NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former FBI Agent Convicted for Stealing From Citizens’ Homes

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

    HOUSTON – A former federal agent has admitted to theft of personal property and providing false statements, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

    From March 2022 to July 2023, Nicholas Anthony Williams, 37, Houston, stole money and property from multiple residences while executing search warrants in his official capacity. 

    Williams proceeded to retain the money or property for his personal use. 

    In addition, Williams admitted to providing false statements with regard to several fraudulent charges on his government-issued credit card.

    “Founded on a legacy of steadfast duty since 1908, FBI agents uphold society’s trust by relentlessly pursuing justice and protecting citizens with unwavering integrity,” said Hamdani. “Nicholas Williams betrayed that legacy and the community’s trust when he decided to pad his own pockets at the expense of a citizen’s rights. Because no one is above the law, the system of justice that he once swore to protect will now seek to hold him to account for breaking that oath.”

    Since 2019, Williams worked as an FBI special agent in the Houston field office. He served on both the criminal violent gang and counterterrorism squads.

    U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen will impose sentencing Jan. 13, 2025. At that time, Williams faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    Williams was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.

    The Department of Justice – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Garcia and Sarina DiPiazza are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Woman Sentenced to Prison for Financially Exploiting Her Grandmother

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

    BENTON, Ill. – A southern Illinois judge sentenced a Florida woman to 3 years’ imprisonment after she admitted to scamming her grandmother living in Cahokia Heights out of more than $300,000.

    Tanya M. Aboseada, 39, of Pompano Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wire fraud in May.

    “Seniors are warned to avoid giving money to strangers who may be looking to take advantage of them, but it’s a different kind of deceit when criminals target their own elderly family members,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate our partnership with the FBI to bring justice for the grandmother, who was simply wanting to help her grandchild she thought was in need.”

    According to court documents, Aboseada convinced her grandmother to wire money into her bank account under false pretenses on at least 12 occasions between November 2021 and August 2022. Aboseada admitted to lying to her grandmother about needing money to transfer a truck title into her name, owing money to the IRS, paying attorney fees and fines for a vehicular accident she was in, and paying the family of an alleged child she killed in a vehicular accident to avoid going to jail. In total, Aboseada admitted to stealing $317,049 from her grandmother.

    “The fraud perpetrated by Tanya Aboseada relied on the love and devotion of a family member, which is in many ways more heartless than when the perpetrator is a stranger,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “The FBI upholds an unwavering commitment to deliver justice to victims of elder fraud, and to prioritize the pursuit of those who deliberately target vulnerable seniors.”

    In addition to imprisonment, the judge ordered Aboseada to pay $317,049 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.

    This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative.

    The FBI Springfield Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Verseman and Kathleen Howard prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Destruction of Property During January 6 Capitol Breach

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

                WASHINGTON – An Illinois man pleaded guilty today to felony destruction of property during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                Justin LaGesse, 37, of McLeansboro, Illinois, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of destruction of government property before U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg. Judge Boasberg will sentence LaGesse on Jan. 10, 2025.

                Additionally charged in this matter as a co-defendant is Theodore Middendorf, 36, also of McLeansboro. This matter is ongoing.

                According to court documents, in December 2020, LaGesse and Middendorf made arrangements to travel to Washington, D.C., to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election. As part of their planning, the men had an associate create shirts with the wording “F— ANTIFA” written on the front.

                On Jan. 6, 2021, the two men arrived in Washington, D.C., carrying with them an American and Gadsden flag. LaGesse wore a camouflaged jacket, the aforementioned shirt, a blue baseball cap, and an American flag-style neck gaiter. At approximately 2:51 p.m., LaGesse entered into the U.S. Capitol by climbing through a broken window next to the Senate Wing Door. He then turned around and helped Middendorf through the window. Once inside, the pair moved towards the middle of the Senate Wing Door lobby area and waved their flags while chanting “U.S.A.” with a crowd of rioters.

                After spending some time in the lobby, LaGesse and Middendorf continued to traverse through the Capitol before exiting the building at approximately 3:02 p.m. Once outside of the building, LaGesse partially pulled down his neck gaiter and began to harass several police officers who were protecting the Capitol. Among other things, LaGesse called the officers “f— traitors” and “f— communist scum.”

                By approximately 4:09 p.m., the two men had moved to the north side of the Capitol where a large group of rioters were attempting to breach the building via the North Door. There, police officers defended the door and blocked the rioters’ entry. As the officers held back the rioters, LaGesse and Middendorf approached the nearby exterior window of a room inside the Capitol and struck the glass window several times with the bases of their flagpoles. Their strikes caused visible damage to the glass.

                After the riot, the Architect of the Capitol determined that the total cost of the damage to the window was $41,315.25.

                This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.

                This case was investigated by the FBI’s Springfield and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

                Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lewisporte — Update: Man involved in break, enter and theft at Chelsea’s Fish and Chips arrested by Lewisporte RCMP

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Forty-four-year-old Donald Frost of Michael’s Harbour has been arrested and charged in relation to a break, enter and theft that occurred on July 10, 2024, at Chelsea’s Fish and Chips.

    Frost was arrested on September 4, 2024, and is charged with break and enter. He was released from custody and is set to attend court at a later date.

    The investigation is continuing.

    RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

    Background: https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2024/lewisporte-rcmp-investigates-break-and-enter-chelseas-fish-and-chips-seeks-publics

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Milton — Missing person: Help the RCMP find Patricia Ross

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Queens District RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 46-year-old Patricia Ross. She was last seen on Friday, September 20, 2024, in Milton.

    Ross is described as 5-feet-six, 190 lbs, with blue eyes, and long dark hair. She was last seen wearing a black Nike hoodie, jeans or capris, and a pink backpack. Ross may be travelling in a silver SUV or minivan.

    When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those who know them. We ask that people spread the word through social media respectfully.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Patricia Ross is asked to contact Queens District RCMP at 902-354-5721 or your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hollidaysburg Couple Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

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

    HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John H. Johnson and his wife, Paula Z. Johnson, both age 62, of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, were sentenced on September 17, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, for committing fraud. John Johnson received a sentence of 97 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Paula Johnson received a sentence of three years of probation, including six months of home detention with location monitoring, and was ordered to immediately pay $249,301.36 in restitution, fines, and assessments.

    According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, in 2016, John H. Johnson, a physician with specialized training in anesthesiology, entered into an agreement with other individuals to defraud health insurance programs by billing them illegally for expensive tests known as “urine drug tests.” One of the individuals that Johnson conspired with was Rodney L. Yentzer, who pleaded guilty for his role in related offenses in March 2022 and is awaiting sentencing. Johnson and Yentzer carried out this agreement through a couple different groups of pain management practices located throughout central Pennsylvania, known as Lighthouse Medical and Pain Medicine of York (“PMY”). Yentzer, who had no medical training, acquired PMY in 2014 at the suggestion of John H. Johnson, with whom Yentzer was business partners. PMY absorbed Lighthouse Medical in 2017, and PMY closed permanently in November 2019 after law enforcement agents executed search warrants at its various locations. 

    “Ensuring the integrity of health care programs in this age of rising costs is paramount to our mission,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “We will continue to work with federal, state, and local partners to hold providers accountable for misconduct that exploits the programs.”

    “Healthcare fraud is not a victimless crime. In this case, the defendants caused taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars to be diverted from patients who needed care, and instead served their own interests,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special in Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI and our partners’ commitment to rooting out fraud and pursuing those who conspire to exploit our healthcare systems for financial gain.”

    In 2016, Lighthouse Medical, under the direction of John H. Johnson, operated a drug testing laboratory on its own premises. This laboratory had the equipment and capabilities to perform urine drug testing (“UDT”) on site. UDT, when used legitimately, is a method for physicians to test their patients for the presence and specific amounts of various substances. A very high percentage of the patients of Lighthouse Medical (and, subsequently, PMY) were prescribed with opioid medications at each monthly visit. UDT could be used, for instance, to test whether such patients were taking their medications as prescribed or taking illegal recreational drugs in addition to their prescribed medications. Urine drug tests were typically reimbursed at a high rate by Medicare and private insurance programs.

    In March 2016, Johnson and Yentzer agreed with the new owners of a rural, 25-bed “Critical Access Hospital” located near the border of Florida and Alabama to “sell” Lighthouse Medical’s UDT laboratory services to the hospital; in exchange, the hospital purchased the exclusive right to bill for payment and collect payment from patients and insurance programs. The hospital agreed to pay Lighthouse Medical a kickback of $900 per test.

    As a Critical Access Hospital under federal law, the hospital received very favorable payment from Medicare and private insurance programs, including, for example, for UDT. Thus, even while paying a $900 kickback per test to Lighthouse Medical, the hospital was still able to collect and keep a significant amount of money over and above that amount. The owners of the hospital also used other laboratories like Lighthouse Medical in a similar pass-through manner. As a result, the hospital was able to bill for a number of laboratory tests that far exceeded what would normally be associated with a small facility of its kind, and Lighthouse Medical was paid far more than what it would have typically received for UDT from Medicare and other insurers. For instance, on July 12, 2016, the hospital paid Lighthouse Medical $816,300 for 907 urine drug tests. Approximately one week later, the hospital paid Lighthouse Medical $628,200 for nearly 700 tests.

    In total, the owners of the hospital billed others, including private insurers, approximately $1.4 billion for various laboratory testing services that were not medically necessary. The majority of this amount was due to UDT. Lighthouse Medical received $2,341,775 in kickback payments over a four-month time period, with 85% of this amount going to John H. Johnson and the remaining amount going to Rodney L. Yentzer.

    Under the terms of his plea agreement, John H. Johnson will also be required to pay over $2.3 million in restitution to defrauded health insurance companies. The restitution order against John H. Johnson is expected to be finalized within the next sixty days.

    In addition to pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, John H. Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. His wife, Paula Z. Johnson, who is also a physician from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to the same offense. Together, John H. Johnson and Paula Z. Johnson conspired to evade payments to the U.S. Government that John H. Johnson was required to make for a prior criminal conviction.

    In July 2015, John H. Johnson was indicted for various tax offenses in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. In September 2016, John H. Johnson was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with a separate health care fraud scheme. In early 2017, John H. Johnson knew that he was likely going to prison for these offenses, so he approached Rodney L. Yentzer and got Yentzer to agree to place Paula Z. Johnson, who had not practiced medicine in years, on the PMY payroll.

    In June 2017, John H. Johnson was sentenced to an 84-month term of imprisonment for the various offenses with which he had been charged. He was also ordered to repay to the U.S. Government over $3 million restitution payments for fraudulent health care billing and unpaid taxes.

    Even following his imprisonment, Johnson and Yentzer remained in close contact through phone and in-person visits, with Johnson providing direction to Yentzer. During conversations, Johnson and Yentzer sometimes used coded language to describe sensitive subjects, including the term “toy” to refer to money and the term “toy box” to refer to bank accounts.

    John H. Johnson knew that PMY continued to be highly profitable, in large part owing to its UDT billing. Specifically, PMY billed every patient for two urine drug tests at each visit: one test a presumptive “screen” for the presence of certain substances and the second a definitive test for specific levels of 22 different substances. This testing protocol had been put in place by John H. Johnson when he ran Lighthouse Medical, and he instructed Yentzer to do the same at PMY. Yentzer followed this direction.

    From mid-2017 until late 2019, PMY submitted bills just to Medicare for around $10 million in UDT, with well over $4 million being paid out. John H. Johnson, Paula Z. Johnson, and Rodney L. Yentzer devised various other ways to funnel money to the Johnsons so that they could benefit from this wealth without the money being captured for John H. Johnson’s restitution payments. Among other things, Yentzer purchased a car for the Johnsons’ son and leased an Audi Q5 for Paula Z. Johnson, at her request. Yentzer also made $28,000 in contributions to their children’s 529 college savings accounts, paid over $40,000 in legal bills for “asset and estate planning,” made over $40,000 in payments toward personal loans, and covered other large bills, all with the knowledge of both John H. Johnson and Paula Z. Johnson. On a number of occasions, Paula Z. Johnson requested these payments directly from Yentzer or his assistant.

    PMY shut down abruptly in November 2019 after search warrants were executed because it was no longer able to retain medical providers to see patients. In January 2020, in a recorded prison call, Yentzer stated to John H. Johnson, that “if there’s anything left, I will make sure Paula gets, uh, a piece.” He added that “whatever’s left” after satisfying certain creditors he would “divvy up.” Yentzer made this statement despite the fact that Paula Z. Johnson had been formally terminated by PMY in November 2019.

    The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Control Division, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Haute-Aboujagane — Have you seen this stolen trailer?

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Sackville RCMP is seeking the public’s help locating a stolen trailer from Haute-Aboujagane, N.B.

    The theft is believed to have occurred on September 20, 2024, at approximately 2:10 p.m., at a residence on Upper Aboujagane Road in Haute-Aboujagane.

    The trailer is described as a black 2010 Crown, Triple E model, with white rims, New Brunswick licence plate TMC 939, and vehicle identification number 1XNU512T9A1031508.

    Police are releasing a surveillance footage photo in hopes that, despite the quality, someone may recognize the trailer. The ATV was not on the trailer at the time of the theft.

    If you have seen the trailer since September 20, or if you have information that could help further the investigation, please contact the Sackville RCMP at 506-364-5023. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App, or by Secure Web Tips at www.crimenb.ca.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two arrested as detectives confirm name of 15-year-old victim in Woolwich murder

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two people have been arrested by detectives who have today named the teenage victim of a murder in Woolwich.

    Police were called approximately 18:35hrs on Sunday, 22 September to reports of a disturbance on Eglinton Road, SE18.

    Officers attended and found a teenage boy with a stab injury. Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics at the scene, he sadly died a short time later.

    He has today been named as Daejuan Campbell, who was aged 15. His family continue to be supported by specialist officers.

    Two men – aged 52 and 18 – have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody.

    Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry said: “My thoughts are with Daejuan’s loved ones as they try and come to terms with this heart-breaking incident.

    “The investigation into Daejuan’s death is still in the early stages and our officers are working around the clock to build a picture of what happened on Sunday evening.

    “Local officers will remain in the area whilst we continue with our investigation. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions, they are there to support you and the community.

    “I want to appeal to you again and ask if you know anything about the death of young Daejuan. Did you see anything suspicious around the Eglinton Road area? Did you see anyone running away from the area? Do you have any footage? If you do then please contact police, you can upload any footage to this link.

    “You can also remain anonymous by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

    Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0208 721 4005 quoting Operation Baghaze.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Take A Minute with Second ScriptCenter Added at Naval Hospital Bremerton

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    There was a flurry of interest on a recent Friday when Naval Hospital Bremerton openly shared on Facebook that due to a high volume of prescriptions coupled with limited staffing, there might be longer wait times at the main pharmacy.

    Over 4,700 social media users saw that posting. Most were understanding. Others were vexed by the possibility of having a potential time management issue to pick up their medication.

    Yet for those eligible beneficiaries who use the NHB Pharmacy ScriptCenter, it remained business as usual in using the automated – and secure – prescription refill dispenser available around the clock.

    The timesaving ScriptCenter has proven to be such a sensation that a second automated system has been added to Naval Hospital Bremerton.

    “It is with great excitement that our second ScriptCenter machine is up and running,” Lt. Cmdr. Evan Romrell, NHB Pharmacy assistant department head.

    NHB’s ScriptCenter is already used more than any other in the U.S. – surpassing such locales as Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt and John Hopkins – for picking up prescriptions after being installed on Naval Station Everett in 2021 and added on Naval Base Kitsap Bangor and NHB in February 2022.

    It took less than six months for the benefits to became obvious.

    According to Romrell, NHB’s ScriptCenter has gradually climbed in usage, from 800 per week in the initial year to 1,200 per week last year.

    “A week earlier we dispensed 1,354 prescriptions to 560 different patients, and 533 of those prescriptions were picked up while the Main Pharmacy was closed,” exclaimed Romrell.

    As of September 1, 2024, there are now over 7,850 registered users.

    Romrell notes since ScriptCenter started, February 14, 2022, over 89,900 prescriptions have been dispensed to 6,874 different patients, with 35,831 distributed after hours and on the weekends.

    “It’s the go-to option for picking up new prescriptions afterhours and on weekends while avoiding the pharmacy lobby,” said Romrell, adding that Pharmacy staff continually share the benefits of the system. “We have an amazing crew in the pharmacy that are consistently pushing ScriptCenter as the preferred option.”

    “We realized shortly after installing that the machines rarely had issues and were so easy to use. Once patients used it the first time, they were hooked,” continued Romrell, citing that the NHB ScriptCenter was getting so busy there was often a line of people waiting.

    “Two machines make it less likelihood of waiting,” Romrell said.

    “A large majority of our patients either know about it already or are getting educated during their pickup of medications in the lobby or during their phone call to us,” added Cmdr. Dean Kang, pharmacist.

    Although Main Pharmacy staff still clarify that those who don’t use it, should, there is still hesitation amongst some patients.

    “Why use it? The better question is, why not use it instead of waiting in the pharmacy? On Friday we had a really busy day and were hampered with staff call outs,” related Romrell. “For those patients that chose to use Q-Anywhere combined with ScriptCenter there was no difference and no wait. Patients can also use the Pharmacy Automated call-in line and have their refills processed and loaded in ScriptCenter on the same day, even on weekends and holidays.

    New users can start the process by using their cell phone to text the words ‘get in line’ to 1-877-909-2512 for Q-Anywhere.

    The advantages to any eligible beneficiary are multiple. Patients can follow their own time and own schedule. There’s no waiting. When combined with Q-Anywhere a patient can request medications and pick them up without ever waiting on hold or setting foot in the pharmacy waiting room.

    Romrell does note that there is a caveat. First time users require enrollment using a prescription number. But if a patient doesn’t have one, they can just text the Pharmacy and one will be provided.

    “If it’s someone’s first time using it, come in during business hours. That way if there’s any issues, our staff will happily walk them through,” said Romrell, adding that refrigerated items can’t go in ScriptCenter.

    There are also advantages with ScriptCenter for the Pharmacy staff, most notably in having flexibility in filling prescriptions.

    “If we know that we have until 11 a.m. to get a prescription filled we can focus on other patients waiting in the Pharmacy lobby. Every prescription picked up in the ScriptCenter is one less coming to a window or the drive through,” explained Romrell.

    For those who haven’t used ScriptCenter, Romrell has some ready advice, “If you haven’t tried it, try it out. When linked, Q-Anywhere prescription activation and ScriptCenter dispensing will totally change your pharmacy experience. Guaranteed.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rochester Woman Arrested, Charged with Bilking Elderly Landlord Out of Tens of Thousands of Dollars

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

    ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nahtahna Castner, 45, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, between July 2020, and February 2023, Castner gained the trust of an elderly Victim in her mid-90’s who allowed her into her home. The Victim owned a duplex and lived on one side, while Castner lived on the other side. Using her position of trust, Castner gained access to the Victim’s personal identifying information and banking information. She then withdrew large sums of cash from ATM’s, often close to the daily ATM limit, conducted wire transfer peer-to-peer payments to her own personal bank account, and made unauthorized purchases using the Victim’s debit card. The complaint states that Castner defrauded the Victim out of approximately $252,672.97 from two different banking institutions. In addition, Castner also used the Victim’s personal identifying information to complete at least three unauthorized credit card applications, which were approved with  credit limits of $2,000, $600, and $500. Castner then used the credit cards and defrauded the three financial institutions out of approximately $3,668.11. Castner used the money she stole from the Victim on a variety of purchases, such as travel, which included a trip to Hawaii, hotels, car repairs, insurance, and car payments.

    On January 6, 2022, the Victim was hospitalized, but her family was not notified and only became aware a few days later. When family arrived, Castner was already there, referring to herself as the Victim’s granddaughter, and making the healthcare decisions on behalf of the Victim. Still unsure of Castner’s full involvement with Victim A and under the impression that she had helped Victim A with various tasks, family members offered to provide some money to Castner for helping the Victim when hospitalized. Castner was adamant that she did not want any money and told them she helped “out of the kindness of her heart.” However, the Victim’s son decided to go to the bank anyway to get money, at which time he became aware that the bank accounts were empty. Castner immediately moved out of the duplex without notice and did not contact any of the Victim’s family again. In speaking with his mother about the missing money, the Victim stated it must have been “Tana.” The Victim passed away on February 23, 2023. Just two months prior, her accounts at the two banking institutions had only approximately $99.59.

    The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

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

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo Man Going to Prison for Nine Years for Transporting Minor Across State Lines to Engage in Sex Trafficking

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

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Adrian Petty, 29, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of interstate travel for purposes of prostitution, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that in September 2020, Petty transported a Minor Victim that he met on Facebook from the State of New York to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, so that the Minor Victim could engage in commercial sex acts in Pennsylvania. Petty admits that he posted online commercial sex advertisements relating to the Minor Victim.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Pittsburgh Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin P. Rojek, with the assistance of the Buffalo Office of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Monroeville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kenneth Cole, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons, and the Erie Crime Analysis Center, under the direction of Director Dennis Richards. Special assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Pennsylvania and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Silinski.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southern Tier Man and Woman Charged with Production of Child Pornography

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

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that David A. Johnston, 55, of Allegany, NY, and Kayla R. Kio, 26, of Olean, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to produce child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 2, 2024, the New York State were called to Wal-Mart in Olean, for a report of a domestic dispute. Kio reported that she was being stalked and harassed by her ex-boyfriend, Johnston. The two worked together at Wal-Mart. Kio stated that in February 2024, while she was in the process of breaking up with Johnston, he requested that she produce and send to him sexually explicit videos of a 5-year-old child. Troopers seized Kio’s cell phone and recovered multiple videos and images of child pornography.

    On March 13, 2024, the NYSP executed a search warrant at Johnston’s Allegany residence, during which they seized four cell phones and a tablet. Investigators recovered videos of child pornography and sexually explicit communications exchanged between Kio and Johnston. Johnston was charged with Possessing a Sexual Performance of a Child and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, while Kio was charged with Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. In 2007, Johnston was convicted of Indecent Assault and Corruption of Minors in McKean, PA, County Court.

    Johnston and Kio made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. Kio was released on conditions. Johnston is being held pending a detention hearing on September 17, 2024, at 2:30 p.m.

    The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Stanley Edwards, and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb.

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

    # # # #

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Baltimore Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID Fraud

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

    BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nina M. Williams, 56, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William, M. Skretny to wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  

    According to court documents, Williams transmitted two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of Nimiche Inc. and Nimiche Interiors Inc., a Maryland-based business, along with fraudulent supporting documentation, to a federally insured bank in Buffalo, NY, and a mortgage lending business, which  participated as lenders in the PPP loan program. In May 2020, Williams electronically submitted a PPP loan application to the bank for $97,500, and in April 2021, she electronically submitted a PPP loan application to the mortgage lending business for $432,960.

    Williams falsely claimed that Nimiche Inc. and Nimiche Interiors Inc. had between four and 25 employees and average monthly payrolls of, respectively, $39,000 to $173,185. Williams falsely stated that the loan funds would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll or other proscribed uses under the PPP loan rules. This resulted in the bank issuing $97,500 into Nimiche Inc.’s business account controlled by Williams. However, the funds were not used for business-related expenses. Instead, Williams used some of the funds towards the purchase of real property in Maryland. In addition, the mortgage lending business issued loan proceeds totaling $432,960, into Nimiche Inc.’s business account controlled Williams. Once again, the funds were not used for business-related expenses.

    During the May 2020, through May 2021 time period, Williams worked with others to submit at least five additional fraudulent PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan applications to the mortgage lending business and another bank. In total, based on the materially false and fraudulent representations contained in the application materials, Williams intended to fraudulently obtain a total of approximately $2.6 million in PPP and EIDL funds, and in fact fraudulently obtained approximately $1.5 million in PPP and EIDL funds.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Corwin Rattler. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly and Trial Attorney Jennifer Bilinkas of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

    Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2024, before Judge Skretny.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Judge Sentences Lexington Man to 15 Years for Engaging in Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country

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

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Rogelia Vega Evans, 26, of Lexington, N.C. was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for engaging in sexual contact with a minor by force in Indian Country, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upon his release from prison, Evans will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, and Chief Carla Neadeau of the Cherokee Indian Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on or about June 18, 2022, Evans sexually abused a child under the age of 12. The minor victim is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band Cherokee Indians (EBCI), and the crime occurred in Indian country, within the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

    On December 18, 2023, Evans pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual contact with a minor under the age of 12 by force.

    Evans remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their investigation of the case, and the High Point Police Department for its assistance with Evans’s arrest.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Child Predator Sentenced for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Child Under 12

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

    TULSA, Okla. – U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Bryan Stanley Monholland, 59, of Tulsa, for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Monholland to a term of life imprisonment, followed by lifetime term of supervised release. Upon his release, Monholland will also be required to register as a sex offender.

    According to Monhalland’s Petition to Enter Guilty Plea, and subsequent plea of guilty between July 2012 and March 2018, Monholland attempted to and knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a minor child victim who had not attained age 12.

    According to court records, Monholland previously pleaded guilty to Lewd Molestation in 2004 and was required to register as a sex offender. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    The FBI, Catoosa Police Department, and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria Luster, Stephanie Ihler, and Christian Harris prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cooks Cove — Man wanted on province-wide arrest warrant

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Antigonish County District RCMP is seeking information on the whereabouts of a man currently wanted on a province-wide arrest warrant.

    Clifton Curtis Jordan, 47, from Cooks Cove, is wanted and facing charges of:

    • Sexual Assault
    • Assault by Choking
    • Administering a Noxious Substance
    • Failure to Comply with Conditions

    Jordan is described as 5-foot-10, 260 lbs. He is bald and has brown eyes.

    Investigators have made several attempts to locate Jordan, and are requesting assistance from the public.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Clifton Jordan is asked to refrain from approaching him and to call Antigonish County District RCMP at 902-863-6500. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ‘We Knocked Her Out with Some Gummies:’ Coordinator in Unaccompanied Child Smuggling Ring Admits to Conspiring to Smuggle Toddler From Mexico

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

    LAREDO, Texas – A 23-year-old Laredo woman has pleaded guilty to smuggling a young child into the United States for financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

    From August to September 2023, Vanessa Valadez and other family members operated a child smuggling ring working to bring young non-citizen children from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, into the United States. All the children were under the age of five. 

    On the night of Sept. 19, 2023, members of the smuggling ring retrieved a young girl from a stash house which the organization members operated. The co-conspirators smuggled the girl across the border and delivered her to Valadez in downtown Laredo. Co-conspirators then took the child further into the United States and delivered her to unknown people.

    On Sept. 21, 2023, members of the smuggling ring attempted to transport another young girl. However, law enforcement intercepted them following a routine border inspection at the Juarez Lincoln Bridge in Laredo. To carry out their scheme, co-conspirators had sedated the girl with melatonin gummies and used an unlawfully obtained birth certificate to deceive authorities into believing the girl was a family member. 

    According to one of the conspirators, the smuggling ring had attempted to similarly transport at least four girls into the United States, three of whom remain unidentified, and their whereabouts are unknown. Members of the smuggling ring obtained birth certificates of U.S. citizen children to pose as a family unit at ports of entry to the United States. At times, members of the smuggling ring used melatonin gummies to sedate at least one child to ensure a successful smuggling attempt. 

    The investigation revealed one of the co-conspirators sent a text message and an image depicting an unconscious child and a caption, “La noquiamos con unas gomitas,” translated in English as “we knocked her out with some gummies.”

    “This smuggling case ranks among the most chilling we’ve ever seen – involving the systematic trade of transporting young children to unknown final destinations,” said Hamdani. “Let this prosecution serve as a stark warning to all those parents who might consider entrusting a precious child to the care of a criminal organization bent on making money by smuggling vulnerable children – your child could be sedated or drugged . . . or worse.”

    Co-conspirators Ana Laura Bryand, 47, Dallas; her niece Kayla Marie Bryand, 20, Laredo, Jose Eduardo Bryand, 43, Laredo; Nancy Guadalupe Bryand, 44, all of Laredo; and Lizeth Esmeralda Bryand Arredondo, 32, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy. 

    U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentence Jan. 8, 2025. At that time, Valadez faces up to 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Border Patrol, Laredo Police Department, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General and FBI. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Terence A. Check Jr. is prosecuting the case with the assistance of AUSA Michael Makens.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud a Growing Problem in Maryland

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

    FBI highlights tips to identify investment fraud, prevent losses, and report these crimes

    Cryptocurrency investment fraud, commonly described as “pig butchering,” is one of the most prevalent and damaging fraud schemes today, impacting hundreds of Marylanders each year.

    Scammers, through various means of manipulation, convince victims to deposit more and more money into financial “investments” using cryptocurrency. In truth, these investments are fake; all victim money is under the control of – and ultimately stolen by – criminal actors, usually overseas. As a result, victims typically lose all money they invested.

    According to the FBI’s latest Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) data, there have been almost $54.5 million in losses to cryptocurrency investment scams in Maryland from January to August 2024 with 482 Marylanders reporting these crimes.

    In 2023, 668 Marylanders reported losing $69.1 million dollars to IC3.

    “Bottom line: never trust someone you haven’t met who claims to be an expert and can help you make money through a can’t-miss investment opportunity,” says FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno. “We are seeing victims in their 20s and 30s all the way up to our senior citizens who are absolutely devastated by these schemes.”

    Tips to recognize and avoid this scam:

    • If an unknown individual contacts you, do not release any financial or personal identifying information and do not send any money.
    • Do not invest per the advice of someone you meet solely online.
    • Verify the validity of any investment opportunity from strangers or long-lost contacts on social media websites.
    • Be on the lookout for domain names that impersonate legitimate financial institutions, especially cryptocurrency exchanges.
    • Misspelled URLs, often with a slight deviation from the actual financial institutions’ website, may be fake.
    • Do not download or use suspicious looking apps as a tool for investing unless you can verify the legitimacy of the app.
    • If an investment opportunity sounds too good to be true, it likely is. Be cautious of get rich quick schemes.
    • Confirm the validity of any investment opportunity or cryptocurrency investment website or app.
    • If you already invested funds and believe you are a victim of a scheme, do not pay any additional fees or taxes to withdraw your money.
    • Do not pay for services that claim to be able to recover lost funds.

    If you or someone you know may be a victim of a cryptocurrency investment scam, immediately submit a report to ic3.gov or contact the FBI Baltimore field office and provide as much transaction information as possible. Transaction details include cryptocurrency addresses, amount and type of cryptocurrency, date and time, and transaction ID (hash)

    For more information, visit https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/national-crimes-and-victim-resources/cryptocurrency-investment-fraud.

    To view the latest cryptocurrency fraud stats and trends, read the 2023 IC3 Cryptocurrency Fraud Report.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IMAGERY AVAILABLE: U.S. Coast Guard Port Security Unit holds change of command ceremony

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    News Release  

    U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland
    Contact: 8th District Public Affairs
    Office: 504-671-2020
    After Hours: 618-225-9008
    Eighth District online newsroom

     

    Port conditions change based on weather forecasts, and current port conditions can be viewed on the following Coast Guard homeport webpages:

    For more information follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Drones provide vital support at Victorious Festival

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    Trials continuing in drone as first responder initiative

    August saw the latest trial in drone as first responder (DFR) technology with a team from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police Joint Operations Unit demonstrating its capabilities against challenging weather conditions at the Victorious Music Festival in Portsmouth.

    Operating under visual line of sight (VLOS) and coordinating with a second safety pilot, the team ensured high safety standards to mitigate air and ground risk while navigating through Class G airspace alongside other air assets including the coastguard helicopter and aeroplane and the event security drone team.

    NPCC BVLOS lead for Hampshire & IOW Constabulary and Thames Valley Police, Chris Stagg, said:

    “Following on from our initial testing at the Isle of Wight Festival in June, our efforts in Portsmouth at the Victorious Music Festival have brought us one step closer to realising our shared vision of using DFR in support of policing operations. The festival provided a dynamic setting to assess a temporary DFR site setups for large scale events as well as operations within an urban environment.

    “The exposed seafront location also gave us the benefit of understanding how strong winds affected the drone when landing autonomously. Whilst the drone remained safe and dry in the box during some extremely strong winds and heavy rain, it did highlight the potential need for a bespoke purpose made drone that has both the capability and redundancy to stand up to harsh environments. Policing needs to be able to operate safely in adverse weather conditions across the country.

    “As we move forward, our focus remains on safety and adaptability in adverse weather especially as we move towards the winter months, ensuring that our emergency response capabilities are not just effective but also safe and reliable when it matters most.”

    DFR promises to transform the response to 999 calls. By getting to the scene of any incident in an urban or rural fringe environment within minutes and providing a bird’s eye view directly into a force’s incident room, the emergency response can be much better tailored. Not only will this support in delivering a faster and more efficient emergency response but the real-time view it provides will enhance both public and officer safety.

    The Victorious Festival trial is one of four DFR trials taking place this year as part of the National Police Chief’s Council’s Drone Programme. This programme investigates how to get the most out of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and autonomous drone flight for policing purposes, leveraging resources to best effect and helping to protect the public across England and Wales.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Emergency Physician Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

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

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former medical director at an Ohio health care system pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to possessing child pornography.

    Garrett Norvell, 44, of Westerville, was charged by a bill of information and appeared in federal court this morning to enter his guilty plea.

    According to court documents, in June 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted an international investigation targeting offenders who used dark web sites and forums dedicated to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

    HSI Boston and the FBI obtained information from Norvell’s IP address that showed that, in April 2019, Norvell had an account username and password for a website that offered child pornography of girls 4 to 14 years old.

    At the time of the investigation, Norvell served as the medical director of OhioHealth in Ashland, Ohio. He previously worked as an emergency medicine physician at OhioHealth.

    In February 2022, agents with HSI and the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a search warrant on Norvell’s person at the Emergency Care Center at OhioHealth in Ashland and seized his phone, laptop, tablet and a thumb drive. Less than a week later, Norvell was removed from all OhioHealth services and facilities and a State Medical Board of Ohio investigation was initiated. In March 2022, Norvell permanently surrendered his license to practice medicine in Ohio.

    Forensic analysis of Norvell’s electronics revealed at least 18 files of child pornography, including “Pre-Teen Hard Core” content.

    Norvell admitted had an addiction to child pornography and had been watching child pornography since he was approximately 21 years old. He said in interviews that the youngest victim he had viewed in a pornographic setting was an infant.

    Norvell pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography of prepubescent minors, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

    Congress sets the maximum statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Detroit; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Cincinnati; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; Stephanie Loucka, Executive Director of the Ohio State Medical Board; and other members of the Franklin County ICAC Task Force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski and Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill are representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Charter School Founder Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $73,000 from Former School in Concord

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

    CONCORD – A Boscawen woman pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing over $73,000 in U.S. Department of Education funds from the former Capital City Public Charter School in Concord, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    Stephanie Alicea, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of theft from a program receiving federal funds. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2025.

    Alicea was the founder of the Capital City Public Charter School (“Capital City”) in Concord, New Hampshire. Capital City offered classes to several dozen students during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years. Alicea oversaw the school’s finances and day-to-day operations.  Capital City received federal charter school grant funds, which were to be used solely for education-related expenses.

    In spring 2020, an external auditor detected irregularities with Capital City’s finances.  Specifically, the auditor found that Alicea had spent some of the grant funds on expenses that were personal in nature, including gambling, dining, and travel. In total, Alicea stole $73,253.36 in federal grant funds from Capital City. 

    Capital City closed after the 2019-20 school year, surrendered its charter in February 2021, and declared bankruptcy in March 2021. 

    The charge of Theft from a Program Receiving Federal Funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Celebrating Our 235th Anniversary

    Source: US Marshals Service

    235 years ago, George Washington signed the Judiciary Act which defined the U.S. Marshals as officers of the court and charged them with aiding federal courts in their law enforcement functions.

    Just days after signing the act into law, President Washington then appointed the very first 13 U.S. Marshals, one for each federal district or territory.

    Today, more than two centuries later, 94 Marshals and their numerous deputies are responsible for locating and arresting federal suspects, handling the administration of fugitive operations and managing criminal assets across states, territories and tribal lands. 

    As we look back on 235 years of U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), let us remember the ways in which this agency has served our country and the history it has made.

    The U.S. Marshals Service has continually protected our federal judges alongside American citizens while simultaneously carrying out the law to benefit all.  

    One of the earlier historical examples in which the U.S. Marshals Service was able to accomplish their many missions occurred during the Civil War.

    U.S. Marshals supported the Union home front by rooting out Confederate spies and seizing property being used to support the Confederacy. Their work ensured the formation of a more perfect union.

    In 1875, Bass Reeves was assigned the position of Deputy U.S. Marshal, one of the first African Americans to serve in this capacity. He served for 32 years, until 1907, in dangerous Indian Territory. Reeves’ bravery allowed him to bring justice to some of the most ruthless outlaws in the West. Through his service, he not only made the American West a safer place but created opportunities for more people of color to serve our country.

    In 1887, a new trailblazer came onto the scene. Phoebe Couzins, the first female U.S. Marshal, was temporarily appointed to the position after the death of her father, U.S. Marshal John Couzins. Marshal Phoebe Couzins accomplished what no other woman had done before and created the initial opportunities for operational female employees with the USMS for decades to come. 

    The work for equal opportunity did not end there. Deputy U.S. Marshals were asked to enforce the integration of educational institutions, including those in New Orleans, Boston and Oxford, MS. Deputies escorted students into their respective schools, provided protective details and enforced integrated bus routes despite heavy opposition.

    USMS involvement in upholding federal rulings for the integration of educational institutions allowed our nation to move towards a more egalitarian nation with equal opportunities, regardless of one’s race.

    The USMS continued their protective mission in 1971, as the Witness Security Program was established as a divisional program within the Marshals Service. This Program has protected thousands of American witnesses and victims along with their immediate families as they in turn assisted the American legal system in the cases of drug traffickers, terrorists, organized crime members and other major criminals. 

    Not only has the USMS protected members of discriminated communities and provided opportunities for minorities, but most importantly, it has also worked to apprehend fugitives threatening American safety.

    In 2005, Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally) began, and through its implementation, Deputies and their law enforcement partners conducted national fugitive operations to apprehend felons. By its close in 2009, FALCON had completed 91,086 arrests and cleared 117,874 warrants. 

    On July 27, 2006, Congress authorized the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act which provided the USMS three principle responsibilities under the law including: assisting state, local, tribal and territorial authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant and fugitive sex offenders; investigating violations of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act for federal prosecution; and assisting in the identification and location of sex offenders relocated as a result of a major disaster. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act has allowed for the protection of the most vulnerable members of American society and granted them the justice they deserve. 

    The U.S. Marshals Service continues to prioritize the safety of minors. This year alone, the USMS recovered over 200 missing children across the country during Operation “We Will Find You” as an effort to bring displaced minors to safety.

    Looking back on 235 years of operation, the USMS has continued to uphold its original intended purpose of protecting the U.S. Federal Judiciary. In addition, the role of the USMS has expanded to include: locating and arresting federal escapees, administrating fugitive operations, managing criminal assets, operating the United States Federal Witness Protection Program and the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS) and protecting senior government officials through the Office of Protective Operations. 

    Because of the United States Marshals Service, people in America and its territories and tribal lands have lived in a safer nation for the past 235 years.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Misipawistik Cree Nation — Grand Rapids RCMP investigating homicide

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On September 23, 2024, at approximately 12:35 am, Grand Rapids RCMP responded to a report of a shooting in a residence, located in Misipawistik Cree Nation.

    Officers responded and located the victim, a 23-year-old male from the community, who had been shot and was pronounced deceased on scene.

    The investigation led to the arrest of a 16-year-old male, from Chemawawin, who has been charged with numerous firearms-related offences and has been remanded into custody.

    Grand Rapids RCMP, along with RCMP Major Crime Services and Forensic Identification Services, continue to investigate.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cayuga County Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

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

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Brien Fredendall, age 46, of Port Byron, New York, pled guilty today to two counts of possession of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.

    As part of his guilty plea, Fredendall, who has a previous New York State conviction for possession of child pornography, admitted that he possessed videos and images of child pornography he received from a minor on his Snapchat account. He also admitted to possessing additional child pornography on his cellular phone.

    Sentencing is scheduled for January 21, 2025, before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes.  Fredendall faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00 and a term of supervised release of between five years and life, to begin after imprisonment. Fredendall will also be required to continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

    This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force with the assistance of the Cayuga County Sherriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck prosecuted Fredendall as part of Project Safe Childhood. 

    Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fighting IP Crime: A global responsibility

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    Experts from around the world gather to address intellectual property crime threat

    WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao – Law enforcement officials, security and industry experts are meeting in Curaçao to strengthen global partnerships and coordinate action to counter intellectual property (IP) crime.

    Affecting all sectors and all regions, the trade in fake and pirated goods by transnational organized crime groups is often linked to other crime types, such as human trafficking, corruption and money laundering.

    To counter this evolving threat, some 375 specialists from more than 65 countries are meeting at the 17th International Law Enforcement Intellectual Property (IP) Crime Conference to shape effective enforcement strategies.

    Co-hosted by INTERPOL, the Government of Curaçao and its partner the Curinde Free Trade Zone in partnership with UL Standards and Engagement, and delivered by the International IP Crime Investigators College (IIPCIC), this is the first time the event is being held in the Caribbean.

    The event also marks the creation of the first National IP Crime Task Force in Curaçao which will provide expert assistance in anti-counterfeiting activities.

    On behalf of the Council of Ministers, Curaçao’s Minister of Justice, Mr Shalten Hato said:

    “We must unite to fight crime. For Curaçao, the advantage of creating a dedicated task force goes beyond simply identifying criminals who travel internationally and tackling cross-border crime; the exchange of information is essential in helping us stay ahead of criminal activities.”

    INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock said:

    “With every region of the world and all industry sectors affected by intellectual property crime, a global and coordinated response is essential.

    “This conference will provide new impetus to our united efforts to tackle this threat, which not only harms public health, but also damages economies, undermining communities.”

    Focusing on Free Trade Zones and Supply Chain Security, the theme of the conference is “Reducing the Harm”, and will address the following three key areas:

    • Coordinating Responses
    • Aligning Resources
    • Leveraging Opportunities

    “We are a safety advocacy organization, and counterfeits represent the absence of safety,” said George Borlase, Interim Executive Director of UL Standards & Engagement.

    “We are proud to partner and co-host with INTERPOL, the Government of Curaçao, and the Curinde Free Trade Zone to convene key stakeholders and support information sharing that will lead to solutions that leave us better protected against the harms of counterfeits.”

    First held in 2007, the Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference has become the premiere event for law enforcement and private sector professionals.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Thompson — Thompson RCMP looking for missing woman

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On September 11, 2024, at approximately 11:30am, Thompson RCMP received a report of a missing 44-year-old female.

    Carmen Chastelaine was reported missing by family after they had not heard from her after a prolonged period of time.

    Since being reported missing, officers have been out doing searches in and around Thompson, checking in with family, friends and places Chastelaine frequents. The investigation to date has led police to believe that she may be in the City of Winnipeg.

    Chastelaine is described as 5’6″, approximately 185 pounds, with short brown hair, and has a tattoo “Billy” on her neck.

    If you’ve seen her or have information on her whereabouts, please call the Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bamboo Eagle: ‘Upping our game’ for Great Power Competition

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada  –  

    Exercise Bamboo Eagle 24-3 integrated U.S. Airmen, Guardians, Sailors, Marines, and allies from Australia and the United Kingdom into a combined force to train for a possible conflict in the era of Great Power Competition. Last month, the exercise conducted live-fly operations in the eastern Pacific and a simultaneous 24-hour live, virtual, and constructive, or LVC, rolling scenario, tackling issues involving distributed command and control, communications degradation, logistics and sustainment challenges, and fighting through the tyranny of distance.

    Bamboo Eagle 24-3 provided advanced expeditionary airbase training in a combat-representative environment utilizing distributed locations, or spokes, along the western United States. Red Flag and Agile Flag units were dispersed from hubs into spokes while maintaining sortie generation utilizing a centralized C2 force element, or C2FE. Agile combat employment, or ACE, concepts were incorporated into the exercise to provide full spectrum movement and maneuver and multi-hub operations under a singular operational C2 structure.

    “The Bamboo Eagle exercise series is so much more than Red Flag over water,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Power, 505th Combat Training Squadron commander, Hurlburt Field, Florida. “The combination of an LVC environment spanning more than 850,000 square miles in a synthetic battlespace delivers the scope and scale necessary to prepare both tactical-level and operational-level warfighters for competition with the pacing challenge.”

    During Bamboo Eagle 24-1, the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center-led exercise focused on tactical operations while operational-level of war elements such as the air operations center, or AOC, Air Force forces staff and the Commander, AFFOR and Combined/Joint Forces Air Component Commander, were replicated by 505th CTS from Hurlburt Field. In a first for the Bamboo Eagle exercise series, the USAFWC called for the deployment of a fully resourced combat representative AOC and AFFOR to exercise and support multi-domain operations in a disaggregated high-end conflict during Bamboo Eagle 24-3.

    “Bamboo Eagle 24-3 built upon 24-1 in the operational C2 structure that assured the C2FEs had the operational echelon above them to provide critical guidance, support, and sustainment as the ACE scheme of maneuver was executed,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Jesse Friedel, USAFWC deputy commander and Bamboo Eagle COMAFFOR and C/JFACC, Nellis AFB, Nevada. “The large-scale combat-representative exercise was successful at executing the C2 structure for Great Power Competition, focusing on mission command where there was centralized command and key distributed control, along with critical decentralized execution to assure we were synchronizing efforts to improve interoperability with our Nation’s joint force.”

    Another first for the Bamboo Eagle exercise series in 24-3 was incorporating operational-level planning and execution by subject matter experts from the entire wing and wing staff, including the 505th Training Squadron and 705th Training Squadron. Instructors from both training squadrons supported the AOC, AFFOR, air expeditionary wings, and COMAFFOR and C/JFACC.

    U.S., Australian, and U.K., tactical and operational C2 experts integrated to provide national expertise, independent/contingency communications, and to further development of tactics, techniques and procedures within Bamboo Eagle’s AOC.

    Air Operations Center

    “Generally, as an Air Force, we focus on the tactical aspect of war; exercises like Red Flag focus on tactics, but the level above that is the operational level of war, which we don’t practice very well,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Hayde, 505th Command and Control Wing commander and Bamboo Eagle AOC director. “Standing up a fully manned AOC allowed us the ability to synchronize efforts over time and space and to focus on the scale and scope in an Indo-Pacific large-scale conflict, which only the operational level of war is going to be able to solve, which is critical to winning the logistics fight, C2 fight, and long-range kill chain fight against a peer-to-peer adversary.”

    Exercise Bamboo Eagle saw momentous progress towards coalition integration within operational C2 since its first iteration in January 2024.

    “The significance of our coalition partners’ involvement during Bamboo Eagle cannot be overstated,” remarked Hayde. “Due to some breakthroughs in access, our partners were able to fight on our systems and lead AOC shifts, filling the top three AOC leadership roles.”

    During the exercise, simulated combat scenarios and live joint training operations provided a unique opportunity for military personnel from the U.S., Australia, and the U.K., to work closely together and enhance their collective capabilities.

    “U.K. and Royal Australian Air Force participants benefitted from unprecedented access to U.S. systems. This demonstrated the strength and effectiveness of multinational cooperation in achieving shared military objectives,” said Royal Air Force Wing Commander Richard Kinniburgh, U.K. exchange officer to the 505th CCW and Bamboo Eagle U.K. Detachment commander. “I, alongside my Australian counterpart, will endeavor to build upon these successes into exercise BE 25-1 and support the U.S. Air Force in sharing the access processes as best practice to enhance FVEY [Five Eyes] integration as widely as possible.”

    RAAF Squadron Leader Sean Bedford, Bamboo Eagle RAAF detachment commander, said, “The access to U.S. systems was beneficial. Individual (AOC) divisions seemed to appreciate the fact that we were there and actively working to integrate with our U.S. and U.K. counterparts. The opportunity to network and be inside the 613th AOC was a high point. Learning about and actively experiencing working within a U.S. AOC was an important aspect of the exercise. The good relationships between the three nations present were evident. U.S. members were happy to listen and consider what we had to say”.

    “Bamboo Eagle 24-3 has set a new standard for coalition integration for exercises and methodology that will be shared across the U.S. Air Force as best practice,” said Hayde.

    Air Force forces staff, also known as the AFFOR battle staff

    To provide a more robust combat-representative training environment for the AEWs, an AFFOR staff supported the dual-hatted COMAFFOR and C/JFACC’s operational and administrative control over Bamboo Eagle’s forces from the Shadow Operations Center-Nellis’ operations floor.

    “While the AOC and live-fly garner a lot of attention in these exercises, our ability to successfully operate ACE in the Indo-Pacific is critically reliant on the ability of the AFFOR. No longer is the AFFOR staff able to just focus on ‘deploy, sustain, and redeploy’…they are now more than ever critical to the employment of airpower!” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Benjamin Lee, 705th TRS commander, Hurlburt Field, Florida

    “During a high-end conflict, communication between the deployed combat wings, the AOC and AFFOR battle staff is going to be critical to synchronize operations and maintain initiative,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Jason Wild, 99th Air Base Wing deputy commander, and Bamboo Eagle AFFOR battle staff director, Nellis AFB, Nevada. “Bamboo Eagle provided the perfect training ground to get much-needed repetition in executing operational C2.”

    Scope and Scale

    While Bamboo Eagle’s live environment introduced mission generation FEs, or MGFEs, to the challenges of ACE and synchronization of multi-domain effects, the virtual and constructive environments stressed the challenges of logistics and resource management for both the air component and subordinate wings and associated C2FEs.

    “If the all-domain combat power pulses answer the ‘so what?’ of generating combat air power, the operational environment at the scope and scale of the Indo-Pacific AOR [area of responsibility] of the synthetic battlespace begs the question ‘so how?’” said Power.

    Power continued, “…the complex live environment of Bamboo Eagle presented wing commanders with significant MG and combat application challenges. Yet, sortie generation and mission planning alone do not provide the combat-representative environment our warfighters need in preparation for Great Power Competition. Pairing live training audiences with a broad constructive and virtual wrap-around replicates the look and feel of major combat operations.”

    Live, Virtual, and Constructive

    The 705th Combat Training Squadron, also known as the Distributed Mission Operations Center, at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, synchronized LVC environments and delivered robust training. The DMOC provided reps and sets for the entire C2 battle management enterprise, including aircrew flying strike aircraft and C2 platforms within a realistic combined scenario at a scope and scale not possible in the live-fly alone.

    This exercise included the first-ever lead wing participants at the DMOC, connected through a simultaneous LVC environment. During the exercise, the training audience addressed the challenges of tyranny of distance, time, and logistical strains of an Indo-Pacific Command fight within the constructive and virtual components, which were spread out over prolonged vulnerability periods or pulses.

    The 1st Fighter Wing participated as an expeditionary Lead Wing, engaging with live participants through a virtual environment representing realistic USINDOPACOM basing at the DMOC. The 1st FW managed dispersed operations while maintaining C2 and sortie generation through a centralized C2FE. ACE concepts were incorporated into the exercise to provide maneuver and multi-hub operations under a singular operational C2 structure.

    “In this iteration of Bamboo Eagle, we were able to provide a unique and challenging venue to train a lead wing C2FE, I think this is definitely a growth area for the DMOC that will meet an unfilled training need for wings as they prepare to for high-end conflict,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Jones, 705th CTS/DMOC commander, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.

    Network Architecture

    The 805th Combat Training Squadron’s, also known as the ShOC-N, ability to manage the network architecture in real time ensures that the LVC blends seamlessly into a single common operational picture. This ability took constructive data from the 505th CTS and virtual data from the 705th CTS and combines that with live instrumented range data from across multiple live-fly operating areas.

    “Exercise participants, regardless of echelon, are participating in a training construct that mimics adversary orders of battle, blue dispositions, and the tyranny of distance like no other exercise has to date,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Shawn Finney, 805th CTS/ShOC-N commander, Nellis AFB, Nevada. “The result is a combat-representative depiction of the scope and scale of peer conflict.”

    Importance of Communications

    Bamboo Eagle 24-3 marked the first utilization of the 613th AOC C2 Training Suite with strong support and collective ownership provided by the 56th Air and Space Communications Squadron and 505th Communications Squadron teams. The effective coordination and collaboration between these units played a crucial role in two main aspects. Firstly, it facilitated the development of Mission Ready Airmen, through scale and speed, with training focused on command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence, or C4I, skillsets needed for critical wartime operations. Secondly, it accelerated the development, integration, and testing of the communications and intelligence capabilities by utilizing models and simulations overlays into a comprehensive battlespace picture, becoming more combat representative by displaying unfolding events.

    “Meeting operational demands in an era of Great Power Competition by ensuring that the C2 architecture (systems, networks, satellite communications, and warfighting applications) captures evolving air, sea, space, and cyberspace challenges is my team’s goal,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Crystal Lusardi, 505th CS commander, Hurlburt Field, Florida.

    Mission Under Test

    A key part of the 605th Test and Evaluation Squadron effort involved developing and executing the squadron’s first-ever mission-under-test observation and tactics investigation plan. This plan provided an end-to-end look at the complex process of planning and executing long-range kill-chains across 11 different lines of effort.

    “Executing our first-ever Mission Under Test observation and tactics investigation plan during Bamboo Eagle was a significant step forward for the 605th TES. This comprehensive approach allowed us to gain an unprecedented understanding of the complexities involved in planning and executing long-range kill chains, ultimately enabling us to identify vulnerabilities and improve coordination across the entire battlespace,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Brad Short, 605th TES commander, Hurlburt Field, Florida. “Our team’s efforts in evaluating non-traditional C2 and ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] tactics demonstrated the incredible adaptability and ingenuity of our Airmen. We witnessed firsthand how these innovations can dramatically improve targeting and execution speeds on the battlefield.”

    Future of Bamboo Eagle

    “As the Air Force is reoptimizing for Great Power Competition, with a focus on realistic scenarios and large-scale exercises to identify gaps and weaknesses, the 505th Command and Control Wing must adopt an all-in mindset to address operational C2 potential peer-to-peer threats,” said Hayde. “As we prepare for REFORPAC [exercise Return of Forces Pacific], we will continue to robust our AFFOR and AOC contribution to further integrate operational-level C2 into future iterations of Bamboo Eagle to ensure that we practice how we’re going to fight.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Elmsdale — Prince District Stop Impaired Driver on Confederation Trail

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    September 23, 2024, Elmsdale PEI – After receiving a report from the public concerning a possible impaired driver in a truck on the Confederation Trail, West Prince RCMP arrested 38-year-old man for impaired driving.

    On September 23, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. West Prince RCMP received a report of a possible impaired driver operating a pickup truck on the Confederation Trail in Elmsdale. RCMP located the truck and identified the driver. While trying to make a traffic stop the driver fled in the truck and immediately crashed in a ditch on the Confederation Trail, he then tried to flee on foot before he was arrested. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is expected in court in Summerside on February 12, 2025, to answer to charges in connection to this incident.

    “This area of the Confederation Trail is heavily used by the public, this is an example of how one call to police can truly help to keep everyone safer in Island communities,” said Cpl Gavin Moore Media Relations Officer for the PEI RCMP.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: The IAEA’s Vital Support of Development and International Security

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    (As prepared for delivery)

    President, Secretary-General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    “The best way to predict the future is to build it.” It is a truth worth remembering, especially when political division, climate change, war, hunger, and disease seem to overshadow our effort.

    We have the tools to deal with these challenges. We have the knowledge, the technology, the financial means, the diplomacy and the robust international institutions.

    The IAEA serves its 180 Member States with the lifesaving and lifeaffirming tools of nuclear science and technology. These contribute directly to the SDGs.

    Health comes first. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 we jumped into action, harnessing our equipment and knowledge for quick and reliable testing against COVID with the portable RT-PCR machines, or “labs in a suitcase”.

    We launched what would become the largest emergency operation in the history of IAEA to nearly 130 States. In so doing, we reached tens of millions of people. For some countries these kits were the first, and sometimes the only equipment they had to conduct reliable testing against COVID-19.

    Drawing on this and earlier experiencessupporting the fight against Ebola, avian influenza and Zika, we launched – in that same year – the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC). Under ZODIAC we have trained people from more than 95 countries in dealing with zoonotic diseases. Laboratories in developing countries have received equipment for 3 serology and molecular diagnostic or genetic sequencing. Many of these labs are now being used to combat Mpox.

    The IAEA has more than 6 decades of experience in radiotherapy and medical imaging. But today the cancer crisis is hitting low and middleincome countries particularly hard and I am determined to make a greater impact in partnership with our Member States. That is why we launched Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All at the African Union Summit in February 2022, with firm support from the World Health Organization (WHO). Africa is where the cancer care gap is the starkest: more than 20 African nations lack even a single radiotherapy machine. So far, 86 countries have reached out to the IAEA for support under Rays of Hope and concrete actions have been initiated in more than 30 States.

    Under our new initiative, NUTEC: NUclear TEchnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution, 86 States around the world are participating in marine microplastic monitoring using nuclear and isotopic tracing techniques. This will help them to put in place better-informed policies that combat the plastic pollution threatening the ocean, its plants and creatures and therefore also the communities that rely on them for their livelihoods. Some 39 States are participating in plastic recycling using radiation technology, four of which are progressing towards establishing pilot-scale plants. This will allow them to reduce plastic waste and advance towards a circular economy. The Global Marine Monitoring Network continues to grow with 99 States now benefiting from capacity building efforts.

    Atoms4Food was launched by the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in October 2023. It offers tailor-made approaches in 4 Food and Agriculture, which for years has been the number 1 area of support sought by our Member States. Atoms4Foods supports countries in using innovative nuclear techniques to enhance agricultural productivity, reduce food losses, ensure food safety, improve nutrition, and adapt to the challenges of climate change. This supports farmers as well as the fight against deadly malnutrition.

    There is no development without energy. Nuclear power provides about a quarter of the world’s low-carbon electricity. Much more is needed if we are to meet the climate goals set out on the Paris Agreement. In their historic first Global Stocktake, approved at COP28 in Dubai last year, the signatory countries to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change called for accelerating the deployment of low-emission energy technologies including nuclear power. The Pact for the Future adopted yesterday, in Action 26 reaffirmed the inalienable right of all countries to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination, in conformity with their respective obligations.

    Today, in addition to the 415 nuclear power reactors operating in 31 countries there are 62 reactors under construction in 15 countries, most of them in Asia. The IAEA is assisting States, many of them developing countries, either with enlarging their civilian nuclear programs, or with safely embarking on them. We are working with industry and regulators on small modular reactors (SMRs) which will make more affordable the price of entry to the nuclear energy club.

    The IAEA is also playing an important role in maintenance of 5 international peace and security.

    Mandated by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), we conduct nuclear safeguards, making sure the increased amount of nuclear material around the world does not result in the secret proliferation of nuclear weapons. There is material for thousands of nuclear warheads in the world. Thanks to the robust international safeguards regime and our inspection system, who never stopped even during the COVID pandemic, the number of nuclear weapon States around the world is far fewer than had been feared before the IAEA was established and the NPT came into force.

    The IAEA assists States in the creation and implementation of nuclearweapon-free zones, which already cover vast regions of the world. These are important steps towards a world without nuclear weapons.

    Our work in Iran, Syria, other countries of the Middle East, and on different continents, contributes to international stability through nonproliferation and through the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

    Since February 2022 a large-scale conventional conflict has raged in a country with a large civilian nuclear program. Ukraine used to generate more than half its electricity from nuclear power plants. From the first months of the war, the IAEA has focused on assisting Ukraine in preventing a radiological or nuclear accident, which could have a serious transborder impact. Today, the IAEA has advisory and assistance missions stationed at all five of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, including Zaporizhzhia, which is located right at the front line. Following months 6 of negotiations and consultations, on 30 May 2023 at the UN Security Council I outlined five concrete principles to help ensure nuclear safety and security at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya NPP. It received strong support from the Members of the Council.

    The IAEA continues to monitor the safe discharge of water from the Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Station and engages in consultations with neighbouring and coastal countries with strong interest in the process. Our independent analysis and the data we publish relating to the discharge offer facts that dispel misunderstandings and fears about the process.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    I firmly believe in supporting the ability of everyone, regardless of gender, to fully benefit and contribute to the IAEA’s work.

    Conviction requires action. When I began my tenure as the IAEA’s Director General five years ago, one of my very first actions was to set a goal for gender parity by 2025 and to put in place the policies to achieve a more diverse workforce.

    Five years ago, women represented less than 30% of the Agency. Today, they have surpassed 48%.

    Mindful of the need to continue helping future generations, I also launched the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) in 2020. It drives diversity as well as scientific and technological innovation by encouraging women to pursue a career in the nuclear field. Since its launch, hundreds of women from over 120 countries have been awarded fellowships with generous stipends. They have studied in more than 70 7 countries and have also benefited from internships in many areas of the field. Our follow-up program, named after the scientist Lise Meitner, empowers early- and mid-career through career-enhancing opportunities like site visits.

    The IAEA is a key multilateral player to make the Pact of the Future a reality. Thank you.

    MIL Security OSI –