for the public’s help in identifying a person of interest following a suspicious incident that occurred in Pictou.

Yesterday, at approximately 10 p.m., RCMP officers responded to a report of an attempted abduction in the area of Denoon St. Investigators learned that an 18-year-old woman was walking home when she was approached by a man who offered her a ride. When the woman declined, the man exited his pickup truck and attempted to grab her.

The victim was not physically injured and ran for help.

The man of interest is described as white and in his 60s. At the time of the incident, he had a long white beard and was wearing a camouflage hat with an antlers emblem on the front, a camouflage jacket, and khaki pants.

The vehicle of interest is described as a white Ford extended cab pickup with a black push bar. The truck was heavily rusted, had a very loud exhaust, and had a burned-out passenger headlight.

Anyone with information about this incident, or with security camera footage of the area, is asked to contact the Pictou County District RCMP at 902-485-4333. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Salt River Man Convicted of Murder and Conspiracy

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

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Wednesday, March 12, 2025, a jury found Clifton Nez Hamalowa, 47, of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, guilty of First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Discharging a Firearm During, In Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. The guilty verdict followed a seven-day jury trial before United States District Court Judge John J. Tuchi.

During trial, evidence showed that Hamalowa became angry with the victim one evening and then shot the victim in the head multiple times the following morning, August 29, 2020. Hamalowa dumped the victim’s body in a remote area of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation. Meanwhile, Hamalowa’s brother disposed of the victim’s car in Parker, Arizona, and Hamalowa’s sister made her daughter clean the victim’s blood from the crime scene on the Gila River Indian Reservation. Over the next two weeks, Hamalowa and his sister also intimidated witnesses into silence. Eventually, a witness was able to contact the Gila River Police Department so that officers could rescue the victim’s minor child who was still in the victim’s home.

Hamalowa’s brother, Thomas Leon Hamalowa, pleaded guilty to Accessory-After-the-Fact to Murder and was sentenced to 108 months in prison on October 23, 2023. Hamalowa’s sister, Devonne Beth Hamalowa, pleaded guilty to Accessory-After-the-Fact to Murder and was sentenced to 84 months in prison on April 1, 2024.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Gila River Police Department jointly investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Travis L. Wheeler, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00751-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-037_Hamalowa

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Stephenville — Man remains under investigation by Bay St. George RCMP for local crime spree

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

A 31-year-old Stephenville man remains under investigation by Bay St. George RCMP for a number of crimes committed on March 17, 2025.

Shortly after 5:00 a.m. on Monday, a pickup truck was stolen from a business on Utah Drive and, around the same time, during a break and enter at a nearby business, generators and a number of propane tanks were stolen.

While investigating the above matters, at approximately 7:00 a.m., police received a report of a stolen all-terrain vehicle (ATV) in Fox Island River. A 2022 Can AM Outlander was stolen from a residential property. The property owner witnessed the theft and followed the suspect. Police attempted to stop the operator of the ATV, who fled the area on the stolen side by side.

Shortly before 11:00 a.m., Bay St. George RCMP recovered the stolen pickup truck in a snow bank near Crane Place in Stephenville. The abandoned vehicle was left running and was seized as part of the investigation.

Shortly after this, the stolen Can Am Outlander ATV was observed by its owner, traveling along the T’railway. Police attended the area and, with the assistance of the owner, the ATV was located and recovered in Heatherton. The suspect was arrested nearby without further incident.

Following these crimes, Bay St. George RCMP received a report of a second ATV that was stolen sometime overnight from a residential property in Point Au Mal, a 2019 black and blue 800 Can Am Commander XT.

Police are continuing to look for the stolen property, including generators, currently of an unknown make or model, propane tanks and the 2019 Can Am Commander. An image of the Can Am Commander side by side ATV is attached.

The investigation is continuing with charges anticipated.

Anyone having information about these crimes or the current location of the stolen property is asked to contact Bay St. George RCMP at 709-643-2118. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Hazleton Men Charged With Drug Trafficking

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Cesar Altagracia Mateo Lara, a/k/a Miguel Carrasquillo Apolinaris, age 46, and Luis Mercado-Alicea, a/k/a Yensi Mateo, age 44, both of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that between November 2024 and February 2025, the defendants conspired to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl. The indictment also alleges that during that time the defendants distributed fentanyl and possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute it.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, and the Hazleton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 40 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Mississippi Man Indicted for Federal Civil Rights and Arson Charges for Setting Fire to Mormon Church

Source: United States Attorneys General

A federal grand jury in Gulfport, Mississippi, returned a six-count superseding indictment today charging Stefan Day, also known as Stefan Pete Day Rowold, with federal civil rights and arson violations for vandalizing and setting fire to a house of worship.

According to the superseding indictment, on July 5, 2024, and July 7, 2024, Day set fire to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Wiggins, Mississippi. Counts one and four of the superseding indictment charge Day with arson for setting fire to the church. Counts two and five of the superseding indictment charge Day with intentionally damaging, defacing, and destroying religious real property because of the religious character of the property. Counts three and six of the superseding indictment charge Day with using fire to commit a federal felony offense.

If convicted, Day faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the arson charges, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the civil rights charges, and a minimum penalty of ten years in prison for the use of fire to commit a federal felony offense.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi State Fire Marshal, and the Wiggins Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner for the Southern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorney Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

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

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Revoking EPA’s endangerment finding – the keystone of US climate policies – won’t be simple and could have unintended consequences

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Patrick Parenteau, Professor of Law Emeritus, Vermont Law & Graduate School

Several U.S. climate regulations aim to reduce burning of fossil fuels, a driver of climate change. Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Most of the United States’ major climate regulations are underpinned by one important document: It’s called the endangerment finding, and it concludes that greenhouse gas emissions are a threat to human health and welfare.

The Trump administration is vowing to eliminate it.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin referred to the 2009 endangerment finding as the “holy grail of the climate religion” when he announced on March 12, 2025, that he would reconsider the finding and all U.S. climate regulations and actions that rely on it. That would include rules to control planet-warming emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane from power plants, vehicles and oil and gas operations.

But revoking the endangerment finding isn’t a simple task. And doing so could have unintended consequences for the very industries Trump is trying to help.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announces plans to reconsider more than 30 climate regulations.

As a law professor, I have tracked federal climate regulations and the lawsuits and court rulings that have followed them over the past 25 years. To understand the challenges, let’s look at the endangerment finding’s origins and Zeldin’s options.

Origin and limits of the endangerment finding

In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts v. EPA that six greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act and that the EPA has a duty under the same law to determine whether they pose a danger to public health or welfare.

The court also ruled that once the EPA made an endangerment finding, the agency would have a mandatory duty under the Clean Air Act to regulate all sources that contribute to the danger.

The Court emphasized that the endangerment finding was a scientific determination and rejected a laundry list of policy arguments made by the George W. Bush administration for why the government preferred to use nonregulatory approaches to reduce emissions. The court said the only question was whether sufficient scientific evidence exists to determine whether greenhouse gases are harmful.

The endangerment finding was the EPA’s response.

The finding was challenged and upheld in 2012 by the U.S. District Circuit for the District of Columbia. In that case, Coalition for Responsible Regulation v. EPA, the court found that the “body of scientific evidence marshaled by the EPA in support of the endangerment finding is substantial.” The Supreme Court declined to review the decision. The endangerment finding was updated and confirmed by the EPA in 2015 and 2016.

Challenging the endangerment finding

The scientific basis for the endangerment finding is stronger today than it was in 2009.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest assessment report, involving hundreds of scientists and thousands of studies from around the world, concluded that the scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is “unequivocal” and that greenhouse gases from human activities are causing it.

According to the National Climate Assessment released in 2023, the effects of human-caused climate change are already “far-reaching and worsening across every region of the United States.”

Summer temperatures have climbed in much of the U.S. and the world as greenhouse gas emissions have risen.
Fifth National Climate Assessment

During President Donald Trump’s first term, then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt considered repealing the endangerment finding but ultimately decided against it. In fact, he relied on it in proposing the Affordable Clean Energy Rule to replace President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan for regulating emissions for coal-fired power plants.

What happens if the EPA revokes the endangerment finding?

For the Trump administration to now revoke that finding, Zeldin must first recruit new members of the EPA’s Science Advisory Board to replace those dismissed by the Trump administration. Congress created the board in 1978 to provide independent, unbiased scientific advice to the EPA administrator, and it has consistently supported the 2009 endangerment finding.

Zeldin must then initiate rulemaking in compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act, provide the opportunity for public comment and respond to comments that are likely to be voluminous. This process could take several months if done properly.

If Zeldin then decides to revoke the endangerment finding, lawsuits will immediately challenge the move.

Even if Zeldin is able to revoke the finding, that does not automatically repeal all the rules that rely on it. Each of those rules must go through separate rulemaking processes that will also take months.

Zeldin could simply refuse to enforce the rules on the books while he reconsiders the endangerment finding.

However, a blanket policy abdicating any enforcement responsibility could be challenged in lawsuits as arbitrary and capricious. Further, the regulated industries would be taking a chance if they delayed complying with regulations only to find the endangerment finding and climate laws still in place.

Zeldin’s cost argument

Zeldin previewed his arguments in a news release on March 12.

His first argument is that the 2009 endangerment finding did not consider costs. However, that argument was rejected by the D.C. Circuit Court in Coalition for Responsible Regulation v. EPA. Cost becomes relevant once the EPA considers new regulations – after the endangerment finding.

Moreover, in a unanimous 2001 decision, the Supreme Court in Whitman v. American Trucking Associations held that the EPA cannot consider cost in setting air quality standards.

A repeal could backfire

Repealing the endangerment finding could also backfire on the fossil fuel industry.

States and cities have filed dozens of lawsuits against the major oil companies. The industry’s strongest argument has been that these cases are preempted by federal law. In AEP v. Connecticut in 2011, the Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Air Act “displaced” federal common law, barring state claims for remedies related to damages from climate change.

However, if the endangerment finding is repealed, then there is arguably no basis for federal preemption, and these state lawsuits would have legal grounds. Prominent industry lawyers have warned the EPA about this and urged it to focus instead on changing individual regulations. The industry is concerned enough that it may try to get Congress to grant it immunity from climate lawsuits.

To the extent that Zeldin is counting on the conservative Supreme Court to back him up, he may be disappointed.

In 2024, the court overturned the Chevron doctrine, which required courts to defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations when laws were ambiguous. That means Zeldin’s reinterpretation of the statute is not entitled to deference. Nor can he count on the court overturning its Massachusetts v. EPA ruling to free him to disregard science for policy reasons.

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

– ref. Revoking EPA’s endangerment finding – the keystone of US climate policies – won’t be simple and could have unintended consequences – https://theconversation.com/revoking-epas-endangerment-finding-the-keystone-of-us-climate-policies-wont-be-simple-and-could-have-unintended-consequences-252271

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 20, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Revision to March 2024 Neighbourhood Policing Numbers

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Revision to March 2024 Neighbourhood Policing Numbers

Neighbourhood policing statistics have been corrected today due to inaccuracies in the previous government’s police workforce data.

The government has today published corrected neighbourhood policing numbers due to inaccuracies in the previous government’s police workforce statistics.

The issues were uncovered as part of a data validation exercise commissioned by the Home Secretary and carried out by the NPCC to establish an accurate picture of the number of officers serving in neighbourhood roles. It follows long-standing concerns from both the Home Office and police forces about the accuracy of previously published workforce figures for neighbourhood policing.

Whilst this does not mean that the overall police numbers were incorrect, it demonstrates that the real number of neighbourhood police officers working in our communities has been artificially inflated in recent years. The government is clear that the public – who have seen and felt the reduction in neighbourhood officers and PCSOs on their streets in recent years – deserve far better than this.

It comes as the government is introducing the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, to ensure that everyone has a named contactable police officer.

As part of the data validation exercise, all police forces were asked to verify the previously published workforce data published under the “neighbourhood policing” category for March 2024. The work revealed substantial discrepancies between the previously published data and the updated figures being provided by forces which more accurately reflect the reality on the ground.  Of the 43 forces in England and Wales, 29 advised that their published combined neighbourhood officer and PCSO numbers should be revised down, whilst four forces revised their figures upwards. This resulted in an overall downwards revision of 2,611 compared to the figures published last year.

Forces have cited several reasons for revisions to their March 2024 data which have now been thoroughly tested by the Home Office with individual forces. Some forces say they made human resources (HR) errors after restructuring their neighbourhood policing model or relied on outdated HR systems. Others incorrectly categorised student officers in neighbourhood policing as default, despite them still being in the classroom and not out on our streets, fully trained. Errors also occurred through the incorrect categorisation of officers who perform roles that span multiple functions as in some cases, officers were recorded as working in neighbourhood policing roles when in reality they covered multiple duties, such as incident response. This blurring of the lines between officer duties did not accurately reflect the real number of dedicated neighbourhood officers patrolling our streets.

It is vital for both the government and police forces that they have a clear and accurate understanding of the state of neighbourhood policing in our communities.

The Home Office has now issued new instructions and guidance directly to forces on the categorisation of neighbourhood policing to ensure that we are recording them correctly, particularly on the distinction between response officers and neighbourhood police officers, and how to categorise classroom-based student officers. This means that systems are now in place to prevent these errors from happening in the future and to ensure that the data can be relied on going forward. The department will now require robust neighbourhood policing data returns from individual forces on a monthly basis to track the neighbourhood policing workforce more closely. This will be aligned with a strong performance framework harnessing national data to monitor performance and direct improvements in order to raise standards across the service.

The government’s flagship Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will put police back on the beat with 13,000 additional police officers and PCSOs in neighbourhood roles in communities across the country. Each neighbourhood will have a named, contactable officer to tackle the issues facing their communities, and there will be guaranteed, intelligence-led patrols in town centres and high streets, with new powers to tackle the criminality and anti-social behaviour plaguing our streets.

Due to the quick work by forces to rectify the statistical errors, the numbers published today are provisional and will be confirmed in an official statistical release in the usual way.

The Home Secretary has today written to the Home Affairs Select Committee to set out this information in more detail.

Further information

Table 1: March 2024 published data and NPCC revised data (as at 18 March 2025)

	March 2024 published data	March 2024 data submitted by NPCC	Difference	% Difference
Officers (FTE)	13,424	10,664	-2,760	-21%
PCSOs (FTE)	6,210	6,359	+149	+2%
TOTAL (FTE)	19,634	17,023	-2,611	-13%

Forces making large reductions (either in terms of numbers, FTE, or as a proportion of neighbourhood policing workforce):

West Midlands Police

A revision in previous statistics downwards of 649 officers from 1,045

Reason: Following being placed into ‘Engaged’ status by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in December 2023 (following serious concerns over its investigations and victim outcomes), the force had redeployed a number of neighbourhood resources into ‘Responding to calls for service’ and ‘Investigations’. However, system identifiers on HR systems had not been updated which generated the significant administrative inaccuracy. West Midlands have since been removed from ‘Engaged’ status by HMICFRS.

Gloucestershire Constabulary

A revision in previous statistics downwards by 66% and a slight decrease for PCSOs

Reason: Specialist functions, investigative resources, and patrol had previously been included in the neighbourhood policing category in error. The inaccuracy of the original data appears to be primarily related to the unique post identifiers in a recently implemented HR System, which Gloucestershire are looking to update.

Suffolk Constabulary

A revision in previous statistics downwards for a large number of officers and some PCSOs that will result in data fall by 52%

Reason: The force has identified a series of errors in the categorisation of roles, such as the inclusion of student officers in the neighbourhood policing category when they should have been included as category 1b (Incident (Response) Management). additionally, several of Suffolk’s specialist reassurance teams were included in neighbourhood policing when they should have been recorded as category 1c (Specialist Community Liaison) and several senior manager posts were included in neighbourhood policing rather than 1d (‘Local Policing Command Team’).

Thames Valley Police

A revision in previous statistics downwards by 33% for neighbourhood officers and 20% downwards for neighbourhood workforce overall

Reason: Identified discrepancies in how neighbourhood policing roles were recorded, following a recent internal review. The issues stemmed from technical limitations and differences between job titles and the detail of roles performed by officers.

Merseyside Police

A revision in previous statistics downwards by 209 neighbourhood officers, although offset by a 182 increase in PCSOs

Reason: Student officers were mistakenly included as neighbourhood policing officers. All PCSOs were incorrectly categorised under 1c “Specialist Community Liaison”. In addition, they had included local public order / neighbourhood tactical teams under 1a, when they should have been classified under 5f “Advanced Public Order.

Dorset Police

A revision in previous statistics downwards by 38% in overall neighbourhood policing numbers

Reason: The force revised the figures to ensure that only those officers and PCSOs dedicated to neighbourhood policing functions were included. They excluded those in functions that do not contribute to neighbourhood policing including specialist functions, investigative resources, and patrol, which had previously been included in the neighbourhood policing category in error.

Published 19 March 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 20, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Apprehends Austin Homicide Suspect Sought in December Shooting

Source: US Marshals Service

Austin, TX – Members of the U.S. Marshals-led Lone Star Fugitive Task Force March 13 arrested a man sought for murder that occurred Dec. 21, 2024, in Austin.

Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Gomez, 26, was a suspect wanted by the Austin Police Department for a homicide that occurred in the 2500 block of Huntwick Road, where a victim was reported to have been shot inside a vehicle in the parking lot.

Austin police arrived on scene and located the male victim, who had sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds, and was pronounced deceased, despite lifesaving attempts.

On Feb. 16, the Austin Police Department, Homicide Unit, obtained a warrant for Rodriguez-Gomez in the City of Austin Municipal Court and requested immediate assistance from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in the Austin Division.

On March 13, after members of the task force developed information that indicated Rodriguez-Gomez was residing in the 15200 block of Sparks Road in Manor, the suspect fled on foot into a wooded area and was arrested by a swarm of task force officers, with vital assistance provided by the Austin Police Department, Air Support Division.

Rodriguez-Gomez was transferred to the Austin Police Department and booked into the Travis County Jail where he will await further judicial proceedings.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Rodriguez-Gomez, a Mexican national, is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico with no legal status in the United States.

Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Austin –

Austin Police Department-Tactical Intelligence Unit
Round Rock, and San Marcos Police Department
Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office
Texas Attorney General’s Office
Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG
Texas Department of Public Safety
U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
U.S. DHS/Homeland Security Investigations

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Minnesota State Senator Charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota state Senator Justin David Eichorn has been charged via federal criminal complaint with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

According to the criminal complaint, on March 12, 2025, Bloomington Police detectives began an undercover operation to target commercial sex involving juveniles. Law enforcement placed online advertisements offering commercial sex. Unbeknownst to the prospective sex buyers, it was in fact undercover law enforcement officers who received and responded to the messages.

On March 11, 2025, undercover officers began receiving messages from Eichorn, age 40, inquiring, “I saw your post and [sic] chance you are still available tonight?” and then later, “What’s a guy gota do to get with the hottest girl online tonight.” Over the course of messaging over several days, the undercover officer repeatedly said that she was not 18 but was, in fact, 17 years old. Even so, Eichorn proceeded to ask the undercover officer about pricing for various sex acts she might perform, and then Eichorn arranged an in-person meet-up to pay for commercial sex. Eichorn also requested that the undercover officer—whom he believed to be a 17-year-old minor—send him “a naught[y] pic” including one “with lot less clothes.” Eichorn arrived at the agreed-upon location to find law enforcement waiting to apprehend him. In his car, among other things, law enforcement found cash and a condom.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office has no tolerance for public officials who violate federal law—particularly those laws meant to protect children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “I am grateful to the Bloomington Police Department, to the FBI, and to all law enforcement officers who use undercover operations to identify and arrest child sex predators to prevent them from abusing real children.”

“The actions alleged in this case are an appalling attempt to exploit an innocent and vulnerable minor,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting children from predators who seek to harm them. Every child deserves to grow up in a safe environment, free from the threat of exploitation.”

“If you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, expect to leave in handcuffs,” said Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges. “We will not tolerate predators in our community. I have long advocated for stronger penalties for these crimes, and this case is yet another example of why tougher laws are necessary. Our state legislature must take this issue seriously—protecting children should never be up for debate.”

Eichorn was charged by complaint today in U.S. District Court with one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Mexican national indicted for assaulting federal agent

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Mexican national with physically attacking a federal law enforcement agent.

According to court documents, Diego Barron-Esquivel, 23, of Wichita was indicted on one count of forcible assault of a federal officer.

In February 2025, Barron-Esquivel is accused of forcibly assaulting and causing bodily harm to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer while the officer was performing his official duties.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Charles Wayne Franke, 21, of Wellington, Kansas, was indicted on two counts of sexual exploitation of a child-production of child pornography, four counts of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.

Juan Francisco Ulloa-Gonzalez, 46, was indicted on one count of reentry of a removed alien. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Childhood
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Three Venezuelans Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Fake Green Cards

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendants Arrested During the Laken Riley Murder Investigation in Athens, Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. – A Venezuelan man who entered the United States illegally and who admitted to possessing a fraudulent Green Ccard during the murder investigation of a 22-year-old nursing student was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison—above the federal sentencing guidelines—and to be deported along with his brother and a former roommate.

Diego Jose Ibarra, aka “Gocho,” 29, was sentenced to serve a total of 48 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a fraudulent document on July 15, 2024. Argenis Ibarra, aka “Meny,” 25, of Venezuela, was sentenced to time served after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a fraudulent document on Dec. 10, 2024. Rosbeli Flores-Bello, aka “La Gorda,” 29, of Venezuela, was sentenced to time served after she pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a fraudulent document on Dec. 11, 2024.

All three defendants are to be delivered to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation. Diego Ibarra will be placed in ICE custody at the conclusion of his federal prison sentence; Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello will be placed in ICE custody immediately. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. Self, III handed down the sentences on March 19 in Athens. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was made aware of Deigo Ibarra’s undocumented presence in the United States on Feb. 23, 2024, during the murder investigation of Laken Hope Riley, who was kidnapped and brutally murdered on Feb. 22, 2024, during a morning run at the University of Georgia, where she previously attended as an undergraduate prior to transferring to the Augusta University College of Nursing. At the time, an Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) officer approached Diego Ibarra because he matched the description of the primary suspect in the murder investigation, which was his brother, Jose Antonio Ibarra. Diego Ibarra gave the ACCPD officer a counterfeit U.S. Permanent Resident Card (also called a Green Card) as identification and was taken into custody. Jose Ibarra was convicted of Laken Riley’s murder on Nov. 20, 2024, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court and is serving a life sentence.

On April 30, 2023, Diego Ibarra illegally entered the United States, along with four other Venezuelan men, by crossing the border near the Ysleta station in El Paso, Texas. The men fled when approached by the United States Border Patrol (USBP) agents. Diego Ibarra resisted an agent’s efforts to detain him and grabbed the agent’s service radio, threw it into a nearby yard, and then attempted to bite the agent. Agents scuffled with him and another Venezuelan man for several minutes before the National Guard arrived and assisted in subduing both men. Diego Ibarra was taken to a local hospital after complaining of chest pains and pain in his back and leg, which he indicated to FBI agents he sustained from scaling and falling from the border fence during his illegal crossing. He admitted to illegally crossing the border, resisting arrest and attempting to avoid apprehension at any cost. He said his injuries were not from the fight with agents.

According to information uncovered during the investigation and provided in multiple court documents, Diego Ibarra is likely affiliated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), based on evidence including his multiple TdA tattoos and photos of him on social media making the TdA gang signs and wearing TdA clothing. Further investigation concluded that Diego Ibarra was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on April 3, 2023, after agents apprehended him illegally entering the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. After the above incident on April 30, 2023, Diego Ibarra claimed asylum and fear of return to Venezuela. On May 11, 2023, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) placed him in the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program, and he was released from immigration custody the following day. The ATD program required Diego Ibarra to wear a global positioning system (GPS) ankle monitoring device, and he was directed to report to New York, New York, pending asylum proceedings. He failed to report in New York as directed.

On May 25, 2023, Diego Ibarra’s ankle monitor last “pinged” near Littleton, Colorado, and he cut it off at some point prior to his final arrest in Athens, Georgia. Diego Ibarra settled in Athens and was subsequently arrested three times by law enforcement: on Sept. 24, 2023, he was arrested by ACCPD for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a license; on Oct. 27, 2023, he was arrested by ACCPD for theft by shoplifting; and on Dec. 8, 2023, he was arrested by ACCPD for shoplifting and for an outstanding arrest warrant that was issued when he failed to appear in court for his DUI charge. In addition, ACCPD responded to a domestic incident involving Diego Ibarra and his girlfriend on Sept. 26, 2023. And, while in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and housed in the Butts County Detention Center, Ibarra caused “severe water damage” inside the jail when he damaged the fire sprinkler system in a jail cell block. On June 25, 2024, jail officers found Ibarra in possession of two improvised weapons: a sharpened sprinkler head with a make-shift grip and a pen wrapped in saran wrap.

Co-defendants Argenis Ibarra (Diego and Jose Ibarra’s younger brother) and Flores-Bello (Deigo and Jose Ibarra’s roommate) admitted to possessing a fraudulent U.S. Permanent Resident Card in the names of Argenis Jose Ibarra Ibarra and Rodrianny Brito Brito respectively on Feb. 23, 2024. In addition, agents found counterfeit Social Security cards for Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello in the apartment they shared with Diego and Jose Ibarra.

Investigators determined that Argenis Ibarra entered the United States illegally on April 3, 2023, near Eagle Pass, Texas, and the USBP returned him to Mexico. On April 30, 2023, the USBP encountered and arrested him near El Paso, Texas, and transported him to an ICE processing center in El Paso. Because the processing center lacked space, Ibarra was released on his own recognizance on May 4, 2023. Argenis submitted Form I-765 for Employment Authorization on Oct. 20, 2023, and Nov. 2, 2023, both of which were rejected.

Flores-Bello illegally entered the United States on May 3, 2023, and was arrested by the USBP. She was transported to an ICE processing center in El Paso. On May 5, 2023, Flores-Bello was released on her own recognizance because the processing center lacked space. She provided a residential address in New York and was scheduled for immigration court there on Oct. 18, 2023. In Dec. 2023, she and Jose Ibarra, whom she met in New York, took a humanitarian flight from New York to Atlanta, Georgia. She settled in Athens and lived with the Ibarra brothers until Laken Riley was murdered.

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

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with critical assistance from FBI, GBI, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, University of Georgia Police Department and Clarke County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison prosecuted the case for the Government

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Last Sentence Imposed in Massachusetts-to-Vermont Drug Distribution Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on March 13, 2025, Christopher Morgan, 21, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 78 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Morgan previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

According to court records, Christopher Morgan and co-defendant Javon Calderon spent substantial time in Bennington, Vermont, in 2022 distributing fentanyl and cocaine. During a portion of that time, Morgan and Calderon were hosted by co-defendants and Bennington residents Shavonne Doucette and Kyle Winnie. Morgan and Calderon employed locals to sell drugs for them. Doucette and Winnie also occasionally sold drugs for Morgan and Calderon.

In early September 2022, inside the Doucette/Winnie residence, Calderon and Morgan threatened with firearms and assaulted one such local distributor over a drug debt. Portions of the assault were captured on video and depicted Calderon striking and threatening the victim and holding a firearm to the victim’s neck while making threats. The video depicted Morgan pointing a firearm at the victim and issuing threats. The victim sustained scalp injuries that required staples.

Like Morgan, Calderon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. On December 23, 2024, Chief Judge Reiss sentenced Calderon to 85 months of imprisonment to be followed by an 8-year term of supervised release. Doucette and Winnie pleaded guilty to making their residence available for the distribution of fentanyl and cocaine. On January 21, 2025, Doucette was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison to be followed a 3-year term of supervised release. On February 18, 2025, Winnie was sentenced to time-served followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the HSI Special Response Team, the Vermont State Police, the Bennington Police Department, the Bennington County Sheriff’s Department, the Rutland City Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Smith. Morgan was represented by Peter Langrock, Esq.; Calderon was represented by Devin McKnight, Esq; Doucette was represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq.; Winnie was represented by Jordana Levine, Esq.

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

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Charlotte Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Trafficking Kilograms of Cocaine from Charlotte to Wilmington

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for injecting large quantities of cocaine into the Wilmington area from early 2017 to July 2022. On November 5, 2024, Kinte Fisher, age 47, pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a quantity of cocaine.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Wilmington Police Department (WPD) started investigating Fisher for drug trafficking. The investigation revealed that Fisher, who lived in Charlotte, moved narcotics to a “stash house” that he maintained in Wilmington. From there, he would sell large quantities of cocaine. Fisher often used the cover of visiting family to deliver cocaine to the area and supervised several other individuals involved in drug trafficking, including his girlfriend. Fisher also mailed packages containing narcotics using the United States Postal Service. Over a five-year period, Fisher distributed at least sixty-two kilograms of cocaine.

On July 25, 2022, surveillance revealed that Fisher was traveling again to Wilmington. Agents with the FBI saw him enter his stash house with a backpack. A few moments later, Fisher left the apartment and threw a piece of plastic wrap into a municipal trash can before driving off. Law enforcement officers tested that plastic wrap, and it tested positive for cocaine residue. Based on that, law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Fisher sped off. A high-speed chase unfolded where Fisher sped through various areas, including one of Wilmington’s business districts. Fisher abandoned his car and continued to evade arrest on foot. Law enforcement caught up to Fisher at the Wilmington Riverwalk. As they closed in, Fisher tossed his cellphone into the river. A subsequent search of Fisher’s stash house found approximately 340 grams of cocaine, a scale, and drug packaging materials.

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

Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The FBI and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Liles prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-101-D-1.

###

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Lawrence County Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Mail Fraud

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

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Lawrence County man has been sentenced for his role in a scheme to steal agricultural chemicals from his employer, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Christopher Michelfelder, 56, of Moulton, Alabama, to 63 months in prison. In December 2024, Michelfelder pleaded guilty to mail fraud.

According to the plea agreement, Michelfelder was the facility manager of the local branch of an international agricultural company that sells chemicals to customers. Over the course of a decade, he executed a scheme in which stole products from his employer. He sold them to a third-party broker under the false pretense that the products belonged to his personal farm business, Midway Farms. Michelfelder shipped the products via FedEx to an address that the broker would provide to him. The loss amount was over $6 million.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Columbus Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Exploiting Minor

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

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man who sexually abused a young girl and created child pornography of the abuse was sentenced in federal court here today to 300 months in prison.

Arturo Navarrete-Juarez, 30, pleaded guilty in July to sexually exploiting a minor. He was charged federally by a criminal complaint in March 2023.

According to court documents, between October 2021 and December 2022, Navarrete-Juarez sexually abused a minor female and filmed some of the abuse. Specifically, the child was between the ages of 9 and 10 in the videos recovered by law enforcement.

In March of 2023, the FBI investigated child sexual abuse material on a Tor network that featured Navarrete-Juarez. The defendant’s face was visible in the videos. Investigators also linked Navarrete-Juarez’s identity to the videos by distinctive tattoos on his hands, arms and chest and by the apartment depicted in the background of the videos.

Navarrete-Juarez is a Mexican national and does not currently have legal status in the United States.

Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Rausch and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Johnson, Grassley Continue to Fight for Unredacted Crossfire Hurricane Interview Transcripts

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

WASHINGTON – On Monday, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel requesting their offices take immediate action to remove all redactions from interview transcripts relating to the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s (DOJ OIG) examination of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation.

In April 2023, the senators requested these unredacted transcripts from the DOJ OIG. However, the DOJ OIG informed the senators that the redactions in those transcripts were made by other government agencies, such as the FBI and DOJ, and the DOJ OIG lacked the authority to release the information.

The senators’ recent letter calls on DOJ and FBI to work with the DOJ OIG to produce these unredacted versions of the transcripts as soon as possible.

Read more about the letter in Daily Mail.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Wisconsinites’ Years of Work Fighting Fentanyl
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl (HALT) Act passed the Senate last week with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 84-16.

The HALT Fentanyl Act incorporates the permanent scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, which I first introduced in 2017 in the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act (SOFA). It ensures law enforcement has the tools they need to stop fentanyl’s flow into our country.

SOFA served as the template for the Trump administration’s temporary scheduling rule in 2018, and it recognizes the admirable devotion of Wisconsinites Dr. Tim Westlake and Lauri Badura (pictured above). Ms. Badura, who founded Saving Others for Archie, made it her life’s mission to end the fentanyl crisis after tragically losing her son, Archie, to fentanyl poisoning.

WATCH: Video message from families (including Baduras) to pass the HALT Act

WATCH: 2017 video with Lauri telling Archie’s story

As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, I met with President Trump last week and we discussed my plan to get spending back to pre-pandemic levels – saving a minimum of $700 billion.

There is so much room for reducing the size of the federal government and balancing the budget is entirely doable. I look forward to working with the White House and getting spending under control.

Thank you to Kevin O’Leary for highlighting my chart on Fox Business. This is an eminently reasonable approach to returning to a pre-pandemic level of spending.

WATCH: Sen. Johnson on Fox Business discusses his White House meeting

WATCH: Sen. Johnson on the Jesse Kelly podcast reviews his plan to balance budget
- LISTEN: I joined the MAHA Alliance podcast for a powerful discussion on the MAHA movement, RFK Jr., and government corruption.
- I was highly disappointed to hear that the nomination of Dr. David Weldon to lead the CDC has been withdrawn. Although we will never know exactly why his nomination was pulled, I suspect it had something to do with the fact he has had the courage to be skeptical of the consensus “narrative” surrounding the childhood vaccine schedule. Skepticism is the vital attribute of true science, and it is beyond unfortunate that someone with his background and integrity will not be able to help fix what is broken at the CDC. (I discussed this on Off the Record podcast with Emily Jashinsky.)
- My X post on the news that Steak n’ Shake will soon be using Wisconsin butter instead of a “buttery blend”.
I helped introduce a bipartisan, bicameral bill to expand federal funding for bike and pedestrian safety. The bill is named for American diplomat and Wisconsin native Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, who was killed in 2022 while riding her bicycle in Bethesda.

The Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Safety Transportation Act will expand federal funding opportunities for local governments to improve roadway safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.

While honoring Sarah, this bill will protect Wisconsinites by investing in infrastructure to enhance road safety for pedestrians and cyclists. By using taxpayer dollars effectively, it will help prevent further deaths from preventable traffic accidents and ensure Americans feel safe when using our roads.

Thank you to everyone who participated in my 114th telephone town hall last week.

We are now streaming our town halls on X, so you can listen to it here.

Questions asked include:

11:45    Introduction
13:45    Protecting personal information from DOGE
16:27    Will there be cuts to Social Security and Medicare?
18:40    Justice System transparency
20:20    Wasteful spending examples
24:00    Is Social Security a legal Ponzi scheme?
29:00    ICE and deportations
31:31    Federal worker layoffs
35:04    How do we make the spending cuts permanent?
40:55    Inspector Generals and oversight
43:30    Support for Veterans and the VA
46:08    COVID-19 vaccine requirements for citizenship
48:04    Wisconsin manufacturing and tariffs
51:35    Controlling crime and fentanyl
54:35    Taxing pensions
56:45    Bipartisanship
1:00:25 Federal voter ID and proof of citizenship
1:02:36 Balancing the budget

To join future telephone town halls live, sign up here. There is also a link on that page to submit written questions during the live town halls.
MIL OSI USA News –
March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada announces appointment to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority Board of Directors

Source: Government of Canada News

Biography

Marie Campagna – Chair, Board of Directors

Marie Campagna has been a member of the WDBA Board of Directors since 2017 and has most recently served in the role of interim Chair since May 2024.

Since retiring from her role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare, Ms. Campagna was appointed as an Executive in Residence at the University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business. She is a facilitator in the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario’s CFO of the Future program.

Ms. Campagna holds several governance positions that include Board Chair of Essex Energy Corporation, Member of the LaSalle Police Board, Member of Assumption University, Member of Invest Windsor Essex, Past Chair of Transform Shared Services Organization, and a past Board Member of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. She also previously held many board and committee positions with Essex Power Corporation, CMA Ontario, and CMA Canada.

Ms. Campagna holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, a CPA designation, and is a Fellow and life member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and an MBA from the University of Windsor.

MIL OSI Canada News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Lone Star Fugitive Task Force Apprehend Fugitive who Fled to Mexico After 2019 San Antonio Homicide

Source: US Marshals Service

San Antonio, TX – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS)-led Lone Star Fugitive Task Force (LSFTF) in San Antonio, with the assistance of the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force (GCVOTF) in Laredo, has apprehended a San Antonio man wanted in connection with the 2019 murder of an elderly man.

Joe Michael Rubio, 24, was apprehended March 14 with the assistance of Mexican authorities from La Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (SSPC) in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. His capture resulted from a multiagency effort that developed numerous leads.

Rubio was detained, officially deported from Mexico, and placed into the custody of the U.S. Marshals GCVOTF in Laredo where he is currently awaiting extradition back to Bexar County.

On July 26, 2019, 77-year-old Jose Rodriguez was fatally shot outside a gas station on Fair Avenue in San Antonio’s South Side. After purchasing lottery tickets, he was confronted by two suspects in what police believe was an attempted robbery. During the altercation, Rodriguez sustained three gunshot wounds, including one to the face, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rubio was subsequently charged with aggravated robbery and homicide. Members of the LSFTF followed multiple leads and gathered information suggesting that Rubio fled to Mexico upon learning of his active arrest warrant.

In 2023, the LSFTF officially elevated the case involving Rubio to USMS Major Case status.

“Through strong international partnerships, the U.S. Marshals Service collaborates with law enforcement agencies in Mexico and beyond to facilitate the apprehension of fugitives and uphold justice,” said Susan Pamerleau, U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas. “These cooperative efforts play a vital role in enhancing public safety and ensuring that fugitives are held accountable.”

The LSFTF thanks the Mexican authorities from La Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana for their critical assistance.

The USMS Major Case Fugitive Program prioritizes the investigation and apprehension of high-profile offenders considered to be some of the country’s most dangerous individuals. These offenders tend to be career criminals with histories of violence or who pose a significant threat to public safety.

Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force – San Antonio:

Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO)
Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS)
Texas Attorney General’s Office (TXAGO)
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
New Braunfels Police Department (NBPD)
Texas Board of Criminal Justice OIG (TBCJ)
Bexar County District Attorney’s Office (BCDA)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) U.S. Marshal Service (USMS)

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Art Advisor Lisa Schiff Sentenced To 30 Months In Prison For Defrauding Clients

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LISA SCHIFF, a Manhattan-based art advisor focused on contemporary art, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken for perpetrating a multi-year scheme in which she defrauded the clients of her art advisory business of approximately $6.5 million in connection with the purchase and sale of approximately fifty-five artworks.

Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For five years, Lisa Schiff breached the trust of her art advisory clients by diverting millions of dollars to pay her own business and personal expenses, and to fund a lavish lifestyle. Because of Schiff’s lies, and her illusory art advisory scam, Schiff will now serve a substantial sentence in prison.”

According to the Information, plea agreement, and statements made in court:

From 2018 through May 2023, SCHIFF engaged in a scheme to defraud clients of her art advisory business, Schiff Fine Art (“SFA”) by diverting her clients’ funds—profits from the sale of her clients’ artworks or payments they made to purchase artwork—to pay her own personal and business expenses. SCHIFF advised clients regarding the purchase and sale of artworks and bought and sold artworks on behalf of clients in exchange for a commission. In her role as an art advisor, SCHIFF acted as an intermediary between art galleries and auction houses, and her clients, who were art collectors. Typically, when SCHIFF’s clients bought or sold artworks, payments were routed through SCHIFF’s business, SFA. In addition, when SCHIFF sold artworks on behalf of a client, she often had custody or control of the artworks to coordinate the sale. At times, SCHIFF, through SFA, also sold artwork on consignment on behalf of artists and other galleries.

Starting in about 2018, SCHIFF began defrauding her clients in two ways: not remitting payments to her clients when she sold their artwork while not disclosing to her clients that their artworks had, in fact, been sold; and not purchasing artworks on behalf of clients despite representing to her clients that she would purchase certain artworks on their behalf using their funds. Instead of using client funds as promised, SCHIFF diverted her clients’ money to pay her business and personal expenses. SCHIFF lied to her clients and galleries in furtherance of her fraud scheme. For example, when defrauding clients in connection with selling their artwork, SCHIFF at times lied to clients, claiming she had not sold the artwork, or the buyer was delayed in making the payment and SCHIFF still had custody of the artwork when, in fact, SCHIFF had sold the artwork, received payment from the buyer, and delivered the artwork to the buyer. When defrauding clients in connection with purchasing artwork on their behalf, SCHIFF lied to galleries from which she was supposed to purchase artwork on behalf clients, blaming delays in payment on clients when, in fact, clients had already paid SCHIFF for the purchase of the artwork and she had diverted the funds for her own use. In 2020, SCHIFF considered admitting to at least two of her victims that she had stolen millions from them, drafting letters of confession to them, but she never sent the letters and instead continued to defraud these two victims and others for three more years. Over approximately five years, SCHIFF defrauded at least 12 clients, one artist, the estate of another artist, and one gallery, collectively, of at least approximately $6.5 million. During her fraud, SCHIFF lived lavishly and incurred substantial debts, which she paid in part using her victims’ diverted funds.

In about May 2023, SCHIFF could no longer conceal her scheme due to mounting debts. SCHIFF confessed to several clients that she had stolen their money.

* * *

SCHIFF, 54, of New York, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release. SCHIFF was further ordered to pay forfeiture of $6,408,538.20 and restitution of $9,147,789.26.

Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cecilia Vogel and Jennifer Ong are in charge of the prosecution.

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Longtime Rollin’ 60s Crips Leader and Show Business Entrepreneur Charged in Federal Complaint Alleging Racketeering Crimes

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LOS ANGELES – A longtime leader of the South Los Angeles-based Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips street gang – who also is an entertainment entrepreneur and a self-proclaimed community activist – has been charged in a federal complaint alleging he ran a criminal enterprise that committed a series of racketeering crimes, including extortion, human trafficking, fraud, and the 2021 murder of an aspiring rap musician, the Justice Department announced today.

Eugene Henley Jr., 58, a.k.a. “Big U,” of the Hyde Park neighborhood of South Los Angeles, is charged in the complaint with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

Two other alleged members of the criminal enterprise – Sylvester Robinson, 59, a.k.a. “Vey,” of Northridge, and Mark Martin, 50, a.k.a. “Bear Claw,” of the Beverlywood area of Los Angeles – were arrested today on the same criminal complaint in which Henley is charged.

Robinson, and Martin are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Henley is considered a fugitive.

“The allegations in the complaint unsealed today reveal a criminal enterprise that engaged in murder, extortion, human trafficking, and fraud – all led by a supposed anti-gang activist and purported music entrepreneur who was nothing more than a violent street criminal,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Eliminating gangs and organized crime is the Department of Justice’s top priority. Today’s charges and arrests target the leadership of this criminal outfit and will make the neighborhoods of Los Angeles safer. I am grateful for the work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners.”

“The lead defendant and others in this case have for too long gotten away with violent acts and stealing money from taxpayers and well-intentioned donors whether they use intimidation tactics or wield influence as rehabilitated original gangsters,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI and our partners have worked for four years to bring justice in this case and will continue to rule out this kind of criminal behavior plaguing the streets of Los Angeles.”

In total, law enforcement in the last 24 hours arrested 10 Rollin’ 60s members and associates who are charged with various federal crimes, including drug trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and firearms offenses. Four defendants already were in custody. Law enforcement is seeking the whereabouts of five other defendants – three of whom are expected to be in custody shortly. Two defendants, including Henley, are considered fugitives.

According to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint filed Monday and unsealed today, from 2010 to the present, Henley’s criminal group – identified in court documents as the “Big U Enterprise” – operated as a mafia-like organization that utilized Henley’s stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles. Henley is widely regarded as a leader within the Rollin’ 60s and rose to prominence in the street gang during the 1980s.

While the Big U Enterprise at times partnered with the Rollin’s 60s and other criminal elements for mutual benefit, the Big U Enterprise is a distinct and independent criminal enterprise engaged in criminal activity including murder, extortion, robbery, trafficking and exploiting sex workers, fraud, and illegal gambling.

For example, in January 2021, Henley murdered a victim – identified in the affidavit as “R.W.” – an aspiring musician signed to Uneek Music, Henley and Martin’s music label. Shortly before R.W.’s murder, Henley and Uneek Music paid for R.W. to travel to Las Vegas to record music at a Grammy Award-winning music producer’s studio.

But R.W. did not record at the agreed-upon rate and instead recorded a defamatory song about Henley, causing Henley and Robinson to travel to Las Vegas to confront him. Henley allegedly drove R.W. to North Las Vegas, shot him in the head, and dragged the victim’s body off Interstate 15 into the desert and left it in a ditch. Henley returned to Los Angeles with Robinson and ordered studio workers to leave while his associate removed security surveillance footage from the studio. Henley allegedly later ordered witnesses to not speak with law enforcement about R.W.’s murder.

Not only did the enterprise expand its power through violence, fear, and intimidation, but it also used social media platforms, documentaries, podcasts, interviews, and Henley’s reputation and status as an “O.G.” (original gangster) to create fame for – and stoke fear of – the Big U Enterprise, its members, and its associates.

In furtherance of the enterprise, Henley allegedly submitted a fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan in which he claimed that Uneek Music was operating at a $200,000 profit in 2019 despite operating at a $5,000 loss that year, which should have disqualified it from loan eligibility.

The enterprise also enriched itself by defrauding donors to nonprofit entities under the control of the Big U Enterprise, including Henley’s charity, Developing Options, a Hyde Park-based nonprofit. Henley marketed Developing Options as giving South Los Angeles youth alternative choices to gang violence, drugs, and other criminal activity. But the Big U Enterprise allegedly used it as a front for fraudulent purposes and to insulate its members from suspicion by law enforcement.

Henley allegedly embezzled large donations that celebrities and award-winning companies made to Developing Options, which Henley immediately converted to his personal bank account. According to the complaint, Developing Options is primarily funded through the City of Los Angeles’s Mayor’s Office through the Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD) Foundation, portions of which receive federal funding, but also receives donations from prominent sources, including NBA players.

“The RICO charges against Mr. Henley and his associates reflect a pattern of crimes that runs the gambit from extortion to tax evasion, all under the umbrella of a well-organized criminal organization led by Mr. Henley,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Additionally, Mr. Henley allegedly duped the County of Los Angeles by running a charitable organization that promoted anti-gang solutions while continuing criminal activity that was directly contrary to his charity. IRS-CI is proud to partner with fellow law enforcement organizations to investigate these criminal organizations to protect our communities from further harm.”

“From day one, the Los Angeles Police Department has been proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the FBI in this critical investigation,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. “The invaluable expertise provided by the Operations South Bureau FBI Task Force on the Rollin’ 60’s criminal street gang has played a pivotal role in securing these charges. This is a major step forward in our ongoing fight against gang violence, and it brings hope and relief to a community that has endured far too much. Together, we will continue to protect and serve, working tirelessly to ensure the safety of our neighborhoods.”

Criminal complaints and indictments contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If convicted, Henley would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. If convicted, Robinson, and Martin would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs; IRS Criminal Investigation; the United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General; the Los Angeles Police Department; and the North Las Vegas Police Department are investigating this matter.

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

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: European defence spending: three technical reasons for political cooperation

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesco Grillo, Academic Fellow, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Bocconi University

How much would it really cost the European Union to defend itself against aggression? In the immediate term, that question, of course makes us think of Russia, but we can no longer exclude multiple other possibilities, including the potential need to defend territory – say, Greenland – from a former ally.

How much would it cost to defend Europe if we added in the need to defend the UK, Norway, Turkey or even Canada – and any other Nato country willing to pool resources to fill the void left by US disengagement? Is there an intelligent way to avoid painful trade-offs between this and, say, spending on healthcare or education?

It looks like EU institutions are finally “doing something” (as former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi recently asked them to do). They may even break the taboo of raising common debt in order to increase spending on joint defence procurements.

Yet, it also seems they are about to launch a plan that could change the very nature of the European Union without even tackling the question of its financial feasibility. The answer to how joint defence can be paid for certainly doesn’t come from the plan that the European Commission has unveiled on “rearming Europe”. At the very last line of that statement, a figure of €800 billion is posited, but it is not clear how the sum was calculated and quite a few critical qualifications are missing.

The debate over how much it costs to prevent a war (which is a very different notion from fighting one), has been dominated by what I would call “the fallacy of the percentage of GDP”.

In 2014 (at the time of Russia’s annexation of Crimea), the leaders of Nato countries agreed to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence (specifying that retirement benefits to veterans should be included). Yet by 2022, the overall ratio for Nato defence spending had, in fact, shrunk from 2.58% of GDP to 2.51% (thanks to the sharp reduction in the percentage of GDP contributed by the US). And, according to the European Defence Agency, the EU is spending around €279 billion, which is 1.6% of its GDP. Most likely, the €800 billion figure that European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was citing in her communique is simply an estimate of how much it would yield to increase that spending up to 2% of GDP for each of the next ten years.

Politicians sometimes need to make back-of-the-envelope calculations, but I would argue that here it points to a much broader problem. Europe hasn’t yet bothered to try to develop a strategy for how this additional money would be spent. A proper strategy should, in fact, start from three key technical considerations. To which I would add a no-less important political one.

1. Spending smart is better than spending big

Technologies (including AI) are radically changing the equation. The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza demonstrate that cheap drones are now the key to modern warfare – not super expensive F35 strike fighters. Why spend billions designing, building and maintaining 2,500 F35s when a drone the size of a mobile phone can cross enemy lines unnoticed?

In a world in which data is a weapon, and a large-scale attack can be mounted by taking remote control of pagers, what generals call “supremacy” doesn’t necessarily belong to the biggest spender.

Israel’s military budget is one-third that of Saudi Arabia, yet it dominates the Middle East because its perpetual state of conflict forces innovation. Russia spends less than half of the 27 EU member states, but it has much more experience in hacking other countries’ infrastructures. The EU spends as much as China, but China invests more than twice in research and development and is the world’s largest exporter of drones as a result.

2. Spending together is better value

The European parliament estimates that merging the 27 member states’ defence budgets would free up €56 billion (which is a third of what the defence bonds proposed by the Commission would raise).

Yet the trend is to spend more alone than together. According to the European Defence Agency, the bloc has more than doubled its expenditure on new digital technologies; yet the percentage of that going into joint projects between member states fell from 11% before Ukraine’s invasion to 6.5% in 2023.

Joint tech spending in Europe.
Vision, CC BY-ND

3. Homegrown suddenly looks safer

Any common defence would also have to rely on “buying European” as much as possible. The F35 fighter jet is another good example here. Denmark agreed to buy 27 of them (to the tune of around €3 billion) with an idea to station four of them in Greenland. The problem is that, according to the former president of the Munich security conference Wolfgang Ischinger, they cannot even take off if remotely disabled by the US. Again, Europe is not walking the walk. The share of equipment that European nations import from the US has massively increased in the last five years.

A new era for the union

Defence is probably the most important issue when talking about the Europe of the future. It provides a concrete opportunity to fill a technological gap out of the necessity to do so. Spending on defence in the interests of self-protection may have longer-term benefits beyond the military arena. It has been often the case that military research leads to major breakthroughs that can applied in public services. Who knows. Military innovations with drone or AI technology on today’s battlefields could lead to beneficial uses in peace time.

The historic opportunity to transform the way we protect ourselves may even force a radical rethinking of not just the EU treaties but of the nature of the EU. The idea of the “coalition of the willing” may, indeed, push Europe towards an alliance which does not include some of its members (such as Hungary) but does include non-members like the UK, Norway and even Turkey. New arrangements will need to be pragmatically flexible.

Europeans need much more strategy, whereas we now largely have rhetorical announcements with little substance. And we need much more democracy. After all, defence is one of the defining dimensions of the state. Having a common defence policy in Europe could make people feel more like European citizens. But that cannot happen without engaging citizens in an intelligent debate.

Francesco Grillo is affiliated with the think tank Vision.

– ref. European defence spending: three technical reasons for political cooperation – https://theconversation.com/european-defence-spending-three-technical-reasons-for-political-cooperation-252410

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 20, 2025

Category: Law

Origin and limits of the endangerment finding

Challenging the endangerment finding

What happens if the EPA revokes the endangerment finding?

Zeldin’s cost argument

A repeal could backfire

Revision to March 2024 Neighbourhood Policing Numbers

Further information

West Midlands Police

Gloucestershire Constabulary

Suffolk Constabulary

Thames Valley Police

Merseyside Police

Dorset Police

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Updates to this page

1. Spending smart is better than spending big

2. Spending together is better value

3. Homegrown suddenly looks safer

A new era for the union