NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Fort Cavazos Soldier Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Murder

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DEL RIO, Texas – A former soldier was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 200 months in prison for the attempted murder of another soldier while he was stationed at Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) in June 2000.

    According to court documents, Allen Houston James, 46, of Suffolk, Virginia, entered the barracks room of another soldier while she was sleeping and attempted to rape her at knifepoint. The victim resisted and was repeatedly stabbed. After James left the room, she escaped and reported the incident before she was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery for stab wounds. Medical records revealed that one of the victim’s neck wounds was within millimeters of her jugular vein and penetrated from the front to the back, nearly reaching her spine. As a result of the stabbing, the victim sustained permanent nerve damage.

    When a DNA profile did not produce a match and a suspect was not identified, the case went cold until 2019. Through new DNA analysis by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL), the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) was able to identify James as the perpetrator and locate him while he was stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia in March 2021.

    James was indicted July 13, 2021 for one count of attempt to commit murder and arrested the following day in the Eastern District of Virginia. He was transferred to Waco July 19, 2021, then reassigned to Chief Judge Alia Moses in Del Rio Nov. 13, 2023. James was found guilty by jury trial on Feb. 23, 2024.

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

    Army CID investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Frazier, Mary Kucera and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Siddharth Dadhich prosecuted the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Attempting To Engage In Sexual Activity With A Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Cosme Bejaran (34, Lehigh Acres) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor. The court also ordered Bejaran to forfeit a cellphone used to facilitate the offense. Bejaran pleaded guilty in November 2024.

    According to court documents, beginning on May 17 and continuing through May 18, 2024, Bejaran communicated online with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. After learning of the girl’s age, Bejaran engaged in a sexually explicit conversation, asked the girl for explicit photographs, and sent an explicit photo of himself. Bejaran was apprehended by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office when he arrived at a residence with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. Bejaran later admitted to deputies and the FBI that his intentions with the girl were sexual.

    This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Delta Junction Woman Sentenced for Interfering with Joint Military Operations with a High-Powered Laser

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

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Delta Junction woman was sentenced today to three years’ probation after she interfered with joint military operations by pointing a high-powered laser at two helicopters.

    According to court documents, on Feb. 11, 2024, Canadian Military Aircrews were flying in two tactical helicopter squadrons near Allen Army Airfield near Delta Junction. Anchorage Airport Traffic Control contacted the Alaska State Troopers regarding a report from a Canadian Military Pilot that lasers were being pointed at his aircraft.

    Court documents explain that the pilot stated the aircraft was at about 4,200 feet of elevation, well above minimum flight requirements for that area, and in a holding pattern when one of the crew reported they were being hit with a green laser. The aircraft was orbiting for around 20 minutes and every time they passed over a certain cabin, they got hit with a laser. The aircraft descended to around 500 feet to prepare to land at Allen Army Airfield and got hit with the laser again. One of the crew pinpointed the laser to the certain cabin.

    Court documents further explain that Alaska State Troopers responded to the specific cabin and contacted Heide Goodermote, 49. Goodermote told law enforcement that the helicopters angered her, and further stated the helicopters had no right to fly over her property so she pointed a laser at them.

    On Feb. 15, 2024, law enforcement returned to seize the laser and identified it to be a class IIIB laser, which is a laser that emits between 5 and 500 milliwatts of output power and can cause immediate eye damage or skin burns. Three of the Canadian Air Force helicopter crew members reported injuries to their eyes because of Goodermote’s conduct.

    On Nov. 26, 2024, Goodermote pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assaulting or impeding certain officers or employees engaged in performing official duties.

    “Ms. Goodermote wrongly believed the helicopters had no right to fly over her property and decided to take matters into her own hands by shining a dangerous laser at the helicopters and crew that could have caused serious damage,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn R. Vogel for the District of Alaska. “We are thankful the incident did not result in substantial loss of life or property, but this case should serve as a reminder that putting other people’s well-being at risk when they are performing official duties as part of U.S. government operations, like a joint military exercise with foreign allies, is a prosecutable offense.”

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: UNC Members Honor Legacy of Chipyong-ri at 74th Victory Ceremony

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The annual ceremony in Chipyong-ni, South Korea, paid tribute to the French Battalion and the U.S. Army’s 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Their victory in February 1951 is credited with halting the Chinese offensive and turning the tide of the war.

    “It is a chilling reminder of the courage, discipline, effort, and will to win in the hardest of conditions that have to be inculcated in each of us to ensure victory and freedom,” said U.S. Army Col. Chris Choi, Future Operations Division Chief for the UNC, who represented the command at the ceremony.

    The ceremony drew representatives from several UNC member nations, including French Army Col. Olivier LeClercq, Director of Policy and Plans; New Zealand Warrant Officer Class One Grant Collins, Senior Enlisted Advisor; Netherlands Army Maj. Ekrem Karadeniz, Strategic Communication Staff Officer; and Australian Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Trembath, Public Affairs Officer.

    Distinguished guests included the French ambassador to South Korea, the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division commander, the South Korean 11th Maneuver Division commander, and surviving veterans of the Korean War.

    The battle, also known as Jipyeong-ri, was a decisive victory for U.S. and French units of the 23rd Infantry Regiment against units of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army. French Army Lt. Gen. Ralph Monclar famously volunteered to step down in rank to Lieutenant Colonel to fight in the war, demonstrating unwavering resolve in the face of adversity.

    The annual commemoration serves as a powerful reminder of the shared sacrifice and enduring partnership between South Korea and the UNC in ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USARPAC General Travels to Cambodia

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    In addition to the Prime Minister, Clark met with Minister of Defense General Tea Seiha, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Commander-in-Chief General Vong Pisen, and RCAF Deputy Commander-in-Chief Mao Sophan.

    In their discussions, the officials explored ways to enhance the U.S.-Cambodia bilateral defense relationship to promote Indo-Pacific peace and security. Talks covered military training exchanges focused on disaster relief, United Nations Peacekeeping, and efforts to make Cambodia mine-free.

    Officials of both nations expressed their support for ongoing dialogue regarding these matters.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Opening ceremony kicks off 44th iteration of Cobra Gold

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The opening ceremony marks the 44th iteration of Cobra Gold, which started in 1982 and is the largest exercise in mainland Asia. This year, more than 3,200 U.S. service members are participating in the exercise, where they will be working side by side with allies and partners to participate in joint training, multinational engagements, and humanitarian projects.

    “We share a goal in this region: to prevent war by remaining ready together,” said Gen. Ronald P. Clark, the commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific. “Preventing war requires many thanks, so thank you to Thailand for putting in the effort this year for the 44th annual Cobra Gold Exercise.” 

    CG25 has evolved over the years to incorporate more facets. Still, each exercise has been designed to strengthen the capabilities of participating nations to plan and conduct combined and joint operations, as well as build relationships among those nations. 

    “Cobra Gold is about our partnerships,” Clark said. “Partnerships that are long-term and require investment.”

    This year, CG25 will focus on three primary events: a command and control exercise, humanitarian civic assistance projects, and a field training exercise. Approximately 30 nations will participate either directly or as observers throughout CG25.

    “Cobra Gold is the longest-running international military exercise in the world,” said Robert F. Godec, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand. “It affirms the enduring Thai and U.S. security partnership and is a pillar of our commitment to the region. Cobra Gold helps build interoperability, advances our common interests, and is a concrete demonstration of our ongoing promise to our allies and partners to work together to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

    The continued commitment to Cobra Gold and exercises like it demonstrates the dedication of all nations involved to build long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships, which enhances capabilities across all partnership forces.

    “Putting the work in to rehearse our ability to work together and train together never stops,” Clark said. “We see our increased ability to work together for our collective security and sovereignty, and in every Cobra Gold, we better understand each other’s capabilities and build upon our collective partnerships.”

    This year’s iteration of Cobra Gold will conclude on March 7, but the nations involved will continue to build lasting partnerships through other joint, multinational exercises and future iterations of Cobra Gold.

    “Cobra Gold will continue to help us strengthen our land power network, our partnerships built on trust that demonstrate our interoperability, and multiple new capabilities during this exercise,” said Clark.

    “The benefits of Cobra Gold have been demonstrated time and again over the years,” Godec said. “Cobra Gold prepares us for future multi-national crisis responses to new and emerging challenges, and in the last 20 years, the 30 nations represented…have put the joint training to operational use in responding to disasters and life-threatening crisis. To tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons, and in non-combatant evacuation operations, we have put the lessons of Cobra Gold to work. In doing so, we have saved lives and helped countless people in this region.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard issues Captain of the Port order to Puerto Nuevo Terminal for violating hazardous cargo handling permit in San Juan

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    02/27/2025 03:50 PM EST

    The acting commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan, Capt. Robert Stiles, issued a Captain of the Port (COTP) Order to Puerto Nuevo Terminals (PNT) port facility, Wednesday, for unlawfully handling dangerous cargo, specifically ammonium nitrate. This action was taken following a routine examination in which Coast Guard inspectors discovered PNT’s non-compliance with previous Coast Guard regulatory and safety orders which suspended PNT’s permit to handle hazardous cargoes as required by law and due to the facility’s lack of adequate firefighting capability. “This is a serious violation creating a dangerous situation at Puerto Nuevo Terminals, which is located next to a liquified natural gas facility,” said Capt. Robert Stiles, acting Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander and Captain of the Port. “The unlawful handling of ammonium nitrate can pose a serious risk to the safety of critical port infrastructure in San Juan Harbor. We are investigating this matter thoroughly and have taken necessary measures to ensure that the Puerto Nuevo Terminals facility is operating in a safe manner. The Coast Guard is committed to the safety and security of the nation’s ports and navigable waterways, and it is our duty to protect them.”

    For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictment Returned on June 2024 Shooting in Northeast D.C.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Accused of Shooting Victim in the Arm While Victim Was Sitting on His Porch

                WASHINGTON – Bryant Russell, 46, of Monroe, North Carolina, was indicted yesterday by a grand jury on aggravated assault while armed and other charges stemming from a shooting that occurred on June 6, 2024, in the Deanwood neighborhood of Northeast D.C., U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.

                On February 26, 2025, Russell was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction).  Russell faces a maximum of 30 years in prison if convicted of the charges. The aggravated assault charge was brought under the D.C. Council’s Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024. The change in the law recognizes all gunshot wounds as serious bodily injury.

                According to the government’s evidence, Russell fired a single gunshot from the sidewalk at the victim—who was seated on his porch, smoking—and struck the victim in the right arm. 

                Following the shooting, Russell fled the scene. He was arrested on June 7, 2024 and has been in custody since his arrest.

                This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Green.  Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Cocuzza.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Henrico man sentenced to over eight years in prison for illegally possessing Molotov cocktails

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison for possession of destructive devices.

    According to court documents, in August 2020, Xavier Louis Lopez, 25, paced through his suburban Henrico neighborhood, wielding a knife that he used to slash the tires of cars belonging to neighbors of whose political views he disapproved. When police officers located and arrested Lopez, he violently resisted, attempted to gain control of a knife, and physically assaulted the officers.

    After the arrest, investigators searched Lopez’s residence and located over a thousand rounds of ammunition, more than a dozen high-capacity magazines, rifle parts, and machining tools and equipment. All firearms-related items were seized following his 2021 plea agreement related to felony vandalism charges.

    After Lopez’s release from prison in November 2022, investigators recovered eight Molotov cocktails, destructive devices with Styrofoam added to the gasoline mixture inside, creating improvised napalm. Located near the Molotov cocktails was a box of 9mm hollow-point ammunition, as well as the defendant’s attempts to 3D-print the final piece of a 9mm handgun build kit he had purchased anonymously online.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI’s Richmond Field Office thank the Henrico County Police Department and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance to the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett and Peter S. Duffey 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. 3:23-cr-79.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National Charged with Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Dominican man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

    Danny Miguel Tejada Hernandez, 29, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He is currently in custody and will be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date.

    According to the charging document, Tejada Hernandez was previously deported in August 2021. It is alleged that sometime after removal, Tejada Hernandez unlawfully reentered the United States.

    The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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 and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Soto of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Riverton man sentenced to two life sentences plus an additional 10 years in prison for first-degree murder and related charges on the Wind River Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burdick Nelson Seminole Sr., 59, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and causing death with a firearm during a crime of violence, each count to run concurrently; plus, an additional 10 years imprisonment for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 27 in Casper. The court also ordered Seminole to pay $4,521.09 in restitution and a $300 special assessment.

    Seminole was convicted of first-degree murder after a four-day trial on Nov. 15, 2024. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in the early morning of Aug. 8, 2023, Seminole drove to the victim’s residence, entered the residence without permission, and confronted the victim. An argument ensued and Seminole left the residence to retrieve a pistol and reentered the residence, where he continued to argue with the victim, who was sitting in his wheelchair. Seminole pistol-whipped the victim and shot him three times. In response, another resident shot at Seminole, hitting him in the back of the neck, causing him to flee. Seminole drove himself to the hospital and was diagnosed with a minor flesh wound. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy, strengthening PSN on the basis of 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 Justice.gov/PSN.

    Case No. 24-CR-00017

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 24 Years in Prison for Running Multiple Dark Web Child Sexual Abuse Websites

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Louis Donald Mendonsa, 62, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 24 years and four months in prison for his role in operating four websites dedicated to sharing images of child sexual abuse.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California, Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King made the announcement.

    According to court documents, Mendonsa assisted with managing and maintaining four different websites that operated on the dark web from at least December 2021 until his arrest November 2022. Each of these websites were dedicated to advertising, distributing, and exchanging images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. One of the websites allowed members to post images and videos of children as young as infants and toddlers. While using the internet at a local coffee shop, Mendonsa advertised and distributed child sexual abuse images over these websites and assisted others with running the websites. His electronic devices were found to contain images of child sexual abuse images, approximately 6,500 of which depicted identified victims of his conduct.

    Mendonsa pleaded guilty in April 2024 to seven counts of distribution and one count of possession of child pornography.

    This case was the product of an investigation by HSI with assistance by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Sauvageau and Christina McCall for the Eastern District of California and CEOS Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fairbanks Man Sentenced to Over 14 Years for Possessing Kilograms of Illegal Drugs with Intent to Distribute

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

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Fairbanks man was sentenced today to over 14 years in prison for possessing with intent to sell over 12 kilograms of controlled substances.

    According to court documents, beginning in August 2023, law enforcement received information that Kevin Shank, 46, was selling controlled substances from his residence in Fairbanks. In February 2024, law enforcement observed an individual purchase 1.1 grams of heroin and 21 blue fentanyl pills from Shank.

    On March 19, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Shank’s residence, and discovered and seized over 6.1 kilograms of methamphetamine, over 2.4 kilograms of fentanyl tablets, nearly one kilogram of fentanyl powder, nearly one kilogram of cocaine, over 1.7 kilograms of marijuana, and smaller amounts of heroin, suboxone and Xanax. They also seized seven firearms, two homemade suppressors and various ammunition, as well as over $303,000 in cash and a truck purchased with drug trafficking proceeds.

    Court documents explain that most of the controlled substances were found in a secret compartment in a small side room of the residence, while several firearms were staged at entrances to the residence and the side room.

    On Nov. 26, 2024, Shank pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute. The Court also ordered Shank to serve five years on supervised release and pay a $25,000 fine as part of his sentence.

    “Mr. Shank possessed roughly 22 pounds of controlled substances, including seven pounds of illicit fentanyl, intended for distribution to profit at the expense of Alaskans safety,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn R. Vogel for the District of Alaska. “This case marks the largest drug seizure in Fairbanks history, and we thank our law enforcement partners for their efforts. This sentence underscores our strong commitment to dismantling drug trafficking supplies and to holding those accountable who endanger our communities by trafficking illegal, dangerous drugs.”

    “Drug traffickers like Mr. Shank, who profit from the pain they cause selling poison to our neighbors, pose an especially grave threat,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The fentanyl alone seized in this case amounted to more than 85,000 potentially lethal doses. Make no mistake: If you deal drugs in Alaska, DEA and our partners will hold you accountable.”

    The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division and Fairbanks Resident Office, with assistance from the FBI Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks Police Department, North Pole Police Department, North Slope Borough Police Department and Fairbanks Airport Police Department as part of the Fairbanks Area Narcotics Team (FANT), investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mount Vernon Native Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison For Orchestrating $7.6 Million COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacob Carter Personally Received Over $1.7 Million in Kickbacks for Obtaining U.S. Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans for Over 1,000 Applicants

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JACOB CARTER, who led a scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) of more than $7.6 million, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román to 11 years in prison.  CARTER and co-defendants Quadri Salahuddin and Anwar Salahuddin were convicted at trial on February 9, 2024, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Jacob Carter took advantage of a taxpayer-funded program intended to help small businesses in desperate need during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Some small businesses that were eligible for and deserving of this money did not get it because funds ran out.  Carter used his ill-gotten gains for far more selfish pursuits, including expensive jewelry and a Lamborghini.  Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office, Carter has now received just punishment.”

    According to the Indictment, publics filings, public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence presented at trial and in connection with sentencing:

    The SBA is a federal agency of the Executive Branch that administers assistance to American small businesses. This assistance includes making direct loans to applicants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Program.  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded SBA’s EIDL Program to provide small businesses with low-interest loans of up to $2 million prior to in or about May 2020 and up to $150,000 beginning in or about May 2020, in order to provide vital economic support to help overcome the loss of revenue small businesses are experiencing due to COVID-19.  Applicants seeking a loan under the EIDL program were also now permitted to request and receive an advance of approximately $1,000 per employee, for an amount up to $10,000, which the SBA has generally provided while the loan application was pending.

    From March through July 2020, CARTER and co-defendants Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Crystal Ransom, used the identities of more than 1,000 other individuals (the “Applicants”) to submit more than 1,000 online applications to the SBA, seeking over $10 million of funds through the SBA’s EIDL Program (the “EIDL Applications”). In connection with the EIDL Applications, CARTER, Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Ransom falsely represented to the SBA that the Applicants were the owners of businesses with 10 or more employees.  However, that was a lie – the individuals did not own businesses or employ people.  Based on the fraudulent EIDL Applications, the SBA made advance payments of more than $7.6 million to the Applicants, who then kicked back a portion of the advance payments to CARTER, Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Ransom.  After the defendants collected millions of dollars in kickback payments, CARTER took photographs of his stacks of cash, purchased expensive jewelry, and leased a Lamborghini.

    *               *                *

    In addition to the prison term, CARTER, 39, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.  CARTER was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,737,000 to the SBA and forfeiture in the amount of $1,720,950.

    Ransom pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced on April 24, 2024, to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release with the first six months under home confinement. The Court also ordered that Ransom pay restitution in the amount of $7,577,000 to the SBA and forfeiture in the amount of $99,000. Quadri Salahuddin and Anwar Salahuddin are scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2025.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

    The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey C. Coffman, Courtney L. Heavey, and Jared D. Hoffman are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Involved in Shooting at Fayetteville Hookah Lounge Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREENVILLE, N.C. –A Robeson County man was sentenced today to the statutory maximum of 120 months in prison for possession of a machine gun, after he fired a string of shots from a .40 caliber firearm that was equipped with a switch that converts a pistol to a machine gun.  On October 9, 2024, Michai Jamill Caldwell, age 24, pled guilty to the charge.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, Caldwell was involved in a disagreement at the Anubis Hookah Lounge in Fayetteville on June 6, 2024. The disagreement ultimately led to an altercation between several patrons, including Caldwell, and the bouncer. After the altercation was diffused, all patrons were escorted out of the building and the lounge was closed. A short time later, Caldwell returned with another individual and was confronted by security as they reentered the establishment. During the confrontation, Caldwell fired a series of shots which struck multiple victims, including one victim who lost her right eye. Two other victims were seriously injured.

    After the shooting, Caldwell fled the scene and led officers from the Fayetteville Police Department on a high-speed chase, reaching speeds in excess of 120 mph swerving through traffic and disregarding traffic lights. He initially evaded law enforcement but was arrested on June 21, 2024.

    The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Fayetteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)  investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Foxx  prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:24-cr-66-BO-BM.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon In Possession Of Machinegun And Straw Purchaser Are Sentenced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man who illegally possessed a machinegun and a straw purchaser of firearms were sentenced today, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Keon Deangelo Steele, 20, was sentenced to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Steele’s girlfriend, Anna Micaiah Denise Mack, 22, also of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 24 months on probation under court supervision. 

    Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and court proceedings, between May and June 2023, Steele sold multiple firearms to undercover officers. Specifically, on July 6, 2023, Steele communicated to an undercover officer that he had two firearms and two Glock switches for sale. A Glock switch is the common name for an illegal device that coverts a conventional firearm into a machinegun. Law enforcement arrived at the meeting location and observed Steele and Mack waiting inside a vehicle. The defendants were arrested and taken into custody. Law enforcement also searched the vehicle and found a backpack that contained a Glock 42, .40 caliber pistol outfitted with a Glock switch, and an additional Glock switch.

    During the investigation, law enforcement determined that, on June 13, 2023, Mack purchased two firearms, a Glock 22 and a Glock 48, from a federal firearms dealer in Gastonia. Mack completed ATF Form 4473 in connection with the firearms purchases. As Mack later admitted in court, she lied on the form, falsely representing that she was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms when, in fact, she was buying the firearms for Steele. Court records show that Mack straw purchased at least seven firearms for Steele within a span of a few weeks.

    On June 27, 2024, Steele pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun. On April 4, 2024, Mack pleaded guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron thanked the ATF and CMPD for leading the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Boykin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office reminds the public that purchasing a gun for someone who is prohibited by law from possessing one, or for someone who does not want his or her name associated with the transaction, is a “straw purchase,” a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. For more information on what you can do to ensure that you do not knowingly or unknowingly participate in a straw purchase, contact your local ATF office or call 1-800-ATF-GUNS.

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Charlotte Man With Prior Criminal Convictions Is Sentenced To Prison For Unlawful Gun Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Alijah Kajuan Rollinson, 23, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for the unlawful possession of a firearm, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on May 6, 2023, at around 11:00 p.m., CMPD responded to a shooting incident at the parking lot of an apartment complex. Witnesses on the scene told the officers that there had been an argument between Rollinson and another individual prior to the shooting. Court documents show that CMPD officers recovered multiple cartridge casings from the scene, including from the doorway of Rollinson’s apartment. A subsequent search of the apartment yielded two firearms, a rifle and a stolen pistol. The rifle was loaded with ammunition that matched the discharged casings found at the doorway. The pistol was also loaded with a round of ammunition in the chamber. Rollinson is not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition based on his criminal history that includes convictions for Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill. and Discharge a Weapon Into Occupied Property.

    On March 8, 2024, Rollinson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He is in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Boykin and Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

    The 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. For more information about PSN in the Western District, please visit our website. 

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Sentenced for Coercing a Minor Child to Send Him Sexually Explicit Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. –  In November 2024, a jury found Thomas Edward Petro, 32, of Ashtabula, Ohio, guilty of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor.

    Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell, sentenced Petro to 140 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon release, Petro will be required to register as a sex offender.

    “Petro enticed this child using social media,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I encourage parents and guardians to talk with your children. Know who they spend time with and what they do on their cell phones. Sexual predators like Petro are skilled in befriending children and taking advantage of them.” 

    The evidence presented at trial showed that Petro lived in Ohio and met the minor child through an app. Petro shared hundreds of sexually explicit messages, voice recordings, pictures, and videos of himself with a 13-year-old minor child. Petro requested the minor to take sexually explicit images and send them to him. Knowing the victim was 13, Petro asked the victim to keep their relationship a secret.

    The inappropriate relationship was discovered when the minor child told a friend. That friend told the school resource officer, who immediately contacted the principal and reported the incident to the FBI.

    When the lead FBI agent testified, he confirmed that the minor child did disclose that they were only 13 years old. After going over all of the sexually explicit evidence in front of the jury, the agent also confirmed that Petro never asked the minor child to stop engaging in sexual activity.

    Petro was taken into custody following the guilty verdict. He will remain in custody, pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and Adair Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Brandon and Scott Dunn prosecuted it.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: El Paso Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 180 months in prison for possession and receipt of child sexual abuse material depicting a prepubescent minor.

    According to court documents, a device belonging to Victor Enrique Artalejo, 60, was identified for downloading more than 3,000 torrent files between June 17, 2022 and Sept. 18, 2023, many of which contained child sexual abuse material. Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Artalejo’s residence on March 29, 2024, seizing a laptop and several other electronic devices. A forensic review revealed that Artalejo had downloaded and possessed 1,434 photos and 111 videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The majority of the victims were determined to be under the age of 12.

    Artalejo was arrested March 29, 2024 and has remained in federal custody. He pleaded guilty Dec. 4, 2024 to one count of possession of a visual depiction involving the sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receipt of a visual depiction involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.

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

    HSI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Micaela Glass prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Indicted for Armed Rape Committed in January 2012 in NE Washington D.C.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Cristian Josue Arteaga, 35, formerly of Hyattsville, Maryland, was indicted yesterday by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on multiple counts of first-degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances, stemming from a January 22, 2012 armed rape of a victim in Northeast Washington D.C., U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. 

                Arteaga will be arraigned before the Honorable Jason Park. If convicted of the charges, Arteaga faces a maximum of life in prison without possibility of release and lifetime sex offender registration. 

               According to the government’s evidence as summarized in the arrest warrant, on January 22, 2012, at approximately 2:30 a.m., the victim was walking home from the Ft. Totten Metro station after finishing her shift at work. As the victim approached her home, Arteaga—a stranger—approached her and asked what time it was. The victim responded by pulling out her phone and relaying the time. Arteaga then brandished a small black handgun, demanded money and made a crude sexual demand while pointing the gun in her face. Arteaga shoved the victim into her neighbor’s carport, pushed her down, and raped her multiple times at gunpoint. Following the assault, Arteaga threatened the victim not to report the assault to police, saying he would kill her if she reported, and then fled the scene.  

               Due to the threats, the victim was afraid to call police to her home and waited until the following morning to report the rape to police. The victim subsequently obtained a rape kit and crime scene technicians processed the crime scene for evidence. Evidence collected in connection with the offense was tested for DNA promptly in 2012. The DNA profile of an unknown male was obtained from the testing and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a DNA database maintained by the FBI. There were no hits in the database and the case went cold.

                On December 19, 2023, the Texas Department of Public Safety issued an NDIS CODIS offender letter, reflecting a match between the unknown male DNA profile that had been entered in CODIS from the 2012 armed rape and Texas offender Cristian Josue Arteaga. Detectives traveled to Texas and lawfully collected a known DNA sample from Arteaga and submitted it for testing and comparison to the evidence from the armed rape that was previously tested in 2012. The DNA testing provided very strong support for inclusion of Arteaga’s and the victim’s DNA profiles being present in the evidence.

                Arteaga has been in custody since his arrest and was brought to the District of Columbia in January 2025 to face these charges.

               This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

               This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man sentenced to 20 years for armed robbery of an East St. Louis convenience store

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a man to 20 years’ imprisonment for an armed robbery of a convenience store in East St. Louis.

    Vernelle E. Hines, 31, arrested in Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of carry and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

    According to court documents, Hines brandished a firearm to the store clerk and demanded two bottles of tequila from the Mega Supermarket in East St. Louis on Oct. 31, 2023.

    When the clerk refused, Hines assaulted the clerk, discharged his firearm into the ceiling and took two bottles of tequila and a couple hundred dollars by force. Hines wore a mask to conceal his face.

    The store clerk sustained serious and permanent injuries.

    “This 20-year sentence of a convicted felon who committed a brutal robbery is evidence of the Illinois State Police’s commitment to making communities safer,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP special agents will follow leads and track down those who commit evil until justice is served.” 

    At the time of the robbery, Hines was on federal supervised release for felon in possession of a firearm for charges in the Eastern District of Missouri.

    The Illinois State Police’s Public Safety Enforcement Group led the investigation with assistance in apprehending Hines from the U.S. Marshals Service in the Southern District of Illinois and Homeland Security Investigations in the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Man Sentenced to Consecutive Time in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HAMMOND – Nurldon Green, III, 32 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to Failure to Surrender for Service of Sentence, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Green was sentenced to 14 months in prison, consecutive to his sentence of 27 months in the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and two years of supervised release in federal case number 2:22-CR-116.

    According to documents in the case, on February 22, 2024, Green was sentenced in his previous federal case for Theft of Mail to a term of 27 months in the BOP, followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to appear to serve his sentence on April 4, 2024, either at the BOP institution to which he was assigned or to the United States Marshals Service in Hammond, Indiana.  On April 4, 2024, Green willfully failed to report or surrender at either location.  Green was subsequently located and arrested on August 31, 2024, and has remained in custody since that date.

    This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Guatemalan national was indicted today for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

    Domingo Valentin Solis-De Leon, 29, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Solis-De Leon was arrested on Jan. 28, 2025 in Lynn, Mass. and was subsequently taken into custody by immigration authorities. Solis-De Leon was indicted this morning and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston later.

    The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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 and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Drug Trafficker Is Sentenced To 10 Years in Prison

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

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bryan Torres, 24, of Cherryville, N.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and four years of supervised release on drug and gun charges, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    According to court documents and court proceedings, between October 2022 to January 2023, Torres engaged in drug trafficking in Gaston County. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine, over 250 fentanyl pills, powder fentanyl, heroin, and other substances from the defendant. Torres was armed during at least one drug transaction. On February 2, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Torres’s residence. Investigators seized from the residence five firearms and ammunition, and additional amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

    On February 29, 2024, Torres pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    The investigation was jointly conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Cherryville Police Department, and the Gaston County Police Department.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about PSN in the Western District, please visit our website.

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to Over 24 Years in Prison for Running Multiple Dark Web Child Sexual Abuse Websites

    Source: United States Attorneys General 3

    A California man was sentenced today to 24 years and four months in prison for his role in operating four websites dedicated to sharing images of child sexual abuse.

    According to court documents, Louis Donald Mendonsa, 62, of Sacramento, assisted with managing and maintaining four different websites that operated on the dark web from at least December 2021 until his arrest November 2022. Each of these websites were dedicated to advertising, distributing, and exchanging images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. One of the websites allowed members to post images and videos of children as young as infants and toddlers. While using the internet at a local coffee shop, Mendonsa advertised and distributed child sexual abuse images over these websites and assisted others with running the websites. When searched by law enforcement, his electronic devices were found to contain images of child sexual abuse, approximately 6,500 of which depicted identified victims of his conduct.

    Mendonsa pleaded guilty in April 2024 to seven counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California, and Special Agent in Charge Tatum King of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco made the announcement.

    HSI San Francisco investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

    CEOS Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Sauvageau and Christina McCall for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Millbrook — Millbrook RCMP charge a man with Attempt to Commit Murder

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Millbrook RCMP has charged a man with multiple offences, including Attempt to Commit Murder, following stabbings in the community.

    Yesterday, at approximately 1:45 p.m., RCMP officers responded to a report of stabbings that occurred at a residence on Coach Rd. RCMP officers learned that a man stabbed and robbed a man and then stabbed a woman before fleeing the scene in the male victim’s SUV. The three people are known to one another.

    The 64-year-old man and 41-year-old woman, both of Truro, suffered serious injuries. They were transported to hospital by EHS.

    A short time later, RCMP officers received information that the man involved had robbed a nearby gas station and continued to flee.

    Nearby officers quickly located the vehicle, a Kia Sportage, travelling south at Exit 10 on Hwy. 102 where it crashed into the ditch. At the scene, the 40-year-old Truro man was safely arrested. The man was in possession of two knives at the time he was arrested.

    Harry Arthur Cope has been charged with:

    • Attempt to Commit Murder (two counts)
    • Aggravated Assault (two counts)
    • Assault with a Weapon (two counts)
    • Uttering Threats (two counts)
    • Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose (two counts)
    • Robbery (two counts)
    • Failure to Comply with a Probation Order (four counts)

    Cope was held in custody and will appear in Truro Provincial Court today.

    The investigation, led by Millbrook RCMP with assistance from Colchester County District RCMP, is ongoing.

    File# 2025-255350

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Oxford — RCMP charge man with impaired operation and firearm offences

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Nova Scotia RCMP has charged a man with impaired operation and firearms offences after responding to a report of an intoxicated man at a restaurant in Oxford.

    On February 23, at approximately 7:45 p.m., RCMP officers responded to a report of an intoxicated man at a restaurant in Oxford. Upon arrival, officers learned that the man, who was showing signs of impairment, had driven to the restaurant. The man provided breath samples into an approved screening device which resulted in a “fail”. He was arrested for impaired operation of a motor vehicle.

    While officers searched the man, they located and seized a loaded handgun*.

    Christopher Lamert Jobe, 42, of Warren, has been charged with:

    • Careless Use of Firearm
    • Possession of a Prohibited Firearm with Ammunition
    • Carrying Concealed Weapon
    • Unauthorized Possession of Loaded Firearm
    • Unauthorized Possession of Firearm
    • Unauthorized Possession of Prohibited Weapon
    • Unauthorized Possession in a Motor Vehicle
    • Possession of Firearm Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized
    • Possession of Ammunition Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized
    • Operation While Impaired
    • Operation of a Conveyance 80mg% or over

    Jobe was transported to Oxford RCMP detachment and provided breath samples that registered 260 mg% and 250 mg%. He was later released on an undertaking. Jobe is scheduled to appear in Amherst Provincial Court on April 14.

    Due to Jobe being an off-duty municipal police officer, the matter was referred to the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT), which oversaw the investigation.

    *The handgun was not a service weapon.

    File #2025-242858

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Military Sealift Command Continues Support to Operation Deep Freeze 2025

    Source: United States Navy

    The Military Sealift Command chartered ship MV Ocean Gladiator is conducting a cargo offload of supplies at McMurdo Station, Antarctica in support of the annual resupply mission Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) 2025.

    The second of two MSC chartered ships supporting ODF 2025, Ocean Gladiator arrived at McMurdo Station on Feb. 20, where they were met by members of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE and began conducting the offload. The ship is delivering 321 pieces of cargo, consisting of containers filled with mechanical parts, vehicles, construction materials including cement pilings for a pier project, food, electronics equipment and comfort items; supplies needed to sustain the next year of operations at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

    Following the offload, Ocean Gladiator will be loaded with 149 containers of retrograde cargo for transportation off the continent. This includes trash and recyclable materials for disposal and equipment no longer required on the station, as well as the 65-ton floating Modular Causeway System, which has been used in lieu of the ice-pier for cargo operations. Before departing McMurdo station, Ocean Gladiator will be loaded with ice core samples that will be stored on the ship in a sub-zero freezer. The ice core samples will be delivered to the United States for scientific study.
    Logistics moves are nothing new for MSC, in fact, they are almost a daily occurrence. Moving cargo in the harshest environment on Earth is a mission unto itself, as Marie Morrow, MSC’s ship liaison to the Joint Support Forces Antarctica staff can attest. On her third ODF mission, she has become something of an expert on how to move cargo while moored next to an ice-pier or a movable causeway, in sub zero temperatures and with high winds that whip over a snow-covered mountain and across an island.

    Working in Antarctica wasn’t something Morrow had even considered when she came to work at MSC’s Pacific area command, MSCPAC. In fact, a job in San Diego seemed like the perfect place to be, for someone who doesn’t like the cold.

    “I thought, San Diego, Southern California, that is exactly what I’m looking for,” said Morrow. “Then I got assigned to go to Antarctica. It wasn’t something I was looking for, or had even thought about to be honest, but, I really enjoy this mission. It is an experience that I share with only a very few people.”

    Few world travelers ever get the coveted passport stamp for all seven continents. Access to Antarctica is strictly controlled. As Morrow explained, the journey to the southern most part of the planet isn’t an easy, or short commute. Morrow’s journey began in San Diego, with a flight to San Francisco, followed by an 14-hour flight to New Zealand, and then an 8-hour flight on a military C-130, sitting in a mesh cargo seat.

    On the ice, Morrow serves as part of a team consisting of representatives of numerous government agencies including the National Science Foundation, Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Coast Guard. All working together to ensure a successful mission.

    “Nothing can happen without all of us working together,” said Morrow. “It is super cooperative and interoperative.”

    Everyone who is part of the ODF mission live in barracks at McMurdo Station, or on the ships. Life is communal with shared rooms and a dining hall. Those supporting the mission get to know each other personally and, like a combat unit, create their own support structure for each other.

    “Being at McMurdo Station is like being at summer camp for adults,” laughed Morrow. “It’s a very tight-knit group of people, working and living in a challenging environment. We get very close.”

    Weather is a constant factor in Antarctica. The continent is known for its extreme environment, particularly subzero temperatures and high winds. February is summertime in the Southern Hemisphere. In this small window of just a few weeks, ODF takes place. And while it is summer, temperatures on the ice still hover around freezing during the day and below zero at night. Cargo operations can move forward, despite the temperatures, but high winds can put a pause on work for hours, with the ships’ cranes unable to move cargo in winds over 25 knots.

    “The weather is everything,” explained Morrow. “The Southern Ocean is the most unforgiving and treacherous water way on Earth. The weather can keep flights and ships from coming into port. The weather can put the offload on pause. This can mean that some of the cargo may not be offloaded. It is the National Science Foundation who has to make the decisions on how to stay inside the mission window.”

    With all the challenges and unpredictabilities of the ODF missions, those who support these operations come away with a feeling of being a part of something special and important, something outside the normal course of their job description.

    “I never thought I would get to go on a mission to Antarctica,” said Morrow. “But I love going to McMurdo Station, and I’m proud to be a part of it and to represent MSC.”

    Following operations in Antarctica, Ocean Gladiator will travel to Japan to deliver the floating modular causeway, before sailing for Port Hueneme, Calif., where they will offload cargo, completing their mission.

    Operation Deep Freeze is a joint service, on-going Defense Support to Civilian Authorities mission in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF is the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program. Mission support consists of active duty, Guard and Reserve personnel from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army, and Coast Guard as well as Department of Defense civilians and attached non-DOD civilians. ODF operates from two primary locations situated at Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo Station, Antarctica. MSC-chartered ships have made the challenging voyage to Antarctica every year since the station and its resupply mission were established in 1955.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines – SSBN

    Source: United States Navy

    Features

    The Navy’s ballistic missile submarines, often referred to as “boomers,” serve as an undetectable launch platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). They are designed specifically for stealth and the precise delivery of nuclear warheads.

    Ohio Class

    Each of the 14 Ohio-class SSBNs originally carried up to 24 SLBMs with multiple, independently targeted warheads. However, under provisions of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, each submarine has had four of its missile tubes permanently deactivated and now carry a maximum of 20 missiles. The SSBN’s strategic weapon is the Trident II D5 missile, which provides increased range and accuracy over the now out-of-service Trident I C4 missile.

    SSBNs are specifically designed for extended deterrent patrols. To decrease the amount of time required for replenishment and maintenance, Ohio-class submarines have three large-diameter logistics hatches that allow sailors to rapidly transfer supply pallets, equipment replacement modules and machinery components, thereby increasing their operational availability.

    The Ohio-class design allows the submarines to operate for 15 or more years between major overhauls. On average, the submarines spend 77 days at sea followed by 35 days in-port for maintenance. Each SSBN has two crews, Blue and Gold, which alternate manning the submarines and taking them on patrol. This maximizes the SSBN’s strategic availability, reduces the number of submarines required to meet strategic requirements, and allows for proper crew training, readiness and morale.

    Columbia Class

    The Columbia-class SSBN is the nation’s future Sea Based Strategic Deterrent, is the Navy’s number one acquisition priority, and will provide the most survivable leg of the Nation’s strategic triad. It replaces the currently serving Ohio-class SSBNs and must be ready for patrol no later than October 2030 to meet United States Strategic Command requirements.

    Representing a generational recapitalization of the SSBN force, Columbia-class will ensure continuous sea-based strategic deterrence into the 2080s. The Columbia-class will be the largest, most capable and most advanced submarine produced by our nation.

    General Characteristics, Ohio Class Ballistic Missile Submarines – SSBN

    Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division

    Propulsion: One nuclear reactor, one shaft

    Length: 560 feet (170.69 meters)

    Beam: 42 feet (12.8 meters)

    Displacement: 16,764 tons (17,033.03 metric tons) surfaced; 18,750 tons (19,000.1 metric tons) submerged

    Speed: 20+ knots (23+ miles per hour, 36.8+ kph)

    Crew: 15 Officers, 144 Enlisted

    Armament: Trident II D5 (LE), 20 missile tubes, Mk48 torpedoes 

    Ships:
    USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730) Bangor, Washington
    USS Alabama (SSBN 731) Bangor, Washington
    USS Alaska (SSBN 732) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Nevada (SSBN 733) Bangor, Washington
    USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) Bangor, Washington
    USS West Virginia (SSBN 736) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Kentucky (SSBN 737) Bangor, Washington
    USS Maryland (SSBN 738) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Nebraska (SSBN 739) Bangor, Washington
    USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Maine (SSBN 741) Bangor, Washington
    USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Louisiana (SSBN 743) Bangor, WashingtonPoint of Contact
    Naval Sea Systems Command
    Office of Corporate Communications (SEA 00D

    General Characteristics, Columbia Class

    Lead Design Shipbuilder: General Dynamics – Electric Boat

    Propulsion: Electric-drive propulsion system

    Length: 560 feet

    Beam: 43 feet

    Displacement: 20,800 long tons

    Speed: 20+ knots (23+ mph)

    Crew: 15 Officers, 140 Enlisted

    Armament: Trident II D5 (LE), 16 missile tubes, MK48 torpedoes

    Ships:

    District of Columbia (SSBN 826) – Under construction

    Wisconsin (SSN 827) – Under construction

    Groton (SSBN 828)

    Point of Contact
    Naval Sea Systems Command
    Office of Corporate Communications

    Washington, D.C. 20376

    (202) 781-4123Washington, D.C. 20376

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harrisburg Man Sentenced To 160 Months In Prison For Drug Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kyle Malik Jones, age 33, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 25, 2025, to 160 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on March 17, 2021, Susquehanna Township Police found a stolen vehicle parked in hotel parking lot. When the vehicle’s alarm was triggered, Jones came out of his hotel room and silenced the alarm. The police went to Jones’s hotel room to arrest him for the vehicle theft and discovered the following: 731 grams of methamphetamine; 221 grams of fentanyl; cocaine; a Ruger .40 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number; a Hi-Point .380 caliber firearm; approximately $7,635 in cash; one pack of 300 small rubber bands; one digital scale; and two cell phones.

    Jones pleaded guilty on March 11, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

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

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Susquehanna Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David C. Williams and Jeffrey St. John prosecuted the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –