NewzIntel.com

Category: Police

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pine Bluff Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—Tristan Larandell Lee, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing cocaine with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a federal drug-trafficking crime. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.

          An investigation revealed that on Monday, March 8, 2021, Arkansas State Police troopers responded to a traffic accident on the median of I-530 after receiving reports of this vehicle being driven in a reckless manner. Arkansas State Police troopers located Lee in the driver’s seat. The responding trooper found Lee asleep. He struck the front passenger window which woke Lee up, at which time Lee attempted to start his vehicle and flee.

          Lee was given commands to exit his vehicle but refused to do so. The trooper eventually opened the passenger door to remove Lee from the vehicle, who was placed into custody due to combative behavior. During an inventory search of Lee’s vehicle, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, assorted pills, drug paraphernalia, and an Anderson Manufacturing, AM-15 rifle equipped with a 60-round drum magazine were located.

          On June 8, 2022, Lee, 39, of Pine Bluff, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. On March 13, 2024, Lee pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

          United States District Judge Moody sentenced Lee to 10 years’ imprisonment for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and five years’ imprisonment for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, ordering the sentences be served consecutively to one another. Judge Moody also sentenced Lee to five years’ supervised release.

          The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Arkansas State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Fields.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offense

    Source: US FBI

    FORT SMITH – A Van Buren man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release on one count of Transportation of Child Pornography. The Honorable P.K. Holmes III presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fort Smith.

    According to court documents, James Allen Price, age 42, is a registered sex offender. In July 2023 law enforcement was alerted by NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) that someone had emailed child pornography from one email account to another. Subsequent law enforcement investigation identified Price as the owner of both email accounts. A federal search warrant was conducted on Price’s residence and electronic devices were seized. Price was interviewed by law enforcement where he admitted to emailing himself child pornography. Price possessed images of children under the age of twelve years old.

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Van Buren Police Department and Joplin, Missouri Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall prosecuted the case.

    This case was prosecuted 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

    Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Sex Offender from Michigan Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison After Being Convicted of Numerous Sexual Offenses Against a Child

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—Jeremy Robert Ward, a registered sex offender from Michigan, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison on Thursday. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.

          Ward was previously convicted in 2013 in Michigan of three counts of possession of child sexual abusive material and one count of accosting a child for an immoral purpose.

          Ward met the 12-year-old minor victim online in September 2022 when he added her to his Snapchat account. He exchanged messages with the victim for approximately three weeks before traveling to Arkansas from his home in Michigan to meet her. On October 15, 2022, he met her face-to-face when he met her in his pickup truck while she was riding her bike near her neighborhood in Bryant. During her encounter with Ward, the victim began surreptitiously recording a portion of her exchange with him. On the video, Ward told her, “I was hoping to take you home” and “I just wish she [her mom] would let you go, especially since I drove all the way down here.” Ward also told the minor victim that she must “think I’m gonna kidnap you or something,” to which she replied, “You probably are about to at this point.” He later asked if she knew of any “private spots,” in an attempt to find a more secluded place to be with her.

          Around the same time, using an application on her cell phone, her father noticed she was outside of the established boundary where she was permitted to be. Her parents went to her location, and her father found the minor victim laying in the grass with Ward, whose pants were around his ankles. Ward then fled into the woods.

          The minor victim testified at trial that while she was in the field with Ward, he attempted to commit sexual acts with her. Subsequent investigation revealed that the victim and Ward communicated through video messages, some of which Ward recorded on his phone. The recorded video messages were recovered from Ward’s phone and included video and still images of the nude minor victim in the shower.

          After a three-day trial that concluded on January 24, 2024, a federal jury found Ward, 33, of Marine City, Michigan, guilty on all nine counts for which he was indicted: one count of interstate travel with the purpose of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity with a minor, six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of travel with the purpose to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.

          Judge Baker also sentenced Ward to a lifetime of supervised release.

          The investigation was conducted by the Bryant Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Amanda Fields.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Violent Recidivist Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Racially Motivated Attack on Asian American Woman

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A Southern California man has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for punching an Asian American woman in the head while shouting racial slurs and then leaving her bloodied in a Culver City street in 2021, the Justice Department announced today.

    Jesse Allen Lindsey, 38, who was transient at the time of the attack, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald.

    Lindsey pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of a hate crime. He has been in federal custody since July 2024.

    On June 14, 2021, at approximately 1 a.m., Lindsey began following the victim on her walk to work. According to the government’s sentencing position, Lindsey shouted racial slurs, cursed at the victim, and told her, “You don’t belong here.” He then violently punched her in the head. While the victim lay face down in the street, defendant shouted, “You hear what I said, [N-word]? I said good morning, bitch!”

    Emergency personnel later transported the victim to a hospital to treat injuries to her head and ear. She was unable to work for a month and suffered years of psychological trauma, prosecutors said.

    At sentencing, Judge Fitzgerald called the attack a “shocking and horrible crime” and noted Lindsey’s “serious criminal record.” Lindsey has 13 criminal convictions for firearms and narcotics offenses, domestic battery, grand theft, and attempted extortion. He also has at least 14 violations of probation or pretrial release and 19 additional arrests or contacts with law enforcement, the government said at Monday’s sentencing hearing.

    Lindsey fled California after seeing news reports about the attack. Law enforcement officers eventually located Lindsey in a California state prison serving time for an unrelated conviction. 

    During an interview with law enforcement about the assault, Lindsey eventually admitted to punching the victim, but falsely claimed self-defense, the government’s sentencing position stated. Lindsey said the “little Asian person” was “mouthy” and looked like a “gangbanger.” Referencing the Asian actor known for his martial arts ability, Lindsey claimed the victim might pull “some Jet Li [expletive].” The victim was a middle-aged Asian woman who stood five feet tall and weighed approximately 120 pounds. Lindsey was over six feet tall and weighed approximately 250 pounds.

    The FBI investigated this matter and received substantial assistance from the Culver City Police Department.

    Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Greer Dotson prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Distributor of ANOM Hardened Encrypted Devices Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    SAN DIEGO – Osemah Elhassen of Sydney, Australia, was sentenced in federal court today to 63 months in prison for participating in a worldwide conspiracy to distribute hardened encrypted communication devices to criminal syndicates to facilitate drug trafficking and other crimes.

    Elhassen was one of 17 defendants indicted in San Diego in 2021 in connection with Operation Trojan Shield, an international law enforcement effort in which the FBI secretly operated an encrypted messaging network used by criminals, leading to the arrests of hundreds worldwide.

    According to court records, the platform was known as ANOM. While ANOM’s criminal users unknowingly communicated on the system operated by the FBI, agents catalogued more than 27 million messages between users around the world whose criminal discussions were covertly obtained and reviewed by the FBI. The platform was taken down in June 2021. Please see Operation Trojan Shield in 2021.

    Elhassen pleaded guilty in May 2024 to Count 1 of a superseding indictment charging him and the others with a racketeering conspiracy in connection with the ANOM enterprise. A citizen of Australia, Elhassen was a Colombia-based distributor of ANOM devices who was also directly involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

    Elhassen admitted that around November 2019, he became a member of the ANOM enterprise. According to his plea agreement, he admitted to helping accomplish the illegal objectives of that enterprise, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice offenses. To that end, Elhassen distributed ANOM devices to criminal end-users for over a year and a half, and in doing so, facilitated the importation, exportation, and distribution of at least 15 kilograms of cocaine and the laundering of proceeds from the enterprise’s illegal activities.

    According to the government’s sentencing filings, Elhassen’s ANOM messages show significant distribution of ANOM devices in Colombia and other places. His messages also show that Elhassen participated in providing ANOM device support and arranging subscription renewals, among other sales and price-setting activity.

    Elhassen was arrested in Colombia in June 2021 and was extradited to the Southern District of California in May 2023. He pleaded guilty in May 2024.

    “Despite use of sophisticated technology and extreme measures to conceal the criminal enterprise, Mr. Elhassen could not thwart federal investigators,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The sentence today demonstrates that even those who go to the greatest lengths to hide will be held to account.”

    “Evidence collected during Operation Trojan Shield showed that distributors of ANOM devices, like Mr. Elhassen, were not merely providing a messaging service but enabling and facilitating Transnational Criminal Organizations,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge, Stacey Moy. “Today’s sentence should send a strong message to the users and distributors of these types of devices. The FBI will continue to collaborate with domestic and international partners on new and innovative strategies to combat the ever-evolving threat posed by transnational criminal organizations.”

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua C. Mellor, Mikaela L. Weber, and Peter S. Horn. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Elhassen. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance.

    Three other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty, including Dragan Nikitovic, aka Dr. Djek; Edwin Harmendra Kumar, aka Edwin Harmendra Valentine; and Miwand Zakhimi, aka Maiwand Zakhimi. They are scheduled to be sentenced in December 2024 and January 2025. A trial for four other defendants is scheduled for March 10, 2025. Eight other defendants in the case are yet to be extradited to the United States, and one is a fugitive.

    For further information on investigations and prosecutions of encrypted communication providers, see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/fbi-s-encrypted-phone-platform-infiltrated-hundreds-criminal-syndicates-result-massive (ANOM), https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/sky-global-executive-and-associate-indicted-providing-encrypted-communication-devices (Sky Global), and https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/chief-executive-communications-company-sentenced-prison-providing-encryption-services (Phantom Secure).

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

    DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 21cr1623-JLS-17                                   

    Osemah Elhassen                                            Age: 51                                   Sydney, Australia

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Count 1:  Racketeering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1962(d)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, and fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    Drug Enforcement Administration

    United States Marshals Service

    Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

    Australian Federal Police

    Swedish Police Authority

    Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau

    National Police of the Netherlands

    EUROPOL                                                          

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brentwood Man Arrested on Charges of Possession of 3D-Printed Machine Gun Conversion Device

    Source: US FBI

    OAKLAND – A Brentwood man has been charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun conversion device.  Noah Kanaye Bauer, 21, was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance in federal district court in Oakland this morning.

    According to the criminal complaint and court documents unsealed today, on Sept. 6, 2024, officers with the Brentwood Police Department (BPD) responded to a call regarding an individual with a firearm at a grocery store in Brentwood and found Bauer with a 3D printed Glock style firearm.  Officers allegedly removed the firearm from the front of Bauer’s waistband and saw that there was no serial number on it.  In a search of Bauer’s home after his arrest for carrying a concealed weapon, BPD officers found a 3D printing machine, three 3D printed pistol frames, and a 3D printed machine gun conversion device in Bauer’s room.

    The complaint describes that machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are designed and created for the purpose of converting a semi-automatic Glock type pistol into a fully automatic machine gun.  When BPD officers questioned Bauer on what the conversion devices were used for, Bauer allegedly stated, “to make it shoot faster.”

    Bauer is next scheduled to appear in court on March 17, 2025, for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.

    Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.

    Bauer is charged with one count of 18 U.S.C. § 922(o).  A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

    The National Security and Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI with assistance from the BPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

    Noah Kanaye Bauer Complaint
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Crowheart Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

    Source: US FBI

    Quinlin James Hernandez, 32, of Crowheart, Wyoming, was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for sexual abuse. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on March 5 in Casper.

    According to court documents, on April 13, 2024, a 14-year-old minor victim who had been reported missing was located at the residence of Hernandez. She was able to send a text to her grandmother to come pick her up at that location. During her forensic interview, she stated that Hernandez and several minors picked her up April 10, 2023, without the knowledge of her guardians. Hernandez drove to a liquor store, where he bought alcohol and then drove the minors to his residence in Crowheart. At the residence, all the minors and the defendant drank the alcohol. Hernandez began flirting with and making sexual advances toward the minor victim. The minor victim was at Hernandez’s residence for approximately two and a half days, during which Hernandez forced himself on the minor victim, sexually abusing her twice. The victim underwent a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination and Hernandez’s seminal fluid and DNA were confirmed to be on the victim’s clothing.  He was indicted on May 16, 2024.

    When interviewed, Hernandez denied sexually abusing the minor victim. However, when he entered his plea of guilty on December 13, 2024, he admitted that he had sex with the minor victim when she was too drunk to either consent or decline to have sex with him.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated this crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry Jacobson prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought about by Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet and to identify and rescue victims.

    Case No. 24-CR-00087

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Men Indicted on Kidnapping Charge

    Source: US FBI

    DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Darwin Veliz-Gonzalez, Jose Daniel Pineda-Moreno, Jeffrerson Balza-Delfin, and Yender Enrique Campos-Malave were each indicted by a federal grand jury on one count for unlawfully seizing, confining, kidnapping, abducting and holding for ransom an unidentified victim.

    Balza-Delfin and Campos-Malave made their initial appearance in front of Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung today.  Veliz-Gonzalez and Pineda-Moreno are scheduled to appear at a later date.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation Denver Field Office and the Denver Police Department are handling the investigation.  The prosecution is being handled by the Violent Crimes and Immigration Enforcement section of the United States Attorney’s Office.

    Case Number: 25-cr-00077-JLK

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered Sex Offender Charged with Sex Trafficking Children by Force

    Source: US FBI

    WASHINGTON – Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender living in the District of Columbia, was arrested on May 1, 2025, and federally charged with sex trafficking children by force and related counts. The alleged offenses occurred between April 1, 2024, and April 29, 2025.

    The criminal complaint was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

    Barnhill, a former officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, is charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking of children; coercion and enticement; transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; and interstate travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises. According to the complaint, the defendant allegedly recruited a series of minor children to engage in commercial sex acts and financially profited from those commercial sex acts.

    This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.

    This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Las Vegas Man Indicted for Cyberstalking Via Social Media

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident made his initial appearance Tuesday for allegedly sending thousands of messages, including threatening messages, via Instagram to two employees of the University of Texas at Austin.

    According to allegations contained in the indictment, beginning on or about June 6, 2024 to September 16, 2024, Brian Patrick Solomon, 38, sent direct messages threatening to injure two high level employees of the school. In May and June of 2024, Solomon requested a total of $450 via CashApp from a victim. A records check of Solomon revealed that on July 26, 2023, he was arrested in Austin for burglary of vehicle and criminal mischief; and on February 27, 2024,

    Solomon was arrested in Nevada for stalking. As a result, a protection order was entered against Solomon. In July 2024, one victim attended the ESPYs and was scheduled for a speaking engagement. Solomon communicated to the victim that he had purchased a ticket for the event. While the event revoked his ticket due to safety concerns, the victim paid out of pocket to hire security.

    On September 16, 2024, the FBI arrested Solomon. After he was advised of his Miranda rights, Solomon admitted that he used multiple Instagram accounts to send a few thousand direct messages to the victim and that he had become angry with her. Additionally, Solomon admitted he had requested money from the victim to travel to the victim, and he had previously traveled via airplane to Austin.

    A jury trial has been scheduled for December 17, 2024, before United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. Solomon is charged with one count of interstate communications with threat to injure and one count of cyberstalking. If convicted, he faces the maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison.

    United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.

    This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the University of Texas Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Strange is prosecuting the case.

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

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alabama Man Convicted of Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During January 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: US FBI

                WASHINGTON – An Alabama man was convicted on May 10, 2024, of multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses, including assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His 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.

                Bryan Shawn Smith, 37, of Huntsville, Alabama, was found guilty of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, both felony offenses, following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss.

                In addition to the felonies, Judge Moss found Smith guilty of four misdemeanor offenses, including 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, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

                Judge Moss will sentence Smith on Aug. 20, 2024.

                According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Smith was present on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, and was captured on police body-worn camera footage at approximately 2:10 p.m. confronting officers at a security barricade in this area. As rioters breached the security barricades on the Lower West Terrace, a group of officers fell back behind a door underneath the inaugural stage scaffolding. About 45 seconds later, the door was opened, and Smith held the door open and refused an officer’s command to step away from the doorway to allow the officer to close it.

                Evidence at trial showed that Smith later made his way to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th. As he entered the Tunnel, Smith carried a stun gun. At approximately 2:53 p.m., Capitol building surveillance footage captured Smith spark the stun gun and pass it to another rioter in the Tunnel. Within approximately one minute, the stun gun was passed from the rioter who received it from Smith to another rioter and then to yet another rioter.

                Court documents say that Smith then exited the Tunnel quickly after passing off the stun gun and pumped his fist in an apparent effort to inspire others in the large crowd to press into the Tunnel and continue the riot. A rioter who later received the stun gun, Vitali Gossjankowski, later exited the Tunnel and used the stun gun in at least one attempt to assault an officer who was already under assault by other rioters.

                Smith entered the Tunnel a third time at approximately 3:16 p.m. and made his way to the front of the mob in the Tunnel. Inside the Tunnel, Smith joined a group of rioters violently pushing against the police line in an attempt to breach the Capitol. Here, Smith witnessed rioters physically assault police and helped push other rioters into the police line.

                The FBI arrested Smith on Dec. 4, 2022, in Huntsville.

                The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama provided valuable assistance.

                The FBI’s Birmingham and Washington Field Offices investigated this case. The United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.

                In the 40 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,424 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Newark Searching for Fugitive in Stabbing Death

    Source: US FBI

    FBI Newark, Pennsylvania State Police Fugitive Unit, Stroud Regional Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service are asking for the public’s help finding Ricky ‘Angel’ Vargas (36), who was charged in federal court with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution after being indicted in Bergen County on first degree murder charges. FBI Newark is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to his arrest.

    Detectives with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office say Vargas stabbed a man on February 4, 2024, at the JoJo’s Bar and Grill in Garfield, NJ. They say Vargas, a member of the Latin Kings gang, stabbed Richard Franceschi, who later died from his injuries.

    Vargas’ last known residence was in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. He also has connections to Chicago, Illinois, and Winter Park, Florida. He does not have a valid driver’s license and is known to use ride share apps and mass transit to get around. He is around 5’5, 200lbs, with numerous tattoos on his arms and hands. He typically has facial hair and wears glasses. 

    Vargas is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, the FBI Newark Field Office at 973-792-3000, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. They could receive a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to his arrest.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Arraigned in Federal Court on Multiple Charges of Sexual Exploitation of Children

    Source: US FBI

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Lawrence County man was arraigned in federal court last week on multiple child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

    A 13-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges David Edward Collier, 46, with four counts of sexual exploitation of children, eight counts of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

    According to the indictment, between January 2017 and August 2022, Collier used, induced, or coerced minor children to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of that conduct.  Between October 2022 and September 2023, Collier transported the child pornography.  Collier was also charged with possession of child pornography.  

    FBI North Alabama Violent Crime Task Force and Cybercrime Squad investigated the case along with the assistance of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Moulton Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Huntsville Police Department, and Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities.

    The videos can be accessed from the following locations:

    nationalcac.org/sextortion-prevention/

    https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kentucky Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison Related to Sextortion Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Kentucky man was sentenced today on a charge of sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

    U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Aden Willis Yeager, 22, of Louisville, Kentucky, to 300 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release.  As part of his sentence, Yeager was ordered to pay $92,620 in restitution to the victims and a $50,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act. In March, Yeager pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. 

    According to the plea agreement, in November 2020, the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children related to acts of sextortion committed by Yeager towards a minor female. Yeager coerced and enticed the minor to send him nude photos of herself, and then he sold the photos online.  When the minor would refuse to send more pictures, Yeager would threaten to send her nude photos to everyone in her contact list on social media. Further investigation revealed over 60 individual folders in Yeager’s Dropbox account that were labeled by female names and contained sexually explicit images and videos. FBI agents were able to positively identify and locate 19 minor females who had been contacted by Yeager to send pornographic photos.

    FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with FBI Louisville, Kentucky; the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force; and the University of Alabama Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities.

    The videos can be accessed from the following locations:

    nationalcac.org/sextortion-prevention/

    https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac

    If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced for Distributing Methamphetamine

    Source: US FBI

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Troy Alexander Mendez, age 25, a resident of California, was sentenced today to 66 months in federal prison for distributing controlled substances. Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    As part of his guilty plea, Mendez admitted that, in August 2023, he sold and shipped over 300 grams of methamphetamine via the U.S. Postal Service to a customer in the Syracuse, New York area. Law enforcement intercepted the package and identified Mendez as the source of the shipment. At the sentencing hearing, the evidence established that Mendez also sold drugs on other occasions and possessed multiple firearms in connection with that drug activity.

    Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release to begin after Mendez is released from prison.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case, with assistance from the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Minnesota Man Sentenced for Airline Assault, Interference

    Source: US FBI

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Minnesota man was sentenced today to five years’ probation for assaulting a flight attendant and interfering with a flight crew’s normal duties.

    According to court documents, on June 24, 2023, Christian Burch, 38, went into the bathroom while he was aboard a flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage. Flight attendants heard a scream coming from the bathroom and tried knocking on the door multiple times. The defendant slammed the door open and walked up the aisleway, appearing shaky and confused.

    After being questioned by another flight attendant, Burch became unresponsive. A registered nurse aboard the flight examined the defendant and suspected he was overdosing. The flight attendants and a male passenger assisted the nurse is administering a dosage of Narcan, but Burch began to violently struggle when the Narcan was inserted into his nose. The flight attendants and multiple passengers were involved in the struggle, and at one point, Burch grabbed one of the flight attendants near her throat. Burch was also bleeding from his nose and mouth during the altercation, causing multiple passengers and flight attendants to come in contact with his blood.

    The nurse was able to administer two doses of Narcan during the altercation and Burch was restrained in one of the cabin seats for the remainder of the flight. Due to Burch’s actions, the flight crew had to stop performing their normal duties to remedy the situation and update the pilots.

    Burch was arrested once the plane landed in Anchorage and served six days in federal custody before being released. Upon his return to Minnesota, he was arrested and held in state custody for 72 days for violating his state parole by leaving the state without permission. Burch pleaded guilty in December 2023 but was arrested in March 2024 for violating his pretrial release and has remained in custody since, serving 66 days total in federal custody.

    “Air travel is a necessity for many Alaskans and tourists, and all who use or work on this mode of transportation should feel safe while aboard an aircraft,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “This case serves as a reminder that we will prosecute anyone who chooses to commit such actions while in our district.”

    “Criminal conduct aboard an aircraft, such as interference with a flight crew, jeopardizes the safety of all passengers and is a federal crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI is committed to investigating federal crimes occurring on commercial aircraft, and holding accountable those that endanger the safety of passengers and flight crews.”

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Anchorage Airport Police Department, investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Schroeder prosecuted the case.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Additional Charges Against Leader, Member of Alaska Organized Drug Crime Ring

    Source: US FBI

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned a superseding indictment adding new charges against the leader and a high-ranking member of a large-scale organized drug crime ring operating in Alaska.

    In January, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Alaska announced charges against 53 defendants allegedly connected to the drug trafficking enterprise. Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine, continuing criminal enterprise, killing in furtherance of a continuing criminal enterprise, kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping resulting in death and carjacking resulting in death, were among the original charges against leaders, members and associates of the organization.

    According to court documents, Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez, 57, is allegedly the leader of the transnational organized crime and drug trafficking ring targeting Alaska. Tamara Bren, 41, is a high-ranking member known as one of his “wives.” Per the new charges, from August 2022 to September 2023, Bren and Sanchez-Rodriguez allegedly conspired to launder money by directing members of the enterprise to use money transferring services, like wire transfers, mobile applications and money orders, to attempt to launder over $1.3 million in drug proceeds.

    Court documents also charge Sanchez-Rodriguez with allegedly altering and falsifying investigative reports by the DEA, FBI, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, to impede, obstruct and influence the investigation on Dec. 20, 2023.

    According to the superseding indictment, law enforcement has seized over 92 kilograms of fentanyl, 26 kilograms of meth, 11 kilograms of heroin and 110 grams of cocaine in connection to this enterprise.

    In addition to the original charges, Sanchez-Rodriguez and Bren are charged with one count of money laundering conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1956(h), and Sanchez-Rodriguez is charged with one count of obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1519.

    U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska, Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Zahn of the Drug Enforcement Administration Anchorage District Office, Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division, Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office made the announcement.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Division Office and Anchorage District Office, FBI Anchorage Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division and Anchorage Domicile, Homeland Security Investigations Anchorage, Alaska Office, Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police Department and Palmer Police Department, with significant law enforcement support from the U.S. Marshals Service, are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins, Christopher Schroeder, Karen Vandergaw and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case.

    This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which 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.

    An indictment 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: Rochester Man Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Daniel P. Walsh, 58, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that the according to the complaint, in November 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a report from Google that an individual using an account registered in Walsh’s name, from Walsh’s IP address, uploaded multiple images of child pornography to Google’s platforms. Rochester Police and the FBI executed a search warrant at Walsh’s residence, during which they seized multiple computers and other digital devices. A forensic examination of those devices revealed that Walsh had received and possessed hundreds of images of child pornography, to include child pornography depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexual conduct with adults. In many instances, Walsh had superimposed the faces of minors that he knew onto the images.

    The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was released on conditions.

    The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.                  

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.   

    # # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Role in Trafficking Fentanyl to Alaska

    Source: US FBI

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Arizona man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and three years’ supervised release for supplying hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to Alaska over multiple months.

    According to court documents, Odarious Shaw, 25, distributed fentanyl pills to Alaska twice a week for over six months in quantities of 40-50,000 pills per shipment. In some instances, the defendant would ship as many as 500,000 pills at a time.

    Law enforcement learned that Shaw would obtain pills in Arizona and instruct buyers in Alaska to send him $150 via a money transferring service to confirm the transaction. He would then provide a date when a courier would arrive on a commercial flight at the Anchorage airport with the drugs in their checked luggage. Upon arrival, the courier would deliver the pills to the buyer, pick up the cash payment for the drugs and immediately board a flight back to Arizona to deliver the money to Shaw.

    On June 25, 2023, Shaw’s courier and codefendant, Corrion James, 26, arrived at the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage on a flight from Phoenix, Arizona, with a package containing over 41,000 fentanyl pills. James was arrested at the airport after attempting to sell the pills to the arranged buyer. Those pills had an estimated street value of $400-600,000 in Anchorage, and as much as $4.8 million in rural Alaska.

    Shaw continued to try to sell drugs in Alaska after James was arrested but was subsequently arrested in Arizona in August 2023. James pleaded guilty in February 2024 and was sentenced to over three years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.

    At sentencing, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason found that Shaw was a leader or organizer of the drug trafficking activity in this case and said that she hopes this sentence deters people motivated by greed from trafficking this deadly drug to Alaska.

    “A single pill can destroy someone’s life and the amount of fentanyl Mr. Shaw supplied to Alaska could destroy entire communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Illegal fentanyl has absolutely no place here. My office will continue to hinder the inflow of illegal fentanyl into our state by working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt the supply and distribution of this poisonous drug.”

    “During the course of this investigation, the FBI and our law enforcement partners intercepted tens of thousands of illicit fentanyl pills before reaching local Alaska communities, preventing untold violence and devastation,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “With a task force approach, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable those who are fueling drug trafficking activities in Alaska.”

    The Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police Department and the FBI Anchorage Field Office investigated the case as part of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Alaska High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Schroeder prosecuted the case.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ketchikan Man Sentenced to 13 Years and Four Months for Running Child Pornography Distribution Group Chat

    Source: US FBI

    JUNEAU, Alaska – A Ketchikan man was sentenced today to 13 years and 4 months in prison for distributing child pornography through a group messaging platform.

    According to court documents, Walter William Onstad, 46, was an administrator of a messaging group known as “Anything Goes.” The chat was used exclusively to exchange child pornography, with some of the visuals depicting the sexual abuse of pre-pubescent minors.

    Court documents say investigators with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip in April 2022 that an individual, later identified as Onstad, sent at least 12 images and videos of child pornography to another user through the messaging platform.

    An investigation revealed that Onstad solicited images depicting child sexual abuse from those wanting to enter the “Anything Goes” group chat. The defendant would personally verify the images, upload the images to the group chat and grant access to people who provided them.

    As the investigation continued, the defendants cell phone was taken by law enforcement and over 300 images and 40 videos of child sexual abuse were in his possession on the phone. The defendant admitted to being responsible for the possession and distribution of over 600 images. Some of the images he possessed and distributed included the sexual abuse of minors as young as infants and toddlers.

    “Mr. Onstad contributed to the victimization of children by running a child sexual abuse material distribution chat and was responsible for sharing hundreds of images of innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “We will continue to work with law enforcement to relentlessly pursue, arrest and prosecute individuals who traffic images of child sexual abuse and hold them responsible for the incalculable damage they’ve caused.”

    “Innocent children are revictimized each time CSAM is distributed,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “As an administrator of a CSAM distribution operation, Walter Onstad fueled a market that preys on our most vulnerable. No matter how they commit their crimes, those who sexually exploit children will be pursued and held accountable by the FBI and law enforcement partners, for justice and the safety of our children.”

    The Juneau Resident Agency of the FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Ketchikan Police Department and North Carolina’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Man, Woman Charged in Fraud Scheme Targeting North Pole Business

    Source: US FBI

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Chicago man and woman with allegedly running a scheme to defraud a North Pole restaurant of over $128,000.

    According to court documents, from July to August 2022, Jacob Centeno, 39, and Amber Davila, 35, allegedly illegally obtained banking and identification information for the restaurant and restaurant owner by gaining access to their email. The defendants used this information and access to misrepresent themselves as the owner and divert proceeds from the owner’s bank account to a different account registered under a false identity that the defendants created and had access to.

    In total, roughly $128,246 was diverted to the defendants’ fraudulent bank account between Aug. 4 and Aug. 9, 2022.

    As part of the scheme, Centeno and Davila allegedly purchased over $41,000 worth of money orders from the fraudulent bank account over the course of multiple days in Chicago. They then deposited the money orders into their various personal and business accounts in aggregate amounts of less than $10,000. Finally, to further conceal their scheme, they withdrew money from a business account registered in their names and deposited it into their personal accounts.

    Centeno and Davila were arrested in Chicago on June 4 and are charged with one count of aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1028A(a)(1), one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1349, five counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1343, one count conspiracy to commit money laundering in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1956(h), 18 U.S.C. §1956(a)(1)(B)(i), and eight counts of money laundering in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1956(a)(1)(B)(i). The defendants will make their initial court appearance on a later date. If convicted, they face a mandatory minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft, which is served consecutive to any other sentence for their alleged crimes. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office, FBI Fairbanks Resident Agency, FBI Chicago Field Office and North Pole Police Department are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Vosacek and Michael Heyman are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois provided significant legal support in this case.

    If you or someone you know might be a victim of fraud or other crime, you can report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.

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

    ###

    UPDATE: This release has been updated to no longer state that the indictment came back “today” and correct the year in paragraph three from “2024” to “2022” in the text. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Leaders of Notorious Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Convicted of Racketeering and Related Crimes

    Source: US FBI

    Trial Evidence Established Defendants Furthered the Aims of the Gang from Prison By Directing Other Members and Associates to Perform Numerous Criminal Acts Including Drug Dealing and Murder

    OAKLAND – A federal jury found David Cervantes (aka “DC”), James Perez (aka “Conejo”), Guillermo Solorio (aka “Capone” aka “Caps”), and George Franco (aka “Puppet”) guilty of racketeering, for their roles as senior members of the Nuestra Familia criminal enterprise, which engaged in murder conspiracies, attempted murder, drug distribution, and money laundering. The jury’s verdict follows a 12-week trial before the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, U.S. District Judge.    

    “Prison gangs are a blight on the criminal justice system and on society,” said Martha Boersch, Chief of the Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division. Prisons are supposed to protect the community from further crime and offer people the chance for rehabilitation, but prison gangs frustrate both goals. They perpetuate violence and criminality inside prisons, and through the use of contraband cell phones, gang leaders are able to oversee vast criminal networks on the streets. Successful prosecutions like this send an unmistakable message that this will not be tolerated simply because it’s happening behind prison walls.”  

    “These convictions are the culmination of eight years of complex investigative work by the FBI-led Santa Clara County Safe Streets Task Force. Through tireless investigative efforts and collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we have dismantled a core part of this criminal enterprise, whose illicit drug distribution and violent crime have long plagued our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “The FBI remains committed to ensuring that those who lead and engage in such violence, no matter where they operate, are brought to justice.”

    The evidence at trial established that the four defendants—Cervantes, 76; Perez, 70; Solorio, 45; and Franco, 59 – all were senior members of the Nuestra Familia (NF) prison gang, all serving on the General Council, the primary decision-making body for the gang.  Through the testimony of more than 50 witnesses and dozens of wiretapped phone calls, the trial evidence revealed a lucrative and violent criminal enterprise with a presence in every Bay Area county and the roles that each defendant played in it.  

    The trial evidence established that Cervantes was one of the NF’s three “Generals.” As outlined in the Nuestra Familia’s written Constitution, the three generals sat atop the NF organizational structure and made final decisions on serious matters involving governance of the enterprise.  As the sole member of the General Advocates Office, Cervantes oversaw member discipline—a role that at times included deciding when members should be attacked or killed for violating gang rules.  Further, the trial evidence established that Cervantes was responsible for (1) receiving “complaints” containing allegations of member wrongdoing within the NF, (2) appointing investigators to look into alleged wrongdoing of gang members, (3) accepting and modifying “findings and recommendations” of the investigators, and (4) forwarding final recommendations regarding member discipline to a seven-member General Council. Cervantes also was the “Regimental Commander” of the NF street gangs in Kings County.  As Regimental Commander, Cervantes was responsible for overseeing, managing, directing, and otherwise controlling criminal activity conducted by Norteño street gang members in Kings County.  In addition to convicting Cervantes of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Cervantes responsible for the conspiracies to murder Lorenzo “Lencho” Guzman in 2015 and John “Shanks” Reyna in 2019, as well as the attempted murders of Antonio “Sombras” Villagrana in 2015, John “Knockers” Muzquiz in 2016, and Matt Rocha in 2019.  

    The trial evidence demonstrated Perez was another General of the prison gang, specifically, the “General of Prisons.” In this role, Perez was responsible for maintaining authority over all NF regiments within the California prison system. His responsibilities included appointing NF members and associates to leadership positions within California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) facilities, as well as overseeing and regulating criminal activity occurring in these facilities. In his role as General of Prisons, Perez collected a portion of profits from the prison regiments.  He also was the Regimental Commander of the San Mateo County Street Regiment.  In addition to convicting Perez of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Perez responsible for the conspiracy to murder Lorenzo “Lencho” Guzman, as well as the attempted murders of Antonio “Sombras” Villagrana, John “Knockers” Muzquiz, and Matt Rocha.  

    At trial, the evidence established that Franco was a member of the NF’s “Inner Council” and was Regimental Commander of San Joaquin County.  As a member of the Inner Council, Franco was an advisor to the three NF Generals (two of whom were Cervantes and Perez) and was part of the General Council that, in addition to member discipline, made other significant decisions in conducting the affairs of the NF.  In addition to convicting Franco of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Franco responsible for the conspiracy to murder Lorenzo “Lencho” Guzman, as well as the attempted murder of Matt Rocha.  

    Solorio also was part of the NF “Inner Council” and was an advisor to the NF Generals.  Solorio also was the Regimental Commander over the Monterey County Street Regiment.  The evidence at trial demonstrated Solorio oversaw a prolific drug trafficking operation in Fresno, Calif.  In addition to convicting Solorio of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Solorio responsible for the attempted murder of Matt Rocha.  

    In sum, all four defendants were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962, along with various special findings pertaining to the acts involving murder described above.  The maximum statutory sentence for each defendant is life in prison.  Judge Gonzalez Rogers scheduled the defendants’ sentencings for Mar. 6, 2025.

    The trial of these four defendants marks the culmination of the prosecution of the NF leadership in the Northern District of California.  The prosecution stems from a five-year investigation by the FBI, which resulted in the indictment of 54 Nuestra Familia members and associates, including defendants both on the streets and in California state prisons.  With the jury’s verdict this week, the government has now obtained convictions of all 7 members of the NF’s General Council, its entire senior leadership team.  

    This case is being prosecuted by Mari Overbeck, Leif Dautch, and Aseem Padukone of the Organized Crime Strike Force for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI (San Francisco, Sacramento, and Phoenix Divisions), the DEA, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshal Service, with the assistance of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, and the San Jose Police Department, and with support from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Antioch Police Department, Campbell Police Department, Fremont Police Department, King’s County Sheriff’s Office, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain View Police Department, Sacramento Police Department, Salinas Police Department, Menlo Park Police Department, Santa Clara County Parole Department, Santa Clara County Probation Department, Santa Clara Police Department, Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Modesto Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, San Francisco Police Department, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, and the FBI’s Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit.  

    This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which 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.  
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Bryant High School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Transportation of a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that a former Bryant High School teacher has pleaded guilty to transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of unlawful sexual activity. Heather Hare, 33, of Conway, entered this guilty plea earlier today before United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.

          Judge Rudofsky will sentence Hare at a later date. Transportation of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity is punishable by not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life imprisonment, and not less than five years of supervised release.

          The investigation into Hare revealed that Hare taught Family Consumer Science classes at Bryant High School and met the minor victim on his first day of his senior year. Hare began one-on-one counseling sessions with the minor victim, eventually giving him her personal phone number and primarily communicating with him through Instagram and Snapchat.

          Hare later told the minor victim that she had a dream of them having sex and gave him her home address in Conway. The minor victim and Hare had sex approximately 20 to 30 times throughout the 2021-2022 school term, including multiple times at her Conway residence, in her vehicle, and in her classroom and parking lots at Bryant High School.

          Between April 21 and April 24, 2022, Hare was the sponsor and chaperone for a field trip to Washington, D.C., as part of an extracurricular activity related to the Family Consumer Science courses Hare taught. During the field trip, which included four students, of which the minor victim was the only male student, Hare and the minor victim engaged in the unlawful sexual activity to which she pleaded guilty.

          “This former teacher took advantage of her position of trust and the vulnerability of a minor, using her role to entice and lure this minor into engaging in unlawful sexual activity,” Ross said. “Our office will continue to seek significant penalties against any educational professional who sexually abuse their students.”

          Hare was indicted on August 1, 2023, and charged with one count of interstate/foreign travel for prostitution/sexual activity by coercion and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. In exchange for her guilty plea, the remaining charge was dismissed.

          The case was investigated by the FBI, Bryant Police Department, and Saline County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @EDARNEWS 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yellville Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Online Sexual Enticement of a Minor

    Source: US FBI

    Fayetteville – Isaac James Melder, age 42, of Yellville was sentenced on February 13, 2024, to 360 months in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of communicating with a minor through the internet to entice the minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.  The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.

    According to court documents, in May of 2022, a fourteen-year-old female was reported missing after failing to get on the afternoon school bus.  An extensive search involving multiple law enforcement agencies began, during which officers discovered that Melder and the victim had communicated via the internet using an Xbox.  The messages revealed the two had planned to run away and live in a cave in the Marion County wilderness. The investigation further revealed that Melder had groomed both the victim and her family by providing groceries, money, alcohol, and marijuana and referred to the victim as his wife.

    On June 22, 2022, an informant led law enforcement to the cave where Melder and the victim had lived since their May disappearance.  Melder was immediately taken into state custody.

    Melder was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District in April of 2023 and entered a plea of guilty in July 2023.

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

    Mountain Home Police Department, Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, Flippin Police Department, Arkansas Department of Correction, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Harrison Police Department, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas State Parks, the 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force, investigated or assisted in the search in the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted the case for the United States.

    This case was prosecuted 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

    Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lancaster, Texas, Man Found Guilty of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—After a two-day trial, a Texas man has been convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Tuesday, a federal jury found Kaeron Washington, 33, Lancaster, Texas, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, the sole count in the Indictment. Washington has previous convictions for aggravated robbery and drug possession.

          After deliberating less than two hours, the jury returned a verdict of guilty. United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky presided over the trial and will sentence Washington at a later date. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.

          On February 18, 2022, physical surveillance was conducted at 7212 Geyer Springs Road, Little Rock, Arkansas. Law enforcement observed a group of individuals parked in front of a closed business on Geyer Springs at approximately 9:00 p.m. The occupants of the vehicle were observed smoking and passing items back and forth between vehicles for approximately 30 minutes. As investigators approached the vehicle, they activated their emergency lights and could smell an overwhelming odor of marijuana coming from the vehicles.

          Contact was made with Kaeron Washington, the driver of a white Mercedes. As investigators approached the vehicle, Washington was observed opening the driver’s door of the vehicle and throwing an item towards the rear of the vehicle. A bag of suspected marijuana was later located in the area. The passenger in Washington’s vehicle advised law enforcement officials that he had a gun at his feet. After the passenger was taken out of Washington’s vehicle, law enforcement seized the gun that was observed on the floorboard. An officer observed a small bag of suspected marijuana in the seat when the passenger exited the vehicle. During a further search of Washington’s vehicle, officers located a Glock pistol in the center console next to the driver’s seat.

          The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Little Rock Police Department, and the GET Rock Task Force.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug Trafficking Results in Over a Dozen People Arrested on Federal Charges

    Source: US FBI

    Several Defendants Face Federal Drug, Gun, and Money Laundering Charges In Large Scale Drug Operation

          JONESBORO—Fifteen people were arrested Tuesday morning as part of a sweeping law enforcement operation that targeted associates of a drug organization responsible for the distribution of methamphetamine in the Northeast Arkansas area. Law enforcement officers previously arrested one person on Monday and served arrest warrants on an additional three people already in custody.

          The investigation began in August 2022 to combat a significant drug distribution organization operating in the Northeast Arkansas area. Numerous indictments, which were returned by a Grand Jury on April 2, 2024, and unsealed today, named several defendants who are charged with various drug, money laundering, and firearm offenses. Law enforcement officers arrested 15 individuals and served an arrest warrant Tuesday on two defendants already in federal custody and one in state custody.

          Prior to today’s arrests, the investigation had resulted in the seizure of 45 pounds of methamphetamine, 10 pounds of marijuana, one pound of cocaine, six firearms, various ammunition, and $125,000 in drug proceeds. During arrest operations on Tuesday, agents recovered additional methamphetamine, three firearms (one of which was defaced), ammunition, and approximately an additional $28,000 in suspected drug proceeds.

          “So many lives and communities have been destroyed by drugs and with today’s arrests, fifteen drug dealers have been taken off the streets,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Where drugs are present, so are firearms and violence. Working with our federal, state, and local partners to keep our citizens safe from the violence that too often accompanies drug trafficking, will help to create safer communities for citizens in the Eastern District of Arkansas.”

          “Today’s arrests demonstrate how the FBI has zero tolerance for criminals who pollute our communities with dangerous narcotics,” Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Little Rock Field Office. “This was a collaborative effort between the FBI, Jonesboro Police Department, Craighead County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, and several others. We will continue to work together to keep Arkansans safe and bring dangerous criminals to justice.”

          The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force, Jonesboro Police Department, Craighead County Sheriff’s Office, Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

          The charges in today’s unsealed indictments include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; conspiracy to money launder, money laundering, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

          The minimum penalty for the drug charges is not less than 10 years’ imprisonment and a $10,000,000 fine. The minimum penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime is not less than five years in prison and up to life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

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

          The defendants arrested today will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Benecia B. Moore on April 18, 2024, for plea and arraignment. Defendants who were already in custody will have arraignments scheduled later. Trial dates will be announced at plea and arraignment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary. The defendants charged and in custody include:

    Cesar Cortez-Rocha, 51, Misson, Texas

    Amado Barranco, Jr. aka “Myo”, 55, McAllen, Texas

    Bobby Franklin Barber, 60, Jonesboro

    Misty Dawn Barber, 38, Jonesboro

    Jamie Lynn Patterson, 40, Jonesboro

    *Amie Dawn Eggers, 39, Jonesboro (already in federal custody on other charges)

    Carey Wayne Peden, 46, Little Rock

    Vance Allen Brown, 56, Hot Springs

    *Sir Edward Lee Qualls aka “Buddy”, 35, Earle (already in federal custody on related charges)

    Reginald Bogan aka “Smooth”, 37, Jonesboro

    **Melissa Bradley, 33, Jonesboro (already in custody on state charges)

    Jerry Crump, 55, Jonesboro

    Sandi Stanfill, 59, Paragould

    Delisha Pugh, 25, Earle

    Jennifer Jones, 37, Brookland

    William Jones, 28, Harrisburg

    Marcus McIntyre, 42, Memphis, Tennessee

    Harthoner Goforth, 38, Paragould

    Shauna Rutledge, 37, Hughes

    * already in federal custody

    ** in state custody

          An indictment contains only allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    # # #

    This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grand Jury Indicts Local Doctor on False Statements, Writings Charges Related to 1989 Rape

    Source: US FBI

    Court documents detail 2 additional alleged victims; law enforcement continues to seek information in Ohio, Colorado & Kansas

    DAYTON, Ohio – A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment today against a Sycamore Township man whose DNA implicated him in a 1989 rape.

    Frederick Louis Tanzer, 66, is charged with four counts of making false statements to an agency or officer of the United States and two counts of making or using a false document or writing. Each count is punishable by up to five years in prison. These federal crimes are prosecutable even if an underlying offense has passed the statute of limitations.

    Tanzer has been in custody since his arrest on Dec. 11 and will remain in custody pending trial.

    According to court documents, Tanzer’s DNA was confirmed by a forensic laboratory as a match to the DNA the rapist had left at the 1989 crime scene, where the victim was violently raped over the course of five and a half hours in her condominium on Creighton Place in Cincinnati after arriving home from work.

    It is alleged that Tanzer made several materially false statements to federal investigators when approached about the rape last week, including denying having seen or interacted with the victim on the date she was raped.

    Tanzer is a medical doctor who has lived and practiced medicine in Ohio, Kansas and Colorado.

    According to a recent filing relating to detention, during a search warrant executed on Dec. 11 at Tanzer’s home, investigators located restraints, a gag, a black hat and zip ties together in Tanzer’s dresser.

    The same filing also detailed that two additional victims have been identified who were repeatedly drugged and raped by Tanzer, including as recently as two and a half years ago in Kansas. The document includes information about Tanzer drugging the women in order to have sex with them without their consent and about Tanzer using a burner phone to engage with sex workers when he traveled for work for weeks or months at a time.

    Federal law enforcement officials ask the public to consider the circumstances of the rapes, and the locations where Tanzer has lived, and to contact the FBI with any similar information at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Division; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge announced the arrest. The IRS-Criminal Investigation Cincinnati Field Office assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Rossi and Julie D. Garcia are representing the United States in this case.

    An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Law Enforcement Seeks Information Related to 1989 Rape

    Source: US FBI

    DAYTON, Ohio – A Sycamore Township man was arrested by federal agents today and charged with making false statements related to a 1989 rape. Officials ask anyone with information regarding this or any other similar rape to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

    It is alleged that Frederick Louis Tanzer, 66, knowingly made a false statement to FBI agents. His home on Kenwood Road and vehicles were searched today, and Tanzer appeared in federal court in Dayton following his arrest.

    According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Tanzer was recently identified as the prime suspect in the cold-case rape. In recent months, agents collected DNA evidence from a Starbucks cup that Tanzer discarded at a local BMV. The DNA extracted from Tanzer’s coffee cup was confirmed by a forensic laboratory as a match to the DNA the rapist had left at the 1989 crime scene.

    It is alleged that Tanzer made several materially false statements to federal investigators when approached today, including denying having seen or interacted with the victim on the date she was raped.

    Tanzer is a medical doctor who has lived and practiced medicine in Ohio, Kansas and Colorado.

    The affidavit details that on Aug. 1, 1989, the victim was violently raped in her condominium on Creighton Place in Cincinnati after arriving home from work.

    Federal law enforcement officials ask the public to consider these circumstances of the rape and to contact the FBI with any similar information:

    • When the victim arrived home, she noticed an odor that smelled to her like brewed tea or burnt marijuana.
    • The rapist was dressed from head to toe in black Lycra, including black gloves and a face mask. He had a black gym bag with him.
    • The assailant held a knife to the victim’s throat.
    • The rapist used white surgical tape from the gym bag to wrap around the victim’s eyes and head. He used stockings and panty hose from the victim’s dresser to bind her hands and feet to the headboard and footboard of her bed.
    • The rapist cut or tore the victim’s clothing and used Vaseline.
    • The rapist assaulted the victim vaginally, orally and anally. In between bouts of sexual conduct, the assailant used a cloth to wipe the victim’s mouth and genital areas.
    • The rapist said nothing during the entire encounter. He occasionally took breaks from sexually assaulting the victim while the victim remained tied to her bed.
    • The rapist listened to and erased answering machine messages. He looked through papers in the victim’s living room and rummaged through her purse. He unplugged and/or disconnected telephones.
    • On the handset of the telephone in the bedroom, the rapist taped a piece of newspaper that had been cut from the paper on the couch in the victim’s living room and wrote, “No police or I’ll be back Mis [sic] [name of victim’s employer]”
    • The victim described the rapist as white, with dark brown hair, approximately six feet tall with a thin or athletic build.
    • The assault took place over the course of more than five and a half hours.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Division; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge announced the arrest. The IRS-Criminal Investigation Cincinnati Field Office assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Rossi and Julie D. Garcia are representing the United States in this case.

    A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • Death toll in Australia floods rises to four, tens of thousands stranded

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The body of a man was found in a car trapped in floodwaters in Australia’s southeast on Friday, raising the death toll to four, after three days of incessant rain cut off entire towns, swept away livestock and destroyed homes.

    Police said the man was found near Coffs Harbour, around 550 km (342 miles) north of Sydney. The search continued for a person missing since the deluge began early this week.

    Around 50,000 people are still isolated, emergency services personnel said, while residents returning to their flooded homes were warned to watch out for dangers.

    “Floodwaters have contaminants, there can be vermin, snakes … so you need to assess those risks. Electricity can also pose a danger as well,” state Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Damien Johnston said during a media briefing.

    Television videos showed submerged intersections and street signs, cars up to their windshields in water, after fast-rising waters burst river banks in the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state.

    Debris from the floods, and dead and lost livestock, have washed up on the coast.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had to cancel his planned visit to Taree, one of the worst-hit towns, due to floodwaters.

    “We did try … but that was not possible due to the circumstance, which I’m sure people understand,” Albanese told reporters from the town of Maitland in the Hunter region.

    “But our thoughts are with communities that are cut off at this point in time. And we’re here to basically say, very clearly, and explicitly you’re not alone.”

    Australia has been enduring more extreme weather events that some experts say are happening because of climate change. After droughts and devastating bushfires at the end of last decade, frequent floods have wreaked havoc since early 2021.

    “What once were rare downpours are now becoming the new normal – climate change is rewriting Australia’s weather patterns, one flood at a time,” Davide Faranda, weather researcher at ClimaMeter, said in a statement.

    DISRUPTIONS IN SYDNEY

    A wild weather system that dumped around four months of rain over three days shifted south towards Sydney on Thursday bringing heavy rain overnight, though the weather bureau, in its latest update, said it is expected to ease by Friday evening.

    Water on rail tracks impacted some suburban train lines in Sydney, including its airport line services, while Sydney Airport was forced to shut down two of its three runways for one hour on Friday morning due to strong winds, delaying flights.

    Warragamba Dam, which supplies 80% of Sydney’s water supply and is currently at around 96% of capacity, could spill over, officials said.

    REUTERS

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Two men before the courts after firearms incident

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Please attribute to Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Darren Pritchard

    Two men have been arrested in Gisborne this afternoon, following an incident involving a firearm earlier today.

    At around 6:30am today Police were called to an address on Colin Street after receiving reports of two vehicles being damaged, and a firearm presented at the occupants of the address.

    Armed Police attended and two men, aged 29 and 50 were taken into custody at the scene.

    A search of a nearby address resulted in Police locating two firearms.

    The incident, which was not gang related was resolved quickly due to a swift Police response, and enquiries into the incident will continue.

    The two men are due to appear in the Gisborne District Court tomorrow, charged with wilful damage, commission of a crime with a firearm and presenting a firearm at a person.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –