NewzIntel.com

Category: Police

  • MIL-OSI Security: Northfield Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Federal Prison for Attempting to Receive Two Pounds of Methamphetamine Through the United States Postal Service

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

    CONCORD – A Northfield man was sentenced today in federal court for his attempt to receive two packages of methamphetamine in New Hampshire through the United States Postal Service (USPS), Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    Joseph Crawford, of Northfield, age 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 72 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.  On October 30, 2024, Crawford pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    “Joseph Crawford used the United States Postal Service in an attempt to smuggle dangerous drugs across state lines into the Granite State,” said Acting United States Attorney Jay McCormack. “Individuals using the mail as an avenue to traffic illegal narcotics to New Hampshire will be prosecuted and significantly punished.”

    “Joseph Crawford has repeatedly demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law and yesterday’s sentence puts him out of business and behind bars for receiving significant quantities of meth through the mail while on parole for two prior state drug convictions,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.  “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent illegal drugs from hitting the streets in order to make our cities safer.”

    “As methamphetamine seizures are on the rise, DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug out of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division.  “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Crawford accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those who attempt to bring this poison to the Granite State.”

    “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to dedicate the resources necessary to keep methamphetamine producers and traffickers out of our communities,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Today’s sentencing is a result of a coordinated effort of our local and state law enforcement partners to keep methamphetamine and other drugs out of our communities.”

    On July 5 and July 19, 2023, the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) flagged suspicious packages addressed to Joseph Crawford at an address in Northfield, New Hampshire, sent from California. USPIS obtained search warrants for both packages, which contained over two pounds of methamphetamine in total. 

    The United States Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The New Hampshire State Police, Claremont Police Department, and the Lebanon Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Cherniske prosecuted the case.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Cornyn Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Online Exploitation of Private Images

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act ensures that federal prosecutors have appropriate and effective tools to address serious privacy violations
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced bipartisan legislation to take on the online exploitation of explicit, private images. The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act would provide federal law enforcement with the tools they need to crack down on serious privacy violations. The bill establishes federal criminal liability for people who distribute others’ private or explicit images online, or threaten to do so, without consent. The bill also fills in existing gaps in federal law so that prosecutors can hold all those who exploit children accountable. Current state laws offer incomplete and inconsistent protection for victims of image exploitation. Last year, the SHIELD Act passed the Senate unanimously. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is led by Representatives Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA).
    “We need to provide victims of online abuse with the legal protection they deserve, and to hold their exploiters accountable,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation does just that. Providing law enforcement with the tools they need will help prevent these serious privacy violations from going unpunished or even happening in the first place. We will build on the progress we made last year to finally get these critical protections passed into law.”
    “Those who have had their digital privacy violated shouldn’t have to fear that their abusers will go unpunished,” said Cornyn. “Our legislation will help ensure criminals who share private images of others online, including explicit photos of children, are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
    The SHIELD Act is endorsed by over 50 organizations, including the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the National District Attorneys Association.
    “In a world where smart phones and other devices are used to record and share every moment in life, it is vital to protect against the malicious, nonconsensual sharing of private, explicit images. These privacy violations disproportionately target women and minors. By establishing federal liability for those who share private images without consent, the SHIELD Act will help law enforcement bring justice to the victims of these crimes. We thank Senators Klobuchar and Cornyn for their leadership and stand with them in support of this important bill,” said Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations.
    “The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) applauds Senator Klobuchar and Senator Cornyn for their leadership on the SHIELD Act. This essential piece of legislation protects children and closes a gap in current law by criminalizing the distribution of sexually explicit and nude images of a child. In 2024, NCMEC received more than 500,000 reports of online enticement, including sextortion, to our CyberTipline. The SHIELD Act will provide a crucial legal remedy for children in many of these cases. We look forward to working with the Senate and House sponsors to ensure that the SHIELD Act is enacted into law this term. NCMEC is appreciative of all Congressional supporters of the SHIELD Act who are working to prioritize child safety online,” said Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
    “As technology advances at a rapid pace, so too does the exploitation of some of our most vulnerable victims in our communities—children. The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act takes an important step to hold those who prey on children and others accountable. The legislation also addresses the challenges of ‘sextortion’ and closes a loophole where child pornography falls short of meeting the definition of sexual content. We appreciate Senator Klobuchar and Senator Cornyn’s efforts to provide the necessary tools to law enforcement and prosecutors to keep our communities safe,” said Nelson Bunn, Executive Director of the National District Attorneys Association.
    The SHIELD Act would:
    Ensure that the Department of Justice has an appropriate and effective tool to address serious privacy violations;
    Establish federal criminal liability for individuals who share, or threaten to share, private, sexually explicit or nude images without consent;
    Fill in gaps in existing law that prevent prosecutors from holding those who share explicit images of children accountable; and
    Protect the victims of serious privacy violations, while leaving room for sharing consensual images and images of public concern.
    Last year, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” Senator Klobuchar was part of a hearing that questioned tech executives about their companies turning a blind eye when young children join their platforms, ignoring the risk of sexual exploitation, using algorithms that push harmful content, and providing a venue for drug traffickers to sell deadly narcotics like fentanyl. In 2017, Klobuchar and former Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), introduced the first version of this legislation, the bipartisan Ending Nonconsensual Online User Graphic Harassment (ENOUGH) Act. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Statement from NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce AM

    Source: New South Wales Health – State Government

    This morning, I was made aware of an utterly disgusting video circulating on social media. NSW Health immediately launched an investigation and contacted NSW Police, who are also investigating.
    The appalling comments and hate speech from the individuals in this video do not represent, and never have, the views or values of NSW Health – this includes the 180,000 dedicated, caring and kind people who make up our workforce.
    NSW Health is committed to fostering an environment of respect and inclusivity. We are proud to provide safe, compassionate and high-quality care to all people across the diverse communities of NSW we serve. 
    We understand this disturbing video has caused distress. I can assure you we are treating this matter incredibly seriously.
    There is absolutely no place in NSW Health for these views or behaviour.
    NSW Health condemns the views expressed and behaviour demonstrated in this video and I assure everyone that every person in NSW receives safe, respectful care in our hospitals and health services.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nashville Man Charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm Following Robbery at the Mall at Green Hills

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NASHVILLE – Omari Rashad Moore, 30, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm as part of a shooting incident near the Green Hills mall, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.

    “Citizens in our community need to feel confident that they can go shopping at a mall without fearing gunfire,” said McGuire. “We are unwavering in our commitment to secure a safe city and hold those who would threaten that safety fully accountable for their actions.”

    According to the complaint, on February 4, 2025, officers with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) responded to the Mall at Green Hills in Nashville, in response to a possible robbery and shots-fired complaint. As the officers responded, 911 dispatch also received a complaint about a shooting near the I– 65 South and I–440 Interstate interchange in Nashville, which is about five miles driving distance from the Mall.

    When MNPD officers arrived at the Mall, they found two .10 millimeter cartridge casings on the ground along with a high capacity magazine containing .10 millimeter ammunition near where the shooting and robbery had occurred. Officers could not locate a victim or suspect of the shooting at the Mall. About that time, MNPD officers arrived in the area of the I–65 South and I–440 Interstate interchange and saw a silver Tesla, which had been traveling away from the direction of the Mall, that had crashed into a tree. MNPD officers recovered two Louis Vuitton bags from inside the Tesla and located two men near the crash scene, who were later identified as Moore and SUBJECT 1. A bystander, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, told MNPD officers that he/she had seen Moore approach a nearby guardrail on foot after the Tesla crashed. MNPD officers found a Glock Model: 29, Caliber: .10 millimeter pistol with the magazine missing near the guardrail.

    SUBJECT 1 had multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital by emergency medical services, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

    MNPD Detectives reviewed security footage of the robbery and shooting at the Mall. It showed a man walking away from the mall carrying two shopping bags. As he approached his car, a silver Tesla drove up to and stopped near the man’s car. A man, later identified as Moore, got out of the Tesla with an object in his pocket that was consistent with the appearance of a handgun loaded with a high-capacity magazine. Moore approached the other man’s car, and they fought before the other man broke free and ran. Moore then leaned into the other man’s car, then ran back to the Tesla carrying the two shopping bags.

    Moore has multiple prior felony convictions in Henderson County and Davidson County, Tennessee.

    If convicted, Moore faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

    This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Hinkle is prosecuting the case.  

    A federal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Riverside School Counselor Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation Crimes, Including Hiding Cameras in Bathrooms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A former counselor at a private school in Riverside County was sentenced today to 360 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and placing a hidden camera inside bathrooms to film boys using the toilet and showers.

    Matthew Daniel Johnson, 34, of Bryan, Texas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, who scheduled a restitution hearing for May 28. Upon his eventual release from prison, Johnson will be placed on lifetime supervised release. Johnson has been in federal custody since October 2024.

    Law enforcement searched Johnson’s home in March 2020 and seized several videos featuring minor boys engaged in sexual activity. The videos depicted victims under the age of 12 and some as young as 3 to 5 years old.

    During the search of his residence, Johnson admitted to law enforcement that he had hidden a pen-shaped recording device in a toilet paper holder inside of a school bathroom, across the hall from his office as a school counselor at La Sierra Academy in Riverside.

    Another video file depicted Johnson adjusting a recording device inside a different bathroom at a Junior High School Bible Camp where he was working as a chaperone of children attending the camp. The video file subsequently captured minor boys using the toilet and the shower.

    Johnson further admitted to using and employing a minor victim in January 2020 for the purpose of creating a visual depiction of the victim engaging in sexual conduct.

    The Fontana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Riverside Police Department, and the FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Trafficking drugs for Mexican Cartel lands Laredo man in prison for more than 16 years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A 37-year-old man has been sentenced for conspiring to distribute a large quantity of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Gavino Cadena pleaded guilty Nov. 10, 2022.

    U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered Cadena to serve a total of 194 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court considered Cadena’s extensive criminal record, including his involvement with Cartel del Noreste (CDN) and the Tango Blast gang. Records also showed that while in custody awaiting sentencing in this case, Cadena was involved in numerous altercations with rival gang members such as Hermano Pistoleros Latinos, including incidents involving weapons.

    The court found Cadena to be a leader/organizer within the drug trafficking organization. He coordinated the drug loads, paid co-conspirators for their involvement and reported directly to cartel leaders in Mexico. Cadena was held responsible for organizing the offloading and transport of more than 8,000 pounds of marijuana from multiple tractor trailers in Laredo that had been imported from Mexico.

    “The Department of Justice is going to use all available avenues to crack down on cartel activity operating inside our country,” said Ganjei. “The drug trade inevitably leads to violence, and so every drug dealer or cartel member taken off the street makes our communities a little bit safer.”

    Throughout the course of this multi-year investigation, which includes two related indictments, authorities seized more than 17 tons of marijuana valued at approximately $16.4 million.

    To date, a total of 22 people, including several Mexican nationals, have been convicted for their roles in the conspiracy to transport narcotics for CDN. Their sentences have ranged from 18 months to 168 months in prison.

    Cadena will remain in custody pending a transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Laredo Police Department conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; Border Patrol; Customs and Border Protection; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. National Guard; Webb County District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Constable’s Office Precincts 1 and 4; Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Blue Indigo Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day and Anthony Evans prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to Over 8 Years in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — Dario Mata-Manzo, 33, a Mexican national residing in Fresno, was sentenced today to eight years and eight months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, in June 2022, Mata-Manzo negotiated the sale of crystal methamphetamine for $1,200 per pound and subsequently delivered 8 pounds of the drug to undercover officers in Fresno. Court documents indicate that Mata-Manzo was connected to an interstate poly-drug trafficking organization.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA), which consists of personnel from the California Department of Justice, Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.

    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, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Louisville Man for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment on February 4, 2025, charging a local man with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

    According to the indictment, Emmett Morris, 28, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on July 29, 2024. Morris was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.

    On January 14, 2022, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Morris was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree less than 10 dosage units of opiates, trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree under 2 grams of methamphetamine and convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

    On January 21, 2016, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Morris was convicted of facilitation to murder, receiving a stolen firearm and 3 counts of robbery in the second degree.

    On February 6, 2025, Morris made an initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. He remains in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case is being investigated by the LMPD and the ATF.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Porter is prosecuting this 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.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Mexican national security strategy under government headed by President Sheinbaum – E-002686/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The fight against organised crime is a shared challenge and priority for the EU and Mexico. The EU closely follows the Mexican government’s new security strategy,

    As indicated in the reply to your Question E -002382/2024 from 31 October 2024, the EU remains committed to cooperating with and supporting Mexico to address security and drug trafficking, notably through the programme of the EU with Latin America and the Caribbean against Transnational Organised Crime EL PACCTO[1] and the Cooperation Program between Latin America, the Caribbean and the EU on drug policy COPOLAD[2].

    The EU makes use of the appropriate tools to ensure a sound management of EU funds at all stages of the project management cycle, notably through monitoring and evaluation.

    Reinforcing EU-Mexico cooperation in the fight against firearms trafficking is also a shared priority. The EU seeks to improve international cooperation of law enforcement services.

    The EU has been encouraging Mexico to increase its involvement in the operational actions of the European Multiplatform against criminal threats (EMPACT) firearms and of the network of Police Specialized in Arms Trafficking (red ARCO), which is part of the EU programme El PACCTO.

    Regarding allegations that a percentage of firearms seized in Mexico is originating from EU Member States, the Commission underlines that it has no access to the operations of exportation, as it is a national competence. EU law governing the export of firearms for civilian use[3] has safeguards to ensure legal transactions.

    The EU recently adopted a recast Regulation that introduces, inter alia, more safeguards such as the issue of a user statement regarding the final use, the need for a proof of receipt and the possibility to carry out post-shipment checks.

    • [1] https://elpaccto.eu/en/
    • [2] https://copolad.eu/en/
    • [3] Regulation (EU) No 258/2012.
    Last updated: 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update – Search for missing man, Mt Aspiring National Park

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    The search for a man reported missing in a river in Mt Aspiring National Park on 6 February remains ongoing.

    Police have located a number of personal items along the river, believed to belong to the missing man.

    Search efforts in the last two days have been hampered by extreme hazards and limited visibility, resulting in a brief suspension of the search on Tuesday afternoon.

    Today the Police National Dive Squad and Wanaka LandSAR Swift Water Rescue Team will search an area of the canyon with an underwater camera and light equipment.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lakeland Convicted Felon Charged With Possessing Firearm And Ammunition

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the filing of a criminal complaint charging Taqiy Lewis (27, Lakeland) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Lewis faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. 

    According to the criminal complaint, on December 24, 2020, M.C., a 70-year-old woman, was outside her Lakeland home with her family, including young children. At approximately 5:30 p.m., Lewis and others engaged in a shootout just outside M.C.’s residence. M.C. was struck twice and killed. A.L., a thirteen-year-old child, was also shot and wounded.  

    More than two years later, on February 9, 2023, during an unrelated investigation, ATF special agents and officers from the Lakeland Police Department recovered a Kahr CM9 9mm pistol while executing a search warrant. Forensic testing using the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) confirmed that this firearm was the one used to kill M.C. and injure A.L. Further investigation revealed that six casings collected from the crime scene, two spent projectiles recovered from a home, and a bullet recovered from M.C.’s body were all fired by Lewis and the Kahr CM9 pistol he possessed. At the time of the shooting, Lewis was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. 

    A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lakeland Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Myers Man Pleads Guilty To Pizza Shop Armed Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Shadarien Lamarr Ward (22, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Ward faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

    According to court documents, on the evening of September 1, 2024, Ward robbed a pizza shop near downtown Fort Myers at gunpoint, pistol-whipping an employee in the process. After grabbing the cash register drawer and approximately $700 in cash, Ward fled the area on foot. Though he was hooded and masked during the robbery, Ward was later identified by law enforcement after an extensive review of surveillance cameras in the area that tracked him to a nearby motel.

    Ward, a registered sex offender, was wearing a GPS monitor at the time of the robbery as part of his state sex offender probation, which helped law enforcement retrace his steps leading up to and immediately following the robbery. Although he cut off his GPS monitor and absconded from supervision following the robbery, Ward was located and arrested at a North Fort Myers motel soon thereafter.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lee County Felon Pleads Guilty To Unlawfully Possessing Loaded Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Austin Charles Wesley (25, Lehigh Acres) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Wesley faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

    According to court documents, on October 24, 2024, Wesley was pulled over for speeding by the Florida Highway Patrol on SR-82 in Lee County. During the traffic stop, law enforcement located a loaded Walther .22 caliber handgun concealed underneath Wesley’s clothing. As a multi-time convicted felon, who previously served sentences in Florida state prison for various crimes, Wesley is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.     

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Fort Myers Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking Charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JOSHUWA DIAZ, 34, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to a narcotics trafficking offense.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Diaz was arrested on February 16, 2024, after a court-authorized search of his apartment on Orange Street in New Haven revealed approximately 75 grams of fentanyl, 278 grams of cocaine, 47 grams of crack cocaine, and a loaded P80 handgun with no serial number (“ghost gun”).

    Diaz pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (“crack”), and fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for May 7.

    Diaz is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

    In April 2013, Diaz was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 78 months of imprisonment for distributing heroin.

    This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, which includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clearland — UPDATE: Missing person found safe

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The 28-year-old man who was reported missing on February 11 from Clearland has been found safe.

    The RCMP thanks Bridgewater Police Service for their assistance with this investigation, and Nova Scotians for assisting with missing persons files through social media shares and offering tips.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Natuashish — Natuashish RCMP investigates serious assault; victim airlifted for medical treatment, woman arrested

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Following an investigation into a serious assault that occurred at a home in Natuashish on February 10, 2025, 32-year-old Antonia Jacobish was arrested and charged by Natuashish RCMP.

    Shortly before midnight on Monday, Natuashsish RCMP received a report of the assault. A woman received serious injuries resulting from a physical attack that occurred inside a home. The victim was airlifted out of the community for urgent medical attention.

    The investigation, which was assisted by RCMP NL’s West District General Investigation Section, resulted in the arrest of Jacobish on February 11, 2025. She attends court today, charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. The victim of the crime is recovering from injuries that are now considered non-life threatening.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Massachusetts Resident Sentenced on Gun and Drug Convictions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Taylor, age 29, of Malden, Massachusetts, was sentenced last month to 10 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

    United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

    When he pled guilty in September 2024, Taylor admitted that he sold multiple firearms and controlled substances to another person in Rensselaer County between September 2023 and January 2024. Taylor admitted that he had sold two firearms to this person on separate occasions in October 2023, and on both occasions also distributed controlled substances. In December 2023, Taylor and a co-conspirator sold this person over 400 fentanyl pills along with approximately 25 grams of fentanyl powder.

    United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 4-year term of post-incarceration supervised release.

    ATF investigated this case with assistance from the Troy Police Department, the Brookline (Massachusetts) Police Department, and the Cambridge (Massachusetts) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph S. Hartunian prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Juvenile Charged With August 2024 Armed Carjacking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

               WASHINGTON – Aniq-Kai Covington, 16, of Washington, D.C., was charged as an adult (under Title 16) on February 11, 2025, in Superior Court with armed carjacking in connection with an August 13, 2024 incident in Southeast D.C. The charge was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

               According to documents filed in court, on August 13, 2024, at approximately 9:15 p.m., police officers were dispatched to the 2700 block of  31st Street S.E., where they located the victim of an armed carjacking. The victim told the officers that at least two suspects approached the victim, who was sitting in their vehicle waiting for a family member. One suspect approached the victim’s driver’s side door and pointed a firearm at the victim, ordering the victim to get out of the vehicle. Another suspect attempted to open the victim’s passenger door. The victim complied and got out of the car. The first suspect then demanded money and took the victim’s wallet and cell phone, before the suspects fled northbound on 31st Street, SE in the victim’s car.  The victim borrowed a phone from a family member and called 911. 

               The victim’s vehicle was located in the 2500 block of High Street S.E., stationary and unoccupied, just before 9:30 p.m., approximately 15 minutes after police were dispatched to the scene of the carjacking.  The victim’s vehicle was forensically processed, and a latent fingerprint recovered from the interior passenger’s side door handle was later determined to belong to Covington. 

               Covington was presented in court yesterday and ordered detained. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 14, 2025.

               The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Winer is prosecuting the case.

               These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Apprehends Mother’s Boyfriend for Injury to a Child

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Austin, TX – The U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested a man sought by Austin Police for injury to a child following an incident on February 7th that resulted in the hospitalization of a 2-year-old victim.  

    Marcos Amaya Maldonado, 25, of Del Valle, is alleged to have committed the injury while the child was in his custody during the day at the child’s mother’s residence in the 9900 block of Dessau Road. According to an affidavit by an investigator with the Austin Police Department (APD) Child Abuse Unit, Maldonado is the boyfriend of the victim’s mother. 

    When the mother arrived at the residence from work, she observed bruising to the side of the child’s face, according to the affidavit. After noticing an increase in bruising and swelling to the child’s face, and a “rash” under the diaper area, the mother called 911.

    Medical personnel at a nearby hospital reported the victim had sustained a large contusion to her head and extensive bruising to her genitalia and vaginal lacerations. 

    Following an investigation on February 9th, the APD Child Abuse Unit obtained a warrant in the City of Austin Municipal Court and requested assistance from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force-Austin Division to locate and apprehend Maldonado. 

    Members of the task force initiated a fugitive investigation and arrested Maldonado in the 100 block of Fortuna Drive in Del Valle.

    Maldonado was transported to the APD Child Abuse Unit and booked into the Travis County Jail where he will await judicial proceedings.  

    Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Austin:

    Austin Police Department-Tactical Intelligence Unit
    Georgetown, Round Rock, and San Marcos Police Department
    Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office
    Texas Attorney General’s Office
    Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG
    Texas Department of Public Safety
    U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
    U.S. DHS/Homeland Security Investigations

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police make arrest over Birkenhead aggravated robbery

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    An arrest has been made following the aggravated robbery of a Cash in Transit van in Birkenhead on Tuesday afternoon.

    Overnight, Police executed a search warrant at a Northcote address as part of the investigation.

    Acting Detective Inspector Simon Harrison, of Waitematā CIB, says a man was taken into custody.

    “We have charged the 43-year-old man with serious offences,” he says.

    The man will appear in the North Shore District Court today.

    He is facing charges including aggravated robbery and commission of a crime with a firearm.

    Acting Detective Inspector Harrison says the investigation team have been working hard to investigate the case since Tuesday.

    “It’s pleasing we have made an arrest so soon into the investigation, given the brazen nature of this alleged offending.

    “We will not tolerate this offending, especially when a firearm is allegedly presented.

    “I know news of this arrest will bring some reassurance to the Birkenhead community.”

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston arrests illegal Turkish national charged with witness intimidation, assault, battery on intellectually disabled person

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SOMERVILLE, Mass. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an illegally present Turkish national charged in Massachusetts with assault and battery against a household member, witness intimidation, and two counts of assault and battery against a person with an intellectual disability when officers arrested Berkan Karamurtlu, 27, in Somerville, Jan. 22.

    “This is a tragic example of what can go wrong when local jurisdictions refuse to honor immigration detainers,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “The local jurisdiction ignored our detainer and released Berkan Karamurtlu into the community. Unfortunately, he re-offended resulting in a second arrest for assaulting an intellectually disabled resident. Fortunately, the local authorities honored our second detainer and Karamurtlu is now in ICE custody. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by apprehending and removing egregious alien offenders.”

    Karamurtlu lawfully entered the United States Oct. 11, 2021, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York but later violated the terms of his lawful admission.

    The Somerville District Court arraigned Karamurtlu Dec. 24, 2024, for the offenses of assault and battery on an intellectually disabled person and witness intimidation. ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Karamurtlu with the Somerville District Court, which ignored the detainer and released Karamurtlu from custody.

    The Somerville District Court again arraigned Karamurtlu Jan. 21 for the offenses of assault and battery on a person with intellectual disabled person and assault and battery on a family or household member. ICE then lodged an immigration detainer against Karamurtlu with the Medford Police Department.

    ICE served Karamurtlu with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge following his arrest.

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

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X: @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CORIS ADDISON (“ADDISON”), age 42, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on February 5, 2025, by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, after previously pleading guilty to violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act by participating, along with others, in a methamphetamine conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

    According to court records, one of ADDISON’s co-conspirators sold approximately seven grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agent, and another individual, on August 29, 2023 at a Westbank, New Orleans apartment.

    Another drug deal was set for the following day at the same apartment, but before the deal took place, two of ADDISON’s co-defendants robbed the undercover ATF agent, and the other individual, at gun point.  To escape the danger, the undercover ATF agent, and the other individual, went onto the third-floor balcony of the apartment and began climbing down.  The agent fell during his escape and sustained severe injuries.  Although ADDISON did not participate in the robbery, he and others were later arrested  at the apartment.

    Judge Lemelle sentenced ADDISON to serve 80 months in prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

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

    The investigation was conducted primarily by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department and Crimestoppers GNO. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator, and Nolan Paige, Chief of the Narcotics Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Thirty-Eight Defendants Sentenced in Massive Prison-Based Drug Trafficking Ring

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    ATLANTA, Ga. – Thirty-eight members of a drug trafficking organization, including several State of Georgia prison inmates, have been sentenced for their roles in coordinating and distributing deadly heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl throughout the metro-Atlanta area, as well as laundering drug proceeds to Mexico.

    “The successful dismantling of this large organization is a result of a tenacious multi-year effort from federal, state, and local authorities to root out narcotics trafficking originating from state prisons,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr.  “Our office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to leverage all resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute entire networks of offenders responsible for distributing deadly drugs into our communities.” 

    “These sentences mirror the destructive impact on the community caused by this violent drug trafficking organization,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Wherever you operate, if you distribute dangerous drugs, DEA will find you and hold you accountable.”

    “Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, thirty-eight members of this extensive drug distribution network will spend significant time behind bars where they will no longer be able to plague our community with poison,” said Sean Burke, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. 

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: During the investigation, federal special agents learned that a network of prison inmates was using contraband cell phones to broker drug transactions throughout the metro-Atlanta area, including importing drug shipments from Mexico and other states. These prison brokers relied on conspirators on the outside to store, package and distribute multiple types of illegal drugs. Other members of the organization were responsible for laundering the proceeds from the drug sales to Mexico using local money remitters.  The organization also repeatedly threatened violence to uncooperative members.  In one case, agents learned of a plot to abduct and murder a narcotics dealer.  In response, law enforcement quickly mobilized to disrupt the plan.

    After the first phase of the investigation concluded, a Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Georgia returned an indictment against 19 of the conspirators for drug trafficking and money laundering offenses.  During the second phase of the investigation, agents identified additional conspirators including two of the high-level prison brokers, Jesus Sanchez-Morales and Juan Ramirez, who were later indicted by the Grand Jury for drug trafficking offenses.  After Ramirez was brought into federal custody, he used another contraband cell phone to broker drug deals, including the attempted distribution of fentanyl.  The Grand Jury later charged him with this new conduct.  

    Through this multi-year investigation, agents seized over 250 kilograms of methamphetamine, 25 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, more than 12,000 fentanyl pills, kilogram-quantities of fentanyl powder, heroin, and marijuana, and over $450,000 in drug proceeds. 

    The defendants were convicted and sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May:

    • Juan Ramirez was sentenced earlier today to 27 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release .  Ramirez was convicted of ten drug trafficking counts including Conspiracy and Possession with the Intent to Distribute  Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl, after a jury found him guilty of these charges on July 25, 2024.
    • Jesus Sanchez-Morales was sentenced to 27 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Sanchez-Morales was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on June 22, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Martin Maldonado was sentenced to 19 years, seven months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Maldonado was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on April 26, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Benjamin Villareal Perez was sentenced to 19 years, seven months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Perez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on September 17, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Jaime Chavez was sentenced to 17 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Chavez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on April 30, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Aszavious Anderson was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Anderson was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on May 28, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Kristofer Ty Armistead was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Armistead was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 7, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Mario Castillo was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Castillo was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on September 25, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Aricus Cantrell Holloway was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Holloway was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on April 24, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Cristian Hernandez-Lovo was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hernandez-Lovo was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on September 24, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Jesus Antonio Molina-Ortiz was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Molina-Ortiz was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on August 10, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Jamar Tyrone Zanders was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Zanders was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on September 24, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Brandon Richard Duncan was sentenced to 14 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Duncan was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on July 9, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Joseph Dominic Edwards was sentenced to 14 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Edwards was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on August 4, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Rafael Alvarez was sentenced to 13 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Alvarez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on August 13, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Jason Garcia-Lara was sentenced to 13 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Garcia-Lara was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 23, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Jordan Duane Bowers was sentenced to 12 years, six months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Bowers was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Heroin on May 10, 2022, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Emmanuel De Santos Nieto was sentenced to 12 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. De Santos Nieto was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on September 9, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Salvador Valencia-Zavala was sentenced to 11 years, three months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Valencia-Zavala was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on January 27, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Marvin Gaye Banks was sentenced to 11 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Banks was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on July 15, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Samantha Fagundes was sentenced to 11 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Fagundes was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl, on January 15, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Alejandro Vasquez-Lopez was sentenced to 10 years, nine months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Vasquez-Lopez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on May 24, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Shelly Denise Class was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Class was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on October 10, 2019, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Edgar Ochoa Martinez was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Martinez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on July 22, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Allison Nichole Daniel was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Daniel was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on May 27, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Enrique Rodriguez-Govea was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rodriguez-Govea was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on May 30, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Taurus Basil Stephens was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Stephens was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on December 16, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Raheem Jamal Morris was sentenced to nine years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Morris was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 26, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Lilia Martinez Rodriguez was sentenced to eight years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Martinez Rodriguez was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering on September 21, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Roberto Rojas was sentenced to eight years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rojas was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 13, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Nicholas Charles Johnson was sentenced to seven years, eight months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Johnson was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on July 10, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Leonardo Rosas was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rosas was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on October 3, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Daniel Gonzalez was sentenced to five years, four months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Gonzalez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on July 11, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Juan Torres Chavez was sentenced to a time-served sentence of approximately four years, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Chavez was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on December 14, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • David Chavez-Ortiz was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Chavez-Ortiz was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on October 21, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Antwonette Jarnez Thomas was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Thomas was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 7, 2021, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Erin Cortez was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Cortez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 22, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Joaquin Flores, Jr. was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Flores was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 19, 2024, after he pleaded guilty. 

    Eusebio Paniagua-Paz remains a fugitive.  If you have any information about his whereabouts, please contact your local law enforcement agency. 

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Atlanta Police Department, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County Police Department, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia State Patrol, and the South Fulton Police Department.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Alison B. Prout, Amy M. Palumbo, Elizabeth M. Hathaway, Sarah Klapman, and Nicholas Evert, together with former Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler Mann, Scott McAfee, and Erin H. Harris, prosecuted the case.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Orleans Parish Man Guilty of Carjacking and Weapons Violations

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on February 4, 2025, RICHARD CARR (“CARR”), age 29, a resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty in connection with a carjacking and gun violations that occurred on January 12, 2023, in New Orleans.

    Specifically, CARR pled guilty to carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1); brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii); and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Court documents revealed that on January 12, 2023, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers were dispatched to Conti Street in response to an armed robbery/carjacking.  The victim said he met CARR that day and drove with him to various areas in the city after which,  CARR produced a firearm and demanded the victim’s cell phone and  car keys for his silver Toyota CHR.  On January 13, 2023, NOPD Officers observed the victim’s stolen silver Toyota CHR, minus the license plate , parked in front of a Franklin Ave gas station.  Police then saw a male sleeping in the front seat with a firearm in on his lap.   NOPD then secured the firearm, a Glock Model 43, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, and arrested CARR.  CARR was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction.

    As to the carjacking and felon in possession charges, CARR faces a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to 3 years of supervised release. As to the charge for brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, CARR faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years, up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 5 years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.  

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

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Eight Venezuelan Nationals Charged with Offenses Related to their Roles in a Transnational Commercial Sex Enterprise

    Source: US State of Vermont

    A four-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Middle District of Tennessee charging eight defendants with various offenses arising from their respective roles in a transnational commercial sex enterprise.

    According to court documents, the defendants, all of Venezuela, Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, 51; Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, 35; Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca, 39; Wilmarys Del Valle Manzano Solorzano, 22; Frankyanna Del Valle Romero-Rivero, 30; Endrik Alexander Morales-Rivero, 25; Jesus Enrique Castillo Rodriguez, 24; and Ariannys Beatriz Gutierrez-Carrillo, 24, operated an illegal commercial sex and sex trafficking enterprise out of Nashville motels from July 2022 through March 2024.

    According to the indictment, once the defendants facilitated the victims’ arrival in the United States, the defendants utilized online commercial sex websites to post advertisements for the victims and then used the internet and their cellular phones to direct commercial sex buyers to engage in commercial sex with the victims at the motels before collecting the proceeds from that commercial sex for the defendants’ benefit.

    “This indictment demonstrates our commitment to stop human trafficking whenever and wherever we find it, and to hold those involved accountable” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We are coming after transnational criminal organizations like TdA, but this case shows that we will also do whatever it takes to stop those who would traffick women and girls no matter who is behind their suffering.”

    “The success of this operation to stop Tren da Aragua operating in our communities is a significant step forward in our ongoing battle against human trafficking and transnational organized crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville. “This investigation exemplifies the importance of collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies in ending these crimes in our communities while leaving a trail of suffering in their wake.”

    “We will not allow TdA – or any criminal organization – to get a stronghold in Tennessee,” said Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. “We are thankful for our local, state, and federal partners who joined us in investigating this case, and we stand prepared to continue aggressively investigating human trafficking in our state, holding traffickers and buyers accountable and helping victims take their first steps toward becoming survivors.”

    “Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This devastating crime exploits vulnerable members of communities nationwide, including those in Tennessee. The FBI and our partners are committed to rescuing victims, investigating and prosecuting traffickers, and supporting survivors.”

    “While the focus of this investigation centers around human trafficking, Tren de Aragua is involved in all manner of criminal activity, to include the sale of narcotics and dangerous drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA)’s Louisville Division. “The dedicated men and women of DEA will continue to work side by side with our federal, state and local partners to rid our communities of the transnational criminal gangs, like TdA.”

    “The trafficking of human beings is abhorrent to all of us, it’s a modern-day form of slavery,” said Chief John Drake of the Metro Nashville Police. “I want to be very clear, our police department will always make human trafficking an investigative priority regardless of where the suspects are from and will work with our partners for an intentional and coordinated law enforcement response.”

    A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee previously returned the four-count indictment charging all eight defendants for their respective roles in facilitating the recruiting of young women from impoverished parts of Venezuela and other South and Central American countries, then facilitating their transportation across the U.S. southern border and across state lines to engage in commercial sex in the Nashville area.

    Three of the defendants — Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, and Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca — are additionally charged with a sex trafficking conspiracy for conspiring to use force, fraud, and coercion to compel the women into engaging in commercial sex acts for the defendants’ profit that include invoking alleged ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and its reputation for violence.

    The indictment further charges defendant Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.

    Mother and son defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero are charged with conspiring to impose a coercive debt scheme upon the victims to compel them to continue engaging in commercial sex acts until the defendants deemed their debts repaid. Defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero previously were arrested and detained on state charges relating to their conduct.

    If convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

    If convicted of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, Mota-Rivero also faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

    The case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and additional federal, state, and local Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) partners who coordinated related law enforcement operations across multiple jurisdictions. OCDEFT identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

    If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Venezuelan Nationals Charged with Offenses Related to their Roles in a Transnational Commercial Sex Enterprise

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A four-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Middle District of Tennessee charging eight defendants with various offenses arising from their respective roles in a transnational commercial sex enterprise.

    According to court documents, the defendants, all of Venezuela, Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, 51; Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, 35; Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca, 39; Wilmarys Del Valle Manzano Solorzano, 22; Frankyanna Del Valle Romero-Rivero, 30; Endrik Alexander Morales-Rivero, 25; Jesus Enrique Castillo Rodriguez, 24; and Ariannys Beatriz Gutierrez-Carrillo, 24, operated an illegal commercial sex and sex trafficking enterprise out of Nashville motels from July 2022 through March 2024.

    According to the indictment, once the defendants facilitated the victims’ arrival in the United States, the defendants utilized online commercial sex websites to post advertisements for the victims and then used the internet and their cellular phones to direct commercial sex buyers to engage in commercial sex with the victims at the motels before collecting the proceeds from that commercial sex for the defendants’ benefit.

    “This indictment demonstrates our commitment to stop human trafficking whenever and wherever we find it, and to hold those involved accountable” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We are coming after transnational criminal organizations like TdA, but this case shows that we will also do whatever it takes to stop those who would traffick women and girls no matter who is behind their suffering.”

    “The success of this operation to stop Tren da Aragua operating in our communities is a significant step forward in our ongoing battle against human trafficking and transnational organized crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville. “This investigation exemplifies the importance of collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies in ending these crimes in our communities while leaving a trail of suffering in their wake.”

    “We will not allow TdA – or any criminal organization – to get a stronghold in Tennessee,” said Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. “We are thankful for our local, state, and federal partners who joined us in investigating this case, and we stand prepared to continue aggressively investigating human trafficking in our state, holding traffickers and buyers accountable and helping victims take their first steps toward becoming survivors.”

    “Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This devastating crime exploits vulnerable members of communities nationwide, including those in Tennessee. The FBI and our partners are committed to rescuing victims, investigating and prosecuting traffickers, and supporting survivors.”

    “While the focus of this investigation centers around human trafficking, Tren de Aragua is involved in all manner of criminal activity, to include the sale of narcotics and dangerous drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA)’s Louisville Division. “The dedicated men and women of DEA will continue to work side by side with our federal, state and local partners to rid our communities of the transnational criminal gangs, like TdA.”

    “The trafficking of human beings is abhorrent to all of us, it’s a modern-day form of slavery,” said Chief John Drake of the Metro Nashville Police. “I want to be very clear, our police department will always make human trafficking an investigative priority regardless of where the suspects are from and will work with our partners for an intentional and coordinated law enforcement response.”

    A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee previously returned the four-count indictment charging all eight defendants for their respective roles in facilitating the recruiting of young women from impoverished parts of Venezuela and other South and Central American countries, then facilitating their transportation across the U.S. southern border and across state lines to engage in commercial sex in the Nashville area.

    Three of the defendants — Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, and Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca — are additionally charged with a sex trafficking conspiracy for conspiring to use force, fraud, and coercion to compel the women into engaging in commercial sex acts for the defendants’ profit that include invoking alleged ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and its reputation for violence.

    The indictment further charges defendant Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.

    Mother and son defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero are charged with conspiring to impose a coercive debt scheme upon the victims to compel them to continue engaging in commercial sex acts until the defendants deemed their debts repaid. Defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero previously were arrested and detained on state charges relating to their conduct.

    If convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

    If convicted of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, Mota-Rivero also faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

    The case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and additional federal, state, and local Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) partners who coordinated related law enforcement operations across multiple jurisdictions. OCDEFT identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

    If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brainerd Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl in the Brainerd Lakes Area

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – A Brainerd man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute tens of thousands of fentanyl pills, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, on August 1, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a storage unit in Brainerd that belonged to Dazaughn Ellis West, 28. Inside the unit, officers found between 13,000 and 15,000 pressed fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 2.8 pounds. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant at West’s home in Brainerd, where they found an additional 150 grams of fentanyl pills, a loaded semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber rifle, and distributable quantities of cocaine.

    On February 6, 2025, West was sentenced in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim to 120 months’ imprisonment.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, Brainerd Police Department, and the Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division (LADID).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren O. Roso prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash, Cromwell-Clyde Road

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police can confirm two people have died following a crash on State Highway 8/Cromwell-Clyde Road yesterday evening.

    The two-vehicle crash, involving a vehicle and a motorbike, was reported to emergency services at 5pm.

    Sadly, both the motorbike rider and the sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene.

    The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pictou — Search Warrant leads to seizure of drugs, weapon

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Pictou County Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit (PCISCEU) seized drugs and a weapon from a Pictou residence during a search warrant execution.

    In December 2024, PICSCEU began investigating potential drug trafficking from a residence on Poplar St., Pictou.

    On February 6, members of the PCISCEU, assisted by the Pictou County District RCMP, RCMP Police Dog Services, Pictou County District GIS, and Stellarton Police Service, executed a search warrant at the residence and seized cocaine, methamphetamine, and a bladed weapon.

    Five people were arrested at the home, including:

    • Emily Jessica Barker, 31, of Masstown
    • Amanda Michelle Binder, 23, of Stellarton
    • Amanda Leeanne Deyoung, 45, of New Glasgow
    • Colin Martin Graham, 34, of Stellarton
    • Jarom Elliott Merriam, 40, of Truro

    All five have been charged with two counts each of Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking and Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose. They were released from custody pending a court appearance on April 14i n Pictou Provincial Court.

    Nova Scotians are encouraged to contact their nearest RCMP detachment or local police to report crime, including the illegal sale of drugs, in their communities. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or using the P3 Tips app.

    Note: The PCISCEU is made up of police officers from Pictou County District RCMP, Westville Police Service, and Stellarton Police Service.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prolific shoplifter jailed in east London

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A prolific shoplifter who repeatedly targeted stores in east London has been convicted following a Met Police investigation.

    Officers were called to Tesco Express on High Road in Leytonstone at 16:00hrs on Tuesday, 7 January, following a report a man had been apprehended by staff after attempting to steal a large amount of alcohol.

    The offender was detained by officers outside the store, with the incident captured on CCTV and the footage recovered as part of the investigation.

    Lee Moise, 46 (12.04.86), of no fixed address, was further charged with nine other thefts and common assault on a member of staff at the same location, as well as a theft at Co-op on Homerton High Street.

    He appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 9 January where he was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for 18 months.

    Inspector Mohammed Uddin, from the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Homerton, said:

    “We know shoplifting has a significant impact on businesses which also extends to staff, and successful cases like this highlight our commitment to bringing offenders to justice as we focus on the crimes that matter most to Londoners.

    “Our Safer Neighbourhood Teams continue to work alongside local stores big and small on effective crime prevention initiatives, as well as carrying out more arrest enquiries and liaising with the council to identify shoplifters with the help of their CCTV operations.

    “We are also working with drug and homeless outreach teams who provide support to people known for shoplifting which is often used to fund their drug habits. It’s these targeted approaches that is making a difference in communities across London.”

    A Tesco spokesperson said:

    “Our colleagues work hard to serve our customers every day, and each member of our team deserves to feel safe at work.

    “We would like to thank all the officers and our internal security team who have worked collaboratively on this case.

    “We continue to liaise closely with our partners, such as the Metropolitan Police, to share information and invest in new ways to keep our stores, like the High Road Leytonstone Express, safe places to work and shop.”

    The conviction of Moise is another example of the intelligence-led approach Safer Neighbourhood teams in east London are taking to remove prolific shoplifters from their respective wards.

    In Homerton alone, neighbourhood officers have made 15 arrests relating to more than 50 crimes since September 2024, of which six people are currently serving prison terms.

    More widely, the Met is collaborating with the business community to target those who continuously shoplift, using data and technology such as phone tracking and surveillance techniques.

    MIL Security OSI –