NewzIntel.com

Category: Police

  • MIL-OSI Security: West Haven Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that CARLOS INESTI, 29, of West Haven, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with child exploitation offenses.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in April 2025, the FBI arrested an individual in Utah for possession of child pornography.  Analysis of a cell phone seized during the investigation revealed videos involving an adult male, subsequently determined to be Inesti, engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler-aged girl.  The investigation revealed that Inesti had recorded the videos and shared them through the Telegram application.

    Inesti appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and was released on a $100,000 bond into home detention with location monitoring.  He is prohibited from accessing the internet and having any contact with minors.

    The complaint charges Inesti with sexual exploitation of children, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 year, and with distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

    U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s New Haven and Salt Lake City Field Offices, with the assistance of the West Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.

    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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Canadian National Extradited for Mailing Fraudulent Prize Notices

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    WASHINGTON — A Canadian national accused of operating fraudulent prize notice schemes was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance in Las Vegas federal court on June 18, the Department of Justice and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today.

    Patrick Fraser, 44, of Alberta, Canada, will face federal charges of conspiracy and mail fraud. Fraser was arrested on June 15, 2023, by Canadian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request and was surrendered to the United States this month. A detention hearing was held on June 23, and Fraser was ordered detained pending trial.

    According to the indictment, the defendant conspired with others to operate fraud schemes through which he mailed fraudulent prize notifications to individuals in the United States and in other countries. The prize notifications falsely represented that the victims had been specifically chosen to receive a large cash prize, typically over $1 million, and would receive the prize upon payment of a small free. Many of the victims were elderly and vulnerable.

    “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting and pursuing those who perpetrate fraud schemes targeting America’s seniors,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “I thank Canada for assisting in extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States. The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement partners will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”

    “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with the Consumer Protection Branch and our law enforcement partners in the United States and the world to identify and pursue transnational criminals who prey on older Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Through our Elder Justice Initiative, Assistant U.S. Attorneys and professional staff are combating elder financial exploitation and fraud. This extradition is another example of the outstanding collaboration between federal law enforcement and international partners.”

    “Postal inspectors protect the vulnerable. If you use fake prize offers to scam others, we’ll find you—and you will be held accountable,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen.

    Fraser is charged in a nine-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Las Vegas. If convicted, Fraser faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Senior Trial Attorney Ann Entwistle and Trial Attorney Charles B. Dunn of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department is grateful to the Vancouver Police Department, who provided assistance through official requests. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division accomplished the extradition of Fraser from Canada.

    The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

    More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

    For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Cambodia: Government allows slavery and torture to flourish inside hellish scamming compounds – new report

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Apparent police collusion is allowing trafficking and enslavement of huge numbers of people

    More than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified continue to operate after police raids

    First-hand testimony exposes massive and extremely violent criminal operation

    ‘They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up’ – Survivor Siti*

    ‘The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to’ – Montse Ferrer

    The Cambodian government is deliberately ignoring human rights abuses including slavery, human trafficking, child labour and torture that are being carried out by criminal gangs on a vast scale in more than 50 scamming compounds located across the country, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.

    Survivors interviewed for the 240-page report, I Was Someone Else’s Property, believed they were applying for genuine jobs but were instead trafficked to Cambodia, where they were held in prison-like compounds and forced to conduct online scams in a billion-dollar shadow economy defrauding people around the world.

    Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said.

    “Deceived, trafficked and enslaved, the survivors of these scamming compounds describe being trapped in a living nightmare enlisted in criminal enterprises that are operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government.

    “Jobseekers from Asia and beyond are lured by the promise of well-paid work into hellish labour camps run by well-organised gangs, where they are forced to scam under the very real threat of violence.

    “Amnesty’s research reveals the horrifying magnitude of a crisis the Cambodian authorities are not doing enough to stop. Their failures have emboldened a criminal network whose tentacles extend internationally, with millions of people impacted by the scams.” 

    Amnesty’s findings suggest there has been coordination and possibly collusion between Chinese compound bosses and the Cambodian police, who have failed to shut down compounds despite the slew of human rights abuses taking place inside.

    Held by force

    In the most comprehensive documentation yet of the issue, Amnesty’s report identified at least 53 scamming compounds in Cambodia and interviewed 58 survivors of eight different nationalities, including nine children. Amnesty also reviewed the records of 336 other victims of Cambodian compounds. Those interviewed had either escaped from compounds, been rescued or had a ransom paid by their families. 

    The interviewees’ testimony gives a detailed insight into a sprawling, violent criminal operation that is taking place often with the full knowledge of the Cambodian authorities, whose woefully ineffective – and at times corrupt – response to the scamming crisis demonstrates its acquiescence and points towards state complicity in the human rights abuses taking place.

    One survivor, Lisa*, who was 18 and looking for work during a break from school in Thailand when she was trafficked, said:

    “[The recruiters] said I would work in administration… they sent pictures of a hotel with a swimming pool… the salary was high.”

    Instead, Lisa was taken across a river at night into Cambodia, where she was held for 11 months against her will by armed security guards and forced to work on scams. When she tried to escape, she was severely beaten. She said:

    “There were four men… three of them held me down while the boss hit me on the soles of my feet with a metal pole… They told me that if I don’t stop screaming, they’re going to keep hitting [me] until I stop.” 

    Sold into slavery

    As part of its 18-month-long research, Amnesty visited all but one of the 53 scamming compounds located in 16 towns and cities across Cambodia, as well as 45 similar sites also strongly suspected to be scamming compounds. Many of the buildings were formerly casinos and hotels repurposed by criminal gangs – mostly from China – after Cambodia banned online gambling in 2019.

    Compounds appeared designed to keep people inside, with features such as surveillance cameras, barbed wire around perimeter walls and large numbers of security personnel, often carrying electric shock batons and in some cases firearms. Survivors reported that “escape was impossible”.

    Most victims had been lured to Cambodia by deceptive job advertisements posted on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. After being trafficked, survivors said they were forced to contact people using social media platforms and begin conversations aimed at defrauding them. These included fake romances or investment opportunities, selling products that would never be delivered, or building trust with victims before financially exploiting them – known as “pig-butchering”. 

    All but one of the survivors interviewed were victims of human trafficking, while everyone had been subjected to forced labour under the threat of violence. In 32 cases, Amnesty concluded the survivors were victims of slavery as defined under international law, with compound managers exerting a level of control over them that amounted to de facto ownership. Survivors also reported being sold into compounds or witnessing the sale of other people. Many others were told they owed a debt to the compound which they had to work to repay.

    Forty of the 58 survivors interviewed had suffered torture or other ill-treatment – almost always carried out by compound managers. Some compounds had specific rooms – often known as “dark rooms” – which were designated places for torture of people who did not or could not work or meet work targets, or who contacted the authorities.

    Survivors frequently mentioned deaths inside the compounds or nearby; one survivor described hearing a body hitting the roof of a building. Amnesty also confirmed the death of a Chinese child inside a compound.

    Survivor Siti* described seeing a Vietnamese person beaten by compound bosses for around 25 minutes. He said:

    “They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up…then the boss tell me that they wait until another compound want to buy him.”

    Of the nine children interviewed, five were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment. Sawat*, a 17-year-old Thai boy, was beaten by several managers before being told he would be stripped and forced to jump off the building. 

    Police in league with compound bosses

    Amnesty’s report found that the Cambodian government has failed to adequately investigate widespread human rights abuses at scamming compounds despite being repeatedly made aware of them.

    The Government has claimed to be addressing the scamming crisis through its National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking and a number of ministerial task forces, which have overseen a series of police “rescues” of victims from compounds. However, more than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified in the report continued to operate even after police raids and “rescues”. At one compound in Botum Sakor, human trafficking has been widely reported by media and police have intervened multiple times to rescue victims, yet the site remains open.

    Police failings stem from their collaboration or coordination with compound bosses. For example, in many of the “rescues”, instead of entering the compounds and investigating, police would simply meet a manager or security guard at the gate, where they would be handed the individual(s) who had called in for help. Business then continued as usual.

    In other instances, several survivors said they were beaten after their secretive efforts to contact police for help were somehow uncovered by bosses. One Vietnamese survivor told Amnesty that police “work for the compound and will report requests for help back to the compound bosses”.

    Those “rescued” from compounds were often subsequently detained in immigration detention centres in poor conditions for months at a time – the Cambodian authorities having failed to recognise them as victims of human trafficking and provide them with the support required under international law.

    Meanwhile, the authorities have targeted others speaking out about scamming compounds. Several human rights defenders and journalists working on the issue have been arrested, while the news outlet Voice of Democracy was closed in 2023, apparently in retaliation for its reporting on the scamming crisis.

    Amnesty sent its findings to the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, which responded by sharing vague data on interventions at compounds, none of which clarified whether the Government has identified, investigated or prosecuted individuals for human rights abuses other than deprivation of liberty. It also did not respond to Amnesty’s list of scamming compounds or suspicious locations.

    Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director, said.

    “The Cambodian authorities know what is going on inside scamming compounds, yet they allow it to continue.

    “Our findings reveal a pattern of state failures that have allowed criminality to flourish and raises questions about the Government’s motivations.

    “The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to. The police interventions documented appear to be merely ‘for show’.

    “Cambodia’s authorities must ensure no more jobseekers are trafficked into the country to face torture, slavery or any other human rights abuse. They must urgently investigate and shut down all scamming compounds and properly identify, assist and protect victims. Slavery thrives when governments look away.”

    Survivors interviewed for Amnesty’s report were from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ethiopia, but Amnesty also had access to records of hundreds of others from India, Kenya, Nepal and the Philippines and many more.

    Press conference

    Amnesty will be presenting the findings of the report in a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in Bangkok on Thursday 26 June. For further information or to register for the event, visit https://forms.office.com/e/tZivUqtUv4

    *All survivors using pseudonyms for security reasons

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Cambodia: Government allows slavery and torture to flourish inside hellish scamming compounds – new report

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Apparent police collusion is allowing trafficking and enslavement of huge numbers of people

    More than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified continue to operate after police raids

    First-hand testimony exposes massive and extremely violent criminal operation

    ‘They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up’ – Survivor Siti*

    ‘The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to’ – Montse Ferrer

    The Cambodian government is deliberately ignoring human rights abuses including slavery, human trafficking, child labour and torture that are being carried out by criminal gangs on a vast scale in more than 50 scamming compounds located across the country, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.

    Survivors interviewed for the 240-page report, I Was Someone Else’s Property, believed they were applying for genuine jobs but were instead trafficked to Cambodia, where they were held in prison-like compounds and forced to conduct online scams in a billion-dollar shadow economy defrauding people around the world.

    Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said.

    “Deceived, trafficked and enslaved, the survivors of these scamming compounds describe being trapped in a living nightmare enlisted in criminal enterprises that are operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government.

    “Jobseekers from Asia and beyond are lured by the promise of well-paid work into hellish labour camps run by well-organised gangs, where they are forced to scam under the very real threat of violence.

    “Amnesty’s research reveals the horrifying magnitude of a crisis the Cambodian authorities are not doing enough to stop. Their failures have emboldened a criminal network whose tentacles extend internationally, with millions of people impacted by the scams.” 

    Amnesty’s findings suggest there has been coordination and possibly collusion between Chinese compound bosses and the Cambodian police, who have failed to shut down compounds despite the slew of human rights abuses taking place inside.

    Held by force

    In the most comprehensive documentation yet of the issue, Amnesty’s report identified at least 53 scamming compounds in Cambodia and interviewed 58 survivors of eight different nationalities, including nine children. Amnesty also reviewed the records of 336 other victims of Cambodian compounds. Those interviewed had either escaped from compounds, been rescued or had a ransom paid by their families. 

    The interviewees’ testimony gives a detailed insight into a sprawling, violent criminal operation that is taking place often with the full knowledge of the Cambodian authorities, whose woefully ineffective – and at times corrupt – response to the scamming crisis demonstrates its acquiescence and points towards state complicity in the human rights abuses taking place.

    One survivor, Lisa*, who was 18 and looking for work during a break from school in Thailand when she was trafficked, said:

    “[The recruiters] said I would work in administration… they sent pictures of a hotel with a swimming pool… the salary was high.”

    Instead, Lisa was taken across a river at night into Cambodia, where she was held for 11 months against her will by armed security guards and forced to work on scams. When she tried to escape, she was severely beaten. She said:

    “There were four men… three of them held me down while the boss hit me on the soles of my feet with a metal pole… They told me that if I don’t stop screaming, they’re going to keep hitting [me] until I stop.” 

    Sold into slavery

    As part of its 18-month-long research, Amnesty visited all but one of the 53 scamming compounds located in 16 towns and cities across Cambodia, as well as 45 similar sites also strongly suspected to be scamming compounds. Many of the buildings were formerly casinos and hotels repurposed by criminal gangs – mostly from China – after Cambodia banned online gambling in 2019.

    Compounds appeared designed to keep people inside, with features such as surveillance cameras, barbed wire around perimeter walls and large numbers of security personnel, often carrying electric shock batons and in some cases firearms. Survivors reported that “escape was impossible”.

    Most victims had been lured to Cambodia by deceptive job advertisements posted on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. After being trafficked, survivors said they were forced to contact people using social media platforms and begin conversations aimed at defrauding them. These included fake romances or investment opportunities, selling products that would never be delivered, or building trust with victims before financially exploiting them – known as “pig-butchering”. 

    All but one of the survivors interviewed were victims of human trafficking, while everyone had been subjected to forced labour under the threat of violence. In 32 cases, Amnesty concluded the survivors were victims of slavery as defined under international law, with compound managers exerting a level of control over them that amounted to de facto ownership. Survivors also reported being sold into compounds or witnessing the sale of other people. Many others were told they owed a debt to the compound which they had to work to repay.

    Forty of the 58 survivors interviewed had suffered torture or other ill-treatment – almost always carried out by compound managers. Some compounds had specific rooms – often known as “dark rooms” – which were designated places for torture of people who did not or could not work or meet work targets, or who contacted the authorities.

    Survivors frequently mentioned deaths inside the compounds or nearby; one survivor described hearing a body hitting the roof of a building. Amnesty also confirmed the death of a Chinese child inside a compound.

    Survivor Siti* described seeing a Vietnamese person beaten by compound bosses for around 25 minutes. He said:

    “They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up…then the boss tell me that they wait until another compound want to buy him.”

    Of the nine children interviewed, five were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment. Sawat*, a 17-year-old Thai boy, was beaten by several managers before being told he would be stripped and forced to jump off the building. 

    Police in league with compound bosses

    Amnesty’s report found that the Cambodian government has failed to adequately investigate widespread human rights abuses at scamming compounds despite being repeatedly made aware of them.

    The Government has claimed to be addressing the scamming crisis through its National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking and a number of ministerial task forces, which have overseen a series of police “rescues” of victims from compounds. However, more than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified in the report continued to operate even after police raids and “rescues”. At one compound in Botum Sakor, human trafficking has been widely reported by media and police have intervened multiple times to rescue victims, yet the site remains open.

    Police failings stem from their collaboration or coordination with compound bosses. For example, in many of the “rescues”, instead of entering the compounds and investigating, police would simply meet a manager or security guard at the gate, where they would be handed the individual(s) who had called in for help. Business then continued as usual.

    In other instances, several survivors said they were beaten after their secretive efforts to contact police for help were somehow uncovered by bosses. One Vietnamese survivor told Amnesty that police “work for the compound and will report requests for help back to the compound bosses”.

    Those “rescued” from compounds were often subsequently detained in immigration detention centres in poor conditions for months at a time – the Cambodian authorities having failed to recognise them as victims of human trafficking and provide them with the support required under international law.

    Meanwhile, the authorities have targeted others speaking out about scamming compounds. Several human rights defenders and journalists working on the issue have been arrested, while the news outlet Voice of Democracy was closed in 2023, apparently in retaliation for its reporting on the scamming crisis.

    Amnesty sent its findings to the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, which responded by sharing vague data on interventions at compounds, none of which clarified whether the Government has identified, investigated or prosecuted individuals for human rights abuses other than deprivation of liberty. It also did not respond to Amnesty’s list of scamming compounds or suspicious locations.

    Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director, said.

    “The Cambodian authorities know what is going on inside scamming compounds, yet they allow it to continue.

    “Our findings reveal a pattern of state failures that have allowed criminality to flourish and raises questions about the Government’s motivations.

    “The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to. The police interventions documented appear to be merely ‘for show’.

    “Cambodia’s authorities must ensure no more jobseekers are trafficked into the country to face torture, slavery or any other human rights abuse. They must urgently investigate and shut down all scamming compounds and properly identify, assist and protect victims. Slavery thrives when governments look away.”

    Survivors interviewed for Amnesty’s report were from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ethiopia, but Amnesty also had access to records of hundreds of others from India, Kenya, Nepal and the Philippines and many more.

    Press conference

    Amnesty will be presenting the findings of the report in a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in Bangkok on Thursday 26 June. For further information or to register for the event, visit https://forms.office.com/e/tZivUqtUv4

    *All survivors using pseudonyms for security reasons

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Final Member Sentenced in Tennessee Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana Trafficking Ring

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Caricus Hendrix, 38, of Bolivar, Tennessee to 25 years in federal prison for his role in an organized drug trafficking scheme that spanned the state of Tennessee. Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. announced the sentence today.

    According to evidence presented in court, in July 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bolivar Police Department began an investigation into the illegal distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana by members and associates of the rap label “FFG” in the Western District of Tennessee. By using controlled purchases of narcotics, search warrants, wiretaps, and other investigative tactics, agents determined Hendrix and others were responsible for transporting and distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana throughout the state of Tennessee, especially the Western District of Tennessee. During the investigation, agents seized approximately 16 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of fentanyl, 4.5 pounds of marijuana, and 13 firearms.

    On October 22, 2024, Hendrix pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. On May 16, 2025, United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Hendrix to 25 years in federal prison and ordered Hendrix to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of the prison term.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    “This investigation represents the strength of federal and local partnerships in taking down complex drug trafficking organizations that poison our communities. The Bolivar Police Department remains committed to working alongside our federal partners to protect the citizens of our community from dangerous drugs and violent crime. This case demonstrates what is possible when agencies unite toward a common goal.”, said Bolivar Police Department Chief Michael Jones.

    The following co-conspirators have already pled guilty and have been sentenced:            

    • Shannon Wilder, 28, of Jackson, TN: 130 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Eula Morris, 56, of Bolivar, TN: 87 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Jarrett Wilson, 27, of Henderson, TN: 144 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Joshua Fields, 29, of Lexington, TN: 204 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Sheneka Waller, 37, of Bolivar, TN: 12 months and one day and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Myreon Woods, 42, of Bolivar, TN: 120 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
    • Montrez Brown, 29, of Bolivar, TN: 42 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Charmaine Beauregard, 42, of Bolivar, TN: 15 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Cordarvin McNeal, 36, of Bolivar, TN: 120 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Danielle Boyd, 37, of Bolivar, TN: 12 months and one day and a three-year period of supervised release maintaining a drug premises.
    • Jaylen Sain, 29, of Bolivar, TN: 50 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and aiding and abetting the possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Shumarcus Cross, 40, of Bolivar, TN: 27 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Cameron Mickens, 26, of Henderson, TN: 100 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Alfredia Atkins, 54, of Bolivar, TN: 36 months and a three-year period of supervised release for maintaining a drug premises.
    • Tavares Atkins, 47, of Selmer, TN: 36 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Shalonda Bills, 36, of Bolivar, TN: 30 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
    • Curtis Brown, 33, of Selmer, TN: 60 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Michael Douglas, 32, of Lexington, TN: 130 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Correy Brown, 41, of Bolivar, TN: 5 years of probation through the State of Tennessee.

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

    The case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Resident Agency, Bolivar Police Department, Jackson Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Chester County Sheriff’s Department, McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, the Selmer Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons.

    Assistant United States Attorney Christie Hopper prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.   

    ###

    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Utah Man Indicted after Allegedly Shooting a Stolen Semi-Automatic Pistol at Two Victims in Salt Lake City

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned and indictment charging a restricted person with multiple firearm crimes after he allegedly possessed a stolen semi-automatic pistol and shot at two victims in Salt Lake City.

    Hiram Bokadrik, 29, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was charged by complaint on June 11, 2025.

    According to court documents, on June 7, 2025 at approximately 4:18 p.m., officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department responded to a call of “shots fired” at a residence in Salt Lake City. Upon arrival, officers met with two individuals who reported a male suspect, later identified as Bokadrik, had fired a single round at them when confronted about trespassing on their property. During this time, officers recovered an expended 9mm casing from the scene. Additional officers quickly located Bokadrik, who fled from the officers on foot, but was subsequently located in a construction area hiding underneath a tarp. On construction materials, officers also recovered a loaded Glock 43X and a hat described to be worn by Bokadrik at the time of the crime.

    Additionally, the investigation revealed the firearm, which was manufactured outside the state of Utah, was stolen during a vehicle burglary at a nearby residence at approximately 12:00 a.m. on the same day. Bokadrik is prohibited from possessing, purchasing, transferring, or owning firearms or ammunition under both state and federal law.

    Bokadrik is charged with being a restricted person in possession of a stolen firearm and ammunition, and possession of a stolen firearm. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 26, 2025, at 2:15 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

    Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated by an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department, Robbery and Violent Crimes Unit. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    Assistant United States Attorney Victoria K. McFarland of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Members of Violent ‘21st and Vietnam’ Crew Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, Shooting

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON –  Jamiek Bassil, 32, and Charles Manson, 34, of the District of Columbia, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison and 175 months, respectively, for their roles in the violent 21st and Vietnam drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other drugs in Northeast Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, and, in Manson’s case, for a March 2024 shooting near 19th and I Streets NE. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

                Bassil, aka “Onion,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 135-month prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Bassil to serve five years of supervised release.

                Manson, aka “Cheese,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to multiple counts: conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the 170-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Manson to serve five years of supervised release.

                According to court documents, Bassil and Manson were members of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, which controlled an open-air drug market and distributed narcotics in the area of the 2100 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.

                Bassil repeatedly sold significant quantities of fentanyl – as much as roughly 80 grams at a time — to undercover law enforcement between January and March 2024.

                Manson sold narcotics directly to customers and was captured on surveillance video engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions. During the conspiracy, Manson also participated in multiple controlled drug sales to law enforcement.

                In a March 7, 2024, Manson was the gunman in a shooting. Manson was with several co-conspirators adjacent to an apartment building on the 1900 block of I Street that was the base of the conspiracy’s operations. A person walked by with their dog. Members of the crew had a verbal altercation with the dogwalker. Manson then went into the crew’s stash house in the apartment building. A crew member handed Manson a ski mask. Manson exited the apartment building wearing the mask and armed with a gun. Manson fired several rounds in the direction of the dogwalker. Neither the dogwalker nor the dog were hit.

                On May 15, 2024, investigators arrested Manson at his residence on the 1900 block of I Street, NE. Law enforcement recovered a Glock 17 pistol loaded with 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition. They also recovered a handgun magazine, a box of ammunition, about 50 grams of fentanyl analogue, about 13.88 grams of cocaine, and assorted drug paraphernalia.

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

                This investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Violent Crime Investigations Team of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross-Border Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the District of Columbia National Guard Counter Drug Program, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel of the Violent Crime Reduction and Narcotics Trafficking Section.

    24cr226

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Police Officer Sentenced to Prison and 20 Years of Supervised Release for Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Samuel Joseph Weimer, 46, of Show Low, Arizona, was sentenced on June 24, 2025, by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa, to 42 months in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. Weimer previously pleaded guilty to Possessing Child Pornography. 

    Between August and November of 2022, Weimer used a social media chat room to contact an individual he believed to be a father living in Pennsylvania who was willing to provide his 11-year-old daughter for sex. Weimer sent two images and one video of child pornography to this individual. In an interview with law enforcement, Weimer admitted to possessing and sending the pornographic files. At the time of the offense, Weimer was employed as a police officer with the Show Low Police Department.

    “Police officers swear an oath to uphold the law and protect our citizens” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “This makes Mr. Weimer’s possession of child pornography even more appalling. Child pornography humiliates and degrades our most vulnerable members of society and will never be tolerated.”

    “The conduct of this former police officer was beyond shocking and a gross betrayal of public trust,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “When someone in a position of authority commits such a revolting crime, the damage extends beyond the youthful victims— it shakes the very foundation of our communities’ trust. No matter their badge or title, the FBI will always aggressively pursue cases like this one.”

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-08089-PCT-DJH
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-100_Weimer

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Felon Who Sold Fentanyl and Heroin Causing Two Marion Overdose Deaths Convicted by Jury

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A convicted federal felon who sold fentanyl and heroin that resulted in two overdose deaths in 2023 was convicted by a jury on June 25, 2025, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

    Cody Kinzie Dittmar, age 34, originally from Dubuque, Iowa, but who was living Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at the time of the crimes, was convicted of distributing and conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl, resulting in two deaths.  The verdict was returned yesterday afternoon following about two hours of jury deliberations.

    Court records show that Dittmar was sentenced to 64 months in federal prison for a 2017 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The evidence at trial showed that Dittmar was released to federal supervised release on that conviction in June 2023.  Dittmar immediately began selling heroin and fentanyl with his girlfriend, then wife, Alysha (Gould) Dittmar.  On July 1, 2023, the Dittmars sold a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and xylazine to a customer in Marion, Iowa.  The customer and his wife used the drugs shortly thereafter.  Both then died of overdoses.  The Dittmars continued to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Cedar Rapids area until July 2024.  Alysha Dittmar previously pled guilty to distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in the two deaths.

    Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Dittmar remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Dittmar faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on each count and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, $2,000,000 in fines, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.

    The case was investigated by the Marion Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff’s Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Nagin and Dan Chatham.

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

    The case file number is 25‑CR‑00001‑CJW‑MAR.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Bullard High School Teacher Charged with Federal Child Exploitation Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Ray Anthony Waller, 37, of Fresno, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child sexual abuse images, and sending obscene material to a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, between mid-November 2024 and mid-February 2025, Waller communicated with a minor by sending text, voice, and iMessages designed to have the minor create and transmit to Waller images of the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Waller sent obscene images of himself to the victim and convinced the victim to reciprocate with images of the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Waller is currently detained pending trial. A detention hearing to determine his federal custody status has been scheduled for June 30, 2025. Waller has also been charged in Fresno County Superior Court with crimes relating to this conduct.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, specifically the Fresno Police Department, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted of the sexual exploitation of a minor offense, Waller faces a prison term of between 15 and 30 years and a fine up to $250,000. If convicted for receipt of child sexual abuse images, he faces a prison term of between 5 and 20 years and fine up to $250,000. If convicted for transmitting obscene material to a minor, he faces a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bennington Man Sentenced to 50 Months for Possessing Bomb

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 24, 2025, Tyler Hayes, 43, of Bennington, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph LaPlante to a term of 50 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Hayes was previously convicted by a jury on February 13, 2025, of unlawfully possessing an unregistered bomb and possessing a bomb as an unlawful drug user after a 5-day trial.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, a bomb was discovered in Hayes’s former Bennington residence days after he abandoned the property in February of 2023. The property manager contacted law enforcement, who defused the bomb. Witnesses at trial described how Hayes had been discussing and constructing bombs for months, and had offered to trade a bomb for fentanyl. Other witnesses described Hayes making admissions after the bomb was discovered, including that he was “on the run” after a bomb had been found at his residence. An explosives expert from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives testified that, although the homemade bomb was rudimentary and simplistic (constructed from a combination of a pipe bomb and flammable liquids stored in plastic water bottles), it was nonetheless capable of causing substantial destruction and injury had it been detonated.

    The jury convicted Hayes of possessing an unregistered destructive device, in violation of the National Firearms Act (“NFA”), and of possessing a destructive device while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, in violation of the Gun Control Act (“GCA”). Hayes faced up to 10 years in prison on the NFA violation, and up to 15 years on the GCA violation.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and the Bennington Police Department.  

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne Smith and Nicole Cate. Hayes was represented by James Valente, Esq., and Chandler Matson, Esq.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Mexican national unlawfully residing in New Bedford has pleaded guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

    Bernardo Lorenzo-Guatemala, 38, pleaded guilty on July 24, 2025 to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in May 2025.  

    Lorenzo-Guatemala was deported from the United States on June 4, 2019. Sometime after his removal, Lorenzo-Guatemala unlawfully reentered the United States. immigration officials became aware of Lorenzo-Guatemala’s unlawful presence in the United States following his arrest on July 2, 2024 for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

    The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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 and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Canada: Recapture of inmate from Stony Mountain Institution – minimum security unit

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 26, 2025 – Stony Mountain, Manitoba – Correctional Service Canada

    At approximately 8:30 p.m.on June 25, 2025, inmate Jason Vanwyck was apprehended by the Winnipeg Police Service.

    This inmate had been unlawfully at large from the minimum security unit at Stony Mountain Institution, since June 23, 2025.

    The Correctional Service of Canada and Stony Mountain Institution are conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

    Ensuring the safety and security of its correctional institutions, staff, and the public remains the highest priority of the Correctional Service of Canada.

    – 30 –

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Topeka man indicted for alleged assault on Tribal land

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

    TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with committing an assault on Tribal land.

    According to court documents, Wesley Reel Bennett, 23, of Topeka was indicted on one count of assaults within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. 

    In June 2025, Bennett is accused of assaulting and seriously injuring a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation within the confines of its Tribal territory. 

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Police Department are investigating the case. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case.

    OTHER INDICTMENTS

    Hector Alvarado, 55, of Topeka was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case. 

    Kenneth Norman Baker, 41, of Baxter Springs was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona to Evansville Fentanyl Trafficking Operation Dismantled, Landing Two in Federal Prison

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

    EVANSVILLE— Two men have been sentenced to a combined 16 years in federal prison for their roles in a drug trafficking operation responsible for pumping thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills from Arizona into Evansville.

    Deriontai Mathis, 31, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

    Ernest Gilbert, 38, of Arizona, was sentenced in July of 2024 to five years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

    According to court documents, between September and November of 2022, Mathis and Gilbert conspired together to buy and sell thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. Gilbert, who resided in Arizona, would obtain the pills, ship or otherwise transport them to Indiana, and then fly to Indiana and drive the pills to Mathis in Evansville.

    On November 10, 2022, during a search of Mathis’s residence, investigators recovered nine plastic bags containing ten thousand counterfeit M-30 fentanyl pills hidden inside of a child’s toy car, a camouflaged backpack that contained $56,800.00 in cash, a body armor vest and nine firearms. During a search of another residence Mathis used to store his contraband, officers recovered three additional handguns and a 12-gauge shotgun.

    In 2015, Mathis was convicted for being a drug abuser in possession of a firearm, thereby prohibiting from ever legally possessing a firearm again.

    This investigation also led to the discovery that Jeremial Leach was a customer of Mathis, purchasing counterfeit fentanyl pills for $10 per pill. In May of 2024, Leach was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for dealing fentanyl resulting in at least three overdoses and a teen’s death. See: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/evansville-snapchat-fentanyl-dealer-responsible-least-three-overdoses-and-teens-death

    “The sentences imposed here should serve as a warning: these poisons kill—and selling them will earn you decades in federal prison,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our office remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local and federal partners in order to keep our communities safe, hold drug traffickers accountable, and stop the flow of deadly substances into our neighborhoods.”

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Labrador and Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott Announces 30-Year Sentence for Burley Man Who Produced Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom AG Labrador and Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott Announces 30-Year Sentence for Burley Man Who Produced Child Sexual Abuse Material

    POCATELLO – Michael Allen Montoya, 40, of Burley, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
    According to court records, the investigation began when the FBI became aware that a person, later identified as Montoya, was distributing child sexual abuse material through an online social media platform. The FBI also learned that during online chat conversations, Montoya had discussed his sexual interest in children and had exchanged child sexual abuse material with other offenders. The FBI referred the investigation to the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). ICAC obtained a federal search warrant for Montoya’s Burley residence. During a forensic examination of Montoya’s electronic devices, ICAC located numerous files of child sexual abuse material. ICAC also discovered that Montoya had produced explicit images and videos of himself sexually abusing an infant and an 8-year-old child in his care.
    “Our commitment to protecting children from abuse is unwavering,” said Idaho Attorney General Labrador. “I am grateful for our ICAC Task Force and the partnership we have with Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott’s office. By working together, we can continue making Idaho safer by investigating, arresting, and prosecuting one bad guy at a time.”
    “Law enforcement in Idaho has zero tolerance for those that target children for abuse and exploitation,” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said. “As this case illustrates, images of child sexual abuse material are not just images – they are evidence of sexual abuse committed by predators like this defendant. I am thankful that we have outstanding professionals in the ICAC, the FBI, and our office that are dedicated to protecting Idaho’s children and ensuring this type of abhorrent conduct results in significant prison sentences.”
    Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Montoya to lifetime supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution to his victims. Montoya will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
    Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the cooperative efforts of the Idaho ICAC Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rupert Police Department, the Idaho State Police, the Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, which led to the charge. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kassandra McGrady and Erin Blackadar.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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jamestown, New York, Man Going to Prison for Assisting in the Burial of a Murder Victim

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Matthew Rudy, 43, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of accessory after the fact, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler and Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on May 27, 2014, Anthony Neubauer kidnapped Joseph Anthony and traveled from Jamestown to property in Pennsylvania owned by Matthew Rudy. Neubauer tricked Anthony into traveling by offering him cocaine. After arriving in Pennsylvania, Neubauer and Rudy told Anthony they did not have any cocaine, before shooting and killing him, and then burying him on Rudy’s property. Neubauer and Rudy took Anthony to Pennsylvania because they believed he was a cooperator.

    Anthony Neubauer was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm. Additional assistance was provided by the Warren County, PA, District Attorney’s Office.

    # # # #

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Armed Robber Sentenced to Over 26 Years Imprisonment for String of Commercial Armed Robberies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    STATESBORO, GA:  A Waynesboro resident was sentenced to federal prison for 10 commercial armed robberies that he committed in Bulloch, Burke, Chatham, Emanuel, Glascock, Jenkins, and Ware Counties.

    Cordell Cobb, 24, of Waynesboro, was sentenced to 318 months in prison after pleading guilty to ten counts of Interference With Commerce by Robbery and two counts of Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Cobb to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term and to pay $12,081 in restitution to the various victimized businesses.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    As described in court documents and testimony, on ten different occasions from January 2023 through June 2023, Cobb entered commercial establishments throughout the Southern District of Georgia and brandished weapons before demanding money. Employees in all ten locations provided United States currency to Cobb to avoid physical harm and Cobb left the locations with his ill-gotten proceeds. Following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Chatham County Police Department (CCPD), Glascock County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Jenkins County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Waycross Police Department (WPD), Burke County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), and Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO), Cobb was apprehended and ultimately admitted to committing all ten robberies.

    “This sentencing reflects the serious consequences of violent crime and the strength of coordinated law enforcement” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Communities across Georgia are safer today because of the tireless work of our local, state, and federal partner agencies in bringing this armed robber to justice.”

    “We applaud the collaborative efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation. Together, we have sent a strong message that armed robbery will not be tolerated, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” said Thomas Crawford, ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

    This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.

    The case was being investigated by the ATF, GBI, CCPD, GCSO, JCSO, WPD, BCSO, ECSO and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Henry W. Syms, Jr.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Boston Gang Member Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for drug conspiracy charges.

    Avery Lewis, a/k/a “Wave,” 33, of Dorchester was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to 46 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2025, Lewis pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

    Lewis was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation that began 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.

    Lewis was a long-time H-Block gang member and daily street-level dealer with a regular roster of customers. Over the course of the investigation, Lewis sold cocaine to an undercover officer on several occasions and coordinated other drug trafficking criminal activities with H-Block gang members.

    On April 5, 2023, Lewis was arrested with approximately 250 grams of cocaine in his vehicle. In addition, in March 2024, Lewis was involved in an altercation with a Boston Police Department officer, leading to the officer being struck by a bullet fired by a concealed gun in Lewis’s possession resulting in state charges. Lewis was sentenced to seven to nine years in state prison in that matter.

    According to court records, Lewis’ criminal history includes a 2017 cocaine conviction for possessing 86 bags of cocaine inside his apartment as well as a 2013 conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.  

    Lewis is the first defendant to be sentenced in the case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; 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: New York Man Sentenced in Rhode Island for Bank Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE   A Bronx, NY, man who participated in a conspiracy that intended to defraud banks in at least ten states of approximately $143,000 was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Paul Keenan, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnel, Jr., to    24 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Keenan, charged and arrested in this matter in August 2024, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

    According to court documents, Keenan, working alongside other members of a conspiracy, to facilitate their scheme, recruited and organized individuals and obtained their photographs and personal identifying information (PII). Keenan and his co-conspirators used the information to create fraudulent IDs that contained their own photographs and the PII of some of the recruits.

    Keenan and others then obtained the PII of at least 28 victim individuals, including their names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank account information. They also obtained information of at least 20 business entities, including business names and banking information. The information collected was used to create fraudulent IDs and checks. Members of the conspiracy then traveled with recruits to banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and at least eight other states to cash bogus checks.

    Through the scheme, Keenan and others attempted to defraud banks of a total of approximately $143,000, successfully defrauding twenty-two banks of a total of approximately $93,200.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine Lowell with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Hebert.

    The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the East Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the Portsmouth Police Department.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Massachusetts Resident Living in California Pleads Guilty to PPP Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Los Angeles man who formerly resided in Randolph, Mass. has pleaded guilty to submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of multiple companies he owns and controls.  

    Rindal Pierre-Canel, 30, pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025 to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Oct. 1, 2025. The defendant was arrested and charged in January 2025.  

    Between March 2021 and May 2021, Pierre-Canel submitted three fraudulent applications seeking and receiving over $50,000 in PPP funds. Two of the applications were submitted in Pierre-Canel’s own name and the third application was submitted using the stolen personal identifying information of a victim. The submissions included false representations about the existence and income of businesses and included false tax documents in support of these false representations. Pierre-Canel used the funds he received from the fraudulent PPP loan applications on personal expenses, including flights to California and purchases of designer clothing.

    The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Cambridge and Hermosa Beach (Calif.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at: Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: China, Interpol to Strengthen Cooperation for Global Security

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) — Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong met with International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) President Ahmed Nasser Al-Raisi in Beijing on Thursday, calling on both sides to make contributions to jointly building global security.

    Wang Xiaohong noted that the Chinese side highly values INTERPOL’s firm commitment to the one-China principle. He emphasized China’s intention to intensify communication and coordination on key issues, raise the level of strategic cooperation, deepen interaction in building the capacity of law enforcement agencies, and jointly ensure the successful holding of the 94th session of the INTERPOL General Assembly.

    A. N. al-Raisi, for his part, expressed gratitude to China for its active support and stated that Interpol expects to continue high-level cooperation with the PRC.

    During the meeting, A. N. ar-Raisi was awarded the gold commemorative medal of the Ministry of Public Security of the PRC “The Great Wall of China”. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Swanzey Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing Firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Winchester

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

    CONCORD – A Swanzey man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for stealing 18 firearms from Trader John’s Gun Shop in Winchester, New Hampshire, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    Khale Guillou, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot to 18 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.  In March 2025, Guillou pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee (FFL). 

    “The defendant stole 18 guns from an FFL and, just days later, shell casings were found in his car. This case highlights the dangerous link between gun thefts and violent crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “Yesterday’s sentence sends a message that we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who fuel gun violence are held accountable.” 

    “ATF’s collaboration with our industry partners forms the first line of defense against firearms trafficking and diversion,” said Acting ATF SAC Scott Riordan. “ATF prioritizes investigations which both victimize those industry partners and endanger the community by placing guns in criminal hands. This investigation reflects ATF’s commitment to protect federal firearm licensees and ensure firearms in lawful commerce are not diverted for criminal use.”

    According to the court documents and statements made in court, on the night of July 6, 2024, Guillou broke into Trader John’s Gun Shop and stole 17 handguns and one rifle. Nine days later, Guillou’s car was involved in a shooting in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Law enforcement recovered three of Trader John’s stolen firearms from the trunk of Guillou’s car and spent shell casings from inside the vehicle. Three additional stolen firearms were recovered from Guillou’s home, two of which were also taken from Trader John’s Gun Shop.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation. The Keene, Swanzey, Winchester, and Tewksbury Police Departments provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski prosecuted the case.

    This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictments Charge Seven Individuals in Drug Trafficking and Firearms Investigations

    Source: US FBI

    PROVIDENCE – Seven individuals have been charged by way indictments unsealed in U.S. District Court in Providence related to a year-long Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation into firearm and drug trafficking in Rhode Island, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Court documents reflect that between September 11, 2024, and April 30, 2025, Jose Rodriguez Morales, aka Bam Bam, 28, of Providence, allegedly arranged for the sale and delivery of at least 700 grams of fentanyl pills; 104 grams of fentanyl powder; 96 grams of cocaine; and seven firearms, to include an AR-15, two semi-automatic handguns, three handguns, and a Glock switch. Some of the deliveries were allegedly made by associates of Jose Rodriquez Morales, including two of his brothers. The deliveries were surveilled by members of law enforcement and the items trafficked were quickly seized.

    The investigation included the execution of multiple search warrants in Providence and Central Falls by the FBI Safe Street Task Force and a multitude of law enforcement partners on June 12, 2025.

    A 13-count indictment returned on June 11, 2025, and unsealed today charges

    • Jose Rodriguez Morales, aka Bam Bam, 28, of Providence, with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, unlawful possession of a machinegun, unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful dealing in firearms. The defendant was arrested on      June 12, 2025, and ordered detained in federal custody.
    • Iven Rodriguez Morales, 30, of Central Falls, with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, unlawful possession of a machinegun, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The defendant was arrested on       June 16, 2025, and ordered detained in federal custody.
    • Bryan Pacheco Morales, 23, of Central Falls, with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of40 grams or more of fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendant was arrested on June 12, 2025, and released on June 23, 2025, on unsecured bond.
    • Edgar Aviles Cruz, 33, of Central Falls, with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendant was arrested on June 12, 2025, and was released on an unsecured bond.
    • Jashua Encarnacion, 25, of Central Falls , with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendant was arrested on June 12, 2025, and released on an unsecured bond.
    • Carlos Figuereo, 24, of Providence, with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendant was arrested today and was ordered detained in federal custody.

    Additionally, the investigation led to the return of an indictment charging Christian Carrion, 32, of Pawtucket, with distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  According to information presented to the court, it is alleged that, on at least two occasions, Carrion sold fentanyl-laced pills to another person. It is alleged that the total weight of fentanyl pills sold by Carrion totaled 60 grams. Carrion was arraigned before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on June 12, 2025, and was ordered detained.

    A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julianne Klein and Peter I. Roklan.

    The ongoing investigation is led by the FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force, with valuable assistance provided by Rhode Island State Police, United States Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Pawtucket and Central Falls Police Departments.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Leaders and Members of YBMG Gang Sentenced for Murder for Hire Conspiracy, Attempted Murder, Racketeering, Narcotics, and Firearms Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the sentencing of SHPENDIM HAXHAJ, a/k/a “White Mike,” the last of seven defendants to be sentenced in a case involving members of a street gang known as the Young Bronx Money Getters, or “YBMG,” that operated in the Bronx, Long Island, Upstate New York, and Connecticut. HAXHAJ was sentenced to 35 years in prison for crimes relating to his membership in YBMG, including a conspiracy to commit murder for hire that resulted in the August 16, 2019, murder of Isael Lagares in the Bronx.  HAXHAJ previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on August 7, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, who imposed today’s sentence.  HAXHAJ was the last of the seven defendants in the YBMG case before Judge Failla to have been convicted and sentenced.     

    “For more than a decade, the YBMG gang terrorized communities in the Bronx, Long Island, Upstate New York, and Connecticut with drugs, guns, and senseless violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Among YBMG’s many victims was Isael Lagares, who was gunned down after Haxhaj and other gang members paid a hitman to end his life.  The seven members of this incredibly violent gang have now been convicted and sentenced for their crimes.  The women and men of the Southern District will continue to vigorously pursue those who bring illegal drugs and violence into our communities.”

    According to the Superseding Indictment, public court filings, evidence introduced at the trial of Yeltsin Beltran, a/k/a “Yells,” and statements made in court:

    From at least in or about 2006 to in or about 2021, YBMG was a criminal enterprise centered in the Bronx.  In order to make money for the gang, protect the gang’s territory, and promote the gang’s standing, members of YBMG engaged in, among other things, narcotics trafficking and violence, including murder.  To that end, YBMG members sold heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, promoted their gang affiliation on social media, possessed firearms, and engaged in shootings as part of their gang membership and narcotics trafficking.

    On or about August 16, 2019, HAXHAJ and BORIS BELTRAN hired a man to murder a rival gang member.  That same day, the hired hitman then shot and killed Lagares, who was socializing with a group of people on a residential street in the Bronx.

    YBMG members also participated in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics in New York and elsewhere. HAXHAJ, YELTSIN BELTRAN, BORIS BELTRAN, JEREMY CEDENO, FRANCISCO ORTEGA, and IVIS PERDOMO participated in a conspiracy with other individuals to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana from at least in or about 2006 up to and including 2021 and carried, brandished, and discharged firearms that were possessed in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking.

    On or about December 23, 2019, PERDOMO shot two people non-fatally in a nightclub in the Bronx.

    On or about June 7, 2019, CEDENO shot at a member of an opposing gang in New York, New York.

    *                      *                     *

    A chart containing the names of the defendants, the charges they were convicted of, and the sentences they received is set forth below.

    Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New York City Police Department.

    The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit and White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Brumwell, Benjamin Gianforti, Brandon D. Harper, Frank Balsamello, and Mathew Andrews are in charge of the prosecution.

     

    Defendant

     

     

    Age

     

    Conviction

     

    Sentence
    SHPENDIM HAXHAJ, a/k/a “White Mike” 33 Murder for Hire Conspiracy; Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Narcotics Conspiracy 35 years
    YELTSIN BELTRAN, a/k/a “Yells” 33 Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; 380 months
    BORIS BELTRAN, a/k/a “Bebe” 27 Murder for Hire Conspiracy and Narcotics Conspiracy 20 years
    JEREMY CEDENO, a/k/a “Jerm” 39 Narcotics Conspiracy 135 Months
    IVIS PERDOMO, a/k/a “Lite” 43 Narcotics Conspiracy 188 Months
    FRANCISCO ORTEGA, a/k/a “Fresh” 36 Narcotics Conspiracy 140 Months
    DRILON HAXHAJ 29 Narcotics Conspiracy 32 Months 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Five MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for a Murder in Kings Park and a Related Murder Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    Earlier today in Central Islip, an indictment was unsealed in federal court charging five members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the “MS-13,” with multiple racketeering offenses in connection with two murders—the October 28, 2023 murder of Yoneli Ramos-Moreno at the Sunken Meadow Bluff in Kings Park, New York, and the March 3, 2025 murder of Carlos Lopez-Lopez in Blue Point, New York—and with other charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and narcotics trafficking conspiracy (the Indictment).  The five defendants are David Orellana-Aleman, also known as “Tenebroso” (Orellana-Aleman), who is a leader in the Hollywood Locos Salvatruchas (Hollywood) subgroup or “clique” of the MS-13; Noel Portillo-Romero, also known as “Discreto” (Portillo-Romero), a member of the Carlington Locos Salvatruchas clique of the MS-13 (Carlington); Cruz Eduardo Sanchez-Gutierrez, also known as “Escriper,” “Poison,” and “Bellaco” (Sanchez-Gutierrez), a member of the Hollywood clique; Ernesto Torres-Hernandez, also known as “Perverso” (Torres-Hernandez), a member of the Carlington clique; and Omar Zavala-Ventura, also known as “Snyder,” “Little Ejecutor,” “Pequeno Ejecutor,” and “Liro” (Zavala-Ventura), a member of the Hollywood clique.

    Portillo-Romero, Sanchez-Gutierrez and Torres-Hernandez were arrested yesterday, and they are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown.  Orellana-Aleman is currently in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), and Zavala-Ventura is currently in federal custody.  They will be arraigned at a later date.

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York); Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD); Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney; and Steven G. James, Acting Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), announced the arrests and charges.

    “The legal terms in the Indictment cannot adequately describe the sheer savagery with which the defendants, in service to the MS-13 gang, beat, strangled, and murdered Ramos-Moreno, and plotted to murder Lopez-Lopez,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “The charges in the indictment demonstrate my Office and our law enforcement partners’ resolve to hold vicious transnational organized crime groups like MS-13 accountable for their crimes and continue the mission to eradicate them from Long Island.”

    Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York City Police Department, the Glen Cove Police Department, and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations for their valuable assistance and partnership in this case.

    “These violent gang members, allegedly involved in murder and poisoning our communities through the sale of drugs, pose a serious threat to our communities that we will not tolerate,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Alfonso.  “MS-13 gang members committing such vile acts, as outlined in this indictment, represent the ‘worst of the worst’ among criminal aliens. HSI is dedicated to disrupting and dismantling these foreign terrorist organizations that threaten our communities and national security.”

    “The indictment of these five individuals connected to the brutal executions of two people—all because they were viewed as disloyal—is a clear demonstration of our commitment to hold these defendants accountable,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina.  “The violence carried out by MS-13 reaches barbaric proportions and we will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to put an end to this transnational gang’s reign of terror.”

    “I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office EDNY for their leadership in working together with their local partners to investigate and charge these alleged members of the MS-13 gang. Meaningful collaboration between all levels of law enforcement is always vital to safeguard public safety, but never more so then when you are investigating alleged crimes committed by members and associates of violent transnational gangs such as the MS-13,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney.

    “Precise coordination, excellent police work and investigative persistence at all levels was key in bringing these murderers to justice. I commend each agency involved for their tireless efforts and invaluable partnership. The New York State Police remains committed to keeping our communities safe from dangerous criminals and the violence that they perpetuate,” stated NYSP Superintendent James.

    As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants participated in the murder of Ramos-Moreno, a former associate of the MS-13, who was targeted by the gang because he was suspected of being disloyal, and specifically by associating with the rival Latin Kings.  Ramos-Moreno was first lured to a parking lot in Hauppauge and then driven to the Sunken Meadow Bluff where he was strangled with a rope and beaten to death.  The gang members dragged his body deeper into the woods and left the area.  Later, the defendants burned the rope used to kill Ramos-Moreno and destroyed his cellular phone.

    Three of the defendants, Portillo-Romero, Torres-Hernandez, and Zavala-Ventura, have also been charged with a conspiracy to murder Carlos Lopez-Lopez, who was stabbed to death and drowned after being attacked on the beach in Blue Point, New York.  The victim, a former member of the MS-13 who also participated in the Ramos-Moreno murder, was targeted because the MS-13 members believed that he was cooperating with law enforcement.

    Finally, the Indictment charges the defendants with conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana.  These charges stem from the MS-13 cliques’ street-level sales of cocaine and marijuana on Long Island, the proceeds of which were used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations, including purchasing firearms, ammunition, and other weapons, and sending money to MS-13 leadership in the United States and Central America.

    The Indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent transnational criminal organization.  The MS-13 is comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America, and it has leaders in El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States, with thousands of members all over the world.  With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island.  Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults.  Since 2010 alone, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 75 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and it has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders.  These prosecutions are the product of extensive collaboration with numerous law enforcement agencies, including HSI, FBI, and our local and state partners.

    The charges in the Indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, each of the defendants faces up to life in prison, or the possibility of the death penalty. 

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at eradicating transnational criminal organizations, combating violent crime, and restoring the rule of law.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Megan E. Farrell, Paul G. Scotti, and Justina L. Geraci are in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendants:

    David Orellana-Aleman (also known as “Tenebroso”)
    Age:  27
    Hyattsville, Maryland

    Noel Portillo-Romero (also known as “Discreto”)
    Age:  27
    Hempstead, New York and Central Islip, New York

    Cruz Eduardo Sanchez-Gutierrez (also known as “Escriper,” “Poison,” and “Bellaco”)
    Age:  29
    Glen Cove, New York and Central Islip, New York

    Ernesto Torres-Hernandez (also known as “Perverso”)
    Age:  26
    Port Jefferson, New York and Central Islip, New York

    Omar Zavala-Ventura (also known as “Snyder,” “Little Ejecutor,” “Pequeno Ejecutor,” and “Liro”)
    Age:  27
    Glen Cove, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-209 (GRB)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Sentenced to More Than 8.5 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Convictions

    Source: US FBI

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Youngstown, Ohio, has been sentenced in federal court to 106 months in prison on his conviction of armed drug trafficking, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Antoine Tate, 44, who previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and oxycodone and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. Judge Bissoon also ordered that Tate serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

    According to information presented to the Court, on October 31, 2020, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Tate recklessly attempted to flee police officers by vehicle, and was apprehended in possession of a loaded pistol and quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and oxycodone that he intended to distribute, as well as over $2,000 in cash.

    Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Union Township Police Department, New Castle Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Tate.
     

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Goldman, Espaillat Introduce Legislation Banning ICE From Wearing Face Masks During Immigration Arrests

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    ‘No Secret Police Act’ Would End Trump Administration’s Use of Masked Immigration Enforcement Meant to Terrorize Immigrant Communities 

     

    Goldman Previously Questioned Masked ICE Officers in his 290 Broadway District Office Who Denied His Legal Right to Inspect Immigration Detention Facilities 

     

    Read the Bill Here 

    New York, NY – Congressmen Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) today led 37 of their House Democratic colleagues in introducing the ‘No Secret Police Act,’ which would require law enforcement officers and agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) engaged in border security and civil immigration enforcement to clearly display identification and insignia when detaining or arresting individuals and to ban them from using home-made, non-tactical masks.   

    “As a former federal prosecutor for ten years, I have worked alongside ICE and DHS agents to get violent criminals off our streets – and none of them ever wore masks,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “Across the country, plain-clothed federal agents in homemade face coverings are lying in wait outside immigration courts to snatch law-abiding, non-violent immigrants going through our legal system the right way. This isn’t about protecting law enforcement, it’s about terrorizing immigrant communities. The United States is not a dictatorship, and I’m proud to introduce this commonsense legislation ensuring that our federal government’s laws are enforced by identifiable human beings, not anonymous, secret agents of the state.” 

    Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, said, “If you uphold the peace of a democratic society, you should not be anonymous. DHS and ICE agents wearing masks and hiding identification echoes the tactics of secret police authoritarian regimes – and deviates from the practices of local law enforcement, which contributes to confusion in communities. Many immigrants come to America seeking opportunities, hope, and freedom to escape draconian practices, and under no circumstance should they, or anyone, fear being disappeared by masked and armed individuals in unmarked vehicles. If you are upholding the law, you should not be anonymous, and our bill aims to safeguard from tyranny while upholding the values of our nation.” 

    Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition, said, “Armed, unmarked federal agents are stalking immigrants outside courtrooms and targeting people who are following the rules and fighting for their lives. These tactics are ripped straight from an authoritarian playbook. Let’s call it what it is: a war on immigrant communities carried out in the shadows  — it’s an unconstitutional campaign of terror. We will not be silenced nor intimidated by these actions. We are on the right side of the law and we will fight tooth and nail to end this assault on our people and our democracy. We call for the swift passage of the No Secret Police Act.” 

    Natalia Aristizabal, Deputy Director of Make the Road New York, said, “ICE, and the hodgepodge of federal agencies Trump is getting to execute his war on immigrants, are terrorizing immigrant communities. They blatantly disregard people’s rights and take people from their jobs, homes and streets, all while masked and unidentified. This must stop. ICE must answer to the people, and must identify themselves and the agencies they work for. This bill would be a step towards reigning in their out of control and rogue behavior, and Congress should swiftly pass it into law.” 

    The No Secret Police Act would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require law enforcement officers and agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to clearly display identification and insignia when detaining or arresting individuals. Specifically, the bill would require that DHS officers:  

    • Are prohibited from wearing face coverings or any item that conceals their face during detentions or arrests.   

    • Identify the specific component of DHS (e.g., ICE, CBP) they work for.  

    • Wear or display official insignia or uniforms in a manner clearly visible to others.  

    • The bill also directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Under Secretary for Science and Technology and in coordination with relevant departmental components, to conduct research and development to enhance the visibility of law enforcement officers’ official insignia or uniforms. This includes developing technologies that ensure these identifiers remain clearly visible during detentions or arrests, particularly under varying conditions such as different locations, times of day, and weather circumstances. 

    Congressman Goldman has been leading the charge to combat and confront the Trump administration’s authoritarian immigration enforcement tactics.  

    Earlier this month, Congressman Goldman and House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02) led 84 House Democrats in an oversight letter of inquiry to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem seeking answers regarding the rise in ICE employing its masked, plainclothes officers to detain non-violent, law-abiding immigrants immediately following and in coordination with the dismissal of their existing deportation cases by DHS attorneys.    
    Last week, Goldman conducted an oversight visit to the ICE Field Office at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, where Deputy Field Director Bill Joyce confirmed that immigrants housed on the 10th floor were being forced to sleep on benches, floors, and in bathrooms for multiple days. Despite admitting that the facility was being used to detain migrants for several days at a time, Joyce barred the lawmakers from accessing the area, citing administration guidance. That same week, Goldman led 8 of his New York City House Democratic colleagues in sending an oversight letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons demanding ICE comply with Section 527(a) of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 and stop denying members of Congress access to facilities that ICE is using to house immigrants. 
    Last month, Congressman Goldman held an emergency press conference after witnessing and questioning masked ICE agents detaining immigrants attending routine immigration court appearances in the lobby of his 290 Broadway Manhattan district office. The press conference followed Congressman Goldman attending an immigration court proceeding this morning at the Executive Office for Immigration Review New York – Broadway Immigration Court in Manhattan, where ICE agents had been detaining both immigrants and observers, including a pastor from Queens. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Felony Offender Convicted at Trial for Gun Possession

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

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal jury in Columbia has convicted Yashawnus Leekean Patterson, 44, of Columbia, of being a felon in possession of a firearm after a two-day trial.

    Evidence presented at trial included testimony and body worn camera footage showing two Columbia Police Department officers responding to a hotel in downtown Columbia to assist in removing Patterson, who was no longer staying at that hotel. After being asked to place Patterson on trespass notice, officers learned he was wanted on a bench warrant from the Cayce Police Department, and he was arrested. During a search of his person, officers located a loaded 9mm pistol in the front of his waistband, a 30-round extended magazine in his backpack, and a total of 74 rounds of 9mm ammunition among his person and his other belongings. Patterson acknowledged to officers that he knew he was not legally allowed to possess a firearm.

    Patterson has an extensive record of felony convictions dating back to 1998, including convictions for criminal sexual conduct with a minor, strong-arm robbery, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

    United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis presided over the trial and will sentence Patterson after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Patterson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. 

    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.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Sanford and Elizabeth Major are prosecuting the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dallas Man with Three Prior Domestic Violence Convictions Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Possession

    Source: US FBI

    A Dallas man with three prior domestic violence convictions was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.

    Thomas Keithlun Brown, 26, pled guilty to the federal offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in September 2024.  He was sentenced on June 18, 2025, to 70 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade.

    At sentencing, prosecutors argued for a 70-month sentence given the defendant’s extensive history assaulting women and domestic violence convictions.  

    This case is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas’s Domestic Violence Initiative.  This initiative is aimed at keeping firearms out of the hands of domestic abusers by using the tools of federal prosecution.  History shows that gun violence and domestic violence are intertwined, and that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a remarkably high risk of homicide.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Denton Police Department conducted the investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Boyle and Luis Suarez.  
     

    MIL Security OSI –