NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Camden County Man Admits To Distributing Methamphetamine And Fentanyl

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County man today admitted to distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.

    Joseph Watson, 38, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, contrary to 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a) and (b)(1)(C), in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846; with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C); and with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    From June 2023 through October 2023, Watson conspired with Ian Dudley and others to distribute crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl in Camden County, Gloucester County, and elsewhere in southern New Jersey.  During the course of that conspiracy, Watson sold approximately 927 grams of crystal methamphetamine and approximately 28 grams of fentanyl to an undercover federal agent.

    The counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and distribution of fentanyl each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 29, 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of L.C. Cheeks, Jr., with the investigation.

    Co-Defendant Ian Dudley is awaiting trial in this matter and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane in Camden.

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    Defense counsel: Stanley King, Javerbaum Wurgaft Hicks Kahn Wikstrom & Sinins

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ERIC HERMAN, 32, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, following two fatal overdoses involving fentanyl in 2021, both of which were believed to be connected to Herman, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stratford Police Department began investigating Herman’s drug trafficking activities.  In May and June 2022, investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine from Herman.

    Herman was arrested on September 15, 2022.  At the time of his arrest, he possessed a distribution quantity of cocaine, a loaded 9mm “ghost gun” with a laser sight attached, and additional rounds of ammunition.

    Herman’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug and firearm offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

    Herman pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base (“crack”), fentanyl, and heroin, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.

    Herman has been detained since his arrest.  He has also pleaded guilty in state court to narcotics and manslaughter charges stemming from an overdose death investigation.

    The DEA’s HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Truck Yard Murderers Sentenced to Life in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – Three defendants were sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, multiple counts of kidnapping resulting in death, and kidnapping.

    James Edward Daniels, 59, and Frederick Eugene Rudolph, 69, both of Miami, Fla., were sentenced to life in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Herbert Barr, 56, of Miami, the third defendant, was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. The sentences come after Daniels and Rudolph were found guilty of all charges at trial on Dec. 17, 2024, and Barr pleaded guilty to kidnapping on Nov. 26, 2024.

    On Dec. 5, 2020, Daniels, Rudolph, Barr and other co-conspirators kidnapped three victims from a truck yard in Opa-locka, Fla. They bound and tortured the victims, duct-taped their eyes and threw them in the back of a rented van after stealing the victims’ drugs. They drove around the city for hours before taking the victims to an abandoned house in Opa-locka and attempting to execute them by shooting the three victims. Two of the victims died, while one miraculously survived.

    Daniels stole jewelry from one of the murdered victims, and all defendants benefitted by receiving drugs, money, or both, in exchange for their participation in the conspiracy.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division announced the sentences.

    The FBI Miami Division Homestead Resident Agency, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau and DEA Homestead Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yara Dodin and Katie Guthrie prosecuted the case.

    This investigation was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats. For more information regarding HIDTA visit https://www.dea.gov/operations/hidta.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20431.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Plead Guilty to Roles in COVID-19 Fraud Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, William Powell, 34, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and Jasmine Spencer, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting bank fraud. Powell and Spencer each received $15,625 in proceeds from criminally derived Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

    According to court documents and statements made in court, co-defendant Kisha Sutton conspired with Powell, Spencer, and others to obtain fraudulent PPP loans. Sutton submitted a PPP loan application on Powell’s behalf on April 19, 2021, and a PPP loan application on Spencer’s behalf of May 27, 2021. Powell and Spencer were each listed as a sole proprietor hair stylist who received $75,000 in gross income in 2020. Each application was filed with an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business, stating that the applicant had earned $75,000 in 2020. As part of their guilty pleas, Powell and Spencer admitted that they never earned $75,000 as a hair stylist in one year and that the IRS Form 1040 submitted with their application was fraudulent and created solely to obtain the PPP loan.

    A PPP lender in Florida approved Powell’s loan application and a PPP lender in California approved Spencer’s. The $15,625 in proceeds from each loan was deposited in their respective personal bank accounts in late June 2021. Between June 30 and July 20, 2021, Sutton received $2,000 from Powell and $3,000 from Spencer as her shares of the fraudulent PPP loan proceeds. Powell and Spencer each transferred the money to Sutton using a digital wallet application. Powell and Spencer spent the remainder of their respective fraudulent loan proceeds on personal expenses.

    The CARES Act made forgivable PPP loans available to qualifying sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to replace their normal income and for certain other expenses. Applicants were required to certify that they were in operation on February 15, 2020, and provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.

    Powell is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2, 2025, and Spencer is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2025. Each faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Powell and Spencer each also owe $15,625 in restitution.

    Powell, Spencer, and Sutton, 44, of Jersey City, New Jersey, are among seven individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they and others conspired, as well as aided and abetted one another, to obtain fraudulent PPP loans totaling $140,625. The indictment against Sutton and the other defendants remains pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).

    United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan T. Storage, Jennifer D. Gordon, and Holly Wilson are prosecuting the case.

    Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-192.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Principals of Fire Alarm Repair Company Plead Guilty to Decade-Long Scheme to Defraud New York City Agencies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendants Overbilled City Agencies Using Fabricated Invoices with Fraudulently Inflated Prices and Shell Companies

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Walter Stanzione and William Neogra, the principals of a fire alarm maintenance company, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.  Both defendants were charged with a decade-long scheme to defraud the City of New York by seeking payment on millions of dollars of grossly inflated fraudulent bills.  The proceedings were held before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo.  When sentenced, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York) announced the charges.

    “For over a decade, the City of New York relied on the defendants to ensure that the fire safety systems in hundreds of city buildings were in safe, working order,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “The defendants abused this position of trust so that they could scheme and steal, defrauding New York City out of millions of dollars.  The guilty pleas announced today make clear that reprehensible conduct like this will be uncovered and prosecuted.”

    “Millions of dollars went up in smoke as Walter Stanzione and William Neogra fraudulently inflated the cost of their company’s products to finance personal luxurious purchases,” stated Acting FBI Assistant Director in Charge Backschies.  “For more than ten years, the defendants charged various New York City clients exaggerated pricing for fire alarm systems and obfuscated this misconduct through doctored invoices.  The FBI remains determined to protect our city’s citizens and infrastructure from criminals seeking to unlawfully profit with little concern for safety.”

    “Stanzione and Neogra orchestrated a scheme to defraud the City of New York.  They created shell companies to pass-through supplies sold to NYC agencies at inflated prices with false invoices.  Millions of dollars were billed over a decade, and the excessive profit left these fraudsters living large.  Today’s plea means the defendants’ lifestyle will go from extravagant in size to a reduction in square feet,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.

    “These defendants systematically inflated costs billed to multiple City agencies—including the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Sanitation, for more than a decade,” stated DOI Commissioner Strauber.  “When vendors exploit their contractual relationship with the City by overbilling, they steal public funds from City taxpayers.  I thank our federal law enforcement partners for their commitment to protect the City’s resources and to ensure vendors who commit fraud are held responsible.”

    As set forth in various public court filings and in today’s proceedings, the defendants exercised control over Fire Alarm Electrical Corp., a company that held numerous contracts with New York City agencies to repair and maintain fire alarm systems.  For more than a decade, the defendants overbilled those agencies by submitting fraudulent invoices with dramatically inflated prices.  They accomplished this scheme in several ways:

    • The defendants created numerous shell companies that were secretly owned by defendant Stanzione.  After purchasing supplies from legitimate retailers, the defendants would re-invoice the parts through the shell companies for roughly three to five times the real purchase price, ultimately passing along those “costs” to the City.
    • The defendants took advantage of pre-existing shell companies that were being used in other ongoing frauds.  For example, the defendants used shell companies created by convicted EDNY defendant David Motovich, which Motovich had used in an entirely separate fraud scheme that was also investigated and prosecuted by EDNY, FBI, DOI and IRS (21-CR-497).
    • When city auditors became suspicious of the shell companies, the defendants fraudulently modified the documents of legitimate retailers, passing off the altered invoices from these companies as if they were genuine.

    These methods enabled the defendants to submit millions of dollars of fictitious payment requests to four separate city agencies over an eleven-year period.  Defendant Stanzione, the leader of the fraud, then siphoned off much of the ill-gotten gains and used the stolen money to fund his family’s lavish spending habits.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Erik Paulsen, Michael Gibaldi and Eric Silverberg are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kavya Kannan.

    The Defendants:

    WALTER STANZIONE
    Age: 66
    East Meadow, Long Island

    WILLIAM NEOGRA
    Age: 65
    Millsboro, Delaware

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-482 (RPK)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fraud Conspiracy Leader Sentenced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE – A Johnston man, identified in court documents as the leader of a conspiracy that used stolen personal identifications of unsuspecting individuals to gain financing for the purchase of Land Rovers from dealerships in Rhode Island and New Hampshire, has been sentenced to two-and-one-half years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Dennis Odoom, 27, previously admitted to a federal judge that he enlisted others to join the conspiracy. Odoom admitted that he provided a co-conspirator with a fraudulent ID and that he drove that person to a dealership in New Hampshire to pick up a Land Rover valued at $96,256 purchased with fraudulently obtained credit. The person accompanying him was expecting to be paid $2,000 by Odoom.

    Additionally, court documents allege that fraudulently obtained financing was used by co-conspirators to purchase a Land Rover from a Rhode Island dealership. The final sales price for the vehicle and financing was $111,183.

    Odoom was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. Dubose to a term of 30 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000. Restitution will be determined by the court at a later date. Odoom pleaded guilty on December 12, 2024, to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    A co-defendant in this matter, Roy Sweets, 27, of Pawtucket, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2025, to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2025.

    A third defendant, Adalberto Mauricio Romero, 28, of Providence, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.

    The matter was investigated by Warwick, RI, and Bedford, NH, Police Departments, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sioux City Felon Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burton used a loaded handgun to intimidate and frighten a female bartender for over an hour.

    Jamiah Burton, age 30, from Sioux City, was sentenced March 21, 2025, to five years in federal prison, after an August 8, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

    Evidence in the case revealed on January 19, 2024, Burton entered a Sioux City, Iowa bar with a female companion.  The couple argued, the female left, and Burton turned his attention to the sole remaining person in the bar: the female bartender.  For the next hour and half or so, Burton who had been drinking, refused to leave, repeatedly came behind the bar, simulated a sex act on his victim, manhandled her, at various points become emotional, brandished a loaded handgun — claiming he had a bullet for his victim and one for himself — and stole a bottle of alcohol all before being tricked out of the bar by his victim’s promise to leave with him.  A video of the event shows the victim’s attempts to navigate an impossible situation: she laughs and drinks and plays along with Burton all while secretly texting for help and trying to escape.  The moment she tricks him out of the bar, she locked the doors, hid in the bathroom, and called 911. 

    Approximately 16 minutes after Burton left the bar, law enforcement in South Sioux City, Nebraska located the vehicle he was using which was high centered and stranded in the snow.  Law enforcement located several open containers and a bottle of tequila (consistent with the one he stole from the bar) in the vehicle. 

    Burton has a serious criminal history.  Among numerous convictions, Burton  has twice committed violent home invasions, and driven drunk while attempting to elude police.

    Burton was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 60 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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

    The case was investigated by the South Sioux City, Nebraska and the Sioux City, Iowa Police Departments and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.  

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

    The case file number is 24-4015.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Central American Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Two Times

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced March 24, 2025, to more than a month in federal prison.

    Humberto Leonidas-Suarez, age 61, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Dubuque County, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 4, 2025, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. 

    At the guilty plea, Leonidas-Suarez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Leonidas-Suarez was previously deported in 2010 and 2024.  On February 6, 2025, immigration officials learned Leonidas-Suarez had illegally returned to the United States and found him at the Dubuque County Jail following his arrest on state charges for failure to appear.  

    Leonidas-Suarez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  He was sentenced to 39 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Leonidas-Suarez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 25-CR-1007.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Southville — Digby RCMP investigates break-in and theft from fire station

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Digby RCMP is seeking the public’s assistance in relation to a break-in that occurred in Southville.

    On March 14, at approximately 9 a.m., RCMP officers responded to a report of a break and enter at the Southville Fire Department on Langford Rd. RCMP officers learned that the person(s) involved broke windows of the fire station and stole firefighter uniforms (bunker gear) and a hydraulic motor used for the jaws of life.

    At this time, investigators believe that the person(s) fled the area in a side-by-side.

    Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Digby RCMP at 902-245-2579. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    File #: 2025-332134

    Note: The stolen Hurst brand hydraulic pump is white in colour. (Photo used as reference only.)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Oregon Man Indicted, Arrested for Transporting a Minor for Sexual Purposes

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

    The FBI is seeking additional information.

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Oregon man was arrested by the FBI yesterday in Portland after a federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment this week charging him with transporting a minor with the intent to have the child engage in criminal sexual activity.

    According to court documents, in 2019, Steven Fox, 59, moved from Pendleton, Oregon, to Anchorage, Alaska. At some point that year, Fox allegedly presented himself as a long-lost “uncle” to a family with two minor daughters and began caring for the minors.

    Court documents further allege that in January 2020, Fox transported the minors from Alaska to Oregon. Fox started sexually abusing one of the minors, who was 9 years old, almost immediately after leaving Alaska.

    Fox is charged with one count of transportation of minors. The defendant is scheduled to make his initial court appearance today at 1:30 p.m. PDT before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. If convicted, he faces between 10 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Pendleton Police Department and FBI Portland Field Office. If anyone has information concerning Fox’s alleged actions, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers and Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon.

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

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ten Indicted in Alleged Scheme Orchestrated by Street Gang Members to Smuggle Narcotics Into a Riverside County Jail

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

    RIVERSIDE, California – Three people were arrested today pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment alleging a scheme to smuggle narcotics into a Riverside County jail by concealing drugs inside of individuals who would purposely get arrested to deliver the contraband.

    The three arrested today are among 10 defendants named in the indictment that alleges a scheme to smuggle fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin into the detention facility. The other defendants charged in the case were already in custody.

    “Drug smuggling endangers the lives of inmates and the sheriff’s deputies who are sworn to guard them,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “I thank and commend our partners at the FBI and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for the time and attention they have paid to this urgent and important matter.” 

    “This investigation highlights the importance of the cooperation and working relationship with our federal partner law enforcement agencies when it comes to public safety,” said Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. “The smuggling of drugs into our jails, particularly with the emergence of fentanyl, has dramatically increased inmate deaths and medical emergencies within our corrections division. I commend the sheriff’s investigators and FBI agents who worked tirelessly on this case to ensure those responsible were identified and brought to justice. We will continue to partner with federal agents in our ongoing efforts to keep Riverside County safe.”

    The conspiracy allegedly was led by Andrew Jesus Ayala, 46, of Riverside, and members of a Riverside-based street gang who worked with three in-custody defendants who wanted to obtain narcotics, a group of facilitators on the street and an at least one drug mule who concealed narcotics in a body cavity, the indictment alleges. 

    The indictment outlines a scheme that began at an unknown date and continued into late 2022, when intercepted phone calls revealed efforts to smuggle narcotics into a Riverside County custody facility. Members of the drug trafficking ring obtain narcotics and recruited individuals who were willing to smuggle drugs hidden inside their bodies, according to the indictment.

    Leaders of the scheme arranged temporary housing for the drug mules before and after they went into custody and delivered narcotics, according to the indictment, which details steps taken by the smugglers to avoid having the drugs detected by X-ray scanners.

    In one incident in late 2022, a defendant attempted to smuggle 1¾ ounces of methamphetamine concealed inside his body, but that shipment was intercepted when the contraband was seen on an X-ray machine when the defendant was brought into custody, the indictment alleges.

    Members of the conspiracy allegedly discussed smuggling fentanyl-laced pills that could be sold inside the jail for 10 times the street price.

    The indictment unsealed today charges all 10 defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison. Nine of the defendants are additionally charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which also carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.

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

    The FBI and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Peter Dahlquist and Erin C. Kiss of the Riverside Branch Office are prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ramsey County Carjacker Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison

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

    MINNEAPOLIS – A Ramsey County man has been sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a string of carjackings and illegal possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, on June 30, 2022, Ricardo Rydell Walker, Jr., 22, approached the owner of a black 2021 Toyota Highlander as they exited the car, demanded everything in the driver’s pockets, and hit them on the left side of the head with a handgun. Walker also participated in three additional armed carjackings between February 2021 and June 2022, one in Minneapolis and two in Saint Paul. In each case, Walker and others used the threat of violence and intimidated the victims with firearms.

    On July 6, 2022, Walker was arrested in Maplewood, MN, in a stolen car, while in possession of a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol.

    On November 26, 2024, Walker pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of receipt of a firearm while under felony indictment.  He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Katherine M. Menendez.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the FBI.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Mattessich and Mary Riverso prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictment Charges Ellington Woman with Fraud and Tax Offenses

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

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned a 12-count indictment charging HEATHER MURDOCK, 57, of Ellington, with fraud and tax offenses stemming from an embezzlement scheme.

    The indictment was returned on March 19, 2025.  On March 20, Murdock appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $40,000 bond.

    As alleged in the indictment, Murdock was employed as the bookkeeper and office manager at a Hartford law firm, identified in court documents as “Firm A.”  Between approximately 2010 and 2022, using Firm A’s bookkeeping software, Murdock generated hundreds of false checks made payable to herself and on which she forged the signature of Firm A’s owner.  To conceal her embezzlement, Murdock doctored the bookkeeping system entries to make it appear that the checks had been issued to legitimate vendors.  Murdock deposited the forged checks into her own bank account.  Murdock stole approximately $583,953 through this scheme.

    The indictment also alleges that Murdock stole cash rental payment made by tenants of properties owned by Firm A’s owner.  To conceal her theft, Murdock generated false checks from Firm A’s bank account payable to the account in which Firm A’s owner received rental income, making it appear that the expected deposits of rental income had been made, and doctored references in the firm’s bookkeeping system.  Murdock stole approximately $251,314 through this scheme.

    The indictment further alleges that Murdock failed to pay federal income taxes on the embezzled funds and her wages from Firm A for the 2013 through 2022 tax years, and that she substantially underreported her income in 2011 and 2012.  Murdock’s underreported tax obligations total $248,294.

    The indictment charges Murdock with five counts of bank fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count; two counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; and five counts of tax evasion, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count.

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

    This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena L. Coronado.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: The FBI and the Portland Police Department Announce a $10,000 Reward for Information Leading to the Location of Miguel Oliveras

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

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force and the Portland Police Department are investigating the suspicious disappearance of Miguel Oliveras and are asking for the public’s assistance in locating him or his remains.

    The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone with information leading to Oliveras’ whereabouts.

    Oliveras, of Hyde Park, Massachusetts, was last seen around 1:00 a.m. on September 2, 2006, at the Platinum Plus Club on Riverside Street in Portland, Maine. He was wearing a grey camouflage long-sleeve shirt with a white t-shirt over it, green cargo shorts, and white sneakers.

    Oliveras is a Hispanic man with black hair and brown eyes. At the time he went missing, he was 24 years old, approximately 5’11” tall, and weighed approximately 170 pounds. He has tattoos on his neck, back, shoulder, and hand.  

    There have been no reported sightings or contacts by Oliveras since his suspicious disappearance, which is why the FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information.  

    The public is being asked to play an active role in locating Miguel by reviewing his missing person poster and sharing it on social media.

    “Despite exhaustive investigative efforts by law enforcement over the last two decades, we are unable to locate Miguel Oliveras,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Our goal with this $10,000 reward is to incentivize anyone with information about Miguel’s whereabouts to come forward so we can find him and provide his family with some much-needed closure.”

    “We are hopeful someone will come forward with additional information to help bring this case to a close,” added Portland Police Chief Mark Dubois. “This has been a priority for us and we certainly know it is to the family as well.”

    “Nothing has changed,” Miguel’s mother, Myrna Oliveras, said. “More frustration, more anger, it has been a long time. I just want to find him and bring him home. I need people to come forward.”

    Anyone with information regarding Miguel Oliveras’s location should call the Portland Police Department at 207-814-8584 or FBI Boston at 1-800-CALL-FBI.  Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Hollywood Hills Man Sentenced to Nearly Three and One Half Years in Federal Prison for Paying Nearly $2.9 Million in Kickbacks for Drug Addiction Patient Referrals

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

    LOS ANGELES – A Hollywood Hills man was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for paying illegal kickbacks for patient referrals to his addiction treatment facilities located in Orange County.

    Casey Mahoney, 48, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also fined him $240,000.        

    At the conclusion of a nine-day trial in September 2024, a jury found Mahoney guilty of one count of conspiracy to solicit, receive, pay, or offer illegal remunerations for patient referrals and seven counts of receiving illegal kickbacks for patient referrals. 

    “This defendant illegally profited millions of dollars off of addicts who desperately needed help,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Bribes and kickbacks compromise the integrity of substance abuse treatment facilities and undermine patient care. As the sentence imposed today demonstrates, those that engage in body brokering will go to federal prison.”

    The charges relate to Mahoney’s operation of two addiction treatment facilities: the Huntington Beach-based Healing Path Detox LLC, and the San Juan Capistrano-based Get Real Recovery Inc. 

    From at least October 2018 to December 2020, Mahoney paid nearly $2.9 million in illegal kickbacks to so-called “body brokers” who referred patients to Mahoney’s addiction treatment facilities. Those body brokers in turn paid thousands of dollars in cash to patients. Brokered patients sometimes were dropped off at motels in Orange County and introduced to drug dealers. Some of these patients later overdosed and died.

    Brokers also arranged for patients to receive drugs to make them eligible for more lucrative levels of care at Mahoney’s facilities. Mahoney paid one broker $140,000 per month for additional patients despite knowing that brokers offered to get some patients high. Mahoney also requested that his employees send brokers to track down former patients with lucrative insurance policies, which he called his “most wanted list.” 

    Throughout the scheme, Mahoney concealed the illegal kickbacks by entering into sham contracts with the body brokers which purportedly required fixed payments and prohibited payments based off of the volume or value of the patient referrals.

    In reality, Mahoney and the brokers negotiated payments based on the patients’ insurance reimbursements and the number of days Mahoney was able to bill for treatment. 

    The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The California Department of Insurance provided valuable assistance.

    Assistant United States Attorney Nandor F.R. Kiss of the Orange County Office and Justice Department Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case.

    Mahoney’s conviction arose out of violations of the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA). EKRA was enacted in October 2018 as part of comprehensive legislation designed to address the opioid crisis and to target the rise in body brokering and substance abuse facility profiteering.

    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 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24.7 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, 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: Fayette County woman accused of committing identity theft, money laundering in scam conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A southern Illinois grand jury returned a 19-count indictment charging a Fayette County woman for working as a “money mule” within a conspiracy to defraud victims and use their stolen identities.

    Elizabeth Conrad, 54, of Ramsey, is facing one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, two counts of mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, one count of access device fraud, seven counts of money laundering and seven counts of aggravated identity theft.

    “Criminal conspiracies are as varied as the creative minds behind them, limited only by the ingenuity of the con artists orchestrating the scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Be extremely cautious anytime someone you have never met offers investments, employment, or asks for money, electronics, or your personal information—it’s likely a scam.”

    According to court documents, Conrad is accused of serving as a “money mule” for other scammers in a conspiracy to defraud victims from at least June 2020 until September 2022. Money mules are people who, at someone else’s direction, receive and move money or valuables obtained from victims of fraud. Money mules add layers of distance between crime victims and criminals, which makes it harder for law enforcement to accurately trace funds that are fraudulently obtained from victims.   

    The indictment alleges Conrad accepted packages at her home sent through the mail from victims containing cash, checks, gift cards and electronics. Knowing the goods were fraudulently acquired, Conrad would then repackage the items and send off to her co-conspirators. Conrad is also accused of attempting to deposit the checks and wiring funds to her co-conspirators in cryptocurrency.

    “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others to enrich themselves. Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including the multiple individual consumer and business victims in this investigation,” said Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.

    In addition to the mail fraud, Conrad’s charges for access device fraud, identity theft and money laundering stem from accusations of her and co-conspirators using victims’ names to acquire debit cards that were sent to Conrad. Conrad is accused of using those debit cards for bank withdrawals and purchases to benefit the conspiracy. The indictment outlines ten fraudulent transactions that Conrad is accused of making at ATMs and gas stations in southern Illinois from March through June 2022, and alleges that she received thousands of dollars from these transactions to benefit the conspiracy.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

    Convictions for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, money laundering and mail fraud are punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Access device fraud is punishable up to 10 years’ imprisonment and conspiracy to commit access device fraud is punishable up to five years’ imprisonment. Aggravated identity theft is a mandatory two years’ imprisonment consecutive to the imposed sentence.

    The U.S. Postal Inspection Service St. Louis Field Office is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – Steven Christopher Kelban, age 50, of Catonsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.  Kelban was identified as a suspect in the trafficking of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also called child pornography, during Baltimore County Police Department’s online investigation of the BitTorrent network.  

    The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes, along with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office, Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

    According to his guilty plea, Kelban has two prior convictions for child pornography.  In 2015, Kelban was convicted of possession of obscene matter of persons under 17 in Shelby County, Alabama, and in 2016, he was convicted of distribution of child pornography in Baltimore County, Maryland. 

    As detailed in the plea agreement, on November 20, 2023, Kelban was released from imprisonment in Alabama and returned to Maryland.  He registered as a sex offender in Maryland on November 21, 2023, listing an address in Baltimore County, Maryland. 

    On November 28, 2023, the Baltimore County Police Department conducted an online investigation of the BitTorrent network to find offenders sharing child pornography.  His IP address was associated with a torrent that contained over 2000 files, including at least one file of suspected child pornography. Between 12:33 am and 1:38 am on November 28, 2023, investigators directly connected to the device and downloaded the torrent, and therefore each file was downloaded directly from the IP address.  The IP address for the device was connected to Kelban’s residence in Baltimore County, the same address that Kelban used when he registered as a sex offender a week prior.

    Kelban faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025, at 11 a.m.

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

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended FBI and the BCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood, who is prosecuting the federal case.

    For more information on 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: GRENADA COUNTY MAN SENTENCED IN OCDETF DRUG TRAFFICKING CASE

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Oxford, MS – A Grenada County man was sentenced today to over twelve years in prison for selling methamphetamine.

    According to court documents, Billy Wayne Winters, of Grenada County, Mississippi pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to distribution of methamphetamine. Winters was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Glen H. Davidson on Tuesday to 151 months in prison for drug trafficking. He was further sentenced to three years supervised release following his release from prison.

    “The defendant, a meth dealer, was willing to destroy lives in return for a profit,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner.  “Our office will continue our outstanding partnership with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics to get dangerous narcotics, and the people who sell them, off of our streets.”

    “Great job to everyone involved in this case,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “Another drug dealer taken off the streets, preventing further harm to the livelihood of our citizens.”

    The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal alien cartel member sent to prison for possessing nearly 5,000 rounds of ammunition

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A 20-year-old Mexican national affiliated with Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) unlawfully residing in Laredo has been sentenced for illegally possessing ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Charbel Garza Macias pleaded guilty Oct. 8, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered Macias to serve 63 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Macias as member of the CDN. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Macias was providing tools of war to a brutal criminal organization.

    “This defendant’s goal was to get this ammunition to Mexico and, if he had succeeded, would have contributed to the cartels’ ongoing campaign of brutality,” said Ganjei.  “Those who work to arm, supply, fund, or otherwise aid these organizations take notice; you are going to be found and prosecuted.”

    “The conviction and sentence of this individual highlights the serious consequences of smuggling ammunition across international borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI). ICE-HSI remains committed to disrupting cross-border criminal operations and ensuring that individuals who engage in these illegal activities face the full weight of the law.”

    Macias had made several bulk purchases of ammunition in Laredo with the intention of transporting them to Mexico for profit.

    On July 16, 2024, authorities were conducting surveillance when they observed a vehicle previously suspected of transporting large amounts of high caliber ammunition. Macias was driving and had loaded ammunition into the trunk of the vehicle.

    Macias attempted to elude law enforcement as they followed him after departing the parking lot.

    Following a traffic stop, a search resulted in the discovery of approximately 4,800 rounds of .223/5.56 caliber ammunition in the vehicle. At the time of his arrest, Macias admitted he was hired to purchase approximately 20,000 rounds of ammunition to be smuggled into Mexico. He claimed the ammunition was for the CDN operating in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

    Macias did not have a license to export ammunition or firearms and knew it was illegal to smuggle ammunition into Mexico.

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

    ICE-HSI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan L. Oliver prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Lehigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Crimes

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

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that George “Travis” Woodfield, 41, of Macungie, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., to one count of transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and one count of accessing with intent to view child pornography.

    Woodfield was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 5, 2024.

    As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Woodfield drove an 11-year-old child across state lines for an overnight trip to New York City in November 2018 in order to engage in sexual activity with the child. During the trip, Woodfield sexually abused the child in their hotel room. Further, between September 2015 and July 2024, Woodfield accessed numerous depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.

    The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life in prison. 

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and FBI Richmond with assistance from the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section’s High-Tech Investigations Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca J. Kulik, CEOS Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer T. Leonardo, and CEOS Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Investigation launched following discovery of the body of a newborn baby

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    An investigation has begun following the discovery of the body of a newborn baby in Notting Hill – and police are urgently appealing for the mother to come forward for her own welfare.

    Officers were called at 12:46hrs on Tuesday, 25 March to Talbot Road, W11, following a report that the body of a baby had been found in a bag, left outside a church.

    London Ambulance Service also attended and sadly the baby was declared dead at the scene.

    Officers remain in the area and urgent enquiries are ongoing to locate the baby’s mother. At this stage we have not established the baby’s gender or exact age.

    Superintendent Owen Renowden said: “This is an extremely sad and shocking matter and officers are working hard to establish the circumstances around what has taken place.

    “This investigation is in the early stages and our immediate priority is to locate the baby’s mother, who we believe may have very recently given birth.

    “If you are the baby’s mother and are reading this, please come forward to police or medical professionals. You must feel very frightened but please let us help – we are really worried about you and it is vitally important you get medical assistance and support. You can walk into any hospital, or a police station.”

    Anyone who may have any information about this incident should contact police on 101, quoting reference CAD 3431/25March.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Lynchburg Man Sentenced to 106 Months on Gun and Drug Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LYNCHBURG, Va. – A local man who trafficked pressed fentanyl pills and oxycodone while possessing a firearm was sentenced last week to 106 months in federal prison.

    Shytrez Robey, 25, pled guilty in November 2024 to one count of possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possessing with the intent to distribute oxycodone, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

    According to court documents, after repeatedly making controlled purchases of pressed fentanyl pills from Robey’s roommate, Elijah Pollard, police obtained and executed a search warrant for the two-bedroom apartment Robey and Pollard shared in Lynchburg. Pollard pled guilty to separate federal charges and was sentenced to 12 years in July 2024.

    In Robey’s bedroom, police found pressed blue fentanyl pills and two loaded handguns – a Glock 19 9 mm and a Smith & Wesson 9 mm. Police also found a money counter, medical gloves, and empty vacuum-sealed bags. Robey was not home at the time the search warrant was executed.

    Approximately two months later, law enforcement arrested Robey at his girlfriend’s apartment in Lynchburg. Police subsequently obtained and executed a search warrant for that apartment, and, in the bedroom occupied by Robey, his girlfriend, and a toddler, they found a large quantity of marijuana, 60-70 pills of assorted colors, which were predominantly oxycodone, and a loaded Romarm Micro Draco AK-pattern pistol. Police also seized Robey’s cell phone which contained text messages related to the sale of pills.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lynchburg Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: What is Isotope Hydrology?

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Like everything we see in the world, isotopes are a type of atom, the smallest unit of matter that retains all the chemical properties of an element. Isotopes are forms of a chemical element with specific properties. 

    You can see the different chemical elements on the periodic table. 

    Each element is distinguished by the number of protons, neutrons and electrons that it possesses. The atoms of each chemical element have a defined number of protons and electrons, but – crucially – not neutrons, whose numbers can vary. 

    Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. They share almost the same chemical properties, but differ in mass and therefore in physical properties.  

    There are stable isotopes, which do not emit radiation, and there are unstable isotopes, which do emit radiation. The latter are called radioisotopes. 

    Learn more about isotopes here.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jessamine County Man Sentenced for Production of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Wilmore, Ky., man, Jason Horton, 43, was sentenced on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 35 years in prison, for production of child pornography. 

    According to his plea agreement, in October 2023, law enforcement received a tip that Horton, a previously convicted sex offender, was using online platforms to engage in the sexual exploitation of minors.  Law enforcement obtained search warrants for Horton’s residence and electronic devices.  On Horton’s phone, it was revealed that he engaged in online conversations with minors in which he solicited them to produce sexually explicit images.  Horton specifically admitted to engaging in an online relationship with a 16-year-old victim, conducted primarily via Snapchat, and persuading her to create sexually explicit images which were transmitted to him via the internet.

    Horton also admitted that he was required to register as a sex offender at the time of this offense, due to a 2004 Kentucky conviction for rape and sodomy in the second degree.

    Under federal law, Horton must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon Horton’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. 

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sherriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by HIS, Kentucky State Police, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Colombian Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced To 24 Years In Prison For Conspiring To Send More Than A Ton Of Cocaine To The United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Oscar Henao-Montoya and His Co-Conspirators Touted Henao-Montoya’s Ability to Produce Cocaine, Control of Colombian Airstrips and Ports, and Relationships with Corrupt Members of the Colombian Air Force in Effort to Import Cocaine to the United States

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Louis A. D’Ambrosio, the Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced that OSCAR HENAO-MONTOYA, a Colombian national, was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States.  HENAO-MONTOYA was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, before whom he previously pled guilty to one count of cocaine importation conspiracy.  Two of HENAO-MONTOYA’s charged co-conspirators, REHINNER MONTOYA-GARCIA and JUAN FELIPE SANTIBANEZ-CARDONA, also previously pled guilty to one count of cocaine importation conspiracy and were sentenced by Judge Caproni to 20 years and 15 years in prison, respectively. 

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Oscar Henao-Montoya and his co-conspirators sought to send a staggering quantity of cocaine from Colombia to the United States.  Today’s sentence, and those previously imposed in this case, send a clear message that those who seek to traffic cocaine into the United States will pay a steep price for their actions.  This Office, through its longstanding partnership with the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, will hold accountable those who seek to break our narcotics laws and harm our communities, regardless of where in the world they may hide.” 

    As reflected in the Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, and statements made in open court:

    HENAO-MONTOYA is a Colombian drug trafficker with longstanding familial connections to international cocaine distribution.  HENAO-MONTOYA is the younger brother of Orlando Henao-Montoya, a/k/a “El Hombre Overol,” the former leader of the Norte del Valle Cartel, the notorious drug cartel which operated principally in the Valle del Cauca region of Colombia and rose to prominence in the late 1990s after the Cali and Medellin cartels fragmented. HENAO-MONTOYA’s siblings also include Arcángel Henao Montoya, a/k/a “El Mocho,” Fernando Henao-Montoya, and Lorena Henao-Montoya, a/k/a “La Viuda De La Mafia.”  Together, the Henao-Montoya siblings ran the Norte del Valle Cartel, until Orlando and Lorena were murdered, and Arcángel Henao Montoya was deported from Panama to the U.S. 

    Between October 2020 and August 2021, HENAO-MONTOYA and co-conspirators who worked for HENAO-MONTOYA, including MONTOYA-GARCIA and SANTIBANEZ-CARDONA, participated in a series of meetings in Colombia with DEA confidential sources (the “CSes”), who were acting at the direction of the DEA, to discuss their plans to import tons of cocaine into the U.S.  During those meetings, many of which were recorded, HENAO-MONTOYA discussed, among other things, his ability to export large quantities of cocaine from Colombia via control of airstrips (clandestine and overt) and ports in Colombia, as well as his relationships with corrupt members of the Colombian Air Force.  HENAO-MONTOYA and his co-conspirators also discussed various shipping routes to transport cocaine out of Colombia to the U.S. and, specifically, New York.  During certain of the meetings described above, HENAO-MONTOYA and individuals working for HENAO-MONTOYA were armed with firearms.

    During meetings with the CSes, HENAO-MONTOYA also discussed his access to and control of cocaine laboratories that could produce over one ton of cocaine, including a laboratory that HENAO-MONTOYA said could produce 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of cocaine at a time. On one occasion, MONTOYA-GARCIA brought one of the CSes to territory controlled by the Revolution Armed Forces of Colombia (“FARC”), which MONTOYA-GARCIA said was where HENAO-MONTOYA had drug laboratories, and that these laboratories were guarded by FARC members.

    To ensure that their plan to import cocaine into the U.S. would be successful, HENAO-MONTOYA and his co-conspirators tested and provided cocaine samples for the CSes.  For example, in October 2020, MONTOYA-GARCIA and SANTIBANEZ-CARDONA provided a one-kilogram sample of cocaine to one of the CSes to test its quality.  After expressing satisfaction with the quality of the cocaine, the CS told MONTOYA-GARCIA and SANTIBANEZ-CARDONA that “the Americans will go crazy in the United States” for the cocaine.  In addition, in April 2021, at HENAO-MONTOYA’s direction, MONTOYA-GARCIA provided an eight-kilogram sample of cocaine to undercover agents working for the Colombian National Police in exchange for approximately $16,000, which was intended to serve as a sample for the contemplated ton-quantity cocaine shipments that HENAO-MONTOYA and his co-conspirators sought to send to the U.S.

    *               *                *

    In addition to the prison term, HENAO-MONTOYA, 58, of Colombia, was sentenced to four years of supervised release.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota and the Colombian National Police for their assistance.

    This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Matthew J.C. Hellman, David J. Robles, and Chelsea L. Scism are in charge of the prosecution.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Eddington Man Arrested, Charged with Making Online Threat

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Maine: An Eddington man, Thadius Wind, was arrested today and charged by criminal complaint with transmitting an interstate threat.

    As alleged in the criminal complaint, in 2024, the FBI received information from Meta about a Facebook user who had discussed committing violence against police and military. The FBI also received online tips from members of the public about threatening statements made on X (previously known as Twitter). After further investigation, in November 2024 the FBI obtained and executed a search warrant relating to the X account. The recovered posts contained threats to Jews, political figures, the Supreme Court, and others. Details associated with the account were traced to Thadius Wind.

    The FBI and Secret Service are investigating the case with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.

    A complaint 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: Defense News: Emory S. Land Arrives in Darwin

    Source: United States Navy

    The submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) arrived in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia for a regularly scheduled port call, March 25. Darwin is the 17th port call of Emory S. Land’s current deployment, which began May 17, 2024.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Winnebago Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury

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

    Acting United States Attorney Matt R. Molsen announced that Gabriel Lee Rice, 36, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 20, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a spouse or intimate or dating partner. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Rice to 30 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Rice’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

    In July 2022, Rice assaulted a woman known to him, pinning her against a wall, then covering her mouth and nose with his hand. Rice restricted the victim’s breathing to the point that the victim could not breathe at all and fell unconscious. The assault occurred in front of a child.

    This case was prosecuted in federal court because the offense was a felony and occurred on the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Nebraska.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Defendants Arrested For Sledgehammer Smash-And-Grab Robbery Of Jewelry Store

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging KEVIN WILLIAMS and BYRON WILSON with the robbery of a jewelry store in Hartsdale, New York, on December 16, 2024, in which the defendants stole approximately $1.7 million of jewelry. WILLIAMS and WILSON were arrested this morning in New Jersey, and are expected to be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “As alleged, Kevin Williams and Byron Wilson, along with their co-conspirators, carried out the violent robbery of a jewelry store in broad daylight. Armed with sledgehammers, the defendants smashed their way in and then plundered the store of about $1.7 million in jewelry, diamonds, and luxury watches, all while innocent customers and employees hid for their safety. Today’s arrests should make clear that if you commit such brazen and dangerous crimes in this District, we will find you and hold you responsible.”

    As alleged in the Complaint:[1]

    On December 16, 2024, WILLIAMS, WILSON, and their co-conspirators drove a stolen vehicle with a stolen license plate from New Jersey to New York. At around 11:07 a.m., they arrived at a jewelry store in the Westchester Square shopping plaza in Hartsdale, New York, got out of the vehicle, and sledgehammered their way into the store. Once inside, and while innocent customers cowered in fear for their safety, the robbers smashed jewelry display cases and stole around $1.7 million in jewelry, diamonds, and luxury watches. Soon after, they returned to their vehicle with bags of stolen goods and drove back to New Jersey. Surveillance images of the robbery are below. 

    Once they arrived in New Jersey, WILLIAMS drove to the Diamond District in New York City, while WILSON returned to their shared residence. A few hours later, WILLIAMS, WILSON, and their co-conspirators took photographs of themselves holding large stacks of cash.

    *                *                *

    KEVIN WILLIAMS, 26, and BYRON WILSON, 24, both of Irvington, New Jersey, are charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

    The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force and Newark Field Office, as well as the Nassau County Police Major Case Squad, the Town of Greenburgh Police Department, and the Newark Police Department.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Reyhan Watson is in charge of the prosecution.

    The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    [1]As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduras Man Charged with Multiple Firearms Charges Following Burglary of a Federal Firearms Licensee in Dickson, Tennessee

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NASHVILLE – Manuel De Jesus Guirola-Amaya, 20, a citizen of Honduras without legal status in the United States, has been indicted by a federal grand jury with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, possession of a stolen firearm, and stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.

    According to court documents, on December 5, 2024, a burglary occurred at Golden Eagle Pawn, a Federal Firearms Licensee, in Dickson, Tennessee. Surveillance video showed two stolen cars arrive at the shop, one of which rammed the front door. Four people got out of the cars and went into the store, targeting several firearms displays. About two minutes after crashing into the store, the four subjects left in one of the stolen cars. More than 40 firearms were stolen during the burglary.

    Later that day, a La Vergne Police Department officer stopped a car with an expired registration. The sole occupant of the car was Guirola-Amaya. Inside the trunk of the car, officers discovered a backpack containing five pistols that had been stolen in the Golden Eagle Pawn burglary and still had the price tags attached. Officers also found another backpack in the backseat with two pistols which were also reported stolen from Golden Eagle Pawn, one of which still had a price tag attached. The backpack also held suspected marijuana, and a set of digital scales.

    Agents later executed a federal search warrant at a residence tied to Guirola-Amaya. They discovered, among other things, a high-capacity magazine, ammunition, and price tags consistent with the Golden Eagle Pawn price tags. Agents also executed several search warrants on cell phones found on Guirola-Amaya or in the car the day of his arrest. The data extraction results from the phones provided further ties to the burglary including photographs and videos of firearms, location data, and search queries.

    Guirola-Amaya entered the United States illegally in March 2022, and has no lawful status.

    If convicted, Guirola-Amaya faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison on Count One, which charges possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and 10 years each on the other two counts. Guirola-Amaya also faces a $250,000 fine on each count.

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

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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

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