NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stephenville — Man arrested by Bay St. George RCMP for unlawful confinement and assault

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Bay St. George RCMP arrested 36-year-old Randolph Perrier for unlawful confinement, assault and other offences on April 13, 2025.

    Shortly before 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, Bay St. George RCMP received a report of a residential disturbance at a home in Stephenville. A man was being held against his will by another man who was in possession of a weapon. Police attended the home where Perrier was arrested without further incident.

    Perrier attended court on Sunday and was remanded into custody. He is charged with the following criminal offences:

    • Assault with a weapon
    • Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
    • Forcible confinement
    • Fail to comply with release order

    He is due to appear in court today. The investigation is ongoing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Sentenced to More than Seven Years for Hobbs Act Robbery Conspiracy and Using a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A Texas man was sentenced last week to seven years and 10 months in prison for conspiring with four co-defendants to commit a Hobbs Act robbery and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

    According to court documents, Harry Keith Dwyan Goffney, 23, of Houston, conspired to rob a semi-truck trailer, which he believed contained approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine and 400 firearms. When Goffney and co-conspirators approached the trailer, armed with firearms, they were caught on surveillance camera wearing masks and gloves. Goffney and two co-defendants opened the trailer but did not find the cocaine and firearms, so they left.

    Co-defendant Tracy Lee Stevenson, 31, of Houston, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Houston Field Office investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Sarah J. Rasalam and Justin G. Bish of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are 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 achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DHS Announces New Ad Campaign for Secret Service Recruitment

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary Kristi Noem announced a new ad campaign to encourage the recruitment of United States Secret Service agents.   

    The commercial features 13-year-old Secret Service Agent DJ Daniel, who was recently presented his badge and credentials by U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran during President Donald Trump’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress. 

    “When others step back, the United States Secret Service steps forward. Shielding America from unseen threats, with sharp eyes, and steadfast courage. When you serve with us, even when no one sees you someone is always looking up to you,” Secretary Noem says in the ad. The United States Secret Service is calling for a few more heroes. Will you step forward?” 

    This release follows another recent recruitment ad which aired during Super Bowl LIX.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Secretary General meets the Chair and members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Source: NATO

    On Tuesday, 15 April 2025, the NATO Secretary General, Mr Mark Rutte, will meet with the Chair and members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms Željka Cvijanović, Mr Željko Komšić and Mr Denis Bećirović at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels.

    Media advisory

    9:15 (CEST) Joint remarks by the Secretary General with representatives of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Media coverage

    • Media representatives with annual accreditation to NATO can attend the event in person. 
    • The pool of visual media covering the joint remarks will meet in front of the Press Shop at NATO HQ, at 08:45.
    • The remarks will be streamed live on the NATO website and on X @NATOPress. A transcript of the Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be on the NATO website.
    • Video can be downloaded from the NATO Multimedia Portal after the event.

    For more information:
    For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office
    Follow us on X: @NATO, @SecGenNATO and @NATOPress

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Department of Justice Transfers 13 Mexican Nationals with Drug Convictions to Mexico Pursuant to the U.S.-Mexico International Prisoner Transfer Treaty

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs with the assistance of the Department’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) transferred 13 Mexican nationals, serving prison sentences for drug distribution-related convictions in the United States, to their home country on Friday.

    “Friday’s transfer of 13 federal inmates to correctional authorities in Mexico has saved the United States over $3 million by eliminating the need to pay incarceration costs for the 75 years remaining on their combined sentences,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department’s International Prisoner Transfer Program, which is administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, enhances offender rehabilitation, reduces incarceration costs, and relieves overcrowding in federal prisons. The transfer is pursuant to the Treaty between the United States of America and the United Mexican States on the Execution of the Penal Sentences.”

    All 13 inmates transferred today were serving sentences relating to the distribution of controlled substances, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The inmates will complete the remainder of their sentences in Mexico pursuant to the treaty. The inmates requested to be transferred to their home country, and the governments of both the United States and Mexico approved these transfers.

    The U.S. Congress enacted legislation authorizing the International Prisoner Transfer Program in October 1977, which also set the requirements of the transfer program. The United States signed its first transfer treaty with Mexico in 1976, which entered into force in November 1977, and since that time has entered into 10 additional bilateral transfer agreements and two multilateral transfer conventions. These international agreements give the United States transfer treaty relationships with more than 85 countries.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit (IPTU) administers the program. Under the program, approved foreign national inmates in federal and state prisons are permitted, under certain circumstances, to complete their prison terms in their home countries’ prisons.

    This is the 184th such transfer since the treaty entered into force in 1977. The last transfer prior to today, which took place in December 2024, transferred nine inmates to Mexico pursuant to the treaty. To learn more about the International Prisoner Transfer Program, visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-oia/iptu 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW BERN, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced Friday to 68 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and distribution of a quantity of fentanyl. Nedall Alwan, 30, pled guilty to the charge on January 14, 2025. 

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, in March 2023, the Tarboro Police Department and Edgecombe Sheriff’s Office received information that Alwan, who operated a vape and tobacco store in Tarboro, was involved in the sale of narcotics.  Between March 8 and April 5, 2023, law enforcement made three controlled purchases of “Perc 30” pills from Alwan. The pills contained fentanyl.  On April 6, 2023, law enforcement searched Alwan’s vape and tobacco business. Law Enforcement found 290 “M-30” pills which contained 30 grams of fentanyl, a 9mm rifle and $9,533.00 in U.S. currency.  A 9mm handgun was also found in Alwan’s car, and additional U.S. currency was found at Alwan’s residence.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Enforcement, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tarboro and Rocky Mount Police Departments investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-0035.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Restaurant And Owner Agree To Pay Over $1.5 Million To Settle Allegations Of Pandemic Relief Fund Misuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that Bobby Gerald Duncan (“Duncan”) and DE & E Foods, Inc. d/b/a Hillbilly’s Barbeque and Steaks (“Hillbilly’s BBQ”) have agreed to pay $1,530,682.26 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly obtaining $762,903 in pandemic relief funds, and then misusing those funds for Duncan’s own personal gain. The settlement further resolves allegations that Duncan and Hillbilly’s BBQ knowingly made false statements to obtain the relief funds, as well as obtain loan forgiveness of the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) portion of the funds.

    The United States civil complaint alleged that Duncan, through his restaurant Hillbilly’s BBQ, obtained the relief funds through an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) and two PPP loans. Rather than using the funds for authorized purposes, including for payroll and other business-related expenses, Duncan misappropriated the funds for his own benefit, specifically to purchase a separate FedEx business with Duncan’s longtime friend.

    Duncan did so by first transferring $100,000 of the relief funds from a Hillbilly’s BBQ corporate account to a personal account entitled “Vacation Account,” and then adding his friend as an account holder to artificially boost the friend’s credit score for a separate SBA loan intended for the FedEx business purchase. When that failed, Duncan used the pandemic relief funds to buy the FedEx business outright for $750,000, by writing two large checks for its purchase directly from the Hillbilly’s BBQ business account (one for $400,000 and another for $350,000).

    “Pandemic relief funds were meant to provide a financial lifeline to small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the unprecedented COVID crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Where those funds were misused, we will pursue their return as part of our ongoing effort to curb waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money.”

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Johnson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of this case.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Muskegon Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Conspirators used the U.S. Postal Service to Mail Kilograms of Cocaine from Texas to Michigan

              LANSING – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge today announced that Srecko Darnell Walker, 35, of Muskegon, has been sentenced to a total of 32 years in federal prison. At sentencing, Chief United States District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou remarked on Walker’s extensive criminal history, which now includes a total of seven drug-related convictions, and instances of criminal dishonesty. Before pronouncing its sentence, the Court told Walker, “You’ve spent most of your life lying. You’ve spent most of your life committing crimes . . . You have earned the sentence that you’re going to get.”

              The Court imposed concurrent terms of 30 years for each of the three crimes a federal jury found Walker guilty of in November 2024: (1) conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine; (2) distribution of cocaine; and (3) possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The Court also imposed a consecutive 2-year sentence for violations Walker committed while on supervised release following a previous federal cocaine trafficking conviction.

              Evidence admitted at trial showed that in 2021 and 2022, Walker worked with Steven Rasic, a Muskegon-based U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, to import kilograms of cocaine into West Michigan from Hugo Benavides, a Texas-based cocaine supplier. Walker coordinated the cocaine shipments, which were sent to vacant addresses on Rasic’s mail route. Both Rasic and Benavides pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge prior to trial and have been sentenced separately.

              During trial, the jury heard that over the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents seized five kilograms of cocaine from the mail that Walker and his co-conspirators intended to distribute in West Michigan. In March 2022, investigators seized two kilograms of cocaine. After the seizure, Rasic tried to recover the parcel containing cocaine, falsely stating that he was acting on behalf of the U.S. Postal Service. In fact, Rasic was trying to recover the cocaine on Walker’s behalf, and text messages from Rasic’s phone showed that Rasic had alerted Walker to the cocaine seizure. Months later, in October 2022, investigators saw Walker distribute cocaine to a woman in Muskegon, and later, inside Walker’s residence, investigators found more cocaine, a cutting agent, and digital scale used to weigh cocaine.

              The jury also learned that after the search of his residence, Walker admitted to importing cocaine through the mail, and told investigators that he sold his first kilogram of cocaine sometime in 2021. Walker also admitted to tracking some of the mail parcels that contained cocaine, including one parcel with over one kilogram of cocaine inside.

              “This sentence reflects the hard work and dedication of USPS OIG Special Agents, U.S. Postal Inspectors and DEA Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant narcotics investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

              “As the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Inspection Service prioritizes the safety and security of postal employees and customers above all else,” said Detroit Division Acting Inspector in Charge Sean McStravick. “Let the severity of this sentence be a warning to those who abuse the nation’s mail system to transport narcotics and other dangerous or illegal substances: We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will seek to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

              “The DEA remains committed to continue to dismantle criminal organizations—domestic and foreign,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton, DEA Detroit Field Division. “This operation is a testament to the power of collaboration between agencies to ensure justice is served and our communities are protected.”

              The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), The United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General (USPS OIG), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Michigan State Police (MSP) West Michigan Enforcement Team (WEMET) investigated this case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Austin J. Hakes and Stephanie M. Carowan.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man charged with Lewisham murder

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been charged with murder following a death in Lewisham.

    Hai Van Nguyen, 41 (29.04.1983) of Hatfield Close, Lewisham was charged on Monday, 14 April with the murder of his wife, Hien Thi Vu, 45.

    Nguyen was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court this afternoon. His next hearing will be at a court and on a date that is yet to be decided.

    At 06:41hrs on Sunday, 13 April London Ambulance Service alerted police to a seriously injured woman in Hatfield Close, SE14.

    First responding officers were immediately deployed along with London’s Air Ambulance. Despite the emergency services best efforts, she was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

    Shortly after, at 06:52hrs, a 44-year-old man self-presented at Lewisham Police Station in connection to the incident. He was arrested and charged with murder.

    Hien Vu’s next-of-kin have been informed and continue to be supported by specialist officers.

    A post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant sexually abused two minor females, ages 6 and 3, and produced images in 2020 and 2022.

    Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Gary Hammond Jackson, III, 33, of Pasadena, Maryland, to 35 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for the sexual exploitation of a minor and the commission of a felony involving a minor by a registered sex offender.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP), and State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess, Office of the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

    According to his guilty plea, in 2020 and 2022, Jackson sexually abused two minor females, ages 6 and 3, and produced child sexual abuse material.  In November 2020, Jackson sexually abused the first victim —who was 6 at the time — and used his cell phone to produce three images of the act.  It was discovered that Jackson sexually assaulted the same victim numerous times between January 2020 and December 2020.  As a result, Jackson was convicted of a fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

    Following his release in June 2022, Jackson was placed on probation and required to register as a sex offender. But in November 2022, Jackson produced child sexual abuse material, in the form of images, with the 3-year-old victim. 

    This case is 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 Attorney’s 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc. Learn more about Internet safety education by clicking on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, MSP, and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Spencer L. Todd and Paul E. Budlow who prosecuted the case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Indicted on Gun Charge After Allegedly Discarding Loaded Firearm Near U Street

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Raymond Davon Benson, 32, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal firearm charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

                Benson was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

                According to court documents, on March 29, 2025, MPD officers observed defendant Benson walking eastbound on U Street NW.  The officers witnessed Benson holding a red solo cup, known to be frequently used for consuming alcohol in the U Street corridor.    

                Upon observing the police presence, defendant Benson allegedly dumped amber liquid from the cup and tossed it to the ground. As officers approached to investigate a potential open container of alcohol violation, Benson reportedly fled the scene, running down sidewalks and into an alley. As he fled in the alley, Benson was allegedly observed throwing a firearm before continuing his flight. Benson was apprehended a short time later. Officers recovered a Cobray M-11 firearm with a high-capacity magazine and approximately 30 rounds of ammunition from the location where Benson allegedly tossed the firearm.

                Benson is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction in Superior Court for the District of Columbia. 

            This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Strong. 

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Finds St. Paul Felon Guilty in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn.  – Kurtis Gordon-Greenwood of St. Paul, Minnesota, has been convicted by a federal jury for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, attempted possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and illegal possession of a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement began investigating a fentanyl distribution crew in St. Paul in 2022.  During that investigation, they intercepted a UPS package from Arizona containing more than five kilos—50,000 fentanyl pills—addressed to the apartment of Kurtis Lavonte Gordon-Greenwood, 30. In a subsequent search of Gordon-Greenwood’s apartment, officers discovered a Fedex shipping receipt for a package sent to Phoenix, three cell phones, and a Taurus 9mm pistol with an extended magazine. When law enforcement intercepted the Fedex package Gordon-Greenwood sent to Phoenix, they discovered $8,240 in cash inside.

    Because Gordon-Greenwood has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.

    “Firearms and drugs are a deadly combination – make no mistake that lives will be saved with Gordon-Greenwood off the streets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Drugs are trafficked to Minnesota by air, vehicle, or through the mail, as we saw in this case. Thanks to the work of our task force partners on this investigation, we have kept thousands of deadly fentanyl pills from hitting our neighborhoods.”

    “It can’t be stated enough that fentanyl pills carry deadly consequences,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “If these 50,000 pills had made their way to the streets, there would be countless families across the Twin Cities mourning the loss of a loved one. Remind your loved ones that one pill can kill.”

    After a three-day trial before Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court, Gordon-Greenwood was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Gordon-Greenwood’s co-defendants, Joshua Lanard Howse, 33, and Cornelius David Pierce, 34, have both pleaded guilty for their respective roles in the conspiracy.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst tried the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Better Together: Iwo Jima ARG Strengthens Naval Force through Successful Integration Training

    Source: United States Navy

    ATLANTIC OCEAN – The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), Amphibious Squadron 8 (PHIBRON) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)—all part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (IWOARG)—completed a two-week Amphibious Squadron Marine Expeditionary Unit Integration Training (PMINT) in the Atlantic Ocean, April 14.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Marion County Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Transporting a Minor with the Intent to Engage in Sexual Activity

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

    Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Thomas Allen Ebersole (32, Dunnellon) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for transporting a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity. Ebersole is also required to register as a sex offender. He entered a guilty plea on January 6, 2025.  

    According to court records, in December 2023, Ebersole met and communicated with a 16-year-old girl through online video games. On December 28, 2023, Ebersole drove from his home in Marion County to Ohio, where the minor lived. He then drove the victim back to his Florida home to engage in sexual activity with her. After the victim’s family reported her missing, law enforcement identified the Internet Protocol (IP) address the victim had used to play video games while at Ebersole’s home. Law enforcement located and removed the victim from Ebersole’s home on January 3, 2024. The victim told law enforcement that she never left Ebersole’s home during the week she had been missing. She also admitted that Ebersole had engaged in sexual intercourse with her multiple times, which was subsequently confirmed through DNA testing.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lima (Ohio) Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

    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 Attorney’s 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harlan County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LONDON, Ky. – A Kenvir, Ky., man, Anthony Carr, 54, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 78 months in prison, for distribution of methamphetamine. 

    According to his plea agreement, on August 17, 2023, law enforcement used a confidential informant to purchase approximately 54 grams of a methamphetamine mixture from Carr. On August 23, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Carr’s residence and found approximately 27 grams of methamphetamine, baggies, and three sets of digital scales.  

    Under federal law, Carr must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years. 

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Chris Brewer, Harlan County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, and Harlan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

    – END –

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Settlement Processor Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Settlement Statements to Financial Institutions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – Rebecca Marie Cohn, aka Rebecca Marie Stanton, 38, of Fallston, Maryland, pled guilty in federal court to knowingly and willfully making false statements to financial institutions in connection with real-estate settlements.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region.

    From 2013 through 2019, Cohn worked as a settlement and title processor for Residential Title & Escrow Company, a real estate title company located in Owings Mills, Maryland.  As part of her job handling real estate property settlements, Cohn created, reviewed, and submitted HUD-1 Settlement Statements to financial institutions.  Cohn was also responsible for documenting incoming funds and disbursements in connection with real-estate closings, along with providing financial institutions with documentation of equity injections utilized in real-estate transactions.       

    At Residential, Cohn engaged in settlement work in connection with co-defendants Mehul Ramesh Khatiwala, aka “Mike Khatiwala,” 43, of Voorhees, New Jersey, Rajendra G. Parikh, 64, of Monroe, New Jersey, Jennifer H. Watkins, 48, of Marlton, New Jersey, and entities associated with them.  Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins recently pled guilty to a conspiracy to obtain loan proceeds to buy and sell hotels in connection with a hotel-flipping scheme.

    “Flipping” is a real-estate investment strategy that involves purchasing property to hold for a short period before selling it to make a quick profit.  Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins created limited liability companies with no significant business activity (“shell entities” or “selling entities”) to purchase hotel properties.  They then created a second company to purchase the hotels from the shell companies at substantially higher prices.  Cohn performed settlement work for the second part of the flip transaction.

    Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins sought loans for those transactions through the SBA’s Section 7(a) Program, which guaranteed and insured approximately 75-85 percent of these loans, and required that the small business owner/borrower invest a certain amount of their own money into the business to qualify for the loan.

    From June 2019 until August 2019, Cohn worked with Khatiwala, Watkins, and Parikh, handling settlement transactions that she knew the information represented on the HUD-1 Settlement Statements was materially false. Cohn also made false statements to financial institutions by sending them information about buyers’ equity injections in the form of checks, bank records, and other documents.

    Through these false statements Cohn claimed to show that various equity injections occurred, knowing that those funds had already been represented as used for a previous real-estate hotel settlement.  Cohn knew that the financial institutions relied on the false statements to decide to extend the loans to the borrowing entities.

    On July 23, 2019, Cohn knowingly submitted a materially false HUD-1 Settlement Statement in connection with an SBA guaranteed loan to North State Bank. The statement substantially overrepresented the deposit or earnest money that the borrowing entity actually utilized in the transaction.

    Additionally, in the statement she provided for the loan settlement, she falsely claimed that the settlement took place on July 23, 2019. But the settlement could not have taken place on that date because the selling entity did not own the hotel until July 24, 2019.  Cohn knew that the selling entity did not own the hotel on July 23, 2019, as she used the loan proceeds provided by North State Bank to help the selling entity purchase the hotel.   

    Cohn is facing a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for making false statements to a financial institution.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FHFA-OIG and FDIC-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber, Evelyn L. Cusson, and Ari D. Evans, who are prosecuting the federal case, and recognized Paralegal Specialists Joanna B.N. Huber and Zharde Todman.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Scranton Man Sentenced to 24 years in Prison for Drug Distribution Resulting in Death

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Federico Rosario, age 30, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 11, 2025, to 24 years’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and drug distribution resulting in death.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, in July of 2021, Rosario sold small quantities of cocaine to a 17-year-old minor.  On August 11, 2021, Rosario sold the minor victim .4 grams of a substance represented to be cocaine.  Less than 30 minutes later, after consuming a portion of the substance, the victim sent Rosario a message asking what was in the substance because it had him “spinning” as though he was drunk. Receiving no response from Rosario, the minor victim sent a follow-up message eight seconds later.  Rosario never responded or took any other action in response to the victim’s messages.  The next morning, the minor victim was found dead in his room.

    Laboratory analysis of the substance sold to the victim by Rosario revealed it to be a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl.  Autopsy and post-mortem toxicology confirmed the presence of fatal levels of fentanyl in the minor victim’s system at death. During a four-day jury trial, expert testimony established that but for the toxic level of fentanyl, which is 50-100 times more potent than morphine, the otherwise healthy minor victim would not have died.  At the conclusion of trial, the jury returned a verdict finding Rosario guilty on three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of drug distribution resulting in death.        

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Scranton Police Department.  Former Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara and Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuted the case.

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

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southern District of Texas Charges More Than 200 Persons for Immigration and Border Security Offenses This Week

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

    HOUSTON – A total of 229 cases have been filed in border security-related matters from April 4-10, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    As part of those cases, 80 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, firearms or sexual offenses, or prior immigration crimes. A total of 126 people face charges of illegally entering the country, 18 cases involve various instances of human smuggling with others relating to firearms, false statements and other immigration matters.  

    One such case alleges Victor D. Perozo-Zarraga committed fraud and misuse of a visa after authorities found him in possession of fraudulent legal permanent resident and Social Security documents. He indicated he had legal status to be in the United States, which he does not, according to the complaint. 

    Other relevant matters this week include a Mexican visa holder who attempted to bring child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and drugs across the border. Christian Christopher Rodriguez-Lopez was ordered to serve 151 months after attempting to enter the United States from Mexico. Upon inspection, law enforcement located approximately five kilograms of cocaine in his vehicle. Further investigation following his arrest resulted in the additional discovery of CSAM on his cell phone. His visa has since been revoked. 

    “Mr. Rodriguez-Lopez is a perfect example of why our more aggressive approach to border security is so critical,” said Ganjei. “Neither these drugs, nor this defendant, have any place in our communities. Due to the excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this cocaine will never make it to the streets and this offender will spend the next decade in federal prison.”

    Also announced was a 29-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history who was sentenced for illegally entering the country without authorization. Joaquin Hernandez-Reyes has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as assault of a public servant and possession of a controlled substance. He was first removed from the United States in 2016 and returned illegally several more times. He received a 72-month sentence. 

    A Mexican national who illegally resided in Roma has been ordered to federal prison for 37 months for human smuggling. Allan Eduardo Mar-Uballe was driving a Ford Expedition with the back seats and seatbelts removed. Inside the vehicle were 18 illegal aliens, including two unaccompanied minors. Authorities attempted to stop the vehicle, but he evaded at a high rate of speed and drove erratically, disregarding stop signs and other vehicles, before crashing into a ditch. Several inside the vehicle sustained injuries. 

    Another human smuggler was sentenced to 46 months. On Dec. 23, 2024, Felipe Montez attempted to transport seven illegal aliens. He was driving a vehicle waiting by the Rio Grande River near Escobares as the individuals ran from the river towards him. Upon the sight of law enforcement, they all attempted to flee, but authorities apprehended them. Further investigation revealed Montez was involved in four previous alien smuggling events which involved attempts to evade law enforcement. His crimes have involved a total of 41 illegal aliens.

    In a case out of the Corpus Christi office, the court found Hosmel Vences responsible for organizing the smuggling of at least 75 illegal aliens between Aug. 16 – Dec. 17, 2023, and ordered him to serve 48 months. The investigation revealed Vences recruited many different drivers from all over South Texas to drive to Brownsville and Raymondville for the purpose of transporting illegal aliens further into the United States.

    Authorities also arrested a former Texas National Guard soldier for alien smuggling. Mario Sandoval was allegedly deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border with the Texas National Guard as part of Operation Lonestar. The charges allege that following his service in that capacity, Sandoval remained in the Rio Grande Valley and participated in alien smuggling from July 11-23, 2024. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Indicted for Making Threats to Employee of Augusta National Golf Club

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

    AUGUSTA, GA:  The Grand Jury for the Southern District of Georgia returned an indictment against a man for his role in making threats against an employee of the Augusta National Golf Club.

    Joseph Armand Zimmer, 48, of North Dakota, is charged with Threats in Interstate Communication, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.  Zimmer was arrested on April 8, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He appeared in federal court in the District of Nevada on April 9, 2025, for an initial appearance. He will be required to appear in the Southern District of Georgia to answer to the charge.   

    “Those who make threats against members of our community in violation of federal law will be held accountable, as we continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring to justice those who seek to intimidate and instill fear in our citizens,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons.

    As described in court, Zimmer made a phone call on February 18, 2025, to the Augusta National Golf Club, during which he made numerous violent threats to the individual who answered the call.  These threats included that he would “throw [the individual] in a cell and have [her] set on fire,” and that he would “blow [her] head off.”

    Zimmer faces up to 5 years imprisonment on the charge.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    “The FBI treats threatening communications with the utmost seriousness and will dedicate all available resources to locating and prosecuting those responsible for such actions,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We trust that this indictment sends a clear message to anyone contemplating making threats, whether genuine or fabricated, through electronic means.”

    Criminal indictments contain only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Who Possessed a Gun Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison

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

    A convicted felon who unlawfully possessed a handgun was sentenced April 8, 2025, to more than three years in federal prison.

    Torion Tamaz Byrd, age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2024, bench trial where he was found guilty of one count of felon in possession of a firearm

    Evidence at trial showed that Byrd was found in possession of a handgun when Waterloo police officers stopped a car Byrd was driving.  During the traffic stop, officers arrested the passenger in the car who was wanted for failing to appear for a state court hearing.  Officers saw a loaded handgun with an extended magazine in the glove box.  Byrd’s DNA was eventually found in three places on the handgun.  

    Byrd was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Byrd was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    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.

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

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.  

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

    The case file number is 24-CR-2016.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Darknet Vendor Sentenced for Conspiracy to Sell Counterfeit Drugs

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LONDON, Ky. – A Lebanese and Italian national, Alessandro Sabbagh, 27, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 78 months in prison, for conspiracy to sell counterfeit drugs and knowingly causing the sale of a counterfeit drug.  

    According to his plea agreement, between January 2017 and October 2021, Sabbagh conspired with others to manufacture and sell counterfeit generic alprazolam pills. Sabbagh and his co-conspirators, without authorization, created pills stamped with manufacturer imprints designed to replicate the appearance of actual alprazolam pills. The benzodiazepine-class drugs used by the co-conspirators in the counterfeit pills have no accepted medical use in the United States. Sabbagh and his co-conspirators then sold these counterfeit pills in the Eastern District of Kentucky and throughout the United States via darknet marketplaces, receiving payment for the sales in cryptocurrencies. Sabbagh managed multiple vendor accounts across several darknet marketplaces and was responsible for sales to customers and providing lists of customer orders to co-conspirators who manufactured and shipped the counterfeit alprazolam pills. Over the course of the conspiracy, Sabbagh and his co-conspirators trafficked counterfeit alprazolam valued at more than $25 million. 

    Under federal law, Sabbagh must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Sabbagh must also forfeit cryptocurrency seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and agreed to the imposition of a $5,055,377 forfeiture money judgment, representing the amount of proceeds he received from the scheme.

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Division, Quincy Barnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Jeff Couch, Manchester Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by the DEA, IRS, FBI, and Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosenberg is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

    – END –

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Virginia Man Sentenced for Ginseng Poaching at National Park

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ABINGDON, Va. – Coby Brummett pleaded recently to unlawfully digging ginseng within the boundaries of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and was sentenced to 30 days of imprisonment.  

    “Our national parks and the resources within, like Ginseng, are natural resources maintained for the benefit of all our citizens and not forms of currency to be poached and sold-off for profit,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “One of our core missions is to protect the resources and natural wonders that are found in abundance on the national park lands found in the Western District of Virginia and enjoyed by millions of visitors every year. This case is a warning to those who may try to use these resources for their own benefit.  I am grateful to the National Park Service for their diligence in keeping our national parks vibrant and safe.”

    “Preserving natural and cultural resources like these on behalf of current and future generations of Americans is a central part of our mission,” said Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Superintendent Lisa Baldwin. “We are proud of the work of our staff and partners that led to this outcome.”

    After a thorough investigation, rangers with the National Park Service determined that Brummett dug up over 300 Ginseng roots from within the confines of the park. 

    Brummett was ordered to pay $6,240.25 in restitution to the National Park Service, and he is banned from the park for a period of three years.

    The National Park Service investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Hall prosecuted the case for the United States. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Detroit Hosts Second Webinar in West Michigan Educating Community on Sextortion

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

    The FBI Detroit Field Office—Grand Rapids Resident Agency will be hosting a second webinar focusing on the dangers of Sextortion. The first webinar delved into the topic of online child sexual exploitation. This will be held on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at 6 p.m.

    Sextortion is a serious crime that occurs when someone threatens to distribute your private and sensitive material if you don’t provide them images of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or money.

    Participants can expect the presentations to provide an overview of what sextortion looks like, information on threat indicators and signs of exploitation, and examples of how this crime has impacted Michigan, especially the west side of the state.

    “FBI members in Michigan are hosting a series of informative webinars to raise awareness about the dangers of sextortion and online sexual exploitation. These webinars aim to educate the public and actively combat these harmful trends by fostering open and honest conversations while providing vital, life-saving resources,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Our investigations have shown that many young people with access to cell phones or other electronic devices are increasingly targeted by predators with malicious and deeply disturbing intentions. We remain committed to tirelessly working to disrupt and investigate these dangerous individuals who seek to exploit and harm our youth through sextortion.”

    The Detroit Field Office has provided suggested information and tips on how to protect your loved ones from being victims of sextortion:

    • Be selective about what you share online.
    • Block or ignore messages from strangers.
    • Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online or of anyone that wants to move to a different platform to have a conversation.
    • People can pretend to be anything or anyone online, and their videos or photos are not proof of who they say they may be.
    • Any content you create can be made public and you have little control over where it is shared next.
    • Do not send any money or additional content to the blackmailer.
    • Don’t be ashamed. Ask for help. If you are receiving messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report them to the platform’s safety administrators, tell a trusted adult, or the FBI

    If our youth are being exploited, they are a victim and should report it. The FBI has staff dedicated to assisting victims of a crime.

    To submit a tip to the FBI, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or make a report online at tips.fbi.gov.

    To join the sextortion webinar, click here and follow the prompts. Meeting ID: 992 840 970 169 Passcode: xx2du9DQ. To dial by phone, +1 304-848-3555, 708637250# United States, Phone conference ID: 708 637 250#.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Overland Park Man Sentenced for Abusing Incentive Rewards Program

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

    KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for causing a $1.2 million loss to a company by submitting false invoices in connection a performance incentive rewards program.  The prison sentence will be followed by two years of supervised release, and Cummings is ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution.

    According to court documents, Barry Cummings, 52, of Overland Park, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. 

    An energy management company offered a performance-based rewards program as an incentive to non-employee resellers, contractors, and others to sell its products. Participants submitted information regarding sales to earn points they could then redeem for items like airline vouchers, hotel stays, gift cards, and electronic devices.

    In 2017, a business in Lenexa, Kansas, hired Cummings, and he enrolled in the victim company’s rewards program through that affiliation. In his plea agreement, Cummings admitted to orchestrating a years-long scheme to defraud the victim company’s rewards program.  Cummings admitted to logging into the rewards site and submitting fraudulent sales claims, which falsely represented that he had sold the company’s products. Cummings admitted that he never sold a single one of the company’s products despite the thousands of sales claims he submitted representing that he did.  

    After his termination from the Lenexa business in April 2018, Cummings continually logged into the rewards website to submit fraudulent invoices and redeem points, using the email he previously had at the Lenexa business. As an example, during a 12-hour period in November 2018, Cummings submitted 834 fraudulent invoices for which he received more than 2.8 million points. In 2019, he submitted 5,543 false claims for 22.5 million points. Cummings used point redemptions to receive more than 2,000 rewards at a value that caused a $1,233,024 loss to the victim company.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.  The victim energy company cooperated and provided invaluable assistance in the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Resident Indicted for Wire Fraud for Scheme to Steal Nearly $1 Million From Seattle Area Employer

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

    Defendant used company credit card for personal expenses and created fake vendor to raid company coffers

    Seattle – A Seattle grand jury this week indicted a 43-year-old Laguna Niguel, California man on six counts of wire fraud for his scheme to steal nearly $1 million from his employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Paul Joseph Welch was the IT manager of Kent, Washington energy manufacturing company Algas-SDI when he allegedly used various schemes to steal more than $950,000 from the company. Welch will be arraigned on the indictment on April 17, 2025.

    According to the indictment, Welch worked for the company from 2011 to 2024. He was promoted to Information Technology Manager in 2018. The indictment alleges that as early as 2017, Welch used the company’s Amazon business account to make unauthorized personal purchases from Amazon.com. Between 2017 and 2023, those purchases totaled at least $43,000. Welch primarily purchased electronics such at televisions, laptops and more—all for personal use. In 2019, Welch began using his company credit card for personal purchases through other online retailers such as Apple, Alaska Airlines, Instacart and BestBuy. Between 2019 and 2024, those unauthorized personal purchases totaled at least an additional $60,000.

    The scheme really accelerated in January 2021 when Welch began making payments to himself disguised as payments to a computer services company. Welch allegedly created a series of email addresses and payment processor accounts using a business name that was very similar to a legitimate computer services company based in Washington State. Welch then used Algas-SDI company credit cards to pay the computer services company under the guise that the company was providing IT equipment and services to Algas-SDI.  However, the legitimate computer services company had no relationship with Welch and never provided any services or equipment to Algas-SDI. The credit card payments Welch made from Algas-SDI’s credit cards went directly to the payment processor accounts that Welch controlled. Between 2021 and 2024 Welch allegedly used this scheme to transfer approximately $879,175 from company accounts to his own accounts.

    Algas-SDI tried to verify the legitimacy of Welch’s activity on multiple occasions, but each time, Welch allegedly provided false or misleading information to cover up his scheme. Algas-SDI employees asked Welch to submit invoices to substantiate his charges, but Welch allegedly emailed phony documents designed to look like invoices from the legitimate computer services company. At one point in 2023, an Algas-SDI accounting employee identified personal purchases on Welch’s company credit card. Welch claimed the charges were inadvertent and said he would repay the company. Welch never repaid the charges and continued to defraud the company through unauthorized personal purchases and more fake vendor charges. In January 2024, alone, Welch allegedly submitted phony invoices to Algas-SDI showing that the computer services company had purportedly invoiced Algas-SDI more than $55,000 for equipment and services in that timeframe.

    On January 19, 2024, Algas-SDI employees confronted Welch about the charges from the computer services company accounts that Welch controlled. After Welch again told Algas-SDI that the vendor was a real vendor for the company, the company fired him.

    The wire fraud charges represent six of the times Welch emailed the company false statements or invoices purported to be from a legitimate computer services company.

    In all, between 2017 and January 2024 Walch secretly made at least 250 fraudulent charges for the third party vendor he controlled. He made at least 140 unauthorized purchases with retailers using the company credit card and at least 100 fraudulent purchases on the company’s Amazon account. While Welch profited some $950,000 from his theft, the loss to ALGAS-SDI was approximately $982,520 due to various fees on the transactions.

    Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Third Man Guilty of Laundering Funds From Nine-Year Fraud Scheme

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

    HOUSTON – A 62-year-old Houston resident has admitted to laundering proceeds from a large-scale bank fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    William Mills admitted that from 2014 to 2023, he conspired with others in a bank fraud scheme involving dozens of loans totaling at least $35 million in fraudulent loan proceeds.  

    As part of the plea, Mills acknowledged opening and maintaining shell companies and bank accounts to collect money from the scheme. He then laundered the fraud proceeds by wiring them to bank accounts other co-conspirators controlled.

    Mills and others accomplished the bank fraud by preparing loan applications that contained false and fraudulent information and documents, including fake equipment sales invoices, income tax returns and financial and bank statements.

    U.S. District Keith Ellison will impose sentencing June 27. At that time, Mills faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine or twice the amount involved in the transaction. 

    He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

    Two other Houston residents charged in the case, Jeremiah Almaguer, 45, Bun Khath, 44, both of Houston, previously pleaded guilty to money laundering in the same scheme and are awaiting sentencing. Another Houston resident charged in the case – Hugo Villanueva, 70, – is considered a fugitive, and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000.

    The Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General (OIG), IRS Criminal Investigation, FBI and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Butler County Resident Charged with Making Threats to Assault and Murder President Donald J. Trump, Other United States Officials, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents

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

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Shawn Monper, 32, a resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with making threats to assault and murder President Donald J. Trump, other United States officials, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    “I want to applaud the outstanding and courageous investigative work of the FBI and the Butler Township Police Department, who thankfully identified and apprehended this individual before he could carry out his threats against President Trump’s life and the lives of other innocent Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Rest assured that whenever and wherever threats of assassination or mass violence occur, this Department of Justice will find, arrest, and prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law and seek the maximum appropriate punishment.”

    According to the federal criminal complaint, on April 8, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Threat Operations Section (NTOS) received an emergency disclosure regarding threats posted to YouTube by user “Mr Satan.” Federal agents determined that the threatening statements occurred between January 15, 2025, and April 5, 2025. The subsequent federal investigation affirmed that the internet activity associated with “Mr Satan” corresponded with Shawn Monper’s residence in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

    The investigation further established that Monper sought and obtained a firearms permit shortly following President Trump’s inauguration. In February 2025, Monper commented using his “Mr Satan” account: “I have bought several guns and been stocking up on ammo since Trump got in office.” Further, in March 2025, Monper commented using his account: “Eventually im going to do a mass shooting.” One week later, Monper commented: “I have been buying 1 gun a month since the election, body armor, and ammo.”

    The criminal complaint identified the following threatening statements regarding President Trump, other United States officials, and ICE agents:

    February 17, 2025: “Nah, we just need to start killing people, Trump, Elon, all the heads of agencies Trump appointed, and anyone who stands in the way. Remember, we are the majority, MAGA is a minority of the country, and by the time its time to make the move, they will be weakened, many will be crushed by these policies, and they will want revenge too. American Revolution 2.0”

    March 4, 2025: “im going to assassinate him myself.” This threat was made in a YouTube video titled “Live: Trump’s address to Congress.”

    March 18, 2025: “ICE are terrorist people, we need to start killing them.”

    April 1, 2025: “If I see an armed ice agent, I will consider it a domestic terrorist, and an active shooter and open fire on them.”

    On April 9, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Butler Township Police Department, arrested Monper on the federal criminal complaint. On April 10, 2025, Monper was ordered detained pending preliminary and detention hearings scheduled for April 14, 2025, at 1:00 pm.

    Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Butler Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the criminal complaint against Monper.

    A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 conducts dive training with the Republic of Korea Navy’s Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit during SALVEX Korea 2025 [Image 8 of 17]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    JINHAE NAVAL BASE, Republic of Korea (April 9, 2025) Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Ernest Smith, assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, and a Republic of Korea navy diver are lowered into the ocean inside of a diving bell that is launched from the inside of the Tongyeong-class salvage and rescue ship ROKS Gwangyang (ATS-32), during a joint dive and salvage exercise in the harbor of Jinhae Naval Base, Republic of Korea, April 9, 2025. Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73 sustains the U.S. Navy’s maritime forces and is responsible for all diving and salvage operations in the Western Pacific in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings

    Date Taken: 04.09.2025
    Date Posted: 04.13.2025 22:26
    Photo ID: 8971756
    VIRIN: 250409-N-YV347-1066
    Resolution: 8256×5504
    Size: 34.72 MB
    Location: JINHAE, KR
    Web Views: 0
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN  

    This work, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 conducts dive training with the Republic of Korea Navy’s Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit during SALVEX Korea 2025 [Image 17 of 17], by PO2 Jordan Jennings, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

    GALLERY

    MORE LIKE THIS

    CONTROLLED VOCABULARY KEYWORDS

    TAGS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 conducts dive training with the Republic of Korea Navy’s Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit during SALVEX Korea 2025 [Image 9 of 17]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    JINHAE NAVAL BASE, Republic of Korea (April 10, 2025) U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nick Blankshine, assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, communicates with submerged divers as they conduct an underwater search during a joint dive and salvage exercise in the harbor of Jinhae Naval Base, Republic of Korea, April 10, 2025. Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73 sustains the U.S. Navy’s maritime forces and is responsible for all diving and salvage operations in the Western Pacific in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings)

    Date Taken: 04.10.2025
    Date Posted: 04.13.2025 22:26
    Photo ID: 8971763
    VIRIN: 250410-N-YV347-1263
    Resolution: 4897×7345
    Size: 10.65 MB
    Location: JINHAE, KR
    Web Views: 1
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN  

    This work, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 conducts dive training with the Republic of Korea Navy’s Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit during SALVEX Korea 2025 [Image 17 of 17], by PO2 Jordan Jennings, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

    GALLERY

    MORE LIKE THIS

    CONTROLLED VOCABULARY KEYWORDS

    TAGS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lakelands — Missing person: Help the RCMP find John (Joao) Medeiros

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    April 13, 2025, Lakelands, Nova Scotia… East Hants District RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 47-year-old John (Joao) Mederios, from New Minas, who was reported missing on April 13, 2025. He was last seen near the variety store in Lakelands, on Piggot Lake Road.

    Medeiros is described as 5-foot-10 and a medium build. He has light coloured hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing black Columbia jacket, back hoodie, black pants, brown boots and carrying a black gym bag.

    When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those who know them. We ask that people spread the word through social media respectfully.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of John (Joao) Mederios is asked to contact the East Hants District RCMP at 902-883-7077. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca , or use the P3 tips app.

    Note: Photo of John (Joao) Mederios is attached.

    MIL Security OSI –