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Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Seven Defendants in Armed Transnational Cocaine and Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracies

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

    Four Defendants Arrested in Three U.S. States, Along With the Seizure of More Than 350 Kilograms of Methamphetamine, 100 Kilograms of Cocaine, and Four Firearms

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Francis J. Russo, the Director of Field Operations for the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging seven defendants with narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.

    Since at least in or about October 2023, SHEHNAZ SINGH, a/k/a “SHAWN,” along with his co-conspirators, AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “AMRIT,” a/k/a “Bal,” AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “CHEEMA,” TAKDIR SINGH, a/k/a “ROMY,” SARBSIT SINGH, a/k/a “SABI,” and GURLAL SINGH (“GURLAL”), operated a transnational conspiracy to import cocaine into the U.S. from Colombia and distribute the drug in cities across the U.S. and into Canada.  Beginning in or about April 2024, a subset of these conspirators—led by ROMY and SABI, and joined by co-conspirators including FERNANDO VALLADARES, a/k/a “FRANCO”—stole a cache of cocaine from their original co-conspirators and agreed to distribute it out of, among other places, hotels in New York City.  Members of the two armed drug trafficking conspiracies hunted each other down, brandished a firearm, and threatened the lives of each other and innocent family members. 

    Four defendants are in custody after arrests made on the morning of February 26, 2025.  Searches of various of the defendants’ residences and vehicles conducted at the time of arrest resulted in the seizure of four firearms, approximately 391 kilograms of methamphetamine, and approximately 109 kilograms of cocaine. CHEEMA was arrested in the Eastern District of California and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher D. Baker and detained; ROMY and SABI were arrested in the Northern District of Ohio and were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Grimes Jr. and detained; and FRANCO was arrested in the Eastern District of New York, presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo, and released on certain conditions.  AMRIT and GURLAL are in custody in Pennsylvania after prior arrests.  SHAWN remains at large. 

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For more than a year, Shehnaz Singh and his associates not only imported dangerous drugs to sell across the United States but also armed themselves with deadly weapons and endangered communities here in New York City and around the country.  This week, we and our law enforcement partners halted that dangerous activity and took drugs and guns off the street.  I commend the career prosecutors of the Southern District of New York, and our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, for their tireless efforts to disrupt this dangerous distribution network and to keep communities safe for our country and our neighbors, too.  We hope that today’s charges bring accountability to those who push drugs and use violence to protect their criminal organizations.”

    CBP Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo said: “Every day our CBP officers and law enforcement partners relentlessly pursue the most vicious and brutal criminal drug organizations in the world who do business globally and right here in our local communities and neighborhoods. We will not stop until networks such as this one and their criminal facilitators are off the street and brought to justice. CBP will continue its unwavering commitment to keeping Americans safe from the dangers of drugs and the violence they often bring.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Indictments, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:[1]

    Since at least in or about October 2023, a group of conspirators led by SHAWN—a Canada-based drug trafficker who holds himself out as a corrupt police officer—operated a drug trafficking organization that imported cocaine into the U.S., transported it to stash houses and other distribution sites using networks of trucking companies and drivers, and sold it in communities across the U.S. and into Canada (the “Original Cocaine Conspiracy”). AMRIT and CHEEMA, served as, among other things, SHAWN’s enforcers, and helped operated the drug trafficking organization by safekeeping and distributing cocaine while armed with guns.

    Members of the Original Cocaine Conspiracy imported cocaine into the U.S. from Colombia and delivered the drug to coconspirators in the midwestern U.S., including a vacant home used by AMRIT and others in Indiana. From there, the cocaine was distributed across the U.S. and to Canada, including through and to California, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.  This cross-border trade, from Colombia to the U.S. and Canada, was lucrative. As AMRIT described it: “It costs roughly about two, four, or five thousand dollars per [kilo in Colombia]. When it reaches America, it’s worth twelve to thirteen thousand. When it reaches Canada, it’s thirty thousand.”  In total, this organization was moving more than 600 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine a week.

    Beginning in or about April 2024, a subset of the Original Cocaine Conspiracy’s members—ROMY and SABI—stole a large cache of cocaine from their co-conspirators in the Original Cocaine Conspiracy and worked with others, including FRANCO—to distribute the stolen cocaine from, among other places, two hotels in New York City (the “Stolen Cocaine Conspiracy”).  After a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) crashed a truck carrying approximately 10 kilograms of the group’s cocaine and abandoned his cargo, members of the Original Cocaine Conspiracy announced plans to travel to New York with weapons to reclaim their stolen drugs and serve vengeance on members of the Stolen Cocaine Conspiracy and their families.  As AMRIT put it: “We need our stuff.  We aren’t letting anyone go.  We are going to kill them all.”  The day before arriving in New York City, AMRIT and CHEEMA, took photos of themselves displaying weapons over a large cache of stacked cocaine.

    Once in New York, AMRIT and CHEEMA threatened members of the Stolen Cocaine Conspiracy and their family members with violence.  In just one such incident, at a meeting in front of a home on suburban Long Island, AMRIT thrust a handgun into CC-1’s teenage brother’s neck while demanding to know the location of the stolen cocaine.

    While executing arrests of certain of the defendants and searches of various residences and vehicles, law enforcement agents seized four firearms, approximately 391 kilograms of methamphetamine, and approximately 109 kilograms of cocaine.  CHEEMA was stopped while fleeing a residence in Bakersfield, California, and arrested in possession of a loaded handgun.  Three additional firearms were seized from residences or vehicles belonging to or controlled by ROMY and SABI in Cleveland, Ohio, where agents also seized approximately 391 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately 109 kilograms of cocaine.  The seized firearms and narcotics are shown below.

    Cocaine intercepted en route to ROMY and SABI

    Methamphetamine seized from SABI’s residence

    *                *                *

    A chart containing the charges and minimum and maximum penalties each defendant faces is attached. The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and CBP. Mr. Podolsky further thanked the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the Cleveland Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) Strike Force, the Cleveland Division of Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office and Bakersfield Resident Agency, the FBI’s Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, & Laundering Task Force, the Cleveland Division of Police Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Bakersfield (Calif.) Police Department, for their assistance and cooperation in the investigation.

    This prosecution is part of an OCDETF operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Kinder and Justin Horton are in charge of the prosecution.

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

    Defendant

    Age

    Charges

    Minimum and Maximum Sentences
    SHEHNAZ SINGH, a/k/a “Shawn”

    34

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “Amrit,” a/k/a “Bal”

    30

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of seven consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “Cheema”

    26

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    TAKDIR SINGH, a/k/a “Romy”

    33

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    SARBSIT SINGH, a/k/a “Sabi”

    32

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    GURLAL SINGH

    29

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
    FERNANDO VALLADARES, a/k/a “Franco”

    36

    		 Cocaine distribution conspiracy Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Military Sealift Command Completes Operation Deep Freeze 2025 Cargo Operations in Antarctic

    Source: United States Navy

    Military Sealift Command has completed its resupply mission in Antarctica with the departure of the MSC chartered ship MV Ocean Gladiator. The mission was in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2025, the Joint Task Force Support for Antarctica mission to the National Science Foundation-managed U.S. Antarctic Program.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbus Man Sentenced for COVID Fraud

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

    OXFORD, MS – A Columbus man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining a $200,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ramirez Ivy, of Columbus, Mississippi conspired with Lakeith Faulkner, Norman Beckwood and others to each receive $200,000 from the Small Business Administration (SBA) based on a fraudulent loan application.  The loan applications contained fictitious documents and claimed business revenue that did not exist.

    In September 2024, after a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills, the jury found Ivy and Smith guilty on all counts.

    Judge Mills sentenced Ivy to 18 months to be followed by five years supervised release and ordered him to pay $200,000 in restitution to the SBA.

    On January 23, 2025, Felicia L. Smith, Ivy’s co-defendant at the September trial, was sentenced serve six months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. Smith was ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution to the SBA.

    On December 7, 2022, Faulkner, a former SBA employee, entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On May 24, 2023, U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Faulkner to serve sixty-two (62) months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. Faulkner was also ordered to pay $10,620,452.26 in restitution to the SBA.

    On January 17, 2023, Beckwood entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Beckwood to serve 62 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. In addition to prison time, Faulkner was ordered to pay $10,620,452.26 in restitution to the SBA. In connection with his guilty plea, Beckwood also forfeited $700,147.74, a 2018 Mercedez Benz C Class and a 2020 Mercedes Benz G63.

    Thirty (30) other individual borrowers have also been charged in connection with the same scheme.

    “Ramirez Ivy was a law enforcement officer when he deceptively obtained funds that were intended to provide emergency financial relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he absolutely knew better than to engage in this type of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner.  “Today’s sentence should reinforce the fact that the prosecutorial and law enforcement partnership on display in this case will continue until the stolen money is recovered and the perpetrators have been brought to justice.”

    “Abusing a federal program designed to assist Americans in a time of need has, and will continue to be, aggressively investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. What makes this crime even more egregious is that Mr. Ivy was a police officer in a position of public trust,” stated Assistant Inspector General Gary Smith for Investigations for the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “This sentencing demonstrates our commitment to investigating and bringing to justice anyone who victimizes the American taxpayer. I want to thank TIGTA’s Special Agents, our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their unwavering dedication to this goal.”

    “Today’s sentencing of former police officer, Ramirez Ivy, demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating those who defraud the federal government, no matter their position within the community,” remarked Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff for the FBI Jackson Division. “The FBI, alongside our partners, will continue to investigate and hold individuals accountable, like Mr. Ivy, who commit fraudulent crimes against the U.S. Government.”

    “The abuse of programs designed to assist small businesses is unacceptable. This sentencing underscore the SBA Office of Inspector General’s unwavering commitment to holding fraudsters accountable and ensuring justice is served,” said Sophia Curtis Acting Special Agent in Charge of the SBA OIG’s Central Region.

    This scheme was initially uncovered during a civil investigation, led by the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Harland Webster.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton A. Dabbs, Parker S. King and Samuel D. Wright of the Northern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the criminal case.

    The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Richmond felon sentenced to over four years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to four years and two months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, on April 25, 2024, officers from the Richmond Police Department engaged in conversation with a group of individuals standing and sitting together outside a row of apartment homes in the Creighton Court neighborhood. One of the officers observed a clear plastic baggie containing a white powdery substance drop to the ground from the jacket pocket of Marcellus Cheatham, 26. The officer retrieved the baggie and, while attempting to detain Cheatham, discovered a loaded firearm in Cheatham’s waistband. Cheatham also possessed a razor, 21.77 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, and 5.73 grams of crystalline material containing cocaine.

    Cheatham was convicted previously of robbery, attempted robbery, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. As a previously convicted felon, Cheatham cannot possess firearms or ammunition.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Joseph McGorman prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-128.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: West Virginia Ambulance Business Owner Sentenced for Tax Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A West Virginia man was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for not paying the taxes withheld from employees’ wages at an ambulance service he operated and obstructing the IRS’ efforts to collect those taxes.

    According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from 2012 through part of 2017, Christopher Jason Smyth operated Stat EMS LLC, an ambulance service located in Pineville. Smyth created Stat EMS after a previous ambulance business Smyth operated accrued millions of dollars of employment tax liabilities and filed for bankruptcy. Smyth caused Stat EMS to be founded in the name of a nominee owner but continued operating the business in the same manner as before.

    At Stat EMS, Smyth was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying them to the IRS.  For years, however, Smyth did not fully pay the taxes to the IRS. Instead, he paid various personal expenses and transferred funds to businesses held by his friends and family. The IRS determined that Stat EMS accrued approximately $3.3 million in unpaid taxes.

    Eventually, the IRS assessed the unpaid taxes against Smyth personally and attempted to collect those assessments from him. When interviewed by an IRS revenue officer attempting to collect Smyth’s unpaid tax debts, Smyth stated that he had no personal bank accounts and denied that he used anyone else’s. In reality, however, he regularly deposited his paychecks into an account in a relative’s name. He also attempted to mislead the revenue officer by representing that he had nothing to do with several other businesses, even though he had signature authority over their bank accounts.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorneys Kavitha Bondada and Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Goes for the Southern District of West Virginia, prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Key Member of Drug Distribution Ring Linked to Aryan Prison Gangs Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

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

    Defendant served as transporter, pill maker, and muscle for the leader of drug distribution cell

    Tacoma – A key member of a drug distribution ring selling fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and heroin throughout the Puget Sound region was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 14 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy and for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Michael Slocumb, 46, attempted to evade law enforcement and helped move the drug ring activities to Arizona after the Shelton, Washington, stash house he and his partners operated was raided in December 2022. When law enforcement moved in on the multi-faceted drug conspiracy in March 2023, Slocumb was arrested in his new home in Arizona.

    At today’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said about fentanyl pills, “People become addicted to these drugs . . . they end up taking a bad dose and that ends their time on this Earth.” Remarking on Slocumb’s guns, Judge Estudillo said, “The firearms involved here are extremely serious and the types of firearms make me wonder what they may have been used for.”

    According to records filed in the case, in the fall of 2022, Slocumb made multiple trips to Arizona to pick up and transport narcotics to the Shelton stash house. Slocumb used the stash house to manufacture fentanyl pills using two different pill presses. When the stash house property was searched on December 9, 2022, law enforcement

     seized more than 640,000 pills containing fentanyl, as well as a kilogram of fentanyl powder and 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with more than $81,000 in cash proceeds from drug trafficking. Slocumb was a key partner for the leader of the drug conspiracy.

    The stash house property also contained 23 firearms, including a shotgun kept where the drugs were stored, and the pills manufactured. In his car, Slocumb kept several firearms including a loaded .40 caliber pistol behind the front seat. In a suitcase in the trunk were a 9mm handgun with a high-capacity magazine and an AR-15 type rifle with a folding shoulder stock and a loaded 115-round drum magazine. Also in the suitcase was a 9mm firearm silencer.

    During this conspiracy, law enforcement intercepted Slocumb and the ringleader Bryson Gill discussing kidnapping a rival drug dealer. Slocumb was surveilling the target’s apartment when law enforcement made a show of being in the vicinity to get Slocumb to leave and ward off any violence.

    Following the stash house raid, Slocumb was heard on the wiretap discussing his plan to move drug operations to Arizona. Slocumb and Gill continued their drug trafficking in Arizona until they were arrested in March 2023. When law enforcement searched the Arizona property, they seized approximately 70 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

    Slocumb pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    In asking for a 15-year sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Slocumb’s conduct in the drug conspiracy involved massive numbers of firearms, as well as ammunition, firearms accessories, large capacity magazines, and a firearm silencer. It is clear that he played a trusted role in partnership with Gill in not just distributing drugs but acting as an enforcer—he took direction from Gill in picking up guns following a trip to get drugs from the stash house, and on another occasion, he conspired with Gill to kidnap a co-conspirator who was a drug redistributor.”

    Bryson Gill entered a guilty plea February 7, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and is scheduled for sentencing on May 9, 2025.

    Law enforcement made two dozen arrests on federal charges on March 22, 2023. The coordinated takedown involved ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers. On that day law enforcement seized 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Earlier in the investigation law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms.

    The top-level leader of the drug trafficking ring, Jesse Bailey, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2025, and his wife and co-conspirator Candace Bailey, is scheduled for sentencing on June 13, 2025.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

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

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – David Eric West II, 43, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to seven years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to deliver quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by West near Parkersburg. Officers found quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the vehicle and a Taurus G3C 9mm pistol on West’s person. West admitted that he possessed the controlled substances and intended to distribute them in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Parkersburg Police Department.

    United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.

    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-135.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Greenbrier County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

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

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Grover D. Jordan, 57, of Charmco, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 18, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jordan in Fayetteville. Jordan admitted that he possessed three firearms discovered during the traffic stop: a Taurus model PT1911 .45-caliber pistol, an Armi Galesi model 9 6.35mm pistol, and a Beretta model 3032 Tom Cat .32-caliber pistol with a removed, altered or obliterated serial number.

    Jordan also admitted that he possessed a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver discovered during an August 20, 2023 traffic stop by law enforcement of a motorcycle he was operating in Charmco. Jordan further admitted that he possessed a Dupont electric generator, which is explosive material under federal law, discovered during the traffic stop.

    Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jordan knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for two counts of wanton endangerment in Raleigh County Circuit Court on March 15, 2019.

    Jordan has a long criminal history that also includes numerous other convictions for such offenses as grand larceny, domestic battery, DUI, and possession of controlled substances.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Fayetteville Police Department, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Justin Marlowe prosecuted the case.

    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. 5:24-cr-29.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Role in $8 Million Federal Emergency Benefits Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Greenbelt, Maryland – On Friday, February 28, Newton Ofioritse Jemide, 47, a Nigerian national, pled guilty to a federal charge for wire fraud conspiracy.  Jemide, who was recently extradited from France, was involved in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits.

    Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Acting Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General – Philadelphia Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool, U.S. Secret Service – Washington Field Office.

    “Mr. Jemide and his co-conspirators’ greed and utter disregard for the suffering of those who need national emergency assistance, by stealing from the government, will not be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Hayes. “The District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners will continue to hold those accountable who try to defraud our government through fraud, waste, and abuse during times of crisis.”

    “Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that individuals who defraud the federal government for their own personal gain will be identified and held accountable,” said U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, PhD.  “DHS-OIG is grateful for our continued partnership with our law enforcement partners as we continue fighting waste, fraud, and abuse.”

    During the timeframe covered by the indictment, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided emergency benefits and compensation for damages to victims affected by declared national emergency disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires.  Among other benefits, an individual in an area affected was immediately eligible for Critical Needs Assistance (CNA) to purchase life-saving or life-sustaining materials.  Victims could decide how to receive assistance payments, which included deposits on prepaid debit cards.

    According to the guilty plea, in 2016 and 2017, Jemide and others from Nigeria directed co-conspirators living in the United States to purchase hundreds of Green Dot Debit Cards.  Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States.  Jemide and his co-conspirators used an encrypted messaging application and other means to communicate.

    In 2017, following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the California wildfires, Jemide, and other co-conspirators from Nigeria, used stolen personal information to apply online for FEMA and CNA benefits.  FEMA dispersed $500 per claim on the Green Dot Debit Cards that co-conspirators purchased for a total of at least $8 million.

    “Bringing these criminals to justice prevents further victimization of American taxpayers and abuse of the programs put in place as safety nets for the most vulnerable in our country,” said SAC McCool. “This investigation underscores the Secret Service’s global reach and steadfast commitment, in collaboration with our partner agencies, to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes and relentlessly pursue those committing them.”

    In addition to filing false disaster-assistance claims with FEMA, Jemide and co-conspirators also submitted false online claims for Social Security benefits, IRS tax refunds, and other government benefits using stolen identities of multiple individuals, including names, addresses, social security numbers, and other personal identifiers.

    “Newton Ofioritse Jemide and his co-conspirators misused Social Security numbers to steal government funds via SSA’s online services. The misuse of SSA’s e-Services to defraud SSA and rightful beneficiaries and recipients will not be tolerated at any level,” said Acting SAC Lawlor. “Our office will continue to investigate those who abuse SSA programs and operations, including its e-Services, for their own selfish gain. I thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this complex case.”

    As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and the other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot Debit Cards.  The funds were deposited on the debit cards using multiple stolen identities, including identities different from the identities used to register the cards.  Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission.  Additionally, the co-conspirators took steps to conceal their identities by enlisting others to make purchases and withdrawals; utilizing multiple store and bank locations and methods of withdrawal; and making money orders payable to other individuals and/or corporate entities.

    Jemide faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Sentencing is currently scheduled for July 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. District Court Judge Deborah K. Chasanow.  

    United States Attorney Hayes commended DHS-OIG, SSA-OIG, and USSS for their work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the United States Marshals Service for their valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Jemide to the United States.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Darren Gardner who are prosecuting the federal case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Nurse Practitioner to Forfeit over $40 million from Foreign Accounts for Health Care Fraud, Money Laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Trivikram Reddy, 43, a Waxahachie nurse practitioner previously convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and sentenced to 20 years in 2021, will now forfeit over $40 million from foreign accounts into which he moved the funds, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.  

    Following Mr. Reddy’s conviction, the government filed a civil forfeiture action alleging that Mr. Reddy and others transferred and laundered the fraud proceeds to nearly 200 bank accounts located in India.  Through forensic financial analysis, the government traced the proceeds to these accounts and obtained seizure warrants to forfeit and restrain the funds.  On Monday, March 3, 2025, after Mr. Reddy and two family members stipulated up to $41,237,703.16 of the funds’ return from India, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown issued a judgment ordering the funds to be transferred to U.S. government custody.  

    According to court documents, Mr. Reddy, a licensed nurse practitioner, devised a scheme to defraud Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and Cigna.  Mr. Reddy and co-conspirators created false patient bills using the provider numbers of six doctors as the treating physicians on the claims.  All the claims were false, as none of the six doctors provided billable services to any of Mr. Reddy’s medical clinics.  In response to federal agents’ investigative inquiries, Mr. Reddy and his staff manufactured fake medical records in a failed attempt to justify the false claims.  Mr. Reddy pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in October 2020.  In May 2021, Judge Brown sentenced Mr. Reddy to 20 years imprisonment and ordered over $50 million in restitution to the victims of his offense.

    The civil forfeiture case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Beverly Chapman is handling the restitution.  The case was investigated by the FBI Dallas Field office and Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). 
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Forces Conduct Strikes Targeting ISIS-Somalia

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia on Feb. 21 and 22, 2025.

    The airstrikes occurred in the vicinity of Dadar, Somalia.

    The command’s initial assessment is that three ISIS-Somalia operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed. Degrading ISIS and other terrorist organizations’ ability to plot and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our partners, and civilians remains central to U.S. Africa Command’s mission.

     Specific details about the operation will not be released in order to ensure continued operations security.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

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

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Leondus Whittenburg, 42, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 6, 2023, Whittenburg sold 320 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the parking lot of a Beckley business near Eisenhower Drive.

    Whittenburg is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.

    Co-defendant John Gray, 39, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty on September 24, 2024, to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

    United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell and Brian D. Parsons are prosecuting the case.

    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. 5:24-cr-31.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Arrested in San Antonio for Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A Mexican national was arrested in San Antonio on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of a firearm as an illegal alien.

    According to court documents, during a Feb. 25 traffic stop, Rene Garibay-Robledo presented FBI agents and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers a Mexico ID and allegedly stated he lacked legal status to be in the United States. Additionally, the criminal complaint alleges Garibay-Robledo stated that he had one firearm—a pistol—at his house. During the execution of federal search warrant at Garibay-Robledo’s home,  three handguns, a semi-automatic CZ Scorpion EVO 3, approximately 450 rounds of mixed caliber ammunition, and 6.8 grams of a substance that tested positive for cocaine were seized.

    A review of Department of Homeland Security records revealed Garibay-Robledo entered the U.S. illegally on or about Jan. 1, 1994 near Laredo. Law enforcement databases also confirm a prior theft conviction from December 2000 in California.

    Garibay-Robledo is charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    The FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Parsons is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint 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: Miami U.S. Attorney Charges Suspected Tren de Aragua Gang Member with Illegal Possession of Loaded 9 Millimeter Handgun

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – A Venezuelan national and suspected member of the violent transnational Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang who used the now-disabled Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One Application to enter the United States in 2023, has been charged with possessing a firearm as an illegal alien – a federal crime. 

    Luis Ernesto Veliz Riera, 23, made his initial appearance yesterday before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Florida. According to the unsealed criminal complaint affidavit, Veliz Riera was allowed to enter the United States at the Mexico-El Paso, Texas border in February 2023, after appearing for an appointment he booked online through the (now inactive) CBP One Application system. Prior to being shut down on January 20, 2025, the online system allowed undocumented aliens to submit information and schedule appointments at eight southwest United States border ports of entry.

    On the day he entered, CBP presented Veliz Riera with a Notice to Appear for a hearing before an immigration judge in Las Vegas, Nevada – where he told officials he was headed. According to the affidavit, Veliz-Ruiz skipped his immigration hearing and stayed in El Paso, waiting for his girlfriend (also a Venezuelan national) to illegally cross from Mexico into the United States in April-May 2023. The couple traveled together from El Paso to Chicago – to New York City – and finally to Homestead, Florida. On April 30, 2024, an immigration judge entered an order to remove Veliz Riera from the United States after he failed to appear in immigration court or otherwise report to immigration authorities.  

    On October 17, 2024, in connection with an investigation into potential TdA illegal activity, local law enforcement stopped a car that Veliz Riera was driving. Records and other checks showed that Veliz Riera was wanted on an open state crime warrant and that he was in the country illegally. Further investigation showed that, despite his illegal status, Veliz Ruiz kept a Taurus, PT609 Pro 9mm, semi-automatic handgun with a 30-round magazine inside the Homestead hotel room he shared with his girlfriend and that he had loaded the gun earlier that day, says the affidavit. 

    On October, 17, 2024, Veliz Ruiz was arrested on state charges.

    On November 16, 2024, based on his illegal status, Veliz Riera went into immigration detention where he was released into the community on electronic monitoring.  

    On February 3, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) administratively arrested Veliz Riera to reexamine the decision to release him from immigration detention.

    On February 14, 2025, Miami federal prosecutors charged Veliz Riera with one count of possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A). During his initial appearance in federal court today, Veliz Riera agreed to remain in Bureau of Prisons custody pending trial.

    United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

    HSI-Miami’s Fort Lauderdale office is investigating the case. HSI federal task force officers from Homestead Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, Sweetwater Police Department, and Broward Sheriff’s Office assisted, as did United States Border Patrol-Dania Beach Station, ATF Miami, ICE-ERO Miami, and FBI Miami.

    Assistant United States Attorney Kseniya Smychkouskaya is prosecuting the case.

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

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-mj-02303.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Grande Anse — RCMP continue to investigate the disappearance of Cody Duane MacDonald

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    March 4 marks one year since Cody Duane MacDonald was reported missing.

    On February 29, 2024, 29-year-old Cody MacDonald was last seen at a home on Campbell Rd. in Grande Anse.

    MacDonald is described as 5-foot-10, 145 lbs. He has brown hair and blue eyes.

    Initially it was believed he was wearing an orange survival suit at the time of his disappearance. However, information and evidence gathered indicates he was last seen wearing a grey hat and green fisherman boots. Additional clothing descriptors are not known at this time.

    A multi-day search of nearby areas, assisted by Strait Area Ground Search and Rescue, Sydney Ground Search and Rescue, RCMP Police Dog Services, and RCMP Air Services, was conducted in March of 2024.

    Over the past twelve months, investigators have followed up on numerous tips. Police have continued to receive and follow up on new information. At this time, investigators are asking specifically for information about the hours and days leading up to Cody’s disappearance.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Cody Duane MacDonald is asked to contact Richmond County District RCMP at 902-535-2002. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.

    Note: Photos of Cody Duane MacDonald are attached. The photo labelled “C.MacDonald_01” was taken of him earlier in the day on February 29, 2024, before he was last seen at a home in Grande Anse.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Detective charged with coercive and controlling behaviour

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A Metropolitan Police detective has been charged with coercive and controlling behaviour.

    Detective Constable Asiri Hamidi, 34, attached to the South Area Command Unit, will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 5 March. He was charged with coercive control on Friday, 31 January.

    The charge relates to an allegation made to the police in April 2022. The offending is alleged to have taken place while the officer was off-duty, and DC Hamidi has been suspended.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Dartmouth — March is Fraud Prevention Month: learn more about common scams

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    This Fraud Prevention Month the Nova Scotia RCMP is reminding the public to always stay vigilant to help protect themselves against fraud, and sharing common scams to watch out for.

    Fraud can happen to anyone at anytime. Scammers use sophisticated ways to target individuals from across Nova Scotia. The best way to fight these types of crimes is through awareness and using educated caution when dealing with fraudulent calls, texts, emails and messages.

    The most common scams in Nova Scotia over the past year, include:

    • Extortion: Scammers unlawfully obtain money, property or services through intimidation. This is also done through sextortion, a form of blackmail that involves threats to distribute intimate images or videos if money isn’t paid to the fraudster.
    • Romance: Using fake profiles on social media and dating websites, scammers convince people to enter into a virtual relationship with the goal of having them send financial support. Often victims are asked to send compromising photos of themselves and are subsequently extorted for money.
    • Investment: Scammers solicit investments into false or deceptive investment companies that promise higher-than-normal returns.
    • Service: scammers offer services such as tech support, air duct cleaning, or new cellphone service plans, in attempt to steal personal information.
    • Vacation: Scammers call pretending to be a well-known airline, cruise company or vacation travel retailer. They share that you have won a free trip and that you have to pay taxes or fee associated with the free trip.
    • Spear phishing: Pretending to be from legitimate sources, and using what look to be legit email addresses, scammers try to get businesses or individuals to send them money.
    • Job: These scams involve online ads and fake job interviews; victims are often directed to purchase and send gift cards using fraudulent cheques.
    • Rental: Scammers will list a property that is not real or that they do not own. Next, they ask potential renters to pay deposits for the fake property.
    • Bank investigator: Scammers call and ask for help catching fraudulent bank employees or offer help in resolving suspicious account transactions.
    • Merchandise: Scammers create fake online ads online using resale sites, website pop-ups or fake company websites.
    • Emergency: Fraudsters prey on people’s fear of a loved one being hurt or in trouble and in need of financial support. (Also known as the ‘grandparent scam’).
    • Prize: Scammers contact people claiming they’ve won, or have a chance at winning, a prize or lottery; the winner is then asked to pay taxes or fees related to the fake winnings.

    If you or someone you know is a victim of a scam, report it to your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Learn more, visit: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cedrick Dion Tyron Griffin, age 26, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, the Fairmont Police Department was investigating a shooting that led them to Griffin. A search of his Morgantown apartment, his vehicle, and a hotel room in his name resulted in the seizure of $28,000, 144 grams of fentanyl, more than 1,100 grams of methamphetamine, and a firearm. Griffin has a criminal history that includes obstructing/assault on a police officer, attempted murder, wanton endangerment, malicious wounding, drug trafficking and witness intimidation.

    Griffin will also serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

    The Three Rivers Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Woman Admits to $1 Million Wire Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Chisom Okonkwo, age 28, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, has admitted to wire fraud causing a Gilmer County business to send three fraudulent wires totaling over $1 million as part of a business email compromise scheme.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Okonkwo and another defendant created an email address that spoofed that of an employee at a Gilmer County business, causing a vendor to send more than $1 million to a bank account controlled by the defendants. Okonkwo and the co-defendant expended more than $600,000 of the stolen funds before the scheme was discovered.

    The second defendant, Prince Boateng Adjei, 31, also of Lawrenceville, Georgia, is scheduled for trial in April 2025.

    Okonkwo agrees to pay $610,146.03 in restitution as a part of the plea agreement. She faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

    The United States Secret Service investigated the case.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Port Saunders — Port Saunders RCMP responds to fatal snowmobile crash

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Port Saunders RCMP is investigating a fatal snowmobile incident that occurred over this past weekend. A 66-year-old man, who was traveling alone, was located deceased.

    Shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Friday, February 28, 2025, Port Saunders RCMP responded to a report of a snowmobile crash in a remote area of the back country, near Eddies Cove West. Two snowmobilers came upon an overturned snowmobile and discovered the body of an unresponsive individual underneath the machine.

    Only accessible by snowmobile, police attended the area with those who reported the incident. The man’s body was transported out of the wooded area and was further transported to Western Memorial Hospital in Corner Brook as part of the investigation.

    The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is engaged and the investigation is continuing.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man dies at address in Homerton Road, E9

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A murder investigation is underway following the death of a man in Hackney.

    Police were alerted to the incident after a man, aged in his 50s, attended a police station shortly after 10:00hrs on Monday, 3 March. He has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.

    Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended an address in Homerton Road, E9 and discovered the body of a man, believed aged in his 60s.

    Work is ongoing to identify and inform his next of kin.

    Both men are believed to know each other and police are not seeking anyone else in connection with this incident.

    Enquiries into the circumstances continue.

    Acting Chief Superintendent Brigid Beehag-Fisher, responsible for policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: “I know this will be distressing for local residents as well as the wider community. There will be increased policing presence in and around the location in the coming days.

    “Please speak to any of these officers and PCSOs if you have any concerns. If you have any information, please speak to one of the team at the scene or call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD1822/3Mar. You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man guilty of murdering Shaquille Graham in Catford

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been convicted over a fatal shooting in Catford, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service.

    On Monday 3 March, a jury at the Old Bailey found Tyler Roberts-Emmanuel, 19 (13.10.05), of no fixed address, guilty of the murder of 30-year-old Lewisham resident Shaquille Graham. He was also found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

    Roberts-Emmanuel will be sentenced at the same court on 4 April.

    Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, from Specialist Crime South, said: “This case presented all the hallmarks of a targeted attack. The killing was carried out in a busy street in the early hours, as Shaquille Graham and others left a nightclub. Roberts-Emmanuel had been lying in wait until he sighted Shaquille. Roberts-Emmanuel then rode up on a high powered e-scooter and shot Shaquille in the back of the head before fleeing the scene”.

    “Our thoughts at this time are with Shaquille’s family and loved ones, although nothing can bring him back, we hope that this verdict offers some closure in the form of justice.”

    An investigation was launched following the attack which took place shortly before 04:30hrs on Sunday, 10 March, 2024. Police were called to Catford Broadway, following reports of a shooting – they found 30-year-old Shaquille lying on the pavement. Despite the efforts of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene just after 05:00hrs.

    Through extensive enquiries, including utilising CCTV, detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command identified Roberts-Emmanuel as the person responsible and tracked his e-scooter to an address in Linden Grove, Southwark. Further enquires revealed evidence of Roberts-Emmanuel taking possession of a firearm just two days prior to the killing.

    Roberts-Emmanuel was arrested in Camberwell on Thursday, 21 March and was charged two days later with murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man guilty of murdering Shaquille Graham n Catford

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been convicted over a fatal shooting in Catford, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service.

    On Monday 3 March, a jury at the Old Bailey found Tyler Roberts-Emmanuel, 19 (13.10.05), of no fixed address, guilty of the murder of 30-year-old Lewisham resident Shaquille Graham. He was also found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

    Roberts-Emmanuel will be sentenced at the same court on 4 April.

    Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, from Specialist Crime South, said: “This case presented all the hallmarks of a targeted attack. The killing was carried out in a busy street in the early hours, as Shaquille Graham and others left a nightclub. Roberts-Emmanuel had been lying in wait until he sighted Shaquille. Roberts-Emmanuel then rode up on a high powered e-scooter and shot Shaquille in the back of the head before fleeing the scene”.

    “Our thoughts at this time are with Shaquille’s family and loved ones, although nothing can bring him back, we hope that this verdict offers some closure in the form of justice.”

    An investigation was launched following the attack which took place shortly before 04:30hrs on Sunday, 10 March, 2024. Police were called to Catford Broadway, following reports of a shooting – they found 30-year-old Shaquille lying on the pavement. Despite the efforts of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene just after 05:00hrs.

    Through extensive enquiries, including utilising CCTV, detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command identified Roberts-Emmanuel as the person responsible and tracked his e-scooter to an address in Linden Grove, Southwark. Further enquires revealed evidence of Roberts-Emmanuel taking possession of a firearm just two days prior to the killing.

    Roberts-Emmanuel was arrested in Camberwell on Thursday, 21 March and was charged two days later with murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Camden County Man Who Directed the Arson of a Bucks County Warehouse Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

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

    PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., announced that Ramiz Duka, 62, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge to six years in prison, three years of supervised release, and $6,158,686.84 in restitution for conspiring to commit the arson of a Bucks County warehouse.

    On October 30, 2024, Duka was convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce.

    The facts at trial established that Duka recruited two men into a conspiracy to set fire to a warehouse located at 1388 Bridgewater Road in Bensalem, Pa., paying them $15,000 to do so. Over the course of several weeks, the three co-conspirators met and planned the arson.

    On December 10, 2022, one of the men recruited to the conspiracy by Duka set fire to the building. During fire suppression operations, one firefighter was seriously injured when a ladder collapsed. Damages from the fire totaled over $6 million.

    “Ramiz Duka orchestrated this arson plot and set it in motion with no regard for the unpredictable nature of fire, the potential for the flames to spread, or the risks facing first responders reporting to fight the blaze,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Thayer. “Arson endangers lives and communities, and, as this case shows, our office will continue to work with our partners to hold accountable those reckless enough to commit such a serious crime.”

    “Arson is a dangerous crime with dire consequences, as in this case, seriously injuring a firefighter who was serving to protect his community” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “I thank the Bensalem Township Police and Fire-Rescue, U.S. Attorney’s Office and other partners who are helping the ATF-led Philadelphia Arson and Explosives Task Force seek justice and keep our communities safe from dangerous arsonists like Ramiz Duka.”

    The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bensalem Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz. Special thanks to the Bensalem Township Fire Rescue and the volunteer firefighter companies in and around Bensalem that responded to the fire.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Executive Director Of Non-Profit Serving Oakland Youth Charged With Embezzling Funds, Evading Taxes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OAKLAND – Howard Solomon, 38, of Oakland, has been charged with mail fraud and tax evasion in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud his former employer, the East Oakland Boxing Association, a non-profit organization that provides internship, mentoring, programming, and services, including boxing lessons and coaching, to children in East Oakland.  Solomon made an initial appearance in federal district court in Oakland this morning.

    According to the criminal information filed on Feb. 26, 2025, Solomon was employed as the executive director of the East Oakland Boxing Association from approximately 2017 until April 2021.  As the Executive Director, Solomon’s responsibilities included managing daily operations, soliciting contributions and fundraising, managing program and staff, overseeing budget and finances, and community outreach.  Solomon was a signatory to the non-profit’s bank accounts and had unfettered access to its bank accounts and debit cards directly linked to those accounts.

    During his tenure as executive director, Solomon allegedly engaged in a scheme to embezzle money and property from the non-profit to pay for items for personal use, including Amazon purchases, a vacation rental property, and a Ford Explorer.  The information also charges Solomon with embezzling and depositing into a personal account a $50,000 donation made to the East Oakland Boxing Association in connection with a December 2019 appearance by Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry on the Ellen DeGeneres Show for a segment known as “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways,” during which the Currys delivered gifts and a $50,000 donation check to the non-profit.  

    The information also charges Solomon with owing more federal income tax than was declared due on his federal income tax returns and filing false and fraudulent income tax returns for tax years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

    Solomon is charged with one count of mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1341 and four counts of tax evasion under 26 U.S.C. § 7201.  At his initial appearance this morning, Solomon agreed to waive indictment by a grand jury.  He is next scheduled to appear on April 9, 2025, for a status hearing before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

    A criminal information merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transactions for the count of mail fraud and five years in prison and a fine of $100,000 for each count of tax evasion.  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

    Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge of the Oakland Field Office Linda Nguyen made the announcement.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Green is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Amala James.  This prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.

    Howard Solomon Information
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: National coordination and partnership disrupting retail crime

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    Over 100 arrests made as a result of national investigations through Opal

    The fight against retail crime continues building momentum thanks to strong partnerships between policing and retailers and recent Government announcements to strengthen legislation.

    The national team collating and coordinating intelligence from police forces and retailers across the country has now effected over 100 arrests (108) of individuals involved in organised retail crime, collectively responsible for over £5.2m in losses to businesses.

    The team within Opal (policing’s national intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime) has been operational since 1 May 2024 and is funded by the Pegasus Partnership, a joint initiative between the Home Office, policing and retailers and facilitated by PCC Katy Bourne. It coordinates the sharing of intelligence to gain a clearer picture of those who are behind the increase in retail crime.

    Opal’s team receives referrals from police forces and retailers and builds intelligence packages, mapping out offending across the country and providing investigative support to bring the highest harm offenders to justice. A package will then be collated and shared with the most appropriate police force to progress the investigation and take action against offenders.

    In addition, new legislation announced in the Crime and Policing Bill makes assault of a retail worker a standalone offence and alongside a change to ensure all offences of shop theft are tried as ‘general theft’, removing the perceived immunity granted to shop theft of goods to the value of £200 or less.

    Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman is National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for acquisitive crime. She said:

    “We’re fast approaching a year since the organised retail crime team within Opal began accepting referrals and it’s positive to see so many results, with real impact being made. Behind each offender is not just a list of offences, but damage to businesses and all too often trauma experienced by retail workers who suffer abuse at the hands of these criminals.

    “We want retailers, workers and the public to feel safe in our shops and to know that policing is doing everything we can to tackling the problem. Working in partnership with retailers, Opal can build a detailed picture of offending across borders so there is quite literally nowhere for these individuals and groups to hide.

    “The recent announcements of a standalone offence for assault of a retail worker and the legislation change to ensure any shop theft offence is dealt with robustly, whatever the value, further strengthens our policing response and shows the seriousness of this criminality.

    “In addition this dedicated work at a central level, we are seeing much progress in police forces developing their response to retail crime, working closely with their partners to improve the safety of our communities. From prevention to dealing with offenders, we must keep working collaboratively to drive this offending out of our high streets.”

    Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner and APCC joint lead for Business and Retail Crime, Katy Bourne, said:

    “I’m thrilled that our Pegasus Partnership is working so well. The results so far from Opal’s Organised Retail Crime Team are impressive and demonstrate the value of the unique partnership between our major retailers and police to identify organised retailed crime gangs and prolific offenders.

    “Momentum has been gathering  since the start of Opal’s operations, leading to over 100 arrests across 31 different organized crime groups and £5.2 million of losses linked to offenders. I’m delighted that our Pegasus Partnership has been proven successful and the investment from retailers has clearly paid off as the Government has now allocated funding to Opal.

    “Information and intelligence-sharing will remain vital if we want to target offenders and make our high streets and shops safer places for everyone. My congratulations and thanks to the Opal team and our local forces for these excellent results.”

    Results from the Opal Organised Retail Crime team since 1 May include:

    • 108 arrests from 31 different organised crime groups
    • Responsible/linked to £5.2m of loss
    • 268 offenders have been identified – ie. Opal was able to link offender/s to an incident where a suspect had previously not been known. Whether through the facial recognition database on the Police National Database or other routes.
    • 93 vehicles have been identified linked to shop theft offending
    • 112 pieces of intelligence either developed by Opal around ORC or intelligence received from retailers – then submitted into policing
    • 194 collaborations and coordinations – where Opal has brought together police forces and/or retailers in a joint approach to disrupt an organised crime group.
    • 32 court outcomes related to shop theft offenders
    • A total of 24 years in prison sentences for those who have already been through the courts (more to follow)
    • 8 offenders deported

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Los Angeles County Resident Sentenced To Prison For Forging Over $1.2 Million In Money Orders

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAS VEGAS – A Lancaster, California, man was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for depositing over $1.2 million in forged money orders into bank accounts then withdrawing cash from the accounts.

    According to court documents, from July 31, 2013 to February 13, 2019, Sterlyn Lee Smith Jr., 49, and dozens of others executed a scheme to deposit altered money orders into bank accounts in other people’s names and then withdrawing the funds before the banks discovered the money orders were forged. As part of the scheme, Smith and others purchased money orders at United States Post Offices in California and Nevada. Then, they fraudulently altered the money orders to high dollar amount money orders. Smith and others then deposited the fraudulent money orders into bank accounts at two banks in Nevada and California and made cash withdrawals from the accounts.

    Over the course of this six-year bank fraud scheme, Smith and others deposited and attempted to deposit more than 1,200 forged money orders totaling more than $1.2 million dollars.

    Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud, one count for each of the banks Smith victimized. In addition to imprisonment, Smith was ordered to pay $432,482.63 in restitution.

    Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson of the United States Postal Inspections Service (USPIS), Phoenix Division made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by the USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Frayn and Justin Washburne prosecuted the case.

    To report a fraud complaint, call the U.S. Postal Service Fraud Complaint Hotline at 1-800-372-8347 or visit the USPIS website at www.usps.com/postalinspectors.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fleeing alien smuggler sent to federal prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Los Fresnos man has been ordered to prison for attempting to smuggle an illegal alien further into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Carlos Del Angel Bocanegra pleaded guilty Nov. 25, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered him to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence describing how Bocanegra had fled from law enforcement with four children in his vehicle. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the potential danger Bocanegra’s conduct posed the public and his passengers.

    “Alien smuggling is an incredibly dangerous practice, both for the people smuggled and for innocent bystanders,” said Ganjei. “Fortunately, nobody was killed by Bocanegra’s actions, but the facts of this case could have easily turned tragic. I commend law enforcement for their excellent work in this case.”

    On Aug. 27, 2024, Bocanegra approached the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville driving a Chevy Tahoe with an adult passenger and four juveniles visibly present. Upon initial inspection, he denied having any contraband or unlawful people in his vehicle. However, authorities soon discovered an illegal alien concealed under a passenger row seat.

    Bocanegra then immediately fled the checkpoint and led law enforcement on a chase down the highway. Authorities were able to end the pursuit quickly and took him into custody.

    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.

    Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Lamont prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Joseph Sanberg, Co-Founder of Aspiration Partners, Arrested for Conspiring to Defraud an Investment Fund of at Least $145 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SANTA ANA, California – Joseph Neal Sanberg, 45, of Orange, the co-founder and largest shareholder of the financial and sustainability services company Aspiration Partners, Inc., was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he conspired to defraud two investor funds of at least $145 million.

    Sanberg’s coconspirator, Ibrahim Ameen AlHusseini, 51, of Venice, pleaded guilty today to an information charging him with wire fraud for falsifying documents and information to assist Sanberg. According to his plea agreement, signed on February 7, 2025, and unsealed today, AlHusseini personally received approximately $12.3 million in payments from the scheme. AlHusseini is scheduled for sentencing on September 29, 2025. 

    Sanberg is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana. AlHusseini was arrested on a criminal complaint on October 7, 2024, and has been released on bond since November 13, 2024. That criminal complaint was previously dismissed against AlHusseini to facilitate his cooperation in the prosecution of others, including Sanberg.

    “Our prosecutors and law enforcement partners have worked methodically to secure a guilty plea from one of the main offenders in this case and have now charged another member of the conspiracy,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “We will continue to ensure that markets and businesses receive an honest and level playing field in which to operate.”

    According to the complaint against Sanberg and AlHusseini’s plea agreement, Sanberg obtained $145 million in loans secured by AlHusseini, who Sanberg knew did not have sufficient financial assets to cover those loans if Sanberg defaulted.  Sanberg hid this fact from investors, then defaulted on the loans, which resulted in at least a $145 million in losses.

    In January 2020, Sanberg began negotiating a $55 million loan from Investor Fund A to Sanberg, in which Sanberg pledged 10.3 million shares of Aspiration Partners stock as collateral. Because Aspiration Partners was a non-public company without a liquid market to sell its stock, Investor Fund A required Sanberg to find a buyer for the 10.3 million shares of Aspiration Partners stock as a hedge against the risk that the shares could not be sold on the open market.

    To secure the $55 million loan, Sanberg recruited AlHusseini, who served on Aspiration Partners’ board of directors, to enter into a put option agreement with Investor Fund A that obligated AlHusseini to buy the 10.3 million shares of Aspiration Partners stock in the event of Sanberg’s default. A put option is an investment contract in which the option buyer has the right to require the option seller to buy an asset from the option buyer at a pre-determined price. Under the option, AlHusseini was obligated to purchase the 10.3 million shares in Aspiration Partners for $55 million from Investor Fund A.

    Aware that AlHusseini lacked sufficient assets to cover the put option obligation, as required by the deal, Sanberg and AlHusseini hid that fact and lied to Investor Fund A, court documents state. Among other things, Sanberg and AlHusseini enlisted a graphic designer in Lebanon to create fake brokerage account and bank account statements that falsely inflated AlHusseini’s financial assets by between approximately $80 million and $200 million.

    Unaware of the fraud, Investor Fund A extended the $55 million loan to Sanberg and purchased the put option from AlHusseini. AlHusseini received approximately $6 million of the $55 million loan at the time of the loan’s execution as consideration (also known as a “premium payment”) for guaranteeing Sanberg’s repayment of the loan.

    Unsealed court documents also state that, in November 2021, Sanberg refinanced the $55 million loan against his 10.3 million shares of Aspiration Partners stock with Investor Fund B. Investor Fund B loaned $145 million to Sanberg against the same 10.3 million shares of stock as collateral. Investor Fund B and AlHusseini agreed to a new put option agreement in which AlHusseini was obligated to pay $65 million to Investor Fund B if Sanberg defaulted on the $145 million loan. The terms of the agreement required AlHusseini to have sufficient assets to pay $65 million in the event of Sanberg’s default.

    Because AlHusseini lacked sufficient assets to cover his obligation, Sanberg and AlHusseini again submitted falsified brokerage account and bank account statements to Investor Fund B to secure the $145 million loan. AlHusseini received a premium payment of approximately $6.3 million as consideration for guaranteeing Sanberg’s repayment of the refinanced loan.

    Sanberg thereafter defaulted on the $145 million loan in November 2022 and again in the spring of 2023. Investor Fund B exercised its put option requiring AlHusseini to buy the pledged shares of Aspiration Partners stock, which he has not done. As a result of Sanberg and AlHusseini’s fraud, Investor Fund B has suffered at least $145 million in losses.

    Investor Fund A and Investor Fund B are investment funds that loaned investors’ capital to high-net-worth borrowers. 

    A criminal complaint contains allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    If convicted of the charge in the complaint, Sanberg would face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. AlHusseini faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

    The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case. 

    Assistant United States Attorneys Brett A. Sagel, Nisha Chandran, and Jenna Williams of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, along with Theodore M. Kneller and Adam L.D. Stempel for the Fraud Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, are prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Gladwyne Entrepreneur Pleads Guilty to Bilking Dozens of Investors, Employees, and Business Partners Out of Millions of Dollars

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., announced that Josh S. Verne, 47, formerly of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, now a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge John F. Murphy to three counts of securities fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft, charges arising from a series of schemes through which the defendant defrauded dozens of investors, prospective investors, employees, and business partners out of millions of dollars.

    Verne was charged by indictment in August of last year with carrying out the schemes, which took place from in or about 2017 to 2020.

    As detailed in the indictment and admitted by the defendant during today’s guilty plea hearing, Verne held himself out as a wealthy and successful businessman, entrepreneur, and investor, carrying out his fraudulent activities through a series of limited liability companies, of which he was the chief executive and over which he maintained control.

    Among other things, Verne falsely represented his prior business successes, falsely represented his personal net worth, falsely represented his own investments, and falsely represented the financial health of his companies and investments, in order to induce others to invest in or provide loans to him or his companies.

    For instance, Verne admitted to providing an investor with a forged Goldman Sachs statement that showed family investment holdings for Verne of more than $50 million, when, in fact, Verne did not have an investment account at Goldman Sachs in his own name or in his family’s names, much less an account with a market value of more than $50 million.

    Verne also misused business and investor funds to repay prior debts and to finance an affluent lifestyle he could not afford, such as personal expenses related to renovations to his showcase vacation property on the Jersey shore, travel on private jets, contributions to political candidates, personal charitable contributions, and country club payments.

    The defendant admitted that, in order to delay and prevent discovery by law enforcement of his own misconduct, he later sent bank and FedEx confirmations purporting to confirm delivery of funds to investors to whom he had promised repayment; the bank and FedEx confirmations were false and fraudulent.

    Further, Verne stole the identity of a former employee from his company, forging the employee’s signature on a sales agreement to disguise an unauthorized sale of the employee’s shares of stock. Verne obtained $150,000 from the unauthorized sale and used those funds to make payments to himself and to a prior investor.

    The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13 and faces a maximum possible sentence of 242 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of two years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $17,500,000 fine, and a $1,300 special assessment. Full restitution also shall be ordered.

    The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Shapiro and Jerome M. Maiatico. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office investigated civil securities fraud charges against Verne, which are pending.

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