NewzIntel.com

Category: Police

  • MIL-OSI Security: Camden Arkansas Man Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Federal Prison for Drug Possession

    Source: US FBI

    El Dorado, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Justin Tyrone Seguin, age 37, of Camden, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession of  Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in El Dorado.

    In July of 2019, investigators with the Camden police department obtained a search warrant for Seguin’s residence in Camden, Arkansas. The search warrant authorized investigators to search the residence for controlled substances and other records indicating ownership and occupancy. On July 19, 2019, Investigators executed the search warrant. When officers entered Seguin’s bedroom, he struck an officer and resisted arrest.  After being subdued, a search of his bedroom revealed digital scales containing methamphetamine residue, marijuana and three bags of methamphetamine weighing approximately 45 grams. 

    Seguin was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2019, and entered a guilty plea in February of 2020. 

    This case was investigated by the Camden Police Department, the FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Ben Wulff prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Obstetrician charged by police

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Obstetrician charged by police

    Friday, 23 May 2025 – 5:16 pm.

    Detectives from the Family and Sexual Violence Division of Tasmania Police have today charged a southern-based obstetrician with sexual offences.
    The man has been charged with one count of indecent assault and one count of assault with indecent intent.
    The offences are alleged to have occurred in 2022 and 2025 in the Hobart area. Other alleged sexual related offences are currently under investigation.
    The man has been stood down by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) prior to today’s charges.
    Following charges being laid, the man is scheduled to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court on September 1.
    It is acknowledged that alleged offences of this nature are deeply disturbing, and Tasmania Police encourages anyone with information about sexual abuse to come forward and report, regardless of the passage of time.
    Reports can be made directly to police on 131 444, by visiting a police station or Arch (http://arch.tas.gov.au/). If your report relates directly to a medical practitioner, you can also report to AHPRA.
    Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man dies after ATV crash on private property

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Man dies after ATV crash on private property

    Friday, 23 May 2025 – 9:14 pm.

    Sadly, a man in his seventies has died after an ATV crash on private property at Somerset this evening.
    Police and emergency services were called to the scene about 5.50pm after reports an ATV had crashed.
    The driver of the ATV sadly died at the scene.
    A full investigation will be conducted into the crash and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
    Our thoughts are with the man’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: INTERPOL convenes South American police chiefs in Brasilia to discuss organized crime threats

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    23 May 2025

    The officials discussed intensifying cooperation to combat the continent’s most powerful organized crime groups.

    LYON, France: Senior police leaders from eleven South American countries met in Brasilia on Thursday to address the growing threat posed by transnational organized crime groups.

    The fourth INTERPOL Chiefs of Police meeting for South America allowed the officials to share insights into their respective efforts against organized crime and contribute to a regional plan to combat specific crime groups.

    In his remarks to the police leaders, INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said:

    “Criminal groups from South America are continually expanding their reach throughout and beyond the region, where one in every three INTERPOL Notices is related to organized crime.

    “This meeting offers a dedicated space to reinforce regional police cooperation and fight organized crime effectively on a global scale.”

    Representatives at the meeting will include seven police chiefs and four deputy police chiefs from the eleven countries.

    The first INTERPOL Chiefs of Police meeting for South America took place in 2018 to strengthen ties between law enforcement within the region and to foster greater information-sharing.

    South American police records shared through INTERPOL have since doubled and countries in the region have played leading roles in recent INTERPOL initiatives targeting organized crime, such as INTERPOL cooperation against the ‘Ndrangheta (I-CAN) and the Silver Notice pilot.

    INTERPOL’s Regional Bureau in Buenos Aires, Argentina helps coordinate operational work in the region, tackling crimes such as child sexual abuse, corruption, cybercrime, human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism.

    Police leaders from the following countries participated in the fourth INTERPOL Chiefs of Police meeting: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Govt saddened by tunnel accident

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Transport Department today said it is deeply saddened by the passing of an operator staff member in a traffic accident while working at Nam Wan Tunnel, and expressed its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.

    In the small hours of today, the staff member was conducting traffic management on the closed slow lane at the Kowloon-bound entrance to facilitate the recovery of a broken-down vehicle in the slow lane inside the tunnel.

    The department said it attaches great importance to work safety and has long required operators to strictly comply with relevant work guidelines. Initial investigations revealed that all staff members at the scene were wearing reflective vests and were following the operator’s guidelines.

    Police investigations into the cause of incident are underway. The department has requested that the operator render full assistance to the investigations and submit a detailed report on the case.

    The department will follow up appropriately upon its findings and has requested the contractor to provide all practicable assistance to the family of the deceased.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sin City Deciples Member Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    HAMMOND- Roger Lee Ervin Burton, age 55, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Burton was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. 

    According to the Second Superseding Indictment, the Sin City Deciples, originally formed in 1967 in Gary, Indiana, is an outlaw motorcycle organization in which its members and associates engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere.

    Burton served as a National Board Member of the entire club and was described by informants as one of the top three leaders in the criminal organization.  

    The agencies involved in this prosecution were: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Griffith Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Merrillville Police Department, the Munster Police Department, and the Schererville Police Department.   Also aiding were the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Western District of Kentucky, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick, Michael J. Toth, and former Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly L. Schultz.  

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Jury in Louisville Returns Superseding Indictment Charging Three Men with Murder of Federal Witness

    Source: US FBI

    Louisville, KY – On May 6, 2025, a federal grand jury in Louisville returned a superseding indictment charging three men with conspiring to kill, and ultimately murdering, a witness in a federal investigation. Two of the defendants were previously charged with drug trafficking and firearms-related charges.    

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

    According to the superseding indictment, Anyelle Curtley, Sr., 47, of Louisville, Delrico Nelson, 48, of Macomb, Illinois, and Antoyne Penick, 48, of Louisville, are each charged with conspiracy to tamper with a witness or informant by killing and conspiracy to retaliate against a witness or informant by killing. The superseding indictment alleges that between December 28, 2023, and January 31, 2023, Curtley Sr., Nelson, and Penick conspired and agreed to kill Victim 1 with the intent to prevent the testimony of Victim 1 in an official proceeding and to prevent Victim 1 from communicating with a law enforcement officer or judge information relating to the commission of a federal offense. Additionally, the superseding indictment alleges that the three men conspired and agreed to kill Victim 1 in retaliation for providing information to a law enforcement officer relating to the commission of a federal offense.

    Also, according to the superseding indictment, Curtley Sr. and Nelson, aided and abetted by each other, killed Victim 1, who was a person assisting a federal investigation, while that assistance was being rendered and because of it. Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that Curtley Sr. and Nelson aided and abetted each other in the murder of Victim 1 through the use of a firearm.

    This indictment supersedes an indictment returned March 5, 2024, charging Curtley, Sr. and others with drug trafficking and firearms related charges.

    The March 5, 2024, indictment charged Carl Delph, 53, of California, Curtley, Sr., Anyelle Curtley, Jr., 26, Adrian Richie, 35, Joseph Cousins, 39, Alandro O’Neal, 50, Jeroy Boyd, 44, Ameer Ellis, 45, Paul Butler, Jr., 35, and Susan Jenkins, 41, all of Louisville, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Beginning as early as May 9, 2023, and continuing through February 21, 2024, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and distributed over 50 grams of methamphetamine, over 400 grams of fentanyl, and over 500 grams of cocaine.

    Delph and Curtley, Sr. were also charged with a money laundering conspiracy.

    Delph was also charged with distributing over 500 grams of cocaine and distributing over 400 grams of fentanyl.

    Curtley, Sr. was also charged with distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On December 28, 2023, Curtley, Sr., possessed a Glock, model 27, .40 caliber handgun. Curtley, Sr. was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted the following felony offense.

    On May 19, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Curtley, Sr. was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    Curtley, Jr. was also charged with distributing fentanyl and cocaine.

    Richie and Cousins were also charged with distributing fentanyl.

    O’Neal, Ellis, and Jenkins were also charged with distributing methamphetamine.

    Boyd was also charged with distributing cocaine.

    Butler, Jr. was also charged with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl.

    Cousins and O’Neal have pled guilty and are pending sentencing before a United States District Judge.

    An additional federal indictment was returned on March 5, 2024, charging Christopher Curtley, 50, and Penick, both of Louisville, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Beginning as early as January 9, 2024, and continuing through February 29, 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin.

    Christopher Curtley was also charged with distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    Penick was also charged with distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. Penick was also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On January 24, 2024, Penick possessed a Heritage Manufacturing Inc., Model Rough Rider, .22 caliber revolver. Penick was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.

    On September 27, 2017, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Penick was convicted of flagrant non-support.

    On October 19, 2015, in Clark Circuit Court, Clark County, Indiana, Penick was convicted of theft.

    On November 1, 2010, in Clark Superior Court, Clark County, Indiana, Penick was convicted of theft, robbery (two counts), and dealing in marijuana.

    Those charges against Christopher Curtley and Penick remain pending.

    Curtley Sr. and Penick previously appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on the underlying drug and firearm charges. Nelson appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for Central District of Illinois on May 8, 2025. Curtley Sr., Nelson, and Penick have been ordered detained pending trial. If convicted of the offenses alleged in the superseding indictment, all three defendants face a potential sentence of death, life, or any term of years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system. 

    This case is being investigated by the DEA, FBI, HSI, ATF, IRS-CI, and the Louisville Metro Police Department, with assistance from the Kentucky State Police and Macomb, Illinois Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter are prosecuting the case, with assistance from paralegal Aaron Cooper.

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

    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 Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms Offense

    Source: US FBI

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LaMICHAEL JACKSON (“JACKSON”), age 26, was sentenced on May 8, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to thirty-nine (39) months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

    According to court documents, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers on patrol in Hollygrove saw JACKSON crossing the street holding a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-15 pistol. JACKSON fled in a vehicle before being cut off by an NOPD patrol car.  Inside the vehicle, officers recovered a second gun belonging to JACKSON, a Glock Model 43x, nine-millimeter handgun.  Both firearms were loaded when they were recovered.  JACKSON is prohibited from possessing a firearm by prior felony convictions for aggravated assault with a firearm, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

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

    The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Caught on Video Firing Gun and Driving Stolen Car Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Machinegun and Drug Trafficking Crimes

    Source: US FBI

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RENARD SANTIAGO (“SANTIAGO”), age 19, was sentenced on May 13, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to fifteen (15) years in prison, followed by four (4) years of supervised release, along with a mandatory $400 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy, and possession with the intent to distribute, marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2).

    According to court documents, in 2024, SANTIAGO was wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and the New Orleans Police Department.  Specifically, an arrest warrant had been issued for SANTIAGO for an armed robbery committed on October 10, 2023.  On December 25, 2023,he was captured on surveillance video firing a handgun with a drum magazine attached and then driving away in a stolen SUV.  During their investigation into his whereabouts, law enforcement officers saw stories on SANTIAGO’s social media account showing SANTIAGO in possession of a handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device, posing with large amounts of cash, and advertising the sale of marijuana.  The next day, officers executed a search warrant at SANTIAGO’s residence.  SANTIAGO hid in the attic for four hours before he was finally forced out of the house.  Inside the attic, officers found SANTIAGO’s handgun, with the machinegun conversion device still attached, a distributable quantity of marijuana, and over $400 in cash.

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

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Two Men Involved in Robberies at Stores in Shreveport

    Source: US FBI

    SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging two men for their involvement in the robbery of two stores in Shreveport. 

    Kevin Terrell Lewis a/k/a “Kelvin Lewis,” 38, of Arlington, Texas, and his brother, Larry Dewayne Lewis, 44, of Shreveport, have been charged with two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy to using, carrying, brandishing and discharging firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence. Kelvin Lewis was also charged with two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

    The indictment alleges that on or about December 23, 2024, Kelvin Lewis and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, committed robbery of personal property consisting of approximately $500 in United States currency from the victim owner/manager of the Pull-Up Liquor located at 5619 Hearne Avenue in Shreveport, as he was closing the store and walking to his car in the parking lot. 

    The indictment further alleges that on or about January 22, 2025, Kelvin Lewis and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, committed robbery of personal property consisting of prescription drugs and a work van that was in the care, custody and control of victim B.J. as he was making a delivery from the Hackbarth Company to Walgreens located at 3124 Line Avenue in Shreveport. 

    Kelvin Lewis is charged in the indictment with using, carrying, and brandishing semi-automatic firearms during and in relation to these crimes of violence. The indictment also alleges that Kelvin Lewis and Larry Lewis conspired to use, carry, brandish and discharge a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, robbery.

    If convicted, each defendant faces a sentence of not less than 10 years or more than life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.  

    Larry Dewayne Lewis is currently in federal custody after being indicted on February 5, 2025, and charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

    This investigation is ongoing and is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Shreveport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and William C. Gaskins.

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

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation Restore Justice Initiative Results in Indictment Charging Man with Attempting to Cause Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity

    Source: US FBI

    ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that as a result of Operation Restore Justice, a nationwide initiative to identify, track, and arrest child predators which was announced last week, a Rapides Parish man has been indicted. The federal grand jury in Shreveport has returned an indictment charging Keith William Noce, 45, with use of a facility to attempt to cause a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

    The indictment alleges that between April 29, 2025, and May 1, 2025, in the Western District of Louisiana, Noce used a facility and means of interstate commerce to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor under the age of 18 years old to engage in sexual activity. 

    Noce, along with two other subjects in Louisiana, were charged last week following a joint, undercover operation by the FBI, Alexandria Police Department and Louisiana State Police. A fourth subject was indicted in the Eastern District of Louisiana on child pornography charges. 

    If convicted, Noce faces a sentence of up to 10 years to life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.  

    The case was investigated by the FBI, Alexandria Police Department, and Louisiana State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Earl M. Campbell.

    To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. 

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

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Nine-year-old bitten and dingo injured on K’gari

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 23 May 2025

    A nine-year-old boy has been injured after a dingo attack at Yidney Rocks at K’gari/Fraser Island.

    The dingo was injured by passers-by who ran to the boy’s aid.

    The boy has been transported to hospital for treatment.

    Rangers are now searching for the dingo and will increase patrols in the area.

    Visitors to K’gari/Fraser Island are reminded to keep a stick with them, and watch children at all times.

    Report any concerning dingo encounters by calling 07 4127 9150 or emailing dingo.ranger@des.qld.gov.au

    Visitors to K’gari are reminded to Be dingo-safe! at all times:

    • Always stay close (within arm’s reach) to children and young teenagers
    • Always walk in groups and carry a stick
    • Never feed dingoes
    • Camp in fenced areas where possible
    • Do not run. Running or jogging can trigger a negative dingo interaction
    • Lock up food stores and iceboxes (even on a boat)
    • Never store food or food containers in tents, and
    • Secure all rubbish, fish and bait.

    For more information go to K’gari dingoes.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Resulting in the Death of a Young Dubuque Woman

    Source: US FBI

    A man who conspired with others to distribute large quantities of cocaine that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque, Iowa, woman was sentenced today to more than 24 years in federal prison.

    Maurice Levelle Randolph, age 45, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a December 5, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine within 1000 feet of several parks and schools in Dubuque between 2017 and April 2021, that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman on February 14, 2021.

    At the plea hearing, Randolph admitted he was a member of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Dubuque area near numerous parks and schools.  He admitted he brought cocaine from Chicago and then worked with others to distribute the cocaine to customers in Dubuque.  On February 14, 2021, one of Randolph’s co-conspirators distributed cocaine to a young woman in Dubuque who went home, used the cocaine and died.  

    Randolph was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Randolph was sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $13,911 in restitution jointly with two other individuals to the victim’s family.  He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  The Court also forfeited $17,203 in drug proceeds seized from Randolph.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    Randolph is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department

    of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 23-CR-01013.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Waterloo Man Who Attempted to Murder Victim Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Source: US FBI

    A man who discharged multiple rounds of ammunition in downtown Waterloo during a murder attempt was sentenced on May 12, 2025, to more than thirteen years in federal prison.

    Laindrell Myquail Cooper, age 22, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 21, 2024 guilty plea to possession of ammunition by a felon.

    Information from sentencing showed that Cooper was a member of a gang in Waterloo.  On the morning of November 18, 2022, an associate of Cooper’s got into an argument with the victim at a barbershop in downtown Waterloo.  Cooper’s associate called someone to bring Cooper downtown.  Cooper was dressed in all black clothing, including a mask.  Cooper was dropped off a few blocks from the barbershop.  After briefly entering and exiting the barbershop, he located the victim across the street.  Cooper walked into the middle of the street, around a city bus, and then fired at least six rounds of ammunition at the victim, pursuing him as he sought shelter in the entryway of a storefront.  Cooper’s actions caused another man to discharge his firearm as three of his family members were in a car in or near the line of fire.  No one was injured.  Two storefronts and two cars were damaged by gunfire.  Additional evidence established that Cooper previously possessed a firearm that ballistics testing showed was discharged in a shots-fired incident that occurred in Waterloo on July 5, 2021.    

    Cooper was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  In pronouncing the sentence, Chief Judge Williams stated that Cooper represented “a clear and present danger to the public.”  Cooper was sentenced to 160 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

    Cooper is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.    

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 23-CR-2034.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cedar Rapids Man Involved in Two Shootings Sentenced to a Decade in Federal Prison

    Source: US FBI

    A man who shot at a woman and child, and later pointed a gun at someone who shot back at him, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.

    David Rafael Walker, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 11, 2024 jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

    Evidence at trial and the sentencing hearing showed that on December 14, 2021, in Cedar Rapids, Walker shot at a woman and a child because he was mad that she went to lunch with another man.  Three days later, Walker was driving a car in Cedar Rapids and noticed that he was being followed by another car.  He stopped his car in the middle of the street, opened his car door, and pointed a gun at the other car.  A person in the other car shot at him.  This shooting was captured on doorbell cameras in the area.  Walker has felony convictions for attempting to elude, manufacturing or delivering heroin, and other drug offenses.  

    Walker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Walker was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

    Walker is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra Hake, Emily Nydle, and Dan Tvedt, and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force.  The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 23-CR-65.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Georgian National Extradited from Moldova to Face Charges for Soliciting Hate Crimes and Planning Mass Casualty Attack in New York City

    Source: US State of California

    Leader of White Supremacist Group ‘Maniac Murder Cult’ Recruited Others to Bomb and Poison the Jewish Community and Racial Minorities 

    Defendant Allegedly Planned Scheme to Distribute Poisoned Candy on New Year’s Eve

    Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as Mishka, Michael, Commander Butcher, and Butcher, 21, of Tbilisi, was extradited to the United States from Moldova on May 22, and will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn today. Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova, in July 2024 in connection with a four-count indictment returned in the Eastern District of New York charging him with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City.

    According to court documents, Chkhikvishvili is a leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, also known as Maniacs Murder Cult, Maniacs: Cult of Killing, MKY, MMC and MKU, an international racially-motivated violent extremist group. As alleged in the indictment, Chkhikvishvili recruited people to commit violent acts in furtherance of MKY’s ideologies, including planning and soliciting a mass casualty attack in New York City.

    “This case is a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate hate-fueled violence, and we will pursue those who threaten innocent lives wherever they may be.”

    “The defendant is accused of recruiting others to kill Jewish people, kill racial minorities, and of providing instructions on how to commit other lethal attacks — even targeting children around the holidays by poisoning candy,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These allegations are despicable, and thanks to the work and partnership of the FBI and the authorities in Moldova, Michail Chkhikvishvili has been brought to the United States to face charges in our justice system.”

    “As alleged, the defendant, a white supremacist, recruited others to participate in a violent campaign of hatred against racial minorities and the Jewish community and to engage in the mass killing of children and others in these communities using poison, suicide bombs, firearms, arson fires, and vehicle explosions. Today’s extradition is a giant step forward in holding the defendant accountable for his unspeakably reprehensible and vile efforts to spread fear, chaos, and hate,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Protecting our homeland, city, district, and country from violent extremists will always be one of the top priorities of the Justice Department and my office.”

    Chkhikvishvili’s MKY adheres to a neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems “undesirables.” MKY members share a common goal of challenging social order and governments via terrorism and violent acts that promote fear and chaos. MKY has members in the United States and abroad.

    Since approximately September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook” to MKY members and others. The Hater’s Handbook encourages people to commit acts of mass violence. In the Hater’s Handbook, Chkhikvishvili states that he has “murdered for the white race” and encourages and instructs others to commit acts of mass violence and “ethnic cleansing.” For example, the Hater’s Handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities. The Hater’s Handbook describes methods and strategies for committing mass “terror attacks,” including, for example, using vehicles to target “large outdoor festivals, conventions, celebrations and parades” and “pedestrian congested streets.” The Hater’s Handbook specifically encourages committing attacks within the United States.

    In June 2022, Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn. As alleged, beginning at least as early as July 2022, Chkhikvishvili repeatedly encouraged others, primarily via the encryption-enabled mobile messaging platform Telegram, to commit violent hate crimes and other acts of violence on behalf of MKY. This included conspiring to solicit violent acts with the leader of a separate violent extremist neo-Nazi group, and soliciting acts of mass violence in New York from an individual who claimed to be a prospective MKY recruit, but who, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, was actually an undercover FBI employee (the UC).

    In a September 2023 conversation, the UC messaged Chkhikvishvili asking whether there was an application process to join MKY. The defendant responded, “we ask people for brutal beating, arson/explosion or murder vids on camera.” Chkhikvishvili further stated that “[p]oisoning and arson are best options for murder,” and suggested also considering a larger “mass murder[]” within the United States. Chkhikvishvili advised the UC that the victims of these acts should be “low race targets.”

    Beginning in approximately November 2023, Chkhikvishvili solicited the UC to commit violent crimes, such as bombings and arsons, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others. Chkhikvishvili provided detailed plans and materials such as bomb-making instructions and guidance on making Molotov cocktails to facilitate carrying out these crimes. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a mass casualty attack in New York City to take place on New Year’s Eve. The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities.

    In January, the scheme evolved and Chkhikvishvili specifically directed the UC to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn with poison. Chkhikvishvili drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme and shared detailed manuals about creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases with the UC. He also instructed the UC on methods of making ricin-based poisons in powder and liquid form, including by extracting ricin from castor beans. Chkhikvishvili sent materials linked to radical Islamist jihadist groups and designated foreign terrorist organizations such as ISIS. 

    Chkhikvishvili wanted the planned attack to be a “bigger action than Breivik,” referring to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian neo‑Nazi who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting in Norway in 2011. Meanwhile, Chkhikvishvili told others of his plan and claimed to have previously committed other hate crimes while living in Brooklyn in 2022. Chkhikvishvili boasted to others that he was “glad I have murdered,” and that he would “murder more” but “make others murder first.”     

    Chkhikvishvili’s solicitations of violence have resulted in multiple attacks and killings around the world. In August 2024, an individual livestreamed himself stabbing approximately five people outside of a mosque in Eskisehir, Turkey, wearing a tactical vest adorned in Nazi symbols. A manifesto attributed to the attacker included explicit references to Chkhikvishvili and to violent statements made by him. Before the attack, the attacker also distributed a link to the Hater’s Handbook, authored by Chkhikvishvili, and other violent propaganda.

    If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies (including hate crime acts and transporting an explosive with intent to kill or injure); five years in prison for conspiring to solicit violent felonies; 20 years in prison for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices and ricin poison; and five years in prison for transmitting threatening communications.

    The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the Department of State, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Chkhikvishvili from Moldova.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Andrew D. Reich for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Paralegal Specialists Wayne Colon and Rebecca Roth. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has also provided assistance.

    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 Security: Georgian National Extradited from Moldova to Face Charges for Soliciting Hate Crimes and Planning Mass Casualty Attack in New York City

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Leader of White Supremacist Group ‘Maniac Murder Cult’ Recruited Others to Bomb and Poison the Jewish Community and Racial Minorities 

    Defendant Allegedly Planned Scheme to Distribute Poisoned Candy on New Year’s Eve

    Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as Mishka, Michael, Commander Butcher, and Butcher, 21, of Tbilisi, was extradited to the United States from Moldova on May 22, and will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn today. Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova, in July 2024 in connection with a four-count indictment returned in the Eastern District of New York charging him with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City.

    According to court documents, Chkhikvishvili is a leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, also known as Maniacs Murder Cult, Maniacs: Cult of Killing, MKY, MMC and MKU, an international racially-motivated violent extremist group. As alleged in the indictment, Chkhikvishvili recruited people to commit violent acts in furtherance of MKY’s ideologies, including planning and soliciting a mass casualty attack in New York City.

    “This case is a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate hate-fueled violence, and we will pursue those who threaten innocent lives wherever they may be.”

    “The defendant is accused of recruiting others to kill Jewish people, kill racial minorities, and of providing instructions on how to commit other lethal attacks — even targeting children around the holidays by poisoning candy,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These allegations are despicable, and thanks to the work and partnership of the FBI and the authorities in Moldova, Michail Chkhikvishvili has been brought to the United States to face charges in our justice system.”

    “As alleged, the defendant, a white supremacist, recruited others to participate in a violent campaign of hatred against racial minorities and the Jewish community and to engage in the mass killing of children and others in these communities using poison, suicide bombs, firearms, arson fires, and vehicle explosions. Today’s extradition is a giant step forward in holding the defendant accountable for his unspeakably reprehensible and vile efforts to spread fear, chaos, and hate,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Protecting our homeland, city, district, and country from violent extremists will always be one of the top priorities of the Justice Department and my office.”

    Chkhikvishvili’s MKY adheres to a neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems “undesirables.” MKY members share a common goal of challenging social order and governments via terrorism and violent acts that promote fear and chaos. MKY has members in the United States and abroad.

    Since approximately September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook” to MKY members and others. The Hater’s Handbook encourages people to commit acts of mass violence. In the Hater’s Handbook, Chkhikvishvili states that he has “murdered for the white race” and encourages and instructs others to commit acts of mass violence and “ethnic cleansing.” For example, the Hater’s Handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities. The Hater’s Handbook describes methods and strategies for committing mass “terror attacks,” including, for example, using vehicles to target “large outdoor festivals, conventions, celebrations and parades” and “pedestrian congested streets.” The Hater’s Handbook specifically encourages committing attacks within the United States.

    In June 2022, Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn. As alleged, beginning at least as early as July 2022, Chkhikvishvili repeatedly encouraged others, primarily via the encryption-enabled mobile messaging platform Telegram, to commit violent hate crimes and other acts of violence on behalf of MKY. This included conspiring to solicit violent acts with the leader of a separate violent extremist neo-Nazi group, and soliciting acts of mass violence in New York from an individual who claimed to be a prospective MKY recruit, but who, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, was actually an undercover FBI employee (the UC).

    In a September 2023 conversation, the UC messaged Chkhikvishvili asking whether there was an application process to join MKY. The defendant responded, “we ask people for brutal beating, arson/explosion or murder vids on camera.” Chkhikvishvili further stated that “[p]oisoning and arson are best options for murder,” and suggested also considering a larger “mass murder[]” within the United States. Chkhikvishvili advised the UC that the victims of these acts should be “low race targets.”

    Beginning in approximately November 2023, Chkhikvishvili solicited the UC to commit violent crimes, such as bombings and arsons, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others. Chkhikvishvili provided detailed plans and materials such as bomb-making instructions and guidance on making Molotov cocktails to facilitate carrying out these crimes. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a mass casualty attack in New York City to take place on New Year’s Eve. The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities.

    In January, the scheme evolved and Chkhikvishvili specifically directed the UC to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn with poison. Chkhikvishvili drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme and shared detailed manuals about creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases with the UC. He also instructed the UC on methods of making ricin-based poisons in powder and liquid form, including by extracting ricin from castor beans. Chkhikvishvili sent materials linked to radical Islamist jihadist groups and designated foreign terrorist organizations such as ISIS. 

    Chkhikvishvili wanted the planned attack to be a “bigger action than Breivik,” referring to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian neo‑Nazi who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting in Norway in 2011. Meanwhile, Chkhikvishvili told others of his plan and claimed to have previously committed other hate crimes while living in Brooklyn in 2022. Chkhikvishvili boasted to others that he was “glad I have murdered,” and that he would “murder more” but “make others murder first.”     

    Chkhikvishvili’s solicitations of violence have resulted in multiple attacks and killings around the world. In August 2024, an individual livestreamed himself stabbing approximately five people outside of a mosque in Eskisehir, Turkey, wearing a tactical vest adorned in Nazi symbols. A manifesto attributed to the attacker included explicit references to Chkhikvishvili and to violent statements made by him. Before the attack, the attacker also distributed a link to the Hater’s Handbook, authored by Chkhikvishvili, and other violent propaganda.

    If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies (including hate crime acts and transporting an explosive with intent to kill or injure); five years in prison for conspiring to solicit violent felonies; 20 years in prison for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices and ricin poison; and five years in prison for transmitting threatening communications.

    The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the Department of State, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Chkhikvishvili from Moldova.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Andrew D. Reich for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Paralegal Specialists Wayne Colon and Rebecca Roth. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has also provided assistance.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Venezuelan National Residing Unlawfully in the U.S. Charged with Illegal Possession of a Firearm and Making False Statements

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TOLEDO, Ohio – A Venezuelan man residing in Perrysburg, Ohio, has been accused of lying on immigration forms and on applications to purchase a firearm. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, 24, was charged by criminal complaint today for possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States, making false statements during the purchase of a firearm, and for using false documents.

    According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, Perrysburg Schools reported to the Perrysburg Police Department that they had received information that Labrador-Sierra, a student attending Perrysburg High School, was actually a 24-year-old man who enrolled under false pretenses. Labrador-Sierra is also alleged to have submitted false material information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about his date of birth in connection with applications for Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization Documents in 2024 and 2025.

    The complaint further alleges that Labrador-Sierra does not have lawful status to purchase, own or possess a firearm in the United States and that he submitted false information on the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 to purchase a firearm. Among the alleged false statements he submitted when he purchased a Taurus 9mm, semiautomatic pistol from a licensed firearms dealer, were that he attested to being a United States citizen or national.

    If convicted, Labrador-Sierra faces up to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by an alien; 10 years in prison for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm; and up to five years in prison for using false documents.

    This case is being investigated by the City of Perrysburg Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector−Sandusky Bay Station, the FBI Toledo Field Office, the ATF, with assistance from the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Melching and Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Dobson.

    This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visit fbi.gov/tips.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alburgh, Vermont Man Sentenced to 12 Years Imprisonment for Producing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 21, 2025, Brian Bluto, 60, formerly of Alburgh, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 144 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 15-year term of supervised release. Bluto previously pleaded guilty to distribution of child sexual abuse material on October 21, 2024, and has been detained since his guilty plea.

    According to court records, Bluto produced child sexual abuse material by hiding a camera to covertly record a child with whom he was living. Bluto began recording the minor victim when she was approximately 13 years old, and continued to do so until she was 16 years old. Bluto distributed still images and a video of the minor victim to a person on the internet, who unbeknownst to Bluto, was an Australian law enforcement officer. The Australian officer alerted Homeland Security Investigations, who obtained a search warrant for Bluto’s residence in Alburgh. The search warrant resulted in the seizures of numerous electronic devices, one of which was located in a backpack that was pointing toward the bathroom in the residence. The backpack had a homemade cut in the fabric where the lens of the camera on the electronic device could stick out without detection. A search of Bluto’s electronic devices revealed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including a depiction of a toddler being sexually abused by an adult.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Queensland, Australia, Police Service and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Bluto was represented by Assistant Federal Defenders Emily Kenyon and Steven Barth.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE and Greek experts train future Romanian border police agents in detecting forged documents

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE and Greek experts train future Romanian border police agents in detecting forged documents

    Participants in an OSCE training course for future Romanian border police agents detecting forged documents and impostors at border crossing points, Oradea, 22 May 2025. (OSCE) Photo details

    The OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with Greek document experts, held a training course on detecting forged documents and impostors at border crossing points for 193 future border police agents studying at the ‘Avram Iancu Training School for Border Police Agents’ in Oradea, Romania, on 22 and 23 May.
    The training is particularly timely as Romanian Border Police identified 1,090 cases of forged documents in 2024 and ongoing training ensures border agents can quickly detect fraudulent documents, keeping the country’s borders secure. Through discussions with document experts from Greece, the participants enhanced their knowledge about the latest trends in document forgery including high-quality counterfeit residence permits, signs of tampering such as overprinting on document holder photos and real-world case studies of forged passports with missing pages.
    “The training brings added value to the Avram Iancu Training School for Border Police Agents Oradea study programme, making a significant contribution to the training of future border guards in document forgery detection proficiency and, hence, to increased security at Schengen borders. The timing of the training activity is also appropriate, as the students will take the graduation exam between 24 May and 5 June 2025, and will join the operational structures of the Romanian Border Police on 6 June 2025. Therefore, this OSCE training improves their professional capabilities at the beginning of their career in the field of public order and security,” said Police Chief Commissioner Felicia Voicu, Director of the Avram Iancu Training School for Border Police Agents.
    This training course is part of an ongoing OSCE project supporting the Organization’s participating States and Partners for Co-operation in reducing the illegal crossing of borders with a fake or stolen identity, funded by the United States.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: City of Miami Police Officer Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release

    Yesterday, Tramaine Liptrot, 43, a police officer with the City of Miami Police Department (MPD) who has been relieved of duty, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with fraudulent applications for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling over $200,000. Liptrot entered his guilty plea in Miami before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.

    According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearing, Liptrot, along with being an MPD Police Officer, was the owner and President of Liptrots Tax Services L.L.C (Liptrots Tax). With the assistance of an associate, Liptrot fraudulently obtained two PPP loans in the name of Liptrots Tax.

    On June 22, 2020, working with the associate, Liptrot caused the submission of a false and fraudulent PPP loan application on behalf of Liptrots Tax, falsely claiming that Liptrots Tax had an average monthly payroll of $36,700 for four employees, and a fraudulent IRS Form 944 in support thereof, falsely claiming that Liptrots Tax paid its employees $440,397 during 2019. As a result of this fraudulent PPP application, Liptrots Tax obtained approximately $91,750 in PPP loan proceeds from an SBA approved PPP lender.

    On March 3, 2021, again working with the associate, Liptrot caused the submission of a false and fraudulent second-draw PPP loan application on behalf of Liptrots Tax, falsely claiming that Liptrots Tax had an average monthly payroll of $43,369, and including as part of the application process, a fraudulent IRS Form 944, falsely claiming that Liptrots Tax paid $496,428 in wages and other compensation in 2020. As a result of this fraudulent second-draw PPP application, Liptrots Tax obtained approximately $108,422 in PPP loan proceeds from a different SBA approved PPP lender.

    Liptrot is scheduled for sentencing on August 6, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., where he faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region, announced the guilty plea.

    FBI Miami’s Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the City of Miami Police Department’s Internal Affairs Section, and SBA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.

    In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred.  EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20155.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two teenagers have pleaded guilty to the murder of Kelyan Bokassa

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two boys, both aged 16-years old, have pleaded guilty to the murder of 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa.

    The pair, who cannot be named because of their age, are due to be sentenced on Wednesday, 25 July at the Old Bailey.

    They were arrested on Wednesday, 15 January after a man hunt by Met officers and charged the next day.

    Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee, Specialist Crime, who led the Met’s investigation said: Today I wish to express my team’s heartfelt sympathies to Kelyan’s family.

    “The brutal and senseless attack on Kelyan’s has deeply impacted his friends, the wider community and everyone that has worked tirelessly to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible.

    “I hope Kelyan’s family can take some solace in this outcome but I know they remain deeply bereft at the waste of three young lives.”

    An investigation was launched after police were called at 14:28hrs on Tuesday, 7 January to reports of a stabbing on a bus in Woolwich, SE18. The incident occurred on a Route 472 bus on Woolwich Church Street near the junction with the A205 South Circular Road.

    Officers attended, along with London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance. Paramedics treated a Kelyan at the scene, but he very sadly died shortly after medics arrived.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Portland Gang Leader Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.—The leader of Portland’s 18th Street Gang was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a conspiracy to traffic large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine into the Portland area for redistribution and sale.

    Gustavo Torres-Mendez, 38, a Portland resident, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

    According to court documents, in 2019, following his release from state prison for first degree robbery with a firearm, Torres-Mendez established himself as the leader of the 18th Street Gang in Portland. At the time, investigators were aware that Torres-Mendez maintained a significant stature with and history in the gang developed while serving time in Oregon state prisons and for his activities out of custody.

    By late summer 2022, investigators had obtained significant evidence that Torres-Mendez and a close associate were leading a criminal enterprise active in selling counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in and around the Portland metro area. In early September 2022, investigators uncovered a major effort by Torres-Mendez and several associates to collect money for a large drug purchase and, within days, the group had collected more than $126,000 in cash. At around the same time, on September 7, 2022, police stopped a vehicle connected to the group traveling near Grants Pass, Oregon. A search of the vehicle returned more than 104 pounds of methamphetamine and eight pounds of cocaine.

    On November 15, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a seven-count indictment charging Torres-Mendez and six associates for conspiring with one another to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Two days later, on November 17, 2022, a multi-agency law enforcement operation was conducted targeting Torres-Mendez and his associates. A search of Torres-Mendez’s North Portland home returned a handgun, ammunition, tactical body armor, a small bag of “M30” counterfeit Oxycodone pills, and $6,386 in cash. On the same day, investigators located and seized 10 additional firearms at a location in Portland used by the 18th Street Gang to store and distribute drugs and keep weapons.

    On September 6, 2023, Torres-Mendez pleaded guilty to conspiring with his associates to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Three of Torres-Mendez’s co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty and been sentenced to federal prison.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and Portland Police Bureau. It was prosecuted by Thomas H. Edmonds and Nicole M. Bockelman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Eastern Oregon Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing Two Minors He Met Online

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.—A La Grande, Oregon man was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison Wednesday for sexually abusing and transporting two minors from Washington State he met through Snapchat.

    Albert Wayne Johnson, 42, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison and 10 years’ supervised release.

    According to court documents, on August 8, 2022, deputies from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of two minors abandoned at Barton Park in Boring, Oregon. The children told the deputies they met Johnson on Snapchat and that he had driven them from Washington State through Idaho and into Oregon, and had sexually abused both during the trip. Along the way, Johnson stopped at a motel in Othello, Washington, where he abused the children, and a campground near La Grande, where he continued to abuse one of the children. After arriving in Boring, Johnson left the children at a campsite in Barton Park and never returned.

    In August 2022, after receiving information about the abduction and abuse that had occurred, detectives from the Othello Police Department contacted the motel in Othello and obtained surveillance footage showing Johnson with the two children.

    On August 30, 2022, officers and deputies from the La Grande Police Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Union County Probation Department, and Umatilla Tribal Police Department located Johnson at his residence in La Grande and arrested him on an outstanding parole violation warrant.

    On October 5, 2022, Johnson was charged by criminal complaint with coercing and enticing a minor and transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Later, on November 2, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Johnson with traveling across state lines to engage in a sexual act with a minor, transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and commission of a sex offense by a registered sex offender.

    On January 24, 2024, Johnson pleaded guilty to transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Pendleton Resident Agency with assistance from the Othello Police Department, La Grande Police Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Union County Probation Department, Umatilla Tribal Police Department, and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Cassady Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Virginia Man Charged with Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Offenses During January 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: US FBI

               WASHINGTON — A Virginia man is charged with assaulting law enforcement and other felony and misdemeanor offenses related to his alleged conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

               Mark Mercurio, 56, of Bracey, Virginia, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.

               In addition to the felonies, Mercurio is charged with misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

               Mercurio was arrested by the FBI on Nov. 21, 2024, in North Carolina and made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

               According to court documents, surveillance video footage captured Mercurio entering the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, through the Upper West Terrace Door at approximately 2:40 p.m. After entering the building, Mercurio proceeded to the front of a large group of rioters near the entrance and confronted a small group of U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers. At one point, it is alleged that Mercurio held open an interior door to the Rotunda staircase for an associate and others before heading up the stairs. Surveillance video footage shows that Mercurio and an associate entered the Rotunda at 2:45 p.m., where Mercurio intermittently held up his phone, appearing to record the events.

               At about 2:46 p.m., Mercurio and an associate briefly disappeared from the Rotunda and reappeared at about 3:01 p.m. The two then walked past a USCP officer and approached a man addressing the crowd with a bullhorn. Mercurio again appeared to use his phone to record the man’s speech. Shortly after, it is alleged that Mercurio joined a mob of rioters who pushed back against police officers attempting to clear the Rotunda. At approximately 3:08 p.m., Mercurio positioned himself at the front of the rioters’ line, confronting the officers.

               Court documents say that at about 3:09 p.m., Mercurio shoved a police officer’s baton into their chest with both hands while yelling expletives. Another officer nearby warned Mercurio not to assault police and urged him to leave. Seconds later, it is alleged that Mercurio physically interfered with another police officer by pushing the officer’s arm downward while continuing to yell obscenities.

               Mercurio then exited the Capitol at approximately 3:12 p.m.

               This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

               This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Charlotte and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

               In the 46 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

               Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Charlotte Men Charged with Stealing High-End Vehicles Appear in Federal Court

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Three Charlotte men charged with conspiring to steal high-end vehicles appeared in federal court today, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A grand jury returned the criminal indictment earlier this week, which remained under seal until today.

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

    Jonathan Marquis Stitt, 36, Francisco Arnoldo Lopez Pena, 41, and Jason Randall Spearman, 43, all of Charlotte, are charged with conspiring to violate federal laws prohibiting the transportation, possession, and sale of stolen vehicles and the altering and removal of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs).  Each defendant is separately charged with altering the VINs of specific vehicles. In addition, Stitt is also charged with two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle and Spearman is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    The indictment alleges that, between 2020 and October 2024, the defendants and their co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to steal high-end motor vehicles worth millions of dollars from businesses and individuals in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Maryland. In order to maximize profits, Stitt and other co-conspirators allegedly sought to obtain high-end vehicles, including various luxury models made by Acura, Cadillac, Lamborghini, Land Rover, and Mercedes-Benz, as well as trucks and other expensive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Freightliner, and GMC.

    According to allegations in the indictment, once in possession of the stolen vehicles, the defendants and their co-conspirators regularly altered or tampered with the stolen vehicles’ original VINs to avoid detection by law enforcement and to maximize resale value. Stitt and his co-conspirators also used fraudulent 30-day tags on the stolen vehicles, caused certain of the stolen vehicles to be fraudulently registered with state motor vehicle agencies, and repainted stolen vehicles, all in an effort to further avoid detection from law enforcement.

    According to allegations in the indictment, Stitt and his co-conspirators often sought to sell the stolen vehicles at prices significantly below their fair market value, and also possessed several of the stolen vehicles for personal use and to further facilitate the scheme.

    The defendants were detained by the U.S. magistrate judge at their initial appearance pending detention hearings next week. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The charge of possession of a stolen vehicle carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge of altering or removing a VIN carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. And the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum prison term of 15 years.

    This is the fifth indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Charlotte related to federal offenses involving stolen vehicles since August 2023. In July 2024, a Charlotte man was indicted for stealing high end luxury vehicles and altering VINs, including several vehicles from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Also, in March 2023, two individuals were charged for a scheme that involved buying and selling stolen vehicles from across the country. In August 2023, five individuals were indicted for stealing luxury vehicles from dealerships throughout the United States, and two additional individuals were indicted in November 2023, for orchestrating high-end auto thefts from businesses in South Carolina.

    The charges against the defendants are allegations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case and thanked the National Insurance Crime Bureau and Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Elizabeth City Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Fentanyl and Firearm Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    RALEIGH, N.C. – Karem Felton, age 31, from Elizabeth City, was sentenced to 147 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute forty grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and ten grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a fentanyl analogue after investigators with Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office searched Felton’s residence on May 19, 2023, in response to shots fired a day earlier.

    “Disrupting drug trafficking in our communities is a critical part of our mission. The FBI and our local partners are working very hard to take dangerous drugs off of our streets, along with the people who peddle them. This case is another great example of law enforcement working together to make our communities safer,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.

    “I want to thank my Deputies at the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, Elizabeth City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the great work that has been done to combat the drug and violent crime issues we face on a daily basis,” said Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten.

    On May 18, 2023, Elizabeth City Police officers responded to shots fired at a vehicle. Officers collected eight .300 caliber rifle shell casings in the area and reviewed city cameras around the area of the incident. They were able to see a male step out of a BMW and fire shots at a Dodge Charger. Law enforcement saw Felton driving the same BMW with the same license plate earlier in the month on March 6, 2023.

    On May 19, 2023, investigators from the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of Felton’s residence. During the search, they discovered several items in the bedroom: a 7.62 x 39mm pistol hidden under the bed, a .300 Blackout pistol in the closet, and a 10mm pistol containing fentanyl inside the headboard of the master bed. Additionally, officers found two AR pistol braces in a soft-sided cooler and a .300 Blackout magazine with 18 rounds of .300 Blackout ammunition placed between the mattress and box spring.

    In a spare bedroom, officers located a safe that contained $11,050 in cash, assorted ammunition, and a digital scale. In the living room, they found $1,108 in cash and two cell phones hidden inside the couch. A firearm holster was also discovered in the children’s bedroom. After conducting a further search of the vehicle, officers uncovered fentanyl, cocaine, and additional cash.

    Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Court Judge Louis W. Flanagan. Elizabeth City Police Department,  Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie A. Childress and Katherine S. Englander are prosecuted the case.

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

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-CR-114-M-BM.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Columbus Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Stealing, Selling Cocaine

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – John Castillo, 31, of Grove City, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

    According to court documents, Castillo was a Columbus police officer assigned to investigate drug crimes. In February 2021, he conspired with another officer to steal and sell approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine. Castillo and the other officer took approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine from a house on North Everett Avenue and did not turn it into evidence. They planted two additional kilograms of cocaine for law enforcement discovery later that day at the house. The 10 kilograms of cocaine were stored in the other officer’s basement before they were given to another individual to sell.

    Possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea entered before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.

    The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Columbus Division of Police.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

    Source: US FBI

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Leonard Stanley White, 41, of Phoenix, was sentenced on February 21, 2024, by United States District Judge David G. Campbell to 82 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. White pleaded guilty on November 21, 2023, to Felon in Possession of a Firearm and in doing so, he admitted to violating his supervised release conditions.

    On May 9, 2023, White was arrested on a supervised release violation warrant and was found to be in possession of a firearm at that time. White had previously been convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. After the Voluntary Manslaughter conviction, White was sentenced to 70 months for possessing the firearm and an additional 12 months for violating his supervised release in another case.

    The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Chandler Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Raynette Logan, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-00819-PHX-DGC
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024- 028_White

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    TUCSON, Ariz. – James Valentine Siehien, 53, of Tucson, was sentenced on February 27, 2024, by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins to 87 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Siehien pleaded guilty to one count of Bank Robbery and two counts of Armed Bank Robbery on March 16, 2023, for a series of bank robberies he committed in Tucson. 

    Siehien admitted that, on October 21, 2021, he robbed approximately $4,000 from Chase Bank. He also admitted that, on October 26, 2021, he robbed approximately $2,740 from PNC Bank, with what was later determined to be a fake explosive device. Siehien further admitted that, on November 5, 2021, while possessing an axe, he robbed approximately $2,200 from First Convenience Bank.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tucson Police Department, as part of the Southern Arizona Violent Crime and Gang Task Force, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Adam D. Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-03071-TUC-RCC
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-029_Siehien

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

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