Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Northern Territory Police have located the 25-year-old man who went missing from Tennent Creek last week.
He was located safe and well in Renner Springs and police would like to thank the members of the public who provided assistance.
Source: US Marshals Service
Memphis, TN – The U.S. Marshals (USMS) Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) arrested 1st degree murder suspect Kemarion Ward, age 19, in Memphis, Tennessee today. In an unrelated case they also arrested Thaddius Brown, age 29, for Murder 2.
On December 10, 2023, Germaniee Stephens was found shot to death in Indianola, Mississippi. Sunflower County, Mississippi, issued an arrest warrant for Kemarion Ward on January 24, 2024, for this crime. The fugitive investigation was adopted on February 9, 2024, by the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, Oxford, Mississippi office.
It came to light that Ward was in the Memphis, Tennessee area. The Gulf Coast Task Force immediately began working with the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force. The Two Rivers Task Force went to a residence in the 3100 block of Duke Ellington Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. Ward was found there and taken into custody without incident. At the time of this release, he is at the Shelby County Detention Center awaiting extradition.
The U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force based out of Brooklyn, New York, began a fugitive investigation on Thaddius Brown on June 24, 2025. Brown was wanted by New York for Murder 2. When the investigation revealed that Brown had fled to the Memphis area, investigators with the New York/New Jersey Task Force traveled to Memphis and joined hands with the Two Rivers Task Force to locate the fugitive.
Approximately one hour after Ward was taken into custody, members of the Two Rivers Task Force located Brown at a residence at the 6400 block of Crossbrook. He was taken into custody without incident and at the time of this release awaits extradition at the Shelby County Detention Center back to New York City.
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 over 3,000 violent offenders and sexual predators.
Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)
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Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)
New Accounts by Detained Individuals Detail Dozens of Immigrants in Cramped Holding Area with No Showers, Denied Health Care, One Bathroom, Limited Food and Water
DHS Has Prevented Rep. Goldman from Conducting Oversight of Detention Facilities
New York, NY –Today, Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined a press conference with Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, City Comptroller Brad Lander, and New Sanctuary Coalition to discuss the surge in immigration enforcement activity in New York City under the Trump administration. The Congressman shared the stories of two individuals who were held in the 10th floor detention area of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, both of whom were either subject to or witnessed dozens of immigrants detained in horrifying conditions, with little accountability or oversight.
DHS has prevented Congressman Goldman from exercising his right to conduct oversight of the DHS facilities at 26 Federal Plaza, likely due to the conditions the federal government is subjecting detainees to.
“The horrific conditions on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza are exactly why the Trump administration has blocked me and my colleagues from inspecting these facilities,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “Law-abiding, nonviolent immigrants have been crammed into overcrowded rooms with no showers, inadequate food and water, and no way to contact their families to tell them where they are. It’s not just illegal — it’s un-American and inhumane. As Trump continues to illegally obstruct congressional oversight and cover up the truth about these egregious conditions, I will continue exposing the abuses enabled by our own government and amplifying the voices of those who have endured them.”
Over the past week, Rep. Goldman has spoken with multiple individuals who have been detained in the facilities at 26 Federal Plaza, and shared details of their stories today.
One individual the Congressman spoke with had lawfully sought asylum and appeared in immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, where they were granted a postponement to secure legal counsel. However, upon leaving the courtroom, ICE agents with a print-out of their photo ignored the judge’s order and detained them on the spot. Shackled at the waist, arms, and legs, they were taken to the 10th floor of the building and held for days in a cramped, cage-like room with no beds, limited food and water, and only one bathroom, which was only partially shielded by a hanging sheet, for the roughly 140 individuals held there. They slept on the concrete floor for three days before being shackled again and transferred to an unknown facility, where they witnessed a visibly ill detainee vomiting who was not given medical care. A few days later, they were shackled and returned to 26 Federal Plaza, where they were released for a previously scheduled medical procedure. The day after their medical procedure, ICE sent the individual a message through a tracking app that had been installed on their phone while in detention, instructing them to return to 26 Federal Plaza the next day. Despite a doctor’s note recommending 4–6 weeks of recovery, ICE continues to demand weekly photos of the procedure site, apparently to confirm the veracity of their recovery. Their family member remains in ICE custody, shackled and transferred across multiple detention centers nationwide.
Another individual with a pending immigration case was mistakenly detained by ICE agents at 26 Federal Plaza immediately after their court hearing. As they exited the courtroom, they were surrounded by agents and taken to the building’s 10th floor, where they were held in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions alongside 30 to 40 others—many of whom had also been detained after routine court appearances and had no idea why they were being held. The floor had just one toilet, no showers, and repeated requests for food were ignored. The individual spoke with multiple other detainees who had been held there for multiple weeks. The individual was ultimately released after ICE acknowledged they had mistaken him for someone else, but many others remain in prolonged detention under similarly disturbing circumstances.
Congressman Dan Goldman has been fighting the Trump administration’s authoritarian immigration enforcement tactics since the start of his second term.
Rep. Dan Goldman: Thank you very much to the Comptroller, to the Public Advocate, and to all of the faith leaders here. I know that Jumanne and Brad have been regularly observing these proceedings. I, too, have been observing them in both buildings. I want to underscore a couple of things that are new and that are very important to recognize.
First, last Thursday, the Republicans rammed through a horrific bill that will take health care, food assistance, school loans away from everyday Americans in order to pay for not only tax cuts for the billionaires, but to increase the budget for ICE to $175 billion. And that includes bonuses for every single ICE agent waiting to yank someone from court of an average of $40,000 a year.
We saw yesterday that the Department of Homeland Security and ICE are being militarized now with the National Guard in Los Angeles. It literally looks like some kind of internal military takeover that you would see in another country that is not a democracy, but instead it’s right here in the United States.
And what we are seeing that’s different, as Brad put it very well, is that for a while, ICE policy was very deceitful, very deceptive. Essentially, the government, the Department of Homeland Security, was trying to dismiss cases that already existed for people’s removal process in order for them not to have status here as a lawful immigrant. These are law-abiding immigrants pursuing asylum, which is a lawful pathway to come into this country, it is a legal pathway to come into the United States.
And so, without that status, they are arresting them and putting them in expedited removal. There are many issues with that, as Brad pointed out, but they’re not even pretending to do that anymore.
They are now literally arresting people who are coming to court, who are following the law, who are doing things the right way. These are the exact opposite of convicted criminals and not the “worst of the worst” that Donald Trump said he was going to deport.
These are people doing it the right way, like 40% of New York City. 40% of New York City are immigrants. And what I want to focus on now is what happens after these folks are yanked from their courthouses illegally, unlawfully, and put in detention. Because over the past couple weeks, I’ve spoken now to two people who have been in the 10th floor detention center of 26 Federal Plaza.
One was wrongly arrested. ICE at least acknowledged that he was wrongly arrested. And after an hour or so, he was let go. But his story of what he learned when he was in there is frightening.
There are 100 people in cramped holding cells. Very little access to food and water, no beds, no showers. One toilet shared among the 20 or 30 or even more detainees with very little privacy. No change of clothes. It absolutely reeks inside, and nobody is being told why they are there. He said there were people who had stayed there for as many as two weeks. Two weeks in those conditions.
They are shackled by their arms, their legs, and their waist. Remember, these are people going to court for a civil immigration case, and they’re being shackled as if they’re alleged murderers.
And then this morning, I spoke to another woman who had been detained in there for about four days. She’s Ukrainian. She went through the CBP, went up and made an affirmative asylum claim. She went into court with her husband there on a joint claim, and they got their case moved to March of 2026. They walked out of the courthouse, and they were snatched and detained and arrested not only by ICE agents, but also by FBI agents.
Yes. The law enforcement agents charged with investigating and prosecuting violent crimes, counterintelligence, keeping our homeland secure are now being taken off of those cases so that they can join with a dozen or so ICE agents to arrest nonviolent, non-criminal, law-abiding immigrants trying to come into this country.
The conditions that she described are very similar. She had to sleep on the floor. She had no blanket. She was given an aluminum sheet, very little food, very little medical evaluation. There was one nurse there. She ultimately was released because she had a serious abdominal surgery. The day after her surgery, she got a text message that she had to appear within two hours in person in court.
She was still in the hospital. She was able to extend it. Now she’s been pushed back to 4 to 6 weeks recovery so that she can check in by phone. But her husband is not so lucky. Her husband has been transferred down to Texas. Remember, he is a lawful asylum applicant who came in through the CBP One App from Ukraine. Obviously we know what’s going on in Ukraine. And he has a court case.
So what we’re talking about here is not just these draconian measures, not just this military state, not just the secret police abducting non-criminal, nonviolent immigrants, trying to do things the right way. We are talking about illegal deportations, a whole other level of illegality, illegal deportations.
Alexander sits in Texas right now, having no idea whether he’s going to be deported. He’s in line for expedited removal, even though that would be patently illegal. So this is about who we are as a country. Yes, we are a country founded by immigrants. We all have an immigrant story from our descendants. That’s what makes this country and this city, especially, so unique.
And what also makes this country unique is that we have the rule of law. We are in a democracy where due process is required. And I don’t care whether Donald Trump or Kristi Noem don’t like our immigration laws. They don’t get to decide whether or not to abide by them. They are responsible. They take an oath to abide by our laws. And if you don’t like asylum laws, then come talk to the Democrats, because we’d be happy to work on asylum reform with you, as we had done a year ago in a bipartisan immigration reform bill.
But do not go treating people, sub-humanly, treating immigrants simply because they are not born here as if they are second class, as if they are not human beings. That is not what this country is about. That is why we are here.
And the last thing I will say is, I have tried several times to get into that detention center. As a member of Congress, I not only have a constitutional obligation, but I have a statutory right to go and conduct oversight over any homeland security facility that is being used to detain or otherwise house immigrants.
If people staying on the 10th floor of this building for two weeks does not count as being detained or housed, then clearly we don’t live in the United States of America. They are illegally obstructing my ability to conduct oversight. And the reason why I want to conduct oversight is exactly because of these stories. They are hiding the terrible, terrible conditions that exist there, and they are hiding the terrible, terrible treatment of people who are trying to do things the right way.
It is unacceptable, and we will continue to fight until this stops. Until we regain who we are as a country, who we are as people. And until this administration follows the law. Thank you.
###
Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)
New Accounts by Detained Individuals Detail Dozens of Immigrants in Cramped Holding Area with No Showers, Denied Health Care, One Bathroom, Limited Food and Water
DHS Has Prevented Rep. Goldman from Conducting Oversight of Detention Facilities
New York, NY –Today, Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined a press conference with Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, City Comptroller Brad Lander, and New Sanctuary Coalition to discuss the surge in immigration enforcement activity in New York City under the Trump administration. The Congressman shared the stories of two individuals who were held in the 10th floor detention area of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, both of whom were either subject to or witnessed dozens of immigrants detained in horrifying conditions, with little accountability or oversight.
DHS has prevented Congressman Goldman from exercising his right to conduct oversight of the DHS facilities at 26 Federal Plaza, likely due to the conditions the federal government is subjecting detainees to.
“The horrific conditions on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza are exactly why the Trump administration has blocked me and my colleagues from inspecting these facilities,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “Law-abiding, nonviolent immigrants have been crammed into overcrowded rooms with no showers, inadequate food and water, and no way to contact their families to tell them where they are. It’s not just illegal — it’s un-American and inhumane. As Trump continues to illegally obstruct congressional oversight and cover up the truth about these egregious conditions, I will continue exposing the abuses enabled by our own government and amplifying the voices of those who have endured them.”
Over the past week, Rep. Goldman has spoken with multiple individuals who have been detained in the facilities at 26 Federal Plaza, and shared details of their stories today.
One individual the Congressman spoke with had lawfully sought asylum and appeared in immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, where they were granted a postponement to secure legal counsel. However, upon leaving the courtroom, ICE agents with a print-out of their photo ignored the judge’s order and detained them on the spot. Shackled at the waist, arms, and legs, they were taken to the 10th floor of the building and held for days in a cramped, cage-like room with no beds, limited food and water, and only one bathroom, which was only partially shielded by a hanging sheet, for the roughly 140 individuals held there. They slept on the concrete floor for three days before being shackled again and transferred to an unknown facility, where they witnessed a visibly ill detainee vomiting who was not given medical care. A few days later, they were shackled and returned to 26 Federal Plaza, where they were released for a previously scheduled medical procedure. The day after their medical procedure, ICE sent the individual a message through a tracking app that had been installed on their phone while in detention, instructing them to return to 26 Federal Plaza the next day. Despite a doctor’s note recommending 4–6 weeks of recovery, ICE continues to demand weekly photos of the procedure site, apparently to confirm the veracity of their recovery. Their family member remains in ICE custody, shackled and transferred across multiple detention centers nationwide.
Another individual with a pending immigration case was mistakenly detained by ICE agents at 26 Federal Plaza immediately after their court hearing. As they exited the courtroom, they were surrounded by agents and taken to the building’s 10th floor, where they were held in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions alongside 30 to 40 others—many of whom had also been detained after routine court appearances and had no idea why they were being held. The floor had just one toilet, no showers, and repeated requests for food were ignored. The individual spoke with multiple other detainees who had been held there for multiple weeks. The individual was ultimately released after ICE acknowledged they had mistaken him for someone else, but many others remain in prolonged detention under similarly disturbing circumstances.
Congressman Dan Goldman has been fighting the Trump administration’s authoritarian immigration enforcement tactics since the start of his second term.
Rep. Dan Goldman: Thank you very much to the Comptroller, to the Public Advocate, and to all of the faith leaders here. I know that Jumanne and Brad have been regularly observing these proceedings. I, too, have been observing them in both buildings. I want to underscore a couple of things that are new and that are very important to recognize.
First, last Thursday, the Republicans rammed through a horrific bill that will take health care, food assistance, school loans away from everyday Americans in order to pay for not only tax cuts for the billionaires, but to increase the budget for ICE to $175 billion. And that includes bonuses for every single ICE agent waiting to yank someone from court of an average of $40,000 a year.
We saw yesterday that the Department of Homeland Security and ICE are being militarized now with the National Guard in Los Angeles. It literally looks like some kind of internal military takeover that you would see in another country that is not a democracy, but instead it’s right here in the United States.
And what we are seeing that’s different, as Brad put it very well, is that for a while, ICE policy was very deceitful, very deceptive. Essentially, the government, the Department of Homeland Security, was trying to dismiss cases that already existed for people’s removal process in order for them not to have status here as a lawful immigrant. These are law-abiding immigrants pursuing asylum, which is a lawful pathway to come into this country, it is a legal pathway to come into the United States.
And so, without that status, they are arresting them and putting them in expedited removal. There are many issues with that, as Brad pointed out, but they’re not even pretending to do that anymore.
They are now literally arresting people who are coming to court, who are following the law, who are doing things the right way. These are the exact opposite of convicted criminals and not the “worst of the worst” that Donald Trump said he was going to deport.
These are people doing it the right way, like 40% of New York City. 40% of New York City are immigrants. And what I want to focus on now is what happens after these folks are yanked from their courthouses illegally, unlawfully, and put in detention. Because over the past couple weeks, I’ve spoken now to two people who have been in the 10th floor detention center of 26 Federal Plaza.
One was wrongly arrested. ICE at least acknowledged that he was wrongly arrested. And after an hour or so, he was let go. But his story of what he learned when he was in there is frightening.
There are 100 people in cramped holding cells. Very little access to food and water, no beds, no showers. One toilet shared among the 20 or 30 or even more detainees with very little privacy. No change of clothes. It absolutely reeks inside, and nobody is being told why they are there. He said there were people who had stayed there for as many as two weeks. Two weeks in those conditions.
They are shackled by their arms, their legs, and their waist. Remember, these are people going to court for a civil immigration case, and they’re being shackled as if they’re alleged murderers.
And then this morning, I spoke to another woman who had been detained in there for about four days. She’s Ukrainian. She went through the CBP, went up and made an affirmative asylum claim. She went into court with her husband there on a joint claim, and they got their case moved to March of 2026. They walked out of the courthouse, and they were snatched and detained and arrested not only by ICE agents, but also by FBI agents.
Yes. The law enforcement agents charged with investigating and prosecuting violent crimes, counterintelligence, keeping our homeland secure are now being taken off of those cases so that they can join with a dozen or so ICE agents to arrest nonviolent, non-criminal, law-abiding immigrants trying to come into this country.
The conditions that she described are very similar. She had to sleep on the floor. She had no blanket. She was given an aluminum sheet, very little food, very little medical evaluation. There was one nurse there. She ultimately was released because she had a serious abdominal surgery. The day after her surgery, she got a text message that she had to appear within two hours in person in court.
She was still in the hospital. She was able to extend it. Now she’s been pushed back to 4 to 6 weeks recovery so that she can check in by phone. But her husband is not so lucky. Her husband has been transferred down to Texas. Remember, he is a lawful asylum applicant who came in through the CBP One App from Ukraine. Obviously we know what’s going on in Ukraine. And he has a court case.
So what we’re talking about here is not just these draconian measures, not just this military state, not just the secret police abducting non-criminal, nonviolent immigrants, trying to do things the right way. We are talking about illegal deportations, a whole other level of illegality, illegal deportations.
Alexander sits in Texas right now, having no idea whether he’s going to be deported. He’s in line for expedited removal, even though that would be patently illegal. So this is about who we are as a country. Yes, we are a country founded by immigrants. We all have an immigrant story from our descendants. That’s what makes this country and this city, especially, so unique.
And what also makes this country unique is that we have the rule of law. We are in a democracy where due process is required. And I don’t care whether Donald Trump or Kristi Noem don’t like our immigration laws. They don’t get to decide whether or not to abide by them. They are responsible. They take an oath to abide by our laws. And if you don’t like asylum laws, then come talk to the Democrats, because we’d be happy to work on asylum reform with you, as we had done a year ago in a bipartisan immigration reform bill.
But do not go treating people, sub-humanly, treating immigrants simply because they are not born here as if they are second class, as if they are not human beings. That is not what this country is about. That is why we are here.
And the last thing I will say is, I have tried several times to get into that detention center. As a member of Congress, I not only have a constitutional obligation, but I have a statutory right to go and conduct oversight over any homeland security facility that is being used to detain or otherwise house immigrants.
If people staying on the 10th floor of this building for two weeks does not count as being detained or housed, then clearly we don’t live in the United States of America. They are illegally obstructing my ability to conduct oversight. And the reason why I want to conduct oversight is exactly because of these stories. They are hiding the terrible, terrible conditions that exist there, and they are hiding the terrible, terrible treatment of people who are trying to do things the right way.
It is unacceptable, and we will continue to fight until this stops. Until we regain who we are as a country, who we are as people. And until this administration follows the law. Thank you.
###
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Murray also joins Padilla and colleagues in a letter to DHS requesting information about ICE’s use of unidentified plainclothes agents
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in introducing new legislation to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025 would strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability for the Trump administration’s indiscriminate and alarming immigration enforcement tactics that have terrorized communities in Washington state and across the country.
Under the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, civil immigration enforcement operations have increasingly involved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers engaging with the public while wearing unmarked tactical gear, concealing clothing, and face coverings that obscure both agency affiliation and personal identity. Without visible badges, names, or insignia, members of the public often have no way to confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate government officials.
This lack of transparency endangers public safety by causing widespread confusion and fear, especially in communities already subject to heightened immigration scrutiny. It also increases operational and safety risks for law enforcement personnel by creating an opportunity for immigration enforcement impersonators and compounding uncertainty in high-stress situations. Clear, consistent, visible identification helps reduce miscommunication during enforcement encounters, strengthens officer credibility, and improves public cooperation, all of which are vital to mission success. The VISIBLE Act would place a critical check on the government’s power, ensuring basic transparency safeguards that protect public trust and legitimacy in immigration enforcement operations.
“Under the Trump administration, Americans have watched in horror as people have been abducted by unidentified masked agents and driven away in unmarked vans—these are scenes that shock the conscience and should never happen in America,” said Senator Murray. “I’ve heard from immigrant communities and people across Washington state about the pervasive sense of fear and alarm created when masked agents descend on a community without any visible identification, and residents have no way of knowing whether they are interacting with legitimate law enforcement. Anyone being detained by law enforcement in America deserves to know who is detaining them and why. The VISIBLE Act would simply require immigration enforcement officers to display their badge number and agency, and ensure that masked agents aren’t whisking people off the streets. This is a commonsense step that is badly needed as the Trump administration does everything it can to stoke fear and terror in immigrant communities and make everyone feel less safe.”
“This bill is an important step toward keeping immigration enforcement officers and all the people in America safe. Masked, plainclothes officers create an unreasonable risk of escalating violence and unnerve everyone who sees them,” said Scott Shuchart, Former ICE and DHS (Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties) Official. “As much as the cop in blues is a staple of American life, the masked bandit is a symbol of fear, and having government agents dressed like paramilitaries is un-American. Based on my experience in government, the VISIBLE Act makes good sense and would be straightforward for DHS officials to implement.”
Specifically, the VISIBLE Act:
The bill does not apply to covert or non-public facing operations, nor does it prohibit face coverings when necessary for officer safety. It also does not apply to enforcement actions conducted solely under criminal authority.
The VISIBLE Act is also cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The bill is endorsed by the ACLU and Public Counsel.
A one-pager on the bill is available HERE.
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
Senator Murray also joined Senator Padilla and 12 other Democratic senators in a letter sent yesterday to Todd Lyons, Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), criticizing ICE for engaging in counterproductive, theatrical enforcement activities—including raids on courthouses and restaurants—and requesting information from the agency on its mask and uniform policies. The senators argued that these tactics are designed to sow fear and chaos and that allowing masked, plainclothes officers to engage in public raids creates situations where bad actors can commit crimes while claiming to be ICE agents.
“As ICE engages in unprecedented numbers of immigration raids across the country, reportedly in response to arbitrary quotas set by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, it is crucial that ICE personnel not engage in conduct that is all but guaranteed to sow chaos and confusion and put law enforcement officers in danger,” the senators wrote. “Storming courthouses, grabbing students off the street, raiding places of work, and sweeping through restaurants at prime dining hours are in and of themselves tactics clearly designed to engender fear and sow chaos in the population. Doing so in plainclothes, with no identification of their name or agency, while wearing a mask designed to obscure the agent’s face, represents a clear attempt to compound that fear and chaos—and to avoid accountability for agents’ actions.
The consequences of allowing unfettered plainclothes enforcement actions are clear. Not only does it frighten people and lead to increased chaos, but it also allows criminals to take advantage of this environment of uncertainty,” the Members continued. The Members alsoasked Acting Director to respond to the following questions by Monday, July 21st:
In addition to Padilla and Murray, the letter was also signed by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL) Hirono, Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Schiff (D-CA), Smith (D-MN), Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Welch (D-VT), and Wyden (D-OR).
Full text of the letter is available HERE.
Source: US State of California
A Maryland husband and wife were sentenced today to 12 years in prison and four years in prison, respectively, after their convictions for a scheme to commit insurance fraud.
The following is according to court documents and evidence presented at trial: James and Maureen Wilson, of Owings Mills, conspired to defraud insurance companies by obtaining over 40 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth, and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million. The Wilsons also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that Wilson used to pay premiums on fraudulently obtained life insurance policies.
To conceal the fraud, the Wilsons transferred the money they made from the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. The Wilsons filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which did not report as income or pay tax on the approximately $5.7 million and $2 million, respectively, they made from the fraud.
In addition to their prison sentences, Judge Deborah K. Chasanow for the District of Maryland ordered both Wilsons to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $16 million in restitution to victims of the insurance fraud scheme and $2.7 million in restitution to the United States. She also ordered the Wilsons to forfeit approximately $14.8 million in seized funds.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of The Attorney General.
Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley of the Tax Division, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay for the District of Maryland, and Trial Attorney Stephanie Williamson of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Source: US State of California
A Maryland husband and wife were sentenced today to 12 years in prison and four years in prison, respectively, after their convictions for a scheme to commit insurance fraud.
The following is according to court documents and evidence presented at trial: James and Maureen Wilson, of Owings Mills, conspired to defraud insurance companies by obtaining over 40 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth, and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million. The Wilsons also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that Wilson used to pay premiums on fraudulently obtained life insurance policies.
To conceal the fraud, the Wilsons transferred the money they made from the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. The Wilsons filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which did not report as income or pay tax on the approximately $5.7 million and $2 million, respectively, they made from the fraud.
In addition to their prison sentences, Judge Deborah K. Chasanow for the District of Maryland ordered both Wilsons to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $16 million in restitution to victims of the insurance fraud scheme and $2.7 million in restitution to the United States. She also ordered the Wilsons to forfeit approximately $14.8 million in seized funds.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of The Attorney General.
Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley of the Tax Division, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay for the District of Maryland, and Trial Attorney Stephanie Williamson of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Attorneys General
A Maryland husband and wife were sentenced today to 12 years in prison and four years in prison, respectively, after their convictions for a scheme to commit insurance fraud.
The following is according to court documents and evidence presented at trial: James and Maureen Wilson, of Owings Mills, conspired to defraud insurance companies by obtaining over 40 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth, and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million. The Wilsons also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that Wilson used to pay premiums on fraudulently obtained life insurance policies.
To conceal the fraud, the Wilsons transferred the money they made from the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. The Wilsons filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which did not report as income or pay tax on the approximately $5.7 million and $2 million, respectively, they made from the fraud.
In addition to their prison sentences, Judge Deborah K. Chasanow for the District of Maryland ordered both Wilsons to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $16 million in restitution to victims of the insurance fraud scheme and $2.7 million in restitution to the United States. She also ordered the Wilsons to forfeit approximately $14.8 million in seized funds.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of The Attorney General.
Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley of the Tax Division, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay for the District of Maryland, and Trial Attorney Stephanie Williamson of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Attorneys General 1
An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Puerto Rico charging two men for their alleged roles in operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international investment scheme that defrauded victim investors of over $650 million.
According to court documents, Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, was a founder, strategic consultant, and promoter of OmegaPro, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, led OmegaPro’s operations in Latin America and parts of the United States, including Puerto Rico.
“As alleged, the defendants preyed upon vulnerable individuals in the U.S. and abroad, defrauding them of over $650 million by making false promises of substantial returns and that their money was safe,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to prosecuting these bad actors and pursuing justice for their many victims. Thanks to the dedicated work of our multiagency and international law enforcement partners, we are leading efforts to combat these complex and insidious digital asset investor scams.”
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants operated a global fraud scheme through OmegaPro that deceived investors with false promises of extraordinary returns, only to misappropriate hundreds of millions of victim funds,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain committed to dismantling international financial schemes that target U.S. victims — including here in Puerto Rico — and to recovering illicit proceeds through criminal prosecution and asset forfeiture.”
“The FBI will not stand by while the American public is defrauded,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Through coordination with our partners, these individuals will have to defend their actions in a court of law.”
“This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin – stealing over $650 million from everyday people and vanishing it into virtual currency. These weren’t just scams; they were precision-engineered betrayals. Our job is to stand up for those who’ve been exploited and continue our cross-agency collaboration until those responsible are brought to justice.”
“This case highlights the critical role international partnerships play in dismantling transnational financial fraud schemes that exploit global markets and victimize unsuspecting investors,” said International Operations Assistant Director Ricardo Mayoral of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains committed to working with our partners worldwide to disrupt criminal networks that weaponize emerging technologies to conceal illicit profits and defraud the public.”
Sims and co-conspirators established OmegaPro in or about January 2019, and Reynoso joined a few months later, in or about April 2019. As alleged, the defendants and others operated and promoted OmegaPro as a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme for investors to purchase “investment packages,” which the defendants and others falsely promised would generate 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange (forex) trading by elite traders. Investors were instructed to purchase these investment packages using virtual currency.
According to court documents, Sims allegedly misled victims by vouching for OmegaPro’s trading performance and the skills of the hired traders and by falsely advertising the safety of investment in OmegaPro. Reynoso allegedly falsely and misleadingly represented that OmegaPro was operating pursuant to a legitimate license and, at other times, that OmegaPro was not subject to any country’s legal rules. The indictment alleges that Sims and Reynoso, together with co-conspirators, hosted lavish OmegaPro promotional events and trainings all over the world including, for example, projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, at an event in Dubai. The objective of these promotional events allegedly was to convince existing and prospective investors that OmegaPro was a legitimate enterprise that offered a path to wealth and a luxurious lifestyle.
Further, Sims, Reynoso, and their co-conspirators used social media to display their expensive vacations and cars, as well as their designer clothes and watches. The indictment alleges that through the defendants’ and others’ misrepresentations, OmegaPro raised over $650 million in virtual currency from thousands of investors. After OmegaPro announced that it had suffered a network hack, Reynoso and others told victims in or about January 2023 that their investments were secure and that OmegaPro was transferring their investments to another platform called Broker Group. Despite these representations, victims were unable to withdraw money from either their OmegaPro accounts or their accounts at Broker Group, resulting in millions in victim losses.
The more than $650 million in funds raised from victims allegedly was first sent to virtual currency wallet addresses controlled by OmegaPro executives and then allegedly transferred to OmegaPro insiders and high-ranking promoters to disperse the funds and obscure their origins. As alleged, Sims and Reynoso both profited millions from this scheme.
Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Sims and Reynoso each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
The FBI, IRS-CI, and HSI New York are investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit, HSI Bangkok, HSI Bogota, HSI Frankfurt, HSI Istanbul, HSI London, HSI Miami, HSI New Delhi, HSI The Hague, the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, and the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), an alliance between the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from the U.K., and IRS-CI.
Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Gottfried for the District of Puerto Rico and on detail to the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.
If you believe you were potentially victimized by OmegaPro or have information relevant to this investigation, please visit the FBI’s Victim Witness website at forms.fbi.gov/victims/omegaprovictims or contact OmegaProVictims@fbi.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: US State Government of Utah
An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Puerto Rico charging two men for their alleged roles in operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international investment scheme that defrauded victim investors of over $650 million.
According to court documents, Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, was a founder, strategic consultant, and promoter of OmegaPro, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, led OmegaPro’s operations in Latin America and parts of the United States, including Puerto Rico.
“As alleged, the defendants preyed upon vulnerable individuals in the U.S. and abroad, defrauding them of over $650 million by making false promises of substantial returns and that their money was safe,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to prosecuting these bad actors and pursuing justice for their many victims. Thanks to the dedicated work of our multiagency and international law enforcement partners, we are leading efforts to combat these complex and insidious digital asset investor scams.”
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants operated a global fraud scheme through OmegaPro that deceived investors with false promises of extraordinary returns, only to misappropriate hundreds of millions of victim funds,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain committed to dismantling international financial schemes that target U.S. victims — including here in Puerto Rico — and to recovering illicit proceeds through criminal prosecution and asset forfeiture.”
“The FBI will not stand by while the American public is defrauded,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Through coordination with our partners, these individuals will have to defend their actions in a court of law.”
“This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin – stealing over $650 million from everyday people and vanishing it into virtual currency. These weren’t just scams; they were precision-engineered betrayals. Our job is to stand up for those who’ve been exploited and continue our cross-agency collaboration until those responsible are brought to justice.”
“This case highlights the critical role international partnerships play in dismantling transnational financial fraud schemes that exploit global markets and victimize unsuspecting investors,” said International Operations Assistant Director Ricardo Mayoral of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains committed to working with our partners worldwide to disrupt criminal networks that weaponize emerging technologies to conceal illicit profits and defraud the public.”
Sims and co-conspirators established OmegaPro in or about January 2019, and Reynoso joined a few months later, in or about April 2019. As alleged, the defendants and others operated and promoted OmegaPro as a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme for investors to purchase “investment packages,” which the defendants and others falsely promised would generate 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange (forex) trading by elite traders. Investors were instructed to purchase these investment packages using virtual currency.
According to court documents, Sims allegedly misled victims by vouching for OmegaPro’s trading performance and the skills of the hired traders and by falsely advertising the safety of investment in OmegaPro. Reynoso allegedly falsely and misleadingly represented that OmegaPro was operating pursuant to a legitimate license and, at other times, that OmegaPro was not subject to any country’s legal rules. The indictment alleges that Sims and Reynoso, together with co-conspirators, hosted lavish OmegaPro promotional events and trainings all over the world including, for example, projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, at an event in Dubai. The objective of these promotional events allegedly was to convince existing and prospective investors that OmegaPro was a legitimate enterprise that offered a path to wealth and a luxurious lifestyle.
Further, Sims, Reynoso, and their co-conspirators used social media to display their expensive vacations and cars, as well as their designer clothes and watches. The indictment alleges that through the defendants’ and others’ misrepresentations, OmegaPro raised over $650 million in virtual currency from thousands of investors. After OmegaPro announced that it had suffered a network hack, Reynoso and others told victims in or about January 2023 that their investments were secure and that OmegaPro was transferring their investments to another platform called Broker Group. Despite these representations, victims were unable to withdraw money from either their OmegaPro accounts or their accounts at Broker Group, resulting in millions in victim losses.
The more than $650 million in funds raised from victims allegedly was first sent to virtual currency wallet addresses controlled by OmegaPro executives and then allegedly transferred to OmegaPro insiders and high-ranking promoters to disperse the funds and obscure their origins. As alleged, Sims and Reynoso both profited millions from this scheme.
Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Sims and Reynoso each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
The FBI, IRS-CI, and HSI New York are investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit, HSI Bangkok, HSI Bogota, HSI Frankfurt, HSI Istanbul, HSI London, HSI Miami, HSI New Delhi, HSI The Hague, the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, and the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), an alliance between the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from the U.K., and IRS-CI.
Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Gottfried for the District of Puerto Rico and on detail to the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.
If you believe you were potentially victimized by OmegaPro or have information relevant to this investigation, please visit the FBI’s Victim Witness website at forms.fbi.gov/victims/omegaprovictims or contact OmegaProVictims@fbi.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: US State Government of Utah
A California man was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for a decade-long scheme to avoid paying over employment taxes to the IRS.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: John Comeau, of Santa Clara, was the CEO of Vivid Inc., a company that provided metal coating services to industrial customers in California and elsewhere. Vivid Inc. employed as many as 40 employees at any given time.
Comeau was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees and then paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.
From the first quarter of 2010 through the fourth quarter of 2019, Vivid Inc. paid its employee a total of over $8.8 million in wages. During this period, Comeau collected and withheld taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees but did not pay over all the taxes owed to the IRS. He also caused false quarterly employment tax returns to be filed with the IRS, underreporting Vivid’s wages by more than $5 million.
To conceal his scheme, Comeau caused accurate tax forms to be issued to certain employees. These tax forms reported higher wages than the amounts Vivid had reported to the IRS. Comeau also issued tax forms, such as Wage and Tax Statement, Form W-2, to other Vivid employees that underreported their wages. When an employer underreports wages paid to their employees, it may negatively impact those employees’ Social Security benefits, as those forms are used by the Social Security Administration to compute benefits owed to an employee.
Instead of paying his taxes, Comeau used some of the funds to maintain a comfortable lifestyle that included a $3 million home and luxury cars.
In total, Comeau caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $1.1 million.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts for the Northern District of California ordered Comeau to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,153,948 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilham Hosseini for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Attorneys General
A California man was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for a decade-long scheme to avoid paying over employment taxes to the IRS.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: John Comeau, of Santa Clara, was the CEO of Vivid Inc., a company that provided metal coating services to industrial customers in California and elsewhere. Vivid Inc. employed as many as 40 employees at any given time.
Comeau was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees and then paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.
From the first quarter of 2010 through the fourth quarter of 2019, Vivid Inc. paid its employee a total of over $8.8 million in wages. During this period, Comeau collected and withheld taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees but did not pay over all the taxes owed to the IRS. He also caused false quarterly employment tax returns to be filed with the IRS, underreporting Vivid’s wages by more than $5 million.
To conceal his scheme, Comeau caused accurate tax forms to be issued to certain employees. These tax forms reported higher wages than the amounts Vivid had reported to the IRS. Comeau also issued tax forms, such as Wage and Tax Statement, Form W-2, to other Vivid employees that underreported their wages. When an employer underreports wages paid to their employees, it may negatively impact those employees’ Social Security benefits, as those forms are used by the Social Security Administration to compute benefits owed to an employee.
Instead of paying his taxes, Comeau used some of the funds to maintain a comfortable lifestyle that included a $3 million home and luxury cars.
In total, Comeau caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $1.1 million.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts for the Northern District of California ordered Comeau to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,153,948 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilham Hosseini for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case.
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Officers have arrested a man on suspicion of murder following a large police operation in Kent.
The 22-year-old was arrested at the Port of Dover this evening (Tuesday, 8 July) on suspicion of the murder of Tyler Hayward in Waltham Forest.
An investigation was launched after we were called to reports of a stabbing in Chingford Mount Road at 21:14hrs on Sunday, 6 July.
Met officers responded with paramedics and a 26-year-old man was found with a stab wound. Despite the efforts of emergency services, he sadly died at the scene.
In a statement, Tyler’s family said: “We are struggling with the tragic loss of Tyler, a beautiful soul with the kindest of heart’s. A much loved son, grandson and brother, that will be missed immensely. We would appreciate privacy at this time whilst we come to terms with our loss.”
Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Woodsford, who is leading the investigation from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “The thoughts of the investigation team remain with Tyler’s family and our specially trained officers continue to support them at this difficult time.
“Since Sunday we have been making extensive enquiries and this resulted in searches being carried out at the Port of Dover today.
“I’d like to thank Kent Police and other agencies for their support as we carried out these checks, as well as members of the public who were disrupted while this vital work took place.”
We continue to appeal for information about the incident. Any witnesses who haven’t yet spoken to officers are asked to call 101 quoting CAD 7174/06Jul.
Information can also be shared anonymously with the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.
Source: United States Attorneys General 1
Today, the Justice Department filed a Statement of Interest in Judicial Watch v. Illinois State Board of Elections, regarding the requirements under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) for states to make reasonable efforts to remove the names of ineligible voters and to make their voter registration list available for public inspection. The requirement for states to make a “reasonable effort” to clean their voter rolls means that the program should be effective in achieving the goals set out by Congress, and nothing less.
“It is critical to remove ineligible voters from the registration rolls so that elections are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under the NVRA, states have the responsibility to conduct a robust program of list maintenance. The Department of Justice will vigorously enforce those requirements to ensure compliance.”
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Source: United States Attorneys General 1
Co-Defendants Also Sentenced; Woman Pleads Guilty in Related Case for Unlawfully Selling Chimpanzees to Antle
Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — who was featured in a popular Netflix documentary — was sentenced today to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and launder more than $500,000 for what he believed to be an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States across the Mexico border. Antle was also ordered to pay a $55,000 fine, serve three years of supervised release, and forfeit three chimpanzees and more than $197,000 to the government.
Two of Antle’s co-defendants were recently sentenced for their separate involvement in either the Lacey Act or money laundering conspiracy. A defendant in a related case recently pleaded guilty to illegally selling a newborn chimpanzee to Antle.
“Today’s sentence holds Doc Antle and his co-defendants accountable for activity they knew was unlawful and unethical,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “They illegally purchased and sold newborn endangered wildlife even as they laundered more than $500,000 in smuggling money — all while promoting themselves as conservationists.”
“Doc Antle portrayed himself as a conservationist. But in reality, he was a key player in the illegal chimpanzee trade, and he laundered more than half a million dollars through a complex web of deceit,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their work in bringing the defendant to justice for both of these federal crimes.”
“These sentences should send a clear message: the FBI and our partners will not tolerate those who attempt to violate our laws,” said Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “We remain firmly committed to investigating and holding accountable individuals whose illegal actions threaten our financial systems and put protected species at risk.”
“This case underscores the grave criminal threat posed by wildlife traffickers who not only exploit vulnerable species for profit but also use sophisticated money laundering tactics to conceal their crimes,” said Assistant Director Douglas Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “Our special agents uncovered a complex network of illicit activity involving the trafficking of endangered animals — including baby chimpanzees and cheetahs — falsified documentation, and the laundering of hundreds of thousands of dollars through purported nonprofit organizations. These traffickers operated under the false pretense of conservation, betraying both the law and public trust. We remain unwavering in our commitment to dismantling such networks and bringing those responsible to justice.”
The wildlife conspiracy outlined various schemes Antle used to hide his illegal trafficking in endangered species, including requiring payments to be “donations” funneled through his non-profit, The Rare Species Fund; conducting transactions in bulk cash to hide their true nature; and creating false paperwork to hide the illegality of his wildlife transactions. The animals trafficked included baby chimpanzees, cheetahs, lions, and tigers, all of which are protected under both the Endangered Species Act and international treaties. The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish or plants, including animals protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Antle’s co-defendant in the wildlife conspiracy, Jason Clay, was recently sentenced to four months in prison, four months home confinement, and to pay a $4,000 fine into the Lacey Act Reward Fund. In 2019, Clay illegally sold a juvenile chimpanzee to Antle in exchange for $200,000 in cash and a juvenile gibbon.
As for the money laundering conspiracy, Antle and a co-defendant laundered more than $500,000 in cash between February and April 2022 that were represented to be proceeds from an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the United States. Evidence presented to the court showed that Antle planned to conceal the cash he received by writing checks for what appeared to be construction-related services for Myrtle Beach Safari, which he owned and operated, and which was featured in the Netflix documentary. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre for-profit zoo that offers tours and private encounters with exotic wildlife.
Antle’s co-defendant in the money laundering conspiracy, Andrew Sawyer, was recently sentenced to serve two years of probation including eight months of home detention. He also forfeited nearly $185,000 to the government and a chimpanzee.
In a different Lacey Act violation case connected to Antle, Shaylynn Kolwyck-Peterson pleaded guilty last month to illegally selling a chimpanzee to Antle in 2022 for $200,000. The Kolwyck family owns and manages the private Sunshine Zoological Preserve LLC in north Florida. The facility is believed to be the only one in the United States breeding chimpanzees for private or non-scientific purposes.
The FBI and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower for the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)
TAMPA, Fla. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) called on U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to immediately reinstate Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gordon following his abrupt removal from the Department of Justice. Gordon had been leading the prosecution of Leo Govoni, a St. Petersburg man accused of stealing over $100 million from medical trust funds meant to help individuals with disabilities, injured workers and retirees across Florida.
“These funds—managed by nonprofits Govoni helped found—were systematically siphoned into shell companies and fraudulent investment vehicles, allegedly to support his lavish personal lifestyle. Victims were blindsided when their accounts were drained, leaving them without the resources they relied on for housing, therapy, medication, and basic dignity,” wrote Castor. “The victims of Govoni’s alleged fraud number in the thousands—each with painful and personal stories. Mr. Gordon’s removal places this case, and their hope for accountability, in jeopardy.”
Castor closed, “I respectfully request that you stand up for the victims of the Govoni crimes, reinstate Mr. Gordon immediately and allow the prosecution of Leo Govoni to proceed unimpeded. The victims deserve closure, and the public deserves a justice system free from intimidation and partisan retribution.”
Castor’s letter also raises concerns about Gordon’s dismissal as potential political retaliation for previously prosecuting January 6 insurrection cases. Castor calls the firings of Gordon and other career prosecutors “a deep stain of callous disregard for the U.S. Constitution and rule of law… These actions appear petty and vindictive, aimed at punishing those who upheld the rule of law.”
The Trump Administration’s action to remove a prosecutor in charge of holding a serial fraudster accountable for preying on vulnerable Floridians runs contrary to his claims of rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in health care and across the federal government.
Read the full letter here and below:
Dear Attorney General Bondi:
I urge you to reconsider the recent dismissal of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gordon from the Department of Justice. His removal—documented in your June 27 memo—comes at a pivotal moment in the federal prosecution of St. Petersburg fraudster Leo Govoni, who stands accused of orchestrating one of the largest fraud schemes in Florida’s recent history. The timing and circumstances of Mr. Gordon’s termination raise serious concerns about political retribution and threaten to derail justice for victims who have already suffered for far too long.
Mr. Govoni is charged with embezzling over $100 million from medical trust funds intended to safeguard the long-term care of vulnerable individuals, including individuals with disabilities, injured workers, and retirees across Florida. These funds—managed by nonprofits Govoni helped found—were systematically siphoned into shell companies and fraudulent investment vehicles, allegedly to support his lavish personal lifestyle. Victims were blindsided when their accounts were drained, leaving them without the resources they relied on for housing, therapy, medication, and basic dignity
The harm inflicted is especially profound in the Tampa Bay area:
Equally alarming is the dismissal of a highly regarded Department of Justice prosecutor for purely politically vindictive reasons. Mr. Gordon previously served as senior trial counsel for the Capitol Siege Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. His team prosecuted individuals involved in the January 6 violent insurrection, during which nearly 140 police officers were injured, suffering broken bones, burns, and blunt trauma. Officer Brian Sicknick died from strokes after being assaulted; four others died by suicide in the aftermath. Rioters committed serious crimes, including:
As of January 20, 2025, 1,575 individuals were charged in connection with the attack. Yet on his first day back in office, in what is a deep stain of callous disregard for the U.S. Constitution and rule of law, President Trump pardoned over 1,500 convicted rioters, including violent offenders. He has since fired prosecutors and FBI agents who worked on these cases. Your dismissal of Mr. Gordon—alongside two other career prosecutors—marks the first time that non-probationary federal attorneys were removed for their role in these prosecutions. These actions appear petty and vindictive, aimed at punishing those who upheld the rule of law.
I respectfully request that you stand up for the victims of the Govoni crimes, reinstate Mr. Gordon immediately and allow the prosecution of Leo Govoni to proceed unimpeded. The victims deserve closure, and the public deserves a justice system free from intimidation and partisan retribution.
Sincerely,
Source: US State of California
The Program Incentivizes Individuals to Report Postal-Related Antitrust Crimes that Undermine the Competitive Process or Market Competition Across Industries
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division today announces its partnership with the United States Postal Service to create the Whistleblower Rewards Program. For the first time, the Antitrust Division will offer rewards for individuals who report antitrust crimes and related offenses that harm consumers, taxpayers, and free market competition across industries from healthcare to agriculture — under existing law and at no additional cost to the taxpayer.
“Antitrust crimes and related offenses that harm free market competition often occur in secret, making detection a formidable challenge. The new Whistleblower Rewards Program will create a new pipeline of leads from individuals with firsthand knowledge of criminal antitrust and related offenses that will help us break down those walls of secrecy and hold violators accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Antitrust Division. “This program raises the stakes: If you’re fixing prices or rigging bids, don’t assume your scheme is safe — we will find and prosecute you, and someone you know may get a reward for helping us do it.”
“This reporting mechanism gives those with a vested interest in maintaining the integrity of the Postal Service the opportunity to join us in the fight,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The Postal Inspection Service, along with our partners in the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General will not tolerate anyone who violates Antitrust Laws; we remain committed to seeking justice against anyone who chooses to do so. And for those who are also motivated to using this tool to report Antitrust crimes, we affirm our commitment to fully investigate and bring violators to justice.”
“As a key partner and original member in the Department of Justice’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG), actively collaborates with other federal agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute antitrust crimes, ensuring fair competition and safeguarding taxpayer’s dollars in federal procurements,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Robert Kwalwasser, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “We are pleased to be partnering with DOJ and the Postal Inspection Service to implement the Whistleblower Rewards Program to incentivize individuals and companies to provide information about collusive behavior without fear of reprisal. This newly established program is an example of DOJ’s commitment to root out illicit behavior in all industries, which includes industries where the USPS procures goods and services either directly or indirectly. The USPS OIG will fully participate in this collaborate effort to ensure the USPS and the U.S. taxpayers are not being defrauded of honest services.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and USPS OIG have long played a vital role in uncovering and investigating postal-related antitrust crimes that harm Americans. The Whistleblower Rewards Program will provide individuals with the opportunity to report evidence of antitrust crimes directly to the Antitrust Division and, in appropriate cases, qualify for substantial monetary rewards of up to 30% of any criminal fines recovered, for violations of law affecting the Postal Service, its revenues, or its property. The program expands upon the Division’s long-standing efforts to detect and prosecute cartels and criminal collusion by incentivizing individuals to report specific, credible, and timely information about illegal agreements to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate markets, as well as other federal criminal violations that impact, distort, or undermine the competitive process or market competition.
To facilitate reporting, the Division has established a dedicated Whistleblower Regards Program webpage accessible at www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards. Whistleblowers and their counsel are encouraged to contact the Division promptly.
Source: United States Attorneys General
The Program Incentivizes Individuals to Report Postal-Related Antitrust Crimes that Undermine the Competitive Process or Market Competition Across Industries
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division today announces its partnership with the United States Postal Service to create the Whistleblower Rewards Program. For the first time, the Antitrust Division will offer rewards for individuals who report antitrust crimes and related offenses that harm consumers, taxpayers, and free market competition across industries from healthcare to agriculture — under existing law and at no additional cost to the taxpayer.
“Antitrust crimes and related offenses that harm free market competition often occur in secret, making detection a formidable challenge. The new Whistleblower Rewards Program will create a new pipeline of leads from individuals with firsthand knowledge of criminal antitrust and related offenses that will help us break down those walls of secrecy and hold violators accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Antitrust Division. “This program raises the stakes: If you’re fixing prices or rigging bids, don’t assume your scheme is safe — we will find and prosecute you, and someone you know may get a reward for helping us do it.”
“This reporting mechanism gives those with a vested interest in maintaining the integrity of the Postal Service the opportunity to join us in the fight,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The Postal Inspection Service, along with our partners in the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General will not tolerate anyone who violates Antitrust Laws; we remain committed to seeking justice against anyone who chooses to do so. And for those who are also motivated to using this tool to report Antitrust crimes, we affirm our commitment to fully investigate and bring violators to justice.”
“As a key partner and original member in the Department of Justice’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG), actively collaborates with other federal agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute antitrust crimes, ensuring fair competition and safeguarding taxpayer’s dollars in federal procurements,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Robert Kwalwasser, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “We are pleased to be partnering with DOJ and the Postal Inspection Service to implement the Whistleblower Rewards Program to incentivize individuals and companies to provide information about collusive behavior without fear of reprisal. This newly established program is an example of DOJ’s commitment to root out illicit behavior in all industries, which includes industries where the USPS procures goods and services either directly or indirectly. The USPS OIG will fully participate in this collaborate effort to ensure the USPS and the U.S. taxpayers are not being defrauded of honest services.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and USPS OIG have long played a vital role in uncovering and investigating postal-related antitrust crimes that harm Americans. The Whistleblower Rewards Program will provide individuals with the opportunity to report evidence of antitrust crimes directly to the Antitrust Division and, in appropriate cases, qualify for substantial monetary rewards of up to 30% of any criminal fines recovered, for violations of law affecting the Postal Service, its revenues, or its property. The program expands upon the Division’s long-standing efforts to detect and prosecute cartels and criminal collusion by incentivizing individuals to report specific, credible, and timely information about illegal agreements to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate markets, as well as other federal criminal violations that impact, distort, or undermine the competitive process or market competition.
To facilitate reporting, the Division has established a dedicated Whistleblower Regards Program webpage accessible at www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards. Whistleblowers and their counsel are encouraged to contact the Division promptly.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jesse Cale, Associate Professor of Criminology, Deputy Director Research (Griffith Youth Forensic Service), Griffith University
When we think about who’s responsible for sexual abuse in Australia, we usually picture adults.
But young people are responsible for a substantial proportion of sexual offences nationwide. Up to a third of all child sexual abuse is perpetrated by people under 18. So too are a quarter of sexual assaults against both teens and adults.
New research shows there are effective treatment options for perpetrators under the age of 18 to help prevent them offending again in future.
Our study found young people who received specialist forensic treatment were up to 90% less likely to sexually reoffend, compared with similar peers who did not receive the service.
The findings suggest more children can be protected from the harms of sexual abuse by preventing repeat offending. It also shows many young people who commit these crimes can be safely treated in the community.
In our paper, published in the Journal of Criminal Justice, we evaluated administrative data from more than 1,400 young people who were processed for sexual offences, such as indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault, in Queensland between 2010 and 2024.
We securely accessed more than a decade of anonymised youth justice records and applied advanced statistical techniques across treatment and control groups.
Across five separate statistical approaches, the findings were consistent. Griffith Youth Forensic Service treatment significantly reduced reoffending across different categories of offending, and most importantly, sexual offences.
Key findings showed a 78–90% reduction in sexual reoffending, a 34–44% reduction in overall offending, and additional reductions in violent and non-violent offending.
The treatment group also showed longer follow-up periods without offending. This indicates not just fewer offences, but sustained behavioural change.
The study is among the most scientifically rigorous to look into this issue, which is often hard to research due to the sensitivity of the subject and lack of high-quality data.
The Griffith Youth Forensic Service has operated in Queensland since 2001. It delivers specialised assessment and treatment for young people aged 10–17 who have been sentenced for sexual offences.
Supported by a partnership between the Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support and Griffith University, the service runs statewide, often in remote or under-resourced communities, and prioritises high-risk cases.
Clinicians at the service use trauma-informed, evidence-based methods. But what makes the service unique is its individualised approach. Each young person is treated in the context of their family, school, peer group and community.
Two young people referred to treatment for sexually abusive behaviour may present with very different life histories and contributing factors. They therefore require tailored intervention approaches.
The goal is to address the underlying drivers of offending, not just to manage behaviour.
The service also helps produce research aimed at improving policy and frontline responses to youth sexual offending.
Sexually harmful and abusive behaviours often occur in the context of trauma, family dysfunction or developmental disruption, and do not always continue into adulthood.
But without intervention, some young people go on to reoffend. The consequences for victims and communities can be devastating.
This study offers evidence that specialist, community-based treatment can help break that cycle.
And because the treatment model also appears to reduce general reoffending, its benefits likely extend beyond preventing sexual harm to preventing other types of harm too.
It’s a flow-on effect: this treatment is promoting safer outcomes across the board.
The study comes at a time of growing public concern about youth crime, and growing interest in solutions that go beyond punishment.
In Queensland, where this research was done, “adult time for adult crime” laws trying to drive down the rate of youth offending featured prominently in the 2024 election campaign.
The measures have been roundly criticised, including by the United Nations.
This research shows properly resourced rehabilitative strategies can be highly effective in reducing youth offending, often more so than punishment.
Other studies also show community-based ways to deal with the problem, albeit not looking at sexual offending specifically.
We know mental health support is hugely helpful for reducing recidivism through keeping children out of a cycle of incarceration.
There have also been studies of preschool programs that suggest specific types of early childhood education can prevent children going on to commit crimes.
The particular focus of our study, the Griffith Youth Forensic Service, is only in Queensland, but the findings are relevant for other jurisdictions.
In New South Wales, New Street Services provide therapeutic interventions across the state for adolescents aged 10–17 who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour.
Importantly, specialised services aren’t available in all states, and very few include the same built-in research and evaluation components as the Griffith Youth Forensic Service.
The results of our study support continued national investment in:
specialist, evidence-based programs tailored to young people
community-based and trauma-informed approaches
improving service accessibility, especially in remote or underserved areas.
The study also highlights the importance of rigorous evaluation in guiding youth justice and broader government policy and funding decisions.
This service works, and now we have data to prove it.
Jesse Cale is the Deputy Director of the Griffith Youth Forensic Service.
Benoit Leclerc is Director of the Griffith Youth Forensic Service
Francisco Perales works for the Queensland Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support. The contributions made to this piece and the underlying research are however in his capacity as Adjunct Professor at Griffith University and are independent of his role at the department. The views expressed in this piece are therefore those of the author and may not reflect those of the department.
Tyson Whitten is a Senior Research Fellow at Childlight, UNSW.
– ref. Some young people sexually abuse. Here’s how to reduce reoffending by up to 90% – https://theconversation.com/some-young-people-sexually-abuse-heres-how-to-reduce-reoffending-by-up-to-90-260084
Source: Washington State News
Michigan defendants mailed nearly 600,000 deceptive solicitations for workplace posters to Washington businesses
SEATTLE — A Michigan-based scammer that has been deceiving businesses for years was ordered to pay more than $8.2 million in penalties and consumer restitution following a lawsuit brought by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.
Following trial against Labor Law Poster Service and two of its principals, King County Superior Court Judge Maureen McKee imposed a $7.4 million penalty and awarded $850,000 in consumer restitution, plus interest, to the Attorney General’s Office. The court also ordered the defendants to pay the state’s attorney fees.
For almost a decade, the company has illegally targeted tens of thousands of Washington small businesses by mass mailing deceptive solicitations. These mailings deceived business owners into purchasing workplace posters they were not obligated to buy. The letters mimicked legitimate government communications. Before trial, the court had already determined that each of the company’s nearly 600,000 solicitations were deceptive, and violated the Consumer Protection Act, and that co-owner Joseph Fata was personally liable for the unlawful conduct.
The trial before Judge McKee focused on three issues: the personal liability of co-owner Justin Fata, the defendants’ violations of a 2016 injunction prohibiting them from engaging in the same deceptive conduct, and the amount of penalties and consumer restitution defendants would have to pay.
Focusing primarily on the bad faith of these repeat offenders, Judge McKee imposed a $12 penalty for each of the nearly 600,000 mailers sent to Washington business owners—amounting to $7.1 million. The Court also awarded $850,000 in restitution for those small business owners who responded to the deceptive solicitations and purchased workplace posters—along with 12% in prejudgment interest.
The court also found the defendants violated a 2016 court order prohibiting them from sending deceptive solicitations in two ways: First by engaging in the prohibited conduct, and second by failing to distribute the 2016 order to the company’s employees.
For years, the Fatas have treated adverse legal actions as the cost of doing business. This lawsuit represents the third time the state has taken enforcement action against the Fatas’ operations, first in 2008 and again in 2016. The 2016 action resulted in an order requiring defendants to pay $1.2 million in civil penalties, restitution, and attorneys’ fees.
Assistant Attorneys General Zorba Leslie, Kelsey Burazin and Michael Bradley, Paralegals Mary Barber, Ashley Totten, KC Winfield, Anne Wallig, and Vick Walker all handled the case for Washington.
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Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
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Email: press@atg.wa.gov
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General contacts: Click here
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Source: US State of California
Today, the Justice Department filed a Statement of Interest in Judicial Watch v. Illinois State Board of Elections, regarding the requirements under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) for states to make reasonable efforts to remove the names of ineligible voters and to make their voter registration list available for public inspection. The requirement for states to make a “reasonable effort” to clean their voter rolls means that the program should be effective in achieving the goals set out by Congress, and nothing less.
“It is critical to remove ineligible voters from the registration rolls so that elections are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under the NVRA, states have the responsibility to conduct a robust program of list maintenance. The Department of Justice will vigorously enforce those requirements to ensure compliance.”
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Source: US State of California
Co-Defendants Also Sentenced; Woman Pleads Guilty in Related Case for Unlawfully Selling Chimpanzees to Antle
Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — who was featured in a popular Netflix documentary — was sentenced today to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and launder more than $500,000 for what he believed to be an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States across the Mexico border. Antle was also ordered to pay a $55,000 fine, serve three years of supervised release, and forfeit three chimpanzees and more than $197,000 to the government.
Two of Antle’s co-defendants were recently sentenced for their separate involvement in either the Lacey Act or money laundering conspiracy. A defendant in a related case recently pleaded guilty to illegally selling a newborn chimpanzee to Antle.
“Today’s sentence holds Doc Antle and his co-defendants accountable for activity they knew was unlawful and unethical,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “They illegally purchased and sold newborn endangered wildlife even as they laundered more than $500,000 in smuggling money — all while promoting themselves as conservationists.”
“Doc Antle portrayed himself as a conservationist. But in reality, he was a key player in the illegal chimpanzee trade, and he laundered more than half a million dollars through a complex web of deceit,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their work in bringing the defendant to justice for both of these federal crimes.”
“These sentences should send a clear message: the FBI and our partners will not tolerate those who attempt to violate our laws,” said Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “We remain firmly committed to investigating and holding accountable individuals whose illegal actions threaten our financial systems and put protected species at risk.”
“This case underscores the grave criminal threat posed by wildlife traffickers who not only exploit vulnerable species for profit but also use sophisticated money laundering tactics to conceal their crimes,” said Assistant Director Douglas Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “Our special agents uncovered a complex network of illicit activity involving the trafficking of endangered animals — including baby chimpanzees and cheetahs — falsified documentation, and the laundering of hundreds of thousands of dollars through purported nonprofit organizations. These traffickers operated under the false pretense of conservation, betraying both the law and public trust. We remain unwavering in our commitment to dismantling such networks and bringing those responsible to justice.”
The wildlife conspiracy outlined various schemes Antle used to hide his illegal trafficking in endangered species, including requiring payments to be “donations” funneled through his non-profit, The Rare Species Fund; conducting transactions in bulk cash to hide their true nature; and creating false paperwork to hide the illegality of his wildlife transactions. The animals trafficked included baby chimpanzees, cheetahs, lions, and tigers, all of which are protected under both the Endangered Species Act and international treaties. The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish or plants, including animals protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Antle’s co-defendant in the wildlife conspiracy, Jason Clay, was recently sentenced to four months in prison, four months home confinement, and to pay a $4,000 fine into the Lacey Act Reward Fund. In 2019, Clay illegally sold a juvenile chimpanzee to Antle in exchange for $200,000 in cash and a juvenile gibbon.
As for the money laundering conspiracy, Antle and a co-defendant laundered more than $500,000 in cash between February and April 2022 that were represented to be proceeds from an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the United States. Evidence presented to the court showed that Antle planned to conceal the cash he received by writing checks for what appeared to be construction-related services for Myrtle Beach Safari, which he owned and operated, and which was featured in the Netflix documentary. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre for-profit zoo that offers tours and private encounters with exotic wildlife.
Antle’s co-defendant in the money laundering conspiracy, Andrew Sawyer, was recently sentenced to serve two years of probation including eight months of home detention. He also forfeited nearly $185,000 to the government and a chimpanzee.
In a different Lacey Act violation case connected to Antle, Shaylynn Kolwyck-Peterson pleaded guilty last month to illegally selling a chimpanzee to Antle in 2022 for $200,000. The Kolwyck family owns and manages the private Sunshine Zoological Preserve LLC in north Florida. The facility is believed to be the only one in the United States breeding chimpanzees for private or non-scientific purposes.
The FBI and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower for the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case.
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002615/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Cristina Maestre (S&D), Eric Sargiacomo (S&D)
On 4 October 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that, so as not to mislead consumers, agricultural products imported into the EU must be labelled to distinguish between those from Western Sahara and from Morocco. In October, moreover, the suspension period for the rulings annulling the trade agreements on fisheries and agriculture concluded between the European Union and Morocco will lapse.
Considering the above:
Submitted: 30.6.2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002662/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Susana Solís Pérez (PPE), Oliver Schenk (PPE), Carmen Crespo Díaz (PPE), Esther Herranz García (PPE), Rosa Estaràs Ferragut (PPE), Dolors Montserrat (PPE), Elena Nevado del Campo (PPE)
The revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) introduces an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which has raised concerns about the proportionality of the cost allocation among sectors. Poland has challenged the directive before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), specifically contesting the application of the EPR to the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors. Most recently, the European water resilience strategy, published on 3 June 2025, announced an updated analysis of the costs and sectoral impacts of the EPR scheme. Nevertheless, national implementation of the UWWTD is already under way in some Member States, even though this updated analysis has not yet been carried out.
In this context:
Submitted: 1.7.2025
Source: New Zealand Police
An Auckland man faces a slew of charges after allegedly repeatedly ramming a Police vehicle in the early hours of Tuesday.
Police have been investigating since the incident occurred during a traffic stop in Mt Wellington at around 2.20am on 8 July.
Relieving Counties Manukau East Area Commander, Inspector Rakana Cook, says the stolen vehicle was seen running a red light near Carbine Road.
“One of our frontline units signalled this vehicle to stop, and after driving erratically it came to a stop,” he says.
“It’s at this point the four-wheel drive was allegedly used to repeatedly ram our patrol vehicle before fleeing the scene.”
Fortunately, no Police staff were injured.
A determined Police investigation was soon underway with positive lines of enquiry on the driver.
“Our enquiries led a team of Police to an address on Puhinui Road in Papatoetoe yesterday evening, locating the person of interest,” he says.
“The man attempted to flee on foot from our staff but he was all out of options.”
The 44-year-old man was arrested.
Inspector Cook says the man faces serious charges in the Manukau District Court today.
Those charges include two counts of assault with a blunt instrument, resisting Police, failing to stop, unlawfully taking a vehicle and reckless driving.
“We have no tolerance for such reckless and violent behaviour directed at our staff,” Inspector Cook says.
“I’d like to acknowledge our staff involved who were going about their duties in keeping our community safe.”
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002653/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Alessandro Zan (S&D), Cecilia Strada (S&D), Sandro Ruotolo (S&D), Lucia Annunziata (S&D), Brando Benifei (S&D), Annalisa Corrado (S&D), Giorgio Gori (S&D), Marco Tarquinio (S&D), Elisabetta Gualmini (S&D), Alessandra Moretti (S&D), Nicola Zingaretti (S&D), Pina Picierno (S&D), Stefano Bonaccini (S&D), Giuseppe Lupo (S&D), Camilla Laureti (S&D), Pierfrancesco Maran (S&D), Matteo Ricci (S&D), Raffaele Topo (S&D), Dario Nardella (S&D), Leoluca Orlando (Verts/ALE), Ilaria Salis (The Left), Cristina Guarda (Verts/ALE), Benedetta Scuderi (Verts/ALE), Mimmo Lucano (The Left), Ignazio Roberto Marino (Verts/ALE), Pasquale Tridico (The Left), Carolina Morace (The Left), Gaetano Pedulla’ (The Left), Mario Furore (The Left), Valentina Palmisano (The Left), Danilo Della Valle (The Left)
On 9 May 2025, the Italian Government carried out the first repatriation of five Egyptian nationals directly from Albania, taking them from the Gjadër detention centre for repatriation and putting them onto a flight to Cairo, without any Italian judicial oversight at the transfer stage and in the absence of clear regulatory coverage[1].
There are serious doubts as to whether these actions are compatible with Directive 2008/115/EC on returns and with the principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular with the right to an effective remedy and the protection of fundamental rights.
The Italian Court of Cassation has questioned the compatibility of the extraterritorial management of detentions and returns at the centres in Albania, indicating that such centres are not considered to be on Italian or EU territory. It has raised the issue with the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The Commission has already said that the extraterritorial management of returns has no basis in EU law.
In light of the above:
Supporter[2]
Submitted: 1.7.2025
Source: European Parliament
The Committee on Legal Affairs, with the support of the Policy Department for Justice, Civil Liberties and Institutional Affairs, is organizing a Workshop titled: Monitoring the Application of EU law. The event will take place on 15 July 2025, from 16:00 to 17:00.
Source: European Parliament
Under the Habitats Directive[1], w olf populations north of the river Duero[2] are currently listed in Annex V. According to Article 14 of the directive, Member States must take measures to ensure that the exploitation of species listed in Annex V is compatible with their being maintained at a favourable conservation status.
According to the information submitted by Spain in the latest report under Article 17 of the directive for the period 2013-2018, the wolf was in unfavourable conservation status in all three biogeographical regions of Spain[3]. A new report covering the period 2019-2024 is expected to be submitted by July 2025.
In Case C-436/22[4], the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that Article 14 of the directive precludes Spanish legislation which permitted the hunting of the wolf, since the species was listed in Annex V and the conservation status of that species is classified as ‘unfavourable poor’.
Additionally, the CJEU confirmed that if there remains uncertainty as to whether the exploitation of a species of Community interest is compatible with the maintenance of that species at a favourable conservation status, the Member State must refrain from authorising such exploitation.
The Commission awaits the up-to-date information on the conservation status of the wolf in Spain, as part of reporting obligations under the directive for the period 2019-2024.
In light of the prevention and precautionary principles, the competent authorities should ensure that decisions related to the hunting of wolf populations listed in Annex V are based on sound scientific evidence regarding the species conservation status .
Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a 15-count indictment against four from the Charleston area in connection with sex trafficking. The charges stem from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and Charleston Police Department that uncovered sex trafficking, money laundering, conspiracy offenses, and related charges.
The individuals charged include:
The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2025, Dais, and at times his co-conspirators, Wolfe and Stoner a/k/a Wolfe, recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, …. And sex trafficked at least five victims by force, fraud, or coercion, including one minor victim. The indictment also alleges Dais and McInnis used facilities of interstate commerce to promote prostitution activity, and that they each made false statements to law enforcement during the investigation. Dais and McInnis are also charged with laundering the funds derived from such unlawful activities.
Sex trafficking carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Johnathan Dais, Calvin Wolfe, and Rose Stoner a/k/a Wolfe are currently detained pending trial, and Alexis McInnis was granted a $5,000 unsecured bond on July 7 by the Honorable Molly Cherry.
Authorities with Homeland Security Investigations and the Charleston Police Department are seeking information that may help identify additional victims exploited by these individuals. If you, or someone you know, was a victim, please provide a name and contact information to the following email address, with subject line referencing Johnathan Dais: Charleston_ExploitationTips@hsi.dhs.gov.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Orville is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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