NewzIntel.com

Category: Police

  • MIL-Evening Report: Civicus Monitor criticises PNG use of cybercrime law to curb free speech

    Pacific Media Watch

    Papua New Guinea’s civic space has been rated as “obstructed” by the Civicus Monitor and the country has been criticised for pushing forward with a controversial media law in spite of strong opposition.

    Among concerns previously documented by the civil rights watchdog are harassment and threats against human rights defenders, particularly those working on land and environmental rights, use of the cybercrime law to criminalise online expression, intimidation and restrictions against journalists, and excessive force during protests.

    In recent months, the authorities have used the cybercrime law to target a human rights defender for raising questions online on forest enforcement, while a journalist and gender-based violence survivor is also facing charges under the law, said the Civicus Monitor in its latest report.

    The court halted a logging company’s lawsuit against a civil society group while the government is pushing forward with the controversial National Media Development law.

    Human rights defender charged under cybercrime law
    On 9 December 2024, human rights defender and ACT NOW! campaign manager Eddie Tanago was arrested and charged by police under section 21(2) of the Cybercrime Act 2016 for allegedly publishing defamatory remarks on social media about the managing director of the PNG Forest Authority.

    Tanago was taken to the Boroko Police Station Holding cell and released on bail the same afternoon. If convicted he could face a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.

    ACT NOW is a prominent human rights organisation seeking to halt illegal logging and related human rights violations in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

    According to reports, ACT NOW had reshared a Facebook post from a radio station advertising an interview with PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) staff members, which included a photo of the managing director.

    The repost included a comment raising questions about PNGFA forest enforcement.

    Following Tanago’s arrest, ACT NOW said: “it believes that the arrest and charging of Tanago is a massive overreach and is a blatant and unwarranted attempt to intimidate and silence public debate on a critical issue of national and international importance.”

    It added that “there was nothing defamatory in the social media post it shared and there is nothing remotely criminal in republishing a poster which includes the image of a public figure which can be found all over the internet.”

    On 24 January 2025, when Tanago appeared at the Waigani Committal Court, he was instead charged under section 15, subparagraph (b) of the Cybercrime Act for “identity theft”. The next hearing has been scheduled for February 25.

    The 2016 Cybercrime Act has been used to silence criticism and creates a chilling effect, said Civicus Monitor.

    The law has been criticised by the opposition, journalists and activists for its impact on freedom of expression and political discourse.

    Journalist and gender activist charged with defamation
     Journalist and gender activist Hennah Joku was detained and charged under the Cybercrime Act on 23 November 2024, following defamation complaints filed by her former partner Robert Agen.

    Joku was charged with two counts of breaching the Cybercrimes Act 2016 and detained in Boroko Prison. She was freed on the same day after bail was posted.

    Joku, a survivor of a 2018 assault by Agen, had documented and shared her six-year journey through the PNG justice system, which had resulted in his conviction and jailing in 2023.

    On 2 September 2024, the PNG Supreme Court overturned two of three criminal convictions, and Agen was released from prison.

    On 4 and 15 September 2024, Joku shared her reactions with more than 9000 followers on her Meta social media account. Those two posts, one of which featured the injuries suffered from her 2018 assault, now form the basis for the current defamation charges against her.

    Section 21(2) of the Cybercrimes Act 2016, which has an electronic defamation clause, carries a maximum penalty of up to 25 years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to one million kina (NZ$442,000).

    The Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) expressed “grave concerns” over the charges, saying: “We encourage the government and judiciary to review the use of defamation legislation to silence and gag the universal right to freedom of speech.

    “Citizens must be informed. They must be protected.”

    Court stays logging company lawsuit against civil society group
     In January 2025, an injunction issued against community advocacy group ACT NOW! to prevent publication of reports on illegal logging has been stayed by the National Court.

    In July 2024, two Malaysian owned logging companies obtained an order from the District Court in Vanimo preventing ACT NOW! from issuing publications about their activities and from contacting their clients and service providers.

    That order has now been effectively lifted after the National Court agreed to stay the whole District court proceedings while it considers an application from ACT NOW! to have the case permanently stayed and transferred to the National Court.

    ACT NOW! said the action by Global Elite Limited and Wewak Agriculture Development Limited, which are part of the Giant Kingdom group, is an example of Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP).

    “SLAPPs are illegitimate and abusive lawsuits designed to intimidate, harass and silence legitimate criticism and close down public scrutiny of the logging industry,” said Civicus Monitor.

    SLAPP lawsuits have been outlawed in many countries and lawyers involved in supporting them can be sanctioned, but those protections do not yet exist in PNG.

    The District Court action is not the first time the Malaysian-owned Giant Kingdom group has tried to use the legal system in an attempt to silence ACT NOW!

    In March 2024, the court rejected a similar SLAPP style application by the Global Elite for an injunction against ACT NOW! As a result, the company discontinued its legal action and the court ordered it to pay ACT NOW!’s legal costs.

    Government pushes forward with controversial media legislation
     The government is reportedly ready to pass legislation to regulate its media, which journalism advocates have said could have serious implications for democracy and freedom of speech in the country.

    National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) of PNG reported in January 2025 that the policy has received the “green light” from cabinet to be presented in Parliament.

    The state broadcaster reported that Communications Minister Timothy Masiu said: “This policy will address the ongoing concerns about sensationalism, ethical standards, and the portrayal of violence in the media.”

    In July 2024, it was reported that the proposed media policy was now in its fifth draft but it is unclear if this version has been updated.

    As previously documented, journalists have raised concerns that the media development policy could lead to more government control over the country’s relatively free media.

    The bill includes sections that give the government the “power to investigate complaints against media outlets, issue guidelines for ethical reporting, and enforce sanctions or penalties for violations of professional standards”.

    There are also concerns that the law will punish journalists who create content that is against the country’s development objectives.

    Organisations such as Transparency International PNG, Media Council of PNG, Pacific Freedom Forum, and Pacific Media Watch/Asia Pacific Media Network among others, have asked for the policy to be dropped.

    The press freedom ranking for PNG dropped from 59th place to 91st in the most recent index published by Reporters without Borders (RSF) in May 2024.

    Civicus Monitor.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Syracuse Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William Seneca, Sr., age 65, was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child sexual abuse material. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

    As part of his prior guilty plea, Seneca admitted that, from approximately 2000 through 2008, he engaged in sexual conduct with a minor male child, starting when the child was about seven years old. On several different occasions during that period, Seneca created sexually explicit images depicting that child. Seneca also admitted that, on at least one occasion, he distributed the material he created to someone in Canada.

    In addition to the terms of imprisonment and supervised release, the district court also ordered Seneca to pay $1,141.14 in restitution to the victim, and he will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

    This case was investigated by HSI with the assistance of the New York State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as part of Project Safe Childhood.

    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). 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Norwich Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing a Short-Barreled Rifle

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Benjamin Wheeler, age 20, of Norwich, New York was sentenced today to serve 8 months in federal prison for possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle, announced 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 Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

    As part of his guilty plea, Wheeler admitted that on August 6, 2024, he knowingly possessed a Spikes Tactical AR-15 style rifle at his apartment in Norwich, New York, knowing that the firearm had a barrel length of less than sixteen inches. The firearm was not registered to Wheeler in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

    Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Wheeler to a 3-year term of supervised release, to begin after his imprisonment.

    The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), New York Police Department (NYPD) and the New York State Police with assistance from the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Venezuelan Men Charged with Bank Larceny Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Paducah, KY –A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued this week charging two Venezuelan men with conspiracy to commit bank larceny and attempted bank larceny.

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Police Chief Mike Canon of the Calvert City Police Department made the announcement.

    According to court records, on January 31, 2025, Jhoandiris Jimenez-Barrio, 26, and Yirvel Yonaiker Rios-Castro, 20, both citizens of Venezuela, attempted to steal money from an ATM located in Calvert City, Kentucky. That day the Calvert City Police Department responded to an ATM alarm and the men fled the scene in a vehicle traveling between 70 and 80 mph. The men struck another vehicle and fled the wreck on foot. The Calvert City Police Department apprehended the men near a service station in Calvert City. A search of their vehicle yielded a cordless drill, drill bits, latex gloves, a mask, and duct tape.

    Homeland Security Investigations verified that Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro are Venezuelan and entered the United States illegally.

    Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro are in state custody and will make initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at a later date. If convicted on the charges in the complaint, the men face maximum potential penalties of 50 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    The FBI, HSI, and Calvert City Police Department are investigating.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Hancock and Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, are prosecuting the case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Corning sex offender pleads guilty to new child pornography charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ryan M. Newman, 33, of Corning, NY, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca. As a convicted sex offender at the time of his crimes, Newman faces an enhanced minimum penalty of 25 years in prison, of maximum penalty of 50 years, and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that Newman was convicted of child pornography crimes by New York State in 2012, sentenced to serve a local jail term and 10 years’ probation, and required to register as a Level 3 Sex Offender, which is someone considered to be at high risk of re-offending and a threat to public safety.

    In January 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report from Snapchat that a user had uploaded a video of child pornography. NCMEC sent the tip to the New York State Police, who executed a search warrant on Newman’s person and residence in 2022. The search determined that Newman uploaded the child pornography video to Snapchat and possessed other child pornography on his electronic devices. Newman remained out of custody following the 2022 search warrant by the State Police. In April 2024, the FBI Corning received a tip that pornography involving a child in the Corning area, was distributed to an undercover agent in Illinois. Subsequent investigation determined that Newman sexually abused the child and produced the child pornography. Newman was taken into custody by the FBI and Corning Police.

    Newman is also charged in Steuben County Court.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Corning Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Corning Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kenzie Spaulding.

    Sentencing is scheduled for  June 11, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Vacca.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Navy Detective Sentenced to 15 Months for Using Unreasonable Force and Making a False Statement

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Jonathan Christopher LaRoche, a former detective with Naval Base San Diego Criminal Investigations Division, was sentenced in federal court today to 15 months in prison in connection with his use of a carotid restraint on a handcuffed Navy sailor to the point of unconsciousness and later grabbing the man by the throat and pushing his head against a wall.

    LaRoche pleaded guilty in July 2024 to Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law in connection with the November 2023 incident of excessive force. He also admitted that he intentionally concealed his prior record of excessive force at the El Cajon Police Department in order to be hired as a detective by the Navy.

    During the hearing, the Navy sailor – identified in court records only as G.D. – told the court that LaRoche had subjected him to “unimaginable pain, trauma, and brutality” and left him “feeling violated, discarded, and dehumanized.”

    Before imposing sentence, U.S. District Judge John A. Houston told LaRoche that he “got a pass after three [excessive force] incidents with a local law enforcement agency” and then “lied your way into this job and set yourself up to harm someone else.”  Judge Houston observed that the excessive force used by LaRoche against G.D. was “extraordinary conduct for someone with your law enforcement experience” and called it “disgusting, violent, and extremely disturbing.”

    The defendant was ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons by April 21, 2025.

    “The victim in this case was handcuffed, defenseless, and posed no threat—yet a sworn officer chose to violate his rights through violence,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This office will hold accountable anyone who chooses to abuse their power at the expense of another’s rights.”

    “Mr. LaRoche betrayed his oath as a law enforcement officer when he used excessive force on a sailor who was handcuffed and defenseless,” said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Carter of the NCIS Southwest Field Office. “NCIS remains committed to fully investigating criminal behavior that threatens the safety of our warfighters and their families.”

    As required by his plea agreement with the United States, LaRoche resigned from his position with the Criminal Investigations Division prior to the sentencing hearing. He is prohibited from seeking or applying for any position of employment with any law enforcement agency in the future.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Askins in coordination with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

    DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 24cr1431-JAH                           

    Jonathan Christopher Laroche                        Age: 41                                   Spring Valley, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    False Statement – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1001

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

    Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law (misdemeanor) – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242

    Maximum penalty: One year in prison and $100,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Naval Criminal Investigative Service

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prior sex offender pleads guilty to raping a 14-year-old and gun charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Kelvin Hunt, 48, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to production of child pornography, following a prior conviction, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that in March 1995, Hunt was convicted in Monroe County Court of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison. On February 2, 2024, he entered the home of a 14-year-old minor victim in Rochester, and forcibly raped her. Hunt then took the minor victim’s cell phone and took sexually explicit photos of her. After producing the pornographic images, Hunt forced the minor victim to another location, where he forcibly raped her again. On February 4, 2024, law enforcement located Hunt, took him into custody, and executed a search warrant on the hotel room he was staying in. Investigators seized a loaded semi-automatic handgun, and approximately 71 grams of heroin.

    The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the United States Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.

    Sentencing is scheduled for June 12, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.

    # # # #

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into Death of Vilmond Jean-Baptiste

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released police body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Vilmond Jean-Baptiste, who died on September 13, 2024 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Brooklyn.

    At approximately 5:21 p.m. on September 13, members of the NYPD’s Brooklyn South Warrant Squad entered an apartment to serve a warrant. When officers encountered Mr. Jean-Baptiste in the apartment, he was allegedly holding a knife. Officers instructed Mr. Jean-Baptiste to drop the knife, but Mr. Jean-Baptiste allegedly failed to do so and instead approached the officers with the knife. One officer discharged his taser and three officers discharged their service weapons, striking Mr. Jean-Baptiste. Mr. Jean-Baptiste was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

    The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released footage from body-worn cameras that officers were equipped with during the incident. The release of this footage follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.

    Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

    The release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime. 

    Warning: These videos contain content that viewers may find disturbing. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Climbers rescued from the Totem Pole at Cape Huoy

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Climbers rescued from the Totem Pole at Cape Huoy

    Thursday, 13 February 2025 – 10:52 am.

    Two climbers were rescued from the top of the Totem Pole at Cape Huoy on the Tasman Peninsula overnight.
    “About 6pm last night, Police Search and Rescue were notified that two climbers had become stuck at the top of a feature known as the Totem Pole at Cape Huoy on the Tasman Peninsula,” said Senior Constable Callum Herbert from Police Search and Rescue.
    “The climbers reported that due to high winds their ropes had become entangled and they were unable to reach safety.” 
    “Initial attempts to rescue the climbers by helicopter with deployment of a vertical rescue team was aborted due to high winds.”
    “In partnership with the Climbing Club of Tasmania Vertical Rescue Team, members of Police Search and Rescue and Ambulance Tasmania attempted to gain access to the Totem Pole via nearby cliffs using a police vessel, this was also unsuccessful due to a significant and dangerous swell.”
    “About 11:30pm, rescue teams departed from Fortescue Bay on foot and  found the climbers at the top of the Totem Pole.”
    “Members from the Climbing Club of Tasmania Vertical Rescue Team conducted a complicated vertical rescue of the two climbers. This involved members of the club partially scaling the Totem Pole in wet, dark and windy conditions. After communication and contact was made with the climbers they were secured to rescue ropes, moved to cliffs on the mainland and as dawn broke they were hauled approximately 50 metres to safety.” 
    “The climbers were treated at the scene by a wilderness paramedic but aside from being hungry, tired and cold, they had no injuries.”
    The climbers were from interstate and had reasonable climbing experience.
    “This was a particularly complicated rescue from a sheer sided standing rock 60 metres in the air. It was done at night in cold, wet and windy conditions by a team of dedicated volunteers and they have ours and the climbers heartfelt thanks.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts Florida man of attempting to coerce minor for sex in Missoula undercover investigation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MISSOULA — A federal jury today convicted a Florida man of attempting to coerce a minor for sex after he was arrested in Missoula in an undercover investigation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    After a three-day trial that began on Feb. 10, the jury found the defendant, Stevenson Metelus, 36, of Margate, Florida, guilty of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Metelus faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years to a lifetime of supervised release.

    U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 24. Metelus was released pending further proceedings.

    “Metelus was a truck driver passing through Montana when he used social media to attempt to coerce a minor to have sex with him. The problem for him was he was unwittingly talking to an undercover law enforcement officer. This is the kind of critical work our office and our law enforcement partners are doing across the state to keep kids safe. Our work will continue, and it can only be done effectively due to the diligence, brilliance, and dedicated service of the people in our office and our law enforcement partners,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

    The government alleged at trial and in court documents that in October 2023, an FBI special agent, using a persona identified as Child 1, posted on MegaPersonals an advertisement for prostitution services in Missoula, listed the age of Child 1 as “99” and a phone number at which to contact Child 1. Metelus responded to the ad on Nov. 16, 2023 and asked Child 1 what her “specials” were. Metelus spoke with Child 1, eventually negotiating a price and sexual acts to engage in with her. Child 1 noted she was a minor girl. Ultimately, Metelus asked Child 1 to meet him in his truck when he arrived, but Child 1 said she had a room at the hotel and would leave the door open for him. Child 1 then said that she could meet him at a nearby gas station when he expressed concern about the plan. The undercover FBI agent had confidential source call Metelus and, acting as Child 1, spoke briefly with him. The confidential source again told Metelus that she was a minor. The parties then confirmed their plans to meet. Shortly thereafter, Metelus texted Child 1 that he had arrived at the gas station, where law enforcement arrested him. Metelus eventually admitted to law enforcement his intention was to meet Child 1 for commercial sex.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Missoula Police Department and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

    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.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police hammer home security warning

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police in Counties Manukau South say a recent increase in burglaries from construction sites is a timely reminder to builders to ensure security is up to standard.

    In the past week, Police have charged four people in relation to industrial burglaries in areas including Pukekohe, Pōkeno and Papakura.

    Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Taylor, of Counties Manukau South CIB, says items including tap wear, light fittings, building materials, tools and appliances yet to be installed have been the targets of most burglaries.

    “As a result of our investigations, four people have been charged with various offences in connection to these burglaries in the past week, on top of others last month.

    “One of the four has also been charged with seven separate shoplifting charges and other driving matters.

    “Forensic evidence, CCTV and other investigative methods have been used to progress our enquiries.

    “It’s pleasing we have been able to hold these offenders to account for their actions, while also returning some of the stolen goods to their rightful owners.”

    Detective Senior Sergeant Taylor says the burglaries are a reminder to all those involved in the construction industry to ensure appropriate steps are made to secure building sites.

    “We also encourage anyone who is the victim of a burglary to report it to Police straight away.

    “Burglaries, thefts or any suspicious behaviour should be reported to us on 111 if it’s happening now, or 105 after the fact.”

    Detective Senior Sergeant Taylor says enquiries remain ongoing and Police are not ruling out further arrests or charges.

    Four men, aged between 26-45, have been charged with the respective burglaries Police have linked to them.

    TOP TIPS

    Police recommend a variety of measures to secure your building site:
    •             Install security gates
    •             CCTV
    •             Security patrols
    •             Labelling/marking/engraving valuable items (like tools)
    •             Recording serial numbers
    •             Ensure building materials and appliances are secured and/or installed soon after delivery

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, Puruatanga Road, Martinborough

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Four people on a shared bicycle have been injured in a serious crash with a car in Martinborough.

    The collision happened on Puruatanga Road, between Regent Street and Todds Road, about 10.45am.

    At least one person is being flown to hospital with critical injuries. Three others have serious injuries.

    The driver of the vehicle is uninjured and is being spoken to by Police. 

    The Serious Crash Unit has been notified and the road will likely remain closed for some time. Members of the public are advised to avoid the area.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prison Term of 18 Years Handed to Man Who Sexually Abused 13-Year-Old

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Damion Brown, 33, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison and lifetime supervision, for sexually abusing the 13-year-old daughter of his long-time girlfriend in February of 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                The defendant was convicted on May 7, 2024, by a Superior Court jury of ten felony charges, including first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree child sexual abuse following a multi-day jury trial. The Honorable Judge Anthony Epstein also ordered Brown to stay away and have no contact with the victim or her mother.

                According to the government’s evidence, on February 24, 2023, the 13-year-old victim was home alone with the defendant, who was the victim’s mother’s live-in boyfriend. While the victim was changing clothes, the defendant came into her room and began hugging and kissing her and pushed her onto her bed. The defendant performed a number of sexual acts on the child, then left the room laughing. The victim immediately left the apartment and reported to her aunt, who called the police. The defendant was still in the apartment when police arrived.

                Subsequent DNA testing determined that the defendant could not be excluded from the positive results of DNA found on the victim after the abuse.           

                In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Victim Advocate Veronica Vaughn; former Forensic Child Interviewer Tracy Owusu; Paralegals ReShawn Johnson and Garcia Clarke; and Katina Washington-Adams, who assisted with witness travel, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Folse and Robert Platt, who prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Four charged over alleged aggravated armed robbery at Perth

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Four charged over alleged aggravated armed robbery at Perth

    Thursday, 13 February 2025 – 10:17 am.

    Four people have been charged over a targeted armed robbery at Perth.
    Police received a call from the victim of the alleged robbery on Tuesday evening after four people known to him forced their way into his residence.
    The victim was physically assaulted by one offender who was in possession of a baseball bat, but not seriously injured.
    The alleged offenders then left the scene with the victim’s vehicle, wallet and phone and a large amount of his property.
    Police quickly responded, and located the stolen vehicle a short time later at a Newnham residence.
    Four people – including a 32 Newnham woman, 29 year old Westbury man, 35 year old Newnham man, and 20 year old Launceston man, were located with the vehicle and arrested by police.
    All four have been charged with aggravated armed robbery and motor vehicle stealing and appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court yesterday.
    They are due to appear again on March 11.
    Police would like to reassure the public this was a targeted incident involving people known to each other and there was no threat to the wider community.
    Investigations are ongoing.
    Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Perryton Coach Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of Teenage Student

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    A Perryton ISD coach who sexually abused a 15-year-old student was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Cole Underwood, 29, was charged via criminal complaint in June 2024 and indicted later that same month. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk to 30 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. 

    According to court documents, Perryton ISD’s superintendent reached out to law enforcement in May 2024 to report a possible inappropriate relationship between Mr. Underwood and a female student. According to the superintendent, surveillance video allegedly showed Mr. Underwood meeting with the girl alone after hours, despite being given a specific directive not to be alone with her.

    Agents reviewed the footage and observed Mr. Underwood propping an exterior door open and then shutting off lights. Approximately 15 minutes later, the girl entered the darkened building through the propped door and walked into Mr. Underwood’s office.

    In interviews with law enforcement, the child said Mr. Underwood had sex with her in his office more than a dozen times between February and May.

    She said that after she added him as a contact on Snapchat, he established a personal friendship with her, and even invited her to his office to confide in him. She said that Mr. Underwood began messaging her in a flirtatious and sexual manner in December, and eventually used Snapchat to arrange sexual encounters.

    A search of the girl’s cell phone revealed multiple late-night conversations – some lasting more than six hours – between her and Mr. Underwood, who allegedly occasionally referred to the child as “wifey” and told her he loved her.

    At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, the student detailed how the situation escalated from the defendant acting as a confidant during a stressful period to isolating her and continually pressuring her for sex:

    “I had no idea that he was slowly in the process of grooming me, I genuinely thought that he actually cared about me,” she said in a victim impact statement. “I didn’t know how to stop it… He convinced me to shut everyone out. I felt like I seriously had no one but him.”

    “I hope if there is a girl out there who is going through what I have been through, she has the chance to hear my story to know it’s okay to speak up. There are people who want to help,” she bravely added. “Just because you have one bad chapter does not mean your story is over.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Amarillo Resident Agency, the Ochiltree County Sheriff’s Office, and the Perryton Police Department conducted the investigation with the full cooperation of the Perryton Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New Hampshire Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Attempting to Purchase a Gun in Maine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Brandon Pinard checked “No” on ATF form to having a felony conviction despite 2013 conviction in Massachusetts

    PORTLAND, Maine:  A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for making false statements to acquire a firearm.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Brandon Pinard, 33, to time served, approximately 9 months, followed by three years of supervised release. Pinard pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024.

    According to court records, in May 2024, the Seabrook (N.H.) Police Department received a firearms denial notice showing that Pinard was denied a purchase of a long gun in Bath, Maine. When attempting to purchase the Daniel Defense DDM4 assault rifle, Pinard listed a Dover, N.H. address and checked “No” next to the question on the ATF Form 4473 that read, “Have you ever been convicted in any court, including a military court, of a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year, or are you a current member of the military who has been charged with violations(s) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and whose charge(s) have been referred to a general court-martial?” At the time of the attempted purchase, Pinard was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2013 conviction in Massachusetts for a felony sex offense. He had been a registered sex offender in Seabrook since relocating from Dover in November 2022. 

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Seabrook (N.H.) Police Department.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Wisconsin Rapids Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegally Possessing Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Bradly Rosenthal, 42, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to nine years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution and possessing two loaded firearms as a felon.

    Rosenthal sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant three times in February 2024. On March 13, 2024, law enforcement received a report of suspected drug activity at a car wash located in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Officers responded to the car wash where they encountered Rosenthal. After a K9 alerted to the presence of illicit substances, law enforcement searched Rosenthal’s vehicle and found 266 grams of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms, a Taser, $2,000, and drug distribution paraphernalia. Rosenthal is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction.

    At sentencing, Judge Conley expressed concern at Rosenthal’s “repeated serious crimes,” which include prior drug trafficking and firearms offenses, and his continued “endangerment of others.”

    The charges against Rosenthal were the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force and the Wisconsin Rapids and Nekoosa Police Departments. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Remington and Megan Stelljes prosecuted this case.

    This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals in Maine Arrest a Florida Man in Bangor for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Bangor, ME — A Florida man was arrested in Bangor, ME today by the U.S. Marshals Service Maine Violent Offender Task Force (MVOTF) for failing to register as a sex offender.

    Christopher David Peet, 34, was arrested today on a warrant issued on January 9, 2025 from Pasco County, FL for failure to register as a sex offender. Peet’s requirement to register as a sex offender stems from a 2014 conviction in NY for incest – 3rd degree. Peet also has a prior 2020 conviction for failure to register as a sex offender in FL. The conviction in 2014 designated Peet as a lifetime offender in the State of Florida.

    The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in the Middle District of Florida requested the assistance Marshals Service in Maine with locating and apprehending this fugitive.

    Through a collaborative law enforcement effort, authorities developed information which led investigators to Bangor, ME. USMS Task Force members were able to identify Peet at a residence in Bangor and were able to safely apprehend him without incident. Peet is charged as a fugitive from justice and will be arraigned in Maine pending his extradition back to Florida.

    The USMS in Maine received significant assistance from the USMS Middle District of Florida. The USMS Maine Violent Offender Task Force is comprised of members of the U.S. Marshals Service, Maine Department of Corrections, Biddeford Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Maine National Guard Counter Drug Task Force.

    If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of any state or federal fugitive please contact the United States Marshals Service, District of Maine at MED.TIPLINE@usdoj.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Whitehorse — Repeat offender arrested and charged with numerous property related offences

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Whitehorse RCMP have charged an individual with multiple charges, including break and enter of three downtown Whitehorse businesses.

    On February 3, 2025 Whitehorse RCMP located Christopher Schafer in possession of a stolen vehicle. Mr. Schafer was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property over $5000 and fail to comply with a probation order. He was held in custody for court February 3, 2025, and was released from custody.

    Between February 4 and February 6, 2025, Whitehorse RCMP responded to four separate calls for service related to incidents of break and enter, mischief under $5000, and uttering threats. Evidence gathered from the scenes led police in identifying a suspect.

    On February 8, 2025, RCMP arrested Christopher Schafer. Mr. Schafer appeared in court on February 12, 2025 and has been remanded until February 26, 2025. He has been charged with the following offences:

    • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000
    • Possession of break-in instruments with intent to be used (3 counts)
    • Possession of weapon for a dangerous purpose
    • Uttering threats to cause bodily harm (2 counts)
    • Fail to comply with a probation order (5 counts)
    • Disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence (3 counts)
    • Break and enter to business (3 counts)
    • Mischief under $5000

    If you were a witness to a crime or have information about any crimes, please contact the RCMP at 867-667-5555.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Charlotte Man Sentenced To Prison For Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Robert Upchurch, 52, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 54 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upchurch was also ordered to pay a $17,000 special assessment for the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.

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

    According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, in July 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referred a tip to law enforcement that a Dropbox account user had uploaded numerous images containing suspected CSAM. Law enforcement identified Upchurch as the Dropbox account user. On December 8, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Upchurch’s residence, seizing the defendant’s cell phone, computers, and other electronic devices. A forensic analysis of the seized items revealed that they contained more than 5,800 images and 2,500 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers, and files depicting sadistic or masochistic behavior or violence involving young children. During an interview with law enforcement, Upchurch first denied possessing CSAM, but later admitted to viewing child pornography.

    On September 4, 2024, Upchurch pleaded guilty to possession and accessing with intent to view child pornography containing a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years.

    The FBI and CMPD investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller 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: Montgomery County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Enticing Minors to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct, Manufacturing and Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Kevin Kelly Murray, 30, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation and child pornography offenses.

    In June 2022, Murray was charged by indictment with one count of use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, one count of manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all three charges in October of last year.

    As presented in court filings, on September 1, 2020, a user of the online chat service Omegle uploaded and shared videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent children. A content moderator for Omegle reported the activity to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”), with NCMEC subsequently providing this report in the form of a cybertip to the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Records revealed that the unlawful content had been distributed online using an internet account registered to the defendant’s residence.

    On October 22, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Murray’s residence and found the defendant inside. After being advised of the reason for the search warrant, Murray admitted to possessing child pornography on his computer. Murray then consented to an interview at the local police station, where he confessed to police that he had accessed Omegle to both download and share child pornography. He further admitted to soliciting “preteen” girls over Omegle to undress themselves and perform sexual acts on themselves, at which point he would record their images/videos on his computer for his sexual gratification.

    A forensic review of his electronic devices showed that from 2019 through 2020, the defendant used his cell phone and his computer to obtain at least 361 images and 93 videos of child pornography. Among the videos were several taken during Murray’s Omegle video chats with at least three different young girls, including Minor #1, who appeared to be approximately eight to ten years old. Chat records documented the defendant directing the child to engage in sexually explicit behavior. In response, Minor #1 engaged in the sexually explicit conduct and the defendant created three videos depicting the conduct.

    “Murray preyed on children, grooming them for his own deviant purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He exposed these young girls to child pornography to normalize sexual behavior in their minds, convinced them to engage in explicit acts on camera, then saved the material for his repeated consumption. My office and our partners are working every day to prosecute predators like this, get justice for their victims, and keep all children safe from similar harm.”

    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 United States 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Abington Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Torrington Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting U.S. Attorney of the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER JESUS CONSTANZO, 22, of Torrington, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to an offense stemming from his sexual exploitation of three different minors, including kidnapping and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, enticement and sexual assault of another 16-year-old girl, and production of child pornography involving a 17-year-old girl.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 2, 2021, at approximately 7:27 a.m., Constanzo and a 16-year-old female arrived by car at the U.S. Port of Entry at Highgate Springs, Vermont.  Just prior to their arrival, officials at the St-Armand/Philipsburg Border Crossing in Canada had refused Constanzo and the minor victim entry into Canada.  After U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers separated Constanzo from the minor victim, the victim reported that she met Constanzo the night before at Stillwater Pond State Park in Torrington.  Constanzo then sexually assaulted the minor victim, forced her into the trunk of the minor victim’s car, restrained her with a shoelace, and began driving.  At some point during the night, Constanzo removed the minor victim from the trunk and sexually assaulted her again.  As they neared the Canadian border, Constanzo had the minor victim sit in the front passenger seat of the car.  Constanzo instructed her to “act normal” and “go along with the story.”  Constanzo then told Canadian Border Services Agency officials that the minor victim was his sister and they intended to go into Canada for four days to visit friends.  However, due to their lack of COVID tests, Constanzo and the minor victim were denied entry into Canada.  Costanzo was arrested by CBP on December 2, 2021.

    In July 2021, Costanzo used SnapChat to coerce a 16-year-old female to go to an abandoned warehouse in Torrington to record herself having sex with Constanzo, and, posing as two fictitious individuals on SnapChat, he threatened to kill the minor victim and kill her boyfriend if she did not comply.  At the warehouse, Constanzo sexually assaulted the minor victim at knifepoint.

    Also in July 2021, Costanzo used his iPhone to record sexually explicit Facetime videos of a 17-year-old female. 

    Costanzo pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and, as part of his plea agreement, admitted his conduct against all three victims.  Costanzo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on May 7, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. 

    Costanzo has been detained since his arrest.

    State charges against Costanzo are pending.

    This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Vermont State Police, and the Torrington Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Neeraj N. Patel.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the State’s Attorney for the Litchfield Judicial District for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.

    This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Combat Child Exploitation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Representatives Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) today introduced the PROTECT Our Children Act, which would reauthorize and modernize the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program:
    “The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program has a long history of equipping our law enforcement officers with the tools needed to safeguard children and hold perpetrators accountable,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would reauthorize and update this critical program to address the evolving digital threat landscape and protect our children from these heinous crimes.”
    “The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force leads the fight to keep kids safe from predators online,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “This bipartisan legislation gives the Task Force and its law enforcement partners the tools and resources they need in their collaborative effort to fight child exploitation and protect our nation’s kids from abhorrent abuse in an increasingly online society.”
    “The number of threats children face online in today’s digital age is unlimited, and we need to make certain that law enforcement has the resources to go after these criminals and prevent future crimes against innocent children,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program has helped law enforcement protect children from harm for decades, and this bill would reauthorize this important program.”
    “Predators are using new technology every day to exploit children online, and law enforcement needs to be able to keep up,” said Rep. Van Drew. “The PROTECT Our Children Act gives them the tools to track down these criminals, rescue victims, and hold offenders accountable.”
    “Our lives are increasingly intertwined with the internet, and those who would commit crimes against our children know that all too well. With the PROTECT Our Children Act, the ICAC Task Force Program will get predators off line and help make the internet a safe space for all children,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to build on the original PROTECT Our Children Act that I authored over a decade ago. We all have a role to play in keeping our children safe.”
    “Our nation’s children must be protected at all costs from technology-facilitated child exploitation and Internet crimes against them,” said Rep. Moran. “The PROTECT Our Children Act reauthorizes the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and ensures that federal, state, and local law enforcement work together to combat the exploitation of children from online predators.”
    “In Florida and every other state in the country, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces have protected our kids from vile predators in the darkest parts of the digital world,” said Rep. Moskowitz. “These law enforcement programs have a proven track record of getting tens of thousands of bad actors off the streets, and reauthorizing this program is the right thing to do to keep kids safe. I’m proud to be joining this broad, bipartisan group of colleagues to support these programs so law enforcement agencies across Florida can continue their work combatting child exploitation and other heinous crimes.”
    Background:
    The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and Internet crimes against children. This encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, and community education. This national network of 61 coordinated task forces represents more than 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies engaged in both proactive and reactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions.
    From 1998 to 2022, ICAC Task Forces trained more than 826,700 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and other professionals on techniques to investigate and prosecute ICAC-related cases. They also reviewed more than 1.4 million reports of online child exploitation, which resulted in the arrest of more than 123,790 suspects.
    The PROTECT Our Children Act would:
    Update and modernize the requirements for the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, including requiring the U.S. Department of Justice to provide detailed, useful information on efforts to protect children nationwide;
    Provide liability protection for ICAC Task Forces in the course of conducting criminal investigations of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child abuse material;
    Make needed technical improvements and clarifications to the statutory text of the program to match it to current technology and needs;
    Focus the ICAC program on both proactive and reactive investigations;
    And reauthorize the ICAC Program through 2027 with an escalator authorization.
    The PROTECT Our Children Act is endorsed by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), National Children’s Alliance, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), Rights 4 Girls, National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), Raven, Fraternal Order of Police, Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), and the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC). 
    Sen. Cornyn has long championed the ICAC Task Force Program and has led its reauthorization efforts in the U.S. Senate since 2017.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Teenager Sentenced to 48 Months for Nationwide Swatting Spree

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Alan W. Filion (18, Lancaster, CA) to four years in federal prison for making interstate threats to injure the person of another.

    According to the plea agreement, from approximately August 2022 to January 2024, Filion made over 375 swatting and threat calls, including calls in which he claimed to have planted bombs in the targeted locations or threatened to detonate bombs and/or conduct mass shootings at those locations. Filion targeted religious institutions, high schools, colleges and universities, government officials, and numerous individuals across the United States.

    Filion intended his calls to cause large-scale deployment of police and emergency services units to the targeted locations. During these calls, he provided information to law enforcement and emergency services agencies that he knew to be false, such as false names, false claims that he and others had placed explosives in particular locations, false claims that he and others possessed dangerous weapons, including firearms and explosives, and false claims that he and/or other individuals had committed, or intended to imminently commit, violent crimes. 

    In some instances, armed law enforcement officers approached and entered a targeted residence with their weapons drawn and detained individuals that occupied the residence. Filion claimed in a post on January 20, 2023, that when he swats someone he “usually get[s] the cops to drag the victim and their families out of the house cuff them and search the house for dead bodies.” Additionally, Filion’s calls caused law enforcement officers and dispatchers to respond, and to be unavailable in response to other emergencies.

    Filion became a serial swatter for both profit and recreation. He claimed in a January 19, 2023, online post that his “first” swatting was like “2 to 3 years ago” and that “6-9 months ago [he] decided to turn it into a business. . . .” On several occasions, Filion placed posts on social-media channels advertising his services and swatting-for-a-fee structure.

    On January 18, 2024, Filion was arrested in California on Florida state charges arising from a May 2023 threat he made to a religious institution in Sanford, Florida. In that threat, he claimed to have an illegally modified AR-15, a Glock 17 pistol, pipe bombs, and Molotov cocktails. He said that he was going to imminently “commit a mass shooting” and “kill everyone” he saw. He pleaded guilty in federal court to making that threat.

    Filion also pleaded guilty to making three other threatening calls: an October 2022 call to a public high school in the Western District of Washington, in which he threatened to commit a mass shooting and claimed to have planted bombs throughout the school; a May 2023 call to a Historically Black College & University in the Northern District of Florida, in which he claimed to have placed bombs in the walls and ceilings of campus housing that would detonate in about an hour; and a July 2023 call to a local police department dispatch number in the Western District of Texas, in which he falsely identified himself as a senior federal law enforcement officer, provided the federal law-enforcement officer’s residential address to the dispatcher, claimed to have killed his (the federal officer’s) mother, and threatened to kill any responding police officers.  

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service. Valuable assistance was provided by the Seminole County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office; the Anacortes (Washington) Police Department; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the California Department of Justice; the Los Angeles County (California) Sheriff’s Office; and the Volusia County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara Wick, with valuable assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for Seminole County, Florida, 18th Judicial Circuit; the Counterterrorism Section of the United States Department of Justice; and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Western District of Washington, the Northern District of Florida, the Western District of Texas, and the District of Columbia. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation  — Update on Suspicious Deaths on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Identities of victims released

    The Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service, in conjunction with the Saskatchewan RCMP and in collaboration with the families of the deceased victims, are releasing the names of the people who died as a result of the homicides on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation on February 4, 2025. Their identities are being released to help further the investigation.

    We share our condolences with the families and community members impacted by this tragedy.

    The Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Family Liaison team and Victim Services continue to communicate with the victim’s families.

    With this in mind and to assist ongoing reporting, families of the deceased have provided photographs of their loved ones which they have permitted us to share with news partners. They are the highest quality photographs we have available. The families have asked for privacy during this difficult time.

    The deceased victims are identified as:

    34-year-old Tracey Hotomani of Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation
    44-year-old Sheldon Quewezance of Zagime Anishinabek
    47-year-old Shauna Fay of Indian Head
    51-year-old Terry Jack of Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation

    Investigation has determined the homicide victims were injured by firearm. We are investigating the deaths as homicides. Initial investigation suggests the residence may have been targeted.

    The investigation continues, which includes investigators speaking with individuals who may have relevant information to share, as well as evidence analysis. Neighbourhood canvasses have also occurred on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation.

    At this time no arrests have been made in relation to the deaths of the four victims.

    “We are actively investigating this tragedy to piece together the details of what happened – this takes time. We must be mindful that releasing more specific details could impact the overall investigation,” says Inspector Ashley St. Germaine, Senior Investigative Officer of Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes. “I reiterate: if you have information to share about this investigation, please speak directly with the police so it can be examined thoroughly. Rumours can spread quickly. Please remember the loss the victim’s loved ones have experienced. Misinformation can impact an investigation by rerouting investigators in false directions. Investigations must follow evidence and our investigators are trained to do just that.”

    Report all tips to the RCMP by calling 911 in an emergency and 310-RCMP in non-emergencies. Information can be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Beauval  — Beauval RCMP asking public to report sightings of Christopher Blyan

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Beauval RCMP are asking the public to report sightings and information on the whereabouts of 46-year old Christopher Blyan.

    Christopher Blyan is wanted for charges including the possession of cocaine, failure to attend court, and failure to comply with release conditions.

    Christopher Blyan is described as 5’10” tall and 190 pounds with hazel colored eyes and brown hair.

    He is known to travel in the Beauval and Meadow Lake areas.

    Beauval RCMP continue to investigate.

    Report all sightings and information about the whereabouts of Christopher Blyan to your local police at 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Honored by Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association for Repealing WEP, GPO

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) was awarded the Fraternal Order of Police National President’s Advocacy Award for his instrumental role in passing the Social Security Fairness Act, which fully repeals two unfair Social Security provisions known as the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). It was signed into law on January 5, 2024 after Cassidy successfully secured a vote on the Senate floor. Prior to the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, WEP and GPO unfairly penalized 94,000 state and local public servants in Louisiana, including Louisiana sheriffs.
    “No one should be penalized for serving their communities. For years, I have worked to make sure our police officers and all public servants receive the full Social Security benefits they have earned,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I stand committed to those who protect and serve Louisiana every day. Thank you to the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association for this honor.” 
    Background
    Last week, Cassidy led his colleagues in sending a letter to acting Social Security Commissioner Michelle King calling for the immediate implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act to provide full Social Security benefits for millions of public servants impacted by WEP and GPO.
    Cassidy played a pivotal role in getting the Social Security Fairness Act signed into law on January 5, 2025. Cassidy successfully demanded a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. In July 2024 and again in December, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor urging Congress to repeal WEP and GPO as part of his “Big Idea” to save, strengthen, and secure America’s retirement system. In June, Cassidy entered a statement into the record urging the repeal of WEP and GPO ahead of the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee field hearing on Social Security. 
    Cassidy is a long-time cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate, being an original cosponsor since he became a Member of Congress in 2009. He led the introduction of the legislation in the 117th and 116th Congress.
    Cassidy led a bipartisan working group to preserve and protect Social Security. He released the inaugural Bill on the Hill video where he asked Capitol Hill visitors from across the country their thoughts on the looming benefit cuts to Social Security and presented his “Big Idea.”
    Last March, Cassidy grilled U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on President Biden’s plan to address Social Security, to which Secretary Yellen admitted “the president doesn’t have a plan,” to save Social Security.
    Cassidy has discussed the “Big Idea” at a public forum with AARP on the future of Social Security, outlined his Social Security plan in a fireside chat with the Bipartisan Policy Committee, and authored op-eds in the Washington Examiner in July, the Wall Street Journal in March, and State Affairs and Washington Post in May. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Pharmacists Convicted for Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendants Conspired to Fill Fake Prescriptions for Oxycodone Pills Written by a Doctor’s Receptionist and Distributed to Street Drug Dealers for Cash

    Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned guilty verdicts against licensed pharmacists Yousef Ennab and Mohamed Hassan on all counts of a superseding indictment charging them with conspiracies to dispense and distribute oxycodone, as well as distribution and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.  The verdict followed a three-week trial before United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly.  When sentenced, the defendants each face up to 60 years in prison.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA); Naomi Gruchacz, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and Dr. James V. McDonald, Commissioner, New York State Department of Health, announced the verdicts.

    “The defendants abused their access to oxycodone and violated the trust placed in them as pharmacists by illegally agreeing to supply drug dealers with tens of thousands of pills to sell on the streets of our district with zero regard for the immense harm this dangerously addictive narcotic has caused,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Pharmacists have a responsibility to prevent the illegal flow of drugs from their businesses, but these defendants only cared about lining their pockets with cash. With today’s verdict they will soon learn there is a reckoning for their criminal conduct that has contributed to the opioid epidemic.”

    United States Attorney Durham expressed sincere thanks to his team of prosecutors and paralegals and all of the law enforcement partners whose tireless efforts contributed to the convictions of these defendants and their co-conspirators. They include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the New York State Comptroller, the New York Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the New York National Guard.

    “Today’s verdict against Yousef Ennab and Mohamed Hassan sends a strong message to anyone in the medical profession willing to betray their patients’ trust,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino.  “Pharmacists who abuse their license, a license to help and promote the health and safety of others, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  This abuse is a breach of trust that not only undermines public confidence but also causes irreputable harm and erodes the foundation of integrity which the public relies on.  The DEA and our partners will continue to target those individuals who abuse their authority and profit from fueling the national opioid crisis.”  

    “The pharmacists convicted in this case chose to dispense illegally prescribed controlled substances to patients and accept cash kickbacks to do so, which is especially egregious given the ongoing opioid epidemic,” stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz.  “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.”

    “These two men used their positions as pharmacists to scheme and cheat the system, filling their pockets with the money of the vulnerable and addicted.  Yousef Ennab and Mohamed Hassan had little regard for the safety and well-being of their clients, and today a jury of their peers found them guilty of their criminal behavior.  This conviction was made possible with the collaborative efforts of our federal and local partners, and now both defendants will soon be faced with sentencing,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Chavis.

    “Whether illegal drug transactions occur on a street corner or in brick-and-mortar pharmacies masquerading as legitimate businesses, the pushers are fueling addiction,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “The numbers here are staggering—over 1.2 million pills exchanged with a street value of approximately $24 million.  While the full extent of the harm is unquantifiable, the guilty verdicts send a clear message that wherever you illegally distribute drugs, your operation will be shut down and you will go to jail.  I thank the investigators in the NYPD, in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and across numerous law enforcement agencies for their joint effort to eradicate poison from our streets.”

    “The defendants’ criminal conduct, and that of their co-conspirators, flooded our city with 1.2 million pills of highly addictive oxycodone.  Their convictions make clear that DOI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and all of our partner law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation are committed to bringing to justice those responsible for the distribution of dangerous drugs.” stated DOI Commissioner Strauber.

    “The Department takes professional and medical misconduct very seriously, with the health and safety of New Yorkers and our communities being of utmost concern,” stated New York State Department of Health Commissioner McDonald.  “The State Department of Health’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement will continue to remain vigilant and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to protect the public health by combatting diversion and safeguarding the legitimate use of controlled substances in health care.”

    As proven at trial, Hassan and Ennab were licensed pharmacists who participated in a large-scale scheme using illegal medical prescriptions to obtain oxycodone for distribution on the streets of New York City.  Hassan held ownership stakes in more than a dozen pharmacies, where were located in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island and did business under the names Nile RX, Nile Ridge, Nile City, Sunset Corner, Prospect Care, Downtown RX and Forest Care, among others.  Ennab was the supervising pharmacist at Forest Care, one of Hassan’s pharmacies in Staten Island.

    The scheme relied on filling illegally issued prescriptions for 30-day supplies of oxycodone 30 mg that were written out of a Brooklyn medical practice operating as a pill mill, often for patients that the resident doctor at the practice had never examined.  Oxycodone 30 pills are high in strength and are prescribed to cancer patients, for instance.  In some cases, the prescriptions were for individuals whose identities had been stolen and were not patients of the practice.  The prescriptions were then filled at pharmacies controlled by Hassan, including the pharmacy where Ennab worked.  Hassan and Ennab conspired with other drug dealers to effect the distribution of the illegally obtained oxycodone.  One of the drug dealers picked up the oxycodone from the pharmacies in exchange for cash payments to Hassan and Ennab.  Hassan and other pharmacist co-conspirators also billed insurance companies for the pills even though they had no legitimate medical purpose. The trial evidence included video footage of Ennab taking a cash payment from one of the drug dealers, Michael Kent, while handing over multiple prescriptions for oxycodone for sham patients. In total, the scheme resulted in the illegal distribution of more than 1.2 million pills of oxycodone worth more than $36 million in retail street value.

    Six co-defendants, including Dr. Somsri Ratanaprasatporn, her receptionist Leticia Smith and pharmacists Bassam Amin and Omar Elsayed, previously pleaded guilty based on their involvement in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing.  A seventh co-defendant, Michael Kent, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years’ incarceration.

    These convictions are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Assistant United States  Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise, Victor Zapana and Gilbert M. Rein are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Nadya Osman.  Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian is handing forfeiture matters.  

    The Defendants:

    YOUSEF ENNAB
    Age:  27
    Brooklyn, New York

    MOHAMED HASSAN
    Age:  34
    Brooklyn, New York

    Co-Defendants Who Pleaded Guilty:

    LETICIA SMITH
    Age:  54
    Brooklyn, New York

    BASSAM AMIN
    Age: 69
    Brooklyn, New York

    OMAR ELSAYED
    Age:  28
    Hackensack, New Jersey

    YOUSEF ENNAB
    Age:  25
    Brooklyn, New York

    MICHAEL KENT
    Age:  49
    Brooklyn, New York

    ANTHONY MATHIS
    Age:  55
    New Windsor, New York

    Dr. SOMSRI RATANAPRASATPORN
    Age:  75
    Staten Island, New York

    RAYMOND WALKER
    Age:  70
    Brooklyn, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-464 (AMD)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, has pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug conspiracy charges.

    Dominique Carpenter-Grady, a/k/a “8 Zipp,” a/k/a “Eight,” “a/k/a “Eighty,” 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute PCP, MDMB-4en-PINACA and ADB-4en-PINACA. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Feb. 11, 2026.

    Carpenter-Grady was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation of H-Block beginning in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. Over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation.

    According to the charging documents, the H-Block street gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H-Block. Current members of H-Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation.

    Carpenter-Grady was a long-time H-Block gang member and one of three members and associates of H Block charged with a conspiracy to smuggle illegal drugs into a Massachusetts prison. Carpenter-Grady facilitated intercepted calls coordinating the smuggling of drugs on saturated papers into the prison where alleged co-conspirators were incarcerated. It is alleged that several sheets of paper containing PCP (Phenylcyclidine) and illegal K2 were seized over the course of the investigation. It is estimated that a single sheet of such paper would be worth as much as $80,000 inside the prison.

    According to court documents, the Massachusetts Department of Correction has seen a significant increase in the smuggling of synthetic cannabinoids, a/k/a “K2,” and other dangerous substances into the prison system. A common method of introducing the drugs is by exploiting the Department of Correction’s inmate mail policies, which prohibit delivery to inmates of original copies of any materials contained in incoming mail except for legal mail, original copies of which are inspected and delivered via the U.S. postal system. Sheets of paper are saturated or sprayed with liquid narcotics, dried, printed with fake legal correspondence, and then mailed to inmates in an envelope marked as legal mail, in the hopes that the drug-laced paper will be delivered undetected.

    Carpenter-Grady is the second defendant to plead guilty in the case.

    The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute PCP, MDMB-4en-PINACA and ADB-4en-PINACA provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
        
    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Murphy of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Previously Deported Man for Violation of Sex Offender Registration and Reentry of Deported Alien

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Trenton, TN – Early this morning, the U.S. Marshals led Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Jackson, Tennessee, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Jose Alfredo Melendez-Hernandez.

    The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in the Western District of Tennessee began investigating Melendez-Hernandez, 52, for violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) after it was determined that he was residing in Gibson County, Tennessee and failed to register as a sex offender.

    Investigators also determined that Melendez-Hernandez was previously deported and removed from the United States in 2009 following a conviction for sexual battery in Texas.

    The investigation further revealed that Melendez-Hernandez was in the United States without having obtained the express consent from the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.

    Melendez-Hernandez was indicted in federal court in the Western District of Tennessee on February 10, 2025, for violation of SORNA and Reentry of Deported Alien.

    On February 12, 2025, the TRVFTF and HSI Agents went to a residence on Cades Loop Road in Trenton, Tennessee. After Melendez-Hernandez failed to comply with commands to come outside, the door was breached by Deputy marshals and task force officers. Melendez-Hernandez was found inside, taken into custody, and transported to the James D. Todd U.S. Courthouse in Jackson.

    The U.S. Marshals Service Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Gibson County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured approximately 3,000 violent offenders and sexual predators.

    MIL Security OSI –