NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Spencerport man going to prison for role in fraud scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROCHESTER, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney Joel Louis Violanti announced today that Michael Grimm 45, of Spencerport, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Grimm was also ordered to pay approximately $16,000 in restitution.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that Grimm, and co-defendant Nickola Marie Ferra, engaged in an extensive pattern of conduct involving document fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, retail theft, and identity theft. Part of the scheme involved Grimm and others obtaining merchandise by theft or fraud from local retailers, which was then returned in exchange for gift cards and store credit or sold to third parties.  In furtherance of the scheme, Grimm presented forged and/or stolen passports and other stolen identification information to merchants. Grimm also admitted his role in the theft of personal identifying information and credit information belonging to multiple individuals, which he and others used to make fraudulent purchases, including car and hotel rentals. The stolen identity information was also used in attempts to open credit cards and obtain loans. To date, at least 10 identity theft victims have been identified resulting in thousands of dollars in losses.   

    Nickola Marie Ferra was previously convicted and sentenced to serve 27 months in prison.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Brian Wood, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal grand jury indicts five defendants for their roles in Jamestown drug conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y. –Acting U.S. Attorney Joel Louis Violanti announced today a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Andres Pizzaro Campos a/k/a Kiki, 33, Max Pizzaro Campos, 34, Cindy Frank, 52, Edward Leeper a/k/a Edward Barnes. 46, and Jaquez L. Thomas a/k/a Quez, 21, all of Jamestown, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. In addition, Andres and Max Pizzaro Campos are also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and maintaining a drug involved premises, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, consecutive to any other penalty. Cindy Frank is also charged with obstruction of justice.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between 2018, and May 26, 2022, the defendants conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others, to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area. Andre and Max Pizarro Campos are accused of utilizing a Hazzard Street residence and possessing firearms to conduct their drug trafficking activities. In addition, on July 26, 2023, Cindy Frank allegedly falsely testified, concealing her knowledge of Joseph S. Zaso’s drug trafficking activities.

    Joseph Zaso was previously charged and convicted and is awaiting sentencing.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Alabama Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Violating Iran Sanctions

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

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh, and Rahman Natooshas, 71, of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, has been sentenced for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.  In July 2024, Hunt pleaded guilty to conspiring to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of the U.S. trade sanctions.

    According to court documents, in May 2014, Hunt registered Vega Tools, LLC with the Alabama Secretary of State, listing the nature of the business as “the purchase/resale of equipment for the energy sector.” He operated Vega Tools, including purchasing, receiving, and shipping U.S.-origin goods, from locations in Madison County, Alabama. Beginning at least as early as 2015 and continuing to the time of his arrest in November 2022,  Hunt conspired with two Iranian companies located in Tehran, Iran, to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment for use in Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.

    Hunt engaged in a series of deceptive practices to avoid detection by U.S. authorities, including using third-party transshipment companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), routing payments through UAE banks, and lying to shipping companies about the value of his exports to prevent the filing of Electronic Export Information to U.S. authorities. Hunt lied to suppliers and shippers by claiming the items he purchased on behalf of the Iranian co-conspirators were destined for end-users in Turkey and UAE, while knowing the exports were ultimately destined for Iran. Hunt lied also to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers regarding the nature and existence of his business when questioned upon his return from a March 2020 trip to Iran.   

    Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama, Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement John Sonderman of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security, and Assistant Director Kevin Vorndran of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division announced the sentence.

    BIS investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Cross and Henry Cornelius for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Emma Ellenrieder and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands Governor visits U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, meets with Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands Governor Arnold Palacios at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith in Honolulu, Feb. 26, 2025.

    Topics of discussion included enhancement of operations, activities and investments in CNMI, increased training opportunities, and overall strength and prosperity of the U.S. and its territories.

    CNMI is part of the U.S. homeland and is strategically significant to the U.S. as a Pacific nation. 

    USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, prevailing in conflict.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dangerous Firearms and Drugs the Focus of 2 Takedowns in Vallejo

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two Vallejo Public Safety Partnership (PSP) investigations have resulted in arrests and federal charges for eight individuals for various gun and drug offenses. The PSP investigations are a part of a larger collaborative effort to address violent crime in the city of Vallejo. Making this announcement are Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith, Chief Jason Ta of the Vallejo Police Department, Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani.

    “The application process to join the U.S. Department of Justice’s Public Safety Partnership Program is competitive, and the United States Attorney’s Office is proud of the Vallejo Police Department’s selection as a participant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “This program is focused on maximizing scarce resources to increase Vallejo’s ability to fight violent crime, especially crime related to gang activity involving gun violence and drug trafficking. Our office is honored to partner with Vallejo through this unique initiative to provide focused, data-driven, and evidence-based resources and expertise to promote public safety in this city. The prosecutions announced today show our commitment to that partnership, as we bring federal resources to bear in the fight make Vallejo safer for all its residents.”

    “Every community member deserves to feel safe and secure in their home,” stated Vallejo Police Chief Jason Ta. “We are overcoming our resource limitations through law enforcement and community partnerships. We must work together as a team to make Vallejo safer.”

    “Today’s announcement is yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to collaborative investigations, leveraging the skills and talents of local, state, and federal partners to disrupt violent criminal networks that threaten the success and safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Drug and weapons trafficking conducted by criminal networks exploits and slowly erodes communities unless law enforcement and the public stand together against it. Every family should have the opportunity to live, work, and thrive in a safe, crime-free community and the FBI remains firmly committed to disrupt and dismantle gangs and criminal networks that endanger neighborhoods and threaten the potential of all citizens.”

    “ATF is proud to be a part of a collective effort to prevent and reduce violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The city of Vallejo is a safer community today because of programs like the National Public Safety Partnership or PSP. This investigation serves as a great example of the effectiveness of this program. ATF continues to stay focused on the commitment that we made to the communities we serve, and we hope to continue to have more investigations like this one.”

    Super 8

    According to court documents, since July 2024 until the present, the ATF’s Oakland Field Office has been investigating members of a loosely affiliated group that was illegally selling dangerous, high-powered weapons in Vallejo using a Super 8 motel on Solano Avenue as the hub of their criminal activity. On Feb. 20, 2025, ATF arrested four Vallejo residents charged with federal firearms offenses. Zuryess Anthony Roberts, 24, was charged with possession and transfer of a machine gun. Taezon Laurece Sanderson, 23, was charged with being felon in possession of a firearm. Divaya James Talley, 18, was charged with transfer and possession of a machine gun. Anderson Thurston, 66, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    Brown Brotherhood (BBH)

    According to court documents, the Brown Brotherhood gang is a subset of the Sureño gang and has been a frequent target of investigations of the Vallejo Police Department and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. The primary criminal activities of this gang have included murder, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, burglary, and stolen vehicles. The current investigation began in February 2024 through today’s arrests and takedown. FBI arrested four people today on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.

    Leo Alonso-Medina, 32, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Carlos Higuera-Aldana, 23, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Jeremiah Salanoa, 22, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Doroteo Suastegui, 47, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

    These cases are the product of investigations by the ATF, the FBI, the Vallejo Police Department, and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, R. Alex Cardenas, Nicole Vanek, Douglas Harman, Charles Campbell, and Adrian Kinsella are prosecuting the eight federal cases arising out of this collaborative PSP effort.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Identity Theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Ore.–A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison today for using a stolen identity and financial information to steal more than $426,000 from a victim with an intellectual disability.

    Clinton Wells, 36, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $426,481.14 in restitution to his victim.

    According to court documents, between March 2019 and April 2022, Wells knowingly and intentionally used personal identification and bank account information to steal the victim’s life savings. On March 13, 2019, while working for a national tax preparation company, Wells met the victim and gained access to their personal and financial information. The following day, Wells began transferring money from the victim’s bank account into his own.

    In April 2019, Wells created a user profile through the victim’s online banking system. With this access, Wells completed more than 1,100 transactions including electronic money transfers and online purchases. Wells used the money to fund extravagant trips, personal expenses and online purchases. Wells’ theft went undetected until the victim passed away and family found unopened bank statements showing the unauthorized transactions.  

    On February 13, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Wells with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    On October 30, 2024, Wells pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Meredith D.M. Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Announces 29 Wanted Defendants from Mexico Taken into U.S. Custody

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, the United States secured custody of 29 defendants from Mexico who are facing charges in districts around the country relating to racketeering, drug-trafficking, murder, illegal use of firearms, money laundering, and other crimes. The defendants taken into U.S. custody today include leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel).  These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence.

    “As President Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels. We will not rest until we secure justice for the American people.”

    “The FBI and our partners will scour the ends of the earth to bring terrorists and cartel members to justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The era of harming Americans and walking free is over.”

    “Today’s actions are a consequence of a White House that negotiates from a position of strength, and an Attorney General who is willing to lead the Department with courage and ferocity,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “By prosecuting these defendants to the maximum extent allowable under the law, we honor the memory of Special Agent Camarena, Deputy Sherrif Byrd, and other victims who are far too numerous, as well as decades of hard work in the trenches by our law enforcement partners.”

    “Today, 29 fugitive cartel members have arrived in the United States from Mexico, including one name that stands above the rest for the men and women of the DEA — Rafael Caro Quintero. Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA’s most wanted fugitives list, and today we can proudly say he has arrived in the United States where justice will be served,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz. “This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.”

    Many of the defendants were subject to longstanding U.S. extradition requests that were not honored during the prior Administration, but that the Mexican government elected to transfer to the current U.S. government in response to the Justice Department’s efforts pursuant to President Trump’s directive in Executive Order 14157, entitled Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, to pursue total elimination of these Cartels. Federal prosecutors will evaluate whether additional terrorism and violence charges are appropriate based on the policy set forth in Executive Order 14157, and whether capital punishment is available based on Executive Order 14164, entitled Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety, as well as the Attorney General’s Feb. 5 guidance regarding the death penalty.

    • Rafael Caro Quintero, who is alleged to have been among those responsible for the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena and others.
    • Martin Sotelo, who is alleged to have participated in the 2022 murder of Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd.
    • Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, who allegedly helped lead CJNG and is reportedly the brother of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.”
    • Ramiro Perez Moreno and Lucio Hernandez Lechuga, who are alleged to be high-ranking members of Los Zetas.

    A complete list of defendants, as well as districts where they are charged and will appear in federal court in the coming days:

    Mexico Defendants

      Name

    Arraignment

    Jurisdiction

    		 Statutory Maximum
    1 CANOBBIO-INZUNZA, Jose Angel Northern District Illinois Up to life imprisonment
    2. VALENCIA GONZALEZ, Norberto Northern District of Illinois Up to life imprisonment
    3. MARTIN SOTELO, Alder, also known as “Alder Martin-Sotelo” and “Alder Alfonso Marin”

    Middle District of North Carolina

    North Carolina State Court

    Federal: Maximum 10 years imprisonment

    State: Maximum of life imprisonment or death
    4. CRUZ SANCHEZ, Evaristo Southern District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    5. GARCIA VILLANO, also known as “La Kena,” “19,” and “Ciclone 19” Southern District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    6. HERNANDEZ LECHUGA, Lucio Eastern District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    7. PEREZ MORENO, Ramiro Eastern District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    8. RODRIGUEZ DIAZ, Miguel Angel, also known as “Metro” Eastern District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    9. VILLARREAL HERNANDEZ, Jose Rodolfo Northern District of Texas Death or life imprisonment
    10. CARO QUINTERO, Rafael Eastern District of New York Death or life imprisonment
    11. CARRILLO FUENTES, Vicente Eastern District of New York Death or life imprisonment
    12. CABRERA CABRERA, Jose Bibiano District of Arizona Up to life imprisonment
    13. CLARK, Andrew Central District of California Death or life imprisonment
    14. INFANTE, Hector Eduardo Central District of California Up to life imprisonment
    15. LIMON LOPEZ, Jesus Humberto District of Arizona Up to life imprisonment
    16. TAPIA QUINTERO, Jose Guadalupe District of Arizona Up to life imprisonment
    17. TORRES ACOSTA, Inez Enrique Southern District of California Up to life imprisonment
    18. GALAVIZ VEGA, Jesus Western District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    19. MENDEZ ESTEVANE, Luis Geraldo Western District of Texas Death or life imprisonment
    20. MONSIVAIS TREVINO, Carlos Alberto Western District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    21. ALGREDO VAZQUEZ, Carlos District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    22. LOPEZ IBARRA, Rodolfo District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    23. OSEGUERA CERVANTES, Antonio District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    24. RANGEL BUENDIA, Alfredo District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    25. TREVINO MORALES, Miguel Angel, also known as “Z-40” District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    26. TREVINO MORALES, Omar, also known as “Z-42”) District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    27. VALENCIA SALAZAR, Erick District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    28. MENDEZ VARGAS, Jesus Southern District of New York Up to life imprisonment
    29. PALACIOS GARCIA, Itiel Southern District of New York Up to life imprisonment

    Attorney General Pamela Bondi thanked the law enforcement officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, and Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office for their valuable contributions to these investigations.

    The Attorney General also thanked the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and its Office of International Affairs, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, the District of Columbia, Middle District of North Carolina, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas for handling the prosecutions of these cases.

    An indictment 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: Lyons Resident Charged In Connection With Series of Incidents At Loveland Tesla Dealership

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, 42, of Lyons, Colorado, was charged by complaint with one count of malicious destruction of property for a series of incidents at the Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado.

    According to the complaint, on January 29, Loveland Police received a call reporting a fire near a Cyber Truck located at the Tesla dealership. Investigators discovered an incendiary device, commonly referred to as a “Molotov cocktail” next to the vehicle. Additionally, on February 2, Loveland Police received a report of graffiti on the Tesla dealership sign where black spray paint was used to write the word “NAZI.” On February 7, police received a call for graffiti and possible arson at Tesla. During that investigation police found multiple broken bottles consistent with incendiary devices. On February 11, a security guard at the dealership came into contact with a person painting graffiti, which used an expletive, on the front windows of the building. On February 24, police confronted Nelson at the dealership. Inside Nelson’s car, police found a container of gasoline plus a box of bottles and wick material which were similar to the items police recovered after the prior incidents.

    The defendant made an initial appearance in front of Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Denver Field Office, and the Loveland Police Department are handling the investigation.  The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution.

    Case Number: 1:25-mj-00043-NRN

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Louisiana Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Armed Robbery of Undercover Federal Agent

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MICHAEL LOTT (“LOTT”), age 51, DIANTA TROPEZ (“TROPEZ”), age 30, and VERNELL WOODARD (“WOODARD”), age 23, all residents of New Orleans, were sentenced on February 18 and 19, 2025, by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle for the armed robbery of an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) special agent that resulted in the agent’s paralysis from the shoulders down, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

    According to court records, VERNELL WOODARD and three other co-defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine to an undercover ATF agent and another individual on August 29, 2023 at a Westbank, New Orleans apartment.  The plan came to fruition when the conspirators sold the undercover ATF agent approximately seven grams of pure methamphetamine.

    After this August 29 methamphetamine distribution deal was completed, VERNELL WOODARD arranged for the undercover ATF agent and the other individual to return to the apartment the following day to purchase more drugs. When the undercover ATF agent and the other individual arrived at the apartment complex the next day, WOODARD told them to return to the same apartment.  As they were coming upstairs, MICHAEL LOTT, armed with an AR-15 style weapon,hid in a closet inside the apartment. Once the undercover ATF agent and the other individual were inside the apartment, DIANTA TROPEZ entered, pointed a Glock pistol at the undercover ATF agent and the other individual, and demanded they get down and hand over their possessions.  Simultaneously, MICHAEL LOTT emerged from the closet, pointed the AR-15 style weapon at them, and demanded they turn over their possessions.

    Other agents monitoring the deal, realized something was wrong and responded.  Once LOTT and TROPEZ heard the law enforcement response, they stopped the robbery, and everyone in the apartment tried to flee.  The undercover ATF agent and the other individual went onto the third-floor apartment balcony and began climbing down to escape.  During their climb, the agent fell and sustained severe injuries, resulting in his paralysis.

    As a result of this criminal conduct, MICHAEL LOTT, DIANTA TROPEZ, VERNELL WOODARD, and three others were charged in an eleven-count superseding indictment with various offense related to the drug trafficking and the armed robbery.

    On September 13, 2024, DIANTA TROPEZ pleaded guilty to several crimes including, conspiring to rob a person of money belonging to the United States, armed robbery of a person of money belonging to the United States, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, assaulting an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  On October 2, 2024, MICHAEL LOTT pleaded guilty to the same charges as TROPEZ.  On November 22, 2024, VERNELL WOODARD pleaded guilty to the methamphetamine conspiracy and distribution charges, as well as all the charges related to his participation in the armed robbery and to maintaining a drug involved premises.

    During three lengthy sentencing hearings, the Court heard from the injured special agent, as well as members of his family and other special agents who had worked with the injured agent.  Judge Lemelle imposed sentences on all three defendants convicted of participating in the robbery that were well above the recommended guidelines ranges.  Judge Lemelle sentenced LOTT to 300 months of imprisonment.  He also sentenced TROPEZ to 284 months of imprisonment, and WOODARD to 209 months of imprisonment.  Each defendant was also placed on a five-year term of supervised release following release from imprisonment and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 per count.

    “Following the lengthy sentences imposed on Michael Lott, Dianta Tropez, and Vernell Woodard, our community is a bit safer,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson.  “We take any violence against law enforcement very seriously.  Although we cannot undo the tragic events in this case ultimately, justice was achieved, not only for the ATF special agent so grievously injured by this crime, but also for, law enforcement professionals and the community at large.  Violent criminals, bent on preying upon our citizens, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “The substantial sentencings of Michael Lott, Dianta Tropez, and Vernell Woodard signifies that each defendant will be held accountable for engaging in violent crime in the community,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson.  “Holding accountable offenders who commit violent crimes against law enforcement, like our Special Agent in this case, and protecting the public are cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish.  No matter how long it takes, we will investigate, arrest, prosecute and ensure accountability for those violent criminals and to remove them from the community as we are working to keep our neighborhoods safe.”

    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 investigation giving rise to the superseding indictment was conducted primarily by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department and Crimestoppers GNO.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator, and Nolan Paige, Chief of the Narcotics Unit.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, from April 2020 through January 2022, Abdikadir Ainashe Mohamud, a.k.a. “AK,” 33, claimed to be operating a child nutrition site in Willmar, Minnesota, a small town with a total population of approximately 21,000. Mohamud ran his food site, Stigma-Free Willmar, under the sponsorship of Feeding our Future. In October 2020, Mohamud approached the owner of FaaFan restaurant and offered to pay him monthly so that he could claim the small storefront restaurant as a Stigma-Free Willmar food site. By October 20, 2020, less than a month after registering the Stigma-Free Willmar site, Mohamud claimed to be serving meals to 3,000 children per day, seven days a week from FaaFan. Mohamud created a shell company, Tunyar Trading, and claimed it was a meal vendor for the Stigma-Free Willmar food site. Between November 2020 and December 2021, Mohamud and his co-conspirators claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals to children through Stigma-Free Willmar.

    To accomplish their scheme, Mohamud and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted fake meal counts, invoices, and attendance rosters. Mohamud ultimately transferred more than $2.5 million from Tunyar Trading to himself and other co-conspirators. He also created another shell company called Five A’s Projects LLC, where he transferred more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. These proceeds were used to purchase the former location of Kelly’s 19th Hole, a bar and restaurant in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

    According to court documents, Mohamud paid more than $225,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Tunyar Trading LLC to Abdikerm Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee who served as the site support manager for the Stigma-Free Willmar site, in exchange for sponsoring and facilitating Stigma-Free Willmar’s fraudulent participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. In exchange, Feeding Our Future received nearly $500,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring the Stigma-Free Willmar site’s participation in the program.  In December 2021, the defendant paid $5,750 to a GoFundMe account for Feeding Our Future created by Aimee Bock.

    In total, Stigma-Free Willmar received over $5.3 million in payments from Feeding Our Future based on fraudulent claims. As part of his sentence, Mohamud was ordered to forfeit the Kelly’s 19th Hole property, and $378,207.20 in fraudulent funds seized from his Tunyar Trading LLC bank account.

    Mohamud pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

    The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four New Orleans Men Indicted for Selling Fentanyl and Methamphetamine and Multiple Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that SHERWIN WHITE (“WHITE”), age 29, LIONEL WINDING, JR. (“WINDING”), age 20, LORENZO SMITH (“SMITH”), age 19, and ANDRE MILLS (“MILLS”), age 37, were indicted on February 21, 2025, in a 20-count indictment for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts.

    WHITE, WINDING, SMITH, and MILLS are all charged in Count 1 of the indictment with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846.

    WHITE, WINDING, and SMITH are each charged with distributing various quantities of fentanyl in Counts 2 and 3 and distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Counts 4 and 8, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C).  WHITE and MILLS are also charged with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Count 12, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). WHITE is additionally charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl in Count 16, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A).  WINDING is additionally charged in Count 19 with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D).

    As to their firearms crimes, WHITE, WINDING, and SMITH are each charged in Counts 6 and 10, and WHITE and MILLS are charged in Count 13, with carrying firearms during, and in relation to, a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).  WINDING is charged in Counts 5, 9, and 20, and WHITE is charged in Count 17, with possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).  WHITE is also charged in Counts 7, 11, 14, and 18, and MILLS is charged in Count 15, with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

    According to the indictment, between November of 2024 and January of 2025, the defendants distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine and conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, those substances.  On January 30, 2025, WHITE and WINDING possessed additional controlled substances with the intent to distribute them.  The indictment also alleges that the defendants carried firearms during three of the drug distributions and that WINDING also possessed a firearm in furtherance of two of the distributions.  The indictment further alleges that, on four different dates, WHITE illegally possessed firearms, after previously being convicted of distribution of heroin, and, on one of those dates, MILLS also illegally possessed firearms, after previously being convicted of distribution of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  In total, the indictment alleges that the defendants committed federal crimes involving 17 firearms.

    As to the conspiracy charge in Count 1, all four defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison up to life, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release up to life. WHITE also faces the same penalties for his possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of methamphetamine charge in Count 16.

    As to the fentanyl distribution charge in Count 2, WHITE, WINDING, and SMITH face up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. WINDING faces the same penalties for his possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana charge in Count 19.

    As to the charge of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl in Count 3, and each of the charges of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Counts 4, 8, and 12, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to 40 years, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release up to life.

    As to each of the charges of carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in Counts 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 17, and 20, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, which must run consecutively to each other and all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.

    As to each of the felon in possession charges in Counts 7, 11, 14, 15, and 18, WHITE and MILLS face up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

    WHITE is also charged with a sentencing enhancement based on his prior convictions for distributing heroin that raises his mandatory minimum sentence for Count 1 to 15 years in prison.

    Altogether, WHITE faces a cumulative mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years in prison; WINDING faces a cumulative mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison; SMITH faces a cumulative mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison; and MILLS faces a cumulative mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

    Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

    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.  Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Southern California Men Arrested on Indictment Alleging Scheme Targeting Elderly Victims and Causing $10 Million in Losses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Two men living in Southern California were arrested today for allegedly leading a complex money laundering scheme that targeted more than 100 victims, many of whom were targeted because they were elderly, and caused victims more than $10 million in losses.

    Sylas Nyuydzene Verdzekov, 38, of Chino Hills, and Lovert Che, 44, of Lomita, were taken into federal custody today. A third defendant, Mustapha Nkachiwouo Selly Yamie, 29, of Inglewood, is being sought by law enforcement. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    Verdzekov and Che are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

    “As the indictment alleges, these defendants built a sophisticated fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted and preyed on our most vulnerable citizens.  They not only stole the victims’ money, but robbed them of their security and trust,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Let this serve as a clear message: If you defraud members of our community, especially the elderly, we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “Financial fraud against our elder population has unfortunately lined the pockets of several transnational criminal organizations,” said HSI Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “HSI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting our most vulnerable and ensuring the public is informed of the red flag indicators of elder fraud.”

    According to the indictment, from at least November 2021 and continuing to the present, Verdzekov, Yamie, and Che, and their co-conspirators, created fake identification documents of fictitious people, including passports and driver’s licenses. Using these fake documents, the defendants and their co-conspirators created at least 36 shell companies in California, which conducted no legitimate business and were created solely to advance their crimes.

    Verdzekov, Yamie, and Che, and their co-conspirators, opened at least 145 bank accounts and at least 32 private mailboxes across Southern California using the fake identities and sham businesses.

    In one scheme specifically targeting elderly victims using phone calls and email pop-ups, the defendants and their co-conspirators posed as law enforcement personnel or employees with well-known companies attempting to help the victims maintain the security of their accounts. They then allegedly fabricated claims of victim bank accounts or payment accounts being compromised and needing to be resolved quickly.

    The defendants and their co-conspirators convinced the victims of their purported authority through pictures of fake badges and fake job titles, then requested the victims’ personally identifiable information (PII) and bank account information. Victims were told they needed to move money from their corrupted accounts quickly to ensure they kept all their money, and to move it into accounts that Verdzekov, Yamie, and Che, and their co-conspirators, fraudulently opened and controlled. Victims typically moved money via electronic bank transfers, money orders, cashier’s checks, or personal checks into these fraudulent bank accounts or mailboxes. 

    The defendants and their co-conspirators then deposited the ill-gotten gains into the bank accounts they controlled with the intent of disguising the ownership and control of the funds. Verdzekov, Yamie, Che, and their co-conspirators then withdrew large cash amounts to use the stolen funds on personal expenses, including rental payments.

    In a similar scam, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly posed as a real estate owner selling property. Using fake identification and credentials, the defendants deceived victims into believing that they were entering into a legitimate sale of the property and tricked the victims into wiring money or mailing a check to an account or mailbox the defendants and their co-conspirators controlled.

    In total, Verdzekov, Yamie, and Che, and their co-conspirators, laundered at least $10 million in funds taken from at least 100 victims. 

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

    If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    Homeland Security Investigations’ Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, the FBI’s Honolulu Field Office, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter.  The investigation remains ongoing.

    If you think you have been a victim of a scam, immediately contact your bank or financial institution to request a recall or reversal as well as a Hold Harmless Letter or Letter of Indemnity and contact local law enforcement. Additionally, file a detailed complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. The Internet Crime Complaint Center is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime. 

    Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah S. Lee and Gregg E. Marmaro of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Corona Man Who Sold Stan Lee Memorabilia Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tax Fraud of More Than $1.2 Million in Income

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man has agreed to plead guilty to filing false income tax returns after selling Stan Lee-signed memorabilia and receiving more than $1.2 million in proceeds which he never reported to the IRS, the Justice Department announced today.

    Mac Martin Anderson, 59, of Corona, has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of willfully subscribing to a false tax return, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for each charge.

    According to his plea agreement, from 2015 to 2018, Anderson had a personal relationship with Marvel Comics publisher Stan Lee and sold Marvel-related items bearing Lee’s autograph to various dealers, brokers and fans at comic conventions.

    In exchange for selling these memorabilia, Anderson received payments from buyers, typically in the form of cash or checks. These payments were considered regular income by the IRS and should have been reported on Anderson’s income tax return each year that he received money.

    For tax years 2015 through 2018, income from the sold memorabilia totaled $289,460, $452,269, $414,166, and $80,590, respectively. In total, Anderson admitted to profiting approximately $1,236,485 in reportable income from the memorabilia sales which resulted in him owing the IRS approximately $482,833.

    As part of his plea agreement, Anderson agreed to pay restitution to the IRS of approximately $482,833.

    The IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Aveis of the Major Frauds Section and Sarah E. Spielberger of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section prosecuted this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Sentenced To Prison For Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RENO – Three individuals were sentenced Tuesday for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in Reno. They all participated in multiple drug buys involving pounds of methamphetamine for thousands of dollars, totaling over 33 kilograms of methamphetamine distributed into Reno. 

    Saul Nolasco (25), of Lodi, California, and Maria Valenzuela (64) and Xochitl Sanchez-Pacheco (38), both of Sinaloa, Mexico, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. United States District Judge Miranda M. Du sentenced Nolasco to 41 months in prison; Valenzuela to 33 months in prison, and Sanchez-Pacheco to 30 months in prison. 

    According to court documents and admissions made in court, from January 20, 2023 to October 8, 2023, Nolasco, Valenzuela, and Sanchez-Pacheco conspired together to distribute 33 kilograms of methamphetamine into the Reno community. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance. 

    Nolasco worked with his brother who was located in Mexico. Nolasco acted as the drug trafficking organization’s boots on the ground in Nevada and California. He collected and handled cash payments; obtained and stored large quantities of methamphetamine at his house; and distributed large quantities of methamphetamine to various buyers in Reno and elsewhere. 

    Valenzuela conducted multiple drug transactions involving pounds of methamphetamine, where she was responsible for the delivery of methamphetamine as well as the collection of cash payments of thousands of dollars behalf of the drug trafficking organization. In November 2023, Valenzuela was caught at the border with her daughter moving 97 pounds of methamphetamine across the U.S.-Mexico border. The van was outfitted with trap compartments used to conceal the drugs.

    Sanchez-Pacheco delivered large quantities of methamphetamine in both Reno and Modesto, California. She collected the money associated with those deliveries, one of which involved $5,500.

    The fourth co-defendant, Bobby Jo Kissel (54), pleaded guilty in October 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.

    Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the DEA Las Vegas District Office made the announcement.

    The DEA investigated the case, along with the Regional Narcotics Unit, Washoe County Sherriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Modesto Police Department, HSI, USMS, Nevada Department of Investigation and Nevada Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Andolyn Johnson prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Releases First Phase of Declassified Epstein Files

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), declassified and publicly released files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his sexual exploitation of over 250 underage girls at his homes in New York and Florida, among other locations. The first phase of declassified files largely contains documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the U.S. Government.

    “This Department of Justice is following through on President Trump’s commitment to transparency and lifting the veil on the disgusting actions of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The first phase of files released today sheds light on Epstein’s extensive network and begins to provide the public with long overdue accountability.”  

    “The FBI is entering a new era—one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned — and anyone from the prior or current Bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued. If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them. And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be. The oath we take is to the Constitution, and under my leadership, that promise will be upheld without compromise.”

    Attorney General Bondi requested the full and complete files related to Jeffrey Epstein. In response, the Department received approximately 200 pages of documents, however, the Attorney General was later informed of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein that were not previously disclosed. The Attorney General has requested the FBI deliver the remaining documents to the Department by 8:00 AM on February 28 and has tasked FBI Director Kash Patel with investigating why the request for all documents was not followed.

    The Department remains committed to transparency and intends to release the remaining documents upon review and redaction to protect the identities of Epstein’s victims.

    A copy of Attorney General Bondi’s letter can be downloaded here.

    Links to released documents below:

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ansonia Man Arrested in Stamford Charged with Fentanyl Trafficking Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that DAQWON GRAHAM, also known as “Seagull” and “Energy,” 30, of Ansonia, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with fentanyl trafficking offenses.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Graham as a large-scale fentanyl distributor in and around Fairfield County.  Investigators also connected Graham’s drug trafficking activities to an overdose death of a male victim in Branford in March 2023, and an overdose death of a female victim in Shelton in October 2024.  In January and February 2025, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Graham.

    On February 26, 2025, Graham was arrested on High Ridge Road in Stamford.  It is alleged that Graham possessed approximately 400 grams of fentanyl at the time of his arrest.

    Following his arrest, Graham appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.

    The complaint charges Graham with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and with use of a communications device to facilitate a drug trafficking felony, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of four years.

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

    This matter is being investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.  The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pineville Man Sentenced to More than 27 Years in Prison for His Role in the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Production of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Daniel Perryman Collins, 34, of Pineville, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 325 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on child pornography charges.  

    This case is the result of an investigation into individuals using the dark web to communicate with others regarding exploiting children on the internet and causing them to produce child pornography. From January to November 2023, Collins and his co-defendant, Michael Bo Peacock, both together and individually, for their sexual gratification, caused minor children to produce child pornographic and sexually explicit images and videos of themselves by the use of threats and blackmail. Collins conducted all of this illegal activity in Pineville, Louisiana, while Peacock was located in the Dallas, Texas area. 

    According to information introduced in court, Collins and Peacock both participated in meeting children and coercing/blackmailing the children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to produce videos of that conduct. Peacock would often contact a minor victim online and through various social media platforms, including SnapChat, and he and Collins would convince the minor victim to engage in sexually explicit activity and provide a video of that conduct. Collins and Peacock would then blackmail and threaten the victims to provide additional sexually explicit material. As part of the conspiracy, Collins utilized advanced security measures so that those images and materials could not be traced back to himself or Peacock. 

    Collins and Peacock gave each other access to all of the child pornography they had caused minor victims to produce by obtaining an account with an overseas cloud-based file hosting service, so they could post and share the child pornography images and videos that they had produced or obtained. Both defendants had an encryption key to use to access the material they had posted to the site. Through their investigation, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Child Exploitation Operational Unit determined that Collins and Peacock exploited over 100 child victims and caused them to create child pornography. These images and videos were posted to their shared file hosting account.

    On November 16, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Collins’ residence in Pineville. During the search, law enforcement agents obtained access to the cloud-based file hosting account of Collins and Peacock and were able to download all of the child pornography images and videos which they had created and posted to the account. 

    Collins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity on November 21, 2024. Peacock pleaded guilty to the same charges on December 23, 2024, and will be sentenced at a later date. 

    “The sexual exploitation of minor children and the activities that these men participated in is horrendous and sickening,” said Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “These types of cases are becoming more prevalent in the United States and internationally and can happen in your own neighborhood. We encourage parents to be vigilant in keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity that your children could potentially be exposed to. We will continue to work to uncover this type of illegal activity and protect our minor children from offenders like this.”

    “Through relentless investigations and cutting-edge technology, the FBI works every day to uncover hidden networks, identify victims and bring perpetrators to justice,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough. “Today’s sentencing sends the message that the FBI is committed to protecting vulnerable lives and ensuring no predator can thrive at the expense of our children.”

    The case was investigated by the FBI’s Headquarter-based Child Exploitation Operation Unit, with assistance from the FBI’s New Orleans and Dallas Field Offices, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danny Siefker.

    To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Sentenced to 30 Years of Federal Imprisonment for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Andre Blue, 37, of Memphis, to 30 years in federal prison for multiple gun and drug offenses. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

    According to the information presented in court, on July 13, 2022, detectives with the Multi-Agency Gang Unit executed a search warrant on an apartment where Blue was living. There, they discovered a loaded Glock Inc. .45 caliber pistol, a Sig Sauer Inc. 9mm caliber pistol, and a loaded Smith and a Wesson .45 caliber pistol in the primary bedroom. Additionally, detectives found several bags of various narcotics in the primary bathroom toilet bowl, one of which contained 15 grams of pure methamphetamine. An American Tactical Imports Inc. multi-caliber pistol was found in the closet of a child’s bedroom on the top shelf next to a magazine loaded with at least 50 live rounds. Due to his prior felony convictions, Blue is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition.

    After a three-day trial, in November 2024, a jury found Blue guilty of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On February 26, 2025, United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Blue to 30 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    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.

    This case was investigated by the PSN Gun Task Force, the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

    Acting United States Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Eileen Kuo and Regina Brittenum, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Members of Newport News mail theft and bank fraud ring sentenced to prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Four people have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a conspiracy in the Newport News area to steal mail and deposit counterfeit checks.

    According to court documents, on July 6, 2023, Andre Ephraim Billups Jr., 22, of Gloucester, and Johnny Ray Riddick, aka Glo, 24, of Newport News, robbed a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier in the area of Jefferson Point in Newport News. Arrow keys are used by letter carriers to access various types of mailboxes in a specific area, including blue collection boxes and apartment panel mailboxes. Riddick served as the getaway driver while Billups served as the gunman.

    Billups approached the letter carrier and first attempted to grab the key from her, but she resisted. Billups indicated to the carrier that he was armed to coerce her into producing and turning over her arrow key. After Billups obtained the arrow key from the carrier, he fled on foot towards the location where Riddick was waiting for him.

    Because a maintenance worker was chasing him, Billups diverted into the apartment of his friend and Riddick’s girlfriend, Alexis Sierra West, 24, of Newport News. Billups entered the apartment and left the key and his backpack with West, who contacted Riddick and asked him what to do with the key. Riddick directed her to hide it, which she did within her bedroom closet. West later lied to law enforcement about her knowledge of the robber and robbery. After Billups fled the apartment, he ran to where Riddick was waiting in his car.

    When West met Billups later to turnover the backpack and key, Riddick wiped her cellphone because he was worried about a potential law enforcement investigation. Billups separately wiped his own cellphone.

    Riddick and Billups repeatedly used the arrow key to illegally access USPS collection boxes in the area and steal mail. Due to numerous customer complaints of mail theft, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) began surveilling blue collection boxes in the area.

    On Dec. 3, 2023, law enforcement officers with USPIS, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Newport News Police Department (NNPD) conducted surveillance of the Hidenwood Post Office in Newport News. Karon-Omar Gary, 21, of Gloucester, whom Billups had recruited to serve as getaway driver in connection with the collection box break-ins, drove Billups to the collection box outside the Post Office. Billups was armed with a handgun and a rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition.

    Billups got out of the vehicle and used the arrow key to open a collection box and access the mail but was interrupted by a Postal Inspector and an NNPD officer. Billups quickly retreated to the vehicle, but when the Inspector approached and gave verbal commands to stop, Gary drove in the direction of the Inspector. The Inspector discharged her service weapon, striking Billups in the shoulder.

    Officers pursued the vehicle, which fled through Newport News into York County and then Gloucester County, at almost 100 miles per hour. Gloucester County law enforcement deployed “stop sticks” to disable the vehicle. Gary was taken into custody immediately. Billups fled on foot but eventually surrendered after disposing of his handgun.

    Investigators searched the vehicle and recovered the stolen arrow key, Billups’ rifle, ammunition, two magazines, and Gary’s and Billups’ cellphones. They also recovered a driver’s license, debit cards, and checks in the names of several different individuals.

    Riddick, Billups, and West engaged in a bank fraud scheme that involved “card cracking,” “check washing,” or “smacking the account.” They would deposit a counterfeit check that had been altered or fabricated into a third-party account, then withdraw or spend as much of that money as possible before the fraud was detected. Billups and Riddick would steal mail, then Riddick would send West pictures of checks from the mail, which she digitally “washed” and sent back to Riddick, who used them to produce counterfeit checks. Billups and Riddick maintained supplies, including stacks of blank checks and a printer, which they operated in West’s apartment.

    On Feb. 29, 2024, Gary pled guilty to attempted theft of U.S. Mail. On Nov. 12, 2024, he was sentenced to time served.

    On Sept. 25, 2024, Billups pled guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and using a firearm in a crime of violence. He was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison.

    On Sept. 26, 2024, West pled guilty to unlawful possession of postal keys and accessory after the fact. On Feb. 6, she was sentenced to six months in prison.

    On Sept. 30, 2024, Riddick pled guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On Feb. 14, he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Ronald Montgomery, York County Sheriff; and Darrell W. Warren, Jr., Gloucester County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Podlesni prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-94.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to Defraud Boone County Schools Out of $3.4 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jesse Marks, 65, of Rush, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Marks admitted to conspiring with Michael David Barker to overbill the Boone County Schools system while Barker was its maintenance director.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Marks was the sole owner and operator of Rush Enterprises when Barker contacted him in November 2019 about Rush Enterprises selling custodial and janitorial supplies to Boone County Schools. Marks agreed and began supplying Boone County Schools with supplies including hand soap, trash can liners, facemasks, face shields, and hand sanitizer.

    Marks admitted that he and Barker entered into the overbilling scheme in November 2019. Barker submitted invoices to Boone County Schools on behalf of Rush Enterprises that significantly inflated the number of products that it was delivering. Boone County Schools relied on the fraudulent invoices and mailed checks to Rush Enterprises using the United States Postal Service.

    As part of the agreement with Barker, Marks deposited the checks from Boone County Schools into the business bank account for Rush Enterprises, wrote himself checks on that account that he cashed at various banks, and personally delivered some of that cash to Barker in manila envelopes. Marks admitted that he and Barker initially agreed to evenly split the proceeds of the overbilling scheme after deducting the cost of the products actually delivered to Boone County Schools. Marks further admitted that their agreement changed in October 2020, when Barker began receiving 55 percent of the fraudulent profits.

    Marks estimated that approximately 80 percent of the total payments received by Rush enterprises from Boone County Schools, or $3,448,571.85 out of $4,310,714.82, was for products never delivered.

    Marks is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Marks also owes restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court.

    A federal grand jury returned an 18-count indictment on December 11, 2024, charging Barker, 47, of Foster, with mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and money laundering. Barker’s trial is scheduled for April 15, 2025. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Virginia State Police, and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Department of Education.

    United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price is 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. 2:25-cr-6.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Dealing, Possession of a Machinegun and Cocaine Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant sold five firearms while on state pretrial release for charges including possessing large capacity weapon and assault and battery

    BOSTON – A former Worcester resident pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to firearms offenses and distributing cocaine.

    Juan Otero, 23, of Franklin, Mass. pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license; one count of receiving a firearm while under indictment; one count of possession of a machinegun; and one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2025. In March 2024, Otero Was indicted by a federal grand jury.

    Between Nov. 27, 2023 and Jan. 23, 2024, Otero sold five firearms on four different occasions. One of the firearms was a Glock pistol with a machinegun conversion device, also known as a “Glock switch,” attached. Otero also sold large capacity magazines and multiple rounds of ammunition. In addition, Otero distributed or possessed with intent to distribute cocaine on or about Dec. 6, 2023.

    In 2022, Otero was indicted in Worcester Superior Court for multiple state crimes, including the unlawful possession of a large capacity weapon, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm and ammunition and attempted assault and battery. Otero was on release pending trial on the state court charges at the time of his firearm sales in this matter.  

    The charges of dealing in firearms without a license and receipt of a firearm while under indictment both provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of unlawful possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of cocaine carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Paul Saucier, Interim Police Chief of the Worcester Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Franklin, Mansfield and Auburn Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Indicted for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

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

    Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Rigoberto Rios Gallardo (31, Los Angeles, California) with three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted on all counts, Rios Gallardo faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. 

    According to the indictment, on three dates in August and September 2024, Rios Gallardo used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction. Between August and December 2024, Rios Gallardo knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexual activity.

    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 FBI and the North Port Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.

    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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sanford Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Enticement of a Minor

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

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Matthew Reed Dione (37, Sanford) to 20 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Dione will also forfeit two hard drives and a cellphone, which were used to commit the offense. Dione entered a guilty plea on July 2, 2024.

    According to court documents, Dione met a child victim on a teen dating website when Dione was 32 years old. He engaged in inappropriate chats with the child victim prior to picking up the victim from the victim’s home late at night and taking the victim to his home. At his home, Dione sexually abused the child and recorded the activity. 

    In January 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Dione’s home and seized multiple electronic devices. During a forensic extraction of the seized devices, the FBI located numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse. In many of those videos and images, the minors had Dione’s name written on their bodies. The FBI was able to identify three additional child victims from the child sexual abuse material found on Dione’s devices. The evidence on the devices showed that Dione had been targeting teenage girls for more than a decade.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Child Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison

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

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Chad Allen Pease (49, Fort Pierce) to 22 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice or induce a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender. A federal jury found Pease guilty on November 20, 2024.

    According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2024, Pease began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) whom Pease believed to be the father of a 13-year-old girl. Over the course of the conversation, Pease made plans to meet up with the UC and his “daughter” so that Pease could have sex with the child. Pease drove 18 miles to the meeting location and conducted counter-surveillance before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement identified Pease, reconstructed his activities that evening, and later arrested him at his residence.

    Pease was previously convicted of a sex offense in 2008, after sending explicit photographs and traveling to have sex with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He has been required to register as a sex offender ever since. 

    “This predator intentionally singled out a child, devised a plan, and executed it with the sole purpose of harming the most vulnerable in our community” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI investigators, alongside our partners, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, have successfully removed another predator from the streets.”

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourteenth and Final Defendant Convicted in Federal Dog Fighting Case

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    All 14 defendants in a large-scale federal dog fighting case indicted last year in Albany, Georgia, have now been convicted. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia has accepted the guilty pleas of the following defendants:

    • Tamichael Elijah, 48, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Marvin Pulley, III, 53, of Donalsonville and Jakin, Georgia;
    • Brandon Baker, 42, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Christopher Travis Beaumont, 38, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Herman Buggs, Jr., 57, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Terrance Davis, 46, of Pansey, Alabama;
    • Timothy Freeman, 27, of Bainbridge, Georgia;
    • Terelle Ganzy, 35, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Gary Hopkins, 67, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Cornelious Johnson, 40, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Rodrecus Kimble, 44, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Donnametric Miller, 42, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Willie Russell, 43, of Blakely, Georgia; and
    • Fredricus White, 36, of Panama City, Florida.

    According to court documents filed in this case, the defendants all converged on a property in Donalsonville, Georgia, on April 24, 2022, where they held a large-scale dog fighting event. The defendants and others brought a total of 24 pit bull-type dogs to be fought that weekend in a series of matches. Law enforcement personnel who disrupted the event found numerous dogs inside crates in cars on the property.

    The participants used their cars to store dogs who had already been fought, as well as those whose handlers were awaiting their turn in the fighting pit. Some dogs were kept on chains on the property. Law enforcement rescued a total of 27 dogs, including one found in the pit with severe injuries and which died a shortly thereafter. Dogs in the cars also bore recent injuries and historical fighting scars.

    Under federal law, it is illegal not only to fight dogs in a venture that affects interstate commerce, but also to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase or receive dogs for fighting purposes.

    All defendants but Freeman pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to violate the animal fighting prohibition of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Defendants Beaumont and Miller also pleaded guilty to sponsoring or exhibiting (i.e., handling) a dog in a dog fight. Defendants Baker, Davis, Ganzy, Johnson, Pulley, and White further pleaded guilty to possessing and transporting a dog for purposes of using the dog in an animal fighting venture. Freeman pleaded guilty to spectating at an animal fight. Defendants Miller and Pulley also pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm by a person with a prior felony conviction.

    Russell is set to be sentenced on Feb. 28. The court has not yet set sentencing dates for the other defendants. Each defendant faces maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count of animal fighting charges. Miller also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the firearm charge, and Pulley faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on his firearm charge.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker for the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General and detectives with the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Detectives with the Bay County, Florda, Sheriff’s Office also provided invaluable assistance.

    Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy and Trial Attorney Leigh Rendé of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from Criminal Chief Leah McEwen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrill and Paralegal Kristi Cote for the Middle District of Georgia handled a parallel civil forfeiture proceeding to ensure that the dogs did not have to be returned to the defendants. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Florida and Middle District of Alabama also assisted with the dog rescue operation. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Northwest Arkansas Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Operating an Illegal Money Transmitting Business Using Pandemic Funds

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

    FAYETTEVILLE – A Northwest Arkansas man was sentenced on February 20, to 51 months in Federal Prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution of $725,558.00 on one count of operating an Illegal Money Transmitting Business. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which took place in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

    According to court documents, Richard Harold Stone, age 77, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business in the State of Arkansas. Stone was the President or Chief Officer of numerous businesses registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State, including: Partex Oman Corp., Renewable Energy Campus Arkansas, Inc., Stonetek Global Corp., and Tires 2 Energy, LLC. Stone also was associated with Environmental Energy & Finance Corp., a Delaware corporation. The advertised purpose of these businesses was developing technology and facilities to repurpose waste materials, such as tires, into useable fuel sources. None of these businesses were registered with the State of Arkansas as a money transmitting business, as required by Arkansas law (Arkansas Code, Section 23-55-806(b)&(c)).

    Between November 2020 and March 2021, Stone received through various bank accounts associated with the above entities and other accounts under his control, deposits of funds from applications made on behalf of unwitting victims for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Economic Impact Disaster Loans (EIDL), and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), totaling more than $600,000. After receiving these funds, Stone immediately transferred most of the funds by wire transfer to parties in locations including Berne, Switzerland; London, England; New York, NY; Chennai, India; and Mumbai, India.

    At the conclusion of Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Stone was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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

    The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Bridges is prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: 3d MLR Conducts its first Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation across the Hawaiian Islands

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    “This MCCRE was unique given the very exquisite capabilities of the MLR to work across domains, and with commands multiple echelons higher than other Colonel-led formations,” said Col. John G. Lehane, commanding officer, 3d MLR. “That uniqueness required supporting organizations including Training & Education Command (TECOM), Marine Aviation Weapons & Tactics Squadron (MAWTS), Marine Corps Tactics and Operations Group (MCTOG), Tactical Training Exercise Control Ground (TTECG), Marine Corps Logistics Operations Group (MCLOG), and the 3d Marine Division Staff augmented by representatives from across the joint force to present a realistic complex scenario that stressed the formation from the individual and team, up through the Regimental level.”

    When 3d MLR redesignated from 3d Marines in 2022, the formation was redesigned with a seven-fold value proposition in mind. 3d MLR would 1) conduct Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), 2) support maritime domain awareness, 3) attack enemy maritime targets, 4) conduct expeditionary strike, 5) support operations in the information environment, 6) coordinate air and missile defense, and 7) plan and direct crisis response operations. During the MCCRE, 3d MLR demonstrated these seven core capabilities and resolidified itself as a formation capable of disrupting the adversary in a contested littoral environment through reconnaissance, counter-reconnaissance, and sea denial operations to support the maritime campaign.

    In accordance with 3d MLR’s deployment model, the regimental headquarters and its subordinate battalions divided into task units and dispersed across the Hawaiian archipelago. This model, reflective of the EABO concept developed underneath Force Design, allows 3d MLR to maximize its mobility, minimize its signature, and cover a large area of operations.

    On Oahu, Marines with 3d MLR’s headquarters element conducted distributed command and control operations and executed a tactical displacement drill. On the Big Island of Hawaii, Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team participated in 3d MLR’s certification exercise while executing battalion-level live-fire ranges at Pohakuloa Training Area. Across the Hawaiian archipelago, 3d Littoral Logistics Battalion facilitated the logistical coordination and movement of personnel and equipment around the island chain. Other key players included 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and 3d Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, whose Air Control Battery conducted air space surveillance and passed relevant information to the Ground Based Air Defense Battery in support of air defense.

    “The MCCRE is a snapshot of a unit’s combat readiness,” said Maj. Gen. Christian F. Wortman, the commanding general of 3d Marine Division. “It gives us a clear picture of where commanders need to direct training efforts in order to ensure that the Marines are prepared to face any threat, any place, time now.”

    3d MLR’s MCCRE culminated with a 2-week field exercise – the first week focusing on staff planning and orders development and the second week being a scenario-based, tactical exercise. Evaluators observed as the formation operated against a living, breathing, and thinking “adversary force” played by the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division.
    As the scenario progressed, 25th ID sought to track, target, and destroy 3d MLR’s fighting capabilities.
    Scenario injects also incorporated representation from the Joint Force, with 3d MLR’s Fire Support Coordination Center conducting notional strikes alongside simulated U.S. Navy warships and the Intelligence Operations Center utilizing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data collected by a simulated MQ-9 Reaper from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3.

    “As the culminating event of an eight-month pre-deployment workup, the 3d MLR’s Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation (MCCRE) was a litmus test on the effectiveness of our training. It validated our ability to deploy and be ready to support and integrate with the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF), the Numbered Fleet, and the joint force and our allies,” said Lehane. “It also helped me, as a commander, identify areas where we could invest more training for our Marines and Sailors to ensure they are put in the best position of advantage possible. It was a genuinely fantastic exercise, and I am grateful to all that supported it. For the first time, it will allow our senior leaders to look their naval and joint counterparts in the eye, and tell them that this Regiment has been manned, trained, equipped and tested and is ready for competition, crisis or conflict.”

    3d Marine Littoral Regiment is a dedicated U.S. Marine Corps unit specializing in amphibious and littoral warfare operations. Stationed on Oahu, Hawaii, and deployed throughout the Indo-Pacific region, 3d MLR is committed to promoting regional security and stability through strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts with partner nations and Allies.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Waterville Woman Sentenced to 3+ Years for Directing Another to Illegally Purchase a Firearm for Her

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for aiding and abetting another individual in making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.

    U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Nikeshia Knight, 25, to 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Knight pleaded guilty on October 30, 2024.

    According to court records, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) obtained a copy of an ATF Form 4473 regarding a June 16, 2022 firearm purchase from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Fairfield, Maine. Further investigation revealed Knight was involved in this purchase. When interviewed, Knight admitted that she had used a straw purchaser to acquire the firearm because she would not pass a background check, providing money for the purchase and fentanyl after it was successfully made. Text messages between Knight and the proxy purchaser confirmed that Knight directed the purchase. 
    Jason Palmer, 44, of Albion was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for making the straw purchase.

    ATF investigated the case.

    STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican national, deported six times previously, sentenced to over 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl and heroin

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RICHMOND, Va. – A national of the Dominican Republic was sentenced today to 15 years and eight months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin and illegally reentering the United States after a felony conviction.

    According to court documents, on Jan. 18, 2024, a Trooper with the Virginia State Police (VSP) pulled over Gregorio Gustavo DeJesus Santos on I-85 in Mecklenburg County. During that traffic stop, a narcotics canine alerted to the odor of narcotics. VSP searched the car and found a hidden compartment under the passenger seat that extended into the back seat area. The compartment was empty. The Trooper released DeJesus Santos.

    Shortly after arriving in North Carolina, DeJesus Santos traveled back into Virginia, where law enforcement stopped the vehicle for a traffic infraction and, again, a narcotics canine alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. While searching the vehicle, law enforcement located two packages in the hidden compartment. One of the packages contained 200 grams of fentanyl and the other contained 293 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin.

    DeJesus Santos acknowledged as part of his guilty plea that he obtained and redistributed at least three additional kilograms of fentanyl.

    DeJesus Santos had been found in the United States and removed on six previous occasions, beginning in 1996 and most recently on Oct. 18, 2022, after he had been convicted of a felony drug charge in federal court in the Southern District of New York and released from prison.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Col. Matt Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Mastandrea and Patrick J. 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-88.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Clay County Man Sentenced To 27 Months In Federal Prison On Firearm Charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida –Senior United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Jackson Richard Perint (28, Clay County) to two years and three months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Perint was also ordered to forfeit a SCCY Industries 9mm pistol and ammunition traceable to the offense. Perint was arrested on April 3, 2024, and released. He violated the conditions of his release and was ordered detained on August 15, 2024. 

    According to court documents and proceedings, on August 8, 2023, a detective with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic’s Unit, acting in an online undercover capacity, arranged a drug transaction with Perint. The next day, Perint arrived by car to a predetermined location. Based on a prior suspension of Perint’s driver license, deputies conducted a traffic stop of his car. During a subsequent search of the car, deputies located a 9mm pistol loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition between the driver’s seat and the center console.

    At the time of the offense, Perint had nine previous felony convictions, including possession of a weapon by a convicted felon (2021, 2022). As a convicted felon, Perint is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.   

    This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

    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. 

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