NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Durham Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Support to Terrorists

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Durham man pled guilty in court today to conspiring to provide and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Alexander Justin White, age 29, was arrested on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, as he was preparing to board an international flight. White attempted to travel overseas intent on joining ISIS. If convicted, White faces up to 20 years in prison.

    “In this case, the great work of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) was on display, leading to the apprehension and arrest of an individual planning to join ISIS and potentially engage in terrorist acts against the United States or other allies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “This is just one example of how the JTTF’s tireless work protects our communities.”

    White made numerous posts supporting ISIS and jihad between May and October of 2024 including videos commonly used to recruit new members and generate a passion for fighting as well as fundraising videos and several post and reposts in reference to well-known ISIS supporters and scholars. In addition, the complaint alleges that White made or attempted to make several transactions in support of camps and other similar ideological campaigns which are believed to funnel money to ISIS members and their supporters, and that White openly discussed his desire and intention to travel overseas to join ISIS with various individuals on Facebook and over other encrypted messaging applications (EMAs). In messages concerning his travel to join ISIS, he indicated that his goal was to be a “Mujahid,” which is Arabic for someone who commits jihad, or violence against non-Muslims.

    “White planned to leave his family, North Carolina, and ultimately his country and fly to Morocco, hoping to actively fight with ISIS. Thanks to the long and countless hours, days, and months, worked by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), Mr. White was literally stopped in his tracks. We are grateful to our JTTF partners for their shared commitment to justice and public safety,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.  

    The investigation into White is a result of the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Raleigh-based Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF is a group of highly trained, locally based investigators, analysts, linguists, and other specialists from dozens of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies that gather evidence, make arrests, provide security for special events, collect and share intelligence, and respond to threats and incidents at a moment’s notice. There are about 200 JTTFs across the country, including one in each field office, with hundreds of participating state, local and federal agencies.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gabriel Diaz, Jason Kellhofer, and Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting 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. 5:25-CR-00009-M.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Marysville Man Charged With Assaulting U.S. Postal Worker

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Edgar Castro, 40, of Marysville, was arrested today, charged by complaint with assaulting a federal employee, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, on Sept. 9, 2024, Castro struck a United States Postal Service employee in the head and neck area while the employee was operating his postal delivery truck at a red stop light in Marysville. Castro had pulled alongside the postal vehicle and shouted, “What … are you looking at?”

    Castro exited his vehicle and approached the driver’s side of the postal truck. He reached through the open window and struck the employee. In the process of being struck in the head and neck area by Castro, the employee’s badge and lanyard were thrown into the street. When the postal service employee attempted to retrieve his badge from the street, Castro struck the Postal Service employee in the face causing a fractured nose.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Castro faces a maximum statutory penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Readout of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.’s Phone Call with Italy’s Chief of Defense Gen. Luciano Portolano

    Source: US Defense Joint Chiefs of Staff

    Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs

    February 11, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joint Staff Spokesperson Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey provided the following readout:

    Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., spoke with Italy’s Chief of Defense Gen. Luciano Portolano today by phone. 

    Gen. Brown and Gen. Portolano discussed the latest battlefield developments in Ukraine and the need for NATO countries to expand their defense industrial bases. Additionally, the military leaders discussed the current progress with the Lebanon and Gaza ceasefire agreements. 

    Italy is a key ally and plays important roles in NATO and the European Union. 

    For more Joint Staff news, visit: www.jcs.mil.
    Connect with the Joint Staff on social media: 
    Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube,
    LinkedIn and Flickr.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Perrytown Coach Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of Teenage Student

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A Perrytown ISD coach who sexually abused a 15-year-old student was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Cole Underwood, 29, was charged via criminal complaint in June 2024 and indicted later that same month. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk to 30 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. 

    According to court documents, Perryton ISD’s superintendent reached out to law enforcement in May 2024 to report a possible inappropriate relationship between Mr. Underwood and a female student. According to the superintendent, surveillance video allegedly showed Mr. Underwood meeting with the girl alone after hours, despite being given a specific directive not to be alone with her.

    Agents reviewed the footage and observed Mr. Underwood propping an exterior door open and then shutting off lights. Approximately 15 minutes later, the girl entered the darkened building through the propped door and walked into Mr. Underwood’s office.

    In interviews with law enforcement, the child said Mr. Underwood had sex with her in his office more than a dozen times between February and May.

    She said that after she added him as a contact on Snapchat, he established a personal friendship with her, and even invited her to his office to confide in him. She said that Mr. Underwood began messaging her in a flirtatious and sexual manner in December, and eventually used Snapchat to arrange sexual encounters.

    A search of the girl’s cell phone revealed multiple late-night conversations – some lasting more than six hours – between her and Mr. Underwood, who allegedly occasionally referred to the child as “wifey” and told her he loved her.

    At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, the student detailed how the situation escalated from the defendant acting as a confidant during a stressful period to isolating her and continually pressuring her for sex:

    “I had no idea that he was slowly in the process of grooming me, I genuinely thought that he actually cared about me,” she said in a victim impact statement. “I didn’t know how to stop it… He convinced me to shut everyone out. I felt like I seriously had no one but him.”

    “I hope if there is a girl out there who is going through what I have been through, she has the chance to hear my story to know it’s okay to speak up. There are people who want to help,” she bravely added. “Just because you have one bad chapter does not mean your story is over.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Amarillo Resident Agency, the Ochiltree County Sheriff’s Office, and the Perrytown Police Department conducted the investigation with the full cooperation of the Perryton Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina Drug Trafficker Helping Move Kilograms of Cocaine Sentenced to More than Six Years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RALEIGH, N.C. – A South Carolina man who was part of a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) moving kilogram quantities of cocaine in the United States was sentenced to 78 months in prison. On October 31, 2024, Gerardo Calzada, age 34, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and aiding and abetting.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, in 2020, officers with the Apex Police Department began an investigation into an individual trafficking drugs in the area.  As the investigation progressed, other agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) became involved. Calzada was identified, along with others, as an individual who was provided drugs to distribute on behalf of the DTO. During a surveillance operation on July 26, 2023, Calzada was observed driving another DTO member to a meeting behind a local Food Lion, where the other DTO member was handed a paper bag. After Calzado and his passenger departed the parking lot, they were stopped by Johnston County Sheriff’s deputies. A consensual search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of two kilograms of cocaine found inside two cereal boxes, a digital scale, a drug ledger, and money transmittal receipts to Guerrero, Mexico, and to Cortes, Honduras. During an interview with agents, Calzado admitted to travelling from South Carolina to purchase cocaine and also indicated that he had met with couriers on at least ten occasions.

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

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The DEA, the Apex Police Department and the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Sandling  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. 5:23-cr-00133-D-RJ.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Who Participated in Timeshare Fraud Scheme is Sentenced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHADIA MELISSA AGUILAR SARMIENTO, 30, of Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to approximately 13 months of imprisonment, time already served, for conspiring with others to defraud owners of timeshare properties.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Aguilar Sarmiento and others participated in an advance fee scheme that targeted owners of timeshare properties at various Mexican resorts, including timeshare owners in the U.S. and Canada.  The conspiracy operated as a business in Mexico that used several different company names in its communications with timeshare owners, including Club World Travel, Luxury Destinations, DeRemate, and Smart Travel.

    As part of the scheme, members of the conspiracy contacted timeshare owners, claimed to be representatives of companies that were interested in purchasing timeshares, and offered to purchase the timeshares from the owners.  To create the impression that the purchase offers were legitimate, the conspirators referred the timeshare owners to people they indicated were attorneys, who the conspirators indicated would represent the timeshare owners in the transaction.  These purported attorneys were real licensed attorneys, including attorneys who practiced in Connecticut, whose names and identities were used without their knowledge or permission.  The conspirators, while impersonating the attorneys, emailed purchase agreements on attorney letterhead to the timeshare owners.  The purchase agreements listed the purchase price that the buyers were paying the timeshare owners, stated that the buyer would pay any associated fees, and indicated that any additional fees the timeshare owner needed to pay to sell and transfer the timeshare would be added to the purchase price, so that the owner would recoup those additional fees.

    Many timeshare owners signed the purchase agreements believing that the purchase offers were legitimate. After a timeshare owner signed a purchase agreement, a member of the conspiracy would contact the timeshare owner falsely claiming to be a representative of a Mexican government agency or another authority requesting payment of fees, taxes, or other costs before the sale could be completed.  Many timeshare owners paid these fees and taxes through international wire transfers to bank accounts in Mexico that were controlled by members of the conspiracy.  Once the additional money was paid, the conspirators would often inform the timeshare owner of another fee that needed to be paid.  Many timeshare owners then paid those additional fees, and the process repeated until the timeshare owner stopped paying the fees.

    Timeshare owners never received any sales proceeds.

    From approximately December 2018 until January 2021, when Aguilar Sarmiento was involved in the scheme, more than 50 timeshare owners were victimized and lost a total of approximately $2 million.

    As part of her sentence, Aguilar Sarmiento was ordered to pay restitution of $2,065,852.85 to the victim timeshare owners.

    Aguilar Sarmiento has been detained since January 12, 2024, when she was arrested in San Diego, California, after entering the U.S. on a visitor visa.  On November 19, 2024, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

    This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing for Violent Confrontation That Turned Nearly Fatal

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to 102 months in prison for shooting a victim multiple times and leaving him seriously injured.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, Robert Abeyta, 51, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh, went to John Doe’s residence located on the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo armed with a loaded pistol and confronted Doe. When Doe, who has law enforcement experience, attempted to disarm Abeyta, a struggle ensued during which Abeyta shot Doe multiple times in the head, neck, and shoulder.

    Witnesses reported that Abeyta continued to assault Doe after the shooting. Neighbors intervened, disarming Abeyta and restraining him until law enforcement arrived. Doe’s girlfriend and young child were inside the home during the shooting and witnessed its immediate aftermath.

    Upon his release from prison, Abeyta will be subject to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department and Santa Clara Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Recidivist Violent Gang Member Charged with Alleged Armed Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant allegedly robbed drug customer of approximately $24,000 in drug proceeds at gunpoint during home invasion

    BOSTON – A Lynn man appeared in federal court yesterday in connection with charges involving a January 2023 armed robbery of a drug distributor, during which the defendant and another individual allegedly stole approximately $24,000 in drug trafficking proceeds intended for the purchase of a kilogram of cocaine.

    Claudio Melo, a/k/a “Blue Drilla,” 33, was charged with one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery). Melo is currently being held on unrelated state charges.

    It is alleged that Melo is a Crip Street gang member and, according to court documents, is a convicted felon, having served various state prison sentences including assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, armed robbery, larceny and malicious destruction of property.

    According to the charging documents, on Jan. 30, 2023, a drug transaction was scheduled to take place at an apartment in Woburn, during which an associate of Melo was to deliver a kilogram of cocaine in exchange for approximately $24,000. It is alleged that, during the transaction, Melo and another individual entered the apartment and pointed semiautomatic pistols at the drug customer before taking the $24,000 in cash. According to the charging documents, the $24,000 cash was proceeds of drug trafficking activities the drug customer was engaged in, which had been paced in an unmarked soft black lunch box on a table. Melo and the other individual then allegedly forced the drug customer to open a safe in his bedroom, which was empty. Shortly thereafter, both robbers departed with the $24,000 cash.

    The charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery provides for a maximum penalty of up to 20 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office and the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang 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: Violent Armed Robber Who Stalked, Kidnapped, and Robbed Victims in Virginia and Maryland Is Sentenced to 228 Months in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

               WASHINGTON – Tyree Eugene McCombs, 29, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 228 months in federal prison for his role in the September 2022 stalking, armed robbery, and kidnapping of a pair of victims in Alexandria, Virginia, and for the November 2022 stalking, kidnapping, robbery, and shooting of a woman in Maryland and Washington, D.C. 

               The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. 

              McCombs pleaded guilty on August 14, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, to one count of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (a “Hobbs Act” robbery) for the September 2022 offense, and to one count of kidnapping for the November 2022 offense. In addition to the 228-month prison-term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered McCombs to serve five years of supervised release. 

               According to court documents, in September and November 2022, McCombs and his co-conspirators twice executed plans to surveil, stalk, forcibly detain, bind, assault, and rob women at gunpoint. McCombs was a leader in both schemes, personally stalking the victims, holding them at gunpoint, physically assaulting them, and demanding that they pay their own ransoms. In each case, the kidnapping was abruptly cut short either by the sound of an alarm (September) or the victim’s daring escape (November).

               During the first incident, on the evening on September 3, 2022, the two victims entered their car – a black Mercedes S63 AMG Sedan – and drove from Alexandria, Virginia to a family gathering in Maryland. Unbeknownst to the victims, they were being electronically surveilled. A GPS tracking device purchased by McCombs had been placed inside the Mercedes. That night, McCombs and three co-conspirators laid in wait for nearly four hours for the victims to return home to their apartment building in Alexandria. As the couple returned to their building, McCombs and his co-conspirators, wearing masks and blue surgical gloves and carrying zip ties, ambushed them with handguns and robbed them of their most valuable belongings.

               McCombs and his crew stole two Audemars Piguet watches worth about $120,000 from the couple and another $63,500 worth of jewelry, including a Cuban link chain and a custom pendant with the letters “GQ” overlaid on a speedometer. McCombs and his co-conspirators took the keys to the victim’s Mercedes then forced the victims at gunpoint from the parking garage to the victims’ apartment.

               Once inside of the apartment, McCombs and his co-conspirators pistol-whipped the victims and ordered them to tell them where their money was hidden. The co-conspirators ransacked the residence but were unable to find any cash. During the crime, a security alarm activated, and the co-conspirators tore the alarm from the wall and fled the apartment. McCombs and his co-conspirators then fled the apartment complex in a stolen white Kia as well as the victim’s Mercedes, which still had the GPS tracking device inside. The co-conspirators drove the Mercedes into Washington, D.C. then abandoned the vehicle in Maryland, where it was found by law enforcement. About a month later, on October 10, 2022, McCombs sold the custom pendant, worth tens of thousands of dollars, to a pawn shop in Maryland for $200.

               On the night of November 7, 2022, McCombs led another kidnapping and robbery, this time targeting and abducting a 25-year-old woman in Maryland. At the time of this crime, McCombs was on supervised release for a 2019 attempted armed robbery conviction and, two weeks earlier, had been ordered to wear a GPS monitor. McCombs’s GPS data showed that he stalked the woman for hours through the evening of November 7, following her from work to a family member’s home to a bank. Eventually, the victim traveled by car to an apartment building in Elkridge, Maryland. McCombs and a co-conspirator, traveling in a carjacked Toyota Camry, followed her to the Elkridge apartment.

               As the victim exited her vehicle and began to enter the building, McCombs and his co-conspirator grabbed her and forced her into the back seat of the Camry at gunpoint. The kidnappers pistol-whipped the victim, robbed her, and bound her hands behind her back using a black plastic zip tie. McCombs and his co-conspirator then held the woman captive in the vehicle for nearly three hours, driving to various locations in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Surveillance video footage from a gas station in Forestville, Maryland, captured McCombs and his co-conspirator exiting the Camry with the victim still held inside. As McCombs walked into the gas station to purchase gas, the co-conspirator entered the back seat of the vehicle and sexually assaulted the victim. After leaving the gas station, the kidnappers, who had already taken a significant amount of cash and property from the victim, repeatedly demanded to know “who she could call to save her life, that could get more money,” while threatening to kill her.

            The victim, believing she was going to be killed, used her foot to open a rear door of the vehicle, pushed open the door, and, after struggling with McCombs, jumped out of the moving vehicle. As she sprinted down the street, McCombs and the co-conspirator fired at least five gunshots at her, striking her twice in the foot. Within minutes of the shooting, law enforcement identified McCombs based on his GPS data. They located and arrested McCombs, who was still wearing the GPS monitor, several hours later.

               This case was investigated by FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force. The Fairfax County Police Department, Howard County Police Department, and Metropolitan Police Department assisted with the investigation. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Mayer-Dempsey and Charles R. Jones.

    McCombs (center) and his co-conspirators carry the Alexandria victims’ shoes and handbag in the hallway of the apartment building.

    Crime scene photograph taken inside the Alexandria apartment where McCombs’s first victims resided.

    Still images of McCombs and his co-conspirator abducting a woman at gunpoint in Maryland on November 7, 2022.

    McCombs (right) and a co-conspirator talk at the gas station in Forestville, MD, as the victim remains captive in the back seat of a carjacked Toyota Camry.

    22cr377

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Nonprofit Finance Director Sentenced for Theft of Government Funds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ashley Clark Ingram, 35, of Columbia, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to theft of government funds for misappropriating funds from Habitat for Humanity of Central South Carolina.

    Evidence presented to the court showed that while employed as the director of finance and operations for Habitat for Humanity, Ingram applied for an employee retention tax credit for retaining employees during the COVID-19 pandemic from the IRS on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, but without the knowledge of the nonprofit. Ingram then received checks totaling $388,550.75 from the United States Treasury and deposited the funds into a Habitat for Humanity account that she controlled then transferred the money from the Habitat for Humanity account into her own bank accounts. In total, Ingram misappropriated approximately $514,672.37 from Habitat for Humanity and the United States Government.

    United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Ingram to 24 months imprisonment, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. Ms. Ingram was ordered to pay a remaining balance of $30,165.47 in restitution to Habitat, which she rendered today. Ms. Ingram was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and a $100 special assessment fee.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews is prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Vancouver, Washington tax preparation business that catered to immigrants sentenced to nine months in prison for tax fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tacoma –The owner of a Vancouver, Washington, business that sought to assist immigrants with a variety of services was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 9 months in prison and 4 months of electronic home confinement for tax fraud charges, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Saul Valdez was an unlicensed tax preparer who led his immigrant customers to believe he was filling out their tax forms correctly. Instead, from 2016 through 2018, Valdez inserted a variety of false deductions and expenses on tax returns, lowering the customers’ tax obligations. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, ““This is a serious offense…. deterrence drives this case. This sentence should be one that deters you and sends a message to you and others like you that there will be a real penalty, not probation, for this conduct.”

    “This defendant built his business by obtaining inflated tax refunds for clients who had little understanding of the U.S. tax system,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Ultimately some of these clients were hit with back tax payments, fees, and penalties because this defendant intentionally filed false tax returns on their behalf.”  

    “Mr. Valdez abused credits designed to help low-income taxpayers, and his clients incurred over $23,000 in penalties along the way,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “We encourage those seeking a tax preparer this season to be vigilant and report dishonest business practices.”

    According to records in the case, Valdez operated Conexion Latina and used programs such as TaxAct and TurboTax to prepare clients’ taxes. For tax year 2017, Valdez admits claiming false and fraudulent expenses, donations, and credits on 36 different tax returns. The tax loss on those 36 returns is $54,045.  That is the amount of restitution Valdez has agreed to pay.

    Using statistical sampling of 50 of some 2000 returns prepared by Valdez from 2016 through 2018, Valdez admits that the total tax loss for his fraud is $1,293,921.

    The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI).

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Raleigh-area Drug Trafficker Who Tried to Flush Drugs Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fuquay Varina man who was part of a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in and around Raleigh was sentenced to 138 months in prison for drug trafficking after attempting to flush cocaine down his toilet.  On November 19, 2024, David Weaver, age 46, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, in 2022, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) initiated an investigation into a DTO which distributed firearms, marijuana, and kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine. Weaver was identified, along with others, as an individual who was provided drugs to distribute on behalf of the DTO.  On May 23, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Weaver’s Raleigh residence. Weaver was encountered as he exited the bathroom after a failed attempt to flush cocaine down the toilet.  During the search, the following items were seized: a loaded 9mm pistol; 102 rounds of 9mm ammunition; cocaine; crack cocaine; marijuana; and more than $11,000 in cash.

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

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. ATF and RPD investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Sandling 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. 5:23-cr-00134-D-BM-18.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Boston Woman Sentenced to Three Tears in Prison for Armed Robberies of Postal Workers

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Boston woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for the armed robberies of United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers on Nov. 29, 2022 in Mattapan, Mass. and Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Mass.

    Myesha Lewis, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dennis F. Saylor IV to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2024, Lewis pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States, aiding and abetting and two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, aiding and abetting. In May 2023, Lewis was indicted by a federal grand jury along with co-defendant Kenneth Demosthene.

    USPS has seen a rise in the use of arrow keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An arrow key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These arrow keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. According to data from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service headquarters, from 2019 through 2022, there was a 512% increase year over year in arrow key robberies from letter carriers nationwide – rising from 64 robberies in 2019 to approximately 412 robberies in 2022. In 2023 the Postal Service reported 605 Arrow key robberies – a 49% increase in robberies over the previous year. In the last two years, 89 postal carriers were significantly injured during these robberies and at least one carrier was killed.

    On Nov. 29, 2022, in Mattapan, Lewis and Demosthene forcibly robbed a USPS letter carrier of an arrow key. Demosthene approached the letter carrier and said, “I’m going to need your master key,” before reaching into the letter carrier’s mail satchel and grabbing the arrow key. The key was secured around the letter carrier’s belt with a brass chain. The force used to physically break the brass chain caused the letter carrier to be pulled off the front steps. Lewis and Demosthene then fled the scene in a rental vehicle.

    On Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Lewis and Demosthene robbed another USPS letter carrier of an arrow key at knife point. Demosthene approached the USPS letter carrier and said, “Give me your f****** arrow key.” The letter carrier put their hands in the air as the defendants attempted to remove the arrow key, at first by force pulling at the chain. Lewis and Demosthene then attempted to cut it with the knife, eventually breaking it loose and fleeing the scene on foot.  

    In October 2024, Demosthene was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office and ATF Announce Charges in Firearms and Drug Trafficking Case

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Roswell man is charged with federal firearms and drug trafficking offenses following a traffic stop.

    According to the complaint, on February 4, 2025, Roswell Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding. The driver, identified as Isaac Ivan Boccelli, 36, was accompanied by two juveniles aged 12 and 14. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed:

    • Two firearms, one concealed on a juvenile and another in the vehicle
    • 396.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine
    • 147.0 grams of suspected fentanyl

    Boccelli, previously convicted for 2nd Degree Murder and Battery Upon a Peace Officer, was prohibited from possessing firearms.

    Boccelli will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Boccelli faces up to 40 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Roswell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: High-Ranking Affiliate of Sinaloa Cartel Charged with Drug Conspiracy in Chicago

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    A grand jury in Chicago returned an indictment yesterday charging a high-ranking affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel for allegedly manufacturing and distributing fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs and importing them into the United States.

    “As alleged, the defendant conspired to traffic dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States — and employed dozens of gunmen to protect his drug trafficking operation and the leadership of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Stopping Mexican cartels from poisoning our communities with fentanyl and other narcotics is a top priority of this Administration. Today’s indictment demonstrates that the Criminal Division is relentless in its pursuit of the drug traffickers who profit at the expense of the American people.”

    “Our nation’s fentanyl crisis has devastated individuals and families in northern Illinois and throughout the country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt the production and trafficking of fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics before they can reach more victims.”

    “From San Diego to Chicago to D.C., we are united to bring down the traffickers pushing these poisons into American communities,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “We are attacking at every level — from street dealers to cartel leaders.”

    “This indictment reinforces the FBI’s unwavering commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our communities and traffic violence and drugs across our borders,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Let this serve as a clear message: if you engage in cartel activity, we will pursue you and bring you to justice. Together with our law enforcement partners at every level, we remain fully committed to protecting the American people and stopping the flow of these dangerous drugs into our nation.”

    According to court documents, Ceferino Espinoza Angulo, 43, employed dozens of gunmen in Mexico to protect and support the leadership of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, including Ivan Guzman-Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman-Salazar, Ovidio Guzman-Lopez, and Joaquin Guzman-Lopez, collectively known as “the Chapitos.” Espinoza Angulo allegedly conspired to obtain fentanyl precursor chemicals and to manufacture, distribute, and import into the United States fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ecstasy. Ceferino Espinoza also allegedly illegally possessed a machinegun in furtherance of his drug trafficking scheme.

    The Chapitos are the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo,” who led the Sinaloa Cartel before being convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, and sentenced to life in prison. The Chapitos allegedly assumed their father’s role as leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Chapitos have been charged with drug trafficking in other U.S. indictments.

    Espinoza Angulo is charged with drug conspiracy and firearm offenses. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Espinoza Angulo is believed to be residing in Mexico, and a U.S. warrant has been issued for his arrest.

    The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, and the Portland, Oregon, Police Bureau, Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Interdiction Taskforce.

    Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Parthum and Andrew C. Erskine for the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.

    The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.

    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: Fort Dodge Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Meth Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Rasmussen was previously convicted of meth charges in 2011.

    Alesha Rasmussen, 34, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty February 10, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to distribution of methamphetamine.

    At the plea hearing, Rasmussen admitted that on July 10, 2024, she distributed over 28 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  Rasmussen was convicted in 2011 of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.  

    Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Rasmussen remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Rasmussen faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $2,000,000 fine, and at least six years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.  

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

    The case file number is 24-3042.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Update: U.S. Forces Strike on ISIS-Somalia

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia on Feb. 01, 2025. The joint airstrikes targeted senior ISIS-Somalia leadership in a series of cave complexes approximately 50 miles southeast of Bosaso.  

    The command’s current assessment is that approximately 14 ISIS-Somalia operatives were killedand no civilians were harmed.  Among those killed was Ahmed Maeleninine, a key ISIS recruiter, financier, and external operations leader responsible for the deployment of jihadists into the United States and across Europe.

    Degrading ISIS and other terrorist organizations’ ability to plot and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our partners, and civilians remains central to U.S. Africa Command’s mission.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: High-Ranking Affiliate of Sinaloa Cartel Charged with Drug Conspiracy in Chicago

    Source: United States Attorneys General 2

    A grand jury in Chicago returned an indictment yesterday charging a high-ranking affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel for allegedly manufacturing and distributing fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs and importing them into the United States.

    “As alleged, the defendant conspired to traffic dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States — and employed dozens of gunmen to protect his drug trafficking operation and the leadership of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Stopping Mexican cartels from poisoning our communities with fentanyl and other narcotics is a top priority of this Administration. Today’s indictment demonstrates that the Criminal Division is relentless in its pursuit of the drug traffickers who profit at the expense of the American people.”

    “Our nation’s fentanyl crisis has devastated individuals and families in northern Illinois and throughout the country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt the production and trafficking of fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics before they can reach more victims.”

    “From San Diego to Chicago to D.C., we are united to bring down the traffickers pushing these poisons into American communities,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “We are attacking at every level — from street dealers to cartel leaders.”

    “This indictment reinforces the FBI’s unwavering commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our communities and traffic violence and drugs across our borders,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Let this serve as a clear message: if you engage in cartel activity, we will pursue you and bring you to justice. Together with our law enforcement partners at every level, we remain fully committed to protecting the American people and stopping the flow of these dangerous drugs into our nation.”

    According to court documents, Ceferino Espinoza Angulo, 43, employed dozens of gunmen in Mexico to protect and support the leadership of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, including Ivan Guzman-Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman-Salazar, Ovidio Guzman-Lopez, and Joaquin Guzman-Lopez, collectively known as “the Chapitos.” Espinoza Angulo allegedly conspired to obtain fentanyl precursor chemicals and to manufacture, distribute, and import into the United States fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ecstasy. Ceferino Espinoza also allegedly illegally possessed a machinegun in furtherance of his drug trafficking scheme.

    The Chapitos are the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo,” who led the Sinaloa Cartel before being convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, and sentenced to life in prison. The Chapitos allegedly assumed their father’s role as leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Chapitos have been charged with drug trafficking in other U.S. indictments.

    Espinoza Angulo is charged with drug conspiracy and firearm offenses. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Espinoza Angulo is believed to be residing in Mexico, and a U.S. warrant has been issued for his arrest.

    The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, and the Portland, Oregon, Police Bureau, Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Interdiction Taskforce.

    Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Parthum and Andrew C. Erskine for the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.

    The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.

    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: Digby — Digby RCMP refer matter to Serious Incident Response Team

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Digby RCMP has referred a matter to the Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) following the death of a man in custody.

    On February 10 at approximately 3:00 pm, Digby RCMP officers responded to a call for service at a business on Warwick St.

    Upon arrival, officers safely arrested a man outside of the business for public intoxication under the Nova Scotia Liquor Control Act. He was transported to the Digby RCMP detachment and lodged in cells.

    On March 11 at approximately 7:00 am, the man went into medical distress while in police custody at the detachment. Officers contacted EHS and provided first aid.

    The man was transported to hospital and pronounced deceased.

    Digby RCMP has referred the matter to the Nova Scotia SiRT. SiRT independently investigates all serious incidents which arise from the actions of police in Nova Scotia. There does not have to be an allegation of wrongdoing.

    Given the matter is now being investigated by SiRT, the RCMP will respectfully refrain from discussing further details.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NHCP graduates six nurses from Nurse Residency Program

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton graduated six nurses from the Nurse Residency Program during a graduation ceremony held Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in the hospital galley meeting room aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

    The residency program is administered by the Directorate of Nursing Services and is co-chaired by Lt. Cmdr. Samantha Knight and Lt. Mary Hinson.

    The program runs quarterly throughout the year and covers several areas of the hospital.

    “Our Nurse Residency Program is 12 weeks long with rotations and cross-training to several departments across the hospital including laboratory, post-anesthesia care unit, ambulatory procedure unit, intensive care unit; and the emergency department,” said Knight, a clinical nurse specialist in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

    The nurse residents are beginning their military nursing career here at NHCP.

    “Many of the nurses assigned to Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton have recently graduated from their respective nursing programs and passed state licensure exams,” said Navy Capt. Sara Naczas, director for nursing services. “They come to us directly from their initial officer training.

    During the graduation and capstone event, officiated by Naczas, each graduating nurse presented a brief to the Nurse Executive Council and DNS leadership.

    According to Knight, the briefs are “on a process improvement, quality improvement, or evidence-based practice initiative identified during the four weeks on their assigned unit of the Nurse Residency Program. Their first unit assignment is typically on the mother-infant unit, multi-service ward, or emergency department.”

    Graduating from the program this quarter were Lt. jg. Princess Ekudi, Ensign Madison Harrison, Ensign Raquel Kauthen, Ensign Jimmy Manikhong, Ensign Izabela Marasco, and Ensign Luciana Poka.

    For 250 years, Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian healthcare professionals – has delivered quality healthcare and enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bay Roberts — Bay Roberts RCMP investigates break and enter at Harbour View Grocery in Clarke’s Beach

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Bay Roberts RCMP is investigating a break, enter and theft that occurred on February 9, 2025, at Harbour View Grocery and Confectionary in Clarke’s Beach.

    Suspect(s) forced entry into the business at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. A quantity of rolled coins and a number of cartons of cigarettes were stolen from inside. A window was smashed, along with other forms of damage to the inside and outside of the property.

    The investigation is continuing.

    Bay Roberts RCMP asks the public to check for any possible surveillance footage obtained in the area around the time of the crime and to report any suspicious activity.

    Anyone having information about this crime or the person(s) responsible is asked to contact Bay Roberts RCMP at 709-786-2118. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CBP Officer Arrested in El Paso, Charged with Alien Smuggling and Drug Trafficking

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

    EL PASO, Texas – A Customs and Border Protection officer was arrested in El Paso on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle undocumented noncitizens for financial gain and alleged drug trafficking activity.

    According to court documents, between on or about Dec. 21, 2023 and Feb. 5, 2025, Manuel Perez Jr., 32, of El Paso, allegedly smuggled and attempted to smuggle undocumented noncitizens into the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. The indictment alleges that, in multiple instances, Perez Jr. admitted a vehicle driven by an undocumented noncitizen at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso as part of human smuggling operations. Additionally, Perez Jr. allegedly conspired to possess a substance containing at least 5kg of cocaine from on or about Nov. 1, 2019 through and including Feb. 5, 2025, to distribute throughout Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina and elsewhere.

    Perez Jr. is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States for financial gain, three counts of bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain, and one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. If convicted, he faces a up to five years in federal prison for the human smuggling conspiracy charge, three to 10 years in prison for each of the three additional human smuggling charges, and 10 years to life for the drug trafficking charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    This investigation was a joint effort by FBI El Paso, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, and Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, which comprise the FBI El Paso West Texas Border Corruption Task Force, along with the assistance of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division/Texas Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations El Paso and the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney John Johnston is prosecuting the case.

    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: On “Safer Internet Day” U.S. Attorney’s Office Encourages Parents to Talk Frequently and Openly with Children About Their Online Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SIOUX FALLS – Each year on February 11, more than one hundred countries around the world celebrate “Safer Internet Day.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota takes this opportunity to remind the community that the Internet is often used for the sexual exploitation of children. In 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, prosecuted more than 50 cases involving child exploitation and/or the production or receipt of child pornography originating on the Internet.

    For example, in April 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office secured a conviction against Tyler Grimes, a 26-year-old man from Aldie, Virginia, who used the Internet-based application Omegle and his cellular phone to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit activity. The minor was born in February 2014, making her seven years old at all relevant times. During his communications with the minor, who lived in Rapid City, South Dakota, Grimes repeatedly asked her for nude photos and videos of herself. She complied. After Grimes’ communications were discovered by the minor’s father, the minor was forensically interviewed. Later, many images and videos of child pornography between Grimes and the victim were located on the victim’s iPad. In August 2024, Grimes was sentenced to ten years in federal prison.

    In June 2024, October 2024, and February 2025, Justin Preuschl, age 27, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was indicted for federal charges involving the exploitation of minors. The Indictment alleges that starting in December 2022 and continuing into 2024, Preuschl engaged in sexually explicit communications over the Internet with multiple juvenile female victims. The Indictment further alleges that Preuschl pretended to be a 15-year-old male, pressured the victims into sending him sexually explicit materials, and sent pictures of male genitals to the victims. Preuschl was employed as a teacher at Whittier Middle School in Sioux Falls at the time of many of the charged offenses.*

    It is of vital importance that parents and guardians talk frequently and openly with children about responsible Internet use. It is also essential that the community understands the warning signs of cyberbullying and sextortion, including:

    1. Sudden changes in behavior, such as becoming withdrawn, anxious, or secretive;
    2. Abruptly deleting social media accounts or frequently creating new accounts;
    3. Turning offs or hiding devices in the presence of a parent or other adult;
    4. Clearing their web browser cache and/or history;
    5. Unexplained money or gift cards; and
    6. Spending less time with friends.

    If you are concerned about particular online activity, please contact local law enforcement.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force are committed to ensuring a better Internet for all. Find great resources at: https://www.icactaskforce.org/Pages/InternetSafety.aspx and https://saferinternetday.us/

    *The charges are merely accusations, and Preuschl is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Woman Pleads Guilty in Fraud Scheme That Illegally Generated $17 Million in Revenue for North Korea

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Christina Marie Chapman, 48, of Litchfield Park, Arizona, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. in connection with a scheme that assisted overseas IT workers—posing as U.S. citizens and residents—in working at more than 300 U.S. companies in remote IT positions. The scheme generated more than $17 million in illicit revenue for herself and for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea).

                The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; FBI Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez of the Phoenix Field Office, and IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick for IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office.

                Chapman pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2025. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the parties will jointly recommend that the Court impose a sentence of 94 to 111 months in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

                According to court documents, Chapman, an American citizen, conspired with overseas IT workers from October 2020 to October 2023 to steal the identities of U.S. nationals and used those identities to apply for remote IT jobs and, in furtherance of the scheme, transmitted false documents to the Department of Homeland Security. Chapman and her coconspirators obtained jobs at hundreds of U.S. companies, including Fortune 500 corporations, often through temporary staffing companies or other contracting organizations.

                Chapman received and hosted computers from the U.S. companies, creating a “laptop farm” at her home, so that the companies would believe the workers were in the United States. As a result of Chapman’s assistance, the overseas IT workers gained access to the internal systems of the U.S. companies.

                Chapman’s overseas IT workers received more than $17.1 million for their work. Much of the income was falsely reported to the IRS and Social Security Administration in the names of actual U.S. individuals whose identities had been stolen.

                As a result of the conduct of Chapman and her conspirators, more than 300 U.S. companies were impacted, more than 70 identities of U.S. person were compromised, on more than 100 occasions false information was conveyed to DHS, and more than 70 U.S. individuals had false tax liabilities created in their name.

                This case was investigated by the FBI Counterintelligence Division, the FBI Phoenix Field Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office with assistance from the FBI Chicago Field Office.

                It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Prosecutors Joshua Rothstein, Karen Seifert, Thomas Gillice, and Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance.

    24cr220

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Farmington Woman Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud, Public Corruption Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that HELEN ZERVAS, 57, of Farmington, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in Bridgeport to health care fraud and public corruption offenses.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Zervas, an optometrist, owned and operated Family Eye Care, located in Bristol, and was a participating provider in Medicaid and Medicare.  Between approximately October 2015 and January 2020, Zervas repeatedly submitted claims to Medicaid and Medicare falsely representing that she had provided, or determined it was medically necessary to provide, certain treatment.  For example, between approximately September 2016 and January 2020, Zervas made more than 300 false claims to Medicaid and more than 30 false claims to Medicare for insertion of an amniotic membrane to the eye surface of a patient when that treatment was either not provided or was not medically necessary.

    In 2020, while the State of Connecticut was auditing Zervas’s and Family Eye Care’s Medicaid billings, Zervas conspired with both a senior official in the State’s Office of Policy and Management and a Connecticut State Representative to interfere with the audit.  In exchange for payments from Family Eye Care, Zervas, and the state representative, the senior official agreed to advise and pressure other state employees to take official action concerning the pending Medicaid audit of Zervas and Family Eye Care.

    Zervas pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

    Zervas is released pending sentencing, which is not yet scheduled.

    This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and David E. Novick.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Amsterdam Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Three Kilograms of Cocaine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jose Carrero, age 36, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty today to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.

    On November 4, 2024, DEA agents arrested Carrero after observing him place three kilograms of cocaine into the trunk of his car.  He was carrying $1,704 in cash, and in a search of his home law enforcement found an additional $70,000 in drug proceeds.  As a condition of his plea agreement, Carrero has agreed not to contest the administrative forfeiture of that money. 

    Carrero faces at least 5 and up to 40 years in prison; a fine of up to $5 million; and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

    The DEA investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clarenville — Clarenville RCMP responds to report of impaired driver, man arrested

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 63-year-old man was arrested for impaired operation by Clarenville RCMP on February 10, 2025, after the report of a suspected impaired driver.

    Shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Monday, police received the report of a suspected impaired driver who was at a commercial property in Goobies. Police attended the scene and located the described individual, who showed signs of alcohol impairment, and his vehicle, which was parked at the location. Evidence gathered as part of the investigation supported the man’s arrest for impaired operation.

    At the detachment, the man provided breath samples that were nearly twice the legal limit. His driver’s licence was suspended and the vehicle was seized and impounded. The man was released from custody and is set to appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired operation.

    RCMP NL thanks the public for continuing to report suspected incidents of impaired driving. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility. If you suspect a driver is impaired, please immediately call your local police or 911 and be prepared to provide the current location and description of the vehicle, including a licence plate, if possible.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former officer sentenced for firearms offense

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

    McALLEN, Texas – A 45-year-old San Juan resident has been ordered to federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Michael Gallegos-Martinez pleaded guilty Dec. 3, 2024.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered him to serve 41 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence Gallegos-Martinez had been previously served as a police officer before being convicted of a felony for possession of a controlled substance. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane noted the significant amount of cash found in the vehicle as well as the narcotics.

    On June 25, 2023, Gallegos-Martinez was driving a Cadillac CTS when he failed to come to a complete stop. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, at which time they noticed Gallegos-Martinez appeared nervous.

    He claimed there were no firearms or narcotics within the vehicle. However, a K-9 alerted, and authorities ultimately discovered of a firearm Rossi, Model 461, .357 caliber magnum revolver in a grocery bag hanging from the gear shift. They also discovered 25 grams of cocaine, a bottle of Xanax pills and approximately $25,000 in cash.

    Gallegos-Martinez has been and will remain in custody pending his transfer to the Bureau of Prisons.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Alamo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Manhattan Man Charged With Murder-For-Hire Plot Resulting In The Death Of His Husband In Brazil

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Antoinette T. Bacon, the Supervisory Official for the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the filing of charges against DANIEL SIKKEMA in connection with his role in a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of his husband in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The charges are contained in a Superseding Indictment unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  SIKKEMA was previously charged in the Southern District of New York for passport fraud. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.

    U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As alleged, Daniel Sikkema and his co-conspirator planned and carried out a cold-blooded plot to murder Sikkema’s husband, a United States citizen, in Brazil. This Office will doggedly pursue justice against those who murder United States citizens, whether at home or abroad.”

    FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “In the midst of a tense divorce, Daniel Sikkema allegedly financed the premature death of his estranged husband. The defendant allegedly hired a hitman to facilitate the international murder of his husband, and attempted to conceal his involvement in this callous plan. The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate any individual who selfishly and mercilessly orders the end to another’s life, regardless of where the crime may occur.”

    According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment:[1]

    In 2023, SIKKEMA agreed with another individual (“CC-1”) that SIKKEMA would pay CC-1 to kill SIKKEMA’s estranged husband (the “Victim”) in Brazil.  At that time, SIKKEMA and the Victim were engaged in contentious divorce proceedings and the Victim regularly traveled to Brazil and owned property in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  To facilitate the murder-for-hire plot, SIKKEMA, a U.S. and Cuban citizen, sent multiple payments to CC-1 and CC-1’s romantic partner in Cuba.  SIKKEMA also concealed the source of each of these payments by using either a stolen identity or an intermediary to send them.

    On January 14, 2024, CC-1 murdered the Victim in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  In the days that followed, SIKKEMA and CC-1 continued to communicate and SIKKEMA arranged for a payment of approximately $5,000 to be made to CC-1 and promised to make an additional payment at a later date.

    On January 18, 2024, CC-1 was arrested by Brazilian law enforcement for his involvement in the commission of the Victim’s murder.

    *                *                *

    SIKKEMA, 54, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of murder-for-hire conspiracy resulting in death, one count of murder-for-hire resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to murder and maim a person in a foreign country, and one count of passport fraud. If convicted, he faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison or death.

    The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

    Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Field Office.

    The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith C. Foster and Remy Grosbard for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.

    The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.    
     

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Denver Man Convicted On Weapon, Drug Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Derris Mayberry, 37, of Denver, Colorado was convicted by federal juries in two trials on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of distribution of fentanyl.

    According to the facts established at the trials, on the evening of March 22, 2024, a woman approached an officer conducting surveillance for an undercover operation and offered the officer “dope.” She then told the officer that she knew someone who could get “blues,” meaning fentanyl pills. The woman ultimately led undercover police officers to an alley near the Colorado State Capitol where Mayberry was waiting. An audio recording captured the undercover officer negotiating the price and amount of fentanyl pills. The officers then observed the woman make a hand-to-hand exchange with Mayberry, immediately after which the woman handed four fentanyl pills to the undercover officer in exchange for $20. Law enforcement contacted Mayberry shortly thereafter at a bus stop only feet away from where the deal had taken place. During a pat down, law enforcement found a loaded .22 caliber revolver in his shorts pocket. Mayberry had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and, therefore, was prohibited from possessing the loaded revolver. During a search incident to his arrest, law enforcement found additional fentanyl pills and the $20 used by the undercover officer to purchase the drugs.

    Mayberry will be sentenced at a later date.

    United States District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the trials. The Denver Police Department VICE unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives handled the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore O’Brien and Celeste Rangel handled the prosecution.

    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.

    Case Number: 1_24-cr-00110-DDD

    MIL Security OSI –