Category: Police

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Electric Avenue wrap-up

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

To be attributed to Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Simmons, Operation Commander:

Christchurch put on a stunning weekend for the more than 35,000 people attending Electric Avenue each day of the two-day festival.

The event was well managed and organised, with a large security contingent which proved valuable.

Police assisted event security with fence jumpers, minor disorder and assaults, and evictions due to intoxication.

Police were generally pleased with the behaviour of the majority of those attending. However it was disappointing to see some people heavily intoxicated when they arrived at the festival. Unfortunately Police also observed a lot of people under the influence of drugs.

Crowd behaviour when people were leaving the festival was good, with only minor disorder reported in the CBD on Saturday night.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 23, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Man arrested – Birkenhead stabbing

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Attribute to Detective Sergeant Matt Bartlett:

A 26-year-old man has been arrested and charged in relation to a stabbing in Birkenhead on 4 February.

The man was arrested during a search warrant at a Northcote address yesterday morning and is due to appear in the North Shore District Court on Monday, charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. His bail will be opposed.

We would like to thank the members of the public for their assistance and information provided that assisted our investigation.

I would like to acknowledge the various Police teams who have worked tirelessly on this case, as part of our ongoing dedication to holding offenders to account.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Three arrested on suspicion of murdering 20-year-old Jason Romeo

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives are no longer appealing for the public’s help to locate three men in connection with an ongoing investigation into the death of 20-year-old Jason Romeo in Hackney.

Jason died on Tuesday, 18 February, after being stabbed outside an address in Bodney Street, E5 at 17:59hrs.

A murder investigation within Specialist Crime Command remains ongoing and on Friday, 22 February, three men were arrested on suspicion of murder. The men, aged 22, 21 and 21 remain in custody.

Detective Superintendent Kelly Allen, leading the investigation, said:

“I would like to thank the public for their support following an appeal issued yesterday to identify three men.

“This investigation is progressing quickly and our officers are working tirelessly to get justice for Jason and his family.

“We are continuing to appeal to anyone who may have information which could support this investigation to come forward. Specifically, around two men, we believe were in the area at the time of Jason’s death who officers are looking to identify. Anyone with any information is asked to contact us.”

MIL Security OSI –

February 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Accuracy and Aloha: Pacific Marines compete in the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competition Pacific

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

The Marine Corps Shooting Team hosted the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competition Pacific at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, from January 23 to January 31, 2025.

Throughout the competition Pacific Marines, Sailors and officers with the Honolulu Police Department trained and competed for a week for the opportunity to be invited to the Marine Corps Marksmanship Championship at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

While the event is a competition, the true goal of MCMC-PAC is to advance the lethality of the Corps and build camaraderie across a multitude of experience and backgrounds.

“My favorite part is getting to see the shooters grow and develop as marksmen, as well as Marines,” said Sgt. Dylan Kelley, an instructor and competitor with the Marine Corps Shooting Team, “We’re giving the Marines an opportunity to come out here, compete against their peers, compete against fellow Marines and give them a chance to see where they are at.”

Kelley instructed approximately 72 shooters throughout the competition. Those shooters ranged from first time competitors to veteran shooters, all with various capabilities with their weapon system.

“It takes the ‘Every Marine a Rifleman’ and actually makes it a true statement,” says Master Gunnery Sgt. Derrick R. Stanfield, intelligence chief, G-2, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, and competitor since 2012. “It applies a lethality factor.”

Throughout the event, competitors participated in three training days, one individual pistol match, consisting of four stages, and two individual rifle matches, both consisting of two stages. Following the individual matches, the teams battled it out in a team pistol and rifle match.

Winners of each match not only get invited to compete in championships but were awarded both trophies and medals for their accomplishments.

“Two years ago, I was lucky enough to place bronze,” said Capt. Tyler Ashton, commander, Headquarters and Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, MARFORPAC, and team captain of MARFORPAC’s rifle team, “Getting a group of 22 Marines out of the office to come out and shoot is important for morale and skills, and I am happy to be a part of it.”

After all the rounds were scored and the aroma of gunpowder floated towards the horizon, the Marine Corps Shooting Team awarded the victors.

Staff Sgt. Christian Cachola, operations chief, Marine Corps Shooting team, won gold for rifle with an overall combined score of 188.24%

Maj. Tanner Grover, Oceana planner, G-2, MARFORPAC, won gold for pistol with an overall score of 100%

The first-place rifle team trophy was awarded to 1st Lt. Xavier Chido, aviation supply officer, Gunnery Sgt. Ger Lao, basic engineer equipment mechanic, Sgt. Isiah Crossguns, hygiene equipment operator, Sgt. Rodolfo Vergara, systems technician and Lance Cpl. Carlos Dowdney, systems technician, all with Marine Aircraft Group 24 with an overall score of 70.90%.

The first-place pistol team trophy was awarded to Maj. Tanner Grover, Capt. Tyler Ashton, Master Gunnery Sgt. Derrick Stanfield, Sgt. Ty Countryman, instrumentalist, and Cpl. Andrew Crume, Instrumentalist, all with MARFORPAC, with an overall score of 100%.

“Even though I didn’t medal, I feel like I have improved exponentially as shooter.” said Cpl. Matthew Benfield, combat graphic specialists, MARFORPAC, and first-time competitor, “This is an amazing opportunity that all Marines should take to not only improve their shooting but learn from the very best.”

MIL Security OSI –

February 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Property offences – Palmerston

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested three male youths in relation to a number of property offences last night.

About 1:30am, police received reports of an unknown number of youths attempting to steal a vehicle at a residence in Zuccoli. It is alleged that the resident became aware and confronted the youths before they threw an object at him and fled the scene before police arrival.

Police also became aware of a 35-year-old male injured at a close by location whilst attending to the initial report. He was allegedly struck in the head by a rock while trying to confront a number of youths attempting to steal a vehicle nearby his residence.

About 4:15am, police received further reports of a ram raid and burglary at a business on Stuart Highway in Berrimah. The youths stole a number of items and fled the scene before police arrival.

In a later incident about 11:45am this morning, police received reports of a burglary of a work vehicle, after three male youths threatened a staff member from aCaravan Park on the Stuart Highway in Holtze.

A number of members from specialist areas including the Dog Operations Unit, Strike Force Trident, general duties members and Drone resources were deployed and set up a cordon in scrubland behind the hotel to execute a plan of apprehension. Around 5pm this afternoon police apprehended the three male youths aged, 11, 14 and 16. They are expected to be charged later.

Strike Force Trident detectives have since reviewed CCTV footage and identified that the three male youths were involved in all three incidents. Investigations remain ongoing.

Territory Duty Superintendent Troy Stephens said “I want to commend the efforts of our officers for their swift and professional response in safely apprehending those involved, and preventing further harm to the community.

“This result highlights our commitment to keeping the Northern Territory community safe and ensuring offenders are brought before the courts.”

MIL OSI News –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Minister going to Australia for aged care meetings

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Health Minister Hon Casey Costello is traveling to Australia for meetings with the aged care sector in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney next week.

“Australia is our closest partner, so as we consider the changes necessary to make our system more effective and sustainable it makes sense to learn from its recent experience on aged care sector reform,” Ms Costello says.

Minister Costello will meet with Ageing Australia, visit aged care facilities across the three cities, and meet with Federal and State government organisations, including the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner and Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority. She will also meet with New Zealand aged care providers operating in both trans-Tasman markets.

“This visit also provides an opportunity for me to engage with my ministerial counterparts and their officials across my Customs, Seniors, and Associate Police and Associate Immigration portfolio responsibilities,” Ms Costello says.

Minister Costello will meet with the Hon Anthony Carbines, Victoria Minister for Police; Hon Tony Burke, Federal Minister for Home Affairs; and Hon Jodie Harrison, New South Wales Minister for Seniors.

The Minister will also meet with the Commissioners of the Australia Federal Police, Australian Border Force, and the Australia Taxation Office to discuss their experience targeting transnational and serious organised crime.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Child criminal exploitation and cuckooing to be criminal offences
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Child criminal exploitation and cuckooing to be criminal offences

Two new offences from the government’s flagship Crime and Policing Bill will introduced in Parliament making child criminal exploitation and cuckooing illegal.
Image: Getty Images

Children and vulnerable people who are exploited by gangs for criminal purposes will receive greater protection, with two new criminal offences set to be introduced by the government next week.

Landmark legislation will be brought forward to ban cuckooing, a highly exploitative practice where criminals seize control of a vulnerable person’s home without consent to conduct illegal activities like drug dealing.

Another new offence will be created against adults who use a child to commit criminal activity. Both of these measures will be part of the government’s landmark Crime and Policing Bill, which is set to be introduced in Parliament next week and forms a key part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Current estimates show that approximately 14,500 children were identified as at risk or involved in child criminal exploitation (CCE) in 2023 to 2024, although this is likely an underestimate as many exploited children will not be known to authorities.

However, under current legislation, only a small number of individuals have been charged for using children in criminal activity.

This standalone CCE offence will therefore look to target those adults who unscrupulously groom and exploit children into criminal activity, such as county lines drug running or organised robbery, as well as increasing the opportunities for children to be identified.

Those convicted of committing a CCE offence could face a maximum of 10 years in prison, sending a clear message that this form of child exploitation will never be tolerated.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:

The exploitation of children and vulnerable people for criminal gain is sickening and it is vital we do everything in our power to eradicate it from our streets.

As part of our Plan for Change, we are introducing these two offences to properly punish those who prey on them, ensure victims are properly protected and prevent these often-hidden crimes from occurring in the first place.

These steps are vital in our efforts to stop the grooming and exploitation of children into criminal gangs, deliver on our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade and work towards our overall mission to make our streets safer.

The new legislation also includes the creation of new CCE prevention orders, which may be issued at the end of criminal proceedings or upon application by police.

These bespoke orders will ensure that courts can impose restrictions and requirements on individuals who pose a risk of exploiting a child for criminal purposes, such as limiting their ability to work with children, contact specific people or go to a certain area.

This will help manage the risk of offending, or reoffending, and breach of these orders (or failure to comply with any relevant notification requirements) will also be a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Baroness Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said:

The ruthless criminal exploitation of vulnerable children has been a brutal and lucrative business model for organised criminals for too long.

It has had tragic consequences for thousands of young lives and has devastated families and communities.

This change in the law is long overdue, very welcome, and will save lives.

Mark Russell, Chief Executive at The Children’s Society said:

This new offence is a vital step forward that we have been campaigning for over the years. A standalone crime of child criminal exploitation (CCE) will finally shift the focus onto perpetrators, not victims. For too long, adults who groom children into criminal activity – forcing them to hold drugs or launder money or commit theft – have evaded accountability. Charges such as drug possession ignore the core truth; these are child abusers exploiting vulnerable young people.

To protect the 14,500 children identified at risk last year – and the thousands more unseen – these measures must be backed by three pillars; strong enforcement, training for safeguarding professionals and a statutory definition of CCE to help end the postcode lottery in victim support.

This is how we break cycles of harm: punish the exploiters, prioritise the victims, and put child safety first.

In further measures to better protect vulnerable people, a new offence making cuckooing illegal will also be introduced.

Dame Rachel de Souza, The Children’s Commissioner, said:

As Children’s Commissioner, I know the criminal exploitation of children is a complex type of abuse that causes harm to victims in a way that has for too long been undercounted and poorly understood.

Many children targeted by adult criminals themselves face punishment instead of support. Like too many child victims, they are often ignored and overlooked. Their voices and experiences must be listened to, if we are to create a child-centric justice system that puts safeguarding at its heart.

Introducing this new offence and new prevention orders will help create that much needed clarity that exploited children are victims. I hope this will enable professionals to intervene at far earlier stages of intervention, backed by plans to create a unique identifying number for every child that helps services identify those in need of support.

These measures will be introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill alongside the new CCE offence.

It is commonly associated with drug supply, serious violence and antisocial behaviour, seeing people often with disabilities or those with substance misuse issues targeted by criminals for their own personal gain.

The introduction of this new offence will target individuals who take over the homes of vulnerable people for criminal purposes and punish them for the harm caused. It will carry a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.

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Published 22 February 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash Stockyard Plain

Source: South Australia Police

Police and emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash on the Sturt Highway at Stockyard Plain.

Delays are expected in the area with traffic being diverted via Zigler Road and Sturt and Hunter Road.

Please be patient and avoid the area if possible.

MIL OSI News –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: San Diego Gang Member Sentenced in Organized Crime Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SAN DIEGO – Odyssey Carrillo, a member of the Emerald Hills Bloods gang, was sentenced in federal court today to 168 months in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy involving coordinated violent crimes by street gangs.

Carrillo is the ninth and final member of the conspiracy to be sentenced. He pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity and Hobbs Act Robbery. According to court documents, the crimes committed by the enterprise included armed robbery, sex trafficking, prostitution, violence and other profit-driven illegal activities.

The defendants were charged with racketeering conspiracy – the statute’s original inspiration was to combat organized-crime syndicates and mobsters. But as criminal street gangs have become more sophisticated and prolific in their illicit business pursuits, this statute has become an effective tool to address all aspects of coordinated violent criminal conduct.

Previously sentenced defendants include Jerome Brunson, Cedric Jordan, Stephen Nathaniel Calhoun, Jr., Carl Moore, Maurice Johnson, Dajay Leon Scott, Taashawn Henderson and Sergio Valentin Louden.

In his plea agreement, Carrillo admitted that he joined the conspiracy that engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity that included robbery, prostitution and sex trafficking. Carrillo further admitted to committing racketeering activity himself, including two specific armed robberies.

Carrillo, Calhoun and Moore admitted to participating in the January 19, 2019, armed robbery of San Carlos Jewelers in San Diego and the February 11, 2019, armed robbery of the Bert Levi Family Jewelers in San Diego.

Calhoun also admitted to robbing the Medicine Shoppe in San Diego by gunpoint on May 20, 2019. Calhoun and Moore both admitted to being Lincoln Park Bloods (LPK) gang members; Carrillo admitted to being an Emerald Hills gang member, a Bloods-aligned street gang that often works cooperatively with LPK. Calhoun and Moore were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant to 176 months and 105 months in custody, respectively.

According to their plea agreements, in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy, Jerome Brunson admitted to being an LPK member who participated in the November 19, 2019, armed robbery of a Jared’s jewelry store in National City. Judge Bashant sentenced Brunson to 57 months in custody. Dajay Scott and Sergio Louden admitted to being LPK members who robbed numerous women of their purses outside nail salons in January 2020. Judge Bashant sentenced Scott and Louden to 48 months and 72 months in custody, respectively.

Cedric Jordan, Maurice Johnson, and Taashawn Henderson admitted to being LPK members who, during the course and in furtherance of the conspiracy, engaged in sex offenses related to sex trafficking and transportation for purposes of prostitution. Judge Bashant sentenced Jordan, Johnson, and Henderson to 63 months, 60 months, and 58 months in custody, respectively.

“Every member of our community is put at risk when criminal street gangs engage in armed robberies, sex trafficking, and other violent criminal acts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “This case is the result of outstanding teamwork and collaboration between our local and federal law enforcement partners. We will continue to hold these violent groups accountable, using the RICO tools at our disposal, to bring justice to crime victims and to make our community safer.”

“Today’s sentencing reflects the hard work, determination, and collaboration of multiple agencies to dismantle an organized crime conspiracy,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The violent crime and gang threats are too diverse, too dangerous, and too all-encompassing for any of us to tackle alone. FBI will continue to work with our partners to disrupt violent crime, human traffickers, and violent gangs whose criminal acts devastate our communities.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mario J. Peia, Katherine E. A. McGrath, and Matthew Brehm.

DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 21cr2909-BAS

Jerome Brunson                                              Age: 27                                   San Diego, CA

Cedric Jordan                                        Age: 36                                   San Diego, CA

Stephen Nathaniel Calhoun, Jr.                      Age: 24                                   San Diego, CA

Carl Moore                                                   Age: 34                                   San Diego, CA

Maurice Johnson                                             Age: 34                                   San Diego, CA

Dajay Leon Scott                                            Age: 26                                   San Diego, CA

Taashawn Henderson                                      Age: 29                                   San Diego, CA

Sergio Valentin Louden                                  Age: 36                                   San Diego, CA

Odyssey Carrillo                                             Age: 23                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1962(d)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

Interference with Commerce by Robbery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1951

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

Brandishing a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 924(c)

Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a seven-year mandatory minimum and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

San Diego Police Department

San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

National City Police Department

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Have you seen Geoffrey?

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Police are asking for anyone in the area of Makokomiko Road, Hikumutu, to keep an eye out for missing man Geoffrey Kelly.

Geoffrey’s car was located about 10.30am yesterday (Friday) morning in a ditch on Makokomiko Road, however he was not in the vehicle.

It is believed he may have walked to get assistance and become disoriented, has taken shelter somewhere, or has gotten a lift from a passerby.

He was last seen on Thursday night, wearing grey knee-length shorts, jandals, a tan sweatshirt and glasses.

If you have any information that might help us locate Geoffrey, please call 105 and quote reference number P061689135.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests another illegal alien outside Northampton County Prison, following county’s release and failure to honor immigration detainer

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an illegal alien and Columbian citizen, Feb. 21, after Northampton County Prison refused to honor the ICE immigration detainer request to hold him in a secure location inside prison walls, but instead released the alien into the community.

“Failing to honor immigration detainers jeopardizes public safety and wastes taxpayer funding by forcing ICE to divert significant resources to locate and arrest criminal aliens in unpredictable, high-risk public settings,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “I commend the prison and law enforcement officials in Northampton County for doing what they can to support ICE’s public safety mission, however they are hamstrung by an irresponsible and nonsensical executive order. This order endangers the public, our officers, and the criminal alien themselves. Instead of allowing the safe transfer of the criminal alien directly from local to federal law enforcement custody within the confines of a secure facility, the executive order forces prison staff to hold criminal aliens in their custody for an additional 48 hours, at the expense of Northampton County residents. At the end of the 48-hour period, the county simply releases the criminal alien to the street hoping ICE officials are there to rearrest the alien before they can evade ICE and potentially commit additional crimes.”

The U.S. Border Patrol encountered the alien after he illegally entered the United States in May 2022 near Rio Grande, Texas, without inspection from immigration officials. The Border Patrol arrested, processed, and charged the alien as removable and released him on his own recognizance. The Easton Police Department arrested the alien and charged him with simple assault and harassment Feb. 16.

ICE lodged an immigration detainer with the Northampton County Prison Feb. 18, requesting local officials both notify ICE as early as possible before they release a removable alien and hold the alien for up to 48 hours beyond the time they would ordinarily release him so ICE has time to assume custody in accordance with federal immigration law. Despite his criminal charges and the immigration detainer, the alien was allowed to post bail on Feb. 19 and was released from the prison on Feb. 21.

In another recent case, ICE was forced to arrest a criminal alien and suspected Tren de Aragua gang member Luis Gualdron-Gualdron, whose criminal history included indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age and harassment, after Northampton County Prison was forced to release him into the community Jan. 31, despite an immigration detainer.

“This is an unnecessary recipe for disaster,” said McShane. “Northampton County executives have stated in the past that all ICE needs to do is obtain a judicial warrant. Congress has authorized ICE to issue arrest warrants and copies of these warrants are provided to the county when ICE lodges a detainer, however the Northampton County’s executive order erroneously attempts to invalidate the laws enacted by Congress, by requiring ICE obtain a different type of warrant which is not legally applicable to most aliens that ICE seeks to arrest. By placing this unattainable requirement, a requirement which is not part of the immigration laws enacted by Congress, Northampton County executives place politics over public safety. Despite these unnecessary hurdles, the men and women of ICE, and our federal law enforcement partners, continue to faithfully execute their sworn duties to protect both the residents of Northampton County and the homeland.”

Members of the public with information can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Read about ICE Philadelphia’s mission to increase public safety in our Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia communities on X, @EROPhiladelphia.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Ethete man sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment for second-degree murder

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Kevin Joseph Mendibles, 37, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison with five years of supervised release to follow for second-degree murder. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 19, in Casper. The court also ordered the defendant to pay $8,983.19 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.

According to court documents, on Feb. 25, 2024, the BIA Wind River Police Department was dispatched to a residence in Ethete for a woman who had been beaten badly and was barely breathing. Upon arrival, officers found the victim in a room with multiple stab wounds, blunt force injuries, and lacerations. When EMTs arrived, she had no pulse and was declared deceased. The defendant was interviewed and initially denied involvement but stated the victim had given him a place to live. In a follow-up interview, Mendibles admitted he killed the victim by beating and stabbing her. Mendibles was indicted on May 16, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 26, 2024.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

Case No. 24-CR-00076

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Armed Career Criminal Convicted for Possession of Firearms Linked to Miami-Dade Shootings, Homicide

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MIAMI – After a three-day bifurcated trial, a Miami federal jury found Nathaniel Martin, 45, guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Later that same day, the jury found that Martin qualified as an Armed Career Criminal based on his criminal history, including prior convictions for robbery, cocaine trafficking, and armed robbery.

Based on the evidence at trial, police responded to a market in Miami Gardens based on a tip that a person of interest in an open investigation was camped out in the alley behind that market. When police arrived, they observed Martin sitting in a chair at the end of the alley rifling through a bookbag. Surveillance footage from the interior and exterior of the market showed Martin handling the bookbag, a plastic bag, and other belongings in and around the market. Police later recovered the bookbag, which contained fourteen rounds of live ammunition, and the plastic bag, which contained two semiautomatic pistols and additional ammunition.

Additional evidence at trial included text messages from the day of the arrest in which Martin asked if he could hide his guns under a friend’s bed, DNA evidence for each of the firearms, and recorded jail calls from the day of the arrest in which Martin lamented that police had recovered “the weapons.”

According to other filings in the case, one of the pistols recovered from Martin returned ballistic matches to shell casings recovered from a December 2023 shooting in Miami Gardens and a January 13, 2024 homicide in Miami Gardens.

U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez presided over the trial. Martin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years of imprisonment, and a maximum term of imprisonment up to life. The sentencing hearing has been set for May 2, 2025. Judge Martinez will sentence Martin after a review of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge John F. Dion, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, announced the verdicts.

The ATF and the Miami Gardens Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sterling M. Paulson and Altanese Phenelus are prosecuting the case.

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

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr- 20065.

###

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Robber Sentenced for Stealing 87-Year-Old’s Wallet at a McDonald’s in Northwest D.C.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Aaron Herndon, 39, of Suitland, MD, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for the robbery of an 87-year-old in Northwest D.C. on May 5, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Herndon pleaded guilty on December 17, 2024. Superior Court Judge Jason Park also ordered three years of supervised release.

According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:00 p.m., on May 5, 2024, the 87-year-old victim was purchasing gift cards from the McDonald’s restaurant located at 4100 Wisconsin Avenue NW. Video footage from the restaurant shows the defendant approach the victim from behind, as he was exiting the restroom, and reach into the victim’s jacket pocket, and take his wallet. Multiple witnesses observed Herndon flee on foot. Herndon was subsequently arrested later the same day by law enforcement, wearing the same clothing he wore at the time of the robbery.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Negar Kordestani and Trisha Jhunjhnuwala of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Skopicki.

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Three New Haven Men Guilty of Charges Related to Counterfeit Pill Production, Narcotics Trafficking

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a jury in Hartford has found AQUARIUS GUMBS, also known as “Q,” “Ice,” and “Diamond,” 50; GORDON LAURIA, 54; and MARKOS PAPPAS, also known as “Speedy,” 51; all of New Haven, guilty of offenses related to the large-scale trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills disguised as legitimate prescription medication, as well as other controlled substances.

According to court documents and the evidence presented during the trial, this matter stems from an investigation by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force targeting the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall tablets containing methamphetamine, and the distribution of heroin and cocaine, in the New Haven area. The investigation revealed that Willis Taylor, with the assistance of Lauria, Pappas, Gumbs, and others, coordinated the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit narcotic pills. Taylor distributed the pills to others and arranged counterfeit pill transactions between second and third parties, sometimes using Gumbs as a source of supply. Gumbs also distributed controlled substances to his own customers. After Taylor’s arrest in November 2022, Pappas conspired with others, including Lisa Fausel, of New Haven, to distribute controlled substances.

During the investigation, investigators seized more than two kilograms of fentanyl, including thousands of counterfeit Oxycodone tablets; approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, including thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills; three kilograms of cocaine and other drugs; four pill-press machines; one industrial mixer; five firearms; and more than $200,000 in cash. Two of the firearms and $13,250 in cash were seized from Gumbs, a previously convicted felon, on November 18, 2022.

Fourteen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation.

Today, the jury found Lauria and Gumbs guilty of one count, and Pappas guilty of two counts, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances. Gumbs was also found guilty of one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of cocaine; 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.

The jury found a fourth defendant, Julio Echevarria, of New Haven, not guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances.

Gumbs, Lauria, and Pappas are detained pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

Taylor previously pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. On October 21, 2024, Fausel was sentenced to 42 months of imprisonment.

This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshals Service. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Haven, Hamden, Manchester, Bristol, Fairfield, and Seymour Police Departments. The FBI Task Force includes participants from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten, John T. Pierpont, Jr., Konstantin Lantsman, and Katherine Boyles through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Michael White Sentenced to 100 Years on Federal Charges Related to Murder of Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ABINGDON, Va. – Michael Donivan White was sentenced today to 100 years in federal prison on federal charges related to the November 2021 murder of Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler and a wide-ranging drug conspiracy.

White, 36, of South Carolina, pled guilty to eight counts in relation to the murder of Officer Chandler. Specifically, he pled guilty to one count of causing the death of a person using a firearm, in which the killing was first-degree murder, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of conspiring to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possessing with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of using a place for the purpose of distributing or using a controlled substance, one count of using a communication facility in committing any felony-controlled substance offense, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a stolen firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and using, brandishing and discharging that firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

“Today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Michael White was sentenced to spend the next 100 years of his life in federal prison for murdering Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “No matter how righteous our prosecution was or how just this sentence is, no amount of jail time can bring back Officer Chandler. Our only hope is that today’s sentence brings some level of closure to Officer Chandler’s friends and family, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, and the Southwest Virginia law enforcement community. To all of the men and women who worked tirelessly to bring Michael White and his co-conspirators to justice, the Department of Justice is eternally grateful.”

“We can never bring Officer Michael Chandler back, and no sentence will ever fill the void left in the hearts of his family, friends, law enforcement community, and the Big Stone Gap community. But today’s hearing helped bring some closure to his family. Michael White will spend decades behind bars for the cold-blooded murder of a hero. We will never stop fighting for those who put their lives on the line for our safety and security. Officer Chandler, you will never be forgotten,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “I commend the entire law enforcement community in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee for their dedicated work on this case, including the lead agencies, the Virginia State Police, ATF, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, in addition to all agencies who assisted with this case. This case highlights the important collaboration between our federal and state partners, and I wish to specifically thank Virginia Senior Assistant Attorney General Suzanne Kerney-Quillen for her key role in this case. My office stands firmly with law enforcement across the Commonwealth and will continue to pursue all avenues possible to ensure that anyone who harms or kills a police officer is held fully accountable. I am honored that my office could support the investigation and prosecution concerning the senseless death of Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler.”

“Virginia State Police is pleased to have been able to help bring Michael White to justice and provide some closure to the family and friends of Officer Michael Chandler,” said Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Hanley, Interim Superintendent of Virginia State Police. “Officer Chandler was working to make the Commonwealth a better place and made the ultimate sacrifice.”

“We offer our deepest sympathies to the family, friends, and colleagues of Officer Michael Chandler as they continue to navigate this horrific tragedy “said ATF Washington Field Division Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood. “We hope that this sentencing provides comfort to Officer Chandler’s family. It is also our hope that this sends a clear message of accountability to those that actively engage in violent crime especially when it results in injury or death to those who devote their lives to protecting and serving our communities. Prioritizing violent crime and enforcing federal firearms laws remain at the forefront of our daily mission.”

According to court documents, beginning in August 2021 and continuing even after the time of his arrest, White and 18 other defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, in addition to heroin and fentanyl.

Tragically, at approximately 4:00 a.m. on November 13, 2021, Big Stone Gape Police Officer Michael Chandler responded to a dispatch call at 2505 Orr Street in Big Stone Gap, known locally as “the red house.” Upon arriving at the red house, Officer Chandler encountered a vehicle outside the residence. Officer Chandler requested backup, telling dispatch, “This car is taking off on me.” Inside the vehicle, Michael White told a female co-defendant, Misty Ward, to “get the fu*k out of there” because there were drugs in the vehicle and that “he was not going back to jail.” Ward started to drive off as directed, but then stopped and got out of the vehicle. At that point, White attempted to flee the scene, however the vehicle got stuck in the grass. Officer Chandler approached the vehicle on the driver’s side.

White brandished a Taurus 9mm pistol and immediately fired eight shots through the driver’s side window and door, striking Officer Chandler’s wrist and abdomen just below his bulletproof vest.

Officer Chandler died later that evening from his injuries.

Following the shooting, law enforcement identified White as a suspect. White was later located at a motel in Kingsport, Tennessee and a subsequent search of the motel room found a Taurus, 9mm pistol. Further testing ultimately proved this firearm to be the same one that fired the shots that killed Officer Chandler.

This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, the United States Marshal’s Service, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Norton Virginia Police Department, the Kingsport Tennessee Police Department, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, the Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the East Tennessee Drug Task Force, and the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the Virginia State Police, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, City of Norton Police Department, and Big Stone Gap Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lena L. Busscher and Danielle Stone, as well as Special Assistant United States Attorney and Virginia Senior Assistant Attorney General Suzanne Kerney-Quillen prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Armed Carjacker Indicted on 35 Counts for 2024 Crime Spree

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Lamontee Fowler, 21, of Washington, D.C., was arraigned today on a 35-count indictment filed on February 19, 2025, relating to an armed carjacking spree that occurred in April and May 2024 in Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Fowler was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of armed carjacking, armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, endangerment with a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, and related charges.

According to the government’s evidence, Fowler engaged in a spree of armed carjackings on April 27, 2024, May 2, 2024, and May 8, 2024, all within blocks of each other in Southeast Washington, D.C. On April 27, 2024, he knocked on the window of the victim’s Toyota Rav 4 with the handle of a firearm, ordered the victim out of the driver’s seat, fired the gun, took the victim’s car keys, and fled the scene in the car. On May 2, 2024, he ran up behind the victim after she had exited her Honda Civic, pointed a firearm at the victim’s stomach, demanded her keys, and then fled the scene in her car. On May 8, 2024, he approached the victim after she had parked her Nissan Rogue on the street, brandished a firearm, grabbed her keys, and fled in her car. Then, on May 10, 2024, after arriving at his then-girlfriend’s residence in the carjacked Nissan Rogue, he fired a shot near his then-girlfriend’s father through the driver’s side window of the car. In a search warrant executed at his residence two weeks later, on May 24, 2024, the Metropolitan Police Department found a 9mm ghost gun with a 31-round capacity extended magazine underneath Fowler’s pillow.

At the arraignment today, Fowler was ordered detained by Judge Robert Salerno.

This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Claire Hoover and Sabena Auyeung of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C.

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

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for a Stabbing Outside of a Shelter

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Willie Byrd, 61, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for stabbing another man outside of a shelter in February 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe sentenced Byrd to concurrent sentences of 15 years in prison for aggravated assault while armed and three years in prison for carrying a dangerous weapon, and five years of supervised release. Byrd was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on November 20, 2024.

According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 8:30 pm, on February 28, 2023, Byrd stabbed the victim in the chest with a large fixed-blade knife near the corner of 2^nd and D Streets, N.W. Before the stabbing occurred, the defendant was trying to take money from the victim while attempting to conduct a drug transaction. The victim suffered life-threatening injuries to multiple organs and required surgery and an extended hospital stay. MPD officers and detectives reviewed surveillance video footage of the stabbing from the nearby Federal City Shelter, which led to Byrd’s identification as the assailant. MPD detectives located Byrd inside of the shelter, and he was placed under arrest.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They commended the work those who assisted with the case’s preparation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather and Paralegal Specialist Marcella Trader. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Erica Rudolf and Ella Gladman, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Evans, who investigated the case.

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Three Kootenai County Men Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of Children

Source: US State of Idaho

[BOISE] – Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced investigators with his Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force arrested three North Idaho men after the serving of residential search warrants this past week.
“Our growing network of agency partnerships across the state is showing that, together, we are making a difference in protecting children,” said Attorney General Labrador. “I’m grateful for the efforts of everyone working to keep Idaho’s kids safe from abuse and exploitation.”
On Tuesday February 18th, 2025, Travis McClure (42) was arrested on seven (7) counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material. The Idaho ICAC Task Force was assisted by Coeur d’Alene Police Department and the Kootenai County Prosecutors Office.
On Wednesday February 19th, 2025, Dakotah Kitchen (28) was arrested on seven (7) counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material, two (2) counts of distribution of child sexual exploitation material and one (1) count of possession of visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. The Idaho ICAC Task Force was assisted by Post Falls Police Department, and the Kootenai County Prosecutors Office.
On Thursday, February 20th, 2025, Matthew Cash (43) was arrested on eight (8) counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material, and two (2) counts of possession of visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. The ICAC Task Force was assisted by Coeur d’Alene Police Department, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, and Kootenai County Prosecutors Office.
Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
The Attorney General’s ICAC Unit works with the Idaho ICAC Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet to criminally exploit children. Parents, educators, and law enforcement officials can find more information and helpful resources at the ICAC website, ICACIdaho.org.
The charges listed above are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Homicide investigation launched, Rotongaro

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Attribute to Detective Inspector Daryl Smith

A homicide investigation has been launched following the death of a man in Rotongaro overnight.

Police were called to Hetherington Road at about 10:40pm after receiving reports a male had been stabbed following a roadside altercation. He died at the scene.

A 25-year-old man has been taken into custody and is assisting us with our enquiries.

Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to this matter.

ENDS

issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: San Carlos Man Charged with Arson for Causing Watch Fire on San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Keanu Rudy Dude, 25, an enrolled member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and a San Carlos, Arizona resident, was arrested today on an outstanding indictment issued by a federal grand jury in Phoenix. He is charged with Arson for the July 2024 Watch Fire on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.

The Watch Fire burned over 2,000 acres of land owned by the San Carlos Apache Tribe. Twenty-one homes identified in the indictment were destroyed by the fire. Four hundred families had to be evacuated from their homes and the areas surrounding San Carlos. Dude will have his initial appearance on Monday, February 24, 2025.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the San Carlos Apache Police and Fire Departments and the San Carlos Ranger and Forestry Departments conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER: CR-24-1579-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-022_Dude

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

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Saskatchewan — Saskatchewan RCMP: Recognizing and reporting human trafficking key to holding perpetrators accountable
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Human trafficking isn’t a crime that only happens in big urban centres – it happens in cities and small communities across Saskatchewan.

National Human Trafficking Day in Canada is February 22. It’s important for everyone to recognize the signs of human trafficking and report suspected trafficking to police immediately.

Saskatchewan RCMP’s Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams (SERT) Human Trafficking and Counter Exploitation Unit (HTCEU) is dedicated to targeting offenders and criminal groups engaged in human trafficking.

HTCEU has a partnership with the Regina Police Service (RPS). This collaborative approach provides specialized support to both RCMP detachments and municipal police agencies across the province.

“Ensuring the safety and security of the victim is always the main goal in investigations, that’s why the Saskatchewan RCMP takes a victim-centered, trauma-informed response to human trafficking,” says S/Sgt. Danny Donison, the Saskatchewan RCMP SERT south region manager and head of the HTCEU.

“Saskatchewan residents know their communities better than anyone else. Recognizing and reporting suspected trafficking is essential when it comes to holding perpetrators accountable.”

How to recognize and report human trafficking

Saskatchewan RCMP reminds the public that anyone can be a target for human trafficking. Victims may be trafficked by someone they know: a former or current partner, family member, friend, or trustworthy person. Recruiting tactics can be subtle; often victims don’t even know they’re being trafficked.

A victim of human trafficking may display one or more of the following signs:
- They don’t have access to their ID, passport or cell phone;
- are under the age of 18 and travelling with an adult who is not their parent or legal guardian;
- aren’t familiar with their surroundings or aware of what city or town they’re in;
- appear to be in a controlling or abusive relationship;
- exhibit signs of trauma, such as burns, bruises or cuts; or
- show signs of malnourishment or fatigue.
Traffickers may approach potential victims by:
- pretending to be a potential love interest, friend or support person;
- connecting over social media or in person;
- offering gifts or money;
- introducing drugs or alcohol; or
- threatening potential victims’ loved ones if they don’t comply.
Additional information on recognizing human trafficking can be found here.

If you suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking, call 310-RCMP or your local police immediately to report it.

In addition to contacting the RCMP, the public can also contact the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010. This hotline is confidential, available 24/7 and offers services in more than 200 languages. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

MIL Security OSI –
February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Prince Albert — Prince Albert RCMP: do you recognize this suspect?

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Prince Albert RCMP is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect in a suspicious fire.

On December 16, 2024 at approximately noon, Prince Albert RCMP received a report of a structure fire at a permanently-closed service station on Highway #3, west of Prince Albert.

Buckland Fire and Rescue responded to the fire, which caused significant damage to the building. Prince Albert RCMP assisted at the scene.

Investigation determined the fire had been deliberately set. Prince Albert RCMP obtained video surveillance of a suspect and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying and locating them. Photos of the suspect are attached.

Prince Albert RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of fire investigators from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

Anyone with information about this incident should contact Prince Albert RCMP at 310-RCMP. Information can be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: First Responders – Fire and Emergency responds to church fires in Masterton

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews have attended four church fires in Masterton this morning, which started between 4.25am and 4.35am.

The churches are: Anglican Church Of The Epiphany, St Patrick’s Catholic Church Masterton, Masterton Baptist Church and Equippers Church Masterton.

Damage to the churches ranged from moderate to significant.

Crews responded from across the Wairarapa region and from as far away as Avalon Station.

The fires are being treated as suspicious and have been referred to Police.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Bradenton Convicted Felon Sentenced To More Than Eight Years In Federal Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Star Stewart (39, Bradenton) to eight years and nine months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Stewart was convicted following a bench trial on November 20, 2023.

According to evidence presented at trial and in court documents, on November 4, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Service Florida Regional Task Force sought to arrest Stewart at a residence in Bradenton pursuant to a state warrant. When the officers arrived, they observed Stewart on the back patio. Stewart fled inside the house, but was quickly located and arrested. The officers recovered a Glock 19 with an extended magazine containing 33 rounds of ammunition left behind where Stewart had been seated on the back patio. Stewart later admitted that he had possessed the firearm. As a convicted felon, Stewart is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Kenneth and Charlie D. Connally. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench.

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

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Armed Robber Who Also Assaulted a Correctional Officer Gets 104 Month Prison Term

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Donnell Godfrey, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, to 72 months in prison for robbing a stranger at gunpoint and a consecutive 32 months in prison for assaulting a D.C. Department of Corrections officer while incarcerated at the D.C. Jail, for a combined sentence of 104 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Godfrey pleaded guilty to one count of robbery while armed with a firearm in May 2024 and one count of assault with significant bodily injury in November 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

According to the government’s evidence, on November 21, 2023, at approximately 3:27 a.m., Godfrey and two other individuals approached a stranger on a residential street. The victim was parking his car and had just exited his vehicle. Godfrey and the two other individuals, all armed with firearms, pointed their guns at the victim and demanded his property. Godfrey and the two other assailants stole the victim’s phone and car keys, demanding that he unlock his phone and let them into his home. The victim refused. Godfrey and the two other assailants returned to their vehicle with the victim’s stolen phone and drove away. The victim tracked his stole phone to a nearby location, where the officers apprehended Godfrey and a co-defendant. A black Glock pistol, the victim’s phone, and keys to a Nissan vehicle were recovered from Godfrey’s pockets. The victim positively identified Godfrey as one of his assailants. Officers canvassed the area near the location where Godfrey was apprehended and located a Nissan Maxima, which was reported stolen the prior day, November 20, 2023, during a gunpoint armed carjacking.

Furthermore, on April 24, 2024, while incarcerated at D.C. Jail on the above-mentioned armed robbery case, Godfrey assaulted a correctional officer. The officer was monitoring inmates during an education period when Godfrey attempted to turn on a television. When the officer instructed Godfrey not to turn on the television, Godfrey responded by retrieving a broom, despite having no custodial duties at the time. After remarking that he should smack the officer, Godfrey proceeded to hold the broom like a baseball bat and swung it directly into the officer’s face. The blow caused the officer to suffer a fractured orbital bone in his left eye socket area and a fractured jaw, requiring two surgeries and additional treatment, during which the officer was unable to work for months.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Department of Corrections. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Toogun, Valerie Tsesarenko and Ariel Lieberman, who investigated and prosecuted the cases.

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Dauphin County Man Sentenced to 97 Months’ Imprisonment for Receipt of Images Containing the Sexual Exploitation of a Child

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dylan Ruppert, age 29, formerly of Halifax, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 20, 2025, to 97 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, for receiving images containing sexual exploitation of a child.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on August 11, 2023, law enforcement recovered approximately 65 electronic files of child pornography from Ruppert’s phone during a search of his home. Law enforcement also recovered electronic communications from Ruppert to another individual in which Ruppert discussed his desire to groom a child to engage in sexual activity.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Varley prosecuted the case.

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MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Carjacker Sentenced to 96-Month Prison Term for Carjacking Valet Driver in Southeast Washington

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Raymond Davese, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for carjacking a valet driver using a taser, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Davese pleaded guilty on November 13, 2024, before D.C. Superior Court Judge Heidi M. Pasichow, to one count of carjacking and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.

According to the government’s evidence, Davese carjacked a valet driver on June 7, 2024. The victim had just parked a client’s SUV in the parking garage at 221 Tingey Street Southeast when Davese attacked her from behind, put her in a headlock, and deployed a taser into her neck. After Davese brought the victim to the ground, he took the keys from her and drove away in the SUV. Davese crashed the SUV a short distance later, and was apprehended on the scene by members of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Davese has been in custody since his arrest on June 7, 2024.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, and the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parron, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Four Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Prison for Mailing, Distributing Methamphetamine and Cocaine Throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., announced that four members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that mailed methamphetamine and cocaine to, and distributed it throughout, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, including in Reading, Quakertown, Bensalem, Plymouth Township, Coopersburg, and elsewhere, have been sentenced to prison by United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson.

In January 2024, the defendants were charged by indictment with drug trafficking offenses. They entered guilty pleas late last year.

Aived Abel Garcia, aka “Nephew,” 26, of Chula Vista, California, was sentenced today by Judge Wolson to 70 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in the drug trafficking organization.

Miguel Aliaga, aka “Migz,” 37, of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, and Avrian Haywood Mack, aka “The Kid,” 22, of Reading, Pennsylvania, were both sentenced earlier this month to 60 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

The DTO’s leader, Michael Sanchez, aka “West Coast,” 33, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced in January to 14½ years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

Members of the DTO mailed the drugs from California to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where members of the organization would then pick up the packages for subsequent distribution to their dealers.

Sanchez organized and managed the DTO, overseeing the drug shipments. Garcia would travel from California to Pennsylvania to pick up the packages of narcotics, collect money owed to the DTO, and deposit it into a bank account. He, Mack, and Aliaga then distributed bulk amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine for the organization.

“These defendants took part in a cross-country conspiracy that brought significant amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine from California to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Thayer. “This office and our law enforcement partners at every level will continue to investigate and prosecute such traffickers, as we work to take illegal drugs off the street and make our communities safer.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia’s El Dorado Task Force, HSI Allentown, HSI Los Angeles, HSI San Diego, HSI LAX, Bucks County District Attorney’s Office Drug Strike Force, Quakertown Borough Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Richland Township Police Department, Liberty Mid-Atlantic High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Berks County Detectives, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Bensalem Police Department, Montgomery County Detectives, and the Orange County Probation Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lizmar Bosques and Special Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Gannon, specially assigned from the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to 10+ Years in Federal Prison for Robbery Committed While on Supervised Release

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

A serial bank robber who robbed three banks while on supervised release for a prior bank robbery conviction was sentenced Thursday to more than 10 years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

Taurick Demon Walker, 43, was charged via criminal complaint in August 2023 and indicted the following month. He pleaded guilty in October 2024 to bank robbery and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 105 months for the bank robbery plus 24 months for violating the conditions of his supervised release – which prohibited committing any felonies – for a total of 129 months in federal prison.

According to court records, Mr. Walker was convicted of bank robbery in March 2018 and sentenced to six years in federal prison. He served his time and was released in March 2023.

Just five months after his release, on Aug. 10, 2023, Mr. Walker entered a Regions Bank in Irving, passed a teller a note, and demanded “all your money now.” The teller handed over a wad of cash and Mr. Walker fled the scene.

Eight days later, on Aug. 18, Mr. Walker robbed two other banks: a Truist Bank in Dallas and a Wells Fargo in Garland. On both occasions, he approached a teller and pressed a note against the glass that read “Bank Robbery 20,000.”

Investigators were able to link Mr. Walker to both robberies using a network of FLOCK license plate readers.

In an interview with law enforcement, a family member told police she recognized a cowboy hat worn during one of the robberies as Mr. Walker’s.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas, Garland, and Irving Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Withers prosecuted the case..

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025