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Category: Police

  • MIL-OSI Security: Washington County Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – David Dion, age 47, of Greenwich, New York, pled guilty today to charges that he distributed and possessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

    Dion admitted that from July 2023 to January 2024, he distributed images and videos of CSAM via an encrypted chat messenger to another person, and possessed images of CSAM on five electronic devices on February 28, 2024, when his residence was searched. He also admitted that he produced morphed images of CSAM by using non-pornographic images of known children and superimposing the faces of those children onto other images of CSAM he found on the Internet to create an adapted or modified depiction of an identifiable minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Dion possessed more than 130,000 images of CSAM across his devices.

    Sentencing is currently scheduled for June 13, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Dion faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Dion may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses and forfeit the devices used in the offenses. Dion will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

    The FBI and NYSP are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.

    Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Cocaine Trafficker Is Sentenced To Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced an armed cocaine trafficker to five years in prison, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Cleveland Pegues, 40, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after he is released from prison.

    Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and court proceedings, on March 15, 2023, CMPD officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a black Honda Accord for a traffic violation. The driver of the vehicle initially pulled over, but as the officers exited their vehicle the driver took off at a high rate of speed. As the vehicle sped away, the officers observed a bag being thrown from the passenger window. Officers recovered the bag which contained quantities of marijuana and cocaine. The officers also conducted a search of the area where the vehicle had traveled and located a stolen and loaded firearm. During the investigation, the officers determined that the driver of the vehicle was Pegues.

    According to filed documents, on March 29, 2023, while surveilling Pegues, officers observed the defendant walking toward a truck, carrying bags. When Pegues saw the officers, he attempted to flee on foot, but he was quickly taken into custody. Court records show that Pegues had been carrying a shopping bag and a satchel. Officers searched the satchel, where they found a Pietro Beretta, Model 96A1, .40 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber and 10 rounds in the magazine; a stolen Smith and Wesson, Model 66, 357 Magnum revolver loaded with six rounds; and a Beretta magazine loaded with six rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Inside the shopping bag, officers found multiple plastic bags containing over 100 grams of cocaine packaged for distribution, quantities of MDMA and cocaine base, and more than half a kilogram of marijuana packaged in several bags. The officers also found digital scales and cash. Court documents show that law enforcement executed a search warrant at Pegues apartment, where they seized $7,000 in U.S. currency, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and a money counter.

    On August 29, 2024, Pegues pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Pegues will remain in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a designated facility.

    In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 2013 Stranger Armed Rape Solved by Maryland DNA Upon Arrest Law Results in Guilty Verdict

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON –Samuel Peaks, 36, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of one count of first degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances for a February 12, 2013 assault of a stranger in the 4400 block of Gault Place, NE, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

                Sentencing is scheduled in front of Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz for May 2, 2025. Peaks faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

                According to the government’s evidence that was presented at trial, at approximately 6:00 a.m., on February 12, 2013, Peaks encountered the victim at the Minnesota Ave. Metro and tried to speak with her. The victim rejected his advances and walked away. The defendant followed her, brandished a gun, forced her to put a condom on his penis, and perform a sexual act on him. Peaks threw the condom on the ground afterward. The victim immediately reported to police, who responded and recovered the condom.

                The condom was timely tested for DNA in 2013 and resulted in a mixture of DNA from the victim and an unknown male. The case was pending without an identification of a suspect until the defendant was arrested for an attempted homicide in Maryland in 2020, where his DNA was collected pursuant to Maryland’s DNA upon arrest law and entered into CODIS.

                The defendant’s DNA was compared to the male profile from the seized condom developed in the 2013 DNA testing and was determined to be a match.

                This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

                The case was investigated by Assistant United States Attorney Amy Zubrensky and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Folse and Raha Mokhtari, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Student Doctor Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A former student doctor pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material.

    According to court documents, Kevin Weiss, 28, admitted to producing an image of child sexual abuse material of a minor under age 18 by employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing that minor. Weiss also admitted he possessed other child sexual abuse material, including some showing very young children.

    At sentencing, Weiss faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and not more than 50 years, followed by a minimum of 5 years and up to a term of life of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.

    Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Meg Tomlinson are prosecuting 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Praise Sri Lanka’s Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, Ask about Legislation on Child Marriage and Domestic Violence

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the ninth periodic report of Sri Lanka, with Committee Experts praising the State’s national action plan on women, peace and security, and raising questions about the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, which permitted child marriage, and domestic violence.

    One Committee Expert said the national action plan on women, peace and security was a positive step in addressing the needs of women in conflict.  Were there plans to conduct a mid-term assessment of the plan?

    Yamila González Ferrer, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, said that the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act was amended in 2022, but there were still concerns about elements of the law.  Were there plans to further amend the law, including to ban child marriage?

    Another Committee Expert said at least one in five women in Sri Lanka had experienced violence from an intimate partner, and many did not report it.  What was the timeline for adopting proposed amendments to the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act?  What protections were provided to women victims of violence?

    Introducing the report, Saroja Savitri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs of Sri Lanka and head of the delegation, said the Sri Lankan Government was committed to upholding the rights of women and girls and advancing gender equality.  This review held particular significance, as it was the country’s first engagement with an international human rights treaty body since the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2024.

    Ms. Paulraj said Sri Lanka’s first national action plan for women, peace and security for 2023 to 2027 had been launched.  The Government was committed to realising the full promise of the women, peace and security agenda.  The delegation added that the action plan addressed displacement, and women’s protection, security and participation in peacebuilding.  The State party was planning to conduct a review of the implementation of the action plan.

    On the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, the delegation said the Government had conducted consultations regarding its amendment.  It was trying to strike a balance between women’s and children’s rights and cultural rights.  Ms. Paulraj added that the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus had suggested setting a minimum age for marriage and establishing a multi sectoral committee to address this issue.

    On domestic violence, the delegation said the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act had been amended; the amended Act would come into force this year.  The Assistance to Victims Act underlined the rights of victims to be treated with respect and privacy, and to request legal, medical and psychosocial assistance.  A toll-free hotline operated by female officers was available for reporting domestic violence.

    In closing remarks, Ms. Paulraj said the Sri Lankan Government had undertaken significant efforts to strengthen women’s empowerment.  It was fully committed to addressing the issues that women faced in the State and would continue to engage with the Committee constructively.

    In her concluding remarks, Nahla Haidar, Committee Chair, said that the State party had shared candidly and transparently the progress made and difficulties it was facing.  She commended the State party for its efforts and encouraged it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all Sri Lankan women and girls.

    The delegation of Sri Lanka consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs; Attorney General’s Department; Sri Lanka Police; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism; and the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Sri Lanka at the end of its ninetieth session on 21 February.  All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, 14 February to consider the sixth periodic report of Liechtenstein (CEDAW/C/LIE/6).

    Report

    The Committee has before it the ninth periodic report of Sri Lanka (CEDAW/C/LKA/9).

    Presentation of Report

    SAROJA SAVITRI PAULRAJ, Minister of Women and Child Affairs of Sri Lanka and head of the delegation, said the Sri Lankan Government was committed to upholding the rights of women and girls and advancing gender equality.  This review held particular significance, as it was the country’s first engagement with an international human rights treaty body since the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2024 and the formation of the new Government in Sri Lanka.  Sri Lanka was proud to have a member from Sri Lanka in the Committee, Rangita de Silva de Alwis.  Her contribution to this Committee’s work was highly appreciated.

    Ms. Paulraj said she was the first Tamil Member of Parliament elected from the Southern Province, which had a predominantly Sinhala community.  Women’s representation in Sri Lanka’s Parliament had risen from 4.8 to 9.7 per cent with the election of 22 female members in November 2024.  These women included individuals from the working class and marginalised communities, including, for the first time in history, two women from the Malayaga community. 

    Sri Lanka was proud to have its third female Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.  One of the Government’s key electoral pledges had been to ensure the equal representation of women in Government. Appointing a woman to the post of Deputy Chairman of Committees of Parliament for the first time was another milestone.  The Sri Lankan judiciary also had a high percentage of women at senior levels. Thirty-two per cent of Ambassadors in Sri Lanka were women.  Across all levels of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic service, women were in the majority. During the reporting period, Sri Lanka Police appointed four female Deputy Inspectors General of Police and the first female Director of the Criminal Investigation Department.  Many women had been appointed to the Government’s decision-making councils, commissions and boards.

    The Government had made a policy commitment to reduce the burden of unpaid care work for women. Women played a crucial role in driving the economy in Sri Lanka, with their contributions being essential in generating income across key sectors.  Women made up most of the workforce in industries such as garments, plantations, and as migrant workers.  For the first time, a woman had been appointed as the Chairperson of the Sri Lankan Apparel Exporters Association in the corporate sector.

    The Government had introduced several initiatives to support economic recovery and empower citizens, particularly focusing on women and youth.  One notable proposal was the establishment of a new development bank aimed at providing new entrepreneurs, including rural and disadvantaged women, with loans without the requirement for collateral.  The Sri Lanka Women’s Bureau was the national mechanism implementing projects and programmes for the social and economic development of women from national to grassroots level.

    The Women Empowerment Act of 2024 introduced mechanisms to give effect to the obligations undertaken by Sri Lanka in relation to the Convention, and defined women’s right to equality and non-discrimination.  A key component of this Act was to establish an independent National Commission on Women, and to provide provisions for the appointment of a Woman Ombudsperson on ensuring women’s rights and setting up a National Fund for Women. 

    The Land Development (Amendment) Act of 2022 had brought in provisions to ensure gender equality and non-discrimination in land inheritance.  The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus had suggested setting a minimum age for marriage and establishing a multi sectoral committee to address this issue.

    Addressing sexual and gender-based violence was a key priority for the Government.  It would establish mechanisms to prioritise and expedite the resolution of cases involving sexual offences against women and minors, ensuring that victims received timely redress.  The progress review of the first national action plan to address sexual and gender-based violence for the period 2016-2020 found a 70 per cent level of implementation.  Thereafter, a second plan for the period 2024-2028 was launched in 2024.  This plan focused on prevention programmes in schools, places of work, and community-based initiatives, as well as programmes on engaging men to address gender-based violence. 

    Children and Women Desks had been newly established in police stations, and the Government would also double the allocation for 2025 for the establishment and expansion of shelter homes for women.

    Sri Lanka’s first national action plan for women, peace and security for 2023 to 2027 had been launched.  The action plan was developed through an inclusive process of broad consultations with survivors of conflict and vulnerable women and children.  The Government was committed to realising the full promise of the women, peace and security agenda. 

    Technology-facilitated gender-based violence was another pressing challenge that Sri Lanka was facing.  The Government was working to implement stronger laws and policies to protect individuals from privacy violations, online stalking, and hate speech.  Sri Lanka was a party to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which focused on addressing online and technology-facilitated violence against women.  The Online Safety Act of 2024 aimed to protect the vulnerable sections of the society in line with international standards.

    Sri Lanka was committed to upholding human rights, gender equality, and social justice.  Its foremost priority was to ensure that no one was left behind.  Sri Lankan women had been active participants in the country’s development agenda and the Government was committed to addressing existing challenges and supporting women to carry out this role.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    YAMILA GONZÁLEZ FERRER, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, said that Sri Lanka’s Constitution established that all persons had the right to live free from discrimination. However, this was not yet a reality. Sri Lanka was in the process of drafting a new Constitution.  Were there plans to incorporate the rights of women and girls into the Constitution? Proposals had been made to reform criminal laws to remove discriminatory provisions affecting women related to marriage. What progress had been made in this regard?

    The national human rights institution had “A” status under the Paris Principles.  What actions had it implemented to protect women’s rights? Were its complaints mechanisms effective?  Were there plans to update the national action plan on human rights?  There were several obstacles limiting the capacity of the judicial system to protect women affected by sexual and gender-based violence and domestic violence.  How was the State party strengthening the judiciary and reducing trial times?

    The death penalty was legal in Sri Lanka.  Although there was a de facto moratorium in place, courts continued to sentence women to death, often not considering mitigating circumstances such as gender-based violence.  Could the State party provide data on women sentenced to death?  Had the Convention been invoked before the courts?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said that the Constitution guaranteed the right to non-discrimination.  Violations of fundamental rights could be brought before the Supreme Court, which had drawn reference to the Convention in some of its determinations.  In one case, it had held that equality could be seriously impaired when women were subjected to workplace gender-based violence.  The Women’s Commission was mandated to introduce mechanisms to give effect to Convention obligations.

    There were several mechanisms in place facilitating access to justice.  The Legal Commission of Sri Lanka provided free legal services to citizens who had incomes of less than 40,000 rupees.  This threshold did not apply for cases of a domestic nature. The Human Rights Commission and the Women’s Commission were empowered to receive complaints related to human rights violations directly from victims, investigate the matter, and make recommendations.  Financial assistance and counselling were provided to women victims of violence. The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act allowed for victims to make complaints directly to the police.

    Sri Lanka had maintained a moratorium on the death penalty since 1978.  The Supreme Court had intervened in the past to prevent the death penalty from being carried out.  A recent amendment to the Penal Code increased the minimum age from which the death penalty could be applied from 16 to 18 years.

    Many efforts had been made to implement the Committee’s previous concluding observations.  The Government had established a coordinating committee to follow-up on the Committee’s concluding observations, in collaboration with civil society.  In 2022, legislation on marriage and divorce was amended to remove all provisions permitting the marriage of a minor with parents’ permission. Legislation on inheritance had also been revised to remove its gender components.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    YAMILA GONZÁLEZ FERRER, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, said that the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act was amended in 2022, but there were still concerns about elements of the law addressing abortion and rape.  Were there plans to further amend the law?  Was work underway to ensure that authorities could mainstream a gender perspective in measures promoting access to justice?

    Another Committee Expert congratulated the Government on appointing a woman Prime Minister.  Ms. de Silva’s contributions enriched the Committee. The national action plan on women, peace and security was a positive step in addressing the needs of women in conflict.  However, challenges remained in this field.  Were there plans to conduct a mid-term assessment of the plan?  How would the Government ensure accountability for past conflict-related gender-based violence and ensure the rights of victims to protest and mourn publicly?

    Non-governmental organizations faced financial and regulatory obstructions.  How would the State party support women human rights defenders and remove restrictions on the activities of civil society?

    One Committee Expert welcomed measures for increasing the political representation of women, but said the Committee was concerned by the low level of representation of women in public and private life.  She commended the quota of 25 per cent representation for local government bodies, but said this was not in line with the Committee’s recommendation of 50 per cent representation.  The Expert further commended an initiative to enhance the incomes of women in the agricultural sector.  Had this initiative been successful?  What affirmative actions had been implemented in other sectors?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Government had conducted consultations regarding the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act.  It was trying to strike a balance between women’s and children’s rights and cultural rights, and was working to ensure that the law reflected the views of the people.  There was constant training of police officers and the judiciary on the Convention.  Persons who caused a woman to miscarry, except to save the life of the woman, were punished, but the Government was considering legal amendments in this regard.

    Sri Lanka’s civil society had made important contributions to the protection of human rights.  The window in which civil society could challenge bills had been extended from seven to 14 days.  Freedom of expression, speech and assembly were protected in the Constitution. The Government was committed to protecting the freedom of expression of civil society.  It had simplified administrative requirements for registering non-governmental organizations.  Regulatory measures were needed to prevent non-governmental organizations from engaging in money laundering and financing of terrorism. Complaints could be made regarding infringements of the rights of human rights defenders to the Supreme Court, the National Police Commission, the Women’s Ombudsperson, and the Human Rights Commission, which had produced guidelines on the protection of human rights defenders.

    Women were selected to leadership roles on public bodies on merit.  Their representation was improving.  Sri Lanka had had the world’s first woman Prime Minister.  There was no quota for appointments to roles in the public sector, but over 50 per cent of prosecutors were women.  The Government had conducted several awareness raising campaigns encouraging women’s participation in public life.  Diploma programmes were developed to train women to participate in political roles, and a forum had been held to advocate for increased representation of women in trade unions.  Leadership courses had been held for minority women.  Women’s representation in local government had risen to 25 per cent in 2018, thanks to the quota enacted in 2017.  The Government aimed to increase the representation of women in Parliament and provincial councils to 30 per cent.

    The women, peace and security action plan addressed displacement, and women’s protection, security and participation in peacebuilding.  A steering committee had been established to implement the plan and make policy recommendations.  The State party was planning to conduct a review of the implementation of the action plan.

    The Government was developing a truth and reconciliation process that had the people’s trust.  The Office for Reparations had reviewed more than 6,000 complaints, tracing around 180 missing persons and helping over 4,000 families to access remedies.  Investigation results were accessible to the public.  The national reparations policy was tabled in Parliament in 2022.  It included provisions for memorialisation. The Office provided livelihood support, land rights, housing, psychosocial support and measures to prevent violence.  Payments had been provided for over 11,000 individuals across various categories. An independent body had also been established to conduct investigations into historic violations.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert congratulated Sri Lanka on having the first female Prime Minister in the world and on electing its third female Prime Minister.  The State party needed to consider temporary special measures such as quotas to improve women’s representation in various fields.  Would the State party increase its 25 per cent quota for Parliament and other bodies?

    Another Committee Expert said gender stereotypes perpetuated inequalities in Sri Lanka.  What actions had been taken by the State party to promote gender equality in school curricula and tackle gender stereotypes? What was the timeline for amending the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act to ban child marriage?

    At least one in five women in Sri Lanka had experienced violence from an intimate partner, and many did not report it. Women who sought justice faced discriminatory treatment in the judicial system.  What was the timeline for adopting proposed amendments to the Domestic Violence Act?  How would the State party address barriers to women victims accessing justice?  Were gender courts available in rural areas? What protections were provided to women victims of violence?  Courts did not recognise marital rape and girls over age 16 were not protected from statutory rape.  How would the State party ensure that all girls without exception were protected from rape?

    One Committee Expert welcomed the national action plan to combat trafficking, the Witness Protection Act, and a fund to compensate victims of violence.  Was the unit working to prevent trafficking a militarised unit? Most persons trafficked to the Middle East were female domestic workers.  Traffickers recruited women and girls from rural areas and forced them to work in the commercial sex industry in urban areas.  Law enforcement lacked proper training on identifying trafficking. What measures were in place to ensure the protection of victims who reported trafficking crimes?  Were there efforts being made to reduce the evidence threshold for declaring trafficking crimes?  How did the State party ensure that victims of trafficking were not criminalised?  Did police officers receive training on trafficking and labour rights?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act had been amended and would come into force this year. The Assistance to Victims Act provided for the establishment of a national authority for the protection of victims and witnesses.  It underlined the rights of victims to be treated with respect and privacy, and to request legal, medical and psychosocial assistance.  Female victims could request investigating officers of a particular gender.

    The police had implemented specialised protective units and a targeted programme that encouraged increased reporting of domestic violence and reduced death rates.  A toll-free hotline operated by female officers was available for reporting domestic violence.

    The National Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce coordinated police actions to investigate trafficking in persons. The Taskforce included members of various Government departments; it was not a militarised entity.  There was also an anti-trafficking desk within the Ministry of Defence.  The Government operated a shelter for female victims of trafficking, which provided health, food and other support services.  Awareness raising campaigns on the importance of reporting trafficking crimes were in place.  Trafficking in persons was an offence in the Penal Code.  Persons who committed or conspired to commit trafficking offences were liable for a penalty of between three to 15 years imprisonment. 

    Persons who committed rape were punished with imprisonment for no less than seven years, or no less than 15 years when the victim was under 16.  A man who had a non-consensual sexual relationship with a woman who was formerly his wife was criminalised.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    One Committee Expert asked whether marital rape had been criminalised, and if not, when it would be.  Were there plans to provide specific services for victims of technologically-assisted gender-based violence and to provide training to stakeholders on this issue?

    YAMILA GONZÁLEZ FERRER, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, asked how awareness raising campaigns promoted the rights of women in vulnerable situations.

    Another Committee Expert said that in 2023, 51 per cent of harmful speech online targeted women.  Women’s rights groups and even the Prime Minister were targeted by online hate speech.  How did legislation protect women and rights groups online?  Some social media platforms had not removed harmful content due to high thresholds for removal.  Did the State party plan to hold these platforms to account to protect women?  Thirty-two per cent of Ambassadors were female, though women made up more than half of the foreign service.  How would the State party support women to become Ambassadors?  Many transgender women faced barriers in accessing residence certificates and the right to vote.  How was the State party addressing these barriers?

    Another Committee Expert said Sri Lankan women who married foreigners faced barriers in passing their nationality to their children.  What measures were in place to ensure that women could transmit their nationality on par with their male counterparts?  Tamil women, women in rural zones, and displaced women often lacked documentation to prove their nationality.  Lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women faced discrimination from police and confronted obstacles in obtaining gender recognition papers.  Children born to foreign parents did not obtain Sri Lankan nationality, raising issues of statelessness for plantation workers.  How was the State addressing these issues?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said statutory rape was currently rape of persons aged up to 16 years.  Marital rape was not currently criminalised.  The Online Safety Act aimed to promote safety for women and girls online.  The Cybercrime Investigation Unit was tasked with handling all cyber-related complaints, including those related to sexual and gender-based violence and online child exploitation.  It acted swiftly to remove harmful online content, including from social media platforms. Women could submit complaints of online abuse through email and hotlines.  The Act established an independent Online Safety Commission that could issue directives to internet service providers, requiring them to respond to discriminatory online acts.  The Commission could also disable users, remove offending content, and seek internet intermediaries to disclose the identities of offenders.

    Women played a significant role in diplomatic representation at all levels.  They accounted for more than 50 per cent of diplomatic mission staff, so it was likely that women would account for more than 50 per cent of Ambassadors in future.

    Freedom of expression was recognised in the Constitution, but this right was not without limitation.  It could not be used to infringe on the rights of others. Hate speech against political candidates could be reported to the Elections Commission, as well as the Women’s Commission and the Human Rights Commission.

    The conferment of citizenship was previously linked to fathers in legislation; however, this had been amended to allow for citizenship to be conferred by both parents.  Citizenship could be provided to stateless children by the State.  There was no legal impediment to persons obtaining birth certificates.  Tamils of Indian origin would be recognised as Sri Lankan citizens.  The Government was considering programmes to provide permanent residency to members of the Malayaga community, and the members of Parliament from this community could take up this issue in the legislature.  There were measures to identify stateless children and register them. Mobile units were in place that supported birth registration for families living on plantations.

    The family background report system had been criticised as being discriminatory, placing the burden of childcare on women.  In 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers removed the mandatory family background report for women seeking work abroad and lowered the age limit for them.  The Government was supporting access to caretakers for children aged two and above.  It sought to support both women and men to seek work overseas without compromising their family’s welfare.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    One Committee Expert asked whether the Online Services Act was effective.  Had there been any prosecutions under it?  What was the State party doing to implement local elections, which had not been held since 2018, and to support women’s participation in those elections?

    A Committee Expert asked whether the period of free birth registration would be extended.

    One Committee Expert said Sri Lanka had made achievements regarding girls’ education.  Girls’ literacy rate was over 90 per cent, which was much higher than many other countries in the region.  However, child marriages remained a challenge in rural communities and were a major reason for girls dropping out of schools.  The COVID-19 pandemic also affected girls in rural areas, as they had limited opportunities to participate in online education.  The computer literacy rate on plantations was less than half that of other regions. 

    Stereotypes hindered the access of Muslim women and girls to education.  What measures had the State party taken to combat dropouts of girls in primary and secondary education?  What measures were in place to promote gender mainstreaming in education? How did the State party ensure that girls of all religions could access education?  What activities were carried out to prevent stereotypes in education?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Online Safety Act was a new law.  There had yet to be prosecutions under the law.  The related Commission would soon be set up and would be able to investigate complaints.

    Every citizen over the age of 18 who was qualified to be an elector could become one.  Sri Lanka had established an independent Election Commission that could investigate complaints of violations and issue sanctions. The Supreme Court had upheld the right to vote and held that any impediment to such was a violation.  The law on local government elections was being revised; once this had concluded, local elections could be held.

    The education system was committed to ensuring equal access for all students, regardless of gender.  The provision of free school meals and textbooks allowed for girls from poor families to pursue their education.  The State party was committed to reducing the burden that education placed on parents.  Education was compulsory until age 16.  An initiative to provide girls with sanitary pads was implemented in 2024, benefitting 800,000 girls.  Scholarships were provided to girls from low-income families to participate in technology studies.  There had been an increase in the share of girls participating in science, technology, engineering and maths courses in university in recent years; the share was currently 37 per cent.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert commended the State party for establishing sexual harassment committees and creating a labour complaints mechanism.  Most women worked in the informal sector, where they lacked labour rights and were vulnerable to abuse.  Many informal sector workers lacked access to social security, leave and childcare services. What measures were in place to protect the rights of women in the informal sector?  Did the State party plan to establish mechanisms to allow domestic workers to seek redress in cases of abuse?  Were there plans to extend paid maternity leave to at least 14 weeks and promote shared parental leave?  Were there plans to ratify International Labour Organization Conventions 181, 189 and 190?  The number of Sri Lankan migrant domestic workers had increased in recent years. These workers often faced abuse from their employers.  How were these workers informed about their rights and protected from abuse? 

    Another Committee Expert commended Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening public health care. Persistent barriers obstructed women’s sexual and reproductive health rights.  How would State policies address these barriers?  Restrictive laws forced many women to resort to unsafe abortions. What steps had been taken to ensure women’s safe access to abortion?  What measures were in place to prevent forced sterilisation and ensure informed consent? Girls faced challenges in accessing information on contraception, leading to high rates of early pregnancies. What measures were in place to reduce early pregnancies?  Many schools in rural areas lacked proper sanitation facilities, forcing girls to miss school during menstrual periods.  There was also a very high tax of 47 per cent on menstrual products. How was the State party supporting access to sanitation facilities and menstrual products for women and girls?

    Female genital mutilation continued to be practiced in some Muslim communities.  There was no law criminalising female genital mutilation in Sri Lanka.  When would one be developed?  What awareness raising campaigns on female genital mutilation were in place?  Some women experienced obstetric violence during childbirth.  Did the State party intend to implement measures to prevent such practices?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said women spent more time than men in unpaid domestic work in Sri Lanka.  The Government had taken steps to train care workers to improve the availability of childcare and disability care services for working mothers and reduce the burden of unpaid care work.  Sri Lanka was interested in ratifying International Labour Organization Convention 190.  The necessary amendments had been incorporated into legislation.  The State had also implemented policies to promote women’s employment.  The Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment was conducting consultations with stakeholders to strengthen protections of Sri Lankan domestic workers overseas.  The Women’s Empowerment Act aimed to address the gender pay gap.

    Taxes on sanitary products and baby formula had been removed.  Budgetary allocations had been ensured for sexual and reproductive health services across the country.  All students from sixth grade received sexual and reproductive health education, which addressed preventing unwanted pregnancies.  Medical practitioners who practiced or promoted female genital mutilation were sanctioned.  There were no specific offences on female genital mutilation or obstetric violence, but these acts were prohibited under general legislation on violence.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    One Committee Expert commended the State party on working to ensure the empowerment of women and girls through the rural employment programme and programmes on digital transformation. What concrete actions were being taken to ensure that vulnerable women and girls were aware of the economic empowerment policies in place?  How was the State party preventing the abuse of women by financial institutions and regulating lending practices?  Had the State party assessed fiscal reforms and their impacts on the rights of women and girls?  How was the State party mitigating the unfair financial burden of tax on women and girls? What measures were in place to increase the representation of women and girls in decision making related to economic empowerment?  What measures were there to support female athletes to overcome structural barriers in sports? 

    Another Committee Expert said female tea plantation workers continued to have less access to Government subsidies and microcredit due to their lack of access to land ownership.  How was this being addressed?  Women with disabilities continued to face stigma and discrimination, and infrastructure was not adapted to persons with disabilities.  How was the State party working to make inclusive education programmes more adapted to persons with disabilities?  There were also persistent hate crimes against lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women.  What measures were in place to prevent such hate crimes?  Same sex sexual acts were criminalised; would they be decriminalised?  What reforms had been made to ensure adequate facilities for women in prisons?  Were women prisoners allowed to live with their young children in prisons?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Government had implemented various welfare measures for persons in poverty.  Around 1.7 million households benefited from welfare support.  There were various Government programmes for empowering women-led households.  The banking system had also provided special loan schemes with favourable interest rates and flexible return policies for women entrepreneurs during the financial crisis.  Banks had offered advisory services and capacity building programmes for women entrepreneurs.  The State had been regulating lending institutions.  Support had been provided to 185 rural women affected by unregulated microcredit schemes.  A socioeconomic protection scheme helped to ease loss of income due to unemployment.

    Sri Lanka had undertaken various initiatives to empower women to engage in technology studies and the digital economy. The national strategy for women’s development promoted women’s digital freedom and security.  Many women entrepreneurs had been trained on digital skills.

    Sanitary facilities in prisons had been improved to ensure a comfortable stay for women, and facilities for children in prison with their mothers had also been improved.  There were plans to establish a separate women’s prison aligned with international standards.

    The police had been instructed on protecting the fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons and investigating complaints from these persons.  A bill had been lodged in Parliament on decriminalising same-sex relations.  The Supreme Court had found that there was no barrier to the amendment of this legislation. The bill had yet to be considered due to the dissolution of Parliament.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    YAMILA GONZÁLEZ FERRER, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, asked whether the law on terrorism could be used to prevent the operation of women’s organizations.

    Another Committee Expert welcomed the State party’s efforts to ensure women’s equal rights in law and family relations.  Had measures been taken to amend the Penal Code to ensure that legislation on statutory rape protected all girls under age 16, including girls over age 12 who were married?  The Committee expected that the State party would address legislation on polygamy. When would the State party revise the family law to allow women to have equal rights to men concerning custody of children?  What was the status of legal amendments seeking to strengthen the rights of widows?

    NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, said that, while respecting the freedom of belief, the State party needed to work to protect the rights of Muslim women and girls.

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the law on terrorism had not been used to limit the activities of women’s organizations in recent years.  The law was only used in instances when it was necessary.

    The amended Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act set the age of marriage at 18, but children from age 16 could be married with parental consent.  The previous Cabinet of Ministers had approved the amended bill, and the new Government would consider whether to take this legislation forward.  The Parliamentary Caucus had proposed the establishment of a committee to address the issue of child marriages.

    Concluding Remarks

    SAROJA SAVITRI PAULRAJ, Minister of Women and Child Affairs of Sri Lanka and head of the delegation, said Sri Lanka participated in the review in a spirit of openness.  It appreciated the Committee’s recognition of the progress it had made and the challenges it faced.  The Government had undertaken significant efforts to strengthen women’s empowerment.  It was fully committed to addressing the issues that women faced in the State. Ms. Paulraj thanked the Committee for the constructive dialogue.  The Government was committed to the promotion and protection of the human rights of all Sri Lankans and would continue to engage with the Committee constructively.

    NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, said that the State party had shared candidly and transparently the progress made and the difficulties it was facing.  The dialogue had helped the Committee to better understand the situation of women and girls in Sri Lanka.  It commended the State party for its efforts and encouraged it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls in the State party.

     

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

     

    CEDAW25.009E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Have you seen Margaret?

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police are asking for the public’s help to locate Margaret Lowe, who was last seen at her Te Atatū Peninsula home yesterday.

    Margaret, 22, was last seen wearing a beige shirt and denim shorts and is described as about 175cms tall with a thin build and black hair.

    It is out of character for Margaret to not be in contact with her family.

    Both Police and Margaret’s family have serious concerns for her wellbeing and would like to know she is safe.

    If you have any information on her whereabouts, please update us online now or call 105, quoting reference number 250214/0287.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Arrangements for 15th National Games athletics (marathon) test event (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Arrangements for 15th National Games athletics (marathon) test event (with photo)
    Arrangements for 15th National Games athletics (marathon) test event (with photo)
    *********************************************************************************

         The 2025 Shenzhen-Hong Kong marathon and the 15th National Games (NG) athletics (marathon) test event will be held on February 23. The Head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) (NGCO), Mr Yeung Tak-keung, and representatives of the related government departments and the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA), held a press conference today (February 13) to introduce details of the test event, temporary traffic control measures, clearance arrangements at the boundary control point (BCP), and emergency response and rescue arrangements, as well as other arrangements for the event.           The 15th NG athletics marathon to be held at the end of this year will be the first cross-boundary marathon in the history of the NG, and will be held on a brand new course. This test event is therefore crucial to the organisation of the NG athletics marathon. The entire track is 42.195 kilometres long, of which the section in Hong Kong is 21.841 kilometres. Setting off from the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, the races will enter Hong Kong via the Shenzhen Bay Port, run along the Shenzhen Bay Bridge and Kong Sham Western Highway Viaduct, then turn back to the Shenzhen Bay Port through the same route, and finally end at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center. The event is comprised of men’s and women’s races, with the women’s group to depart at 7am and the other to set off at 7.30am. The athletes will enter the Hong Kong section upon completion of approximately 2 kilometres of race route. Both groups are expected to spend around two hours in the Hong Kong section.           Given that part of the track is within the Frontier Closed Area, no public viewing zone will be set up in Hong Kong in order to keep the event unaffected and well-managed. Shenzhen is arranging for live webcast of the races on the event day, while Hong Kong also plans to arrange for live online broadcast of the matches by Radio Television Hong Kong.           To facilitate the smooth running of the race, clearance services of the Shenzhen Bay Port (including all passenger and cargo clearance services) will be suspended during part of the morning on the event day, while temporarily control measures will be implemented on the Shenzhen Bay Bridge and other related roads that day. Relevant arrangements are set out as below:           (1) Clearance service arrangement           Arrival and departure clearance services at the Shenzhen Bay Port will be suspended and passengers and vehicles will be prohibited from entering the port from 2am to 11am on the event day. Travellers should choose other control points to Shenzhen.           Cross-boundary private cars with quota across the Shenzhen Bay Port and cross-boundary goods vehicles may arrive and depart via the Lok Ma Chau, Heung Yuen Wai and Man Kam To BCPs according to the operating hours of the relevant control points on the event day. The above special arrangement will cease upon the re-opening of the Shenzhen Bay Port.           (2) Road control measures           Temporary control measures for the Shenzhen Bay Bridge, the Kong Sham Western Highway and other related roads           On the event day, temporary control measures will be implemented on Shenzhen Bay Bridge, Kong Sham Western Highway and Ha Tsuen Interchange from 2am to 11am. During the temporary control period, the Shenzhen Bay Bridge, the Kong Sham Western Highway and Ha Tsuen Interchange will be closed to all vehicular traffic from eastbound and westbound of Yuen Long Highway and Ha Tsuen Road.           During the suspension of the Shenzhen Bay Port departure service, the Transport Department (TD) expects that the roads leading to the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang, Man Kam To and Heung Yuen Wai BCPs, including San Tin Interchange, San Sham Road and Lok Ma Chau Road, etc., are expected to be busy with traffic. Therefore, the TD appeals to cross-boundary private cars and other drivers to avoid driving to the above districts during the relevant hours if not necessary. Depending on the prevailing traffic conditions in the area, the Police will deploy appropriate manpower and implement corresponding crowd management measures or special traffic arrangements at the affected control points and relevant road sections. In case of traffic congestion, please exercise tolerance and patience and drive carefully, and follow the instructions of Police on site.           The full clearance services at the Shenzhen Bay Port are expected to resume at around 11am. It is anticipated that traffic will be relatively busy. Travellers and drivers who plan to use the port on that day are advised to plan their trips in advance.           (3) Public transport arrangements           Cross-boundary coach services running between Hong Kong and the Mainland via Shenzhen Bay Port as well as local public transport services serving Shenzhen Bay Port, including franchised buses, green minibuses (GMB), Urban and NT Taxis will be suspended during the implementation of the temporary control at the Shenzhen Bay Port, the Shenzhen Bay Bridge and the Kong Sham Western Highway on the day of event. The bus companies and GMB operators will display notices at termini and en-route stops of the affected routes to inform affected passengers.           The TD has notified the affected operators of cross-boundary and local public transport services to strengthen services to expedite the dispersal of passengers around the resumption of operation of Shenzhen Bay Port. Bus companies will also deploy additional staff at major bus termini and bus stops to assist passenger in need. The Marine Department will liaise with cross-boundary ferry operators, with a view to working out manpower and sailing schedule arrangements for ferry services to and from Shenzhen in advance.           During the temporary control period, travellers should consider using other BCPs for their journeys between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The TD has coordinated with public transport operators including MTR, franchised bus, green minibuses, Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang shuttle bus, and cross-boundary coaches to strengthen services at other BCPs including Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau (Huanggang) and Heung Yuen Wai, with a view to catering for upsurge of passenger demand.           (4) Restricted flying zone           To accommodate the event and ensure public safety, a 2-kilometer extension of the Hong Kong section will be set up as a restricted flight zone from 6am to 12nn on the event day.           (5) Emergency response and rescue arrangements           The Fire Services Department (FSD) has formulated relevant contingency plans and will deploy firefighting and ambulance resources at strategic locations inside and outside the track during the race to ensure that the most expeditious and effective measures can be executed to deal with emergencies.           In addition, the medical team of the Hospital Authority will be on board the ambulances of the FSD to ensure that medical personnel with ambulance equipment can respond quickly to emergencies on the track. The Hospital Authority will also designate relevant acute hospitals as designated hospitals, equipped with a green channel to provide prompt medical services. The Auxiliary Medical Service will also deploy ambulance personnel and ambulances to offer medical assistance to the cheering team, volunteers, journalists, etc. on the spot.           A spokesperson for the NGCO said as the NG is the country’s highest-level event, this marathon test event has to meet stringent requirements in terms of the selection of the race course and the organisational arrangements to ensure the safety of athletes. Relevant departments will work together to facilitate the special traffic and transportation arrangements to minimise the impact on the public and travellers who usually use the Shenzhen Bay Port. The spokesman appealed to members of the public and travellers who need to travel to and from Shenzhen on that day to plan their itineraries in advance and use other control points and public transport as far as possible. The spokesperson thanked members of the public and travellers for their understanding, as well as the contributions of various organisations and departments in implementing the relevant arrangements.           In addition to this cross-boundary marathon test event, the NGCO will be holding test events of various sports gradually. The handball test event will be held at the Kai Tak Arena, Kai Tak Sports Park on February 22 and 23, while the triathlon test event will take place at the Central Harbourfront and Victoria Harbour on March 1 and 2.           For information on the games in Hong Kong, please visit the thematic website (www.2025nationalgames.gov.hk/en/index.html), as well the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/2025nationalgames.hk) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/2025nationalgames.hk).

     
    Ends/Thursday, February 13, 2025Issued at HKT 22:15

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Dallas arrests East African man charged with 3 counts of sexual assault

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    DALLAS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an East African man following his confinement for sexual assault and failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements. Officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office arrested Uqbasilassie Kiflemariam, 40, a citizen of Eritrea and convicted sex offender Feb 7.

    On Sept. 12, 2013, the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Police Department apprehended Kiflemariam, charging him for rape.

    The Tulsa County District Court convicted Kiflemariam of three counts of rape in the first degree, Feb. 19, 2014. He was sentenced to 10 years confinement with sex offender registration requirements.

    On July 5, 2022, an immigration judge ordered Kiflemariam removed from the United States. The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office arrested Kiflemariam for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements Feb. 20, 2024.

    “The importance surrounding the arrest and pending removal of this individual highlights our commitment to enforcing the immigration laws of our nation,” said ICE Dallas Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office acting Director Joshua Johnson. “Individuals such as Uqbasilassie Kiflemariam represent a significant threat to public safety in our communities. We will not relent in our efforts to expedite his removal.”

    Kiflemariam will remain in ICE custody pending his removal to Eritrea.

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

    For more news and information on ICE’s efforts to enforce our nation’s immigration laws in North Texas and Oklahoma follow us at @ERODallas.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bucks County Fugitive Wanted for Child Pornography Distribution Arrested in West Virginia

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Philadelphia, PA — Members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force have arrested Mark Wills, 60, in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Wills was wanted by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office for manufacturing and dissemination of child sexual abuse materials to children 13 and under. Over the past year. Wills is accused of manufacturing hundreds of videos of child sexual abuse material and sharing them online. The children Wills is accused of victimizing are believed to be throughout the United States and Canada. On February 6th, a warrant was issued for Will’s arrest, and the case was delegated to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Philadelphia. 

    On February 13th, investigators from the Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Philadelphia developed information Wills was presently in West Virginia. At approximately 8:00 p.m. Deputy Marshals from the Clarksburg office located Wills at the Meadowbrook Mall in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Wills was approached by Deputies and apprehended without incident. Wills is being held without bond at North Central Regional jail in Doddridge County where he awaits extradition to Bucks County.  

    “Every child deserves a safe environment, and the arrest of Mark Wills demonstrates the U.S Marshals Service commitment to protecting the innocent” said Robert Clark, Supervisory Deputy Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

    The Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force is a team of law enforcement officers led by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent crime fugitives. Membership agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Parole Officers, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General Agents, Immigration Customs Enforcement, Chester Police Department, Bucks County Sheriff’s Office, and Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash Whites Valley

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police are at the scene of a serious crash at Whites Valley.

    Just before 4am on Friday 14 February, emergency services were called to Bayliss Road after a car crashed into a stobie pole.

    Bayliss Road is currently closed between Flour Mill Road and Little Road.

    Major Crash Investigators are making their way to the scene.

    Motorists are asked to avoid the area.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash: Expect ongoing delays on Southern Motorway

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police can advise a motorcyclist has died following an earlier serious crash on the Southern Motorway, near Greenlane.

    A section of State Highway 1 has been closed, with the Serious Crash Unit in attendance.

    An investigation will commence in due course.

    Police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed this morning’s tragic events, including those who may require welfare referrals. 

    If you witnessed the crash, but have left the area please contact 105 and use the reference number P061612219.

    Advice for motorists:

    Police anticipate the closure of southbound lanes will be place for at least two hours.

    Traffic is heavy around the Greenlane interchange.

    Southbound traffic is still being diverted off at the Green Lane East off-ramp.

    We acknowledge motorists’ understanding while important work is carried out at the scene of the fatal crash.

    We continue to encourage motorists to consider alternative routes through the city, including using State Highways 16 and 20.

    Please allow additional time to reach your destination safely.

    ENDS

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: David Seymour – Speech to Auckland Chamber of Commerce

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Good morning to you all. Thank you to Simon and his team at the Business Chamber for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here.

    I especially want to thank members of the business community for being here this morning. I can imagine it’s been a heavy workload listening to speeches about the economy. Perhaps there’s an opportunity to raise productivity right there, but I hope today I can share ideas that are good for all of us. We know this country cannot change its size or distance to market, and better public policy is our best collective hope.

    I’m going to talk mostly about the economic challenges we face, the Government’s policy prescriptions for fixing them, and report on our progress. However, there is one of those proverbial elephants in the room.

    The Elephant

    This elephant is the breakdown of political consensus on liberal democracy and economic orthodoxy. It is particularly strong across generational lines. If you doubt that, think about Helen Clark’s Government, and how it contrasts with the opposition today.

    There will be some who, at the time, believed Clark’s Labour Government was turning New Zealand into Helengrad. But if we’re objective, Helen Clark’s Government was well to the right of the current opposition. It’s not National that’s changed; they have been consistent. It is Labour who’ve moved radically to the left.

    A broad based, low-rate tax system without any capital gains tax. A pragmatic approach to government ownership, with occasional interventions in rail and banks. A commitment to liberal democracy above all, with one person, one vote, regardless of background.

    In some ways, Helen Clark was even to the right of John Key. She refused to sign the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Key’s Government did. The Māori Party was formed due to her legislating over the Ngati Apa court case with the foreshore and seabed legislation, a position that the Key Government partially reversed.

    The debates at the time were really about the parameters of the social insurance scheme that is the welfare state. The premiums, being taxes, could be higher or lower. The payouts, being benefits and services, could be more or less generous, but the big debates of the day were still about the parameters of a giant insurance scheme.

    Fast forward to today, and we can no longer rely on a cross-party commitment to liberal democracy and economic orthodoxy. Were the Government to change, we would face a Government where one party seriously suggests an appointed Treaty Commissioner should have a veto on the elected Parliament.

    The same party openly opposes the concept of democracy, frequently shouts racial abuse across the debating chamber, where it even gets up to do war dances in people’s faces. Their website even claimed racial genetic supremacy but has few practical policy solutions for the most disadvantaged group in the country.

    The Labour Party constitution is clear that political power should be wielded only by those elected in frequent, free and fair elections conducted by secret ballot. Helen Clark lived it; Chris Hipkins has taken two positions on the Treaty Commissioner in one week.

    Chris Hipkins is a politician we have to admire. Slipperier than an eel fed on sausage rolls, no politician has glided over failure like Chris Hipkins.

    In a multi-year crime wave he was Minister of Police.

    In the biggest attendance and achievement slump in the history of our country he was Minister of Education.

    When the public service added 30 per cent more workers for no better output, he was the Minister for the Public Service.

    In many ways those problems were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Government’s response to it. He was also the Minister for COVID-19, where his responsibilities included testing, tracing, making logical rules, and ordering the vaccines on time.

    Now you see why he wants to campaign on the record of the current Government, instead of his own. He is running what political campaigners call a ‘small target’ strategy, which should come naturally.

    Except, nature abhors a vacuum. Besides Te Pati Māori, you have the Greens. Like the other two, they are very different from their forebears, when liberal democrats like Jeanette Fitzsimmons and Rod Donald campaigned on the environment.

    It you take the time to listen to Chlöe Swarbrick she says things like “Parliament isn’t the system we’d design today,” and “if you think you’re crazy you’re not, it’s the whole system.” She promises taxes on assets, not just gains in asset values.

    The underlying message is that your problems are caused by others’ success, but their gains are ill-gotten so they and the system that enabled them must be torn down. It is a revolutionary, rather than evolutionary, message.

    Stability

    Now, there will be some people here wondering when I’m going to talk about the Government and my role in it. I will, but I think the changes in the political landscape are important and material enough to discuss.

    What’s more, the Government has signed up to a number of policies designed to increase policy stability. One of them I’d like to talk about more than the others, but there’s three in the ‘quasi-constitutional’ space that I think are worth mentioning.

    The four-year term is an old chestnut. It’s been defeated twice before in New Zealand, and we’re a global outlier as a result. We’re one of nine Parliaments in the world beside around 170 that have four or five-year terms.

    The Government is committed to introducing legislation that would put a four-year term to referendum, and make the select committees opposition controlled. Lawmaking would be slower, and would face tough scrutiny at committees where the public can submit. At the moment, select committees have Government-aligned majorities. It is one of the most powerful things we can do to improve the quality of policy making and debate in New Zealand.

    The Treaty Principles Bill also seeks to enhance the role of liberal democracy. Even those who say they vehemently disagree with the Bill are showing up to Parliament and submitting. In fact, there have never been so many submissions to Parliament on one Bill.

    It is not only the contents of the Bill that reinforce liberal democracy, it is the inherent effect of taking the debate back to Parliament that is important. We need to be a country where, as the Labour Party constitution says, important decisions should be made by people subject to frequent, free and fair elections with a secret ballot. In other words, democracy.

    The Regulatory Standards Bill

    The policy stabilising initiative I’d most like to talk about, though, is the Regulatory Standards Bill. It is crucial that we improve the quality and stability of our regulatory environment. The reason is our woeful productivity growth.

    The Government inherited an economy that, on an individual basis, was in recession. Economic output per person has been falling since the September 2022 quarter. In the year to June 2024, GDP per capita fell 2.7 percent.

    Behind those short-term numbers there’s an even bleaker story. While productivity growth averaged 1.4 per cent a year between 1993 and 2013, it only averaged 0.2 per cent over the last decade.

    If productivity growth had continued to grow at 1.4 per cent a year since 2013, productivity, and therefore wages, would today be about 14 per cent higher. New Zealanders would have been much better placed to endure a cost of living crisis if their wages were 14 per cent higher. In a sense, the cost of living crisis is really a productivity crisis.

    Higher productivity means a pay rise and help with the groceries for parents struggling to get by. It means the ability to pay for a doctor’s visit for a sick child. It’s the difference between owning your own home and continuing to rent.

    In short, it’s the difference between a good life and scraping by. Despite what you will hear from the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, we have an obligation to future generations to ensure productivity grows much faster.

    Access to skills and capital really matter for productivity. Skillful people, working with good technology, can produce more than people with less of those things. It’s critical that we do better in education, and this Government can point to a content-rich curriculum, a massive effort to reverse the COVID-19 slump in attendance, and education meeting entrepreneurship in the form of charter schools.

    Charter Schools

    Actually, let’s have a small diversion into charter schools. They are also designed to slow down the political turbulence that prevents people getting their job done. So many times I’ve asked state school teachers, “what if you could sign a contract that stopped the Government of the day introducing new policies, often diametrically opposed to the ones you’ve just got used to, for ten years?”

    That’s what a ten-by-ten-by-ten charter school contract does. It gives educators space to innovate, because innovation is what we need.

    The first school that opened this year, Mastery School in Christchurch, is a partner school to Mastery in Australia. What’s really interesting about Mastery is their use of interns. I believe the last twenty years of degrees for everyone has been a failure. On-the-job learning is coming back into vogue.

    Meanwhile, schools everywhere are desperate for extra teaching assistants, and Bachelor of Education students are working part-time minimum wage jobs completely unrelated to their long-term career. There’s an obvious solution to this, and Mastery are doing it. Because they are bulk funded, they can employ more teaching assistants. It is a win-win.

    The real winners are the students, some of whose families have visited Australia to investigate the schools and moved to Christchurch to attend. They are proven for raising educational achievement. Last year their achievement data showed students achieving at much higher levels than state schools in core areas of reading, mathematics and spelling.

    • Reading: 1.6 years progress in 1 year.
    • Mathematics: 1.5 years progress in 1 year.
    • Spelling: Average of 1.5 years growth after 1 year.
    • Average of 82% attendance across all campuses.

    New funding provided in Budget 24 allows up to around fifteen new charter schools and the conversion of 35 state schools to charter schools this year and the following year. Applications from sponsors who want to open charter schools opened mid-last year.

    Preparation for an expressions of interest process for current state schools to convert into charter schools is underway. The next round of applications to establish new charter schools will also run over the next few months.

    The independent Authorisation Board received 78 applications in its first application round from sponsors wanting to establish charter schools. The country is thirsting for options and innovation.

    Overseas Investment

    While we’re on diversions, it is not only the skills where we need better policy, but also the investment in capital.

    Attracting more overseas investment is a vital part of the Government’s economic strategy. But our overseas investment laws are among the worst in the developed world and they are seriously holding back economic growth and wages.

    Nearly every other developed country has less obstructive laws than New Zealand. They benefit from the flow of money and the ideas that come with overseas investment. The truth is that, in the overseas investment game, New Zealand has been benched by international investors. Being 38th out of 38 countries for openness to investment means we’re simply not in the game.

    International investors report that our rules impose significant compliance costs, delays, and uncertain outcomes. The timeframe for a general benefit test is 70 working days and costs $68,000.

    That’s not to mention the potential investors who are discouraged from even considering New Zealand as an opportunity and simply go elsewhere.

    We are 26th out of 38 for foreign investment as a percentage of GDP, which doesn’t sound so bad until you consider the size of our economy. United States, with its massive internal market, could afford to close itself off, but it is more open than us and gets more investment as a percentage of GDP than us.

    It would be bad enough if the world was standing still, but our partners, such as Australia’s Labor Government, are moving to liberalise their overseas investment settings further.

    There’s a simple equation that is holding back wage growth: workers with more capital get paid more. They work with better tools and technologies and, as a result, they are more productive. Other countries have more capital than us because we have one of the most obstructive overseas investment laws in the world. New Zealand workers have less capital to work with so they get paid less than they could.

    I’ve seen the difference that overseas investment can make. I once visited two businesses in the same industry on the same afternoon. Both had skilled and passionate people with good ideas. One had overseas investment, though, and benefited in two ways. They had more money for machinery, and they had more know-how for manufacturing and marketing their product by receiving knowledge from their partners offshore.

    Growth in the capital that workers have available to use has not kept pace with strong labour force participation. As a result, our capital-to-labour ratio has been flat for the last ten years or so. It’s probably not a coincidence that our productivity growth has also be flat over the past decade.

    If we are going to raise wages, we can’t afford to ignore the simple fact that our competitors gain money and know-how from outside their borders.

    The Government intends to simplify our overseas investment rules and I will be making an announcement about this very shortly.

    Back to Regulation

    So, yes, skills and investment are important, and I’m proud to be lending a hand to the Government’s efforts to bring entrepreneurship into education and investment into the country, but it’s the regulatory environment where I believe we can make the most progress.

    New Zealand’s low wages can be blamed on low productivity, and low productivity can be blamed on poor regulation. Bad regulation is killing our prosperity in three ways.

    1. It adds costs to the things we do. It’s the delays, the paperwork, and the fees that make too many activities cost more than they ought to. It’s the builder saying it takes longer to get the consent than it took to build the thing. It’s the anti-money laundering palaver that ties people in knots doing basic things but somehow doesn’t stop criminals bringing in half a billion dollars of P each year. It’s the daycare centre that took four years to open because different departments couldn’t agree about the road noise outside. I could go on.
    2. There’s the things that just don’t happen because people decide the costs don’t add up once the red tape is factored in.
    3. There’s the big one that goes to the heart of our identity and culture. It’s all the kids who grow up in a country where people gave up or weren’t allowed to try. It’s the climbing wall at Sir Edmund Hillary’s old school with signs saying don’t climb. It’s the lack of nightlife because it’s too hard to get a license. It’s the fear that comes from worrying WorkSafe or some other regulator will come and shut you down. You can’t measure it, but we all know it’s there.

    The Kiwi spirit we are so proud of is being chipped away and killing our vibe. Nobody migrated here to be compliant, but compliance is infantilising our culture, and I haven’t even mentioned orange cones yet.

    It’s clear that now is the time for a significant reset. Many governments over the years have paid lip-service to cutting red tape. This Government is committed to doing something about it.

    Perhaps the biggest single policy problem New Zealand faces is the Resource Management Act. Someone once said you can fill a town hall to stop anything in this country, but you can’t fill a telephone box to get something started.

    Chris Bishop and ACT’s Simon Court are designing new resource management laws starting with the principle of private property rights. The result will be a law that makes it easier to get stuff done in this country.

    My colleague, Brooke van Velden, as Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, has repealed Fair Pay Agreements and reintroduced 90-day trials. She’s now set her sights on simplifying our health and safety laws, tackling the problems being caused by the Holidays Act, and providing certainty in the law around contractors and personal grievances.

    Another of my colleagues, Nicole McKee, is determined to bring some sanity to our anti-money laundering laws and provide regulatory relief for individuals and businesses who have to use that law. It begins with bringing all AML under the DIA as a single supervisor instead of three, as well as exempting some activities as a start.

    Chris Penk is opening up the building products market to foreign competition to get prices down, and Andrew Bayly is making various reforms to the CCCFA.

    Red Tape Tipline

    In November last year, we launched a new Red Tape Tipline. This is an online tool on the Ministry’s website where people can make submissions about red tape that affects them.

    So far, over 500 tips have been sent in. I am not at all surprised to see such an outpouring of discontent from Kiwis who are sick of red tape.

    The Tipline has quickly become a key tool helping the Ministry to find and deal to the red tape preventing people from getting things done.

    Some of the biggest themes coming through the Tipline are about traffic management and anti-money laundering. The Ministry is working with other government agencies to identify and cut red tape.

    My message to all the tradies, farmers, teachers, chefs, and engineers out there – every person doing productive work – is this: If there’s red tape in your industry that needs to go, we want to know about it.

    Sector reviews

    We also have three sector reviews underway – Early Childhood Education, Agricultural and Horticultural Products, and Hairdressing and Barbering.

    The ECE report was delivered at the end of last year with fifteen recommendations. They will reduce compliance costs and headaches for ECE providers and help encourage more providers into the market, so parents have more affordable options. I’m taking all fifteen recommendations to Cabinet.

    The Agricultural and Horticultural products review has been widely welcomed by farmers, growers and industry. They say that delays in getting access to these products are too long and the process is too complex. They are put at a disadvantage because they cannot get products that have been approved by other OECD countries. I look forward to receiving the final report and progressing changes soon.

    At the end of last year we launched a short, sharp review into outdated rules around the hairdressing and barbering industry. Hairdressers and barbers are a billion-dollar industry of more than 5,000 mostly small businesses employing 13,000 people. They are trying to work with outdated rules from the 1980s which include specifying the amount of space between seats and exactly how bright the lights have to be. The Ministry is engaged with the industry now and will deliver findings by end of March.

    I anticipate announcing the Ministry’s fourth regulatory review in the next few months.

    Regulatory Standards Bill

    I am looking forward to the introduction of the Regulatory Standards Bill later this year.

    The Bill is a long-term solution to ensuring quality of regulation. It seeks to bring the same level of discipline to regulation that the Public Finance Act brings to public spending.

    The Bill will codify principles of good regulatory practice for existing and future regulations. If we want to remain first world, we need to change how we regulate. No law should be passed without showing what problem is being solved, whether the benefits outweigh the costs, and who pays the costs and gets the benefits. These are the basic principles of the Bill.

    Some regulations operate differently in practice than they do in theory. To make regulators accountable to the New Zealanders they regulate, the Bill contains a recourse mechanism by establishing a Regulatory Standards Board. The Board will assess complaints and challenges to regulations, issuing non-binding recommendations and public reports.

    This is about raising the political cost of making bad laws by allowing New Zealanders to hold regulators accountable. The outcome will be better law-making, higher productivity, and higher wages. Because New Zealanders will be able to spend more time doing useful work, and less time complying for little reason.

    Conclusion

    The Government is committed to a goal of delivering more economic growth for New Zealanders. And the way we get that is clear: we need to get government spending down and cut through regulation.

    We don’t unlock growth by transferring significant resources from the private to the public sector. We don’t get richer by taxing you to pay your competitors. And we won’t stay a first world country by just nipping and tucking at the regulatory thicket that’s grown in recent decades. We unleash growth by letting the business community free to invest, create jobs, adopt new technology, innovate, and sell to the world.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pastor Is Sentenced To 10 Years For Possession And Receipt Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    The Defendant Used the Church’s Computer to Access, View, and Download Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of Children

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ashley James Crouse, 53, of Granite Falls, N.C., was sentenced today to 120 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possession and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Crouse was also ordered to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Roger “Chip” Hawley, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Sheriff Alan C. Jones of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department, join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, in April 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referred a tip to law enforcement that a Dropbox account user had uploaded videos containing CSAM. Law enforcement determined that the Dropbox user was Crouse, who was a pastor at a church in Caldwell County. On November 3, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Crouse’s residence and the church. From Crouse’s office at the church, detectives seized a computer tower, an iPad, and two thumb drives.

    Crouse admitted to law enforcement officers that he had been downloading and collecting child pornography for five to six years and that he viewed CSAM at the church while multi-tasking and completing church business. The investigation determined that Crouse routinely used his computer at the church to access, view, and download CSAM. A forensic examination of Crouse’s church computer and other digital devices revealed that Crouse shared child pornography and links to child pornography through the Telegram application and that he had used AI and a software program to make child and other pornography. In total, Crouse possessed over 1,200 videos and 450 images depicting the sexual abuse of children.

    Also on the church computer, investigators found that Crouse maintained a book that outlines in detail how to sexually abuse children. The forensic examiner further found evidence that Crouse had installed an anti-forensic software program on his church computer which he used to permanently delete files and folders. 

    On August 21, 2024, Crouse pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography that involved a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years, and receipt of child pornography. Crouse remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron commended the FBI, the SBI, the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hickory Police Department for their investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani Ford of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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 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, 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: John Austin Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Firearms Charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that John Austin, 30, a Michigan native who recently has resided in South Burlington, Vermont, pleaded not guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge that he unlawfully possessed a pistol as a convicted felon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ordered that Austin be held without bail pending trial, which has not been scheduled. Austin is currently in the primary custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections awaiting trial on a 2023 aggravated assault charge stemming from a shootout in Burlington’s Old North End.

    This past November, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment alleging that in April 2024, Austin possessed a semi-automatic pistol. Austin is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has multiple felony convictions in Michigan. According to court records, police officers in Burlington located a rental car that had been reported stolen. Inside, officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol that had Austin’s fingerprints on it.

    The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the indictment is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty. If convicted, Austin faces up to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    This case was investigated by the Burlington and South Burlington Police Departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    Austin is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

    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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Is Sentenced For Illegal Possession Of A Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Osco Lothario Jackson, 37, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 64 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and court proceedings, on September 6, 2023, Jackson, shot into a group of people that included a man and several teenagers. Jackson’s shot hit his intended target, the man, in the leg. Jackson has multiple prior convictions for violent and drug-related offenses including Assault on a Government Official/Employee, Possession With Intent to Deliver Cocaine, Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury, and Conspiracy to Commit Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, thus he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

    On June 26, 2024, Jackson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. He will remain in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a designated facility.

    The ATF and CMPD investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani Ford of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Dominican man, living in Methuen, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

    Santos Guzman, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Guzman is subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In November 2024, Guzman pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after being indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2021.

    Guzman is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States at an unknown date and unknown location. Guzman was convicted in 2019 of two state drug trafficking crimes and, in November 2019, was ordered removed from the United States. On Jan. 7, 2020, he was deported to the Dominican Republic. Thereafter, at an unknown time and place, Guzman reentered the United States and in November 2021, was arrested on a state drug trafficking offense. A copy of his fingerprint from his removal document was compared to his fingerprint taken in connection with his November 2021 arrest and they were identical to each other.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Methuen Police Chief Scott J. McNamara made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. 
     

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  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash: Southern Motorway, Greenlane

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police can advise a serious crash will close a section of the Southern Motorway near Greenlane.

    A crash has occurred between a truck and motorcycle on southbound lanes, at around 8am, just prior to the Greenlane on-ramp.

    Emergency services are responding to the scene.

    Police will have further information on injuries in due course.

    Motorists are advised that southbound traffic is being diverted off the motorway at the Green Lane East off-ramp, to rejoin on via the on-ramp.

    Please expect delays in the area.

    ENDS

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deer Lake — Two individuals arrested by RCMP NL at traffic stop on Route 430, cocaine and cash seized

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Two men were arrested on February 12, 2025, by RCMP NL’s West District General Investigation Section (GIS) at a traffic stop that was conducted on Route 430.

    As part of an ongoing investigation, at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, GIS, with assistance from Deer Lake RCMP, stopped a vehicle on Route 430 near Reidville. The two vehicle occupants were arrested for possession for the purpose of drug trafficking.

    At the traffic stop, officers located and seized a quantity of cocaine, more than $2000.00 cash and other items consistent with possession for the purpose of drug trafficking. Both men were transported to Deer Lake detachment and were released on a number of conditions. The pair are set to appear in court at a later date, each to face a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine.

    The investigation is continuing.

    If you have information about drug activity in your community, please contact your local police or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bay Roberts — Bay Roberts RCMP seeks public’s assistance in locating vehicle stolen in Bay Roberts (UPDATED)

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    UPDATE: The vehicle has been recovered.

    Bay Roberts RCMP is seeking the public’s assistance in relation to a vehicle stolen from Bay Roberts in the overnight hours of Monday, February 3, 2025.

    The grey, four door 2017 Honda Civic Touring, NL license plate JGZ 878, was stolen from a residential property in the Water Street area. A stock photo of the same vehicle is attached.

    Anyone with any information about this crime, the identity of the person(s) responsible or the current location of the vehicle is asked to contact Bay Roberts RCMP at 709-786-2118. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app. #SayItHere

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stephenville — Man found inside home during residential break and enter tracked by RCMP Police Service Dog Thor

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Following a report of a residential break and enter in progress in Stephenville, 49-year-old Terrance Benoit, who had fled from the home on foot, was tracked and located by RCMP Police Service Dog Thor.

    Shortly after 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Bay St. George RCMP received the report of a residential break and enter in progress at a home located on Townview Road. Surveillance footage captured a man inside the residence. Police immediately attended the scene and searched the home for the suspect. Officers found fresh footprints in the snow at the back of the residence. RCMP Police Service Dog Thor and his handler, Cpl. Ralph, attended the area and conducted a track which led to a home on Woodland Drive in Stephenville.

    Shortly before 7:00 a.m., Benoit, who matched the individual captured on the surveillance footage, was arrested and was taken into police custody. A number of stolen items, that had been discarded in the snow near Townview Road, were recovered and returned to the owner.

    Later in the day yesterday, a search warrant obtained under the Criminal Code was executed at the residence where Benoit was arrested. Police recovered additional stolen property and other evidence in relation to the break and enter.

    Benoit attended court yesterday charged with break and enter, failure to comply with a condition of a release order and breach of probation. He was held in custody and will appear in court again today.

    On February 12, shortly before the report of this break and enter, police received a number of reports of a suspicious person breaking into vehicles in Stephenville on York Avenue, Fairview Avenue, Gallant Street and Viking Terrace. Those matters remain under investigation.

    Anyone having surveillance footage of a suspicious person in the areas mentioned above or in the area of Townview Road in Stephenville between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 6:45 a.m. is asked to contact Bay St. George RCMP at 709-643-2118.

    The investigation is continuing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tristian Gerrell-Robert Murphy, 36, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to two years and 11 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 10, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Murphy in St. Albans. Murphy admitted to possessing a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol, found by officers under the driver’s seat of the vehicle, and a loaded Taurus 9mm pistol found by officers in the trunk. Murphy admitted that he had recently purchased the two pistols. Officers also found a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm pistol in the vehicle’s glove box.

    Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Murphy knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on October 21, 2021. In that case, Murphy participated in a sophisticated nationwide crime conspiracy responsible for dozens of “smash and grab” robberies targeting jewelry stores throughout the United States. Murphy was convicted for his role in the robbery of a jewelry store in Jacksonville, Florida, as part of this conspiracy. Murphy and his co-conspirators entered the store while armed with hammers, smashed glass counters and stole diamonds and other jewelry. During the robbery, an employee was pushed to the floor and then dragged to another part of the store.

    At the time of his current offense, Murphy was serving a term of supervised release as a result of his October 21, 2021 conviction.

    United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department and the assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum 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. 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.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-101.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Kentucky Men Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearm Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Louisville, KY –Yesterday, two Kentucky men were sentenced for trafficking in fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.   

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Ron Eckart of the Greater Hardin County Narcotics Task Force made the announcement.

    According to court documents, Dominik Woods, 23, of Bonnieville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 5 years in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.   Woods was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense.

    On April 9, 2020, in Hardin Circuit Court, Woods was convicted of enhanced trafficking in marijuana, less than 8 ounces, and tampering with physical evidence.

    Joshua Sanders, 36, of Cave City, Kentucky was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sanders was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.

    On June 18, 2009, in Hart Circuit Court, Sanders was convicted of receiving stolen property, firearm.

    On March 29, 2010, in Barren Circuit Court, Sanders was convicted of burglary, second degree, and theft by unlawful taking.

    On December 22, 2010, in Hart Circuit Court, Sanders was convicted of burglary, second degree, and receiving stolen property over $300.

    On January 10, 2018, in Larue Circuit Court, Sanders was convicted of receiving stolen property under $10,000 and possession of controlled substances.

    On January 15, 2019, in Warren Circuit Court, Sanders was convicted of fleeing or evading police, first degree.

    On May 16, 2019, in Barren Circuit Court, Sanders was convicted of fleeing or evading police, first degree.

    There is no parole in the federal system.   

    This case was investigated by the ATF, the KSP, and the Greater Hardin County Narcotics Task Force.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Ansari 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. 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.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Man Sentenced for Distributing Meth and Heroin

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A man who distributed approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine and a kilogram of heroin was sentenced February 11, 2025, to more than 19 years in federal prison.

    Manuel Tomas Gaspar, age 25, from Atlanta, Georgia, received the prison term after an August 30, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

    Information at the sentencing hearing showed that, between December 1, 2023, and February 14, 2024, Gaspar traveled between Georgia and Iowa transporting significant quantities of methamphetamine and heroin.  In January 2024, Gaspar delivered 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin to an individual in Cedar Rapids.  On February 14, 2024, Gaspar was arrested after delivering an additional 20 kilograms of methamphetamine to the same individual in Cedar Rapids.  During that time‑period, Gaspar carried a gun to protect large amounts of drug proceeds and he conducted international wire transfers to the Mexico‑based source of supply. 

    Gaspar was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Gaspar was sentenced to 236 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

    The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

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

    The case file number is 24‑CR‑00029‑CJW.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Refusing a Court Order

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A man was sentenced on January 31, 2025, to 24 months imprisonment for contempt of court.

    Joel Perea-Duenas, age 24, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 30, 2024, guilty plea to contempt of court.

    In the evening hours of June 23, 2020, Perea-Duenas was asked to serve as the getaway driver for a drive-by shooting.  He agreed, put on dark clothing, and joined three armed men in a waiting car.  The attackers drove to the home of their intended victim, but seeing law enforcement in the area, aborted their attack.  Perea-Duenas suggested a secondary target, drove to that new target and identified it to his conspirators.  It was a home, occupied by seven people including children.  One of the gunmen repeatedly fired upon the home hitting the house at least eight times.  Perea-Duenas was later caught by police and admitted he knew about the intended shooting before agreeing to drive, admitted knowing there were people, including children, in the targeted home, and he wanted the shooting to occur to in retaliation against a resident of the home and his family. On November 19, 2021, Perea-Duenas pled guilty to two counts of being a drug user in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison.  

    On October 27, 2022, defendant was called as a witness at the federal sentencing of an accomplice.  He was sworn by the district court judge.  When he was questioned under oath, however, he refused to testify because he did not want to testify.  The district court advised him that he did not have a lawful right to refuse to answer the questions.  Nonetheless, Perera-Duenas persisted in his refusal to testify.  The district court continued the sentencing, in part, to give Perea-Duenas time to reconsider his refusal of the district court’s lawful order.  The sentencing resumed on December 8, 2022.  Perera-Duenas again, communicated his refusal to testify.  He was sent back to federal prison to complete his federal sentence for the firearms charge.

    On October 19, 2023, while he was still in federal prison, he was charged with contempt of court.  On November 20, 2023, he was released from federal prison on the gun charges, he was re-arrested and haled back into federal court to answer for his criminal contempt.  On July 30, 2024, he plead guilty.  He was sentenced on January 31, 2025, in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 24 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    Judge Strand indicated in sentencing Perea-Duenas that this was the only time in his career as a jurist that he had encountered a refusal to testify of this nature and that the crime had to be sanctioned stiffly to ensure others do not follow suit.  

    United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax said: “refusals to testify, like refusals of court orders generally, strike at the very heart of the American justice system and the rule of law.  As a result, those who disobey lawfully issued court orders risk prosecution and incarceration.”      

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

    The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.  

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

    The case file number is 23-4026/20-4071.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Isleta Pueblo Man with Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Bosque Farms man has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person as part of an ongoing effort to combat violent crime and protect families in tribal communities through community-focused initiatives.

    According to court documents, on or about July 14, 2024, Warren Chewiwi, 51, an enrolled member of the Isleta Pueblo, possessed a 12-gauge shotgun. Chewiwi is prohibited by law from possessing any firearm because he has two prior felony convictions and four prior convictions for misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence. Chewiwi’s prior convictions span three different New Mexico sovereigns—the federal government, the State of New Mexico, and the Isleta Pueblo.

    Chewiwi will remain in custody pending trial. At sentencing, Chewiwi faces up to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.

    The Isleta Pueblo Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Arrests Two Males Wanted for Homicide

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Cleveland, OH – Late last night, members of the U.S. Marshals led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) arrested Money Baccus, 18, in Akron, Ohio.  Baccus was wanted by the Canton Police Department for aggravated murder.  This morning, members of the NOVFTF arrested Deshon Baker, 24, in Euclid, Ohio. Baker was wanted by the Cleveland Division of Police for aggravated murder.

    On February 12, 2025, members of the Canton Police Department responded to an address in the 1900 block of 2nd Street SW, Canton, Ohio for a 30-year-old male that suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. It is alleged that Baccus shot and killed the male and fled the scene. Later in the day, members of the U.S. Marshals, NOVFTF arrested Baccus at the intersection of Crosby Street and S. Balch Street in Akron.

    On December 28, 2024, officers with the Cleveland Division of Police – 3rd District, responded to a shooting near the intersection of E. 9th Street and Bolivar Road. It was discovered that two males had engaged in a physical altercation that ended in a shooting near the 700 block of Bolivar Road. Simajah Harris, 24, suffered a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced at MetroHealth hospital. Deshon Baker, 24, was later identified as the suspect in this incident and a warrant for aggravated murder was issued for his arrest. This morning, members of the NOVFTF arrested Baker at an address in the 27000 block of Sidney Drive, Euclid, Ohio.

    U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “Within 24 hours our fugitive task force had two outstanding arrests in Akron and Euclid. Our task force is constantly pursuing and arresting wanted fugitives, in hopes to make the communities we serve safer.”

    Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous.  Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.  

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  • MIL-OSI Canada: ASIRT investigations concluded on three files

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: UPDATE: Man jailed for murder following violent attack in Redbridge

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man who was found guilty of murder following a violent attack in Redbridge has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

    Marius Ziugzda, 48, (15.06.76), of no fixed address, was sentenced on Thursday, 13 February and will serve a minimum of 18 years.

    He was previously found guilty on Friday, 17 January of the murder of 60-year-old Brian Shields following a two-week week trial at Wood Green Crown Court.

    Brian, who lived in a disused pavilion in a park with Ziugzda, was killed by blunt force trauma to his head and chest on 20 October 2022 – injuries consistent with multiple punches or kicks.

    Detective Sergeant David Brooks, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Despite Ziugzda’s claims that he and Brian were friends, he subjected him to a sustained and ultimately fatal attack. This verdict is a testament to the hard work of the investigation team, the numerous witnesses who came forward and the efforts of the wider police team.”

    On the morning of his death, police were called at 11:14hrs to Orchard playing fields (formerly Goodmayes Park extension) in Redbridge, following reports of an unresponsive man at the location. Despite the efforts of emergency services, Brian sadly died.

    At the scene, Ziugzda approached the cordon, despite being told by officers that he could not enter the park. Ziugzda then spoke with officers and said that he had been with Brian the previous evening.

    Ziugzda said that he had slept at the location and had woken up there that morning to find Brian dead. He said “I killed him today, I don’t know what….” He then said something incomprehensible before saying, “my friend, in the morning I killed him, now…..”

    Officers noted that Ziugzda’s hands appeared to have scuff marks and scratches on them and when later questioned by detectives about his earlier comments, he said that the police officer must have misunderstood what he said.

    In interview Ziugzda said that he and Brian arrived at the Park at 20:00hrs on 19 October 2022 and at some point that evening Ziugzda said that he left Brian to get water from a local shop.

    He claimed that upon leaving and returning to Brian he found him uninjured. He confirmed that it was only the two of them at the location and that they sat up for a period of time drinking and smoking before Ziugzda had fallen asleep next to Brian at the pavilion.

    To confirm Ziugzda’s claims, detectives viewed 10 hours of CCTV footage from the two nearest shops to the park and found that Ziugzda had visited one to buy water and alcohol but that at the time he had visible red staining on his trousers. This was later forensically examined and identified as the Brian’s blood, contradicting his account of Brian being uninjured before he went to sleep.

    Officers also gathered witness statements which revealed that at about 23:00hrs, loud, aggressive shouting of two distinct male voices could be heard from the area of the disused pavilion.

    Following this evidence, Ziugzda was subsequently charged on 23 October 2022.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Two Estonian Nationals Plead Guilty in $577M Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Scheme Victimized Hundreds of Thousands of People in United States and Abroad 

    Two Estonian nationals pleaded guilty yesterday for their operation of a massive, multi-faceted cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that victimized hundreds of thousands of people from across the world, including in the United States. As part of the defendants’ guilty pleas, they agreed to forfeit assets valued over $400 million obtained during the conspiracy.

    According to court documents, Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin, both 40, sold contracts to customers entitling them to a share of cryptocurrency mined by the defendants’ purported cryptocurrency mining service, HashFlare. Cryptocurrency mining is the process of using computers to generate cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, for profit.

    Between 2015 and 2019, Hashflare’s sales totaled more than $577 million, but HashFlare did not possess the requisite computing capacity to perform the vast majority of the mining the defendants told HashFlare customers it performed. HashFlare’s web-based dashboard, which purported to show customers their mining profits, instead reflected falsified data. Potapenko and Turõgin used the proceeds of the fraud conspiracy to purchase real estate and luxury vehicles and maintained investment and cryptocurrency accounts. Potapenko and Turõgin have agreed to forfeit assets worth, as of the date of the plea, more than $400 million. The forfeited assets will be available for a remission process to compensate victims of the crime. Details about the remission process will be announced at a later date.

    Potapenko and Turõgin each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced on May 8 and each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Justice Department thanks the Cybercrime Bureau of the Estonian Police and Border Guard for its support with this investigation. The Estonian Prosecutor General and Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs provided substantial assistance with the extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided extensive assistance to the investigation and the extradition of the defendants.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Seattle Field Office investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Adrienne E. Rosen and David Ginensky of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Friedman and Sok Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jehiel Baer for the Western District of Washington is handling asset forfeiture aspects of the case.

    Individuals who believe they may have been a victim in this case should visit www.fbi.gov/hashflare.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Chinatown Walgreens Manager Pleads Guilty in a Series of Inside-Job Robberies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – London Teeter, 21, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to her role in a series of seven inside-job robberies of the Chinatown drug store where she was employed as a store manager.

                The plea was announced United States Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department

                Teeter pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery). The Honorable Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2025. When she is sentenced, Teeter is eligible for up to 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

                According to court documents, Teeter, and three co-conspirators devised a scheme to carry out armed robberies of the Walgreens store in Chinatown nearly once a month, beginning in July 2023, when either she or her co-conspirator were working. As a store manager, Teeter knew the timing of cash transfers within the business. In each robbery, a masked gunman entered the store, forced an employee into the manager’s office or accessed the manager’s office using a code provided by Teeter or her co-conspirator. The gunman then robbed the employees and fled through a rear exit. Teeter and her co-conspirator took turns pretending to be the “victim” manager on duty, knowing that the robberies would be captured on internal surveillance.

                The robberies occurred on July 18, 2023, August 2, 2023, September 2, 2023, November 10, 2023, December 4, 2023, January 9, 2024, and February 11, 2024. Teeter was present in the manager’s office and pretended to be the victim of a robbery during the July 18, 2023, and January 9, 2024, robberies.

                In response to the robberies, the Chinatown Walgreens hired armed Special Police Officers to protect the business. Teeter was aware that armed Special Police Officers would be present during the robberies and that a co-conspirator robbed the officers of their firearms during the robberies that occurred on December 4, 2023, and February 11, 2024.

                In the plea agreement, Teeter admitted that the co-conspirators stole and split at least $28,983. She also acknowledged that she reviewed surveillance footage from the August 2, 2023, robbery during which a co-conspirator briefly placed his firearm on a chair Teeter acknowledged that she sent a co-conspirator a text message stating: “the vid looks so bad,” “idk why he put the gun down,” and “he can’t do it next time [not gonna lie].”

                Law enforcement arrested Teeter on February 22, 2024. During the search of her home that preceded her arrest, law enforcement recovered a loaded Glock 45 pistol loaded with 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

                Trial dates are pending for co-conspirators Michael Robinson, 34, Kamanye Williams, 25, and Gianni Robinson, 27.

                This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin F. Song, Sarah Martin, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Svetoslavov of the Federal Major Crimes Section.

    24cr96

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