NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Palmer man sentenced for operating an unregistered aircraft without a license

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Palmer man was sentenced today to three years’ probation and is required to pay a $10,000 fine for operating an aircraft without a license and operating an unregistered aircraft.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, for roughly 30 years, William Marsan, 57, held an Airman Certificate as an Airline Transport Pilot issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He operated an aviation business out of Palmer, Alaska, transporting services, goods and people across Alaska on his Piper Cherokee aircraft.

    In June 2023, the FAA received a report that Marsan, as the pilot in command of the Piper Cherokee aircraft, failed to radio his intention to take off from Warren “Bud” Woods Palmer Municipal Airport and operated the aircraft against the flow of landing traffic, resulting in a near mid-air collision with another aircraft attempting to land.

    Law enforcement investigated the June 2023 incident and discovered that Marsan was operating an aircraft without a valid license or valid registration. The investigation revealed that in June 2022, Marsan sent a letter to the FAA revoking the registration of his aircraft. Investigators also discovered that Marsan allowed his medical certificate to lapse in 2020 and 2021, which was required to keep his pilot’s license.

    When FAA inspectors contacted him in July 2023 as part of the investigation, Marsan refused to provide his airman certificate, aircraft registration and airworthiness certificates, all of which are requirements through the FAA, and claimed he was not required to have any of those documents. As a result of the investigation, the FAA issued an Emergency Order of Revocation of Marsan’s pilot’s license in January 2024, which required the immediate surrender of his pilot’s license or the filing of an appeal of the decision within 10 days. Marsan failed to file an appeal or surrender his license but continued to fly his aircraft until his initial arrest in July 2024.

    Marsan was released pending trial. He failed to appear for multiple court hearings prior to his trial and he was rearrested in September 2024. On Dec. 4, 2024, Marsan was convicted of one count of operating an aircraft without a license and one count of operating an unregistered aircraft.

    “Alaska’s aviation industry is a vital part of our infrastructure, safely connecting people and goods across the state. Mr. Marsan’s actions—operating an unregistered aircraft without a license and nearly causing a mid-air collision—put lives at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “To prevent further violations and protect communities, Mr. Marsan will serve a significant term of probation under the relevant statutes and pay a fine for the money he made at the risk of others.”

    “Marsan’s flagrant disregard for aviation regulations put countless lives at risk and undermined the integrity of Alaska’s airspace,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Such reckless, criminal behavior will not be tolerated by the FBI and aviation authorities.”

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office and FAA, Alaska Region investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Bradley and Mac Caille Petursson prosecuted the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard Cutter Midgett completes deployment in Oceania, strengthens partnerships and maritime security

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    04/02/2025 06:33 PM EDT

    The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) returned to Honolulu Tuesday, from a 76-day multi-mission deployment to Oceania in support of Operation Blue Pacific, steaming over 11,000 miles and demonstrating America’s commitment to an open Pacific.

    For breaking news follow us on twitter @USCGHawaiiPac

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation Not Forgotten Will Surge 60 FBI Personnel to 10 FBI Field Offices to Support Investigations of Indian Country Violent Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that it will surge FBI assets across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons.

    FBI will send 60 personnel, rotating in 90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period. This operation is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI will work in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions.

    FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and they 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.

    Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Teal Luthy Miller added that “investigating and prosecuting crimes in Indian Country in collaboration with our tribal partners is critical to our shared mission of addressing public safety in our communities. We welcome the opportunity for continued collaboration as we seek justice on behalf of victims of violent crime.”

    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: Fourteen Individuals Charged with Conspiracy Involving Straw Purchases of 18 Belt-Fed Firearms and .50 Caliber Rifles

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Timothy Courchaine, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, announces a 20-count indictment against 14 individuals from Arizona, for Conspiracy to Submit a Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm and related charges. The indictment was unsealed today.

    The indictment alleges that between July 15, 2023, and December 23, 2023, 13 individuals were paid to buy belt-fed rifles and Barrett .50 caliber semi-automatic rifles from licensed firearms dealers in and around Phoenix and Yuma for David Moreno Quevedo. As part of the conspiracy, these individuals lied on the Firearms Transaction Record, known as ATF Form 4473, claiming that they were purchasing the rifles for themselves. The charged conspirators include:

    • David Moreno Quevedo, 26, of El Mirage;
    • Mario Alberto Ayala, Jr., 23, of Maricopa;
    • Randy Obed Valenzuela Chinchillas, 24, of Phoenix;
    • Aidee Espinoza, 29, of Phoenix;
    • Todd Robert Nuttall, 52, of Gilbert;
    • Earl Marlow Burch, 49, of Mesa;
    • Wyatt Michael Fernandez, 26, of Tempe;
    • Jorge Luis Roman, 28, of Mesa;
    • Dylan Morgan Burch, 21, of Eloy;
    • Shawna Marie O’Shea, 56, of Tempe;
    • Damaris Davila Moreno, 22, of Phoenix;
    • Noelia Valenzuela Gomez, 25, of Chandler;
    • Melissa Osorio Talamante, 31, of San Tan Valley; and
    • Michael Andrew Wingate, 31, of Mesa.

    A conviction for the crime of Conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. A conviction for the crime of Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, or both.

    An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus W. Shand, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-25-00432-PHX-MTL
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-048_Quevedo, et al

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    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney Stephen L. Snyder Sentenced for Attempted Extortion

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Stephen L. Snyder, 77, of Baltimore, Maryland, to three years of probation with six months of home confinement, for one count of attempted extortion and seven counts of the Travel Act. A federal jury found Snyder guilty back on November 22, 2024, after a nine-day trial.

    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.

    According to the evidence at trial, Snyder, a plaintiffs medical malpractice attorney in the Baltimore area, represented two medical malpractice claimants who allegedly experienced injury following organ transplants at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). From January 2018 through September 2018, Snyder attempted to extort the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) by threatening to “destroy” the UMMC transplant department unless UMMS paid him $25 million personally and separate from any settlement with his client.

    Specifically, Snyder threatened to launch a public-relations campaign that would falsely accuse UMMC of tricking unsophisticated patients into accepting diseased organs. He claimed that he would run a front-page ad in The Baltimore Sun, hold a press conference, and create an internet advertisement directing anyone searching for the UMMC transplant program to his law firm’s website. Snyder also threatened to create commercials conveying his false message and accusing UMMC of putting “profits over safety.” Snyder played these commercials during meetings with attorneys representing UMMS. Snyder claimed that the parties could enter into a sham consulting agreement that would provide cover for the $25 million payment.

    Snyder made his extortionate demands and threats over a series of meetings and phone calls with attorneys for UMMS in 2018. One of those meetings, which occurred on August 23, 2018, was recorded by Federal law enforcement using hidden video cameras.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Evelyn L. Cusson who prosecuted the federal 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 and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Woman Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jackie Marie Peters, 53, of Mansfield, Texas, was sentenced on March 31, 2025, by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Peters previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud.

    From approximately January 2020 through April 2022, Peters’s co-conspirators hacked into an Arizona tax-preparer firm’s computer network and modified in-progress tax documents for more than 40 individuals without their knowledge or the knowledge of the firm. Peters then opened 10 bank accounts at different banks, and numerous tax refunds based upon the modified tax documents were deposited into those accounts. Peters ultimately transferred more than $2.5 million from the accounts that received fraudulent tax refunds to purchase cryptocurrency.

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

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-00948-PHX-GMS
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-047_Peters

    # # #

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sullivan Man Indicted for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Sullivan, Mo., man who was arrested in southwest Missouri with 16.8 pounds of methamphetamine and 4.7 pounds of fentanyl has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

    Tyler Kittrell, 38, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against Kittrell on Feb. 24, 2025.

    According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Kittrell was stopped on Interstate 44 by Joplin, Mo., police officers on Feb. 14, 2025. When officers searched his vehicle, they found $13,120 in cash and multiple packages containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers seized approximately 7,658 grams of methamphetamine and 2,142 grams of fentanyl from inside the vehicle.

    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.

    This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah R. Lucas. It was investigated by the Joplin, Mo., Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan man arrested, charged with illegal reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Wilson Oswaldo Galvan-Lope, 25, a citizen of Guatemala, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal reentry, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 24, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations special agents were conducting surveillance on an Orange Street residence in Rochester, targeting Galvan-Lope, an illegal alien under investigation for being a found in the United States after being deported. As a truck exited the driveway of the residence, agents noticed that the driver appeared to resemble of the photograph of Galvan-Lope. They conducted a vehicle stop near the intersection of Whitney Street and Lyell Avenue. Through routine questioning of identity documents and record checks, the agents determined that Galvan-Lope and two passengers in the vehicle had no immigration status in the United States. All three were taken into immigration custody. Galvan-Lope was previously ordered deported from the United States in May 2023.

    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.

    Galvan-Lope made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and was ordered detained.

    The criminal complaint is the result of of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. 

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.   

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Billings man sentenced to over 7 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BILLINGS – A Billings man who possessed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 94 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Brice Judsen Bailey, 33, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

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

    The government alleged in court documents that from September 2023 through January 2024, Bailey was one of approximately seven defendants in a drug distribution network in Billings.  The group received methamphetamine from a drug trafficking organization in Washington state and funneled pounds of methamphetamine into the Billings area. Bailey was a significant source of supply for the group, distributing between a quarter-pound and a half-pound of meth each day. He arranged two controlled purchases totaling over one pound of methamphetamine. Not only was Bailey a significant dealer of methamphetamine, but he also provided several firearms to one of his co-defendants in exchange for meth.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the DEA.

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

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal grand jury indicts seven people for their roles in narcotics conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging seven defendants for their roles in a narcotics conspiracy. Named in the indictment and charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and fentanyl are:

    • Winnie Taru Woods a/k/a Ru, 50, of Buffalo
    • Sharron McCullough a/k/a Black, 34, of Brooklyn, NY
    • Marlon Holt, Jr. a/k/a Scooter a/k/a Professor, 51, of Buffalo
    • Norman Patillo, 44, of Houston, Texas
    • Gary Sudesh Gosine, Sr., 50, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago
    • Ian Dyer, 25, of Austin, Texas
    • Shannell Gosine, 27, of Baytown, Texas

    In addition, defendants Woods, McCullough, and Holt are also charged with possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The defendants face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between April 2023, and February 2025, the defendants conspired to sell cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. During the conspiracy, defendants Winnie Taru Woods and Sharron McCullough would purchase bulk quantities of narcotics from cartels in Mexico for later resale by others in Buffalo, New York City, and elsewhere. Gary Sudesh Gosine, Sr. was one of their sources of supply in Mexico. Defendants Holt, Patillo, Dyer, and Shannell Gosine, took numerous trips to and from Texas, New York, and other cities, transporting the narcotics and bulk currency. On May 7, 2024, Holt, while traveling back from Texas, was stopped by the Ontario County, NY, Sheriff’s Office and arrested after being found in possession of nine kilograms of cocaine and 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his trunk. 

    The defendants have all been arraigned. Defendants Woods, McCullough, Gary Sudesh Gosine, Sr. and Patillo were detained. Defendants Holt, Dyer, and Shannell Gosine were released on conditions.

    “This case falls within the parameters of Operation Take Back America,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “The Operation Take Back America initiative focuses resources on the elimination of cartels, such as the ones allegedly involved in this case, in an effort to protect our communities from the members of these criminal organizations.”

    HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan stated, “As alleged, the defendants conspired with Mexican cartels to traffic deadly narcotics into the U.S., across the country and into our New York communities. The unified strength and versatility of the U.S. federal law enforcement system, together with our state partners, has once again stopped an allegedly dangerous drug trafficking organization in its tracks. Securing the homeland from dangers posed by foreign organizations and threats is among HSI’s top priorities. We are relentlessly prepared to confront bad actors seeking financial gain by whatever means necessary.”

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

    The indictment is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarantino, New York Field Division. Additional assistance was provided by the Ontario County, NY, Sheriff’s Office, the 23rd Judicial Taskforce, Tennessee, as well as Homeland Security Investigations in NY, and Houston and Austin, Texas.

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Warrensburg Sex Offender Sentenced to 25 Years for Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Warrensburg, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for distributing and possessing child pornography.

    William Aloys Wameling, Jr., 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to a total sentence of 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Wameling to a lifetime term of supervised release following incarceration. Wameling was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $99,000 to the victims of his offenses.

    On Aug. 27, 2024, Wameling pleaded guilty to the charges. Wameling has a prior conviction for possession of child pornography.

    Wameling will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and the Johnson Co. Missouri Sheriff’s Office.

    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.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Newington Man Admits Trafficking Narcotic Pills, Violating Supervised Release from Prior Conviction

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc. H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KYLE PETERSEN, 39, of Newington, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a narcotics trafficking offense and admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, members of the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad began investigating suspicious packages that were being delivered to Petersen’s Newington residence.  At the time, Petersen was on federal supervised release following a federal conviction in 2017 involving the trafficking of fentanyl and prescription pills.  During the investigation, a court-authorized search of a package mailed to Petersen contained more than 400 grams of pills containing Protonitazene, a synthetic opioid typically more potent than fentanyl.  The investigation revealed that Petersen had received approximately 34 similar packages mailed from the same source in Michigan, and also received approximately 46 packages from California and Oregon suspected to contain multiple pounds of marijuana.  Investigators also made controlled purchases of counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl from Petersen’s brother, Erik Peterson.

    Kyle and Erik Petersen were arrested on federal criminal complaints on April 3, 2024.  On that date, a search of Kyle Petersen’s residence revealed more than a kilogram of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, counterfeit Xanax pills, a large quantity of Protonitazene, approximately 40 grams of cocaine, and $76,650 in cash.  Kyle Petersen has been detained since his arrest.

    Kyle Petersen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and Protonitazine.  He also admitted he violated the conditions of his supervised release and agreed to the forfeiture of the cash seized from his residence, an additional $57,530 in cash seized from a bank account, and a 2014 Porsche Cayenne.

    Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for July 3, at which time Kyle Peterson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

    Erik Petersen, of New Britain, pleaded guilty to a related charge and awaits sentencing.

    This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the New Britain and Newington Police Departments.  The Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hamden, West Haven, Fairfield, Seymour, and Glastonbury Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Montville Man Who Made and Sold Firearms without a License Sentenced to Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICHOLAS DeFELICE, 33, of Montville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for operating an illegal firearm manufacturing business.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation revealed that beginning in approximately 2013, DeFelice manufactured and sold more than 200 firearms without a license to do so.  DeFelice, through a business he called “DeFelice Defense,” sold his firearms to individual customers and to licensed firearms dealers, and also placed them on consignment at various commercial firearm dealers throughout Connecticut.  As part of an undercover investigation, ATF agents purchased a firearm from DeFelice that he manufactured at their request.

    On February 17, 2022, a search of DeFelice’s residence revealed two short barrel rifles, 67 other firearms, a silencer with no serial number, more than 28 high-capacity magazines, and other firearm parts.

    DeFelice was arrested on July 12, 2023.  On October 7, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered National Firearms Act firearms.

    This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard’s heavy icebreaker returns to the U.S. after 128-day deployment in support of Operation Deep Freeze

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 04/02/2025 06:30 PM EDT

     

    04/02/2025 05:50 PM EDT

    SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew returned to the United States, arriving in San Francisco Sunday, following a 128-day deployment to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2025. Polar Star completed its 28th voyage to Antarctica in support of the joint military service mission to resupply and maintain the United States Antarctic Stations. Every year, a joint total force team works together to complete a successful Operation Deep Freeze in support of the U.S. National Science Foundation – the agency that manages the United States Antarctic Program.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: First Degree Child Cruelty and Other Charges Filed in July 2023 Assault of Two-Year Old

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – William Woodson, 26, of Southeast Washington, D.C. was indicted today by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury on three felony counts. Specifically, he is charged with one count of first degree child cruelty and one count of assault with significant bodily injury against a minor for his assault on a two-year-old victim, along with another felony charge from conduct directed at a separate adult the same day. The charges are in connection with an allegation that the defendant kicked a stranger’s two-year-old child down the escalator at the Mount Vernon Square metro station.  The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                Woodson is detained while the case remains pending.

                According to the government’s evidence, presented in police affidavits, on July 24, 2023 around 11:20 a.m., the victim’s mother was walking down the escalator at the Mount Vernon Square metro station when the defendant came up behind them.  He then (without any prior interaction or provocation) kicked the two-year-old child, causing him to fall down the escalator, hitting his head and face. Woodson exited the station and the victim’s mother followed him while carrying the now-injured child victim. The victim’s mother followed the defendant out of the metro station and called 911, providing law enforcement with information about the defendant.

                Responding MPD officers met the mother who gave them a lookout and, subsequently, officers stopped Woodson a short distance away. Medics arrived on scene and, noting that the two-year-old victim was bleeding from the head, advised the victim’s mother that he required transport to Children’s Hospital immediately. During transport, the victim lost consciousness. The victim remained hospitalized for approximately twelve hours and was diagnosed with a mild concussion before being sent home with his mother.

                This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Ballou of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm with an Extended Magazine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Mycal Davis, age 40, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced on April 1, 2025, to two years in federal prison.  Davis received the prison term after a November 7, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

    Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle that Davis was a passenger in on December 21, 2023.  During the traffic stop, officers conducted a search of the vehicle and ordered the occupants out of the vehicle.  Davis exited the vehicle, and officers conducted a safety pat down for weapons and immediately noticed that Davis was armed with a firearm in his waistband.  Davis admitted what officers felt was a firearm and admitted he was a felon.  The firearm was equipped with a magazine containing 25 rounds of ammunition.  Officers continued to search Davis’s property and located various pills, some which tested positive as methamphetamine, and over 50 grams of marijuana.  

    Davis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Davis was sentenced to 24 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.  Jones was released on bond conditions previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on April 28, 2025. 

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

    The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).  

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

    The case file number is 24-CR-61.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bowie County man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for fentanyl overdose death

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TEXARKANA, Texas – A Hooks man who sold fake prescription pills containing fentanyl has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Henry Wayne Milligan, 28, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III, on April 2, 2025.

    “The Eastern District of Texas will continue to aggressively prosecute those who distribute deadly drugs such as fentanyl in our communities and seek enhanced sentences commensurate with the tragic consequences and immeasurable losses suffered by victims and their families,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    According to information presented in court, Milligan pleaded guilty to selling the victim what were purported to be prescription pills, after which the victim was found dead in his home of what an autopsy later determined to be a fentanyl overdose. The pills sold by Milligan were tested and confirmed to be laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid commonly used as an analgesic or anesthetic that is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. Following his arrest, Milligan provided a voluntary statement during which he confessed.

    “We sincerely appreciate the unwavering commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in prosecuting this case,” said Texarkana, Texas Police Department’s Public Information Officer Shawn Vaughn. “Their dedication to seeking justice for the victim and holding those accountable who distribute deadly fentanyl is invaluable in our ongoing fight against this epidemic.  We also want to recognize Detective Daniel Linn for his outstanding work in leading this investigation. His relentless efforts and attention to detail were instrumental in identifying Milligan as the supplier of the fentanyl that tragically led to the victim’s death.  Additionally, we extend our gratitude to the Texas Department of Public Safety for their invaluable assistance in this case. Their collaboration and resources played a crucial role in bringing this investigation to a successful resolution.”

    The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a public safety alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.  The public safety alert coincides with the launch of DEA’s One Pill Can Kill public awareness campaign to educate the public of the dangers of counterfeit pills and urges all Americans to take only medications prescribed by a medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.  The campaign aims to raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in fake pills that are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills, and are killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate. For more information, please visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

    This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations Division; and Texarkana Texas Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Department of Justice and United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Honors Crime Victims and Survivors During 2025 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Cedar Rapids, Iowa — The United States Attorney from the Northern District of Iowa will commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) from April 6 through 12, 2025.

    This year’s NCVRW theme—Connecting Healing—recognizes that shared humanity drives vital connections to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins.

    This annual observance challenges us to build a world where every connection built through KINSHIP — between survivors, advocates, and communities — holds the potential to heal. It asks us to ensure that resources are available to all survivors and that we show up for one another with empathy and intention.

    NCVRW 2025 will be commemorated in Iowa with many events across the state, including the following:

    • Friday April 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: The 2025 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Commemoration, Polk County River Place, 2309 Euclid Ave., Des Moines, Iowa
      • Saturday April 5 at 9:00 a.m.: Go the Distance for Crime Victims 5K Run/Walk at Thomas Park in Marion, Iowa
      • Tuesday April 8 at 1:00 p.m and Thursday April 10 at 11:15 a.m.: From War to Wellness: A Journey of Resilience and Transformation on the Ankeny and Urban campuses of the Des Moines Area Community College.

    In the Northern District of Iowa, United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax announced winners for the following awards based on their service to victims in Iowa:

    • The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is presented to Investigator Tracy Johnson from the Cedar Rapids Police Department. This award is presented to law enforcement officers in Iowa who go beyond the call of duty to help crime victims. It is the highest federal honor in Iowa for victim services by a law enforcement officer. Investigator Johnson is recognized for her excellent work investigating human trafficking and her work with a minor victim of trafficking.
    • The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is also presented to Detective Chris Thomas of the Sioux City Police Department.  Detective Thomas was nominated for his outstanding investigative and advocacy work that led to the successful prosecution of Bobby Ray Rhoden.

    Investigator Johnson was the lead investigator in a human trafficking case involving a minor victim, two individuals who were eventually charged and convicted, and numerous other men who paid to participate in abusing the victim.  Investigator Johnson took a victim-centered approach to the investigation, developing a rapport with the minor victim and utilizing a trauma-informed interview style that gave the minor victim confidence that she was safe with Investigator Johnson.  Investigator Johnson’s outstanding and compassionate work with the victim was crucial to the case.  One of the charged defendants, Jarod Anderson, went to trial.  The victim testified during the trial and was able to tell the jury what had been done to her.  Investigator Johnson’s hard work during the investigation and prior to trial helped prepare the victim to face the difficult task of testifying in open court.  As a result of the victim’s brave testimony and Investigator Johnson’s outstanding work, Anderson was found guilty and is awaiting sentencing.  The second charged defendant, Tana Torres, pled guilty and was sentenced to up to eight years in prison.

    Rhoden victimized multiple individuals, including a former girlfriend.  Roden initially manipulated his victim into believing that she was responsible for the abuse he inflicted upon her, including torturing her, threatening her with a gun, and recording his abuse.  The victim eventually broke free, but Rhoden kidnapped her.  He used threats to get his victim into his car to help him recover a phone she had taken. Over the next 36 hours, he brutalized her and drove her to at least two locations in an effort to find his phone. The victim escaped Rhoden by running away from him to a neighbor’s house. As she ran, Rhoden fired his gun at or near her. A subsequent investigation of the kidnapping revealed live ammunition and a spent casing in the garage where Rhoden lived, and one of the locations where he held his victim.

    Detective Thomas demonstrated outstanding investigatory skills and compassion for the victim while he was investigating the kidnapping.  The victim was initially reluctant to trust or cooperate with law enforcement.  But Detective Thomas persisted in working with the victim until the victim came to trust him and the criminal justice system.  Thanks to Detective Thomas’s patience, the victim agreed to and was able to testify in very difficult circumstances during Rhoden’s trial.  Without her strength in doing so, Rhoden may have remained free to victimize others.  Detective Thomas’s compassion and care for the victim led directly to the victim having the strength to free herself from Rhoden’s hold and protect others from him by testifying.  As a result, Rhoden was found guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2025.

    “These awards recognize the exceptional efforts of two law enforcement officers to provide assistance to federal and state victims in the Northern District of Iowa,” said United States Attorney Duax. “Ensuring victims feel safe while going through the difficult process of an investigation and trial is crucial to securing justice for the victims. The service of these officers, and other state and federal law enforcement officers and victim advocates, is a vital component of our criminal justice system.”

    NCVRW began in 1981 to honor victims and survivors of crime, raise awareness of victims’ rights and services and recognize the dedication of those who work with crime victims.

    For additional information about this year’s NCVRW activities and more ideas on supporting crime victims, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Who Mailed Fentanyl from Arizona to Iowa Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A man who mailed fentanyl powder, pills containing fentanyl, and “ice” methamphetamine from Arizona to Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

    Shawn Javier Lopez-Johnson, age 29, from Phoenix, Arizona, received the prison term after a November 1, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.         

    From March 2023 through December 2023, Lopez-Johnson mailed re‑distribution quantities of controlled substances, including hundreds of fentanyl pills, from Arizona, to Dubuque, Iowa, to his co-conspirator, Alexander John Chapman who was previously sentenced for his role in the conspiracy.  During this time, Lopez-Johnson mailed Chapman approximately $5,400 worth of fentanyl powder, pills containing fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

    Lopez-Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Lopez-Johnson was sentenced to 87 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.  Lopez-Johnson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and the United States Postal Inspection Service, at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 24-CR-01003.

    Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Major Case Fugitive Wanted for Kentucky Murder Captured by U.S. Marshals in South Carolina

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Washington, DC – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force (CRFTF), in coordination with the Southern District of West Virginia, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of South Carolina, and the USMS Special Operations Group, arrested a West Virginia man in South Carolina on March 31. He was wanted for a 2019 murder in Kentucky.

    Charles Ray Blevins, 38, of Williamson, West Virginia, was a USMS major case fugitive and was being considered for elevation to the agency’s 15 Most Wanted fugitives list. He was wanted by the Kentucky State Police for first-degree murder and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, as well as by the West Virginia Department of Corrections for a parole violation.

    Blevins was convicted of second-degree murder in Cabell County, West Virginia, in 2009 and was released on parole in 2019. On July 6, 2019, he was accused of shooting and killing a man in South Williamson, Kentucky. Warrants for his arrest were issued on July 11, 2019.

    U.S. Marshals investigators with the Eastern District of Kentucky’s Central Kentucky Fugitive Task Force and Southern District of West Virginia CUFFED Task Force requested that Blevins be elevated to major case status due to the potential danger he posed. Blevins was known to carry firearms, had access to body armor, and had stated that he would not return to prison but would instead engage in violence with any law enforcement officers who attempted to arrest him.  

    Investigators in West Virginia and Kentucky recently learned that Blevins had traveled to South Carolina and sent a collateral lead to the USMS Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force.

    Information was developed that Blevins was frequenting a house in the 300 block of Coach Hill Drive in Gaffney.  Investigators began surveilling the residence.  Because of the threat Blevins presented based on his previous actions and statements, USMS Special Operations Group deputies were requested to assist with the apprehension.

    As SOG members approached the house, Blevins attempted to flee through the back of the house but fell, breaking his leg. He was taken into custody without further incident.   

    Blevins was transported to a local hospital for treatment and will remain in USMS custody pending his extradition back to Kentucky to answer for his crimes. 

    “Given the seriousness of Mr. Blevins’ alleged crimes, the threat he posed to the public,  and his ability to avoid capture, it was critical that we bring him into custody swiftly and safely,” said Acting U.S. Marshals Service Director Mark Pittella. “This arrest, just before he was set to be named one of our 15 Most Wanted fugitives, speaks to the dedication and coordination of our Marshals Service personnel and the many law enforcement professionals who worked together to ensure he is held accountable and brought to justice. This is what protecting our communities looks like.”

    “Mr. Blevins learned what fugitives have been learning since 1789,” said U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of West Virginia Michael Baylous. “The United States Marshals Service never grows weary in its pursuit of justice.” 

    “The United States Marshals Service has proven, yet again, why we are the leaders in fugitive apprehension,” said U.S. Marshal for the District of South Carolina Chrissie C. Latimore. “The coordinated efforts with our state and local partners led to the arrest of a major fugitive. The District of South Carolina remains steadfast in our unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice, fortified by strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts. It is both a privilege and a solemn responsibility to seek justice for the victims of the senseless and tragic act of violence committed by Blevins.” 

    “This investigation is a testament to the commitment the U.S. Marshals in the Eastern District of Kentucky and Southern District of West Virginia have for finding, apprehending and bringing to justice violent fugitives,” said acting U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky Jeremy Honaker. “Our Deputies and support staff have tirelessly collaborated to locate and apprehend Blevins. Yesterday’s arrest was a strong symbolic gesture of this commitment.”   

    The USMS is grateful for the assistance and support of the Gaffney Police Department, the Rock Hill Police Department, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, York County Sheriff’s Office, and especially the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division.

    The USMS established its major case fugitive program in 1985 to supplement the agency’s 15 Most Wanted fugitive program to draw attention to some of the country’s most dangerous and high-profile fugitives. These fugitives tend to be career criminals with histories of violence who pose a significant threat to public safety.  Major case fugitives are considered among the “worst of the worst” and can include murderers, sex offenders, major drug kingpins, organized crime figures and individuals wanted for high-profile financial crimes. 

    The USMS has a long history of providing expertise to other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in support of their fugitive investigations. Working with authorities at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels, USMS-led fugitive task forces arrested more than 74,000 fugitives and cleared nearly 89,000 warrants in FY 2024.

    The USMS CRFTF began operations in January 2018. The CRFTF has partnership agreements with four federal and 68 state and local agencies; and operates in South Carolina and North Carolina. The CRFTF has apprehended more than 8,900 fugitives since its inception and is always striving to make communities safer.

    Established in 1971 as one of the first federal tactical units, the USMS Special Operations Group is a specially trained, rapidly deployable tactical unit composed of deputy U.S. marshals capable of responding to high-risk and sensitive law enforcement situations, national emergencies, and civil disorders.

    USMS SOG prepares to enter the residence in Gaffney to arrest Blevins.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Multiple Fugitives Arrested Which Leads to Drug Seizure in Maine

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Portland, ME – The U.S. Marshals Service in Maine announces multiple arrests while in search for a Massachusetts fugitive. Jason Whitney, 47, was arrested at his residence in Waldoboro, Maine Wednesday night, April 1st. Whitney was wanted for a weapon offense charge out of Massachusetts. While in search of Whitney at the residence, U.S. Marshals Task Force members discovered several other occupants living at the residence that had multiple warrants for arrest.

    After receiving investigative leads from the United States Marshals Service (USMS) District of Massachusetts New England HIDTA Fugitive Task Force, the USMS Maine Violent Offender Task Force (MVOTF) was able to determine Whitney was living at a residence in Waldoboro, Maine. In coordination with the Waldoboro, Maine Police Department, Whitney was apprehended. Also discovered and arrested at the residence were Hannah Stone, 25, of Waldoboro, Maine, and Daason Carter-Hawkins 24, of Dorchester, Massachusetts. Stone and Carter-Hawkins had multiple warrants for failure to appear on previous drug related offenses here in Maine.

    Concurrent to the arrests, multiple quantities of drugs and paraphernalia where also discovered and seized by authorities, which included 184 grams of “crack” cocaine. Drug related investigations are on-going by state and local authorities.

    Significant assistance was provided by the Massachusetts USMS New England HIDTA Fugitive Task Force, Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS), Waldoboro, Maine Police Department, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA). All three subjects were arrested without incident.

    The USMS, Maine Violent Offender Task Force is comprised of members of the U.S. Marshals Service, Maine Department of Corrections, Biddeford Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Maine National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the Coast Guard Investigative Service.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Straw purchaser sentenced for supplying firearms smuggled across the border

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

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 38-year-old McAllen resident has been ordered to prison for her role in firearms trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Jazmin Gutierrez and her co-defendant, Isai Alpides-Navarrete, each pleaded guilty July 25, 2024.  

    U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Gutierrez to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about the number of firearms the pair purchased and their frequent trips around the state to collect them before transferring them to another individual who would smuggle them across the border. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ramos commented that this wasn’t an isolated incident, but multiple trips and that the firearms were going to individuals who commit serious crimes.

    Judge Ramos previously sentenced Alpides-Navarrete, a citizen of Mexico illegally residing in the United States, to a total of 121 months for straw purchasing firearms and being an alien in possession of ammunition.

    As part of an investigation involving the unlawful purchase, transfer and exportation of firearms, authorities arrested Gutierrez March 21, 2024. At that time, they found her in possession of five handguns, a 7.62x39mm assault rifle, high-capacity magazines and ammunition.

    Law enforcement also conducted a search warrant at a residence in McAllen and took Alpides-Navarrete into custody. Inside the residence, they seized approximately 275 rounds of ammunition and high capacity magazines as well as 21 empty pistol boxes.  

    At the time of her arrest, Gutierrez admitted to finding firearms online from private sellers and purchasing over 50 of them which other individuals later smuggled into Mexico.  

    Gutierrez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    This case is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are conducting the OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Behind the Scenes of a Cancer Control ImPACT Review Mission

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Lorna Awo Renner (left) is seen discussing paediatric care as part of the imPACT Review team at work at Primary Health Care Centre Primerio Maio.

    “The rising numbers of cancer cases in Mozambique is of great concern,” said Mozambique’s Minister of Health, Armino Tiago, speaking of his decision to invite the IAEA, World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, to carry out an imPACT review in the country in 2024. “The government is taking action to expand access to diagnosis and treatment,” he added.

    Mozambique, in common with many low- income countries (LICs) around the world, is facing a growing cancer challenge. Cancer is now the second leading cause of death globally, and many health systems in LICs are least prepared to manage this burden.

    How do ImPACT Reviews Help Countries with Cancer Control?

    Each year, the IAEA, together with its partners the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), conducts around ten ImPACT Reviews, designed to support countries in their efforts to improve comprehensive cancer control.

    ImPACT Reviews assess a country’s cancer control capacities and needs in order to  prioritize interventions and help governments effectively respond to their country’s cancer burden. This response could involve creating a national cancer control plan, producing feasibility documents – often called ‘bankable documents’- that justify the funding of cancer care facilities to donors, or deciding to join WHO cancer initiatives, such as those on cervical, breast and childhood cancer.

    “Controlling cancer in Mozambique is a significant challenge, compounded by limitations in infrastructure, human resources, and access to adequate diagnostics and treatments,” said Tiago, Mozambique’s Minister of Health.

    “The imPACT Review represents a valuable opportunity to identify critical gaps and outline concrete strategies to strengthen our capacity to address cancer. We are confident that this collaboration will provide essential guidance to improve cancer care in our country,” the Minister of Health added.

    What Goes On Behind the Scenes of an ImPACT Review?

    Experts participating in the Mozambique mission came from countries in Africa, Europe, North and South America, bringing expertise from fields ranging from palliative care, pathology and public health to oncology and epidemiology. Many were also native speakers of Portuguese, which is widely spoken in Mozambique.

    As in other imPACT Reviews, the Mozambique mission experts were nominated by the IAEA, IARC and WHO. IARC recommended experts in cancer registry, an information system that collects, manages and analyses data on people diagnosed with cancer. The IAEA nominated experts in radiation medicine, diagnostic imaging and radiation safety and the WHO nominated experts on all other aspects of cancer control.

    The experts met online several times in the run-up to the mission to discuss their findings.

    Three months before setting foot in Mozambique, the imPACT Review international experts started meeting online to assess the needs of the country. The experts researched the latest available evidence on public health policies and cancer control, provided by IARC, WHO and IAEA, including experts from the IAEA human health programme. They also gathered reports and data from UN staff,  professionals from Mozambique’s Ministry of Health and other national cancer stakeholders to gain a good understanding of the country’s cancer-related infrastructure and capacity. Professionals and stakeholders in cancer control in Mozambique completed questionnaires to help the imPACT Review experts identify needs, challenges and opportunities. A preliminary report was produced ahead of the in-country mission to determine its scope.

    Arsen Juric, Mozambique imPACT Review Coordinator said: “These preparatory meetings are part of a strategic process. They help the experts make evidence-based recommendations that aim to strengthen and embed cancer control in Mozambique’s national health system, better serving patient needs across the country.”

    The imPACT review is designed to give a broad overview of cancer care in the host country, determining the gaps and needs which are most urgent, to inform decision makers when formulating health policy regarding cancer.

    What is Cancer Control?

    Prevention includes factors such as diet, smoking cessation and vaccinations against infectious disease. It is estimated it is currently possible to prevent 40 per cent of all cancers.

    Detection includes screening and early diagnosis. Early detection means many cancers have a high potential for cure.

    Treatment aims to cure disease, prolong life, and improve the quality of remaining life

    Palliative care involves addressing the needs of patients and their families from the time of cancer diagnosis to improve quality of life and the ability to cope effectively. 

    On the Ground in Mozambique

    At the beginning of May, the imPACT Review team experts arrived in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, to visit hospitals and public health centres. They met cancer care experts, policy and decision makers and technical staff from Mozambique’s Ministry of Health, and the staff of the WHO country office, as well as representatives of civil society organizations

    In addition to experts from IARC and WHO, the mission also included an expert from MD Anderson Cancer Center, an IAEA nuclear safety expert, an IAEA cancer control expert and the IAEA’s National Liaison Officer for Mozambique.

    ImPACT reviews look at every aspect of cancer control, including how data on cancer is managed, and financing, as well as prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care. During the review, the experts visited hospitals, primary health care facilities, and met with civil society, patient and cancer advocacy groups in Mozambique to obtain as much data as possible on the cancer control situation in the country.

    The imPACT Review team visited Primeiro Maio to find out more about the country’s national cervical cancer screening programme

    Prioritizing Women and Children’s Cancers

    While imPACT Reviews look at all aspects of cancer control, the Mozambique review gave the team to focus on WHO cancer initiatives, such as those on cervical, breast and childhood cancer.

    Severin von Xylander from Mozambique’s WHO Country Office said the WHO was also working with the National Cancer Control Programme in Mozambique to prioritize the prevention and early detection of cancers affecting women and children, in line with global cancer control initiatives.

    At the Primeiro Maio healthcare centre, the  imPACT Review team learned more about the scope of services in primary care, such as prevention and early detection, particularly in terms of cancers that affect women and children.

    Speaking of positive outcomes, Celina Mate, of the Mozambique Ministry of Health, said that interactions with the imPACT review team during the in-country mission had helped realize that their cervical cancer screening coverage was more comprehensive than they had previously thought.

    “In addition to this aspect, we were able to look at our needs and the need to advocate for financial support to increase screening capacity using a high-standard test such as the HPV DNA test,” said Mate.

    Paintings by children at Maputo Central Hospital.

    Lorna Awo Renner, an international expert in paediatric oncology from Ghana taking part in the imPACT Review, used her time in Mozambique to observe and make recommendations on how the country is  addressing childhood cancer.

    “Over 80 per cent of childhood cancers are curable, but at a global level we are at about 30 per cent, you take the low- and middle- income countries, they have even lower rates,” she says.

    The WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancers, aims to improve long term cure outcomes for childhood cancer globally to over 60 per cent by 2030. Renner said she hoped  Mozambique would also join the initiative.

    At the end of the mission, a report was produced for the Mozambican government, which will support the next national cancer plan to address the growing cancer situation in the country.

    The IAEA’s Support to Mozambique

    The imPACT Review team are shown imaging equipment by Narciso Sitoe,a radiation oncologist trained under the IAEA technical cooperation programme.

    The IAEA has supported Mozambique in providing cancer care at Maputo Central Hospital for over a decade. A Brazilian team of consultants carried out the training and implementation of radiotherapy at Maputo Central Hospital with the support of the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme. Since 2009,14 specialists at Maputo Central Hospital have been trained in radiation oncology and medical physics through the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme, with the aim of strengthening radiotherapy services.

    Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All

    While around half of all cancer patients can benefit from some form of radiotherapy, countries such as Mozambique have only limited access to this technology. As just one radiotherapy unit in the capital city of Maputo is available for a population of over 30 million people, many cancer patients in Mozambique are unable to access this life-saving treatment.

    Establishing new radiotherapy facilities is a complex project, requiring new infrastructure and equipment (or better use of existing infrastructure and equipment) as well as training to ensure professionals are available to work in the new facilities, and that radiation safety protocols are followed.

     In 2023 Mozambique joined the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, which aims to help bridge the gap in cancer care around the world by expanding access to radiotherapy.

    “Through Rays of Hope the IAEA will continue to support the expansion of radiation medicine capacities in Mozambique, in diagnosis as well as treatment, including through support for the development and training of the national cancer care workforce,” said Hua Liu, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation.

    ImPACT Reviews are a vital step in helping countries to improve national radiotherapy services, along with cancer control in general, as they allow international teams of cancer control experts to support national counterparts with cancer control planning and investments.

    READ MORE: Mozambique is Prioritizing Cancers Affecting Women and Children

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  • MIL-OSI Security: High Ranking MS-13 Leader and Fugitive Wanted for Multiple Murders Found and Arrested in Long Island

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Last night, a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, was arrested in New York for his alleged role in a conspiracy responsible for 11 murders.

    Joel Vargas-Escobar, also known as Momia, was indicted the District of Nevada and charged with racketeering conspiracy that involved 11 murders. Vargas-Escobar is also charged with two counts of murder-in-aid of racketeering and associated firearms charges. Vargas-Escobar – who previously had been deported to El Salvador and illegally re-entered the United States – had been a fugitive from justice for nearly four years.

    “The American people are safer following the arrest of yet another MS-13 leader thanks to the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Joint Task Force Vulcan,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This terrorist entered our country illegally and is accused of orchestrating 11 murders — under President Trump’s leadership, we will not rest until this terrorist organization is completely dismantled and its members are behind bars.”

    “The arrest of yet another violent and dangerous MS-13 leader is a major win for our FBI agents, law enforcement partners, and safer American streets,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Our agents and analysts are continuously coordinating across multiple field offices and investigating with our valued partners to keep this work going — and we will not stop until that work is done.”

    According to court documents, MS-13 is a national and transnational gang composed largely of individuals of Salvadoran or other Central American descent. MS-13 has more than 10,000 members regularly conducting gang activities in at least 10 states and Washington, D.C., with thousands more conducting gang activities in Central America and Mexico. MS-13 operates through the use of intimidation and violence, including murder, and enriching members and associates through criminal activities, including breaking into houses and stealing firearms, jewelry, cash, and other items of value, and selling narcotics. MS-13 is organized by subsets known as “cliques,” and each clique typically has one or more leaders, commonly referred to as “shot callers.”

    Vargas-Escobar and his co-defendants are allegedly part of MS-13’s command and control structure in Las Vegas and California and exercised significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations. The indictment charges members of the “Parkview” clique of MS-13 with committing 11 murders over about a year in Nevada and California. According to the indictment, many of the victims were allegedly kidnapped by MS-13 members and taken to remote locations in the mountains and desert where they were tortured and killed.

    Vargas-Escobar was the alleged leader of the Parkview clique of MS-13 in Las Vegas and personally ordered two of the charged murders. He was deported to El Salvador in 2018 but illegally re-entered the country.

    The arrest operation was coordinated by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division in Washington, D.C., with support from the FBI’s Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York field offices, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, and Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV).

    JTFV, which was created in 2019 to destroy MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua, is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern District of New York; the Eastern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; the Southern District of Texas; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; HSI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. Operation Take Back America is 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Vargas-Escobar appeared this morning for his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York – Central Islip. He was ordered detained and will be transferred to the District of Nevada for trial. If convicted, Vargas-Escobar faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Christopher Taylor and Justin Bish from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanee Smith and Steven Rose for the District of Nevada, with substantial assistance from Joint Task Force Vulcan Deputy Director Jeremy Franker, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.

    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: Leader of Export Control Evasion Scheme Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Defendant and Co-Conspirator Both Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Send Controlled Aircraft Components to Russia

    Oleg Sergeyevhich Patsulya, a Russian national, was sentenced today to 70 months, or nearly six years, in prison for his role in a conspiracy to export controlled aviation technology to Russia and to launder money in connection with the illegal export scheme. In December 2024, Patsulya’s co-conspirator, Russian national Vasilii Sergeyevich Besedin, was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the scheme.

    In April 2024, Patsulya, 46, of Miami-Dade County, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to export items from the United States without a license in violation of the Export Control Reform Act and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Dominic W. Lanza for the District of Arizona. found that Patsulya was an organizer and leader of the conspiracy and that the money laundering scheme – which employed numerous shell companies, offshore accounts, and multi-layered transactions – was sophisticated in nature, which led to the application of sentencing enhancements.

    In handing down Patsulya’s 70-month sentence, Judge Lanza emphasized the seriousness of the offense, Patsulya’s leadership role in planning and carrying it out, and the fact that Patsulya committed these crimes not long after being granted the privilege of a visa to enter the United States. “It’s hard to imagine a bigger betrayal of the United States than what you did,” Judge Lanza said. The proceedings also established that Patsulya currently lacks legal status to be present in the United States.

    According to court documents, beginning in or about May 2022, Patsulya and Besedin conspired with each other and several others to obtain orders for various aircraft parts and components from Russian buyers – primarily commercial airline companies – and then fulfill those requests by acquiring the parts from the U.S. suppliers and unlawfully exporting the parts to Russia. The defendants admitted to knowing the items were controlled and required a license from the Department of Commerce to export.

    As part of the scheme, the defendants conspired to export multiple shipments of a carbon disc brake system used on Boeing 737 aircraft. When they contacted various U.S. suppliers in efforts to obtain the brake system, Besedin and Patsulya provided false information that the parts were intended for countries other than Russia. The United States was able to detain, prior to export, multiple shipments made by the defendants containing units of the brake assembly technology.

    As part of their guilty pleas, Besedin and Patsulya admitted that they attempted to conceal the illegal exports and avoid detection by law enforcement, including by making false representations about the identities of their true customers and using straw buyer-companies located overseas to obscure the origin of revenue. For example, on Sept. 8, 2022, Besedin and Patsulya traveled to Arizona to close a deal with a U.S. company, in which the defendants sought to purchase units of the brake assembly technology. During their discussions with the company, the defendants misrepresented that the aircraft parts were going to be exported to Turkey, when they were in fact destined for Russia. The defendants made false statements to the company both orally and in signed export compliance forms. In connection with this transaction, the defendants received money from a Russian airline company to make the purchase. The funds were transferred to Patsulya’s American bank account from a Turkish bank account that had previously received the money from Russia.

    In total, throughout the conspiracy, American bank accounts associated with MIC P&I LLC, Patsulya’s company, received at least $4,582,288.51 sent from Russian airline companies through Turkish bank accounts to purchase aircraft parts and components intended for unlawful export. As part of his plea and sentence, Patsulya is required to forfeit assets, including a luxury car and personal boat, in the amount of $4,582,288.51.

    Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and Special Agent in Charge Richard Fitzpatrick of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.

    The BIS Phoenix Field Office and the FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the BIS Boston Field Office, the FBI Miami Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Phoenix Field Office, Customs and Border Protection-Phoenix Field Office, and the U.S. Marshals Office in Miami.

    Trial Attorney Christopher M. Rigali of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Voit for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.

    This case was coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states. The Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Louisiana Chiropractor Convicted of Health Care Fraud and Unemployment Insurance Fraud

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A federal jury convicted a Louisiana chiropractor yesterday for his role in health care fraud and unemployment insurance fraud schemes totaling millions of dollars.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Benjamin Tekippe, 40, of New Orleans, was a chiropractor and owner of Metairie Chiropractic & Rehab in New Orleans. Tekippe solicited patients with insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) at schools, public events, and on social media to receive chiropractic massages, which he misleadingly advertised as “free.” Tekippe would then routinely bill BCBSLA for chiropractic services he did not perform. In total, Tekippe fraudulently submitted over $2.3 million in claims to BCBSLA for services not performed and was reimbursed approximately $740,000 by the insurance provider. The fraudulent claims sought payment for thousands of chiropractic services purportedly provided by Tekippe during periods when he was out of the office, traveling on vacation, or incarcerated for past arrests. The evidence also showed that in response to a medical records request from a BCBSLA auditor, Tekippe fabricated patient records and instructed his staff to write them in their own handwriting to make it falsely appear that the services had been performed as billed. Evidence at trial showed that Tekippe spent the fraud proceeds on, among other things, luxury goods and gambling.  

    In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tekippe submitted weekly certifications falsely claiming that he was unemployed when he was billing for chiropractic services purportedly performed during his claimed unemployment. Through this scheme, Tekippe received $12,952 in unemployment insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.

    Tekippe was convicted of six counts of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count and 10 years in prison on each health care fraud count. 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; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region, Baton Rouge Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Kelly Z. Walters and Samantha Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Men Sentenced for Violent Attempted Theft of Drugs from Rangeley Home

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Andre Muller, Robert Holland and others conspired to steal drugs from a Rangeley residence in 2016

    BANGOR, Maine: Two New York man were sentenced today for conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery in connection with a violent home invasion in Rangeley in 2016.

    U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Andre Muller, 54, to 200 months in prison, and Robert Holland, 45, to 188 months in prison. Both men were also sentenced to three years of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment. Muller and Holland were found guilty on November 23, 2023, after a three-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Bangor.

    According to evidence presented during the trial, in July 2016, Muller, Holland and four coconspirators developed a plan to steal controlled substances from a Rangeley residence. On July 26, 2016, Muller traveled from New York City with Hector Munoz, 57, of Florida and one other coconspirator, meeting up with Holland and a fifth man at a location just outside Rangeley. On July 28, 2016, two of the coconspirators, including Munoz, entered the Rangeley residence armed with knives with the intent to take the controlled substances. During the commission of the robbery, the robbery’s intended target shot and killed the second coconspirator. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is not identifying that conspirator because they were not charged.

    Muller and Holland were initially convicted following a five-day jury trial that concluded August 10, 2022. Judge Torresen granted a motion for a new trial, however, based on evidence of juror prejudgment, and the second trial was held in November 2023.

    Hector Munoz pleaded guilty to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery on January 15, 2020, and was sentenced to time served on January 12, 2024.

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine State Police; the Rangeley Police Department; the U.S. Border Patrol; and the Carrabassett Valley Police Department investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Minnesota Man Sentenced for Advertising and Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse over the Dark Web

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A Minnesota man was sentenced yesterday to 21 years and 10 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) found in his apartment and for using the dark web to advertise and distribute CSAM images and videos.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Craig James Myran, 47, of Bemidji, was an active participant on a website only accessible through the dark web that was dedicated to discussing and trafficking CSAM. For years, he used an account with a unique username to make over a thousand posts in which he shared images of CSAM. In at least one post, Myran requested specific files of known CSAM from other users that he disturbingly referred to as his “holy grail.” In another post, he advertised over 100 images depicting the sadomasochistic sexual abuse of two prepubescent minors. On Dec. 8, 2022, FBI special agents executed a search warrant on Myran’s apartment in Bemidji, where they found a cell phone and numerous hard drives that contained evidence that he used the dark web to advertise, publish, and solicit CSAM. Agents also found thousands of other CSAM images.

    According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Myran’s sexual exploitation of minors was not limited to his activity on just one particular dark-web site. He was simultaneously an active participant on multiple other dark-web sites dedicated to trafficking in CSAM, and he previously made posts on the dark web about producing his own CSAM by screen-recording minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct during online webcam interactions. On Nov. 20, 2024, a federal jury convicted Myran on two counts of advertising child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick for the District of Minnesota; and Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Minneapolis Field Office investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green for the District of Minnesota prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Scheme to Defraud Medicare

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Florida man pleaded guilty on Monday to purchasing Medicare identification numbers and using those numbers to cause over $8.4 million of false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare.

    Corey Alston, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to illegally purchase Medicare beneficiary identification numbers in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits that were ineligible for reimbursement. According to court documents, Alston and his co-defendant, Latresia A. Wilson, conspired to unlawfully purchase Medicare beneficiary identification information (including Medicare Beneficiary Identification Numbers) and used that information to submit millions of dollars in claims to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits that the beneficiaries did not want or request.

    Over the course of just seven months, from July 2022 through February 2023, Alston, Wilson, and others, through companies they owned and controlled, submitted over $8.4 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare that were ineligible for reimbursement. Medicare paid over $2.6 million based on the false and fraudulent claims. Alston personally earned over $2.3 million from the scheme.

    Wilson previously pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to illegally purchase Medicare beneficiary identification. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. Alston is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9. Alston and Wilson each face a maximum penalty of five years 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; U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

    The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and Keith Clouser and Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Acting Assistant Chief Justin Woodard assisted in charging the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mill Village — Queens District RCMP charge man with attempted murder

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Queens District RCMP has charged a man with attempt to commit murder.

    On March 28 at approximately 3:30 a.m., RCMP officers and EHS responded to a weapons call at a home on Hwy. 3 in Mill Village. When officers arrived at the scene, they located a man with life-threatening injuries and learned that another man had left in a vehicle. The victim was transported to hospital by EHS.

    At approximately 7:45 a.m., officers located the suspect at home in Voggler’s Cove and he was safely arrested.

    Investigators have determined that the victim, a 84-year-old man, sustained injuries consistent with being stabbed. The men were known to each other and no one else was inside the home at the time of the incident.

    Derek Dominix, age 60, of Mill Village, was charged with Attempt to Commit Murder and was remanded into custody. He will appear in Bridgewater Provincial Court on April 10, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.

    The investigation is continuing and is being led by Queens District RCMP with support from RCMP Forensic Identification Section and the Southwest Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit.

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