NewzIntel.com

Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Man sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a police officer

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Thursday, September 26, 2024

    The Gqeberha High Court has sentenced Andile Nyoka (30) to life in prison for the murder of a police officer, armed robbery and kidnapping. 

    Nyoka was also given an additional 57 years direct imprisonment.           

    On 3 May 2023, Nyoka was before the Motherwell Magistrate’s Court for another matter, where he approached an on duty police official, Sergeant Mario Nell (40), who was a court orderly at the time. 

    Subsequently, Nyoka, for no apparent reason, started to fight with Nell and disarmed him of his service pistol. Nyoka shot Nell and he succumbed to the bullet wounds. Nell was declared deceased at the scene. Thereafter, Nyoka fled the scene and hijacked a taxi outside the court in an attempt to escape. 

    A few minutes later on the same day, he was apprehended inside the taxi by the Motherwell Visible Policing Unit and appeared before court, where he was remanded in custody. 

    The docket was handed over to the Hawks for a thorough probe. 

    Nyoka made numerous court appearances until his sentencing by the Gqeberha High Court on 20 September 2024 and has been in custody since his arrest. 

    The Eastern Cape Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Provincial Head, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, welcomed the sentence and commended the team for the good work. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Secures Language Access Agreement with Alameda County Sheriff’s Office in California

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a resolution agreement with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in California resolving an inquiry into whether ACSO is in compliance with its nondiscrimination obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI).

    Under the terms of the agreement, ACSO has agreed to take a number of steps to improve language access for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in its jurisdiction. Title VI prohibits entities that receive federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color and national origin. Differential treatment based on language spoken, including exclusion from or denial of the benefits of programs and services to people with LEP, may constitute national origin discrimination in violation of Title VI.

    “The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that our nation’s law enforcement agencies can serve and protect everyone in their communities, regardless of whether they may have limited English proficiency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through this agreement, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office has demonstrated its commitment to and has taken major steps toward improving services to the communities it serves.”

    The department’s inquiry into ACSO began after receiving information raising concerns that individuals with LEP may not receive adequate language services during encounters with ACSO personnel.

    Through this agreement, ACSO will establish a formal, office-wide language access directive, designate a member of its personnel as the LEP Coordinator for ACSO, provide staff trainings on language assistance, improve quality controls to require accurate and quality-assessed language assistance services and undergo a period of departmental monitoring.

    This agreement is part of the department’s Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI), a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies in overcoming language barriers to better serve and protect communities and keep officers safe. Led by the Civil Rights Division, the initiative provides technical assistance resources and tools that can help state and local law enforcement provide meaningful language access to individuals with LEP; affirmatively engages law enforcement agencies that want to review, update and/or strengthen their language access polices, plans and training; and strengthens the connection between law enforcement agencies, community stakeholders and populations with LEP.

    Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at http://www.lep.gov. More information on LELAI is available at http://www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women Announces $86.16M in Grants to Support American Indian and Native Alaskan Survivors of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Justice Department announced yesterday more than $86.16 million in grants administered by the Tribal Affairs Division within the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    The grants provided through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will fund services for victims of these crimes while providing support for Tribal governments, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and Tribal courts, to enhance safety and support Tribal sovereignty. The Tribal Affairs Division within OVW is responsible for the administration of Tribal specific grant programs and initiatives, management of Tribal specific training and technical assistance, and coordination with other federal departments and Justice Department offices on Tribal issues. Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall of OVW made the announcement at the annual Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program Institute, a convening of Tribal officials, victim advocates, and other Tribal leaders, as well as OVW-funded training and technical assistance advisors, who work to support Tribes in developing and improving programs to support survivors of sexual assault.

    “Tribal communities, and particularly American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, have experienced disproportionately high levels of violence for too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $86 million dollar investment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to working in partnership with Tribal nations to address and prevent gender-based violence and provide safety and justice for survivors.”

    Included in these awards is more than $7.58 million that OVW is awarding under its new Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Program. The program is for Tribal governments that have not previously or recently participated in OVW’s Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program and focuses on capacity building early in the project period. Awardees will receive additional training, technical assistance, and support to implement their programs. Additionally, OVW awarded $45.17 million under the established Tribal Governments Program to support Tribal governments in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities.

    OVW also launched a new grant program this year through its Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative, which was created in response to recommendations made by the Not Invisible Act Commission. OVW awarded $2 million under this initiative to support the creation, training, and sustainability of Healing and Response Teams using a Tribal-based model of care to respond to Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    OVW is awarding grants totaling more than $3.57 million to Tribes under its Special Tribal Criminal Grant (STCJ) Program and $1.5 million under its Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative. The programs support Tribes that are preparing to exercise or are already exercising STCJ to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit covered crimes within their communities, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, are held accountable.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.75 million under its Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative to support the collaboration between Tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in their investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking cases in Indian country.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling more than $11.11 million under its Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program to support Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal nonprofit organizations in operating sexual assault services programs in Indian country and Alaska Native villages. Additionally, OVW awarded funding totaling more than $8.28 million under its Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to support the development and operation of nonprofit, nongovernmental Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions.

    “We are committed to addressing the disproportionately high rates of violent crime faced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls and ensuring everyone can access both safety and justice,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This funding supports Tribal governments and Tribal organizations’ efforts to provide legal services, housing assistance, medical care, and counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence.”

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.2 million for Tribal training and technical assistance (TA) programs. The TA programs support grantees through in-person and online educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networks, on-site technical assistance, and tailored support to help grantees further develop expertise and targeted strategies to implement their programs successfully.

    “The strength of VAWA is enhancing a coordinated community response,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “These grant programs provide critical support for Tribes to address gender-based violence by fostering essential partnerships among victim services organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders who play a crucial role in supporting survivors and providing pathways for them to access justice, safety, and healing.”

    OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at http://www.justice.gov/ovw.

    View the Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative (STCJ AK) Program Award.

    View the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative Awards.

    View the Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Invitation to Apply Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Awards.

    View the Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments Program Awards.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Awards Nearly $30M to Combat the Rise of Hate and Bias Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer announced today nearly $30 million in grant funding through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) that will be awarded to law enforcement agencies, states, community-based organizations, national civil rights organizations, and other stakeholders to fight the rise in hate and bias crimes and incidents. These awards will help communities improve the investigation and prosecution of hate and bias crimes, solve hate crime cold cases, serve victims of these offenses, and support related research.

    “These grants are vital in helping to ensure law enforcement and community members get the support they need as they continue to strive to keep all communities safe,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Everyone in this country deserves not only to feel safe but to be safe in their communities, and we’re excited about the new grant funding investments made.”

    The funding was announced at the inaugural hate crimes grantee conference organized by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The grants are part of the Justice Department’s wide-ranging efforts to improve community safety, serve victims of crime, support America’s youth, advance science, and promote equal justice. OJP is the largest grantmaking component of the Department and houses its criminal and juvenile justice-related science and statistical units.

    “Freedom from intolerance and from the fear of violence is foundational to community safety and fundamental to the concept of equal justice,” said OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen. “I’m very pleased that OJP is making these important resources available to our community partners and proud of the work we’re engaged in, together, to end hate and bias crimes and incidents in our country.”

    The funding announced today includes:

    • $12 million in grants under BJA’s Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program to help local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices investigate and prosecute hate and bias crimes, as well as collaborate with community partners on outreach and education to targeted communities.
    • More than $7.6 million in awards from BJA to 11 different community-based organizations and civil rights organizations for projects around the country dedicated to developing and implementing comprehensive hate crimes prevention and response strategies.
    • $1 million for the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, District Attorney’s Office under BJA’s Emmett Till Cold Case Investigation and Prosecution Program to provide resources in cold case homicide cases involving civil rights violations that occurred before 1980.
    • $2.7 million for RTI International and its subrecipients, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, to launch BJA’s new Coordinated Hate Crimes Resource Center.
    • $1.125 million for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office through the Office for Victims of Crime’s Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act State-Run Hate Crime Reporting Hotlines program.
    • $2.5 million through Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act funding for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ research and analysis project on National Incident-Based Reporting System data and hate crime reporting patterns.
    • $2.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Justice for three research projects on responding to hate crimes with specialized law enforcement units, including LGTBQI+ liaison units to respond to hate crimes against transgender individuals, and addressing the needs of survivors of hate crimes and their communities.

    In addition to these new grant awards, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Mizer announced OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum to provide resources to address hate crimes, bias incidents and identity-based bullying among youth. The curriculum is designed for middle and high school-aged youth and the teachers, counselors and others who work with them. He also announced the Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) is launching a new training on investigating hate crimes, which builds on the training the COPS Office released in 2022 on recognizing and reporting hate crimes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DC Accountant Charged with Mortgage Fraud and Tax Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Defendant Allegedly Did Not File Tax Returns and Falsified Documents to Obtain Mortgage

    A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., returned an indictment yesterday, which was unsealed today, charging a CPA with not filing income tax returns, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    According to the indictment, Timothy Trifilo, of Washington, D.C., was a partner or managing director at several large accounting and finance firms and worked in tax compliance. Nevertheless, Trifilo allegedly did not file federal income tax returns for himself for nearly a decade despite earning more than $7.7 million during that time.

    In February 2023, Trifilo allegedly sought to obtain a $1.36 million bank-financed loan to purchase a home in D.C. and was working with a mortgage company to do so. After the mortgage company allegedly told Trifilo that the bank would not approve the loan without copies of Trifilo’s filed tax returns, Trifilo allegedly provided the mortgage company with fabricated documents to make it appear as if he had filed tax returns and provided copies of tax returns for 2020 and 2021 that Trifilo never filed with the IRS. On these returns and other documents that he submitted to the mortgage company, Trifilo allegedly listed a former colleague as the individual who prepared the returns and uploaded them for filing with the IRS. This individual allegedly did not prepare the returns, has never prepared tax returns for Trifilo and did not authorize Trifilo to use his name on the returns and other documents that Trifilo submitted to the mortgage company. Based on Trifilo’s false representation, the bank allegedly approved the loan and Trifilo purchased the home.

    If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison on the identity theft charge, a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge, and a maximum sentence of one year in prison on each count of failure to file tax returns. Trifilo also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties and restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Alexandra K. Fleszar of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Translation: Brief information from the State Council meeting of September 25, 2024

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    Source: Canton of Neuchatel Switzerland

    09/26/2024

    Federal Affairs

    The Council of State responded to seven federal consultation procedures:

    Amendment of the Civil Code (facilitated adoption of the spouse’s or partner’s child); Measures to strengthen higher vocational training: amendment of the Federal Law on Vocational Training (LFPr) and the Ordinance on Vocational Training (OFPr); Amendment of the Financial Market Infrastructure Act; Partial revision of the Ordinance on Road Signs (OSR) to integrate the most important contents of certain technical standards into the Federal Law on Road Signs and the Ordinance Regulating Admission to Road Traffic (OAC) with regard to the road traffic theory course; Amendment of ordinances due to the adoption and implementation of Regulations (EU) 2021/1133 and (EU) 2021/1134 on the Central Visa Information System (developments of the Schengen acquis); Amendment of Ordinance 2 on Asylum on financing; Amendment to the Federal Act on Radio and Television (LRTV) (shares of the licence fee allocated to local radio and regional television stations and support measures for electronic media).

    Responses to federal consultations are available at http://www.ne.ch/ConsultationsFederales.

    Cantonal affairs

    Increase in family allowances from 1 January 2025The amounts of family allowances, the purpose of which is to partially offset the financial burden represented by one or more children, have been the same since 2015. In a context marked in recent years by high inflation and an increase in charges in family budgets, and after having conducted a dialogue with the family allowance funds active in the canton, the Council of State has decided to increase the amount of family allowances by 20 francs per month and per child from 1 January 2025. Child allowances will amount to 240 francs per month and per child for the first two children and to 270 francs per month and per child from the third child. Training allowances will amount to 320 francs per month and per child for the first two children and to 350 francs per month and per child from the third child. This increase, the consequences of which for the economy are moderate, provides support to families in the canton.

    BodyRight

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maryland Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Destroy the Baltimore Region Power Grid

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 36, of Catonsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and a concurrent sentence of 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    “Those who seek to attack our country’s critical infrastructure will face the full force of the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Sarah Beth Clendaniel sought to ‘completely destroy’ the city of Baltimore by targeting five power substations as a means of furthering her violent white supremacist ideology. She will now spend the next 18 years in federal prison. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively counter, disrupt, and prosecute those who seek to launch these kinds of hate-fueled attacks that target our critical infrastructure, endanger entire cities, and threaten our national security.” 

    “The defendant plotted to disable the power grid around the entire Baltimore region and cause harm to thousands of people in pursuit of a racially motivated violent extremist agenda,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Her plan failed thanks to the great work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners. Today’s sentencing should serve as a warning to others that you will be held accountable if you attempt to carry out violent attacks on our infrastructure or threaten the safety of those in our communities.”

    “Such cowardice, designed to disrupt and endanger the lives of Maryland’s citizens, will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “My office remains committed to protecting the security and well-being of the community by prosecuting such conduct to the full extent of the law.”

    According to her plea agreement and other court documents, in 2018, Clendaniel became acquainted with Brandon C. Russell, a Florida resident, who is currently charged with conspiracy to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and is awaiting trial. Clendaniel and Russell espouse a white supremacist ideology and advocate a concept known as “accelerationism.” To “accelerate” or to support “accelerationism” is based on a white supremacist belief that the current system is irreparable and without an apparent political solution, and therefore violent action is necessary to precipitate societal and government collapse.

    According to court documents, from at least December 2022 through February 2023, Clendaniel conspired with Russell to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid. The intended monetary loss associated with the planned attacks would have exceeded $75 million.

    As set forth in her plea agreement, Clendaniel admitted that she communicated and planned over encrypted communication applications (ECA) to carry out attacks against energy facilities. Russell and Clendaniel communicated their plans to commit an attack on the Baltimore region power grid to a confidential human source (CHS-1).

    Their plans began to coalesce on Jan. 12, 2023, when CHS-1 and Russell discussed the planned substation attack in Maryland with a goal of working with Clendaniel to “maximize impact” and “to coordinate to get multiple [substations] at the same time.” Later that same day, Clendaniel, using the moniker “Nythra88,” sent a message to CHS-1 on ECA confirming her support of the attack.

    In the ensuing conversation, which continued through Jan. 14, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she lived near Baltimore. She also stated that she was a felon, and had previously, but unsuccessfully, attempted to obtain a rifle. She asked CHS-1 to purchase a rifle for her, stating that she wanted to “accomplish something worthwhile” and that she wanted the rifle “within the next couple of weeks” to “accomplish as much as possible before June, at the latest.” On Jan. 18, 2023, on ECA, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she had identified a few potential locations to target in her attack. CHS-1 stated that CHS-1 would have to be the “driver” and Clendaniel would have to be the “shooter” in the attack. Clendaniel confirmed that she was “determined to do this” and stated she would have done something earlier on her own if she had not lost her rifle “a few months ago.” The conversation continued with CHS-1 and Clendaniel discussing the specifics of the desired rifle and agreeing that Clendaniel would send CHS-1 a “wish list,” which she did the following day.

    At various times from Jan. 21, 2023, through Jan. 29, 2023, CHS-1 exchanged encrypted messages, separately with Clendaniel and with Russell, in which they discussed in detail the rifle and specific firearms accessories that Clendaniel wanted and potential targets for their attack.

    On Jan. 29, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that the five substations she planned to target included “Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall.” Clendaniel described how there was a “ring” around Baltimore and if they hit a number of them all in the same day, they “would completely destroy this whole city.” She added that they needed to “destroy those cores, not just leak the oil . . . ” and that a “good four or five shots through the center of them . . . should make that happen.” Further, she stated that: “[i]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully.” When CHS-1 asked if it would accomplish a “cascading failure,” Clendaniel replied, “[y]es . . . probably” and that the attack targets are all “major ones.” Clendaniel also said that the most difficult target that they would have to do together has “fire walls on three sides.”

    During that conversation, Clendaniel sent CHS-1 five links to the “Open Infrastructure Map” which showed the locations of five specific Baltimore, Gas and Electric (BGE) electrical substations in Maryland. BGE is an energy company that utilizes substations, like the five targeted sites, to produce, convert, transform, regulate and distribute energy. Three of the five substations were located near the towns of Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall. The remaining two substations were in the vicinity of Baltimore City. Each location is a BGE substation with significant infrastructure.

    On or about Jan. 31, 2023, Russell discussed with CHS-1 the attack of the targeted substations on ECA, including how to “make sure it’s done right,” how “it has been studied,” and how to make it “cascading” so as to maximize damage. Russell and Clendaniel believed that attacking these five electrical substations in the greater Baltimore area would serve accelerationism.

    On Feb. 3, 2023, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Clendaniel’s residence in Catonsville, Maryland. During the search, law enforcement agents recovered from Clendaniel’s bedroom various firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Federal law prohibits Clendaniel from possessing these items because she is a convicted felon, including convictions in Cecil County, Maryland, for robbery in 2006 and robbery and attempted robbery in 2016.

    The FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Michael Aubin for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is a partner in the Justice Department’s United Against Hate community outreach program. The United Against Hate initiative seeks to directly connect federal, state, and local law enforcement with traditionally marginalized communities in order to build trust and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents. Attorney General Garland announced the nationwide launch of the initiative and its expansion to all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women Announces $86.16M in Grants to Support American Indian and Native Alaskan Survivors of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The Justice Department announced yesterday more than $86.16 million in grants administered by the Tribal Affairs Division within the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    The grants provided through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will fund services for victims of these crimes while providing support for Tribal governments, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and Tribal courts, to enhance safety and support Tribal sovereignty. The Tribal Affairs Division within OVW is responsible for the administration of Tribal specific grant programs and initiatives, management of Tribal specific training and technical assistance, and coordination with other federal departments and Justice Department offices on Tribal issues. Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall of OVW made the announcement at the annual Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program Institute, a convening of Tribal officials, victim advocates, and other Tribal leaders, as well as OVW-funded training and technical assistance advisors, who work to support Tribes in developing and improving programs to support survivors of sexual assault.

    “Tribal communities, and particularly American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, have experienced disproportionately high levels of violence for too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $86 million dollar investment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to working in partnership with Tribal nations to address and prevent gender-based violence and provide safety and justice for survivors.”

    Included in these awards is more than $7.58 million that OVW is awarding under its new Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Program. The program is for Tribal governments that have not previously or recently participated in OVW’s Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program and focuses on capacity building early in the project period. Awardees will receive additional training, technical assistance, and support to implement their programs. Additionally, OVW awarded $45.17 million under the established Tribal Governments Program to support Tribal governments in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities.

    OVW also launched a new grant program this year through its Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative, which was created in response to recommendations made by the Not Invisible Act Commission. OVW awarded $2 million under this initiative to support the creation, training, and sustainability of Healing and Response Teams using a Tribal-based model of care to respond to Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    OVW is awarding grants totaling more than $3.57 million to Tribes under its Special Tribal Criminal Grant (STCJ) Program and $1.5 million under its Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative. The programs support Tribes that are preparing to exercise or are already exercising STCJ to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit covered crimes within their communities, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, are held accountable.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.75 million under its Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative to support the collaboration between Tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in their investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking cases in Indian country.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling more than $11.11 million under its Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program to support Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal nonprofit organizations in operating sexual assault services programs in Indian country and Alaska Native villages. Additionally, OVW awarded funding totaling more than $8.28 million under its Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to support the development and operation of nonprofit, nongovernmental Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions.

    “We are committed to addressing the disproportionately high rates of violent crime faced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls and ensuring everyone can access both safety and justice,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This funding supports Tribal governments and Tribal organizations’ efforts to provide legal services, housing assistance, medical care, and counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence.”

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.2 million for Tribal training and technical assistance (TA) programs. The TA programs support grantees through in-person and online educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networks, on-site technical assistance, and tailored support to help grantees further develop expertise and targeted strategies to implement their programs successfully.

    “The strength of VAWA is enhancing a coordinated community response,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “These grant programs provide critical support for Tribes to address gender-based violence by fostering essential partnerships among victim services organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders who play a crucial role in supporting survivors and providing pathways for them to access justice, safety, and healing.”

    OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at http://www.justice.gov/ovw.

    View the Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative (STCJ AK) Program Award.

    View the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative Awards.

    View the Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Invitation to Apply Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Awards.

    View the Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments Program Awards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Secures Language Access Agreement with Alameda County Sheriff’s Office in California

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a resolution agreement with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in California resolving an inquiry into whether ACSO is in compliance with its nondiscrimination obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI).

    Under the terms of the agreement, ACSO has agreed to take a number of steps to improve language access for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in its jurisdiction. Title VI prohibits entities that receive federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color and national origin. Differential treatment based on language spoken, including exclusion from or denial of the benefits of programs and services to people with LEP, may constitute national origin discrimination in violation of Title VI.

    “The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that our nation’s law enforcement agencies can serve and protect everyone in their communities, regardless of whether they may have limited English proficiency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through this agreement, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office has demonstrated its commitment to and has taken major steps toward improving services to the communities it serves.”

    The department’s inquiry into ACSO began after receiving information raising concerns that individuals with LEP may not receive adequate language services during encounters with ACSO personnel.

    Through this agreement, ACSO will establish a formal, office-wide language access directive, designate a member of its personnel as the LEP Coordinator for ACSO, provide staff trainings on language assistance, improve quality controls to require accurate and quality-assessed language assistance services and undergo a period of departmental monitoring.

    This agreement is part of the department’s Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI), a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies in overcoming language barriers to better serve and protect communities and keep officers safe. Led by the Civil Rights Division, the initiative provides technical assistance resources and tools that can help state and local law enforcement provide meaningful language access to individuals with LEP; affirmatively engages law enforcement agencies that want to review, update and/or strengthen their language access polices, plans and training; and strengthens the connection between law enforcement agencies, community stakeholders and populations with LEP.

    Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. More information on LELAI is available at www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DC Accountant Charged with Mortgage Fraud and Tax Crimes

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Defendant Allegedly Did Not File Tax Returns and Falsified Documents to Obtain Mortgage

    A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., returned an indictment yesterday, which was unsealed today, charging a CPA with not filing income tax returns, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    According to the indictment, Timothy Trifilo, of Washington, D.C., was a partner or managing director at several large accounting and finance firms and worked in tax compliance. Nevertheless, Trifilo allegedly did not file federal income tax returns for himself for nearly a decade despite earning more than $7.7 million during that time.

    In February 2023, Trifilo allegedly sought to obtain a $1.36 million bank-financed loan to purchase a home in D.C. and was working with a mortgage company to do so. After the mortgage company allegedly told Trifilo that the bank would not approve the loan without copies of Trifilo’s filed tax returns, Trifilo allegedly provided the mortgage company with fabricated documents to make it appear as if he had filed tax returns and provided copies of tax returns for 2020 and 2021 that Trifilo never filed with the IRS. On these returns and other documents that he submitted to the mortgage company, Trifilo allegedly listed a former colleague as the individual who prepared the returns and uploaded them for filing with the IRS. This individual allegedly did not prepare the returns, has never prepared tax returns for Trifilo and did not authorize Trifilo to use his name on the returns and other documents that Trifilo submitted to the mortgage company. Based on Trifilo’s false representation, the bank allegedly approved the loan and Trifilo purchased the home.

    If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison on the identity theft charge, a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge, and a maximum sentence of one year in prison on each count of failure to file tax returns. Trifilo also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties and restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Alexandra K. Fleszar of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Awards Nearly $30M to Combat the Rise of Hate and Bias Crimes

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer announced today nearly $30 million in grant funding through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) that will be awarded to law enforcement agencies, states, community-based organizations, national civil rights organizations, and other stakeholders to fight the rise in hate and bias crimes and incidents. These awards will help communities improve the investigation and prosecution of hate and bias crimes, solve hate crime cold cases, serve victims of these offenses, and support related research.

    “These grants are vital in helping to ensure law enforcement and community members get the support they need as they continue to strive to keep all communities safe,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Everyone in this country deserves not only to feel safe but to be safe in their communities, and we’re excited about the new grant funding investments made.”

    The funding was announced at the inaugural hate crimes grantee conference organized by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The grants are part of the Justice Department’s wide-ranging efforts to improve community safety, serve victims of crime, support America’s youth, advance science, and promote equal justice. OJP is the largest grantmaking component of the Department and houses its criminal and juvenile justice-related science and statistical units.

    “Freedom from intolerance and from the fear of violence is foundational to community safety and fundamental to the concept of equal justice,” said OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen. “I’m very pleased that OJP is making these important resources available to our community partners and proud of the work we’re engaged in, together, to end hate and bias crimes and incidents in our country.”

    The funding announced today includes:

    • $12 million in grants under BJA’s Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program to help local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices investigate and prosecute hate and bias crimes, as well as collaborate with community partners on outreach and education to targeted communities.
    • More than $7.6 million in awards from BJA to 11 different community-based organizations and civil rights organizations for projects around the country dedicated to developing and implementing comprehensive hate crimes prevention and response strategies.
    • $1 million for the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, District Attorney’s Office under BJA’s Emmett Till Cold Case Investigation and Prosecution Program to provide resources in cold case homicide cases involving civil rights violations that occurred before 1980.
    • $2.7 million for RTI International and its subrecipients, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, to launch BJA’s new Coordinated Hate Crimes Resource Center.
    • $1.125 million for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office through the Office for Victims of Crime’s Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act State-Run Hate Crime Reporting Hotlines program.
    • $2.5 million through Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act funding for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ research and analysis project on National Incident-Based Reporting System data and hate crime reporting patterns.
    • $2.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Justice for three research projects on responding to hate crimes with specialized law enforcement units, including LGTBQI+ liaison units to respond to hate crimes against transgender individuals, and addressing the needs of survivors of hate crimes and their communities.

    In addition to these new grant awards, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Mizer announced OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum to provide resources to address hate crimes, bias incidents and identity-based bullying among youth. The curriculum is designed for middle and high school-aged youth and the teachers, counselors and others who work with them. He also announced the Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) is launching a new training on investigating hate crimes, which builds on the training the COPS Office released in 2022 on recognizing and reporting hate crimes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW a step closer to truth telling

    Source: Australian Human Rights Commission

    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss has welcomed the appointment of the NSW Treaty Commissioners announced today. 

     “These appointments are a milestone in the beginning of the truth and treaty process in NSW,” Commissioner Kiss said.  

    “I congratulate the NSW Government in taking this crucial step and working with the community towards self-determination and healing.” 

    Appointed for two-year terms, the Treaty Commissioners are former senator Aden Ridgeway, academic Todd Fernando and Koori Mail newspaper editor Naomi Moran. 

    The Commissioners will work with Australia’s largest Aboriginal population to hear whether they want a treaty process, and if they do, what form it would take.   

    Treaty discussions in Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT have highlighted the need to improve service delivery and to close the gap.  

    “However, treaty and truth-telling is also about reframing and repairing relationships. It has the potential to set a solid foundation for the future, based on recognition and respect,” Commissioner Kiss said.   

    Commissioner Kiss also welcomed today’s release of the recommendations provided by the Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (CAPO) to progress the development of a NSW Independent Aboriginal-led Government Accountability Mechanism.  

    “These recommendations have been informed by Aboriginal people in NSW, and demonstrate the involvement of our people in decisions that affect us. I look forward to seeing further progress in other jurisdictions,” Commissioner Kiss said. 

    ENDS 

    Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCS tours Government Career Fair at Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SCS tours Government Career Fair at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (with photos)
    SCS tours Government Career Fair at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (with photos)
    **********************************************************************************

         The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, attended the Government Career Fair at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today (September 26) and reminded those interested in applying for four civil service graduate posts to submit their applications through the online application system on the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) website by next Friday (October 4).     Mrs Yeung toured the career fair with the Vice President (Student and Global Affairs) of PolyU, Professor Ben Young. It is the first time for the career fair to take place at PolyU, with the participation of officers from various departments and civil service grades to introduce the entry requirements of respective grades and share their personal work experience, as well as to encourage students to join the civil service.     “Thirty government bureaux and departments took part in the career fair today, covering over 50 civil service grades. Apart from the general grades, there are also professional grades and the disciplined services. In view of the characteristics of the courses offered by PolyU, we have arranged officers from the relevant departments to introduce their grades to students. For instance, today’s career fair highlights civil service job opportunities relating to surveying and maritime fields, so that PolyU students who are currently enrolled in the relevant courses can gain a better understanding of the grades concerned. We hope that students will join the Government after graduation and put their knowledge and skills in the relevant professional fields to good use,” Mrs Yeung said.     The CSB is organising Government Career Fairs at 10 local universities from mid-September to early October. In addition to PolyU, Government Career Fairs were held at City University of Hong Kong, the Education University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University and Hong Kong Baptist University. The remaining two career fairs will take place at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.     Mrs Yeung encouraged those who are aspiring to serve the community to join the civil service to unleash their potential, pursue their dreams and contribute to Hong Kong. She pointed out that since July 2022 all candidates for civil service jobs must attain a pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) in order to be considered for appointment. By the end of 2023, the number of applicants for the BLNST had reached nearly 140 000. The Government has strengthened its recruitment efforts in recent years and a number of grades have recorded a noticeable increase in the number of applicants. In particular, the number of candidates applying for Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II (EOII) and other grades under the joint recruitment exercise in 2023-24 had surged by nearly 40 per cent, showing that a career in the Government is quite attractive to job seekers.     The Government has launched a joint recruitment exercise for the appointment of four civil service grades, namely AO, EOII, Assistant Trade Officer II and Transport Officer II. Students graduating in the years of 2025 or 2026 may also apply this year. The deadline for submitting applications is 11.59pm on October 4. Candidates interested in applying for posts under the joint recruitment exercise must attain the requisite results in the relevant paper(s) of the Common Recruitment Examination and the BLNST. For details, please refer to the CSB website.

     
    Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 16:15

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Oxycodone

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    District of Massachusetts 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Wednesday, September 18, 2024

    BOSTON – A former nurse was sentenced yesterday for tampering with liquid oxycodone syringes at a local rehabilitation center.

    Jaclyn McQueen, 44, of Dedham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to three years of probation. In January 2024, McQueen pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. McQueen was charged by Information on Dec. 7, 2023.

    From approximately February through May 2020, McQueen worked as a registered nurse at a rehabilitation center in Dedham that provided long-term chronic and post-acute care to patients. In her capacity as a nurse, McQueen had access to oxycodone, a Schedule II narcotic, prescribed to patients at the rehabilitation center.  During her work shifts, McQueen removed liquid oxycodone from syringes intended for use by patients, consumed the oxycodone herself and refilled the syringes with water to avoid detection. McQueen returned the diluted syringes to the medication carts where they could have been administered to patients.  

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Robert H. Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Begg Lawrence, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mississippi Seafood Distributor and Managers Plead Guilty to Conspiracy and Misbranding of Seafood

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    Office of Public Affairs

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Tuesday, August 27, 2024

    Company Agrees to Pay More than $1.1M in Criminal Penalties

    A Mississippi seafood distributor and two company managers pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others to mislabel seafood and to commit wire fraud by marketing inexpensive and frozen imported substitutes as more expensive and premium local species. 

    Quality Poultry and Seafood Inc. (QPS), the largest seafood wholesaler on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, has agreed to pay the United States $1 million in forfeitures and a criminal fine of $150,000. QPS sales manager Todd A. Rosetti and business manager James W. Gunkel, both of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, also pleaded guilty to misbranding seafood to facilitate QPS’ fraud. 

    QPS admitted to participating in this fish substitution scheme from as early as 2002 and continuing through November 2019. The indictment alleges that QPS recommended and sold to its restaurant customers foreign-sourced fish that could serve as convincing substitutes for the local species the restaurants advertised on their menus. QPS also labeled the cheap imports that it sold to customers at its own retail shop and café as premium local fish.

    “QPS and company officials went to great lengths in conspiring with others to perpetuate fraud for more than a decade, even after they knew they were under federal investigation,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Mislabeling seafood harms local wholesalers and fishermen who compete to sell locally sourced, premium fish in a market unfairly flooded with less expensive fish, frozen and imported from overseas.”

    “When imported substitutes are marketed as local domestic seafood, it depresses the value of authentic Gulf Coast seafood, which means that honest local fishermen and wholesalers have a harder time making a profit,” said U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “This kind of mislabeling fraud hurts the overall local seafood market and rips off restaurant customers who were paying extra to eat a premium local product. These convictions should serve as a warning: restaurants and wholesalers will face criminal prosecution if they are not honest with customers about what they are actually buying.”

    “U.S. consumers expect their seafood to be correctly identified. When sellers purposefully substitute one fish species for another, they deceive consumers and cause potential food safety hazards to be overlooked or misidentified by processors or end users,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Fielder of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who put profits above public health.”

    The indictment alleges that even after agents from the FDA executed a criminal search warrant at QPS to investigate its sale of mislabeled fish, QPS continued for over a year to sell frozen fish imported from Africa, South America and India for use as substitutes for local premium species.

    Mary Mahoney’s, which pleaded guilty in May, admitted that between December 2013 and November 2019, it fraudulently sold, as local premium species, approximately 58,750 pounds (over 29 tons) of fish that was not the species identified on its menu. QPS supplied seafood to Mary Mahoney’s and many other restaurant restaurants and retailers.

    QPS, Rosetti and Gunkel will be sentenced on Dec. 11. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations is investigating the case.

    Senior Trial Attorney Jeremy F. Korzenik of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Illegal Depressant Etizolam Over the Internet

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    District of Massachusetts 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Thursday, August 29, 2024

    BOSTON – A California man pleaded guilty today for conspiracy to sell the illegal depressant Etizolam over the internet.

    Paul Z. Lamberty, 52, of Folsom, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of the introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 13, 2024. 

    Lamberty operated websites Encern.com and Ohmod.com and used those sites to sell the drug etizolam to customers throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. Payments for etizolam through those websites could only be made through cryptocurrency and it would be shipped to customers through U.S. Priority Mail.  Encern.com has no corporate records in the State of California and the Encern.com website did not provide a physical address for the business. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved etizolam for use as a drug, and thus it cannot be sold or prescribed in the United States. Despite this, Lamberty purchased drugs from suppliers in China and imported those drugs into the United States and sold the drugs with false labelling stating that the products were sold “For Research Purposes Only” and “Not for Human Consumption.” Based on an analysis of bank and cryptocurrency records, Lamberty and his co-conspirator conducted gross sales of over $550,000 of etizolam through the internet during the course of the conspiracy. 

    According to the charging document, etizolam is a drug known as a thienodiazepine, a class of drugs chemically related to benzodiazepines, which produce central nervous system depression. Physicians may prescribe FDA-approved benzodiazepines to treat insomnia and anxiety, but benzodiazepines and thienodiazepines also carry risks of dependency, toxicity, and even fatal overdose, particularly when combined with other central nervous system depressants.

    The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead provides for a sentence up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gate City Pharmacist Sentenced for Tampering with Oxycodone

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    Western District of Virginia

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Monday, August 26, 2024

    Dillon Breeding Will Serve 24 Months in Federal Prison

    ABINGDON, Va. – A Gate City, Virginia pharmacist who tampered with oxycodone and hydromorphone was sentenced last week to 24 months in federal prison.

    Dillon West Breeding, 34, pled guilty in June 2024 to one count of tampering with consumer products.

    “Ensuring the integrity of our prescription drugs is vital to maintaining the public’s confidence in our healthcare system,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “When patients go to the pharmacy, they trust the medicines they receive are legitimate, and prosecutions like this one go a long way towards ensuring that trust. I am grateful to the FDA, Virginia Department of Health Professions, Virginia State Police, and the Gate City Police for bringing this important matter forward.”

    “FDA-OCI remains committed to safeguarding the drug supply chain from individuals who endanger public health and safety by tampering with products,” said George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metropolitan Washington Field Office. “When pharmacists betray their customers’ trust by tampering with narcotic medications, they not only risk causing needless suffering from ineffective substitutes but also put lives at risk by introducing potentially harmful substances into the drug supply chain. The foundational work of the Gate City Police Department and our valued partnership with the Virginia State Police were integral to our efforts in safeguarding public health and safety in this case.”

    According to court documents, Breeding swapped oxycodone tablets with prednisone, a steroid used to treat inflammation, and replaced hydromorphone tablets with leflunomide, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

    Additionally, Breeding would dispense medication to patients and short them pills, keeping the additional pills for himself.

    Because Breeding tampered with these products, a pharmacist could have filled and dispensed the wrong drug to a customer, placing them in danger of death or bodily injury.

    The Food and Drug Administration – Office of Inspector General, the Virginia Department of Health Professions, along with the Gate City Police Department and the Virginia State Police, investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Macon prosecuted the case for the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Injectable Stem Cell Product Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Felony Distribution of Unapproved Drug

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    Office of Public Affairs

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Tuesday, August 27, 2024

    The founder and chief executive officer of a California-based company that marketed stem cell-based products linked to multiple hospitalizations pleaded guilty yesterday to a felony violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

    John W. Kosolcharoen, 53, most recently of Orange County, California, pleaded guilty to introducing an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead. Kosolcharoen is currently in custody serving a sentence for a separate, unconnected conviction. U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II for the Central District of California presided over the hearing pursuant to a plea agreement with the government. The court set Kosolcharoen’s sentencing for Sept. 23.

    According to court documents, beginning in 2016, Kosolcharoen created two companies, Liveyon LLC and Genetech Inc., to manufacture and distribute injectable stem cell products made from human umbilical cord blood. Liveyon marketed the products under different brand names, including “ReGen.” In pleading guilty, Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others misrepresented ReGen as suitable for the treatment of a variety of conditions, such as lung and heart diseases, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and others. Liveyon marketed the products throughout the United States until about April 2019 using advertising materials that contained multiple false and misleading statements about their purported safety and effectiveness.

    In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers that patients seeking cures and remedies for serious diseases and conditions may be misled about unapproved stem cell products that are illegally marketed, have not been shown to be safe or effective, and, in some cases, may have significant safety issues that put patients at risk. Stem cell products are regulated by FDA, and generally they must have FDA approval before being introduced into interstate commerce.

    As part of the plea agreement, Kosolcharoen admitted that to mislead FDA about Liveyon’s activities, he directed Liveyon’s purchase orders to falsely state that the stem cell products were being sold “for research purposes only.” In 2018, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of patients in multiple states requiring hospitalization for bacterial infections after receiving Liveyon products. Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others fraudulently induced customers into purchasing stem cell-derived Liveyon products by, among other things, misleading the public about the cause and severity of adverse events suffered by Liveyon patients, and falsely reporting and concealing material facts regarding the outcome of an FDA inspection of Genetech. According to FDA records, that inspection documented evidence of significant deviations from good manufacturing and tissue practices.

    “Unapproved stem cell treatments not only endanger public health but also exploit the hopes of patients who seek relief from the most serious of diseases,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to safeguarding the public from these schemes and will vigorously pursue legal action to hold accountable those who unlawfully market and sell these unproven therapies.”

    “This defendant recklessly put people’s lives in danger, giving false hope to patients with serious illnesses,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “Today’s guilty plea shows that we will hold accountable corporate executives and healthcare professionals who put profits over patients.”

    “We are grateful for the work by the Department of Justice to hold accountable establishments that prey upon vulnerable populations by marketing potentially dangerous stem cell products with false and misleading claims about their safety and effectiveness,” said Director Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D. of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

    “When unscrupulous providers offer umbilical cord blood stem cell products and treatments that are both unapproved and unproven, they put consumers’ health at risk, and multiple users of this firm’s products in fact suffered adverse events,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “FDA will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who endanger the public’s health for material gain.”

    “This investigation was a joint effort between multiple federal agencies and state and local health departments to quickly put a stop to the distribution of unsafe, contaminated products,” said Director Michael Bell, M.D. of CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. “The rapid response by our public health system identified products marketed as stem cell treatments to be the source of serious infections in dozens of patients. Our message to all consumers and providers is to heed the warning against the use of unapproved products like these with unproven claims of effectiveness for conditions like joint disease, chronic pain, or COVID-19. Please don’t let products like these put you or your patients’ health at risk.”

    FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, FBI, Amtrak Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Employment Benefits Security Administration and California Department of Health Care Services investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Aveis and David Chao for the Central District of California, Assistant Director Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorneys Meredith B. Healy, Kathryn A. Schmidt and Peter J. Leininger of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Transport Department alerts public to fraudulent SMS messages purportedly from HKeToll

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Transport Department alerts public to fraudulent SMS messages purportedly from HKeToll
    Transport Department alerts public to fraudulent SMS messages purportedly from HKeToll
    **************************************************************************************

         The Transport Department (TD) today (September 26) alerted members of the public to fraudulent SMS messages purportedly issued by the HKeToll. The SMS messages spoofed the name of “HKeToll” and provided hyperlinks with the domain names (https://hketollio[.]top/hk, https://hke-toll[.]top/hk and https://hketoll[.]info/hk) that lead to fake HKeToll websites, which seek to deceive recipients into making payments to obtain their credit card information.     The TD clarifies that the SMS messages were not issued by the HKeToll, and has referred the case to the Police for follow-up. Members of the public are reminded that the HKeToll will not send SMS messages or emails to vehicle owners with hyperlinks which direct them to the websites to carry out transactions. If a vehicle owner wishes to pay an outstanding toll online, they must log in to the HKeToll website (hketoll.gov.hk) or mobile app.     Members of the public should stay alert when receiving unidentified messages. They should not visit suspicious websites and disclose any personal information. Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the websites concerned should contact the Police. For enquiries about the HKeToll, please call 3853 7333.

     
    Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 15:31

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Conspiracy and Fraud Charges Added Against Operator of Central California Bio-Lab and His Partner in Connection with Sale of Millions of Dollars in COVID-19 Test Kits

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    Eastern District of California

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Thursday, August 15, 2024

    FRESNO, Calif. — The operator of a Reedley lab, who was indicted in November 2023, faces additional charges of conspiracy and wire fraud after a federal grand jury returned a 12-count superseding indictment today, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    Jia Bei Zhu, 62, a citizen of China, was previously indicted for distributing adulterated and misbranded COVID-19 test kits in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and making false statements to authorities about his identity and involvement with the biolabs. The superseding indictment also charges Zhu’s romantic and business partner, Zhaoyan Wang, 38, a citizen of China, who operated the biolabs Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI) and Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI) in Fresno and Reedley along with Zhu. UMI and PBI distributed COVID-19, pregnancy, and other types of test kits.

    According to court documents, from August 2020 through March 2023, Zhu and Wang conspired to defraud buyers of UMI and PBI’s COVID-19 test kits. They imported hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 test kits from Ai De Ltd., which was a company in China that they controlled, and falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were made in the United States. They illegally imported the COVID-19 test kits, which they were not approved to import, by falsely declaring them as pregnancy test kits, which they were approved to import.

    Zhu and Wang also falsely represented to the buyers that UMI and PBI could make up to 100,000 COVID-19 test kits per week in the United States and that the test kits were made in connection with other labs that were certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Finally, they falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Zhu and Wang made over $1.7 million through their fraud.

    When buyers requested to inspect UMI and PBI’s facilities in Fresno and Reedley, Zhu and Wang denied them access and fabricated reasons for the denial. The fabricated reasons included that the facilities were undergoing construction and renovation, and that proprietary and confidential information and technology was inside. In reality, however, they did not want the buyers to know that UMI and PBI were obtaining the COVID-19 test kits from China.

    Zhu is currently detained in custody pending his federal trial. His next status conference is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2024. Wang is not in custody.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arelis Clemente, Joseph Barton, and Henry Carbajal III are prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Zhu and Wang each face maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and wire fraud charges, and an additional three years in prison for the distribution of adulterated and misbranded medical device charges. Zhu also faces another five years in prison for the false statements charge. Any sentences, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations. Zhu and Wang are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    23cr219.sup_.ind_.0815.pdf

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: UPDATE: Man charged with murder following Woolwich stabbing

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the murder of a teenager in Woolwich have charged a man.

    Police were called at approximately 18:35hrs on Sunday, 22 September to reports of a disturbance in Eglinton Road, SE18.

    Officers attended and found 15-year-old Daejaun Campbell suffering a stab injury.

    Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics at the scene, he sadly died a short time later. His family continue to be supported by specialist officers.

    Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder and taken into police custody.

    One of the men, Jacob Losiewicz, 18 (26.07.06) of Church Manor Way, Abbey Wood, was charged on Wednesday, 25 September, with murder.

    He will appear in custody at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 26 September.

    The second man, aged in his 50s, has been released without charge.

    Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry , who is in charge of policing for the South East Basic Command Unit, said: “The investigation into Daejaun’s murder continues and detectives are working around the clock. Local officers will remain in the area whilst we continue with our investigation. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions, they are there to support you and the community.

    “I want to appeal again for anyone who knows anything about the death of young Daejaun to come forward. Did you see anything suspicious around the Eglinton Road area? Did you see anyone running away from the area? Do you have any footage?

    “If you do, then please contact police; you can upload any footage via a link or you can also remain anonymous by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

    Anyone with information is asked to call police on 020 8721 4005 quoting Operation Baghaze.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Traffic relief through Sta. Maria: Master Plan adjustments publicly exposed

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Grisons in Italian

    The next procedural phase for the traffic relief through Sta. Maria in Val Monastero has been started. The public participation exhibition for the adaptation of the Master Plan will start on 30 September 2024.

    The historic centre of Sta. Maria has been exposed to a high volume of traffic for years. The increasing transit traffic along the Ofen Pass road and the traffic on the Umbrail Pass regularly cause inconvenience and traffic jams, especially in the summer months. In this context, there has been a desire for decades to relieve the town of traffic in order to improve safety in the village, increase the quality of life of residents and guests, and preserve and enhance the village centre, which is protected at national level. Various approaches to solving this problem have been developed since the end of the 1990s. However, for various reasons, it has not been possible to implement relief measures so far.

    Adaptation of the master plan requiredAccording to the Federal Law on Spatial Planning, major road construction projects such as bypasses are considered projects with a particular impact on the territory and the environment and therefore require a specification in the cantonal master plan. As a basis, with the involvement of experts from various sectors, a comprehensive evaluation of variants for reducing traffic through Sta. Maria has been carried out since 2020. The best variant developed involves the construction of a bypass on the northern edge of the settlement, with a tunnel of around 600 metres in length that passes under the Paclera area and the Muranzina stream. This relief plan forms the basis for the specification in the master plan now planned.

    The master plan guarantees the necessary bypass corridor in a binding manner for the authorities and harmonizes the interests of the Confederation and the Canton. In addition, further measures are established for subsequent planning, which contribute, among other things, to enabling an optimal design and integration of the project into the landscape and to improving the quality of living and staying in the core.

    Public display for 30 daysThe adaptation of the master plan will be displayed for public participation for 30 days, starting from September 30, 2024. During this period, all interested parties have the opportunity to submit objections and proposals in written form.

    The project is already in the preliminary examination phase by the Confederation. The master plan will be further developed on the basis of the results of the public exhibition and the preliminary examination by the Confederation. The cantonal master plan will be decided by the Grisons government and approved by the Federal Council.

    Attached:

    Sta. Maria ring road, «northern ring road» variant (status: February 2023)

    Contact person:

    Richard Atzmüller, Head of the Office for Spatial Development, Tel. 41 81 257 23 21 (reachable between 10:30 and 11:30), e-mailRichard.Atzmueller@are.gr.ch

    Competent body: Office for Territorial Development

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City to mark Hate Crime Awareness Week

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property which is motivated by an offender’s hatred of someone because of their race, colour, ethnic origin or nationality, their religion, their gender or gender identity, their sexual orientation, or their disability.

    It can take many forms, from physical attacks such as an assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti and arson, to verbal abuse or insults or the threat of attack, including the sending of offensive letters, emails or texts, abusive or obscene telephone calls or malicious complaints.

    The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership is calling on people to help raise awareness of the issue, and understand the ways that victims of, or witnesses to, an incident can report hate crime, during this year’s national Hate Crime Awareness Week, which takes place from 12 to 19 October. People can:

    • Call police on 101 – or dial 999 if it is an emergency
    • Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via Crimestoppers 
    • Report in person to the police at any police station or one of the Police Hate Crime drop-ins – see StopHateWLV for details
    • Report at any Third-Party Reporting Centre – independent organisations that have been trained to record hate crimes and incidents, offer support and signpost to other help. See StopHateWLV for details
    • Visit Report It and fill in the online reporting form which will be forwarded to police for investigation
    • If an incident occurs on a train or the Midland Metro, text British Transport Police on 61016
    • If the incident is Islamophobic in nature, Tell MAMA by visiting Tell MAMA or calling on 0800 456 1226
    • If the incident is anti-Semitic, it can be reported via Community Security Trust’s website, CST, or by calling 0208 457 9999.  

    Members of the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership will be at Sainsbury’s Wednesfield, Rookery Street, on Saturday 12 October from 11am to 5pm, Tesco Wolverhampton, Marston Road, on Wednesday 16 October from 10am to 12.30pm, Central Library, Snow Hill, on Thursday 17 October from 10am to 12.30pm and Wednesfield Library, Well Lane, also Thursday 17 October from 2pm to 4.30pm, to raise awareness the importance of reporting hate crime, and will also be holding a series of other activities throughout the week.

    Councillor Obaida Ahmed, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Digital and Community, said: “The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership takes hate crime incredibly seriously, and all reports will be fully investigated by police.  

    “We’ll be using Hate Crime Awareness Week to get people thinking about how they can respond to hate crime if they witness or are victims to it.

    “Most importantly, we’ll be encouraging people to report instances of hate crime, which will enable victims to get the support they need and to ensure those committing it are met with justice.”

    People can find out more about hate crime by logging on to StopHateWLV. For details of National Hate Crime Awareness week, please visit #NationalHCAW. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: AFL : First half-year 2024: Business continued to grow at a sustained pace, delivering positive earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    First half-year 2024:
    Business continued to grow at a sustained pace, delivering positive earnings

    The AFL Group has unveiled its earnings for H1 2024. Highlights include:

    • New memberships expressed as pledged capital are up €21.5 million in H1 2024 – as much as during the full year in 2023.
    • Credit origination hit a new record high after growing 18% in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023.
    • Half-year earnings, excluding non-recurring items, rose 16% between 2023 and 2024.
    • Changes to local authority risk weightings, down from 20% to 0%, allow the debt securities issued by AFL to be classified as HQLA1 (decision by ACPR in June 2024).

    Consolidated earnings – key figures at June 30, 2024:

    Member local authorities: 878 (+102 local authorities vs. 31/12/2023)

    Pledged capital: 315 million euros (+21.5 million vs. 31/12/2023)

    Loan production: 622 billion euros (+18% vs. 30/06/2023)

    Funds raised in the market: 1,400 million euros (part of a 2,500-million-euro programme) with a 39-basis point margin over the OAT yield curve.

    Net interest margin: 11.6 billion euros (-10.5% vs. 30/06/2023)

    Gross operating income: 2.9 billion euros (-25% vs. June 30, 2023)

    Net income after tax: 1.96 billion euros (-31% vs. June 30, 2023)

    Cost/income ratio: 73.1% (vs. 67.4% as of December 31, 2023)

    Solvency ratio: 77.7% (vs. 13.23% as of December 31, 2023)

    Leverage ratio for public development lending institutions: 9.69% (vs. 8.86% as of December 31, 2023)

    Banking leverage ratio1: 2.42% (vs. 2.24% as of December 31, 2023)

    Record increase in lending activity and in the number of new local authority memberships

    Record credit origination

    During H1 2024, AFL granted loans of 622 million euros to its local authority members, 18% more than as of June 2023. This trend is being observed as demand for debt remains high, fuelled by the need to fund mid-term projects and address major challenges posed by the environmental and climate transition.

    Over 100 new local authority members

    Buoyed by this lending momentum and its increasingly strong reputation, AFL registered 102 new local authority memberships, thereby bringing its total members to 878 at 30 June, 2024.

    These new members are: 3 departments, 5 unions, 2 communities of communes, 5 urban communities and 87 municipalities of various sizes. Overall, AFL Group members include a total of 6 regions, 17 French departments, 669 municipalities and 186 EPCIs (groupings of municipalities) including 15 cities and 50 unions.

    This represents an additional capital commitment of 21.5 million euros, voted in H1 2024, bringing the total to 315 million euros.

    Efficient refinancing that stands out for the continued diversification of issuances

    In H1 2024, AFL raised 1.4 billion euros in the bond market with a weighted average maturity of 7.8 years:

    • A syndicated bond issue of 750 million euros with a 10-year maturity;
    • The first syndicated issuance in Swiss francs for a total 110 million, with a 10-year maturity;
    • A new 3-year syndicated bond issuance in sterling for a total 250 million;
    • Several Euro-denominated private placements including six “callable” deals (pre-determined term) for a total 221 million euros.

    The weighted average spread on these issues was 39-basis points over the Obligations Assimilables du Trésor (OAT) curve, a substantial improvement compared to the previous financial year (average of 49 basis points over OAT in 2023).

    Financial results are aligned with the business plan

    Robust earnings (consolidated earnings under IFRS)

    At June 30, 2024, the AFL Group has generated the income needed to pursue its growth:

    • Net banking income (NBI) came in at €10,785 thousand (€12,179 thousand as of 30/06/2023).
    • Net interest margin for the AFL Group stood at €11,586 thousand (€12,940 thousand of 30/06/2024). This decline stems from the exceptional results recorded in the first half of 2023, boosted notably by the substantial drop in cash carrying costs after the ECB raised its deposit rate.
    • The gross operating income stood at €2,901 thousand (€3,868 thousand as of 30/06/2023).
    • Excluding non-recurring items (i.e. excluding income from capital gains on disposals of securities and hedge accounting), gross operating income was €4,015 thousand (€3,452 thousand in H2 2023).
    • Operating costs during the period came to €7,336 thousand as of June 30, 2024 (€7,857 thousand as of 30/06/2023), reflecting AFL’s disciplined management and the end of the contribution to the Single Resolution Fund.  
    • Net income as of June 30, 2024, stood at €1,954 thousand (€2,840 thousand as of June 30, 2024).

    Earnings that meet our expectations and confirm the resilience of AFL’s model

    “The AFL Group’s results at the end of the first half of 2024 are in positive territory for the long term. They are in line with the forecast included in the budget for the year 2024 and the multi-annual business plan. They reflect the sustained growth of the bank’s core business: an accelerating rate of membership and historic credit production. With the 0% risk weighting of local authorities, the quality of the AFL signature in capital markets improves further and will allow it to strengthen its competitiveness in financing local public investment”, states Yves Millardet, Chairman of the Executive Board of AFL.

    The cost of risk is intrinsically low in AFL’s model

    AFL’s cost of risk is intrinsically limited due to its model as a public development credit institution, the company’s prudent management and the excellent solvency of local authorities. As an example, AFL has zero exposure to stage 3 (default status) assets.

    At June 30, 2024, the cost of risk relating to ex-ante impairment for expected losses on financial assets under IFRS 9 was a charge of €255 thousand (compared with a charge of €71 thousand at 30/06/2023).

    This rise in the cost of risk is mainly attributable to higher asset volumes, and to a lesser extent, to revisions made to the assumptions used for determining the economic scenarios by asset class, to account for the deterioration of macroeconomic and geo-strategic risks.

    The operating income stands at €2,645 thousand (€3,797 thousand as of June 30, 2023). This led to a rise in the cost/income ratio to 73.1% (68.2% as of June 30, 2023). Relative to credit volumes, operating expenses account for 19 basis points; this is a 1 basis-point improvement compared to December 31, 2023, confirming the efficiency of our model.

    Financial strength

    The highlight event for AFL during the period was the ACPR (Supervision and Resolution Authority)’s decision on June 21, 2024 (and published on July 3, 2024) to change the credit risk weighting of exposures to French local authorities from 20% to 0%. This decision is applicable to municipalities, departments, regions and EPCI (with specific tax status), and has generated a significant facial increase for the AFL Group’s solvency ratio.

    Furthermore, following its decision on June 21, 2024, the ACPR supervisory college announced that the debt issued by AFL would qualify as HQLA1 if the percentage of the credit granted by AFL to local authorities with 0% weightings is above 90% of its outstanding credit. Exposure to French local authorities with 0% weightings stands at 94.9% as of June 30, 2024 – which is largely above the minimum threshold of 90%.

    • The CET1 solvency ratio (consolidated) stands at 77.7% (13.23% at 31/12/2023);
    • The leverage ratio, calculated using the methodology applicable to public development credit institutions, was 9.69% (compared to 8.86% as of 31/12/2023 and for a regulatory limit of 3%);
    • The banking leverage ratio stands at 2.42% (2.24% as of 31/12/2023);
    • The liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) stands at 622%, above the regulatory limit of 100%;
    • The net stable funding ratio (NSFR) stands at 171%, above the regulatory threshold of 100%;
    • The 12-month internal liquidity ratio (NCRR) came to 98% at 30 June 2024, corresponding to a liquidity reserve of €2.1 billion. This will allow AFL to meet all its needs for almost 12 months without having to turn to the market.  

    Post-closing events

    • Since the end of H1 2024, on July 18, 2024, AFL tapped its bond maturing on March 20, 2034, by €250 million with a narrower margin of 23 basis points over the OAT rate. This narrower margin stems from the HQLA1 classification of the debt issued by AFL (cf. ACPR decision explained above).
    • As of August 31, 2024, AFL’s medium- and long-term loan production was €831 million, confirming its steady and solid growth.
    • A further capital increase was carried out by the Board of Directors of AFL-ST on September 25, 2024, to allow new local authorities to gain membership.
    • On September 4, 2024, AFL published the credit ratings assigned by Fitch Ratings: AA- (stable outlook) for mid-and long-term debt and F1+ (stable outlook) for short-term debt. At the same time, for purposes of methodology, Moody’s was asked to delete all ratings and assessments it had completed on AFL.
    • To continue to support the growth momentum of its loan portfolio and to address demand from its members, while maintaining high levels of equity capital, AFL is looking into the possibility of issuing super subordinated debt in the near future, market conditions permitting.

    AFL credit rating at 25 September, 2024

      Fitch Ratings Standard & Poor’s
    Long-term rating AA- AA-
    Outlook Stable Stable
    Short-term rating F1+ A-1+

    AFL’s Management Board signed off on AFL’s interim financial statements2for the first half of 2024 on September 10, 2024. At its meeting on September 25, 2024, chaired by Sacha Briand, AFL’s Supervisory Board approved AFL’s interim financial statements.
    At its meeting on September 25, 2024, chaired by Marie Ducamin, the Board of Directors of AFL-ST, the Société Territoriale (parent company), approved AFL Group’s consolidated interim financial statements.

    The Statutory Auditors conducted a limited review of the concise interim parent company and consolidated financial statements for the period from January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024, and their reports are available at:
    http://www.agence-france-locale.fr

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although AFL Group believes that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of this press release, they are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, relating in particular to the impacts of the war in Ukraine and the resulting economic crisis, which may cause actual results to differ from those indicated or implied in these statements.

    AFL Group’s financial information for the first half of the year consists of this press release and the report available on the website:

    https://www.agence-france-locale.fr/actualite/first-half-year-2024-results/

    About Agence France Locale

    “Embody responsible finance and empower local authorities to respond to the present and future needs of their inhabitants.”
    “By creating the first bank that we wholly own and manage, we, the French local authorities, have taken a strong political step toward decentralization. Agence France Locale is unlike any other financial institution. Created by and for local authorities, it acts in a local context to strengthen our freedom, our ability to develop projects and our responsibility as public actors. Its culture of prudence safeguards us against the potential dangers posed by the complexity and depth of its governance and conflicts of interest. Its fundamental objective is to offer local authorities access to resources on the best terms and with complete transparency. We are guided by the principles of solidarity and equity. Convinced that we will go further together, we wanted an agile institution that would appeal to all authorities, from the largest regions to the smallest municipalities. We see profit as a way to optimize public spending, not an end in itself. Through AFL, we support a local environment committed to addressing social, economic and environmental challenges. AFL strengthens our power to act, to carry out projects locally, for today and tomorrow, for the good of the people who live there. We are proud to have a bank that expresses growth as we see it, ever more responsible and sustainable. We are Agence France Locale.”

    More information can be found on http://www.afl-banque.fr         

    1The decree of July 15, 2024 amending the Code Général des Collectivités Territoriales (French Law for Regional and Local Authorities) states that local authorities wishing to become members of AFL must ensure that the risk appetite framework set by the banking institution includes a minimum equity capital threshold of at least 1.7 % of total exposure.
    2 During the first half of 2024, AFL purchased office space through its subsidiary Agence France Locale Foncière. This property will house AFL’s headquarters from 2027.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australasia 2024 Preventing Violence Hackathon

    Source: Australian Ministers for Social Services

    *Check against delivery*

    Good afternoon everyone and thank you for having me here today.

    I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and acknowledge their custodianship.

    I pay my respects to the Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

    I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge anyone here who has lived or living experience with family, domestic, and sexual violence.

    The voices of victim-survivors are central to all our efforts, and I offer my deepest thanks to those who share their experiences as a platform for change.

    I would also like to recognise here with us today:

    • Holly Donaldson, CAPHIA Executive Director and the CAPHIA Board of Directors
    • Lisa Hall, Sheelagh Lawler, Rebecca Johnson and the University of Queensland Public Health team
    • Associate Professor Courtney Ryder, Injury Prevention Discipline Lead at Flinders University and CAPHIA Board Member and Director
    • Jack Feng, Chief Student Entrepreneur, University of Queensland, Mindmuse.care Co-Founder, and
    • Damian Topp, Challenge DV Board Member, Chief Executive Officer PA Research Foundation.

    As we all know, family, domestic and sexual violence is an issue that remains pervasive within our society.

    It has long term and far-reaching impacts – affecting children, families, friends, work colleagues, communities and society as a whole.

    Ending violence requires sustained and collective efforts across all parts of society.

    The Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments in Australia have committed to these efforts through the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children.

    This is our national policy framework which seeks to end violence against women and children within a generation.

    Within the National Plan, family, domestic and sexual violence is called out as a health issue.

    Victim-survivors may experience physical injuries including lifelong disability and increased pain, as well as mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, fear.

    These issues will no doubt continue to affect them throughout their lives.

    Viewing family, domestic and sexual violence through a public health lens presents the opportunity to understand its multifaceted nature.

    It also helps us to better understand the significant and often lifelong health and wellbeing impacts for victim-survivors, family members and communities.

    Family, domestic and sexual violence is preventable when addressed within a systemic framework.

    In 2022, the Albanese Labor Government appointed the first federal Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Micaela Cronin.

    Commissioner Cronin just last month tabled her first yearly report to Parliament. The report noted that of workforces that respond to domestic, family and sexual violence, 90 per cent are medical professionals and allied health workers.

    Health services which are person-centred, trauma informed and coordinated across public health services with other support services can enable effective support and treatment while ensuring safety is a priority.

    And importantly at this conference, we can consider what can be done to enhance healthcare workers’ knowledge of family, domestic and sexual violence.

    Because we know that primary health care professionals are often a first point of contact, and therefore play a vital role in prevention, early identification and responding to family, domestic and sexual violence.

    It’s vital to look across all service support systems and how they interact to support those that need help.

    As I stand here at a university, it would be remiss of me not to mention the important role universities play when it comes to ending gender-based violence.

    As with all workplaces, universities also have an important role in reducing, preventing and responding appropriately to sexual harassment and violence.

    The Albanese Government recently introduced legislation to establish an independent National Student Ombudsman to investigate student complaints and resolve disputes with universities, including in relation to sexual assault and sexual harassment.

    A National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence will also be established.

    Universities also have a critical part to play in furthering the research and evidence we need.

    Everyone across our community has a part to play and I commend the students and judges participating in these Hackathon pitches, and all of you here today – students, academics and educators – for your work and your interest in this important issue.

    I encourage you all to think broadly about how we can prevent gender-based violence, knowing that where a person interacts with a service – be it a GP, a counsellor, or a police officer – might be one of the only opportunities we have to help them.

    I look forward to getting feedback from these pitches, and hope you enjoy the rest of the forum.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Clubs and Ranges Bill passes first reading

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Improvements to the way shooting clubs and ranges are regulated are on the way with the Arms (Shooting Clubs, Shooting Ranges and Other Matters) Amendment Bill passing its first reading says Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee.

    “The package of reforms in this Bill will enable simple and effective regulation of pistol and non-pistol shooting clubs and ranges, with a focus on public safety.

    “Our clubs and ranges provide a safe environment for New Zealanders to learn, practise, and compete.  Changes imposed in 2020 went beyond what was necessary to keep the public safe and instead jeopardised the future of some ranges.

    “We promised New Zealanders they would be able to have their say on our firearms reforms and with the Arms (Shooting Clubs, Shooting Ranges and Other Matters) Amendment Bill going to select committee, people now have that opportunity.

    The Bill will:

    • maintain the regulatory requirements for pistol clubs and ranges but streamline annual reporting requirements;
    • simplify the regulatory requirements for non-pistol clubs and ranges by replacing the approval and certification systems with a more effective enrolment system; 
    • require non-pistol clubs to be incorporated only if they sell ammunition, unless all ammunition sold by the club is purchased for, and used, on the day of sale at the club range or event and is not taken off the premises;
    • support the operation of temporary non-pistol ranges to enable the holding of club events, as long as the Firearms Safety Authority is informed; and
    • provide certainty about when inspections for compliance can occur and clarify what can be removed when an inspection is conducted, to reduce the burden on operators.

    “Firearms reform is a priority for the Government and today’s announcement delivers on a commitment made in the National-ACT coalition agreement.

    “I encourage everyone to have their say through the select committee process.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Appeal following sexual assault and robbery in Finchley

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives are appealing for help to identify a man after a woman was sexually assaulted and had her possessions stolen in north London.

    Police were called at 04:35hrs on Friday, 13 September to reports of a robbery on Regents Park Road in Finchley.

    The victim, aged in her 70s, was getting off a bus when she was followed by an unknown man who pushed her into a doorway and sexually assaulted her. He then ran off having stolen her bank cards and roughly £20,000 worth of jewellery.

    The victim suffered several broken ribs and a broken leg as a result of the incident and remains in hospital.

    PC Harry Morrice, from the North West area’s local investigations team, said: “This was an extremely distressing incident which has left an elderly woman in hospital, having suffered serious injuries.

    “We are committed to finding the perpetrator and continue to carry out a number of enquiries in order to hold those responsible to account.

    “We are now releasing an image of a man we would like to identify and are asking for assistance from the public. We are also keen to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time and may have seen the robbery, or a man running off.

    “Any information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously.”

    Anyone who knows this man or has information can call police on 101 or message @MetCC on X quoting CAD 838/13Sep.

    Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Criminal damage – Yarrawonga

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Northern Territory Police are investigating an attempted ram-raid incident in Yarrawonga this morning.

    Around 4:00am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report of an abandoned Toyota Troop Carrier next to a damaged business on the Stuart Highway, Yarrawonga.

    Investigations confirmed the vehicle was stolen from a business address in Berrimah earlier in the night.

    Forensics has been completed on the vehicle and investigations are continuing.

    Strike Force Trident are investigating and are urging anyone with information on the matter to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference NTP2400096392 .

    You can also report anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or through https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Name Release, Arrowsmith Range Avalanche

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police are now able to release the name of the man who died after being recovered from an avalanche on the Arrowsmith Range on Wednesday 25 September.

    He was 38-year-old Brett Evans, of Staveley, Ashburton District. Police’s thoughts remain with his loved ones.

    Police inquiries are continuing into the death on behalf of the Coroner.

    WorkSafe has also been notified.

    ENDS

    Note to media: Family have requested privacy from the media at this difficult time. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Access to a GP can make all the difference in surviving lung cancer – and that is a problem for Māori

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ross Lawrenson, Professor of Population Health, University of Waikato

    Surviving lung cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand could depend on whether you can access a GP – raising questions about equity in the country’s health system.

    Our new research examines the outcomes for patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer through their GP versus those who are diagnosed at the emergency department (ED).

    Examining 2,400 lung cancer diagnoses in Waikato between 2011 and 2021, we found those who are diagnosed with lung cancer after ED visits tended to have later-stage disease and poorer outcomes compared to those diagnosed after a GP referral.

    We also found diagnosis after ED attendance was 27% higher for Māori than non-Māori and 22% higher for men than women.

    These results raise important questions about health inequity in New Zealand and highlight the need to ensure everyone is able to access an early cancer diagnosis.

    Limited access to everyday health care

    Currently half of all general practices have closed their books to new patients, leaving 290,000 patients unenrolled and reliant on emergency departments for their health care.

    Some 80% of practices have closed their books to new patients at some point since 2019.

    For those who are enrolled in a practice, the wait times for appointments are often such that the only option is to go to the ED for help.

    This is especially true in rural areas where the hospital can become the default route to diagnosis.

    Lung cancer is New Zealand’s single biggest cause of cancer deaths, with over 1,800 per year. Some 80% of those who are diagnosed with lung cancer present with advanced disease and very poor prospects of survival.

    It’s also the cancer with the largest equity gap. The mortality rate for Māori with lung cancer is three to four times that of people of European descent.

    While much of this disparity is due to differences in the rates of smoking among ethnic groups, there is also evidence delays in diagnosis and poorer access to surgery are also major influences on survival rates.

    Identifying lung cancer

    Lung cancer usually starts in the tissue lining the airways and symptoms can initially be relatively minor – some shortness of breath during exercise, a niggly cough or sharp pains while breathing.

    Patients with these sorts of symptoms usually go to a GP to check whether this is something that needs further investigation.

    But if someone cannot get an appointment, or does not recognise the symptoms as serious, then they are likely to delay taking action.

    Advanced symptoms of lung cancer include coughing up blood or having lumps in the neck due to lymphatic spread of the cancer. People with these alarming symptoms tend to go to the hospital for treatment.

    Our study confirms earlier findings that those diagnosed through the emergency department are:

    • more likely to have advanced disease
    • more likely to have a more aggressive type of cancer (called small cell cancer), and
    • have substantially poorer likelihoods of survival.

    The median survival for those who never went to the ED was 13.6 months, while the median survival for those with one ED visit was just three months.

    That said, attending an emergency department has some advantages. These include being seen by a doctor within a few hours, immediate access to x-rays and, in our major hospitals, access to the definitive diagnostic tool for a lung cancer – a computed tomography (CT) machine.

    Our study found 25% of cases went to the ED two or more times in the two weeks before their diagnosis. This was especially true for those going to one of the Waikato rural hospitals, where a second or third visit was more likely before being diagnosed.

    Barriers to care

    It is clear New Zealand still has several barriers to primary care. This has lead to an over-reliance on emergency departments for diagnosing cancer, despite the long-running faster cancer treatment targets.

    The situation is unlikely to improve. Access to GPs is getting worse, in part due to increasing fees.

    Māori and Pacific patients with lung cancer were less likely than other ethnic groups to have been enrolled with a primary health organisation when they were diagnosed. They were also less likely to have visited a GP in the three months prior to diagnosis.

    Making it easier to see a GP

    Making general practice care more accessible is the most effective way of addressing the inequities in our lung cancer statistics.

    Currently, New Zealand has only 74 GPs per 100,000 people, compared to 110 in Australia.

    It is clear we need to substantially increase the number of GPs. This is a long-term project but needs to be a strategic goal for the health sector.

    In the meantime, we need to make primary care more accessible by increasing patient subsidies and reducing the direct patient costs to see a doctor. At the same time, we need to better equip GPs with access to diagnostic facilities, including in our rural hospitals.

    Ross Lawrenson receives funding from NZ Health Research Council. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.

    Chunhuan Lao receives funding from NZ Health Research Council.

    – ref. Access to a GP can make all the difference in surviving lung cancer – and that is a problem for Māori – https://theconversation.com/access-to-a-gp-can-make-all-the-difference-in-surviving-lung-cancer-and-that-is-a-problem-for-maori-239808

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –