NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: District Man Indicted on Federal Firearm Charge Under “Make D.C. Safe Again” Initiative

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

             WASHINGTON – Nelson Bryant, 31, 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.

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

             According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, MPD officers were conducting routine foot patrol in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW, Washington D.C. when an unidentified citizen alerted an MPD officer to a man with a firearm. Shortly thereafter, officers observed an individual, later identified as defendant Nelson Bryant, matching the citizen’s description in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW. Officers initiated a stop of Bryant, at which point they allegedly witnessed him remove a handgun from his waistband and hand it to an unknown individual within a nearby crowd.

             It is alleged that this unknown male dropped the handgun and fled on foot eastbound on U Street. Bryant was subsequently apprehended by MPD Officers. The firearm, which Bryant allegedly removed from his waistband, was recovered at the location where the unknown subject dropped it.

             Bryant is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction. 

             This case was investigated by the ATF and MPD Officers and Detectives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Galloway and Emory V. Cole.  

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraud Scheme

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

    MIAMI – A Nigerian national has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme which involved the impersonation of property owners and the fraudulent negotiation of vacant lot properties. The sentencing comes after the defendant pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and mail fraud in January.

    Between April 2022 and April 2023, Uwa Nosakhare, 26, and others attempted to sell vacant lot properties in Palm Beach County, Fla., without the owners’ authorization. The fraudsters used the property owners’ and other victims’ personal identifiable information (PII), without their knowledge, to create fake driver licenses, notary credentials, bank account statements and several other property sale documents. After the fraudulent property sale was completed, the buyers were provided with wire instructions to transfer the sale proceeds to bank accounts controlled by those involved in the scheme.  

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) and Chief Michele Miuccio of the Boca Raton Police Department announced the sentence.

    FBI Miami, HSI Miami, PBSO and the Boca Raton Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chapman prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-80084.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Large-Scale COVID-19 Pandemic Loan Scheme

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

    A Pennsylvania man who organized a large scheme to defraud the federal government out of COVID-19 pandemic loan moneys in 2021 was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.  Alhaji Kundu Aly, age 35, from Chester, Pennsylvania, formerly of Liberia, received the prison term after a June 14, 2024, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

    In a plea agreement, and at the sentencing hearing, Aly admitted that, in 2021, he and others recruited and assisted various individuals in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere to apply for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans for which they did not actually qualify, in exchange for a fee.  False, fraudulent, and fictitious documents and statements were submitted to various lending institutions in support of the PPP loans for the PPP applicants.  After the PPP applicants received the fraudulent PPP loans, it was part of the scheme to demand a portion of the PPP moneys from the PPP applicants and, if necessary, Aly traveled to demand payment in person.  Aly traveled to Iowa and demanded payment in person from a PPP applicant.  Aly admitted at his sentencing hearing that he was responsible for approximately $3.5 million in loss based on more than 170 fraudulent PPP loans as a result of the scheme to defraud.

    Aly was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Aly was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $3,478,781 in restitution the Small Business Administration and two PPP lenders.  Aly must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.         

    Aly was released on a bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on April 28, 2025, at 10 a.m., in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration assisted the investigation.

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

    The case file number is 23-CR-9.

    Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Virginia Man Indicted for Obstructing the IRS and Failing to File Tax Returns

    Source: United States Attorneys General 8

    A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Virginia man with obstructing the IRS and willfully failing to file tax returns.

    According to the indictment, Omini Tete Riman, of Woodbridge, was an information technology specialist. He allegedly filed false 2013 and 2014 tax returns, reporting that he earned nearly $2 million in income and had almost $1 million withheld in taxes. Based on those false statements, Riman allegedly claimed nearly $400,000 in refunds, which the IRS paid.

    The indictment states that starting in 2016, after notifying Riman about his outstanding tax liabilities, the IRS attempted to recover the funds from him. However, Riman allegedly took numerous steps to frustrate the IRS’s collection efforts. For example, it is alleged he transferred his property to a trust, opened bank accounts in the trust’s name and directed that his wages be deposited into the trust’s bank account. It is further alleged that he also submitted false documents to the IRS, including false documents which purported to show that an IRS employee owed him money and that Riman had canceled the debt, which, if accurate, would have caused the IRS employee’s own tax liability to increase.  

    In addition, the indictment alleges that for tax years 2018 through 2023, Riman knew he was legally required to file tax returns but willfully did not do so timely. In fact, after being notified that he was the target of a grand jury investigation in 2025, Riman allegedly filed tax returns for 2017 through 2020 which falsely reported that he had earned no income during those years. 

    If convicted, Riman faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of obstructing the IRS and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Inspector General are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kristin Rehler, Special Agent in Charge of the Jacksonville Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Announces Retirement

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

    Kristin Rehler, special agent in charge of the Jacksonville Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has announced her retirement, with a departure date of April 17, 2025. She retires after more than 29 years of honorable and dedicated service to the FBI.

    Reflecting on her career, Ms. Rehler stated, “Leading FBI Jacksonville has been the honor of a lifetime. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most dedicated professionals in law enforcement—both within the FBI and among our incredible local, state, and federal partners. Our shared mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution is made stronger through these vital partnerships. I’m endlessly proud of the work we’ve accomplished together and deeply grateful for the men and women, past and present, whose selfless service make our communities and our country safer.”

    Ms. Rehler began her FBI career in 1996 as a special agent in the Houston Field Office, where she investigated myriad criminal violations, including violent crime, narcotics, and financial crimes. In 2008, she was promoted to supervisor of Houston’s Civil Rights Squad, overseeing the Human Trafficking Task Force.

    In 2012, she was assigned to FBI Headquarters as an assistant inspector/team leader in the Inspection Division, conducting field office inspections, agent-involved shooting investigations, and national program reviews.

    She returned to Houston in 2013 as a supervisor and later served as acting assistant special agent in charge (ASAC) of both the Criminal Branch and the newly formed Technical and Administrative Branch.

    In 2015, Ms. Rehler was promoted to ASAC in the Tampa Field Office, leading the Criminal Branch and overseeing the Evidence Response Team and Operation Panama Express. In 2021, she was appointed ASAC over Tampa’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Branch, managing human intelligence, surveillance, and administrative programs.

    Later that year, she returned to the Inspection Division, where she served as an Inspector prior to being appointed by the Director to lead the Jacksonville Division in April 2024.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Swain County Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Cold Case Murder in Indian Country

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

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Ernest D. Pheasant, Sr., 47, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), was sentenced to life in prison today for the 2013 murder of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    “For over a decade, Marie’s family has endured the pain of losing their loved one without justice. Today, that changed,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Ernest Pheasant will pay for his heinous crime by spending the rest of his life behind bars. While nothing can undo the family’s loss, I hope this sentence brings them a measure of justice. My Office remains committed to pursuing cases involving missing or murdered indigenous persons no matter how much time has passed.”

    “While nothing can undo the pain caused by this tragic crime, we hope that this sentence helps to provide closure to the family and friends of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant,” said Marcelino Toersbijns, Chief of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU). “This case is emblematic of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Crisis impacting tribal communities across the country and highlights the importance of the MMU’s mission of analyzing and solving missing, murdered and human trafficking cases involving American Indians and Alaska Natives.”

    According to filed documents and information presented in court, on December 29, 2013, the body of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant was discovered inside a burned-out vehicle parked near Big Cove Road within the Qualla Boundary in the Western District of North Carolina. Investigators determined that the vehicle had been intentionally set on fire. An autopsy revealed that Marie died from stab wounds to the neck and abdomen. DNA retrieved from a baseball cap found near the vehicle was linked to the defendant, who was Marie’s estranged husband.

    On April 7, 2022, following a review of unsolved homicides in the region, the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit opened a full interagency investigation into the case. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Pheasant killed Marie at their home, then transferred her body to the car, drove it to Big Cove Road, and set it on fire. On August 16, 2024, Pheasant pleaded guilty to first degree murder for killing Marie willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation.

    The MMU began as the Cold Case task force, part of Operation Lady Justice, a multi-agency effort established by President Trump’s administration in 2019 to enhance the operation of the criminal justice system and address the staggering number of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Natives in tribal communities.

    Today’s sentence is the result of the joint investigation conducted by the MMU, the FBI in North Carolina, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, and the EBCI Office of the Tribal Prosecutor.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

    Operation Not Forgotten

    On Tuesday, the Justice Department announced a surge in FBI resources across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons. As part of Operation Not Forgotten, 60 FBI personnel will be sent to Field Offices to support investigations of Indian Country violent crimes. The FBI will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit and will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals.

    “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

    “The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

    “Violent crime continues to disproportionately impact communities in Indian Country,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Dedicating additional resources to reduce violent criminal activity in Tribal communities and solve cases of missing or murdered indigenous persons sends a clear message: No victim will be forgotten, and no crime will go unpunished.”

    Scott Davis, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Interior, exercising the delegated authority of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, said, “We appreciate the partnership of the Department of Justice and the FBI in addressing these crimes. This announcement reinforces our commitment to Indian Country and our dedication to collaborating with federal, state, and tribal agencies to ensure justice for American Indian and Alaska Native victims while holding offenders accountable.”

    Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization.  At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.

    Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.  This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.

    Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people.  The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Statement Regarding Creation of a 2nd Amendment Task Force

    Source: United States Attorneys General 6

    WASHINGTON – Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement regarding her creation of a 2nd Amendment Task Force at the Department of Justice:

    “The prior administration placed an undue burden on gun owners and vendors by targeting law-abiding citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. The Department of Justice’s new 2nd Amendment Task Force will combine department-wide policy and litigation resources to advance President Trump’s pro-gun agenda and protect gun owners from overreach.”

    Background:

    • This follows the DOJ and ATF’s Monday repeal of the Enhanced Regulatory Enforcement Policy and the review of Final Rule 2021R-08F, related to stabilizing braces, and Final Rule 2022R-17F, related to the definition of “engaging in the business” of firearms dealing. Read more here.
    • Read the full memo establishing the 2nd Amendment Task Force here.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison

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

    PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island man who was previously incarcerated for robbing seven banks was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison for robbing four banks within a three-day span, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Vaughn Watrous, 48, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 108 months of incarceration to be followed by one year of federal supervised release. Additionally, he is ordered to pay restitution to victim banks totaling $4,775.

    Watrous pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024, to bank robbery. At the time of his guilty plea, Watrous admitted to robbing three banks in Providence and Cranston on January 19, 20, and 21, 2021; and attempting to rob a fourth bank in North Providence on January 21, 2021.

    According to court records, Watrous was previously convicted of multiple bank robberies in 1997, 2003, and 2013. In 1997 Watrous was convicted in the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, Utah, on a charge of bank robbery and sentenced to 51 months in federal prison. In 2003 he was convicted in the U.S. District Court in Providence on two counts of bank robbery and sentenced to 76 months of incarceration.  In October 2015 he was convicted in U.S. District Court in Providence on four counts of bank robbery and sentenced in February 2016 to a term of incarceration of 92 months.

    The most recent case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julianne Klein and John P. McAdams.

    The matter was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Providence, Cranston, and North Providence Police Departments.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: North Carolina Man Sentenced to Serve Seven Years in Federal Prison After Police Find Methamphetamine and Cocaine Worth More Than $350,000 Disguised as Christmas Presents in Vehicle

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

    OKLAHOMA CITY – JOHN CALVIN MOORE, 58, of North Carolina, has been sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    According to public record, on December 22, 2023, Moore was pulled over by an officer with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) for speeding while driving eastbound on I-40. During the stop, the officer noticed what appeared to be several gift-wrapped Christmas presents in the trunk of the vehicle. Moore told the officer he was traveling to North Carolina from California. During the stop, OCPD learned Moore’s vehicle was a rental, and was due to be returned to Ontario, California, on December 23, 2023, the day following the stop. OCPD called in a K-9 unit, which alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle. OCPD officers then searched the vehicle and found more than 42 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 38 pounds of cocaine inside heat-sealed bags, hidden within the Christmas presents in the trunk. Law enforcement estimates the street value of the drugs to be more than $350,000.

    Moore was charged by Superseding Information on August 30, 2024, with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pled guilty to the Superseding Information on September 26, 2024, and admitted he possessed meth, which he intended to distribute, and that he possessed a firearm despite his previous felony conviction. Public record reflects that Moore has a previous felony conviction in New Jersey for possessing weapons for an unlawful purpose.

    At the sentencing hearing on March 28, 2025, U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin sentenced Moore to serve 84 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the seriousness of the crime—that Moore acted as a courier to transport controlled substances across the country—and Moore’s criminal history.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Criminal Interdiction Team of Central Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew E. Davis prosecuted the case.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fulton Man Charged with Production, Distribution, and Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Fulton, Mo., man was charged in a three-count indictment issued by a federal grand jury charging him with production, distribution, and possession of child pornography.

    Jacob Stockglausner, 38, was charged in a three-count indictment on April 8, 2025.  The indictment alleges that Stockglausner used a minor child under the age of twelve to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction. The indictment also alleges that Stockglausner distributed a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct using the social media platform Kik.  Stockglausner is also charged with possession of child pornography involving a minor who was prepubescent or less than twelve years of age.

    The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

    Under federal statutes, if convicted, Stockglausner faces federal prison sentences of up to thirty years on the production of child pornography count and twenty years on the distribution and possession counts to be served without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa A. Pierce and Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County Sheriff’s Cyber Crime Task Force with assistance from the FBI and Callaway County Sheriff’s Department.

    Project Safe Childhood

    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.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Iowa Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Iowa man was sentenced today for bank fraud.

    Roger Dean Peters, 71, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to twelve months and one day in federal prison.

    Peters pleaded guilty to a single count of bank fraud on May 30, 2024. In his plea agreement, he admitted that he had kited checks between accounts at Exchange Bank of Missouri and First National Bank of Hampton, Iowa, creating fictitious balances that he perpetuated by continuing to write more and more checks. When the scheme collapsed, the bank estimated the total overdraft amount to be $2,882,904.20, exclusive of unpaid fees and other expenses. During the same time, Peters also held a line of credit, and used an intermediary to make fraudulent claims on the line of credit.

    Peters’s sentence also included a two year term of supervised release, and an order of restitution.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously convicted felon sentenced to over a year in prison for illegally possessing a firearm

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

    NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to one year and eight months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, on Nov. 20, 2023, Newport News Police (NNPD) conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle of Malik Lloyd Jerome-Marryshow, 29, and, after verifying his identity, placed Jerome-Marryshow into custody on outstanding arrest warrants for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances with a firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon.

    At the time of his arrest, Jerome-Marryshow was in possession of a loaded handgun. Jerome-Marryshow previously was convicted for carrying a concealed weapon, driving under influence (DUI), credit card fraud, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Jerome-Marryshow cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Therese O’Brien prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-11.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: CAL Western Students Tour NAVFAC Southwest

    Source: United States Navy

    SAN DIEGO – Professor Laura Padilla at California Western Law School in Downtown San Diego brought her Land Use Law class to tour U.S. Navy Building 750 and to learn about Navy Real Estate and Land Use, April 1st in San Diego.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Man Sentenced to Over Four Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

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

    BILLINGS – An Atlanta, Georgia man who defrauded banks in multiple states was sentenced today to 57 months in prison to be followed by 5 years supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.  The defendant was also ordered to pay $161,401.17 in restitution.

    Stanford Wilvin Lightfoot, 33, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that for approximately 5 months in 2023, Stanford Lightfoot was a member of a large fraud ring that had been defrauding banks in Montana, Maine and Missouri.  In each location, Lightfoot and other coconspirators would travel to the state from the base of operations in Atlanta, Georgia.  Once there, they would recruit local homeless individuals who possessed valid ID cards.  They would then take these homeless individuals to local banks and provide them with fraudulent checks from real accounts.  These checks all possessed forged signatures of real people and were, therefore, means of identification.  The homeless individuals would then attempt to cash the checks and, if successful, would provide the money to Lightfoot and his coconspirators.  If the homeless individuals were caught by police, they would be abandoned to take the blame.  In Montana, Lightfoot hit multiple banks in Belgrade, Bozeman, and Livingston utilizing local homeless individuals to forge checks in excess of $20,000.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the FBI, Livingston Police Department, Belgrade Police Department, and Bozeman Police Department.

    XXX

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  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Science and Technology report identifies trends shaping the future of science, defence and security for the next 20 years

    Source: NATO

    On Wednesday (9 April), The NATO Science & Technology Organization (STO) released its Science & Technology Macro Trends Report 2025–2045.

    The report identifies six key trends that are important for NATO: evolving competition areas; the race for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum superiority; biotechnology revolution; resource divide; fragmenting public trust; and technology integration and dependencies.

    The report assesses that, as global strategic competition intensifies, advances in science and technology will transform how nations compete. It predicts that AI and quantum technologies will be at the centre of such competition and continue to revolutionise industries, including in the defence and security sectors. Advances in synthetic biology and related areas will raise issues about research security and health regulations.

    NATO Chief Scientist and Chair of the NATO Science & Technology Board (STB), Dr Bryan Wells, stressed in the report that these trends will “empower NATO and Allies’ decision-makers to consider the choices before them and how they can best prepare the Alliance today to face future challenges”. “Continued knowledge-building and investment in science & technology will strengthen NATO’s and Allies’ ability to outperform the competitors of today and tomorrow and ensure that we remain robust, resilient, and ready to respond to any threat”, he concluded.

    Read the full report.

    For further enquiries, please contact techtrends@sto.nato.int

    Follow us:
    on X: @NATO_STO_OCS
    on LinkedIn: NATO Office of the Chief Scientist (STO-OCS), NATO Science & Technology Organization (STO)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska meets with CEOs of the German Chemical Industry

    Source: NATO

    Meeting with CEOs of the German chemical industry on Wednesday (9 April 2025), Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska said that in today’s turbulent world it makes perfect sense that NATO and industry work more closely together. She said that the brutal war in Ukraine and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region are part of an effort to weaken the West, along with acts of arson, sabotage and cyber-attacks, which aim to destabilise both Allied countries and companies.

    Against this background, she said, the NATO Secretary General has set out three key priorities for the NATO Summit in The Hague, spending a lot more on defence, producing more capabilities, and doing more together for our security.

    Ms Shekerinska said that there is a need to re-energise the defence industry and this means that industry needs to ramp up production and to put in extra shifts and new production lines, stressing that to stay safe, we must ensure we outpace our competitors. 

    The Deputy Secretary General said that security needs a whole-of-society response together with all NATO Allies across Europe and North America and with NATO’s many partners, including other countries, organisations, members of academia, the private sector and citizens. 

    She highlighted that industry produces essential materials and medicines, and helps ensure the uninterrupted operation of industrial value chains. In turn, she said, industry can count on NATO to ensure industry can continue to operate in a safe environment.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation Endgame follow-up leads to five detentions and interrogations as well as server takedowns

    Source: Europol

    While the actions in May 2024 targeted high-level actors who facilitated cybercrime, by deploying ransomware, for example, this follow-up operation targets a different level. Law enforcement moved – and continues to move – against the criminals who used the services taken down during Operation Endgame, focusing on the demand side of the criminal ecosystem. Customers of crime-as-a-service providers are now…

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New NATO-Ukraine Centre hosts resilience workshop to enhance cooperation and readiness

    Source: NATO

    The NATO Joint Analysis Training and Education Centre (JATEC) in Bydgoszcz, Poland held a workshop on total defence and resilience on 2-3 April 2025.

    21 participants from six NATO Allies and Ukraine addressed topics including the security of critical services, strategic communications, transport and military mobility. The workshop aimed to enhance collaboration and inform future planning for NATO and Ukraine, identify key challenges and develop actionable strategies for Ukraine’s long-term security and defence readiness. In the workshop, experts from several Swedish government agencies shared Sweden’s approach to national resilience-building. This was complemented by NATO’s pool of resilience civil experts, who offered experience and best practices from across the Alliance. 

    In 2024, Allies agreed to deepen cooperation with partners on resilience. The mutually beneficial work between NATO and Ukraine through JATEC directly contributes to this initiative. In the same year, Allies also agreed to continue supporting Ukraine, including by establishing JATEC. Opened in February 2025, JATEC is the first civil-military organisation to be jointly run by NATO and a partner nation. It analyses wartime experiences in Ukraine and provides NATO and Allies with insights on the latest battlefield developments, emerging technologies, lessons learned, and new education and training systems, as well as developing and testing new military concepts. JATEC’s work will help to further strengthen Ukraine’s defence sector, enhance its deterrence and defence, and reach full interoperability with NATO.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Seven arrests in hit against Egyptian criminal network smuggling irregular migrants across the Mediterranean

    Source: Europol

    Decisive action against key smuggling routeIn recent years, Egyptian nationals have increasingly been reported as both illegal migrants and smugglers operating on various routes into and throughout the EU, including the Mediterranean and the Western Balkan routes. The network targeted by this investigation offered illegal journeys by sailboat from the Turkish coast to Italian and Greek destinations, demanding payments of…

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Military Support to Search and Rescue Efforts in Thailand Conclude

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    BANGKOK, Thailand — At the request of the Kingdom of Thailand, more than 100 U.S. Army, Marine, Air Force and Navy servicemembers from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command deployed to Thailand March 28 to April 4 to assist Thai military and first responders in search and rescue efforts after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake affected Thailand and its neighbor countries on March 28, 2025.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Postured and Ready: MRF-D 25.3 deploys across the Pacific

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    DARWIN, Australia — Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 has commenced its 14th iteration, projecting its operational reach well beyond northern Australia. While most of the force has successfully closed in Darwin, a portion of the ground combat element deployed directly from Camp Pendleton, California, to the Philippines to train with the Philippine Marine Corps’ (PMC) 1st Marine Brigade in Mindanao.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Silicon Valley Start-Up Founder Sentenced To 2.5 Years In Prison For Securities Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Former YouPlus CEO Shaukat Shamim Presented False Financial and Product Information to Raise Money for his Artificial Intelligence Startup

    SAN FRANCISCO – Shaukat Shamim was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison in connection with his scheme to defraud investors into investing in the technology start-up he founded and led, announced Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. The sentence was handed down April 7 by the Hon. James Donato, U.S. District Judge.

    Shamim, 53, of Santa Clara, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charges on September 16, 2024.  According to agreed facts in the plea agreement, Shamim founded Silicon Valley-based YouPlus in 2013.  By 2015, the focus of YouPlus was to develop artificial intelligence software tools to analyze online video content.  From its inception until Shamim resigned from the company in November 2019, YouPlus raised approximately $17 million from investors, including angel investors and venture capital firms.

    Shamim admitted that he made false representations to investors and potential investors about YouPlus’s product, sales, and customer adoption. For example, Shamim told investors that YouPlus had developed a search engine that used neural networks to analyze videos and predict marketing outcomes despite knowing that YouPlus had not, in fact, developed software with fully operational artificial intelligence functionalities. Instead, to perform pilot projects or marketing studies, YouPlus had employees in India manually review videos and then create PowerPoint presentations with marketing insights. Shamim also admitted to investors and prospective investors about YouPlus’s revenue and customers. Shamim admitted that, in August and September 2018 he prepared and provided to prospective investors documents that claimed that YouPlus had customers who had signed up for continuing services and paid recurring subscription fees.  In fact, no customers had signed on to pay monthly fees for the service.  Shamim provided some victims a spreadsheet that showed 90 customers were paying a total of $600,000 per month. Nevertheless, in reality, every one of the purported customers were paying for YouPlus subscriptions and YouPlus had only ever earned minimal revenue—less than $200,000 total—working on small and non-recurring projects.

    In February 2019, Shamim told investors that Youplus had earned $4.6 million in revenue in the year 2018, when in fact its revenue was less than $100,000 that year.  In May 2019, Shamim falsely claimed that YouPlus had earned $3.5 million in revenue in only the first four months of 2019 when, in reality, YouPlus ultimately earned less than $280,000 in revenue for all of 2019.

    By September 2019, YouPlus was running short on cash and Shamim was seeking to raise money for YouPlus in a Series A financing from venture capital investors. During the same time period, Shamin, also sought bridge loans from existing investors to cover YouPlus’s costs.  In connection with these efforts to raise funds, investors and potential investors requested that Shamim provide more detailed financial information about YouPlus and populate a data room with bank statements, customer contracts, and other materials that would back up the revenue Shamim claimed YouPlus was earning.  Shamim admitted that, in response to these requests and to conceal the fact that he had previously provided false information about YouPlus revenue, Shamim altered bank statements for YouPlus’s bank accounts in India and the United States.  The false documents reflected revenue Shamim knew did not exist.  For example, Shamim altered a statement for an account YouPlus held at a U.S. bank so that it showed totaling over $600,000 from 35 different companies, including Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Netflix. The deposits did not actually exist. The true bank statement for that month reflected only one $65,000 customer deposit.  Shamim also admitted to forging or altering contracts purporting to show subscription agreements between YouPlus and purported customers.

    Shamim admitted that, from August 2018 through October 2019, he used these false statements about revenue and customers to obtain about $6.4 million from investors.

    On June 14, 2022, a federal grand jury handed down an indictment that charged Shamim with three counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and one count of securities fraud, in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b) and 78ff and 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5.  Pursuant to the plea agreement, Shamim pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud and the court dismissed the remaining counts during the sentencing hearing.

    In addition to the 30-month prison term, Judge Donato ordered Shamim to pay a $50,000 fine and to serve three years of supervised release, which will begin after he leaves prison.  Shamim is currently released on bond, and Judge Donato ordered that Shamim report to begin serving his sentence on April 28, 2025.  In addition, Judge Donato scheduled a hearing for June 23, 2025, to determine issues regarding restitution.

    The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lloyd Farnham and Noah Stern are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Madeline Wachs, Sara Slatterly, and Claudia Hyslop.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI thank the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  An SEC civil enforcement action is currently pending against Shamim in the Northern District of California.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Memphis, TN – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and the Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime (“OVC”) joins communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 6-12, 2025, and in celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s theme, “Kinship – Connecting & Healing,” is a call to action to recognize that shared humanity should be at the center of supporting all survivors and victims of crime. KINSHIP is a state of being with survivors that drives vital connections to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins.

    Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2023, there were approximately 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.4 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.4 million, only about 45% were reported to police.

    The United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and right of victims of crime.

    Here, in the Western District of Tennessee, we have a dedicated Victim Witness Coordinator who supports federal crime victims by providing victims with essential services, including referrals to counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim’s compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court proceedings to provide support and guidance. These services provide victims with tools to reshape their futures.

    The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems by disseminating state-of-the-art knowledge and practices across the United States and by providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter partnerships with these officers.

    Further National Crime Victims’ Rights Week resources can be found at https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2025/overview.

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    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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Qualcomm Executive Convicted by Jury in $180 Million Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Dr. Karim Arabi was convicted by a federal jury today of fraud and money laundering charges in connection with a massive $180 million scheme targeting his then-employer, Qualcomm.

    After a four-week trial, the jury deliberated for less than two days. The jury found that while working as vice president of Qualcomm’s Research and Development Department, Dr. Arabi committed fraud by developing a valuable microchip technology, marketing the technology through a company, Abreezio, which he created to conceal his involvement, and then selling the company and its purported technology to Qualcomm for $180 million.

    As part of his employment with Qualcomm, Dr. Arabi had agreed that virtually all technology he invented while working at Qualcomm belonged to Qualcomm.  To perpetrate the fraud, Dr. Arabi carefully hid his role as the new company’s shadow CEO, picked its corporate name (Abreezio) and weighed in on its office furniture.

    Dr. Arabi created fake email accounts and sent phony emails to impersonate his sister, Sheida Alan, the supposed inventor of the new technology. In truth, Sheida was a nonentity throughout its formation, development, marketing and sale. In the summer of 2015, when Abreezio was filing a new round of patent applications, Sheida legally changed her last name from “Arabi” to “Alan,” to further conceal her relationship with Dr. Arabi.

    According to evidence presented at trial, after the deal closed and Qualcomm unwittingly paid almost $92 million to Dr. Arabi’s sister, the campaign of concealment continued: Dr. Arabi invested the money in Canadian and Norwegian real estate while hiding his involvement, funneled funds back to his U.S. companies via intermediary shells, lied repeatedly through Qualcomm’s subsequent civil fraud suit, and received steady installments of laundered fraud proceeds until the month before his arrest in this case.

    “The defendant took advantage of the trust placed in him, lining his pockets with millions by orchestrating a scheme to deceive and then bleed his own employer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “His actions weren’t just a betrayal of the company – they were a direct attack on the very principles of fairness and integrity that keep business honest. Today’s jury verdict sends a clear message: In the Southern District of California, fraud has consequences. We will relentlessly pursue justice against those who try to profit through lies and deceit.”

    “Dr. Arabi perpetrated an elaborate and exhaustive scheme to conceal, deceive, and defraud his own employer out of millions of dollars,” said FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi. “With today’s verdict, Dr. Arabi will now face the consequences of this massive fraud, sending the clear message that corporate executives who facilitate fraud will be held accountable for their crimes.”

    “As vice president of Research and Development, Mr. Arabi was entrusted with protecting Qualcomm’s intellectual property rights,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Mr. Arabi executed a scheme to swindle Qualcomm out of $180 million for what was rightfully their own technology. This guilty verdict is reflective of outstanding investigative work by IRS-CI and our partners at the FBI and U.S. Marshal’s Service.”

    Qualcomm actually paid $150 million to the coconspirators and others before discovering the fraud.

    Two other defendants pleaded guilty in the scheme prior to Arabi’s trial. Ali Akbar Shokouhi, another former Qualcomm employee and the primary investor in Abreezio, pleaded guilty to money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 1, 2025; Sanjiv Taneja, Abreezio’s nominal CEO, pleaded guilty to money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2025.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Pilchak, Janaki G. Chopra and Eric R. Olah.

    DEFENDANT                                 Case Number 22-CR-1152                                      

    Karim Arabi                                        Age: 58                                   San Diego, CA

    CHARGES

    Wire Fraud Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349

    Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $1 million fine or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction

    Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343

    Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $1 million fine

    Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h)

    Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; fine of $500,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    Internal Revenue Services, Criminal Investigation

    United States Marshals Service

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Gladstone Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison for Abducting and Sexually Abusing a Canadian Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Ore.— A Gladstone, Oregon man was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison today for abducting and sexually abusing a Canadian child he met through a music creation social media platform.

    Noah Madrano, 43, was sentenced to 600 months in federal prison, a $5,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release. The sum of restitution he must pay to his victim will be determined at a later date.

    “The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI special agents and Oregon City police officers who rescued the victim in Oregon and brought the defendant to justice,” said William M. Narus, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “This sentence is a result of the extraordinary efforts of the victim, the victim’s family, their community, and law enforcement here and in Canada.”

    “The persistence with which Madrano pursued his heinous crimes – traveling internationally on multiple occasions to victimize a child he met online, and ultimately smuggling that victim across an international border, speaks to how predatory his actions genuinely were,” said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Olson. “Madrano will be in his mid-nineties when he is eligible for supervised release. His removal from our communities benefits everyone.”

    According to court documents, Madrano met a child online whom he sexually exploited for more than a year. In May 2022, he traveled to Canada to meet the child in person, took the child to a hotel room, sexually abused the victim, and recorded his abuse. A few weeks later, on June 24, 2022, Madrano returned to Canada, where he abducted the child from outside a school and took the victim to another hotel room. At the hotel, Madrano sexually abused the child for several days and recorded videos of his abuse. On July 1, 2022, Madrano hid the child in the trunk of his vehicle and drove back to the United States. Once in Oregon, Madrano brought the victim to a hotel room, where he continued to sexually abuse the child.

    In the early morning of July 2, 2022, FBI special agents and Oregon City police officers entered Madrano’s hotel room and found him inside with the victim. Madrano was arrested and the child was taken into protective custody, reunited with her parents, and returned to Canada.

    On September 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Madrano with sexually exploiting a child, traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, transporting a child with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and possessing child pornography.

    On January 13, 2025, Madrano pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child and transporting a child with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

    This case was investigated by FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) with assistance from the Oregon City Police Department, the Gladstone Police Department, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, the Edmonton Police Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was prosecuted by Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

    The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.

    Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Man Wanted in Maryland on Multiple Charges

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Washington, DC – Members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force April 8 arrested in Arlington, Virginia, a man wanted in Prince George’s County, Maryland, for multiple charges including assault first degree firearm, armed robbery, and use of a firearm in commission of a crime of violence. 

    Tyler Jordan Clendenen is also wanted in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, for unlawful motor vehicle use, resisting arrest, failure to obey a lawful order, and theft. He is prohibited from owning a firearm due to multiple prior convictions.

    CARFTF members arrested Clendenen in the 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard after observing him riding as a passenger inside of a vehicle.

    The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force began operations in June of 2004 and was among the first Regional Fugitive Task Forces to become fully operational following the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force has partnership agreements with over 100 federal, state, and local agencies and has eight fully operational offices.

    The CARFTF has successfully apprehended over 102,700 fugitives since its inception and has made an extraordinary impact on the apprehension of the region’s most dangerous and violent fugitives, always striving to make their communities safer.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Southern Nevada Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Coercion And Enticement Of A Child And Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAS VEGAS – A Henderson, Nev., resident was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for engaging in a sexually explicit conversation with who he believed to be a child and possessing child sexual abuse material on his phone.

    According to court documents, on April 5, 2023, Nathan Thomas Foreman (43) engaged in a sexually explicit conversation via text messaging with someone who he believed to be an 11-year-old girl in an attempt to meet her and engage in sexual intercourse. Throughout the course of the conversation, he inquired about her sexual preferences, requested photos, described what he wanted to do with her, and sent pornography depicting the sexual conduct he described in words. The conversation concluded with Foreman coordinating a time for the two to meet in person to engage in sexual intercourse. On April 6, 2023, Foreman was arrested at the predetermined meet up location. A forensic analysis of his cellphone revealed approximately 10 images and 12 videos of child sexual abuse material.

    “The defendant not only attempted to coerce and entice who he believed to be an 11-year-old girl to engage in sexual intercourse with him, but he also possessed child sexual abuse material of infants and toddlers,” said United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Through the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and our law enforcement partners are continuously working to combat child sexual exploitation in Nevada.”

    “When children are victimized, the FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will exert every effort to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “Today’s sentencing reflects our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for our most vulnerable victims.”

    On October 1, 2024, Foreman pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement and one count of possession of child pornography.

    In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Foreman must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current.

    The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case.

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

    Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at https://report.cybertip.org.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Indicted for $1 Million Bank Fraud Scheme Involving Stolen Treasury Check

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – Today, a federal grand jury indicted three members of a bank fraud conspiracy.

    Orelien Martial Nguepi-Tankoua, Jean Paul Bayoi, and Tamblyn Milton Frasier were implicated in a bank fraud conspiracy involving a stolen United States Treasury check, the use of fraudulent identities to establish illegitimate bank accounts, and subsequent money laundering activities.

    In September 2021, Frasier opened a bank account in the Northern District of Georgia using a falsified driver’s license and a fabricated identity, both of which were obtained with the assistance of Bayoi. The account details were based on the payee information listed on a stolen United States Treasury check valued at over $1 million. After the account was established, Nguepi-Tankoua deposited the stolen Treasury check via an Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

    Attempts were made to withdraw the funds from the fraudulent account; however, the U.S. Department of the Treasury – Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service intervened. They successfully seized the remaining funds available in the account.

    On the dates of March 13, 14, and 19, Frasier, Nguepi-Tankoua, and Bayoi made their respective initial appearances before a United States Magistrate Judge.

    On April 8, Nguepi-Tankoua, Bayoi, and Frasier were formally indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. The individuals have previously appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judges in both Florida and Georgia. Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Javan Wilson of the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Inspector General, Acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division, Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the United States Secret Service Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office announced the indictments.

    The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.

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

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-mj-8126.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican national previously deported multiple times pleads guilty to illegal re-entry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Juan Vera-Cervantes, 45, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. He was then turned over to U.S. Border Patrol.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who handled the case, stated that on February 25, 2025, Border Patrol agents observed a white cargo van with a Tennessee license plate traveling on the I 490. A check of the license plate revealed that Vera-Cervantes was the registered owner of the vehicle, and he had been previously deported multiple times from the United States and had his final order of removal reinstated on three different occasions. During a traffic stop of the vehicle, Vera-Cervantes stated that he is a citizen and national of Mexico without immigration documents to be in the United States legally. He was then administratively detained.

    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.

    The plea and sentence are a result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Juan Ramirez.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Prior felon going to prison for 10 years on multiple drug and gun charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Nader Ngoopos a/k/a Nike, 26, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison pleaded guilty by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who handled the case, stated that between 2016, and late 2018, Ngoopos agreed with others to obtain cocaine and heroin in the Buffalo area and travel to Olean, NY, to distribute the cocaine and heroin. Ngoopos personally traveled to Olean on at least a weekly basis, selling cocaine and heroin out of various locations in Olean, including North 8th Street and South 11th Street. Co-conspirators also sold cocaine and heroin as part of the conspiracy on a weekly basis.

    On October 15, 2018, Ngoopos participated in an armed robbery at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, with two others. The three gained entry to a dormitory at St. Bonaventure, and broke into a dorm room where Ngoopos, who possessed a firearm, believed he and his co-conspirators would find marijuana and money. Once they gained entry, Ngoopos and his co-conspirators pointed their firearms at the heads of the two occupants of the dorm room, threatened them, and then stole about an ounce of marijuana and approximately $300 – $400.

    On September 2, 2021, law enforcement officers observed Ngoopos get into a vehicle in Buffalo. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but it sped away leading officers on a high-speed chase. Eventually, the car came to a stop on East Amherst Street. As the car came to a stop, Ngoopos got out of the car and ran away, dropping a pistol. In June 2020, Ngoopos was convicted in Cattaraugus County Court of a felony and legally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonse Wright, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.

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