NewzIntel.com

Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Four charged over alleged aggravated armed robbery at Perth

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Four charged over alleged aggravated armed robbery at Perth

    Thursday, 13 February 2025 – 10:17 am.

    Four people have been charged over a targeted armed robbery at Perth.
    Police received a call from the victim of the alleged robbery on Tuesday evening after four people known to him forced their way into his residence.
    The victim was physically assaulted by one offender who was in possession of a baseball bat, but not seriously injured.
    The alleged offenders then left the scene with the victim’s vehicle, wallet and phone and a large amount of his property.
    Police quickly responded, and located the stolen vehicle a short time later at a Newnham residence.
    Four people – including a 32 Newnham woman, 29 year old Westbury man, 35 year old Newnham man, and 20 year old Launceston man, were located with the vehicle and arrested by police.
    All four have been charged with aggravated armed robbery and motor vehicle stealing and appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court yesterday.
    They are due to appear again on March 11.
    Police would like to reassure the public this was a targeted incident involving people known to each other and there was no threat to the wider community.
    Investigations are ongoing.
    Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Perryton Coach Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of Teenage Student

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

    A Perryton ISD coach who sexually abused a 15-year-old student was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Cole Underwood, 29, was charged via criminal complaint in June 2024 and indicted later that same month. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk to 30 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. 

    According to court documents, Perryton ISD’s superintendent reached out to law enforcement in May 2024 to report a possible inappropriate relationship between Mr. Underwood and a female student. According to the superintendent, surveillance video allegedly showed Mr. Underwood meeting with the girl alone after hours, despite being given a specific directive not to be alone with her.

    Agents reviewed the footage and observed Mr. Underwood propping an exterior door open and then shutting off lights. Approximately 15 minutes later, the girl entered the darkened building through the propped door and walked into Mr. Underwood’s office.

    In interviews with law enforcement, the child said Mr. Underwood had sex with her in his office more than a dozen times between February and May.

    She said that after she added him as a contact on Snapchat, he established a personal friendship with her, and even invited her to his office to confide in him. She said that Mr. Underwood began messaging her in a flirtatious and sexual manner in December, and eventually used Snapchat to arrange sexual encounters.

    A search of the girl’s cell phone revealed multiple late-night conversations – some lasting more than six hours – between her and Mr. Underwood, who allegedly occasionally referred to the child as “wifey” and told her he loved her.

    At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, the student detailed how the situation escalated from the defendant acting as a confidant during a stressful period to isolating her and continually pressuring her for sex:

    “I had no idea that he was slowly in the process of grooming me, I genuinely thought that he actually cared about me,” she said in a victim impact statement. “I didn’t know how to stop it… He convinced me to shut everyone out. I felt like I seriously had no one but him.”

    “I hope if there is a girl out there who is going through what I have been through, she has the chance to hear my story to know it’s okay to speak up. There are people who want to help,” she bravely added. “Just because you have one bad chapter does not mean your story is over.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Amarillo Resident Agency, the Ochiltree County Sheriff’s Office, and the Perryton Police Department conducted the investigation with the full cooperation of the Perryton Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Hampshire Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Attempting to Purchase a Gun in Maine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Brandon Pinard checked “No” on ATF form to having a felony conviction despite 2013 conviction in Massachusetts

    PORTLAND, Maine:  A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for making false statements to acquire a firearm.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Brandon Pinard, 33, to time served, approximately 9 months, followed by three years of supervised release. Pinard pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024.

    According to court records, in May 2024, the Seabrook (N.H.) Police Department received a firearms denial notice showing that Pinard was denied a purchase of a long gun in Bath, Maine. When attempting to purchase the Daniel Defense DDM4 assault rifle, Pinard listed a Dover, N.H. address and checked “No” next to the question on the ATF Form 4473 that read, “Have you ever been convicted in any court, including a military court, of a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year, or are you a current member of the military who has been charged with violations(s) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and whose charge(s) have been referred to a general court-martial?” At the time of the attempted purchase, Pinard was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2013 conviction in Massachusetts for a felony sex offense. He had been a registered sex offender in Seabrook since relocating from Dover in November 2022. 

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Seabrook (N.H.) Police Department.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wisconsin Rapids Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegally Possessing Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Bradly Rosenthal, 42, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to nine years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution and possessing two loaded firearms as a felon.

    Rosenthal sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant three times in February 2024. On March 13, 2024, law enforcement received a report of suspected drug activity at a car wash located in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Officers responded to the car wash where they encountered Rosenthal. After a K9 alerted to the presence of illicit substances, law enforcement searched Rosenthal’s vehicle and found 266 grams of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms, a Taser, $2,000, and drug distribution paraphernalia. Rosenthal is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction.

    At sentencing, Judge Conley expressed concern at Rosenthal’s “repeated serious crimes,” which include prior drug trafficking and firearms offenses, and his continued “endangerment of others.”

    The charges against Rosenthal were the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force and the Wisconsin Rapids and Nekoosa Police Departments. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Remington and Megan Stelljes prosecuted this case.

    This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Child Predator Sentenced to 84 Months’ Imprisonment

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Randall Walker Holland, 51, of West Jordan, Utah, was sentenced today to seven years’ imprisonment and a life term of supervised release after he admitted to distributing images of child sexual abuse.

    According to court documents and statements made at Holland’s change of plea and sentencing hearing, from May 2, 2024 thru May 9, 2024, Holland used his cellphone to communicate via social media and text messaging with an individual he believed had access to, and was abusing, a 12-year-old victim. The individual Holland was communicating with was an undercover officer.  During Holland’s communication he sent over 1,000 videos files of child sexual abuse materials to the undercover officer. Holland also discussed his interest in engaging in sexual acts with the 12- year-old victim. When Holland arrived at the meeting location, he was arrested by law enforcement.

    United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol A. Dain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

    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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: United nations Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai: 35 UN entities, 15 Secretariat Departments, Offices to Gather under Theme “United for a Better Future”

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Two months from today, the United Nations will welcome visitors to a dedicated pavilion in the Empowering Zone of Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan under the theme “United for a Better Future”.  The United Nations Pavilion is proud to host exhibits and programming that represent the work of 35 UN entities and 15 UN Secretariat departments and offices.

    The United Nations pavilion will feature highlights of eight decades of impact, current efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to address global challenges and humanitarian crises, as well as a vision of a sustainable future that is possible only through collective action and multilateral collaboration.  The UN Pavilion will also host special weekly exhibits and events aligned with the Expo’s theme weeks, United Nations international days and other priorities to promote sustainable development, human rights, climate action and peace and security.  Visitors can also purchase UN and SDG-related merchandise at the giftshop located inside the pavilion.

    Confirmed participating UN entities include:

    • United Nations Secretariat
      • Department of Global Communications
      • Department of Economic and Social Affairs
      • Department of Peace Operations
      • Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
      • Development Coordination Office
      • Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
      • Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
      • United Nations Global Compact Office
      • United Nations Mine Action Service
      • United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs
      • United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
      • United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
      • United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
      • United Nations Road Safety Fund / Special Envoy for Road Safety
      • United Nations Youth Office
    • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
    • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
    • International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
    • International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
    • International Labour Organization (ILO)
    • International Maritime Organization (IMO)
    • International Organization for Migration (IOM)
    • International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
    • International Trade Centre (ITC)
    • Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
    • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
    • Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
    • Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific)
    • United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
    • United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
    • United Nations Development Programme
    • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
    • United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women)
    • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
    • United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
    • United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
    • United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
    • United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
    • United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
    • United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
    • United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)
    • United Nations University (UNU)
    • United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV)
    • United Nations Water*
    • Universal Postal Union (UPU)
    • World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism)
    • World Food Programme (WFP)
    • World Health Organization (WHO)
    • World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

    The UN Pavilion will also host prominent guest speakers, including senior UN officials, leading experts, celebrities and advocates, who will share their insights and experiences on global challenges and solutions.

    “In the year that the United Nations will turn 80 years old, the UN Pavilion presents key milestones since 1945 that have reshaped values and the world as we know it.  We will also showcase examples of the UN in our daily lives and a vision of a world in which everyone thrives in peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet,” said Maher Nasser, Commissioner-General of the United Nations at Expo 2025.  “It is our hope that our pavilion will serve as a dynamic platform for learning, collaboration and inspiration for action.” 

    The video interview of Mr. Nasser is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MBS_DOB_k8.

    Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, will run from 13 April to 13 October and is expected to attract over 28 million visitors.  The UN Pavilion will be open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

    For additional information about the United Nations presence at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan, please contact Naomi Ichikawa, UN Department of Global Communications (New York), at email:  nichikawa@un.org.

    __________

    * UN Water is a coordination mechanism, comprising United Nations entities (members) and international organizations (partners) working on water and sanitation issues.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals in Maine Arrest a Florida Man in Bangor for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Bangor, ME — A Florida man was arrested in Bangor, ME today by the U.S. Marshals Service Maine Violent Offender Task Force (MVOTF) for failing to register as a sex offender.

    Christopher David Peet, 34, was arrested today on a warrant issued on January 9, 2025 from Pasco County, FL for failure to register as a sex offender. Peet’s requirement to register as a sex offender stems from a 2014 conviction in NY for incest – 3rd degree. Peet also has a prior 2020 conviction for failure to register as a sex offender in FL. The conviction in 2014 designated Peet as a lifetime offender in the State of Florida.

    The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in the Middle District of Florida requested the assistance Marshals Service in Maine with locating and apprehending this fugitive.

    Through a collaborative law enforcement effort, authorities developed information which led investigators to Bangor, ME. USMS Task Force members were able to identify Peet at a residence in Bangor and were able to safely apprehend him without incident. Peet is charged as a fugitive from justice and will be arraigned in Maine pending his extradition back to Florida.

    The USMS in Maine received significant assistance from the USMS Middle District of Florida. The USMS Maine Violent Offender Task Force is comprised of members of the U.S. Marshals Service, Maine Department of Corrections, Biddeford Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Maine National Guard Counter Drug Task Force.

    If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of any state or federal fugitive please contact the United States Marshals Service, District of Maine at MED.TIPLINE@usdoj.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Scott, Rosen Introduce Antisemitism Awareness Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which directs the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when investigating antisemitic acts on campus. This bill ensures that the Department of Education has a clear definition of antisemitism when determining whether an antisemitic incident on campus crosses the line from free speech into harassing, unlawful, or discriminatory conduct. Congressmen Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives. 

    “In the continued aftermath of the October 7th attacks on Israel by Hamas and Iran, we have seen college campuses across our nation become hotbeds of antisemitism where Jewish students’ rights are being threatened,” said Senator Scott. “It’s critical the Department of Education has the tools and resources it needs to investigate antisemitism and root out this vile hatred wherever it rears its ugly head. There can be no equivocating when it comes to the issue of anti-Jewish violence and harassment.”

    “Antisemitism is on the rise across the nation, particularly on college campuses, and Congress has a responsibility to do everything in its power to fight back against this hate,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation today with Senator Tim Scott to help protect Jewish students from antisemitic bigotry. I’ll keep working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this bill passed and signed into law.”

    “The House overwhelmingly passed my bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act last session, and today I am proud to reintroduce this critical legislation in the new Congress. Since the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7th, 83% of college students said they witnessed or experienced antisemitism on campus,” said Congressman Lawler upon introducing the House version of the bill. “This is unacceptable. No person should feel unsafe, targeted, or ostracized because of their faith – and the Antisemitism Awareness Act will stop it from happening. When I met with Jewish students at Columbia University last spring, their fear was palpable. Many wondered if they could ever feel safe on campus again. They deserve better—as does every student, and that’s what this bipartisan bill will accomplish.”

    “Since the heinous October 7 attacks on Israel, we have seen an explosion of antisemitic violence and intimidation on college campuses and in communities across New Jersey and the nation. Far too many in our community no longer feel safe in their own homes or classrooms,” said Congressman Gottheimer. “That’s why I’m reintroducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which will give state officials and law enforcement a clear framework for identifying and addressing antisemitism to hold harassers accountable. Our bipartisan bill adopts the most widely recognized definition of antisemitism in the world, already used by more than 40 countries and 35 states. Hate and discrimination have no place in New Jersey or the country, and we must act now to protect our Jewish students and families from threats, intimidation, and violence.”

    “The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations thanks Sens. Scott and Rosen for re-introducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA). It comes at an important time–Since Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel, there has been a dramatic increase in antisemitism on college campuses. We continue to see university administrators show they have little understanding of how to identify antisemitism.  The AAA will adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism into U.S. law, enabling university leaders to support Jewish students and accurately determine – and discipline those who engage in—antisemitic discrimination on college campuses. The Conference of Presidents urges swift passage of AAA,” said Stephanie Hausner, COO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP). 

    “Antisemitism isn’t just a Jewish problem. It’s everyone’s problem. Despite the hollow arguments of some, this legislation neither outlaws antisemitism nor is it anti-Christian. The Antisemitism Awareness Act, like President Trump’s 2019 executive order combatting antisemitism and his order last month doubling down on the same,  provides students, parents, teachers and administrators alike with a clear definition of the world’s oldest and most prevalent hatred. Advancing this legislation is  important in making American campuses safe and welcoming for all. We must defeat the vile cancer of antisemitism and defining it under US law is a critical step in that righteous effort,”said CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Hagee Parker.

    “As ADL data shows, antisemitism is at crisis levels in the United States, creating the urgent need for decisive action,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “The Antisemitism Awareness Act makes clear that antisemitism, including anti-Zionist harassment, has no place in our schools or society and, importantly, reinforces the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism as a critical tool for the U.S. Department of Education. We urge Congress to act swiftly and send a powerful message that combating antisemitism remains a national priority and deeply appreciate the effort by Senators Tim Scott and Jacky Rosen to quickly reintroduce this bipartisan bill.”

    “According to American Jewish Committee’s upcoming State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report, three in ten American adults are either unsure of what antisemitism means or never heard the term. This number jumps for young Americans (ages 18-29): 41% of young Americans are unsure of what antisemitism means or never heard the term, while, at the same time, young American Jews (ages 18-29) are more likely to have experienced antisemitism in the past year than Jews ages 30 and older. These numbers show why it is critical to have a clear understanding of what antisemitism is and why it matters for American society because to even begin to solve the problem of antisemitism, there must be clarity about what it is and what it isn’t. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism is a clear and concise description of antisemitism in its various forms. AJC has supported efforts by both Republican and Democratic Administrations to use this definition at the Department of Education when investigating Title VI complaints. We applaud Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) for introducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act, for prioritizing the continued use of this important educational tool and ensuring the safety of Jewish students across the country,” said Ted Deutch, CEO of American Jewish Committee.

    “As antisemitic incidents continue to rise, Jewish Federations of North America are grateful to Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) for introducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act today. This bill provides a clear framework for identifying antisemitism, offering concrete examples to help distinguish between constitutionally protected speech and targeted attacks against Jewish individuals. Congress must act now to send a strong message that antisemitism has no place in our society,” said Karen Paikin Barall, Vice President, Government Relations, Jewish Federations of North America.

    Joining Senators Scott and Rosen in cosponsoring the legislation are Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.).

    In addition to introducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act during the 118th Congress, Senator Scott has worked relentlessly to push back on the alarming rise of blatant and vile antisemitism on college campuses by:

    • Leading a resolution to condemn the explosion of antisemitism on U.S. college campuses, call out university presidents who have enabled and refused to take action against this antisemitism, and urge the Biden Department of Education to take necessary actions to ensure that colleges and universities are complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students;
    • Calling on the president of Columbia University to resign over rampant antisemitism on campus;
    • Introducing the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act to defund colleges and universities that enable violent antisemitism on their campuses; and
    • Forcefully condemning antisemitism and supporting Israel’s right to self-defense in a speech at the Orthodox Union’s Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Whitehorse — Repeat offender arrested and charged with numerous property related offences

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Whitehorse RCMP have charged an individual with multiple charges, including break and enter of three downtown Whitehorse businesses.

    On February 3, 2025 Whitehorse RCMP located Christopher Schafer in possession of a stolen vehicle. Mr. Schafer was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property over $5000 and fail to comply with a probation order. He was held in custody for court February 3, 2025, and was released from custody.

    Between February 4 and February 6, 2025, Whitehorse RCMP responded to four separate calls for service related to incidents of break and enter, mischief under $5000, and uttering threats. Evidence gathered from the scenes led police in identifying a suspect.

    On February 8, 2025, RCMP arrested Christopher Schafer. Mr. Schafer appeared in court on February 12, 2025 and has been remanded until February 26, 2025. He has been charged with the following offences:

    • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000
    • Possession of break-in instruments with intent to be used (3 counts)
    • Possession of weapon for a dangerous purpose
    • Uttering threats to cause bodily harm (2 counts)
    • Fail to comply with a probation order (5 counts)
    • Disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence (3 counts)
    • Break and enter to business (3 counts)
    • Mischief under $5000

    If you were a witness to a crime or have information about any crimes, please contact the RCMP at 867-667-5555.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Aiming a Laser at a Sheriff’s Helicopter

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

    FRESNO, Calif. — Jesse Torres-Alonso, 35, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, on Sept. 28, 2023, Torres struck a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter (Air One) 12 times with a dangerously bright green laser beam. The laser strikes interfered with the pilot’s ability to see and avoid other aircraft and effectively monitor the aircraft instrument panel. Law enforcement officers were able to locate and seize the laser device, which bore a prominent warning label, stating, “DANGER,” and warned against shining the light in the eyes.

    In the year that Torres committed this offense, the Federal Aviation Administration received 13,304 reports of laser strikes from pilots, marking a 41% increase over the 9,457 reported during 2022 and setting a record for the growing hazard.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

    Torres is scheduled for sentencing on May 20, 2025, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Torres faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hunting Outfitter Pays $500,000 to Resolve Allegations Related to the Cow Creek Fire in Ouray County, Colorado

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER—The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced today that Jackson Outfitters, LLC, a hunting outfitter based in Placerville, Colorado, has agreed to pay $500,000 to resolve allegations that it is liable for the ignition of a wildland fire, which became known as the Cow Creek Fire and which burned 850 acres on the Uncompahgre National Forest in Ouray County, Colorado, in October 2019.

    The United States alleges that the Cow Creek Fire was caused by a wood-burning stove located inside a wall tent in the Green Mountain Camp, which is owned and operated by Cow Creek Outfitters, an affiliate of Jackson Outfitters.  At the time of the incident, the Green Mountain Camp was occupied by a party that had booked a self-guided elk hunt through Cow Creek Outfitters.  Jackson Outfitters operates its business in the National Forest under a Special Use Permit, which states that Jackson Outfitters has an affirmative duty to protect the land, property, and other interests of the United States—including fire suppression costs—from damage.

    The United States alleges that the Cow Creek Fire started at Green Mountain Camp when embers and other ignited material exited a stovepipe attached to the wood-burning stove and landed on the ground, igniting dry vegetation.  The Cow Creek fire ultimately burned approximately 850 acres of National Forest System lands. The United States incurred significant suppression costs fighting the fire.  The United States alleges that by not ensuring that the wood-burning stove was equipped with a functional, properly-installed spark arrestor, Jackson Outfitters breached its duty to ensure that its activities did not result in an escaped fire.

    “Outfitters must ensure that the equipment they use in National Forests is safe and protects public lands for all of us,” said Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell.  “We appreciate that this resolution was cooperative and reimburses the United States for costs incurred in fighting the fire.”

    The claims against Jackson Outfitters are allegations, and in agreeing to settle this matter, the company did not admit to any liability.

    This matter was investigated by U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations and was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Ross.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Charlotte Man Sentenced To Prison For Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Robert Upchurch, 52, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 54 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upchurch was also ordered to pay a $17,000 special assessment for the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, in July 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referred a tip to law enforcement that a Dropbox account user had uploaded numerous images containing suspected CSAM. Law enforcement identified Upchurch as the Dropbox account user. On December 8, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Upchurch’s residence, seizing the defendant’s cell phone, computers, and other electronic devices. A forensic analysis of the seized items revealed that they contained more than 5,800 images and 2,500 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers, and files depicting sadistic or masochistic behavior or violence involving young children. During an interview with law enforcement, Upchurch first denied possessing CSAM, but later admitted to viewing child pornography.

    On September 4, 2024, Upchurch pleaded guilty to possession and accessing with intent to view child pornography containing a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years.

    The FBI and CMPD investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pair admit stealing ski boat from St. Mary Lake property on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS — A man and a woman today admitted they stole a ski boat and trailer from property on St. Mary Lake on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    The defendants, Tiffany Rae Morris, 37, of Shelby, and Levi Jacques Carl Johnson, 44, of Kevin, each pleaded guilty in separate hearings to theft within Indian Country. Morris and Johnson face a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 25. The defendants were released pending further proceedings.

    In court documents, the government alleged that on June 9, 2024, Morris and Johnson stole a ski boat and trailer from the property of the victim, identified as John Doe. The property is on St. Mary Lake on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Doe reported the theft to law enforcement and posted about it on Facebook. An investigation identified Morris and Johnson as potential suspects, based on video surveillance. The following day, a landowner in the Cut Bank area notified law enforcement that a boat had been abandoned on his property and that he thought it was the stolen boat. John Doe responded to the scene and identified his boat. The boat’s identifying decals had been removed. In interviews with law enforcement, Morris and Johnson admitted to stealing the boat. After the theft was circulated on Facebook, the defendants wanted to return the boat but were afraid of being apprehended and abandoned it in the field. Johnson reported that the decals came off when he power-washed the boat. The boat was a 2007 Ski-doo Challenger 180, valued at more than $1,000.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Plaquemines Parish Man Sentenced for Federal Fentanyl and Heroin Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RODERICK PARKER (“PARKER”), age 54, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, was sentenced February 6, 2025 to (9) nine months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

    PARKER previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, quantities of fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846.

    Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents started investigating PARKER, and other co-conspirators in October 2019 as narcotics distributors in the New Orleans area. The investigation revealed that PARKER was regularly supplied with 25 to 50 heroin and fentanyl pills, and PARKER subsequently distributed those narcotics to his own customers. 

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

    The Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office led the investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Montgomery County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Enticing Minors to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct, Manufacturing and Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Kevin Kelly Murray, 30, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation and child pornography offenses.

    In June 2022, Murray was charged by indictment with one count of use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, one count of manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all three charges in October of last year.

    As presented in court filings, on September 1, 2020, a user of the online chat service Omegle uploaded and shared videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent children. A content moderator for Omegle reported the activity to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”), with NCMEC subsequently providing this report in the form of a cybertip to the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Records revealed that the unlawful content had been distributed online using an internet account registered to the defendant’s residence.

    On October 22, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Murray’s residence and found the defendant inside. After being advised of the reason for the search warrant, Murray admitted to possessing child pornography on his computer. Murray then consented to an interview at the local police station, where he confessed to police that he had accessed Omegle to both download and share child pornography. He further admitted to soliciting “preteen” girls over Omegle to undress themselves and perform sexual acts on themselves, at which point he would record their images/videos on his computer for his sexual gratification.

    A forensic review of his electronic devices showed that from 2019 through 2020, the defendant used his cell phone and his computer to obtain at least 361 images and 93 videos of child pornography. Among the videos were several taken during Murray’s Omegle video chats with at least three different young girls, including Minor #1, who appeared to be approximately eight to ten years old. Chat records documented the defendant directing the child to engage in sexually explicit behavior. In response, Minor #1 engaged in the sexually explicit conduct and the defendant created three videos depicting the conduct.

    “Murray preyed on children, grooming them for his own deviant purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He exposed these young girls to child pornography to normalize sexual behavior in their minds, convinced them to engage in explicit acts on camera, then saved the material for his repeated consumption. My office and our partners are working every day to prosecute predators like this, get justice for their victims, and keep all children safe from similar harm.”

    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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Abington Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Torrington Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting U.S. Attorney of the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER JESUS CONSTANZO, 22, of Torrington, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to an offense stemming from his sexual exploitation of three different minors, including kidnapping and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, enticement and sexual assault of another 16-year-old girl, and production of child pornography involving a 17-year-old girl.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 2, 2021, at approximately 7:27 a.m., Constanzo and a 16-year-old female arrived by car at the U.S. Port of Entry at Highgate Springs, Vermont.  Just prior to their arrival, officials at the St-Armand/Philipsburg Border Crossing in Canada had refused Constanzo and the minor victim entry into Canada.  After U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers separated Constanzo from the minor victim, the victim reported that she met Constanzo the night before at Stillwater Pond State Park in Torrington.  Constanzo then sexually assaulted the minor victim, forced her into the trunk of the minor victim’s car, restrained her with a shoelace, and began driving.  At some point during the night, Constanzo removed the minor victim from the trunk and sexually assaulted her again.  As they neared the Canadian border, Constanzo had the minor victim sit in the front passenger seat of the car.  Constanzo instructed her to “act normal” and “go along with the story.”  Constanzo then told Canadian Border Services Agency officials that the minor victim was his sister and they intended to go into Canada for four days to visit friends.  However, due to their lack of COVID tests, Constanzo and the minor victim were denied entry into Canada.  Costanzo was arrested by CBP on December 2, 2021.

    In July 2021, Costanzo used SnapChat to coerce a 16-year-old female to go to an abandoned warehouse in Torrington to record herself having sex with Constanzo, and, posing as two fictitious individuals on SnapChat, he threatened to kill the minor victim and kill her boyfriend if she did not comply.  At the warehouse, Constanzo sexually assaulted the minor victim at knifepoint.

    Also in July 2021, Costanzo used his iPhone to record sexually explicit Facetime videos of a 17-year-old female. 

    Costanzo pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and, as part of his plea agreement, admitted his conduct against all three victims.  Costanzo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on May 7, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. 

    Costanzo has been detained since his arrest.

    State charges against Costanzo are pending.

    This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Vermont State Police, and the Torrington Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Neeraj N. Patel.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the State’s Attorney for the Litchfield Judicial District for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.

    This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Combat Child Exploitation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Representatives Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) today introduced the PROTECT Our Children Act, which would reauthorize and modernize the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program:
    “The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program has a long history of equipping our law enforcement officers with the tools needed to safeguard children and hold perpetrators accountable,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would reauthorize and update this critical program to address the evolving digital threat landscape and protect our children from these heinous crimes.”
    “The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force leads the fight to keep kids safe from predators online,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “This bipartisan legislation gives the Task Force and its law enforcement partners the tools and resources they need in their collaborative effort to fight child exploitation and protect our nation’s kids from abhorrent abuse in an increasingly online society.”
    “The number of threats children face online in today’s digital age is unlimited, and we need to make certain that law enforcement has the resources to go after these criminals and prevent future crimes against innocent children,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program has helped law enforcement protect children from harm for decades, and this bill would reauthorize this important program.”
    “Predators are using new technology every day to exploit children online, and law enforcement needs to be able to keep up,” said Rep. Van Drew. “The PROTECT Our Children Act gives them the tools to track down these criminals, rescue victims, and hold offenders accountable.”
    “Our lives are increasingly intertwined with the internet, and those who would commit crimes against our children know that all too well. With the PROTECT Our Children Act, the ICAC Task Force Program will get predators off line and help make the internet a safe space for all children,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to build on the original PROTECT Our Children Act that I authored over a decade ago. We all have a role to play in keeping our children safe.”
    “Our nation’s children must be protected at all costs from technology-facilitated child exploitation and Internet crimes against them,” said Rep. Moran. “The PROTECT Our Children Act reauthorizes the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and ensures that federal, state, and local law enforcement work together to combat the exploitation of children from online predators.”
    “In Florida and every other state in the country, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces have protected our kids from vile predators in the darkest parts of the digital world,” said Rep. Moskowitz. “These law enforcement programs have a proven track record of getting tens of thousands of bad actors off the streets, and reauthorizing this program is the right thing to do to keep kids safe. I’m proud to be joining this broad, bipartisan group of colleagues to support these programs so law enforcement agencies across Florida can continue their work combatting child exploitation and other heinous crimes.”
    Background:
    The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and Internet crimes against children. This encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, and community education. This national network of 61 coordinated task forces represents more than 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies engaged in both proactive and reactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions.
    From 1998 to 2022, ICAC Task Forces trained more than 826,700 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and other professionals on techniques to investigate and prosecute ICAC-related cases. They also reviewed more than 1.4 million reports of online child exploitation, which resulted in the arrest of more than 123,790 suspects.
    The PROTECT Our Children Act would:
    Update and modernize the requirements for the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, including requiring the U.S. Department of Justice to provide detailed, useful information on efforts to protect children nationwide;
    Provide liability protection for ICAC Task Forces in the course of conducting criminal investigations of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child abuse material;
    Make needed technical improvements and clarifications to the statutory text of the program to match it to current technology and needs;
    Focus the ICAC program on both proactive and reactive investigations;
    And reauthorize the ICAC Program through 2027 with an escalator authorization.
    The PROTECT Our Children Act is endorsed by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), National Children’s Alliance, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), Rights 4 Girls, National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), Raven, Fraternal Order of Police, Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), and the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC). 
    Sen. Cornyn has long championed the ICAC Task Force Program and has led its reauthorization efforts in the U.S. Senate since 2017.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Teenager Sentenced to 48 Months for Nationwide Swatting Spree

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

    Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Alan W. Filion (18, Lancaster, CA) to four years in federal prison for making interstate threats to injure the person of another.

    According to the plea agreement, from approximately August 2022 to January 2024, Filion made over 375 swatting and threat calls, including calls in which he claimed to have planted bombs in the targeted locations or threatened to detonate bombs and/or conduct mass shootings at those locations. Filion targeted religious institutions, high schools, colleges and universities, government officials, and numerous individuals across the United States.

    Filion intended his calls to cause large-scale deployment of police and emergency services units to the targeted locations. During these calls, he provided information to law enforcement and emergency services agencies that he knew to be false, such as false names, false claims that he and others had placed explosives in particular locations, false claims that he and others possessed dangerous weapons, including firearms and explosives, and false claims that he and/or other individuals had committed, or intended to imminently commit, violent crimes. 

    In some instances, armed law enforcement officers approached and entered a targeted residence with their weapons drawn and detained individuals that occupied the residence. Filion claimed in a post on January 20, 2023, that when he swats someone he “usually get[s] the cops to drag the victim and their families out of the house cuff them and search the house for dead bodies.” Additionally, Filion’s calls caused law enforcement officers and dispatchers to respond, and to be unavailable in response to other emergencies.

    Filion became a serial swatter for both profit and recreation. He claimed in a January 19, 2023, online post that his “first” swatting was like “2 to 3 years ago” and that “6-9 months ago [he] decided to turn it into a business. . . .” On several occasions, Filion placed posts on social-media channels advertising his services and swatting-for-a-fee structure.

    On January 18, 2024, Filion was arrested in California on Florida state charges arising from a May 2023 threat he made to a religious institution in Sanford, Florida. In that threat, he claimed to have an illegally modified AR-15, a Glock 17 pistol, pipe bombs, and Molotov cocktails. He said that he was going to imminently “commit a mass shooting” and “kill everyone” he saw. He pleaded guilty in federal court to making that threat.

    Filion also pleaded guilty to making three other threatening calls: an October 2022 call to a public high school in the Western District of Washington, in which he threatened to commit a mass shooting and claimed to have planted bombs throughout the school; a May 2023 call to a Historically Black College & University in the Northern District of Florida, in which he claimed to have placed bombs in the walls and ceilings of campus housing that would detonate in about an hour; and a July 2023 call to a local police department dispatch number in the Western District of Texas, in which he falsely identified himself as a senior federal law enforcement officer, provided the federal law-enforcement officer’s residential address to the dispatcher, claimed to have killed his (the federal officer’s) mother, and threatened to kill any responding police officers.  

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service. Valuable assistance was provided by the Seminole County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office; the Anacortes (Washington) Police Department; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the California Department of Justice; the Los Angeles County (California) Sheriff’s Office; and the Volusia County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara Wick, with valuable assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for Seminole County, Florida, 18th Judicial Circuit; the Counterterrorism Section of the United States Department of Justice; and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Western District of Washington, the Northern District of Florida, the Western District of Texas, and the District of Columbia. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation  — Update on Suspicious Deaths on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Identities of victims released

    The Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service, in conjunction with the Saskatchewan RCMP and in collaboration with the families of the deceased victims, are releasing the names of the people who died as a result of the homicides on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation on February 4, 2025. Their identities are being released to help further the investigation.

    We share our condolences with the families and community members impacted by this tragedy.

    The Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Family Liaison team and Victim Services continue to communicate with the victim’s families.

    With this in mind and to assist ongoing reporting, families of the deceased have provided photographs of their loved ones which they have permitted us to share with news partners. They are the highest quality photographs we have available. The families have asked for privacy during this difficult time.

    The deceased victims are identified as:

    34-year-old Tracey Hotomani of Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation
    44-year-old Sheldon Quewezance of Zagime Anishinabek
    47-year-old Shauna Fay of Indian Head
    51-year-old Terry Jack of Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation

    Investigation has determined the homicide victims were injured by firearm. We are investigating the deaths as homicides. Initial investigation suggests the residence may have been targeted.

    The investigation continues, which includes investigators speaking with individuals who may have relevant information to share, as well as evidence analysis. Neighbourhood canvasses have also occurred on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation.

    At this time no arrests have been made in relation to the deaths of the four victims.

    “We are actively investigating this tragedy to piece together the details of what happened – this takes time. We must be mindful that releasing more specific details could impact the overall investigation,” says Inspector Ashley St. Germaine, Senior Investigative Officer of Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes. “I reiterate: if you have information to share about this investigation, please speak directly with the police so it can be examined thoroughly. Rumours can spread quickly. Please remember the loss the victim’s loved ones have experienced. Misinformation can impact an investigation by rerouting investigators in false directions. Investigations must follow evidence and our investigators are trained to do just that.”

    Report all tips to the RCMP by calling 911 in an emergency and 310-RCMP in non-emergencies. Information can be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Paris summit marks a tipping point on AI’s safety and sustainability

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Robert Diab, Professor, Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University

    United States Vice President JD Vance made headlines this week by refusing to sign a declaration at a global summit in Paris on artificial intelligence.

    In his first appearance on the world stage, Vance made clear that the U.S. wouldn’t be playing ball. The Donald Trump administration believes that “excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off,” he said. “We’ll make every effort to encourage pro-growth AI policies.”

    His remarks confirmed a widespread fear that Trump’s return to the White House will signal a sharp turn in tech policy. American tech companies and their billionaire owners will now be shielded from effective oversight.

    But upon a closer look, events this week point to signs that just the opposite may be unfolding. A host of nations took notable steps towards address growing safety and environmental concerns about AI, indicating that a regulatory tipping point has been reached.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered the keynote address at the AI Action Summit in Paris, France.

    Wide consensus

    The two-day global summit in Paris, chaired by France and India, led to broad consensus. Some 60 countries signed on to a Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable AI. This included Canada, the European Commission, India and China.

    Both the U.S. and the United Kingdom declined to sign on. But the prevailing winds are against them.

    The meeting in Paris was the third global summit on AI, following meet-ups at Bletchley Park in the U.K. in 2023 and in Seoul, South Korea, in 2024. Each of them ended with similar declarations widely endorsed.

    The Paris communiqué calls for an “inclusive approach” to AI, seeking to “narrow inequalities” in AI capabilities among countries. It encourages “avoiding market concentration” and affirms the need for openness and transparency in building and sharing technology and expertise.

    The document is not binding. It does little more than tout principles, or affirm a collective sentiment among the parties. One of these — perhaps the most important — is to keep talking, meeting and working together on the common concerns that AI raises.

    Environmental challenges

    Meanwhile, a smaller group of countries at the Paris summit, along with 37 tech companies, agreed to form a Coalition for Sustainable AI — setting out a series of goals and deliverables.

    While nothing is binding on the parties, the goals are notably specific. They include coming up with standards for measuring AI’s environmental impact and more effective ways for companies to report on the impact. Parties also aim to “optimize algorithms to reduce computational complexity and minimize data usage.”

    Even if most of this turns out to be merely aspirational, it’s important that the coalition offers a platform for collaboration on these initiatives. At the very least, it signals a likelihood that sustainability will be at the forefront of debate about AI moving forward.



    Read more:
    AI is bad for the environment, and the problem is bigger than energy consumption

    Signing the first international treaty on AI

    A further notable event at the summit was that Canada signed the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. In recent months, 12 other countries had signed, including the U.S. (under former president Joe Biden), the U.K., Israel and the European Union.

    The convention commits parties to pass domestic laws on AI that deal with privacy, bias and discrimination, safety, transparency and environmental sustainability.

    The treaty has been criticized for containing no more than “broad affirmations” and imposing few clear obligations. But it does show that countries are committed to passing law to ensure that AI development unfolds within boundaries — and they’re eager to see more countries do the same.

    If Canada were to ratify the treaty, Parliament would likely revive Bill C-27, which contained the AI and Data Act.



    Read more:
    The federal government’s proposed AI legislation misses the mark on protecting Canadians

    The act aimed to do much of what Canada agrees to do under the convention: impose greater oversight of the development and use of AI. This includes transparency and disclosure requirements on AI companies, and stiff penalties for failure to comply.

    What does this really mean?

    While the U.S. signed the convention on AI and human rights, democracy and rule of law in the fall of 2024, it likely won’t be implemented by a Republican Congress. The same might happen in Canada under a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre. He could also decide not to fulfil commitments made under other agreements about AI.

    And if Poilievre comes to power by the time Canada hosts the next G7 meeting in June, he might decline to honour the Trudeau government’s commitment to make AI regulation a central focus of the meeting.

    The Trump administration may have ushered in a period of more lax tech regulation in the U.S., and Silicon Valley is indeed a key player in tech — especially AI. But it’s a wide world, with many other important players in this space, including China, Europe and Canada.

    The events in Paris have revealed a strong interest among nations around the globe to regulate AI, and specifically to foster ideas about inclusion and sustainability. If the Paris summit was any indication, the hope of sheltering AI from effective regulation won’t last long.

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

    – ref. The Paris summit marks a tipping point on AI’s safety and sustainability – https://theconversation.com/the-paris-summit-marks-a-tipping-point-on-ais-safety-and-sustainability-249706

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Beauval  — Beauval RCMP asking public to report sightings of Christopher Blyan

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Beauval RCMP are asking the public to report sightings and information on the whereabouts of 46-year old Christopher Blyan.

    Christopher Blyan is wanted for charges including the possession of cocaine, failure to attend court, and failure to comply with release conditions.

    Christopher Blyan is described as 5’10” tall and 190 pounds with hazel colored eyes and brown hair.

    He is known to travel in the Beauval and Meadow Lake areas.

    Beauval RCMP continue to investigate.

    Report all sightings and information about the whereabouts of Christopher Blyan to your local police at 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Joins Push Urging Trump Administration to Exempt Seasonal Firefighters from Federal Hiring Freeze

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined 14 of her Senate colleagues in a letter urging the Trump Administration to exempt seasonal firefighters from the federal hiring freeze. Reports emerged last week indicating that the federal funding freeze is preventing the hiring and onboarding of seasonal firefighters, a workforce that already struggles with recruitment and retention. This comes as the West continues to be ravaged by deadly wildfires.
    “We write today following reports that hiring and onboarding for federal seasonal firefighters has stopped due to the Trump Administration’s federal hiring freeze,” wrote the Senators. “We are extremely concerned to hear that this is happening across the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service ahead of what’s expected to be another devastating wildfire year.”
    “Although there is an urgent need to hire more federal firefighters, the Trump Administration’s hiring freeze does the opposite and is pausing hiring at a critical time for this already understaffed workforce,” they continued. “We urge you to put the safety of families and communities across the country first and allow the federal seasonal firefighter hiring process to continue without delay.”
    The full text of letter can be found here.
    Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts to support Nevada firefighters and combat the wildfire crisis in the West, securing billions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to support wildfire risk reduction and new firefighting equipment. She recently visited the burn scar of the Davis Fire and discussed key resources she’s delivered for wildfires fuels reduction in Northern Nevada. She also ensured all federal wildland firefighters—including many working in Nevada — got a significant pay raise in 2023 and helped designate the Sierra and Elko Fronts as Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscapes for wildfire prevention efforts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Risch Renew Push for Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Critical Mineral Production in the West

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) reintroduced the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act to allow critical mineral production to continue in the West. This bill is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02).
    “We need to streamline our federal permitting process to unleash the full potential of Nevada’s critical mineral economy,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m continuing my bipartisan push to pass this commonsense bill that will cut red tape, protect mining jobs in Nevada, help support clean energy projects nationwide.”
    “Domestic mineral production is critical to everyday energy, technology, and national security needs,” said Senator Risch. “For too long, Idaho’s minerals have been tied up in red tape, preventing responsible use of our natural resources. The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act ensures mining projects in Idaho and across the West can proceed and provide invaluable support to our communities and country.” 
    “The Rosemont Decision overturned decades of established precedent that allowed our domestic mining operations to flourish, and instead blocked production efforts with excessive red tape,” said Representative Mark Amodei. “Out West, we have an abundance of natural resources that we can responsibly utilize to reduce our reliance on adversaries and strengthen our national security. This bill reverses the damage caused by the misguided Rosemont Decision and restores clarity for critical mining projects to move forward.”
    “The Nevada Mining Association applauds and supports the bipartisan Mining Regulatory Clarity Act,” said Amanda Hilton, President of Nevada Mining Association. “Nevada is a leading producer of critical minerals like copper, lithium, and magnesium, along with more than 20 other materials essential to daily life. This legislation provides necessary stability for Nevada’s modern mining industry, ensuring it can operate efficiently and sustain the high-paying jobs that tens of thousands of Nevada families depend on. We appreciate Senator Cortez Masto’s ongoing leadership in advocating for Nevada’s mining community.”
    “The bipartisan Mining Regulatory Clarity Act is KEY to ensuring the U.S. can use our vast domestic resources to build the essential mineral supply chains we know we must have,” said Rich Nolan, National Mining Association president and CEO. “China’s recent actions to cut off VITAL mineral supply chains underscores the need to strengthen domestic mineral supply chains for manufacturing, energy, national security and other priorities. This legislation ensures the fundamental ability to conduct responsible mining activities on federal lands. Regulatory certainty, or the lack thereof, will either underpin or undermine efforts to meet the extraordinary mineral demand now at our doorstep.”
    “BPC Action is pleased to see Sens. James Risch (R-ID) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) working together to tackle barriers to expand America’s critical mineral supply. The bipartisan Mining Regulatory Clarity Act provides much needed regulatory certainty for mining projects, strengthening critical mineral supply chains while driving job creation in the sector,” said Michele Stockwell, President of Bipartisan Policy Center Action. 
    “If we’re going to achieve U.S. energy dominance, spur innovation, and support American manufacturing, we need to expand the domestic production of critical minerals. We can do so while supporting workers, communities, and our natural resources through sensible, transparent, and efficient regulations. Advanced Energy United is encouraged to see the “Mining Regulatory Clarity Act,” which should enhance business certainty around our mining rules and regulations,” said Harry Godfrey, Managing Director for Federal Affairs at Advanced Energy United.
    “As demand for electric vehicles continues to grow at home and abroad, the need for mineral commodities, including lithium, cobalt, graphite, and copper will likewise rise dramatically. Mining is essential for the United States to fulfill demand in the electric vehicle and clean energy sectors, not to mention other mineral applications in defense, consumer electronics, and advanced computing. The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act is the result of a years-long, bipartisan effort to reestablish certainty for mineral producers in the United States. ZETA applauds Senators Cortez Masto and Risch for their tireless efforts to advance this critical legislation,” said Albert Gore, Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA).
    The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act provides regulatory certainty for mining projects and reaffirms long-held practice that some public land use under a mining claim inherently accompanies exploration and extraction activities for other mining-support activities. This bill creates an optional and voluntary pathway to allow use of public lands for ancillary purposes connected to a mining project that can only be used within an agency-approved Plan of Operations. The bill also creates a new revenue stream from new mill site claims to be dedicated to abandoned mine clean-up efforts. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
    Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts in Congress to support Nevada’s mining industry, protecting more than 83,000 local jobs and paving the way for Nevada to power the clean energy economy. She has consistently blocked burdensome taxes on mining and wrote important provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bolster Nevada’s critical mineral supply chain and fund battery recycling programs in the state. She’s also introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the domestic supply chain for rare-earth magnets.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Honored by Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association for Repealing WEP, GPO

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) was awarded the Fraternal Order of Police National President’s Advocacy Award for his instrumental role in passing the Social Security Fairness Act, which fully repeals two unfair Social Security provisions known as the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). It was signed into law on January 5, 2024 after Cassidy successfully secured a vote on the Senate floor. Prior to the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, WEP and GPO unfairly penalized 94,000 state and local public servants in Louisiana, including Louisiana sheriffs.
    “No one should be penalized for serving their communities. For years, I have worked to make sure our police officers and all public servants receive the full Social Security benefits they have earned,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I stand committed to those who protect and serve Louisiana every day. Thank you to the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association for this honor.” 
    Background
    Last week, Cassidy led his colleagues in sending a letter to acting Social Security Commissioner Michelle King calling for the immediate implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act to provide full Social Security benefits for millions of public servants impacted by WEP and GPO.
    Cassidy played a pivotal role in getting the Social Security Fairness Act signed into law on January 5, 2025. Cassidy successfully demanded a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. In July 2024 and again in December, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor urging Congress to repeal WEP and GPO as part of his “Big Idea” to save, strengthen, and secure America’s retirement system. In June, Cassidy entered a statement into the record urging the repeal of WEP and GPO ahead of the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee field hearing on Social Security. 
    Cassidy is a long-time cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate, being an original cosponsor since he became a Member of Congress in 2009. He led the introduction of the legislation in the 117th and 116th Congress.
    Cassidy led a bipartisan working group to preserve and protect Social Security. He released the inaugural Bill on the Hill video where he asked Capitol Hill visitors from across the country their thoughts on the looming benefit cuts to Social Security and presented his “Big Idea.”
    Last March, Cassidy grilled U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on President Biden’s plan to address Social Security, to which Secretary Yellen admitted “the president doesn’t have a plan,” to save Social Security.
    Cassidy has discussed the “Big Idea” at a public forum with AARP on the future of Social Security, outlined his Social Security plan in a fireside chat with the Bipartisan Policy Committee, and authored op-eds in the Washington Examiner in July, the Wall Street Journal in March, and State Affairs and Washington Post in May. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tiptonville, Tennessee, Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

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

    PEORIA, Ill. – A Tiptonville, Tennessee, man, Jerry Braddy, 45, was sentenced on February 4, 2025, to ten years in federal prison, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor. He also must register as a sex offender once he is released.

    At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, the government established that between June 2, 2024, and June 12, 2024, Braddy communicated via an online platform with an individual he believed to be the stepfather of a nine-year-old child. Braddy agreed to meet the child and stepfather in Bloomington, Illinois, in order to engage in a sexual encounter with the minor. Federal law enforcement agents, with assistance from the McLean County Sherriff’s Office, arrested Braddy when he arrived at the location.

    Braddy was charged by criminal complaint in June 2024 and indicted five days later. Braddy pleaded guilty in August 2024. He has remained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest.

    The statutory penalties for attempted enticement of a minor are a minimum of ten years to life imprisonment, followed by a minimum of five years to a maximum life term of supervised release.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Pharmacists Convicted for Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendants Conspired to Fill Fake Prescriptions for Oxycodone Pills Written by a Doctor’s Receptionist and Distributed to Street Drug Dealers for Cash

    Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned guilty verdicts against licensed pharmacists Yousef Ennab and Mohamed Hassan on all counts of a superseding indictment charging them with conspiracies to dispense and distribute oxycodone, as well as distribution and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.  The verdict followed a three-week trial before United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly.  When sentenced, the defendants each face up to 60 years in prison.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA); Naomi Gruchacz, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and Dr. James V. McDonald, Commissioner, New York State Department of Health, announced the verdicts.

    “The defendants abused their access to oxycodone and violated the trust placed in them as pharmacists by illegally agreeing to supply drug dealers with tens of thousands of pills to sell on the streets of our district with zero regard for the immense harm this dangerously addictive narcotic has caused,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Pharmacists have a responsibility to prevent the illegal flow of drugs from their businesses, but these defendants only cared about lining their pockets with cash. With today’s verdict they will soon learn there is a reckoning for their criminal conduct that has contributed to the opioid epidemic.”

    United States Attorney Durham expressed sincere thanks to his team of prosecutors and paralegals and all of the law enforcement partners whose tireless efforts contributed to the convictions of these defendants and their co-conspirators. They include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the New York State Comptroller, the New York Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the New York National Guard.

    “Today’s verdict against Yousef Ennab and Mohamed Hassan sends a strong message to anyone in the medical profession willing to betray their patients’ trust,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino.  “Pharmacists who abuse their license, a license to help and promote the health and safety of others, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  This abuse is a breach of trust that not only undermines public confidence but also causes irreputable harm and erodes the foundation of integrity which the public relies on.  The DEA and our partners will continue to target those individuals who abuse their authority and profit from fueling the national opioid crisis.”  

    “The pharmacists convicted in this case chose to dispense illegally prescribed controlled substances to patients and accept cash kickbacks to do so, which is especially egregious given the ongoing opioid epidemic,” stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz.  “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.”

    “These two men used their positions as pharmacists to scheme and cheat the system, filling their pockets with the money of the vulnerable and addicted.  Yousef Ennab and Mohamed Hassan had little regard for the safety and well-being of their clients, and today a jury of their peers found them guilty of their criminal behavior.  This conviction was made possible with the collaborative efforts of our federal and local partners, and now both defendants will soon be faced with sentencing,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Chavis.

    “Whether illegal drug transactions occur on a street corner or in brick-and-mortar pharmacies masquerading as legitimate businesses, the pushers are fueling addiction,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “The numbers here are staggering—over 1.2 million pills exchanged with a street value of approximately $24 million.  While the full extent of the harm is unquantifiable, the guilty verdicts send a clear message that wherever you illegally distribute drugs, your operation will be shut down and you will go to jail.  I thank the investigators in the NYPD, in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and across numerous law enforcement agencies for their joint effort to eradicate poison from our streets.”

    “The defendants’ criminal conduct, and that of their co-conspirators, flooded our city with 1.2 million pills of highly addictive oxycodone.  Their convictions make clear that DOI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and all of our partner law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation are committed to bringing to justice those responsible for the distribution of dangerous drugs.” stated DOI Commissioner Strauber.

    “The Department takes professional and medical misconduct very seriously, with the health and safety of New Yorkers and our communities being of utmost concern,” stated New York State Department of Health Commissioner McDonald.  “The State Department of Health’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement will continue to remain vigilant and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to protect the public health by combatting diversion and safeguarding the legitimate use of controlled substances in health care.”

    As proven at trial, Hassan and Ennab were licensed pharmacists who participated in a large-scale scheme using illegal medical prescriptions to obtain oxycodone for distribution on the streets of New York City.  Hassan held ownership stakes in more than a dozen pharmacies, where were located in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island and did business under the names Nile RX, Nile Ridge, Nile City, Sunset Corner, Prospect Care, Downtown RX and Forest Care, among others.  Ennab was the supervising pharmacist at Forest Care, one of Hassan’s pharmacies in Staten Island.

    The scheme relied on filling illegally issued prescriptions for 30-day supplies of oxycodone 30 mg that were written out of a Brooklyn medical practice operating as a pill mill, often for patients that the resident doctor at the practice had never examined.  Oxycodone 30 pills are high in strength and are prescribed to cancer patients, for instance.  In some cases, the prescriptions were for individuals whose identities had been stolen and were not patients of the practice.  The prescriptions were then filled at pharmacies controlled by Hassan, including the pharmacy where Ennab worked.  Hassan and Ennab conspired with other drug dealers to effect the distribution of the illegally obtained oxycodone.  One of the drug dealers picked up the oxycodone from the pharmacies in exchange for cash payments to Hassan and Ennab.  Hassan and other pharmacist co-conspirators also billed insurance companies for the pills even though they had no legitimate medical purpose. The trial evidence included video footage of Ennab taking a cash payment from one of the drug dealers, Michael Kent, while handing over multiple prescriptions for oxycodone for sham patients. In total, the scheme resulted in the illegal distribution of more than 1.2 million pills of oxycodone worth more than $36 million in retail street value.

    Six co-defendants, including Dr. Somsri Ratanaprasatporn, her receptionist Leticia Smith and pharmacists Bassam Amin and Omar Elsayed, previously pleaded guilty based on their involvement in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing.  A seventh co-defendant, Michael Kent, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years’ incarceration.

    These convictions are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Assistant United States  Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise, Victor Zapana and Gilbert M. Rein are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Nadya Osman.  Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian is handing forfeiture matters.  

    The Defendants:

    YOUSEF ENNAB
    Age:  27
    Brooklyn, New York

    MOHAMED HASSAN
    Age:  34
    Brooklyn, New York

    Co-Defendants Who Pleaded Guilty:

    LETICIA SMITH
    Age:  54
    Brooklyn, New York

    BASSAM AMIN
    Age: 69
    Brooklyn, New York

    OMAR ELSAYED
    Age:  28
    Hackensack, New Jersey

    YOUSEF ENNAB
    Age:  25
    Brooklyn, New York

    MICHAEL KENT
    Age:  49
    Brooklyn, New York

    ANTHONY MATHIS
    Age:  55
    New Windsor, New York

    Dr. SOMSRI RATANAPRASATPORN
    Age:  75
    Staten Island, New York

    RAYMOND WALKER
    Age:  70
    Brooklyn, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-464 (AMD)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 2020 Census Contractor Agrees to Pay $8,000,000 to Settle Fraud Allegations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Maximus, Inc., a government services contractor based in Virginia, has agreed to pay the United States $8 million to resolve allegations that it misled the United States Census Bureau about the quality of its call handling as a contractor for the 2020 Census. The settlement resolves allegations brought by whistleblowers under the federal False Claims Act.

    Maximus operated several multi-lingual call centers throughout the United States that took incoming calls from individuals with questions about Census operations and made outgoing calls to assist individuals in responding to the Census. Its contract with the United States Census Bureau also required Maximus to perform services to assess the quality and data accuracy of its call center operations. Maximus employed quality monitors to score calls for the accuracy of the call taker’s data input and adherence to standards of professionalism and decorum, based on a set of scoring standards agreed on between Maximus and the Census Bureau. In addition to compensation for its costs incurred, the contract provided that Maximus would receive an “award fee.” An “award fee” is a contract incentive paid to encourage contractors to meet certain contract goals. The Census Bureau used the call quality scores Maximus reported to help determine an appropriate “award fee” to pay Maximus. 

    The United States alleges that Maximus provided the Census Bureau inaccurate or misleading score information to improve the Census Bureau’s impression of the quality of Maximus’s work. While the contract required Maximus

    to score a random sample of calls, the United States alleges that Maximus encouraged its quality monitors to choose which calls to score in a way designed to 
    improve the quality scores reported to the Census Bureau. The United States contends that Maximus did not tell the Census Bureau about these practices, which artificially increased the quality scores and permitted Maximus to receive greater award fees than it would have received with accurate reporting.

    Maximus cooperated with the investigation. The claims asserted against Maximus are allegations only; there was no determination or admission of liability. The lawsuit does not allege that Maximus manipulated any census enumeration data it helped collect.

    The lawsuit arose under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act permits private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the United States and share in the recovery. The whistleblowers will receive a $1.2 million share of the settlement.        

    “Government contractors must be honest and accurate in their reporting to their government partners. This is particularly true when the information they report affects the amount the government pays them. Our office is committed to holding accountable contractors that enrich themselves by misleading American taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax.

    “The U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General is dedicated to investigating schemes to defraud U.S. Census Bureau contracts and programs,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Eric Arcand with the United States Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General (Commerce-OIG). “Census data informs policy and decision-making at all levels of government, and fraud affecting any aspect of the Census Bureau’s programs must not be tolerated. We are committed to protecting the Census Bureau’s funding and programs from fraud, waste, and abuse. We also appreciate the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa’s efforts toward resolving this matter.”

    The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys

    Brandon J. Gray and Brian J. Keogh and investigated by the Department of Commerce-OIG, particularly Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Judd Leinum.  

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Child Sex Offender Sentenced to 270 Months in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offenses

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

    United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced James Tyra Bowman, age 30, of Appleton, Wisconsin, to 270 months in federal prison following his convictions for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. The Court further sentenced Bowman to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon his release.

    Bowman, while in Wisconsin, used social media applications and the name “Genius_Outlaw” to attempt to convince someone he believed was an 11-year-old girl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to have an illegal sexual relationship with him.  Bowman offered her gifts to entice her to engage in the sexual acts.  The 11-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.  Bowman also sent the undercover officer a picture of himself and his genitals and demanded that she send him sexually explicit videos and images of herself. Bowman also planned an arrangement to train the supposed 11-year-old girl (undercover officer) in illegal sex acts in Wisconsin.  Bowman was arrested by law enforcement in January of 2024.  Bowman was previously convicted and sentenced for child sexual exploitation crimes in Wisconsin in 2017.

    This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief.

    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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy

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

    BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, has pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug conspiracy charges.

    Dominique Carpenter-Grady, a/k/a “8 Zipp,” a/k/a “Eight,” “a/k/a “Eighty,” 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute PCP, MDMB-4en-PINACA and ADB-4en-PINACA. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Feb. 11, 2026.

    Carpenter-Grady was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation of H-Block beginning in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. Over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation.

    According to the charging documents, the H-Block street gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H-Block. Current members of H-Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation.

    Carpenter-Grady was a long-time H-Block gang member and one of three members and associates of H Block charged with a conspiracy to smuggle illegal drugs into a Massachusetts prison. Carpenter-Grady facilitated intercepted calls coordinating the smuggling of drugs on saturated papers into the prison where alleged co-conspirators were incarcerated. It is alleged that several sheets of paper containing PCP (Phenylcyclidine) and illegal K2 were seized over the course of the investigation. It is estimated that a single sheet of such paper would be worth as much as $80,000 inside the prison.

    According to court documents, the Massachusetts Department of Correction has seen a significant increase in the smuggling of synthetic cannabinoids, a/k/a “K2,” and other dangerous substances into the prison system. A common method of introducing the drugs is by exploiting the Department of Correction’s inmate mail policies, which prohibit delivery to inmates of original copies of any materials contained in incoming mail except for legal mail, original copies of which are inspected and delivered via the U.S. postal system. Sheets of paper are saturated or sprayed with liquid narcotics, dried, printed with fake legal correspondence, and then mailed to inmates in an envelope marked as legal mail, in the hopes that the drug-laced paper will be delivered undetected.

    Carpenter-Grady is the second defendant to plead guilty in the case.

    The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute PCP, MDMB-4en-PINACA and ADB-4en-PINACA provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
        
    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Murphy of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Previously Deported Man for Violation of Sex Offender Registration and Reentry of Deported Alien

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Trenton, TN – Early this morning, the U.S. Marshals led Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Jackson, Tennessee, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Jose Alfredo Melendez-Hernandez.

    The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in the Western District of Tennessee began investigating Melendez-Hernandez, 52, for violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) after it was determined that he was residing in Gibson County, Tennessee and failed to register as a sex offender.

    Investigators also determined that Melendez-Hernandez was previously deported and removed from the United States in 2009 following a conviction for sexual battery in Texas.

    The investigation further revealed that Melendez-Hernandez was in the United States without having obtained the express consent from the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.

    Melendez-Hernandez was indicted in federal court in the Western District of Tennessee on February 10, 2025, for violation of SORNA and Reentry of Deported Alien.

    On February 12, 2025, the TRVFTF and HSI Agents went to a residence on Cades Loop Road in Trenton, Tennessee. After Melendez-Hernandez failed to comply with commands to come outside, the door was breached by Deputy marshals and task force officers. Melendez-Hernandez was found inside, taken into custody, and transported to the James D. Todd U.S. Courthouse in Jackson.

    The U.S. Marshals Service Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Gibson County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured approximately 3,000 violent offenders and sexual predators.

    MIL Security OSI –