NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Feeding our Future Defendant Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison For His Role in $250 Million Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – A Bloomington man has been sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,920,514.

    “The defendant committed a brazen fraud that shamelessly stole taxpayer money intended to feed children during a global pandemic. He lined his pockets, here and abroad, with millions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “As the Court found, he doubled down on his crimes by obstructing justice. This significant sentence should serve as a clear warning to anyone who would seek to exploit and defraud government programs. You will be held accountable.”

    As proven at trial, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, 34, and his co-defendants devised and carried out a multi-million fraud scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. As the chief executive officer of Afrique Hospitality Group, Shariff obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children. Their scheme was accomplished by exploiting changes in the nutrition program intended to ensure underserved children received adequate nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shariff and his co-defendants created and submitted fraudulent meal count sheets purporting to document the number of children and meals served at each site and false invoices purporting to document the purchase of food to be served to children at the sites. The conspirators also submitted fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. These rosters were fabricated and created using fake names. 

    The Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a federally funded program designed to provide free meals to children in need. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers the program throughout the nation by distributing federal funds to state governments. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administers and oversees the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Meals funded by the Federal Child Nutrition Program are served by “sites.” Each site participating in the program must be sponsored by an authorized sponsoring organization. Sponsors must submit an application to MDE for each site. Sponsors are also responsible for monitoring each of their sites and preparing reimbursement claims for their sites. The USDA then provides MDE federal reimbursement funds on a per-meal basis. MDE provides those funds to the sponsoring agency who, in turn, pays the reimbursements to the sites under its sponsorship. The sponsoring agency retains 10 to 15 percent of the funds as an administrative fee.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA waived some of the standard requirements for participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Among other things, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the program, and it allowed for off-site food distribution to children outside of educational programs.

    Following a seven-week trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel in June 2024, Shariff was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering. In handing down the sentence today, Judge Brasel commented that Shariff’s conduct showed a “staggering lack of respect for the law,” and that taxpayers were “outraged by the brazenness of the crime.”

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

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Miami-Dade County Woman Pleads Guilty To Providing Contraband To A Coleman Prisoner

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Janai Chanel Stephens (38, Opa Locka) entered guilty pleas to an indictment charging her with making a materially false statement or representation to a federal agency and providing contraband to a federal prisoner. Stephens faces up to five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted Stephens on May 28, 2024. 

    According to court records, on March 10, 2024, Stephens entered the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County with a bag containing tobacco cigarettes that she intended to give to a federal inmate. Federal inmates are prohibited from possessing tobacco in prisons, as it threatens the order, discipline, and security of the prison. When entering the facility, Stephens falsely claimed to a corrections officer that she did not have any tobacco products in her possession.  Stephens was then permitted to meet with a federal inmate in a visitation room.  During that meeting, surveillance footage showed Stephens throwing the bag with the cigarettes that she had smuggled into the prison to the inmate. 

    This case is being prosecuted as part of a United States Department of Justice (DOJ) task force aimed at rooting out contraband and misconduct in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The task force was led by the BOP and the DOJ – Office of the Inspector General, with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. 

    This case was investigated by the BOP and the DEA. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Australian Secretary of the Department of Defence visits U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, meets with Australian Secretary of the Department of Defence Greg Moriarty at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii, Jan. 21, 2025.

    The U.S. and Australia share an unbreakable alliance and a partnership focused on mutual strategic interests supporting stability, prosperity, and peace in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

    USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, fighting to win.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former CEO of Startup Software Company Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Tax Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

              CONCORD – A Bedford man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for his scheme to willfully fail to pay more than $14 million in payroll taxes owed to the IRS and failing to file and pay his personal taxes, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division announce.

              Andrew Park, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 30 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. She also ordered Park to pay $639,821.78 in restitution, the amount of tax and interest not repaid at the time of sentencing, to the United States. She also ordered Park pay a fine of $15,000. In July 2024, Park pleaded guilty to willful failure to pay over payroll taxes and willful failure to file a tax return.

              Park was the co-founder and CEO of a startup technology company. Park was responsible for all financial matters related to the company, including for filing the company’s quarterly payroll tax returns and collecting and paying over Social Security, Medicare and income taxes withheld from the employees’ wages to the IRS, as well as the matching Social Security and Medicare taxes the company owed. Park was also responsible for collecting and paying over state and local taxes to those respective governments.

              From the company’s founding in 2014 through the third quarter of 2021, Park withheld federal, state and local taxes from the wages of the company’s employees but did not pay them over to the IRS and state and local tax authorities as required by law. He also did not pay over the portion of the payroll taxes that the company owed. Park did so even though a payroll service company that he hired to process the employees’ payroll notified him hundreds of times that the taxes were due, and four employees of the company complained that the Social Security Administration reported no withholdings had been paid over by the company on their behalf.

              From 2013 through 2020, Park also did not file individual tax returns as required by law, despite the fact that he paid himself a salary of approximately $250,000 each year.

              In total, Park caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $14.7 million.

              “For many years, the defendant took elaborate steps to defraud the IRS by not filing or paying his personal income taxes and by using his employees’ payroll taxes as free capital to grow his business. Then, when matters got out of hand, he falsely told his investors that his company was tax compliant to secure the funds to try to make the problem disappear,” said Acting United States Attorney Jay McCormack. “The substantial sentence imposed by the court reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct and his disregard for our nation’s tax laws and sends a message to deter other would-be tax fraudsters who might seek to enrich themselves at the expense of honest taxpayers.”

              “Yesterday’s sentencing of Andrew Park is a strong reminder that payment of individual and business taxes is an obligation, not a choice,” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “When Andrew Park made the decision not to pay taxes for himself and his business, he also made the decision to cheat his employees and other honest taxpayers. Investigations of employment tax fraud is a priority for Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation as our system of taxation depends on everybody paying their fair share.”

             IRS-Criminal Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter and Assistant Chief Eric Powers of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.  

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kapolei Woman Indicted for Scheme to Defraud Unemployment Insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Programs

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HONOLULU, Hawaii – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that on January 23, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a twelve-count indictment against Phoebe Trinh, also known as Phuong Trinh Ngoc Vo, 31, of Kapolei, Hawaii, charging Trinh with nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft in connection with fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance and pandemic unemployment assistance.

    The charges in the indictment pertain to both the unemployment insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) programs. In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act created the PUA program to provide emergency unemployment payments to certain workers whose livelihoods were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but who were ineligible for traditional state unemployment insurance benefits.

    The indictment alleges that Trinh submitted a false claim for unemployment insurance benefits to the Hawaii Department of Industrial and Labor Relations (DLIR) using its website, and that she repeatedly falsely certified under penalty of law that she was unemployed and not receiving income, despite knowing that her certifications were false, in order to receive benefit payments that she was not entitled to receive.

    The indictment further alleges that Trinh also submitted a claim to the Hawaii DLIR for PUA benefits on behalf of another individual, using that individual’s personal identifiable information, including name and social security number, without that individual’s knowledge and consent, in order to obtain  additional benefit payments to which she was not entitled. Trinh then allegedly repeatedly certified to Hawaii DLIR that the individual remained eligible for PUA benefit payments in order to receive the payments, without the individual’s knowledge and consent. The indictment alleges that Trinh directed Hawaii DLIR to transmit the benefit payments that were intended for the individual to her own bank account.

    According to the indictment, Trinh fraudulently obtained at least approximately $36,265 in unemployment insurance and PUA unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled.

    Each of the wire fraud counts carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Each of the aggravated identity theft counts carries a sentence of two years in prison. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 866-720-5721 or online at http://www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.

    This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Louisiana man to spend nearly two decades in prison for sex trafficking runaway child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A 39-year-old resident of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced for transportation of a child to engage in criminal sexual activity and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

    Isiah Lee Campbell Jr. pleaded guilty July 26, 2024.

    Senior U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Campbell to serve 235 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release.

    During a three-week span in 2019 over the course of several different trips, Campbell drove the then 16-year-old victim from Louisiana to Houston to engage in commercial sex with adult men. Campbell also posted the victim on a website advertising prostitution.

    Law enforcement stopped Campbell in Harris County driving a reported stolen vehicle during the early morning hours of June 6, 2019. They found a handgun under Campbell’s seat. The victim was a passenger in the car whom authorities identified as a runaway child from Lousiana.

    She described how Campbell threatened to kill her so that she would continue to engage in commercial sex at his direction. Campbell took all the money that the victim earned and also sexually assaulted her several times.

    Campbell will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    FBI and Precinct 4 Harris County Constable’s Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Throwing Methamphetamine into Federal Prison Yard

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — Garrett Scott Wheelen, 33, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to possessing more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

    According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, Wheelen arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution Mendota wearing a facemask, baseball cap, and hoodie to conceal his identity. In broad daylight, Wheelen ran to the prison fence and tossed four packages into the prison’s recreation yard. He was quickly apprehended after attempting to flee. The packages contained more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine. Wheelen was on supervised release from a prior federal felony charge at the time.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mendota Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Dhruv M. Sharma are prosecuting the case.

    Wheelen is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins. Wheelen faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to Over 17 Years in Prison for Shooting at Louisville Mayor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Louisville, KY — A Louisville man was sentenced today to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for firing shots at current Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg during Greenberg’s 2022 mayoral campaign.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.

    According to court documents, on February 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, 24, walked into Greenberg’s campaign office and fired multiple shots at Greenberg while he was meeting with four staffers. The staffers were able to close and barricade the door, and Brown was apprehended several blocks from the shooting, carrying the firearm he used in a backpack. As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he acted because Greenberg was running for mayor.

    In July 2024, Brown pleaded guilty to interfering with a federally protected activity and using and discharging a firearm in relation with a crime of violence. Brown’s term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    The FBI, ATF, and Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit and Trial Attorney Jolee Porter of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section provided substantial assistance to the prosecution.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Bliss Soldier Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EL PASO, Texas – A former soldier stationed at Fort Bliss was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 100 months in prison for sexual abuse of a minor.

    According to court documents, Carlos Humberto Richard Walsh, 23, of Washington, was involved in a romantic relationship with a minor under 16 years old from approximately Oct. 1, 2022 to approximately Jan. 24, 2023. Walsh, who was an Army specialist at the time, was subjected to barracks inspections, through which his command reported finding the minor victim in Walsh’s vehicle, along with several of the victim’s personal items in Walsh’s barracks room. The minor victim admitted to federal and local law enforcement that she had been living with Walsh in the Barracks and had engaged in sexual intercourse there on several occasions. Walsh was arrested May 25, 2023 and has remained in federal custody.

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

    Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the El Paso Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Valenzuela 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Husband Pleads Guilty to Gunning Down Wife in D.C. Parking Lot

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Wyatt Swan, 48, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder while armed for the 2024 murder of Teresa Francisco, 52, in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                The Honorable Jason Park of the D.C. Superior Court scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2025.

                According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:00 p.m., on March 1, 2024, the defendant shot and killed his wife, Teresa Francisco, in and around their apartment complex in the 900 block of Eastern Avenue, Northeast. The defendant first shot his wife with a pistol in their shared apartment. When she ran for her life and hid in a nearby work van, the defendant pursued her and fired numerous shots into the van killing her.  The defendant then fled the scene evading police.

                The defendant was arrested on October 2, 2024, with the assistance of the Prince George’s County Police Department. The defendant has remained in custody since his arrest.

                In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr. and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department.  This case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Evans.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Career Offender from Fort Dodge Sentenced to Federal Prison for 16 Years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it was sentenced on January 23, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.

    Jordan Taylor, 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on April 11, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of pure methamphetamine.  Taylor had been convicted of two prior drug trafficking offenses which made him a career offender.  

    Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on multiple occasions in August 2023, Taylor distributed methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement.  In September 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a hotel in Fort Dodge where Taylor was staying.  During the execution of the search warrant on the room, law enforcement found Taylor in the bathroom attempting to flush methamphetamine down the toilet.  In the room, law enforcement seized about one pound of pure methamphetamine, along with psilocin mushrooms, pharmaceutical tablets, over $1,100 in cash, and drug distribution paraphernalia.  Further investigation showed Taylor was responsible for the possession and distribution of approximately three pounds of methamphetamine.        

    Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Taylor was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Taylor remains in U.S. Marshals custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

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

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

    The case file number is 23-3041.  

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: James C. Thompson Sentenced To Twenty Years For Transportation Of A Minor In Interstate Commerce With The Intent To Engage In Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On January 24, 2025, James C. Thompson, 72, formerly of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, was sentenced to 240 months by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, District Court Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Thompson was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and to serve three years on supervised release.  In addition, Thompson will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.

    As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Thompson agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with four counts of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in sexual activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(a).

    According to court filed documents, in 2000, Thompson traveled on separate occasions with three different boys and sexually molested them.  Thompson was 48 years old at the time and the young boys were less than 18 years old.  Thompson drove them from the community where they lived, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, to different out-of-state locations.  When Thompson’s conduct was discovered, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation confronted Thompson and he confessed.

    U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, made the announcement. 

    The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Jackson County Alabama Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.  This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Samuel Moore.

    Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks and Special Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Minor represented the United States.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

    For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab “resources.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Work Central at World Economic Forum in Davos

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    “The work of the IAEA is at the centre of the debates. In particular, the nexus between nuclear energy and artificial intelligence has attracted a lot of attention,” the Director General said in Davos.  

    The IAEA held a session on nuclear’s role in meeting energy demands for artificial intelligence (AI), with experts from Bloomberg and technology venture capitalists DCVC. “Big tech needs nuclear to power energy-intensive AI data centres,” explained Mr Grossi.  

    A major event was also held on tripling nuclear energy, and the need for standardization, regulation, financing and collaboration in scaling up nuclear.  

    The Director General met with multiple world leaders to discuss development, energy and world peace, including Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, Austria’s Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and Flanders’ Minister-President Matthias Diependaele.  

    Mr Grossi and Mr Mulino engaged on the IAEA’s Atoms4Food programme, as well as improving cancer care with the IAEA’s Rays Of Hope programme. “The IAEA is proud to stand with Panama in building a healthier, more resilient future for its people,” the Director General said. 

    The IAEA’s work on health, food and nutrition was a focus of multiple high-level dialogues. For example, Mr Grossi met with Viet Nam’s Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat to discuss the drought-tolerant, high-yield rice varieties that were developed with IAEA support, and with the CEO of Anglo American, Duncan Wanblad, on progress on a joint research project to fight soil salinity and advance sustainable farming practices. 

    Another key topic for the week was international security, particularly the IAEA’s role in ensuring nonproliferation worldwide. 

    The Director General was a speaker at the World Economic Forum’s Rubik’s Cube of Global Security, where he addressed pressures on nonproliferation amid rising geostrategic tensions, alongside Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid AlDabaiba, the International Crisis Group, Comfort Ero, Harvard Kennedy School’s Meghan O’Sullivan, and Foreign Affairs Magazine’s Dan Kurtz-Phelan. 

    Watch the recording of the session here.  

    The Director General was also active in closed sessions on artificial intelligence and sustainable energy in Latin America with leaders of the region, as well as an event on growing the African economy with leaders from the continent. 

    “The mission and the importance of the IAEA continue to grow. This is why we are here in Davos,” concluded the Director General. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Met officer charged with sexually assaulting three men and a woman

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A serving Met officer has been charged with committing sexual offences against three men and a woman. He was suspended from duty in December 2022.

    Police Sergeant Lee Symons, attached to the West Area Command Unit, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 27 January.

    PS Symons was charged on 23 December 2024, with assault by penetration and five counts of sexual assault (by touching). These offences are alleged to have taken place on dates between 2012 and 2018 against the same man.

    PS Symons was also charged on 23 December with five further counts of sexual assault by touching on dates between 2009 and 2021. Three of these counts relate to alleged offences against a man, the remaining two counts relate to alleged offences against another man and a woman.

    All of the offences are alleged to have taken place against people known to him.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Polish fugitive arrested in the Netherlands thanks to a tip received via EU Most Wanted website

    Source: Europol

    The fugitive was wanted in connection with multiple serious offenses across Poland and Germany. These included his suspected involvement in a fatal violent incident in Poland in December 2021, in which the victim succumbed to his injuries. He was also convicted in Poland for a violent offence in 2019, for which he was sentenced to one year in prison, and…

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbia Man Indicted on Sex Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges Involving 11 Victims

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a 22-count indictment against defendant Leon-Bobby Jones-Hubbard, 31, of Columbia, charging him with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; two counts of sex trafficking of a minor; nine counts of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse materials; nine counts of coercion and enticement of a minor into illegal sexual conduct; and one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material.

    The indictment alleges that from at least June 2023 to present, Jones-Hubbard used social media platforms including Facebook to target, recruit, and exploit 10 minor victims who ranged from 5 to 16 years old and were located in Arkansas, Michigan, Alabama, Wisconsin, and Texas. The indictment further alleges the defendant paid money through Cash App, PayPal, and Meta Pay to induce and entice minors into illegal sexual conduct, including sex trafficking and the production of child sexual abuse material.

    An adult with a severe developmental disorder was also targeted and exploited, according to the indictment, by Jones-Hubbard using an intermediary to coerce the victim into sex acts through physical restraint, physical force, and violence in exchange for money.

    Jones-Hubbard faces a penalty of up to life in prison. He also faces mandatory minimum penalties of 15 years, 10 years, and five years in prison on various counts charged.  He faces fines of up to $250,0o0 per count, a special assessment of $5,000 per count, mandatory restitution payable to any victims who suffered loss in connection with criminal conduct, court-ordered supervision of life to follow any term of imprisonment, and federal and state sex offender registration requirements.

    Jones-Hubbard was arraigned in federal court on Jan. 23 and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing before United States Magistrate Judge Paige J. Gossett on Jan. 28 at 2:30 p.m.

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

    This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and E. Elizabeth Major are prosecuting the case.

    U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: IBAN and the Supreme Audit Office of the Czech Republic sign Memorandum of Understanding to foster cooperation

    Source: NATO

    On 19 December 2024, Mr Radek Visinger, Chair of the International Board of Auditors for NATO (IBAN), signed in Prague, by delegation from the Board, a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation with Mr Miloslav Kala, the President of the Supreme Audit Office of the Czech Republic (SAO).

    Since last year’s meeting of IBAN with the competent national audit bodies of the NATO Nations, we have noticed an interest, from both parties, in strengthening mutual cooperation and giving it a clear framework. The IBAN Chair was pleased to accept the invitation of the President, Mr Miloslav Kala, to visit the SAO for the purpose of signing a memorandum. As in previous cases, its main goal is, in accordance with a strategic goal of IBAN, the sharing of experience in professional practices and the exchange of expertise. The document does not commit to any specific action, but lists the areas in which the parties would like to promote mutual cooperation, such as establishing opportunities for professional traineeships, peer reviews and joint research projects, and facilitating the exchange of experiences, best practices, and professional documentation, among other initiatives. Both IBAN and the SAO are committed to intensify their mutual support in carrying out their external audit functions in accordance with the standards and principles promulgated by the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).

    The formalisation of mutual cooperation was offered to all Supreme Audit Institutions of the NATO Nations last year, and if they intend to share their experience and good practices, they can therefore participate to the same extent.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Around the Air Force: Real ID Ready, C-17 Fuel-Saving Tech, Training Aircraft Update

    Source: United States Air Force

    In this week’s look Around the Air Force, visitor access to military bases and some federal installations will be required to present Real ID credentials, microvane drag technology will modernize the C-17 Globemaster III fleet, and updates for the T-7A Red Hawk training aircraft.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: NPS’ Latest CubeSat Launch Furthers International Collaboration in Space

    Source: United States Navy

    At 11:09 a.m. PST, Jan. 14, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) – in partnership with NPS and the New Zealand military’s Defence Science & Technology unit (DST) – launched Otter, an NPS CubeSat suite aboard the commercial SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter 12 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4E Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

    Its mission: to explore new technological developments and experimental concepts to operate in an increasingly complex space environment.

    The Otter launch occurs at a time of an upswing in space technology investment, particularly in the commercial sector. As NPS leans in on partnering with commercial entities in all Naval Science and Technology Focus Areas, the Otter spacecraft is a prime example of the benefits to its students from these relationships, noted Dr. Wenschel Lan, interim chair of NPS’ Space Systems Academic Group (SSAG), an interdisciplinary academic association serving as the focal point for space-related research at the university.

    “In working with our commercial vendors, we have lessons learned that we continue to share with our students – from acquisitions, to spacecraft integration and testing, and spacecraft operations – that are relevant and representative of both the successes and challenges for the aerospace industry,” she said. “In gaining first-hand knowledge and experience with a space mission life cycle through these types of opportunities at NPS, our students are better prepared to serve as Space professionals in the Navy, throughout the DOD, and beyond.”

    Two hours after the rocket’s successful launch and Otter’s separation, Dr. Lan and her team were huddled in NPS’ Space Operations Center (SOC), the university’s heart for interacting with space assets.

    As the satellite arced across Canada into the Northern Pacific 515 km above the earth, the team prepared to make first contact.

    “We’re tracking!” exclaimed Alex Savattone, SSAG faculty associate for research involved with the daily management of the CubeSat missions, as the satellite’s beacon came into focus.

    Word reached the office of then 78th Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, himself an ’89 NPS alumnus with a master’s in Space Systems Engineering, who offered his congratulations.

    “Well done to the NPS student-faculty team and all the partners involved,” Secretary Del Toro said. “The strength of NPS’ innovative space education program is a force multiplier, impacting critical talent development needs and shaping future technology concepts.”

    Several days later, the Otter team tracked down the orbit plane, transmitted several commands, and the data began streaming to the NPS SOC: good status confirmed.

    While NPS is known for having the most alumni of any graduate school become astronauts, NPS also has a strong history in developing standardized and modular nanosatellites such as CubeSats, which have many benefits over costly traditional satellites. Beginning with the NPS Petite Amateur Navy Satellite (PANSAT) launched into low Earth orbit (LEO) in 1998 aboard the shuttle Discovery, the NPS program evolved into CubeSat designs and launchers, now commonly used by commercial providers. Made up of 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm cubes called units (U), CubeSats are relatively inexpensive to design, develop and deploy payloads into orbit and are ideal for applied education and research.

    Otter is a 6U CubeSat built and operated by NPS on behalf of NRO. Its primary payload, Tui, is a DST-built risk reduction platform for space-based maritime domain awareness capabilities. Two secondary payloads built by NPS, an X-band transmitter and an LED on-orbit payload (LOOP), will help develop and evaluate communication technologies and concepts of operations on future CubeSat missions.

    “The NRO is always looking for innovative ways to advance our capabilities in space,” said Dr. Aaron Weiner, director of the NRO’s Advanced Systems & Technology Directorate. “This demonstrator, developed in coordination with academia and an international ally, showcases the value in rapidly qualifying low-cost, commercial off-the-shelf hardware.”

    Otter is the second collaborative CubeSat mission run together with NRO and DST. The first, named Mola, launched in March 2024 with Tui’s predecessor, Korimako. Two NPS-built payloads are also manifested on Otter – an X-band transmitter and the next iteration of LOOP to continue experimenting with line-of-sight communications by using two banks of LEDs, transmitting in green and near-infrared wavelengths, that are capable of modulating light for basic messaging. More than 20 NPS students will have directly contributed to the Mola and Otter CubeSats as part of their master’s and Ph.D. research.

    Both CubeSat missions are directly supported by the NPS maintained and operated Mobile CubeSat Command and Control (MC3) network, a Department of Defense-sponsored effort that began in 2011 at NPS. Since then, SSAG has cultivated partnerships with nine other tracking facilities nationwide, including three other DOD service universities, civilian institutions, industry partners, and governmental agencies. These all work together within a distributed operations network that shares tracking responsibilities via parallel ground stations.

    Tui very much fits into this, according to Dr. Lan. The highly collaborative mission will provide space-based maritime awareness as well as serve as a pathfinder for policy development.

    “The capability that we’re developing is to add sensors in the space layer to be able to see what’s going on in the water,” she said. “It’s not just a camera, but a lot of different phenomenologies that you can sense from space to then help paint the picture of what’s going on.”

    The project also represents a risk reduction effort in the sense that it utilizes low-cost, off-the-shelf current technologies to explore the art of the possible.

    “We’re spending a small amount of money to buy down the risks so that when they actually do a full program of record, they’re not going into it blind,” Dr. Lan stated.

    The NPS-built payloads, the X-band transmitter and LOOP projects, also employ the latest in rapidly developing commercial technology. The X-band transmitter, operating in the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum, is ideal for space communications optimized for data-intensive payloads.

    The LOOP project utilizes a ground-based optical telescope to observe the LEDs on the CubeSat to evaluate how to track objects in low Earth orbit. Otter is a significant step forward toward the future goal of high-rate optical communications using the MC3 network.

    Now that Otter is launched, its operations will be undertaken by NPS faculty and students.

    “Our operations have changed since the launch of Mola,” observed Savattone. “During initial commissioning, our team manually ran each pass opportunity to check the satellite’s health and troubleshoot as needed. Currently, operations are predominantly automated. Mola is provided with a schedule for executing specific sequences, such as a telemetry downlink to one of the ground stations. Today’s daily operations primarily involve monitoring the health of the entire system, including ground stations, cloud resources, and satellites.”

    Otter also builds on lessons learned from the Mola mission, he said. “One significant lesson learned is the critical importance of having comprehensive knowledge of all subsystems. Since we procured the satellite buses from a commercial vendor instead of constructing the entire satellite ourselves, it took our team some time to understand the complexities of each system. Mola facilitated our learning process regarding the efficient operation of Otter and served as a pathfinder for streamlining our flight operations.”

    “The Otter mission was a success not only in its launch, but also in the opportunities it afforded the NPS students who worked on it,” said Dr. Giovanni Minelli, SSAG research associate professor and co-principal investigator for its CubeSat program along with Dr. Lan.

    “Most importantly, it serves as a means of providing hands-on experience with the design, test, launch and operation of a real spacecraft to complement the theoretical coursework offered to our students,” he said. “We believe practically applying lessons learned in the classroom helps cement understanding of difficult concepts and better prepares our warrior scholars for leveraging space to advance our military’s priorities after graduation.”

    “Furthermore,” Dr. Minelli noted, “the CubeSat program grants students the chance to advance technologies jointly developed by international government research institutions.”

    “The students get to be involved in a mission with real stakeholders, requiring the successful operation of the spacecraft, its payloads, and the supporting ground infrastructure to collect and disseminate experimental test results to our strategic partners,” he said. “An ideal training opportunity, this ‘rubber meets the road’ process is also used for the high-value operational missions our students will work on throughout their careers.”

    The LOOP project is a prime exemplar of this, with both iterations spanning the Mola and Otter missions.

    LOOP was originally developed for Mola by Marine Corps Maj. Dillon Pierce to address a gap in the payload manifest as part of his doctoral research at NPS. Using his education from NPS as a Space Operations Masters student, he quickly designed, built, and tested a flight-ready payload.

    The Marine Corps infantry officer is on track to earn his doctorate this June. His work, sponsored by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, aims to fill critical operational capability and capacity gaps, with significant anticipated impacts on future military operations.

    “What I truly fell in love with was the hands-on aspect of the applied research within the SSAG,” Maj. Pierce said. “Coming into the lab and being able to apply theory to real-world capabilities, such as building rockets and CubeSat payloads, is fascinating. It provided me with a deep understanding of the technical concepts learned in the classroom and demonstrated how to apply those concepts to address the operational challenges facing the military today.”

    Maj. Pierce is elated to see the LOOP project evolve with its second iteration for the Otter mission, which he passed on to Dr. James Newman, NPS acting provost, SSAG professor and former Space Shuttle astronaut, who was able to upgrade its capabilities to include InfraRed LEDs and higher data rates.

    Work on LOOP was also carried out by Navy Lt. Charles “Chuck” Bibbs for his master’s degree in Space Systems Operations. Lt. Bibbs, currently attached to Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command (NSWBTC), is a SEAL phase officer at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, California.

    Lt. Bibbs was specifically involved with the planning, preparation and execution of environmental testing for LOOP, including thermal vacuum and vibration testing, as well as the integration of the total Otter payload.

    “This experience gave me an appreciation for the entire lifecycle of a payload,” he said. “Upon joining the team, I was introduced to the remarkable collaborative effort that brought this particular payload to life, and I gained a clear understanding of where my contributions fit within that timeline. It was fascinating to see how NPS works with other countries and commercial entities to drive innovation for defense purposes!”

    Lt. Bibbs also commended the SSAG faculty’s excellent alignment of the department’s research efforts with course objectives. His work on Otter was conducted as course projects for the AE4831 Spacecraft Systems II curriculum in the M.S. Space Systems Operations program.

    “This experience was formative because, like the military as a whole, I have a significant interest in space and would like to involve myself in those efforts in the near future,” he continued. “Additionally, by working on this project I better understand the nuances of requirements, procurements, and fielding large-scale projects. This experience provided skills that will assist me in a wide-range of military duties that do not necessarily have to be space-related.”

    Maj. Pierce and Lt. Bibbs’ observations cut to the heart of NPS’ mission: to provide defense-focused graduate education, including classified studies and interdisciplinary research, to advance the operational effectiveness, technological leadership and warfighting advantage of the Naval service.

    As a naval command with a graduate university mission, NPS uniquely synchronizes mid-career student operational experience and education with applied research and faculty expertise to deliver innovative warfighting solutions and leaders educated to understand and employ them.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Second man charged with murder in Tottenham

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A second man has been charged with murder following a fatal stabbing in Tottenham last year.

    Okechukwu Iweha, 46, died after being stabbed in Worcester Avenue, N17 on 7 April 2024. His family have been updated with this development.

    Devon Brown – 29 (19.02.95) of no fixed abode was arrested on suspicion of murder, manslaughter, possession of a knife/pointed blade and perverting the course of justice after arriving at Heathrow Airport on Friday, 24 January following his extradition from the United States.

    He will appear in custody at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 25 January.

    Previously, Leandro Kaienga – 28 (11.04.96) of no fixed abode was charged with murder and possession of a bladed article (knife). He is remanded in custody ahead of a trial at Wood Green Crown Court which is currently scheduled to commence on 24 February.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to ‘Swatting’ Scheme That Took Over Ring Doorbell Cameras to Livestream Police Response

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

    LOS ANGELES – A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty today to participating in a one-week nationwide “swatting” spree that gained access to Ring home security door cameras, placed bogus emergency phone calls designed to elicit an armed police response, then livestreamed the events on social media, sometimes while taunting responding police officers in communities such as West Covina and Oxnard.

    Kya Christian Nelson, 23, of Racine, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and two counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information.

    Nelson, who is doing time in a Kentucky state prison after being convicted in an unrelated case, has been in federal custody since August 2024.

    “Swatting puts innocent lives in danger,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that individuals who engage in this dangerous conduct will be held accountable through federal prosecutions.”

    “The defendant’s malicious actions traumatized his victims and put their lives – and the lives of responding officers – at risk,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Swatting hoaxes drain crucial law enforcement resources at the expense of taxpayers and diverts police officers from responding to actual crisis situations. This case is a good reminder for security doorbell users that it’s important to practice strict cyber hygiene by using difficult passwords and by employing two-factor authentication.”

    According to his plea agreement, from November 7, 2020, to November 13, 2020, Nelson and co-conspirators gained access to home security door cameras sold by Ring LLC, a Santa Monica-based home security technology company. Nelson acquired without authorization the username and password information for Yahoo! email accounts belonging to victims throughout the United States.

    The conspirators then determined whether the owner of each compromised Yahoo! account also had a Ring account using the same email address and password that could control associated internet-connected Ring doorbell camera devices. Using that information, they identified and gathered additional information about their victims.

    Then, the conspirators placed false emergency reports or telephone calls to local law enforcement in the areas where the victims lived. These reports or calls were intended to elicit an emergency police response to the victim’s residence. The conspirators then accessed without authorization the victims’ Ring devices and transmitted the audio and video from those devices on social media during the police response. They also taunted responding police officers and victims through the Ring devices during several of the incidents.

    For example, on November 8, 2020, Nelson and a co-conspirator accessed without authorization Yahoo! and Ring accounts belonging to a victim in West Covina. A hoax telephone call was placed to the West Covina Police Department purporting to originate from the victim’s residence and posing as a minor child reporting her parents drinking and shooting guns inside the residence. The caller claimed that her parents had multiple firearms and had fired approximately seven gunshots inside the house. Based on this hoax call, West Covina Police Department officers made an emergency response to the house and cleared the residents from the home at gunpoint.

    During the police response, Nelson accessed the Ring doorbell camera located at the West Covina residence and used it to verbally threaten and taunt the police officers who responded to the reported incident.

    In another incident, on November 11, 2020, Nelson illegally possessed the Yahoo! and Ring login credentials of a victim living in Oxnard. Nelson then used those credentials to access the victim’s Ring account. Nelson or a co-conspirator made a hoax call to the Oxnard Police Department purporting to be coming from inside the victim’s home.

    The caller told the police that they were a child whose father was wielding a handgun inside the residence. Nelson made a second hoax call to Oxnard Police to report hearing shots fired at the victim’s residence. Based on these hoax calls, Oxnard Police officers made an emergency response to the house and cleared the residents from the home at gunpoint.

    Nelson accessed the Ring doorbell camera located at the Oxnard residence and used it to threaten and taunt the police officers who had responded to the reported incident.

    United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt scheduled a May 1 sentencing hearing, at which time Nelson will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.

    One of Nelson’s indicted co-conspirators, James Thomas Andrew McCarty, 22, of Kayenta, Arizona, was sentenced in June 2024 to seven years in federal prison both for his role in this case, and on additional charges in the District of Arizona. In connection with the Ring swatting incidents, McCarty pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy as Nelson.

    McCarty further admitted to illegally accessing a victim’s Ring camera in Florida and making a call to the North Port Florida Police Department, in which he purported to be the victim’s husband who had just killed her, was holding a hostage, and had rigged explosives at the residence. McCarty then livestreamed the law enforcement response and posted a message on social media taking credit for the swatting incident and stating that he thought it was amusing.

    The FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Four SoCal Residents Found Guilty of Participating in an Armed Robbery and Carjacking at Car Repair Shop in San Bernardino County

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

    RIVERSIDE, California – Three San Gabriel Valley residents and one San Bernardino County man have been found guilty by a jury of participating in an armed robbery and carjacking of a car repair business last year in Bloomington in which one victim was pistol-whipped into near unconsciousness, the Justice Department announced today.

    At the conclusion of a 13-day trial, a federal jury on late Wednesday returned a guilty verdict on all counts against the following defendants:

    • Marcos Guerrero, 49, of Glendora;
    • Elijah Gafare, 35, of West Covina;
    • Cinthia Leal, 39, of Glendora; and
    • Vincent Solarez, 58, of Upland.

    All four defendants were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of carjacking.

    Guerrero, Gafare, and Leal also were found guilty of witness tampering and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of and in relation to a crime of violence. Guerrero further was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

    “Violent crime tears at the fabric of our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “The verdict reached in this case highlights our office’s ongoing efforts to root out and punish criminals who use guns to harm innocent people.”

    According to evidence presented at trial, Guerrero, Gafare, Leal, and Solarez participated in an armed robbery of a car repair shop in Bloomington in the early morning hours of March 12, 2024. During the robbery, two of the defendants brandished firearms and one of the defendants pistol-whipped one of the victims into near unconsciousness.

    The defendants kept the victims hostage and threatened to kill them if the victims did not hand over cash, their car, and if they ever called law enforcement. In total, defendants stole several thousand dollars in cash and the business surveillance system, in addition to the victim’s car and other property.

    Law enforcement tracked the defendants down and arrested them in May and June of 2024.

    On May 30, 2024, Guerrero illegally possessed a .45-caliber firearm and dozens of rounds of ammunition. He is not permitted to possess firearms and ammunition because his criminal history includes convictions in San Bernardino County Superior Court for home invasion robbery, first-degree residential burglary, false imprisonment by violence, possession of a firearm by a felon, and evading a police officer.

    United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal scheduled an April 21 sentencing hearing, at which Guerrero, Gafare, and Leal will face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

    Solarez will face a statutory maximum sentence of 65 years in federal prison.

    The FBI Inland Violent Crimes Suppression Task Force and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua J. Lee and Neil P. Thakor of the General Crimes Section, and Tritia L. Yuen of the Riverside Branch Office, are prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: F-35 project expands capabilities at FRCE

    Source: United States Navy

    The expansion project offers space and aircraft bays to support the increasing F-35 modification workload.

    Commanding officer Capt. Randy Berti said this milestone will directly enhance the depot’s capabilities and strengthen the nation’s defense system.

    “As we celebrate today’s milestone, it’s important to reflect on what this expansion means for the F-35 mission readiness and, most importantly, for our warfighters,” said Berti. “The F-35 is the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, and ensuring its mission capability is critical to national security. FRC East is a vital part of this process, ensuring these aircraft are maintained and ready to perform at the highest level.

    “This expansion is a direct investment in our ability to meet the increasing demands of the F-35 program,” he continued. “It will allow us to continue providing high-quality, timely support to the Joint Program Office (JPO), the men and women operating the aircraft and our partners across the globe.”

    FRCE is the lead site for depot-level maintenance on the F-35B Lightning II and has conducted modifications and repair on the Marine Corps’ short takeoff-vertical landing variant of the aircraft since 2013. The depot also performs work on the Air Force’s conventional takeoff and landing F-35A variant and Navy’s F-35C carrier variant.

    Since standing up capability for the F-35 in 2013, FRCE has successfully inducted 158 aircraft and delivered 145 back into operational service. The space offered by the expansion project is scheduled to support an additional 337,000 hours of work through fiscal year 2028. The 158 induction is set to be the first aircraft to be serviced in the new space.

    F-35 Joint Program Office Modifications and Induction Lead Jeanie Holder said the F-35 Joint Program Office had a vision for this expansion project back in 2022 and knew FRCE was the right facility for the job.

    “FRC East was selected due to its proven track record in depot performance, skilled labor force and their ability to deliver aircraft on time,” Holder said. “We knew they would be the depot for the job, and they did not disappoint. Soon, this dock expansion will be filled with aircraft.”

    Holder said the success of this expansion project lies with the dedicated individuals at FRCE and the F-35 Joint Program Office.

    “I want to personally acknowledge and thank FRC East leadership, past and present, their facilities team, and the Joint Program Office’s project support manager and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command for everything they have done to make this happen,” said Holder. “Meeting a deadline of this magnitude is a testament to your dedication, expertise and unwavering commitment to excellence.”

    FRCE’s support of the F-35 platform has expanded significantly since its first airframe induction more than a decade ago. In 2020, FRCE declared capability on its first F-35 component, making the facility a verified source of repair and testing for that item. Since then, FRCE has declared capability on 76 F-35 components, and continues to stand up capability.
    In 2023, FRCE personnel became the first within the Department of Defense to perform the successful assembly of an F-35B Lightning II lift fan clutch outside of the original manufacturer’s facility. The F-35 workload will continue to increase as more of the fifth-generation fighters are fielded on the East Coast, with FRCE’s F-35B vertical lift fan testing and processing facilities scheduled to come online later this year, and the F-35 aircraft sustainment facility is projected to be operational sometime around 2028.

    FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Goshen Man Found Guilty After 3-Day Jury Trial

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SOUTH BEND – Late yesterday, Orlando Rodriguez-Roman, 42 years old, of Goshen, Indiana, was convicted of three felony counts after a three-day jury trial before United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Rodriguez-Roman was found guilty of attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

    Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2025.

    This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service including the USPS Forensic Laboratory Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Elkhart County Intelligence and Covert Enforcement Unit and the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lydia T. Lucius and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Madison Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – A Madison man was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Reginald Fullwood, Jr., 59, of Madison, participated in a scheme to pay kickbacks to a marketer in exchange for completed doctors’ orders so that he could cause his durable medical equipment company, Jackson Medical Supply, to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary and/or ineligible for reimbursement. When Medicare initiated an investigation of Jackson Medical Supply, the defendant opened another entity in the name of a nominee owner and again paid kickbacks to a marketer in exchange for doctors’ orders so that the new entity could continue to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans for orthotic braces. Overall, Fullwood caused these entities to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage approximately $12,441,625.30 and the entities were reimbursed approximately $6,448,092.61 for durable medical equipment that was medically unnecessary and/or ineligible for reimbursement.

    Fullwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States on August 28, 2024.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General made the announcement.

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.

    The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Strike Force and Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for House Burglary on the Choctaw Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – A Philadelphia man was sentenced to three years in federal prison for burglarizing a home in the Tucker community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Reservation.

    According to court documents, Sherente Tubby, 23, burglarized the home of a tribal member in December of 2021.  Tubby was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2022, and pled guilty in September of 2024.  He was sentenced on January 14, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.  

    The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a nationwide initiative that was launched in 2001 and works to reduce violent crime and gun violence.  It’s a collaboration between federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement, prosecutors, and community leaders.  PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, please visit http://www.psn.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A registered sex offender has pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to child pornography charges.

    Corey Bouchard, 34, of Douglas, pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with accessing with intent to view child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025 in Worcester. Bouchard was charged by complaint in April 2024.  

    During a November 2023 search of Bouchard’s home, a cache file was found on Bouchard’s cell phone, which contained approximately 72 videos depicting child pornography. The file names of approximately 56 of those videos matched the file names from media files shared by others to Kik messenger group chats that Bouchard was in. Bouchard admitted to accessing child pornography with the intent to view it.

    Bouchard has a prior state conviction for possession of child pornography and is a registered sex offender. The charge of access with intent to view child pornography provides for a sentence of a minimum of 10 years in prison and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, an assessment of $5,000, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3014, and assessment of up to $17,000, a mandatory special assessment of $100, restation, and forfeiture. 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 Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge and Douglas Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bartlesville Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Killing Dewey Couple

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Lucas Anthony Walker, 22, for two counts of Second Degree Murder in Indian County. Judge Russell ordered Walked to serve 420 months for each count, followed by five years of supervised release.

    In January 2023, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies began investigating the disappearance of Deborah and Larry Dutton. After searching the Dutton’s home, deputies found Deborah and Larry deceased in a shallow grave in the backyard. Walker confessed to shooting and stabbing Deborah and stabbing Larry to death.

    Walker is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    The FBI, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Murder investigation launched following stabbing in Putney

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a 75-year-old man in Putney.

    On Friday, 24 January at 03:36hrs police were called to an address in Deodar Road, SW15 following reports of a stabbing.

    Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service who treated a man for stab injuries.

    Sadly, despite the emergency services best efforts, he was pronounced dead on scene.

    His next of kin have been made aware although we currently await formal identification. They are currently being supported by specialist officers.

    A special post-mortem examination is due to take place today.

    A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder, he remains in police custody. It is believed he was known to the victim.

    Detective Superintendent Amanda Mawhinney from the South West Command Unit which covers Putney said: “We are currently supporting the family of a man who was sadly killed in the early hours of this morning.

    “I am aware that people in the community may feel shocked following this – we believe this to be an isolated incident and there is no wider threat to the public.

    “Although we have made significant progress by making an arrest, I would like to make it clear that our investigation does not stop here. We need the local community to help us understand what happened in the early hours of this morning.

    “We are appealing for anyone who was in the area at around 3am and that saw or heard anything unusual to contact us as soon as possible.

    “You may notice a higher police presence within the area today whilst we carry out our enquiries. A scene is in place as well as road closures. If you feel the need to raise anything with our officers, then please feel free to speak with them whilst they are in the area.”

    Enquiries remain ongoing.

    Anyone with information which could assist with the investigation is asked to call 101 stating CAD721/24JAN. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or by submitting an online form.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: His Majesty the King of the Netherlands visits Europol

    Source: Europol

    His Majesty the King of the Netherlands visited Europol today, where he gained insight into the Agency’s efforts to support EU Member States in tackling serious and organised crime, and terrorism.Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle welcomed His Majesty to the organisation’s headquarters as Europol recently marked 25 years of fostering law enforcement cooperation across Europe and beyond. Becoming fully…

    MIL Security OSI –