NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tonasket Man Charged with Receiving and Possessing Sexually Explicit Material from Minors

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced today that Daniel John Kraft, age 41, was charged by criminal complaint on one count of Receipt of Child Pornography and one count of Possession of Child Pornography. Kraft was arraigned in federal court on March 10, 2025.

    According to court documents, in September 2024, the Sanders County Montana Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) developed information that Snapchat user “smokeweed5468” was soliciting sexual images from a minor. “Smokeweed5468” also told the minor he knew where they lived and threatened to kidnap the minor and take them to Mexico.

    Investigators obtained a warrant for the Snapchat account for “smokeweed5468.” The records from Snapchat contained more than a dozen sexually explicit videos of minors. “Smokeweed5468” also used Snapchat to offer the minors drugs and money and asked if the minors would be willing to sneak out and meet with him.

    Investigators learned the Snapchat account was allegedly being used at home in Tonasket, Washington, owned by Kraft. The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) confirmed Kraft lived at the home. OCSO also confirmed Kraft was a registered sex offender for violations committed in 2013.

    On March 5, 2025, the Washington State Patrol took Kraft into custody at his home in Tonasket. Investigators seized several electronic devices. A search of Kraft’s cellphone allegedly revealed Snapchat running in the background of the device. In addition, investigators allegedly located several sexually explicit images involving minors on Kraft’s phone that were also on the “smokeweed5468” Snapchat account. 

    This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Seattle Police Department, Washington State Patrol, the Eastern Region Washington Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Sanders County Sheriff’s Office, and the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.

    2:25-mj-00091-JAG

    A complaint 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: Federal Court Finds Louisiana Tax Return Preparer in Contempt and Orders Disgorgement of Ill-Gotten Fees and Litigation Costs as Sanctions

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Note: View order here.

    Last week, a federal court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, found Whylithia R. Robinson in contempt for violating a permanent injunction that prohibited her and her business AAA Tax Service LLC from preparing, filing, or assisting in the preparation or filing of federal tax returns for others.

    The United States filed a complaint against Robinson and AAA Tax Service on Jan. 23, 2023. According to the complaint, Robinson prepared and filed 2,629 federal income tax returns for customers though AAA Tax Service from 2019-2021. The complaint further alleged that Robinson displayed a pattern of filing tax returns during this period that understated the customer’s tax liabilities and overstated tax refunds by fabricating business losses, claiming false charitable donations, or falsely claiming education credits for customers who were not entitled to them. On April 23, 2023, the court issued a default judgment of permanent injunction that barred Robinson and AAA Tax Services from preparing tax returns for others.

    Following a hearing last week, the court found that the United States demonstrated that Robinson violated the permanent injunction by continuing to prepare 227 tax returns for others. For these violations, the court held Robinson in civil contempt and ordered as sanctions that she disgorge $68,100 in ill-gotten fees she earned in violation of the injunction and reimburse the United States its costs of litigation and travel expenses.

    Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard personal information.

    In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for 2022 Armed Carjacking in City’s West Oak Lane Section

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Naseem Rashidi Clouden, 23, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 13 by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 121 months in prison and five years of supervised release for one count of carjacking and one count of carrying and using a firearm during, and in relation to, the commission of a crime of violence.

    Clouden was indicted on those violations in January of 2023. He pleaded guilty in November of 2024, admitting to carjacking a woman who was sitting in her mother’s Toyota Camry at approximately 8 p.m. on November 3, 2022, in Philadelphia. As part of his plea, the defendant also admitted that a firearm was used during and in relation to the armed carjacking.

    According to the publicly filed documents in this case, the victim reported that while sitting in her mother’s vehicle in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia, six men including the defendant approached the vehicle on foot. The defendant and his accomplices pulled on the door handles of the car and ordered the victim out of the vehicle and two of the men pointed guns at her. When she did not move fast enough, one of the men yelled: “shoot her” and the victim immediately complied and got out of the car. Four offenders then jumped into the vehicle and drove away.

    The victim immediately called the police, and two officers enroute to the scene observed the victim’s mother’s vehicle. The officers pursued the vehicle until it stopped on the 6200 block of Old York Road and three men fled from the vehicle on foot. The officers then chased after the men, recovered a firearm on the block, and within a short time, located the defendant hiding under a van. The defendant was taken into custody and identified as one of the persons who committed the carjacking.

    “Naseem Clouden terrorized our city at gunpoint. These offenses are a priority for my office and our partners on Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We simply won’t stand for these senseless acts of violence. The crime of federal carjacking brings significant prison time, as Clouden’s sentence shows: a decade in prison for a crime that took just moments to commit.”

    “‘Shoot her!’ a carjacker yelled, as the victim scrambled to save her own life. Armed carjacking is a brutal, dangerous crime, and thanks to the responding police officers, Naseem Rashidi Clouden has been convicted and sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison for it,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Together with our Carjacking Task Force partners we are applying ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools to stop criminals like this from terrorizing our neighborhoods.”

    “This latest sentencing of a carjacker is a testament to the continued commitment of the Philadelphia Police Department and our law enforcement partners to stem the tide of violent crime in our city,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “Carjacking endangers the safety and peace of mind of our residents, and we will not tolerate it. Through our continued collaboration with federal agencies, we will ensure those who commit these crimes are pursued, prosecuted, and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

    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 investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Stram.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Palm Coast Man Indicted For Distributing, Receiving, And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Jonathan Albert Carter (44, Palm Coast) with one count of distribution, two counts of receiving, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If convicted on all counts, Carter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for each of the distribution and receipt charges, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, for the possession of CSAM. 

    According to the indictment, on or about August 13, 2021, Carter knowingly distributed CSAM. On or about December 12, 2022, and on or about November 19, 2023, Carter knowingly received CSAM, and on or about January 4, 2023, Carter possessed CSAM that depicted a minor who had not yet attained 12 years of age.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.

    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 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hot Springs Man Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Prison for Money Laundering and Wire Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOT SPRINGS – An Arkansas man was sentenced on March 12, 2025, to 57 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $252,344.00 in restitution, followed by three years of supervised release following his guilty pleas to money laundering and wire fraud charges.  The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing, which took place in the United States District Court in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

    According to court documents, John Christopher Bates, 57, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with money laundering and wire fraud. The two counts related to separate schemes, one involving false applications for benefits to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, who administers the state’s distribution of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.  The other related to Bates’s fraudulent applications for Economic Impact Disaster Loans, totaling more than $1 million. 

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

    The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trent Daniels and Hunter Bridges prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Federal Court Finds Louisiana Tax Return Preparer in Contempt and Orders Disgorgement of Ill-Gotten Fees and Litigation Costs as Sanctions

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    Note: View order here.

    Last week, a federal court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, found Whylithia R. Robinson in contempt for violating a permanent injunction that prohibited her and her business AAA Tax Service LLC from preparing, filing, or assisting in the preparation or filing of federal tax returns for others.

    The United States filed a complaint against Robinson and AAA Tax Service on Jan. 23, 2023. According to the complaint, Robinson prepared and filed 2,629 federal income tax returns for customers though AAA Tax Service from 2019-2021. The complaint further alleged that Robinson displayed a pattern of filing tax returns during this period that understated the customer’s tax liabilities and overstated tax refunds by fabricating business losses, claiming false charitable donations, or falsely claiming education credits for customers who were not entitled to them. On April 23, 2023, the court issued a default judgment of permanent injunction that barred Robinson and AAA Tax Services from preparing tax returns for others.

    Following a hearing last week, the court found that the United States demonstrated that Robinson violated the permanent injunction by continuing to prepare 227 tax returns for others. For these violations, the court held Robinson in civil contempt and ordered as sanctions that she disgorge $68,100 in ill-gotten fees she earned in violation of the injunction and reimburse the United States its costs of litigation and travel expenses.

    Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard personal information.

    In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Director Emma Burnham of the Antitrust Division’s Criminal Enforcement Section Delivers Remarks to Global Competition Review

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Thank you to Global Competition Review for putting together today’s program. I am grateful for the opportunity to close out what I imagine has been a full day of interesting discussions.

    Let me cut to the chase. As I’m sure you are all aware, like the rest of the federal government, we at the Antitrust Division are in the midst of a transition. I know from my experience at the Division through previous transitions that these periods always raise questions about our enforcement levels and priorities going forward, about how we’ll deploy our finite resources. And I know you all are eager for answers on whether and how our enforcement priorities might shift. Of course, I won’t attempt to speak for our new and incoming leadership team at the Department, but what I can say is that I fully expect robust antitrust enforcement to continue, with cartel enforcement being no exception.

    With that said, I will offer some thoughts on our recent and ongoing criminal enforcement work and our core mission.

    I’ll start with a few simple truths.

    First, our country relies on free markets.

    Second, vigorous antitrust enforcement is essential to protect free markets and ensure that we all receive the benefits of competition.

    Third, that enforcement mission has a critical criminal prosecution component. If we did not prosecute those who commit antitrust crimes like price fixing and monopolization schemes, unchecked collusion, consolidation, and anticompetitive crimes would distort our markets and raise prices — including on everyday products we all rely on, as well as for vital goods and services the government needs to ensure our national security and provide critical infrastructure. This is why areas like healthcare, defense spending, agriculture and food supply, infrastructure and housing, and technology for just a few examples, continue to be staples of our work.

    So, it is not surprising that we are continuing to investigate and charge criminal cases — across a wide array of sectors and across all levels of the economy. These investigations and cases have significant impacts on key areas of public procurement and private spending.

    We are not even through the first quarter of 2025, and already our statistics are tangible evidence that our enforcement is not letting up. Thus far this year, our teams have charged 15 defendants — one company and 14 individuals — and have obtained 24 guilty pleas — two from companies and 22 from individuals. I would be the first to acknowledge that numbers aren’t the whole story. Much of our work goes on behind the scenes, in a covert posture, and the public filings are merely the tip of a vast iceberg.

    But the numbers can certainly tell you something about our priorities. I think you can take away two things from these statistics: first, we are not shying away from enforcement; and second, we remain deeply committed to individual accountability — never forgetting the essential, unique deterrent role that prison sentences serve.

    The recent charges include a slate of guilty pleas in US v. Martinez, a case where 12 individuals were charged with using anticompetitive and violent means to monopolize the market for transmigrante forwarding services in the Los Indios, Texas, area, and to enforce a price fixing and market allocation conspiracy. The majority of defendants have now pleaded guilty, including to landmark criminal monopolization conspiracy charges.

    I’ll note that it was just about three years ago when Antitrust Division officials began observing in public fora like this one that Section 2 of the Sherman Act, like Section 1, is a felony offense and that the Antitrust Division had a long and storied record — albeit interrupted by a half century of underenforcement — of prosecuting monopolization crimes. Several years ago, some may have thought it remarkable to hear from an enforcer that if the facts and the law lead us to the conclusion that a criminal charge based on Section 2 of the Sherman Act is warranted, we’ll charge it. But from where we stand today, the landscape has changed. Several years on, the Division has done exactly what was previewed: we have charged several criminal monopolization cases, using the statute as Congress wrote and intended it to punish those who seek to monopolize markets through anticompetitive means.

    The charges in Martinez are also illustrative for another reason — they show that antitrust crimes occur at all levels of the economy and that antitrust crime can also occur alongside and be carried out with other crimes — including extortion and acts of violence.

    Beyond Martinez, the Division’s recent guilty pleas include defendants charged with conspiracies and schemes targeting government procurement, which our teams investigated with our law enforcement partners through the Procurement Collusion Strike Force. For example, four defendants pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges arising from schemes targeting IT sales to the Department of Defense and intelligence community. Those pleas included a former government official who admitted to accepting bribes in exchange for ensuring that another defendant received government contracts at inflated prices.

    And within the last month, three individuals and one company admitted to rigging bids in the Division’s ongoing investigation into widespread bid rigging and fraud targeting sports equipment for schools that has, in total, resulted in six defendants charged to date, all of whom have pleaded guilty. At least 100 schools throughout Mississippi and elsewhere have been victimized by these conspiracies. And in a different investigation, another defendant recently pleaded guilty to obstruction for destroying evidence, demonstrating yet again that we will pursue cases where defendants seek to obstruct or impede criminal or civil antitrust investigations by destroying evidence or lying to agents and enforcers.

    Additional recent successes relate to our continued pursuit of bid rigging and collusion in construction and infrastructure industries. In an ongoing investigation, four individuals and a company recently admitted rigging bids for commercial roofing services in Florida — a vital industry given that safe, affordable roofing is critical to Florida communities prone to hurricanes. And two more individuals pleaded guilty in a long running investigation of bid rigging of asphalt paving services in the Detroit area. In total seven individuals and three companies have been charged and admitted guilt in that investigation.

    I think it’s also worth noting that these charges continue to expose individuals to real prison sentences — leading to significant general deterrence. Take as one example the most recent criminal antitrust case that went to trial — against two executives, Greg and David Melton, who were convicted of fixing prices, rigging bids, and allocating jobs in the sale of ready-mix concrete in the Savannah, Georgia area. They were sentenced to 41 and 26 months in prison.

    At that sentencing hearing — I will quote from the transcript because it is an important reminder of how courts view these violations — the judge observed that the crime of conviction was, in effect, “years of decisions that stole from the American people, from our economy.”

    The judge went on to say: “That’s what antitrust is. It’s like thievery, because at the bedrock of the greatest economy in the history of the world is competition. That’s what we’ve always been founded on. I have naturalization ceremonies in our courtrooms, and I tell new citizens, welcome to the country where you have the greatest potential and opportunity that you’ll ever have, because we’re a meritocracy. You come here; you do a good job, and you can obtain anything. That’s the American dream.

    When we rig a system, when we rig government or we rig the economy, we steal from that dream.

    It’s very, very serious conduct; and that’s why we have serious consequences for it.”

    And this is precisely why our work continues. Teams are preparing for three trials in the coming months. The first of these, scheduled to begin March 24 in Las Vegas, charges an individual with wage fixing and fraud in the healthcare industry. Next up, is another individual trial, set for April in the District of Idaho, on charges of market allocation in wildfire fighting services sold to the U.S. Forest Service, part of our ongoing work prosecuting procurement collusion through the PCSF. And in May, a team is heading to Oklahoma to try a case against two executives and a company charged with rigging bids and fixing prices in erosion control products and services for highway construction.

    These cases, like so many others we have brought, have a direct impact on the livelihood of regular Americans and are a vital part of our government’s work to safeguard the public’s tax dollars. Their variety — in terms of industry and geography — reflect the breadth of our work and its importance to our country.

    Beyond those cases, our covert and nonpublic work is ongoing. We have more grand jury investigations open now than at any time in my career, more than twice as many investigations as we had a decade ago. I expect to be able to share developments in some of these investigations in the near future.

    In sum, our criminal enforcement work is continuing.

    I want to conclude by recognizing the work that the Antitrust Division does cannot happen without its people — the beating heart of the organization. Fundamentally, the Antitrust Division is its people, who make significant sacrifices to perform their public service roles. They continue to operate at the highest level as they investigate and prosecute cases to protect American consumers and our open markets. I’m so proud of the work they do, and I remain incredibly grateful that I have the opportunity to work alongside them every day. Thank you.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Corner Brook — RCMP Major Crimes Unit West arrests man in Port au Port West, attempt murder charge laid

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP NL’s Major Crime Unit (MCU) West arrested 66-year-old Wayne Harold Hynes of Port au Port West on March 16, 2025, as part of an ongoing investigation that left a snowmobiler with life-threatening injuries.

    At approximately 4:30 p.m. on February 21, 2025, Bay St. George RCMP responded to the report of an injured snowmobiler on Gravel’s Pond in Port au Port. The operator of the snowmobile fell from the machine after it came to a stop and sustained serious injuries that did not appear to be consistent with the fall from the snowmobile. The RCMP MCU was engaged to continue the investigation.

    As part of the investigation, police determined the level of injury to the snowmobiler was not as a result of the fall from the snowmobile.

    On February 25, 2025, with a search warrant authorized under the Criminal Code, RCMP MCU searched Hynes’s residence and seized a number of items as part of this investigation.

    In continuing the investigation, Hynes was arrested yesterday at his home without incident and was held in police custody overnight. He appeared in provincial court today, via teleconference, was charged with attempted murder and was remanded into custody. His next court appearance takes place on March 18, 2025.

    The investigation is continuing.

    Background:

    https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2025/rcmp-nls-mcu-searches-home-port-au-port-part-injured-snowmobiler-investigation

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CTG 73.6, RTN Dive Unit, ROKN UTC Conduct Diver Training during Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 [Image 1 of 10]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    SATTAHIP, Thailand (March 3, 2025) U.S. Navy Diver 2nd Class Gabe Gaona, left, assigned to Commander, Task Group 73.6/Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1-6 (CTG 73.6/MDSU 1-6), inspects dive equipment with a Royal Thai Navy (RTN) diver, assigned to RTN Dive Unit, in preparation for a diving exercise as part of Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 in Thailand, March 3, 2025. Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/ Task Force 73 (COMLOGWESTPAC/CTF 73) sustains the U.S. Navy’s maritime forces and is responsible for all diving and salvage operations in the Western Pacific in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 03.03.2025
    Date Posted: 03.17.2025 11:31
    Photo ID: 8919832
    VIRIN: 250303-N-ED646-1006
    Resolution: 8640×5760
    Size: 2.64 MB
    Location: SATTAHIP, TH
    Web Views: 0
    Downloads: 0

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New task force launched in Virginia to eliminate transnational criminal organizations

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

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert of the Eastern District of Virginia along with federal and state partners announced today the recently established Virginia Homeland Security Task Force (VHSTF), an interagency group founded to combat transnational organized crime and coordinate ongoing immigration enforcement efforts across Virginia. In the two weeks since the VHSTF’s creation on March 3, task force members have arrested 247 individuals.

    Hundreds of personnel are supporting the task force, including representatives from U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI’s Washington, Norfolk, and Richmond Field Offices; Homeland Security Investigations; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service; Virginia Department of Corrections; Virginia Office of the Attorney General; Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; Virginia State Police; and the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.

    The VHSTF is part of Operation Take Back America, which streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

    The VHSTF is the first of these task forces. Task force members are building on existing partnerships and initiatives to enforce immigration laws and policies to dismantle TCOs threatening the safety of millions of Virginians.

    These organizations operate across international borders, wholly or in part, by illegal means. Regardless of structure, TCOs destabilize local communities and fuel violence by engaging in drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, human trafficking, assault, kidnapping, murder, and extortion.

    One of the VHSTF’s goals is the elimination of TCOs across Virginia. Task force members seek to target these organizations’ infrastructures — including leaders, intermediaries, and street-level offenders — utilizing the State Department’s new foreign terrorist designations of various gangs, such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13); Cártel de Sinaloa; and Tren de Aragua (TdA). Under the guidance provided by Attorney General Pamela Bondi, leaders and managers of cartels and TCOs may be prosecuted for such crimes as terrorism, racketeering, continuing criminal enterprise offenses, violations of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

    To date, the VHSTF has arrested numerous gang affiliates, including 18 MS-13 affiliates, six TdA affiliates, and 12 individuals affiliated with other TCOs.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: COMLOG WESTPAC Holds Awards Ceremony, March 13, 2025 [Image 11 of 11]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    SINGAPORE (Mar. 13, 2025) Rear Adm. Todd F. Cimicata, left, Commander, Logistics Group Western
    Pacific/Task Force 73 (COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF 73), names Master-at-Arms 1st Class Jonathan Wade,
    COMLOG WESTPAC Sailor of the Quarter (SOQ), during an awards ceremony on Sembawang Naval
    Installation, Mar. 13, 2025. COMLOG WESTPAC supports deployed surface units and aircraft carriers, along
    with regional Allies and partners, to facilitate patrols in the South China Sea, participation in naval exercises
    and responses to natural disasters. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings/Released)

    Date Taken: 03.13.2025
    Date Posted: 03.14.2025 03:07
    Photo ID: 8915341
    VIRIN: 250313-N-YV347-1017
    Resolution: 7172×4781
    Size: 25.47 MB
    Location: SG
    Web Views: 13
    Downloads: 1

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  • MIL-OSI Security: CTG 73.6, RTN Dive Unit Commence Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 [Image 1 of 9]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    SATTAHIP, Thailand (Feb. 24, 2025) Divers from the U.S. Navy, Royal Thai Navy (RTN), and Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy assigned to Commander, Task Group 73.6/Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1-6 (CTG 73.6/MDSU 1-6), RTN Dive Unit, and ROK Navy Underwater Construction Team, pose for a group photo during Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 in Thailand, Feb. 24, 2025. Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/ Task Force 73 (COMLOGWESTPAC/CTF 73) sustains the U.S. Navy’s maritime forces and is responsible for all diving and salvage operations in the Western Pacific in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 02.24.2025
    Date Posted: 03.17.2025 10:56
    Photo ID: 8919742
    VIRIN: 250224-N-ED646-1016
    Resolution: 8000×5333
    Size: 2.93 MB
    Location: SATTAHIP, TH
    Web Views: 1
    Downloads: 0

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  • MIL-OSI Security: CTG 73.6, RTN Dive Unit, ROKN UTC Conduct Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 [Image 8 of 12]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    SATTAHIP, Thailand (Feb. 25, 2025) A Royal Thai Navy (RTN) diver, assigned to RTN Dive Unit, practices the Kerie Cable exothermic cutting method with U.S. Navy divers, assigned to Commander, Task Group 73.6/Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1-6 (CTG 73.6/MDSU 1-6), and Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy divers, assigned to ROK Navy Underwater Construction Team, during Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 in Thailand, Feb. 25, 2025. Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/ Task Force 73 (COMLOGWESTPAC/CTF 73) sustains the U.S. Navy’s maritime forces and is responsible for all diving and salvage operations in the Western Pacific in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 02.25.2025
    Date Posted: 03.17.2025 11:07
    Photo ID: 8919759
    VIRIN: 250225-N-ED646-1403
    Resolution: 8640×5760
    Size: 2.87 MB
    Location: SATTAHIP, TH
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  • MIL-OSI Security: CTG 73.6, RTN Dive Unit, ROKN UTC Conduct Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 [Image 1 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    SATTAHIP, Thailand (Feb. 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Divers, assigned to Commander, Task Group 73.6/Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1-6 (CTG 73.6/MDSU 1-6), prepare dive equipment prior to underwater exothermic cutting drills as part of Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 in Thailand, Feb. 26, 2025. Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/ Task Force 73 (COMLOGWESTPAC/CTF 73) sustains the U.S. Navy’s maritime forces and is responsible for all diving and salvage operations in the Western Pacific in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 02.26.2025
    Date Posted: 03.17.2025 11:11
    Photo ID: 8919787
    VIRIN: 250226-N-ED646-1003
    Resolution: 8640×5760
    Size: 2.62 MB
    Location: SATTAHIP, TH
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  • MIL-OSI Security: CTG 73.6, RTN Dive Unit, ROKN UTC Conduct Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 [Image 4 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    SATTAHIP, Thailand (Feb. 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Diver 1st Class Blake Goins, center left, assigned to Commander, Task Group 73.6/Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1-6 (CTG 73.6/MDSU 1-6), assists a Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy diver, assigned to ROK Navy Underwater Construction Team, with donning a diving mask prior to exothermic cutting drills as part of Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 in Thailand, Feb. 26, 2025. Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/ Task Force 73 (COMLOGWESTPAC/CTF 73) sustains the U.S. Navy’s maritime forces and is responsible for all diving and salvage operations in the Western Pacific in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 02.26.2025
    Date Posted: 03.17.2025 11:11
    Photo ID: 8919790
    VIRIN: 250226-N-ED646-1190
    Resolution: 8640×5760
    Size: 2.63 MB
    Location: SATTAHIP, TH
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  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National Pleads Guilty To Making False Statement To Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Eugenio Gonzalez-Paredes (53, Dominican Republic) has pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. Gonzalez-Paredes faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.

    According to court documents, Gonzalez-Paredes attempted to purchase a Glock pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Deltona, Florida. To purchase the firearm, Gonzalez-Paredes was required to complete a Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Form 4473. The Form 4473 asked whether Gonzalez-Paredes had ever been convicted of a felony, and Gonzalez-Paredes checked the answer “No.” At the time Gonzalez-Paredes filled out the Form 4473, he had twice previously been convicted in the United States District Court in the District of Puerto Rico for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.

    This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Kensington Man Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison for Stealing Two Dozen Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of federal firearms charges, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Steyn Sarduy, 19.

    According to information presented to the Court, on or about January 22, 2024, Sarduy and his co-defendant, Michael Guin, conspired to steal a truck from a business and used the stolen truck to crash into and gain access to a firearms store in New Kensington. The defendants broke multiple display cases and stole 24 firearms.

    Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sarduy.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation Take Back America Results in the Administrative Arrest of 81 Illegal Aliens, 25 of Whom Were Also Charged with Felony Criminal Offenses

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

    Louisville, KY – During the week of March 10 through March 14, 2025, as part of Operation Take Back America, multiple federal law enforcement agencies in Kentucky worked together to repel the invasion of illegal immigration throughout the Commonwealth. The operation, coordinated out of Louisville, resulted in 81 administrative arrests of illegal aliens. Of the 81 illegal aliens arrested, 25 were also charged with immigration-related criminal offenses, including illegal reentry after deportation or removal, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal possession of controlled substances. In the Western District of Kentucky, 53 illegal aliens were administratively arrested, with 18 being criminally charged.  

    The illegal aliens not charged criminally will be held in ICE custody, pending removal proceedings and potential deportation.

    The arrests included illegal aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, India and Palau. 

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, Sam Olson, Field Officer Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and  U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement.

    “I commend the work of our federal law enforcement partners, prosecutors, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to make this operation a success,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “The aggressive investigation and prosecution of those who violate immigration laws positively impacts the security of our communities and of the Nation.”  

    The following 18 illegal aliens were charged by indictment or criminal complaint in the Western District of Kentucky: 

    Moises Archaga-Garcia, age 46, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Archaga-Garcia was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about July 30, 2003. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.

    Luis Alberto Torres-Flores, age 35, a citizen of El Salvador, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Torres-Flores was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about August 29, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.

    Lorenzo Perez-Perez, age 33, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Perez-Perez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 7, 2011, and January 21, 2016. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Aroldo Rodriguez-Navarro, age 40, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Rodriguez-Navarro was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about August 25, 2009, and June 5, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Angel David Zuniga-Baca, age 35, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about October 12, 2024, Zuniga-Baca possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On or about March 10, 2025, Zuniga-Baca was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about November 16, 2009, and April 25, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.

    Ewin Cabrera-Cabrera, age 33, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Cabrera-Cabrera was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about April 10, 2014, and February 7, 2013. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.

    Roberto Cruz-Pacheco, age 34, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Cruz-Pacheco was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 31, 2008. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Darwin Martinez-Figueroa, age 41, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Martinez-Figueroa was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about May 17, 2014, and April 11, 2018. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.

    Williams Josue Rodriguez-Calix, age 28, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Rodriguez-Calix was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 12, 2018. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Jose Rodriguez, age 39, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Rodriguez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 1, 2011, and February 28, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Zoiber Hernandez-Dominguez, age 50, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On or about December 16, 2024, Hernandez-Dominguez possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

    Marcos Juarez-Morente, age 38 a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 13, 2025, Juarez-Morente was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 20, 2006, and May 19, 2006. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.

    Esteban Perez-Cristostomo, age 45, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 13, 2025, Perez-Cristostomo was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 21, 2010. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Ramiro Galeana-Arzate, age 28, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 14, 2025, Galeana-Arzate was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 4, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Humberto Avila-Duran, age 54, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 14, 2025, Avila-Duran possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On the same day, Avila-Duran was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 21, 2011, March 3, 2011, March 8, 2011, August 14, 2012, May 9, 2014, May 13, 2014, and November 13, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison. 

    Humberto Avila-Murillo, age 28, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On or about March 14, 2025, Avila-Murillo possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. 

    Edi Diaz-Lopez, age 30, a citizen of Mexico, was charged possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On or about January 3, 2025, Diaz-Lopez possessed a firearm and methamphetamine with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

    Alvaro Mandujano-Rodriguez, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about October 7, 2023, Mandujano-Rodriguez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about November 29, 2025. On the same date, Mandujano-Rodriguez possessed two firearms in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.

    A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    The operation was coordinated by HSI Nashville and ICE/ERO Chicago. The cases are being investigated by the HSI, ICE/ERO, FBI, ATF, DEA, and USMS.

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

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Par Funding Enforcer Sentenced to 11½ Years in Prison for RICO Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice, and Retaliation

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

    James LaForte Brutally Assaulted Receivership Attorney, Threatened Government Witnesses, Extorted Merchants

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that James LaForte, 48, of New York, New York, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 137 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release to include 12 months’ home confinement, for crimes committed as part of a criminal enterprise that ran a fraudulent investment vehicle[1] known as Complete Business Solutions Group, Inc., d/b/a Par Funding (“Par Funding”) for a number of years, before it was taken over by a court-appointed receivership pursuant to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. LaForte was also ordered to pay $2,488,645 in restitution, representing the portion of investor proceeds that he illegally diverted from Par Funding’s numerous investors for his own use through sham merchant contracts and other self-dealing conduct.

    In February 2024, the defendant, his brother Joseph LaForte, Par Funding’s president and CEO, and Joseph Cole Barleta, Par Funding’s chief financial officer, were charged in an amended second superseding indictment with racketeering conspiracy and related crimes.

    James LaForte pleaded guilty in September 2024 to racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and extortionate collection of debt, as well as obstruction of justice, for his violent assault on one of the Par Funding receivership’s Philadelphia attorneys, and retaliation, for threatening several government witnesses.

    “James LaForte served as one of his brother’s enforcers,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He not only used threats of violence to collect on Par Funding’s debt, but stalked and assaulted an attorney, in retaliation for that man’s efforts to hold the LaForte family responsible for one of the largest financial frauds in Philadelphia’s history. As today’s sentence shows, this brand of brazen and violent lawbreaking simply won’t be tolerated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”

    “Since its earliest days, the FBI has been dedicated to investigating complex financial crimes,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “James LaForte participated in a criminal enterprise driven by greed and sustained through threats and violence. The FBI is proud to stand with our partners in the pursuit of justice — disrupting these schemes and ensuring restitution for victims.”

    “The defendant in this case was brought to justice for his participation in a criminal enterprise that caused significant financial harm to numerous investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), New York Region. “The FDIC OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who commit such egregious crimes that threaten investors and the safety and soundness of our Nation’s financial institutions.”

    Joseph LaForte also pleaded guilty in September 2024 to racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and related crimes and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2025. Barleta pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of racketeering conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2025.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Newcomer, Samuel Dalke, and Eric Gill.

    The SEC in Florida investigated and litigated the civil securities fraud charges, which formed the basis of a portion of the Par Funding criminal prosecution.

    [1] On January 21, 2025, the Court found the Par Funding fraud scheme caused an actual fraud loss of approximately $404,000,000, which it reduced to $288,395,088 after factoring in credit for collateral seized from Par Funding by federal authorities when the investigation became public in July 2020.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man sentenced to life in jail for murder of Sean O’Neill

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A 23-year-old man responsible for the brutal murder of Sean O’Neill has been jailed for life.

    Dellan Charles (08.01.2001), of no fixed address, appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, 17 March where he was told he will serve a minimum of 23 years behind bars. He was convicted of murder on Tuesday, 17 December.

    On the evening of Thursday, 18 May 2023, following an altercation between two rival groups in Reynolds Road, Hayes, Charles chased and killed Sean in a quiet residential street in broad daylight.

    After cornering him, Charles used two knives to stab Sean multiple times. During the trial, the court heard how Charles shouted “die, die, die” during the attack.

    In CCTV footage, Charles was pictured calmly leaving the scene after delivering the fatal blows, before making his escape by trespassing through nearby leafy suburban gardens. The jury heard how Charles disposed of a knife at a nearby address, before concocting a calculated plan to flee the area. He then went to ground for just shy of a year.

    Over the course of the next ten months, detectives pieced together the course of events alongside an extensive manhunt.

    The specialist team of officers then used this evidence and intelligence to capture Charles in Coventry on Wednesday, 27 March 2024, helping secure justice for Sean and his family.

    The jury heard how Sean was a funny, kind and sociable person and many people have been deeply affected by his tragic death.

    Detective Inspector Kevin Martin, who led the investigation for Specialist Crime South, said:
     “Myself and the team once again pay tribute to Sean’s family who, throughout this distressing time, have shown real strength and togetherness.

    “Heartbreakingly, nothing will ever bring Sean back, but today, the man responsible for taking him away from his much-loved family has been forced to face the reality of his malicious actions.”

    In a statement previously provided by Sean’s family, they added:

    “We really appreciate the efforts of the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service in bringing about justice, as well as the support we have received throughout this difficult process.

    “Sean will be remembered for his big heart, charming smile and fun-loving personality. He is incredibly loved by us all and we miss him every day.”

    ENDS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Found Guilty of Six Counts of Child Exploitation

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

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – After a five-day jury trial, Lionel Albino Galindo was found guilty of six counts of child exploitation. United States District Court Judge Maria Antongiorgi-Jordan presided over the trial.

    According to court documents, from February 2024 throughout March 19, 2024, Lionel Albino Galindo sexually exploited a 13-year-old female minor. The defendant used a cellular phone as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 13-year-old female minor, to engage in sexual activity, which includes the production of child pornography.

    During trial, the government presented evidence to prove that Albino Galindo knowingly transported the female minor to engage in sexual activity on several occasions and produced visual depictions of such conduct. The defendant also received child pornography from the female minor and sent obscene material to the minor.

    The jury found Lionel Albino Galindo guilty of one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; one count of sexual exploitation of children; one count for receipt of child pornography; one count for possession of child pornography; and one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor.

    The defendant faces the following possible sentences: for coercion and enticement and transportation of minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life; for sexual exploitation of children he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to 30 years; for possession of child pornography and transfer of obscene material  to a minor he faces up to 10 years; and for receipt of child pornography he faces five to 20 years in prison; all charges followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2025, at 9:30 am. The defendant was ordered to remain under the custody of the Bureau of Prisons pending sentencing.

    “I commend the prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners for their hard work and dedication in bringing this child predator to justice,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico.

    “The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting our most vulnerable—our children,” said Devin Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This verdict underscores the seriousness of crimes against minors and reinforces our dedication to holding offenders accountable. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who prey on children face the full force of justice.”

    The FBI investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

    Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit and AUSA Emelina Agrait Barreto prosecuted the case.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Over 230 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in Arizona This Week

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

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from March 8, 2025, through March 14, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has brought immigration-related criminal charges against 232 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 92 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 124 aliens for illegally entering the United States.  In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 11 cases against 15 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    Recent matters of interest include:

    United States v. Edwin Andres Valdez-Gutierrez: On March 12, 2025, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a two-count indictment against Edwin Andres Valdez-Gutierrez, an illegal alien and citizen of Mexico, for Assault on a Federal Officer and Reentry of Removed Alien. On February 10, 2025, federal officers from the United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Response Team were investigating Valdez-Gutierrez’s unlawful presence in the United States. While ICE officers attempted to apprehend Valdez-Gutierrez, Valdez-Gutierrez reversed his vehicle into a vehicle occupied by ICE officers, causing significant damage. There were no injuries to the officers. Case No. CR-25-00392-PHX-DLR.

    United States v. Jorge Fontes-Garcia: On March 4, 2025, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a four-count superseding indictment against Jorge Fontes-Garcia, 25, an illegal alien from Sonora, Mexico, for Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States Unlawfully Resulting in Death, Conspiracy to Bring Illegal Aliens to the United States Unlawfully, Bringing Illegal Aliens to the United States Unlawfully, and Reentry of Removed Alien. The superseding indictment alleges that on August 23, 2023, Fontes-Garcia acted as the foot guide, leading a group of eight aliens across the Mexico-United States border into southern Arizona. United States Border Patrol apprehended all but one of the illegal aliens in the open desert approximately 19 miles south of Tacna, Arizona. The remaining alien was found by Border Patrol agents shortly thereafter, already deceased due to excessive heat exposure. Case No. CR-23-01322-PHX-JAT.

    United States v. Carlos Rene Montes and Miguel Angel Sesma: Carlos Rene Montes, 32, a United States Citizen from Tucson, and Miguel Angel Sesma, 30, a legal permanent resident from Mexico living in Phoenix, were charged on Tuesday by federal criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl after agents seized a combined total of approximately 700,000 blue M30 pills from Sesma’s truck and Montes’ residence. According to the criminal complaint, on March 10, 2025, DEA Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force (EVDETF) investigators observed Montes drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee into a Phoenix store parking lot and park next to a white Ford F250 bearing Sonora license plates. After speaking briefly with Sesma, the driver of the Ford F250, Montes transferred factory-sealed packages of roofing shingles from his vehicle to the bed of the Ford F250. After Montes left the parking lot, EVDETF investigators conducted traffic stops on both the Jeep Cherokee and Ford F250. A Mesa Police Department Canine Detective conducted an open-air sniff of the Ford F250 and alerted to narcotics in the vicinity of the truck bed. Investigators searched Sesma’s truck and seized approximately 52 kilograms (114 pounds) of blue M30 pills laced with fentanyl, which were concealed in the roofing shingles. Sesma and Montes were subsequently placed under arrest. According to the criminal complaint, Montes advised investigators that he possessed more drugs at his residence in Tucson. During a consensual search of Montes’ residence, investigators seized approximately 14.68 kilograms of blue M30 pills (32 pounds) containing fentanyl. Case No. 25-MJ-6099-PHX-ASB.

    A criminal complaint and criminal indictment are simply methods 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.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-25-00392-PHX-DLR
                                          CR-23-01322-PHX-JAT
                                          25-MJ-6099-PHX-ASB           

    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-036_March 14 Immigration Enforcement

    # # #

    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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: FCI Allenwood Inmate Charged with Possessing Weapon

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

    WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eric Rodriguez, age 32, an inmate at FCI Allenwood, was indicted on February 27, 2025, by a federal grand jury on possessing a weapon in prison.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on January 31, 2025, Rodriguez possessed a razor blade wrapped in electrical tape to fashion a handle, approximately 2 1/4 inches in length.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger is prosecuting the case.

    The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years and a fine.  A sentence would also include a period of supervised release following imprisonment.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

    Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Toledo Man Convicted of Sexual Offenses Against a Minor

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

    TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted an Ohio man of attempting to entice and coerce a minor into illegal sexual activity and attempted production of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography. Derran Reebel, 52, of Toledo, was found guilty of committing criminal offenses that violate federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation of children.

    According to court documents, from Oct. 10-15, 2020, Reebel used a social media application to communicate with a minor, namely, an undercover agent purporting to be a 14-year old girl. Evidence presented at trial to the jury included the defendant’s sexually explicit communications which were sent through the app’s messaging function in repeated attempts to persuade the minor into sending him sexually explicit photos and commit sexual acts.

    In November 2024, Reebel was convicted of receiving and distributing CSAM, for nearly eight years, from about Jan. 1, 2014 through Aug. 17, 2022. During a federal search warrant execution of his residence, investigators found numerous CSAM items that included visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his possession. Law enforcement officials also discovered that Reebel used social media for a number of years to chat with minors and send them sexually explicit messages and photos of himself.

    Sentencing for both convictions has not yet been scheduled. Reebel faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison.

    This case was investigated by the FBI-Toledo. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.

    This case was brought as part of the Justice Department’s “Project Safe Childhood,” a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the initiative 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, visit justice.gov/psc.

    To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Burlington Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced on March 13, 2025, to 192 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography.

    According to public court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that an account, later determined to be associated with David Enrique Remigio, 30, received files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement seized Remigio’s cellular phone during a search of his residence. A forensic examination of the cellular phone showed that Remigio used the device to receive 143 images and 265 videos containing child sexual abuse material.

    After completing his term of imprisonment, Remigio will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Remigio was also ordered to pay $39,000 in restitution.

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office.

    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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Tacoma Man with Lengthy Criminal History Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug Charges

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

    Defendant prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions including one connected to gang gun battle in downtown Seattle in 2020

    Seattle – A Tacoma resident, who was previously charged and acquitted in state court in a 2020 downtown Seattle mass shooting, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Seattle to drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Marquise Tolbert, 29, of Tacoma, Washington, was arrested in June 2023, and has been in federal custody since that time. Tolbert is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Tana Lin on June 18, 2025.

    According to records in the case, Marquise Tolbert admits he possessed a firearm on June 1, 2023. On that day Tolbert was arrested at this Tacoma address on a Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) warrant. A Ruger 5.7 pistol and loaded magazine were found in his residence. Tolbert is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a September 2022 conviction in King County Superior Court for illegally possessing a firearm.

    Investigators with the FBI Safe Streets task force, the DEA, and the Seattle Police Gun Violence Reduction Unit were investigating a drug trafficking organization when Tolbert and his coconspirators were heard on a wiretap discussing a shoot-out in Federal Way. From that point on, investigators worked to identify those who were possessing and using firearms as part of their criminal activity. Investigators heard Tolbert discussing his purchase of the Ruger firearm from another member of the conspiracy.  On the day he bought the gun law enforcement, surveilled Tolbert, followed him to his residence, arrested him, and secured the firearm.

    Additionally, the investigation determined that Tolbert was involved in distributing controlled substances including oxycodone that was being shipped to Washington State from Arizona.

    Illegal firearms possession is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The drug distribution count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend no more than seven years in prison for both counts of conviction. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Lin after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    In 2020, Tolbert was involved in a gang shootout at 3rd Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Seattle. One woman was killed, and seven other bystanders were injured in the gun battle. Tolbert was acquitted on murder and assault charges connected to the case. His attorney’s argued he was not the first to fire in the gang related shooting. He was convicted of illegal firearms possession.

    The case was investigated by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, and the DEA as part of their focus on getting firearms off the streets.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sailors and Marines Team Up for Integrated Advance 2025

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    Sailors from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet (NAVSOUTH/FOURTHFLT) and Marines from U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH) are serving together on the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) staff during Exercise Integrated Advance 2025.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Edmond Man Sentenced to Serve 18 Months in Federal Prison after Machinegun Conversion Devices are Intercepted from Packages Destined for Oklahoma

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

    OKLAHOMA CITY – EMANUEL LOPEZ, 21, of Edmond, has been sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison for transporting machineguns without a license, announced Robert J. Troester, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

    According to public record, in May and June 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Los Angeles, California, intercepted four packages shipped from China. These packages were destined for Lopez at his home in Edmond and contained machinegun conversion devices (MCDs), commonly known as “switches.”  The packages were mislabeled as “auto parts,” “hardware accessories,” and “decorative ornaments” on the shipping manifest. When installed, MCDs convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns, and transporting and possessing these devices violates federal law. Lopez was charged by a federal Grand Jury with transporting machineguns without a license on July 2, 2024.

    On November 25, 2024, Lopez pleaded guilty, and admitted he knowingly transported machineguns and that he was not licensed to do so.

    At the sentencing hearing on March 5, 2025, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Lopez to serve 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Jones noted the seriousness of the offense.

    This case is a result of an investigation by CBP, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Edmond Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew E. Davis prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case is also part of “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of PSN. “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from our streets. For more information about PSN and “Project Switch Off,” please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Officer charged with three sex offences

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    An officer is due to appear in court after being charged with three sex offences.

    PC Nick Whitcombe, attached to the South West Command Unit, was charged on Thursday, 13 February with one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault.

    He is due to appear before Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 18 March.

    The incidents reportedly took place on Tuesday, 9 April 2024 while he was off-duty. The victims, two women, have been supported throughout.

    PC Whitcombe was arrested on the same day and immediately suspended.

    The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards is aware.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Heroin Dealer Sentenced to Prison

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

    A man who sold heroin and cocaine on the street near Loras College in 2017 and 2018 was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.

    Willie Smith, age 27, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a September 25, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin within 1000 feet of Loras College, and one count of distribution of heroin within 1000 feet of Loras College.  At the guilty plea, Smith admitted he worked with others to sell cocaine and heroin out of a house near Loras College.

    Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Smith was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment and he must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department

    of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office. 

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

    The case file number is 22-CR-01021.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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