NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Roanoke Rapids Man Sentenced in Large-Scale Drug and Gun Case

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

    RALEIGH, N.C. – Diandre Sherod Ireland, aka “Debo”, 35, was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years in prison for drug trafficking in Roanoke Rapids.

    “This sentence reflects the serious threat posed by fentanyl traffickers who fuel addiction and violence in our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who profit from dealing this deadly poison.”

    “This conviction is the culmination of hard work by the Halifax Narcotics and Gang Taskforce, a partnership between RRPD and the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, as well as our federal law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The dedication of each,” said Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Lawrence Wiggins.

    “Over the past three years we have built an excellent relationship with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners. We have used this partnership to go after those who are terrorizing our community,” said Halifax County Sheriff Tyree Davis. “Drugs and gangs are a problem in Halifax County and a vast majority of our murders, violent crimes and non-violent crimes are directly related to drugs and gangs. In partnership with the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, our (HCSO & RRPD) Drug and Gang Task Force works tirelessly to ensure our communities are safer. Our agents will build strong, detailed cases. The Chief and I take a tough stance on drugs and gangs.”

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Halifax Regional Drug and Gang Task Force began investigating Ireland in 2022 after sources identified him as a major drug supplier. Officers observed him making short visits to suspected drug houses in North Carolina and Virginia and interacting with known traffickers.

    In February 2024, agents executed a search warrant at his home. When they arrived, law enforcement observed Ireland exit out the back door and toss two backpacks into the neighboring yard before returning inside. Inside the bags, investigators found more than 1,500 grams of cocaine and 300 grams of fentanyl. A search of Ireland’s home uncovered nearly 250 grams of marijuana, digital scales, more than $38,000 in cash, and four firearms – including two stolen handguns and a rifle with a high-capacity magazine.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, and the ATF investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie A. Childress prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-00075.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Forfeited and Returned More Than $37 Million to Crime Victims

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada announced today that, from October 1, 2024, to July 16, 2025, more than $37 million was forfeited through asset forfeiture actions and returned to victims of crime. Funds forfeited and deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund may be used to compensate victims and restore losses caused by criminal conduct.

    A total of $37,236,606.37 was forfeited and of this amount:

    • In December 2024, a victim received $3,443,286.03.
    • In April 2025, the Small Business Administration received $531,308.46 of the fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
    • In May 2025, the Small Business Administration received $1,068,123.94 of the fraudulently obtained PPP loans.
    • In July 2025, a victim received $32,193,787.94.

    “The Asset Forfeiture and Financial Litigation Units of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, worked diligently to forfeit these funds and return them to victims,” said U.S. Attorney Chattah. “Our office remains committed to holding offenders financially accountable and to restoring victims. I commend the exceptional efforts of our Asset Forfeiture Unit and professional staff in pursuing justice and upholding the rule of law.”

    “The successful return of these funds is due to the coordinated efforts of the FBI, local law enforcement, and the US Attorney’s office,” said Special Agent in Charge Amir Ehsaei for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “This serves as an important reminder of our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for victims and their families. Forfeiting ill-gotten gains removes financial resources from criminals and serves as a powerful tool to restore victims. It is highly recommended to report scams and frauds promptly.”

    “IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office is proud to see our special agents’ hard work result in the recovery of millions in stolen COVID relief funds and real, tangible justice for victims of other financial crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office. “Financial crime can be devastating to victims. That’s why it’s crucial for our agency to continue uncovering such crimes through the leveraging of our financial expertise and investigative techniques. IRS-CI exists to protect American taxpayers and ensure the integrity of our tax system, and these figures today are just a portion of the amazing results we are seeing throughout the nation.”

    The PPP is one of two programs that was developed through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. PPP provides funding to businesses through loans for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. PPP allows the interest and principal on loans to be forgiven if the business spends proceeds on certain expense items within a designated time and uses a certain percentage of the loan on payroll expenses.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Political Organizer and Former President of City Council of Atlantic City Sentenced to 24 Months for Submitting Fraudulent Mail-In Ballots

    Source: US FBI

    CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in the procurement, casting, and tabulation of fraudulent mail-in ballots submitted in connection with the general election held on November 8, 2022, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Craig Callaway, 64, a former member and President of the City Council of Atlantic City and a political organizer who assisted campaigns for elected offices in New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an Information charging him with depriving, defrauding, and attempting to deprive and defraud the residents of the State of New Jersey of a fair and impartially conducted election process by the fraudulent procurement, casting, and tabulation of ballots.

    “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine New Jersey’s electoral process: that such conduct will result in serious consequences.  The sentence also reflects our Office’s commitment to protecting free and fair elections, one of the bedrock principles of our democracy.”

    – U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

    “The right to vote is a fundamental aspect of our democracy, one that the FBI and our law enforcement partners strive to protect. Craig Callaway’s nefarious plot to hijack mail-in ballots resulted in his arrest and subsequent sentencing, and serves as a reminder to like-minded criminals, voter fraud will not be tolerated in New Jersey,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.

    According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Beginning in or about October 2022, approximately one month before the general election held on November 8, 2022 (the “2022 General Election”), Callaway and others who were working at Callaway’s direction approached numerous individuals in Atlantic City, promising to pay them between approximately $30 and $50 to act as purported authorized messengers for voters who supposedly wished to vote by mail.

    After receiving Vote-By-Mail Applications from Callaway or his subordinates, these purported messengers entered the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office carrying anywhere from one to four completed Vote-By-Mail Applications. Inside the County Clerk’s Office, as instructed by Callaway or his subordinates, these individuals provided County Clerk’s Office personnel proof of identification and signed the Vote-By-Mail Applications in the authorized messenger portion before handing those signed applications to office personnel.  Further as instructed by Callaway or his subordinates, these purported messengers waited while office personnel processed the applications and, if the applications were approved, provided to the purported messengers mail-in ballots for the voters listed on the applications.

    Under New Jersey law, a messenger is required to deliver any mail-in ballot they received directly to the voter who requested the ballot and must certify that they would do so.  However, after receiving mail-in ballots, these purported messengers left the County Clerk’s Office and handed the ballots to Callaway or his subordinates, instead of delivering the ballots to the voters.

    Many of the mail-in ballots collected by Callaway or his subordinates were ultimately cast in the names of voters who have confirmed that they did not vote in the 2022 General Election—either in-person or by submitting a mail-in ballot—and that they did not authorize Callaway, his subordinates, or anyone else, to cast ballots for them in the 2022 General Election.  Many of these mail-in ballots were counted towards the 2022 General Election.

    In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge Bumb sentenced Callaway to three years of supervised release. 

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency’s Public Corruption Task Force, including the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds; the Atlantic City Police Department, under the direction of Officer-in-Charge Chief James A. Sarkos; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan; as well as special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone; the Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins; and the postal inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence. 

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney James H. Graham of the Special Prosecutions Division.

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    Defense counsel: Megan J. Davies, Esq.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bloomfield, New Mexico, Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Bloomfield man faces up to life in prison after admitting in federal court to sexually abusing an incapacitated victim.

    According to court records, between February 26 and February 27 of 2016, Donovan Pete, 44, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in and attempted to engage in a sexual act with an incapacitated victim.

    Pete pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse. At sentencing, Pete faces up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Pete will be subject to not less than five years and up to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty After Crash that Left Passenger with Life-Threatening Injuries

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to federal charges after a 2018 drunk driving crash seriously injured his passenger.

    According to court records, January 11, 2018, Philbert Mark, 46, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving on Navajo Route 13 while extremely intoxicated and consequently crashed his car. Mark’s passenger sustained permanent and life-threatening serious bodily injuries as a result of the crash.

    Mark pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. At sentencing, Mark faces up to 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Mark will be subject to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Phoenix man faces up to life in prison after admitting in federal court to sexually abusing a minor.

    According to court records, in 2019, Jeremy Blueeyes, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sexual contact with a minor who had not yet attained the age of 12.

    Blueeyes pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact of a minor. At sentencing, Blueeyes faces up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Blueeyes will be subject to not less than five years and up to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: More Than $2.5 Million Recovered from Vancouver Real Estate Developer Convicted for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-Relief Funds

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that more than $2.5 million was collected from a real estate developer and part-time resident of Vancouver, Washington, for fraudulently obtained Covid-relief program funds.  

    According to court documents, between 2020 and 2022, Michael James DeFrees, 63, submitted loan applications and obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under false pretenses. In the applications, DeFrees falsely indicated that he had never been convicted of any disqualifying criminal offense or recently placed on parole or probation. In reality, at the time he submitted the applications, DeFrees was on probation following a 2017 felony conviction in the Western District of Washington for falsifying records in a bankruptcy proceeding. After receiving the loan payouts, DeFrees laundered a portion of the proceeds through a business entity not listed in his applications and spent the funds on personal expenses.

    On February 9, 2024, DeFrees was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining Covid-relief program funds and laundering a portion of the proceeds. DeFrees was also ordered to forfeit $1.2 million and pay $1,346,481 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

    Soon after, the Asset Recovery Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed liens against DeFrees’s real properties and obtained writs of execution to levy and sell his personal assets, including a 2016 Duckworth boat, a 2006 Ford F350, a 2006 MTI racing boat, two Honda Yeti snow bikes, and a 2011 Land Rover. The Asset Recovery Unit recovered the full restitution and forfeiture judgment amounts, more than $2.5 million, from the sale of DeFrees’s seized assets and one real property. The funds collected for restitution will be returned to the SBA, and funds collected to satisfy the forfeiture judgment will go to the Assets Forfeiture Fund, which pays for expenses related to the seizure, management, forfeiture and disposal of forfeitable assets.

    “Defendants who attempt to shield their assets from collection do so at their own peril, as the U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively pursue full payment from defendants who owe restitution to their victims,” said Katie de Villiers, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit for the District of Oregon. “The money recovered for victims—here, the taxpayers—is a direct result of the dedicated investigators, paralegals, and attorneys who work diligently, day in and day out, to ensure justice through their collection efforts.”

    This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and the FBI. Enforcement of the restitution order and collection of the forfeiture judgment was handled by Alex DeLorenzo, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. The United States Marshals Service levied assets subject to the writs of execution and coordinated with auction companies across the country to liquidate the seized assets.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former New Jersey Resident Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud for Telemarketing Scheme Targeting Timeshare Owners Over the Age of 55

    Source: US FBI

    CAMDEN, N.J. – A former New Jersey resident recently pled guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his participation in a telemarketing scheme to defraud timeshare owners over the age of 55 from 2016 to 2020, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.

    James Toner, a/k/a “Jason Turner,” a/k/a “James Turner,” a/k/a “Jason Thomas,” 43, of Lake Mary, Florida pleaded guilty today, before the Hon. Karen M. Williams, U.S. District Judge, Camden, to Counts One and Two of a 13-count Indictment, charging conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing that targeted or victimized timeshare owners over the age of 55 (Count One) and wire fraud in connection with telemarketing that targeted or victimized timeshare owners over the age of 55 (Count Two). Toner’s sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2025.

    Toner was previously charged by indictment along with William O’Hanlon, a/k/a “Patrick Burns,” a/k/a “William Burns,” 61, Karen Stefanowski, 63, and William Chiusano, Jr., then-48, of Laguna Niguel, California. Chiusano is now deceased, and charges against him have been dismissed. O’Hanlon and Stefanowski previously pleaded guilty before Judge Williams to their roles in fraudulent telemarketing schemes from 2016 to 2023 on May 9, 2025 and April 30, 2025, respectively.

    In addition, Alex Klemash, 32, of Williamstown, New Jersey, Michael Lambe, 45, of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, and La’Tresa Jackson, 59, of Lindenwold, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Williams on March 8, 9, and 13, 2023, respectively, to related Informations charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the 2016 to 2020 telemarketing scheme.

    Accordingly, all living defendants charged for their roles in the telemarketing scheme from 2016 to 2020 have now pleaded guilty. The sentencings for the defendants are currently scheduled as follows:

    La’Tresa Jackson September 25, 2025
    Alex Klemash September 23, 2025
    Michael Lambe September 30, 2025
    William O’Hanlon September 24, 2025
    Karen Stefanowski September 4, 2025
    James Toner December 2, 2025

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    The wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charge to which Toner pleaded guilty arise out of his participation in a timeshare fraud scheme operated through businesses WILLIAMS ANDREWS BURNS LLC, RESORT BNB, INC., and WILLIAMS & BURNS, INC. (collectively referred to as “WAB”). As part of his plea agreement, Toner admitted that he was a manager and supervisor at WAB.

    From in or about October 2016 through in or about October 2020, Toner and additional co-conspirators (collectively referred to as “Conspirators”), engaged in a scheme to financially enrich themselves by selling fraudulent services to timeshare owners offered through WAB, including offering to rent and/or buy the owners’ timeshares under false and fraudulent pretenses or representations, and offering to recover monies timeshare owners had previously paid in connection with other scams. The Conspirators obtained lists of timeshare owners and their contact information, and cold-called them to pitch their various services in return for upfront fees.

    The Conspirators made numerous false and misleading statements to the timeshare owners, including falsely stating that the timeshare owners had “bonus” timeshare weeks which WAB would rent for them in return for an upfront fee, and falsely guaranteeing thousands of dollars in rental income for the timeshare owners. Once the timeshare owners had signed up and paid their fees for the phony rentals services, the Conspirators also generally pitched collections/recovery services, offering to obtain refunds of monies previously paid by the timeshare owners in other fraudulent scams, in return for fees. Again, the Conspirators made numerous false and misleading statements in many instances to both timeshare owners and the banks that issues their credit cards. One of the fraudulent pitches used by the Conspirators was to falsely claim that the timeshare owner had been identified as a victim of timeshare fraud and was entitled to monies that were held by a government entity, often referred to as the attorney general’s office or the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), and that WAB would obtain those monies for the timeshare owner in return for the payment of an upfront fee. The Conspirators also offered additional fraudulent services to timeshare owners, including occasionally offering timeshare buyouts/take-overs.

    Toner agreed to make restitution for any proven losses to victims of WAB.

    Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 30 years in prison, including an enhancement of 10 years in prison for committing such fraud via telemarketing that targeted persons over the age of 55 or victimized 10 or more persons over the age of 55. The sentences on each count may run consecutively. Each offense also carries a potential fine of the greater of $250,000,or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and the defendant may be sentenced to a term of supervised release after any term of imprisonment imposed.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs; special agents of the IRS Criminal Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge, Cooperative Disability Investigations – Eastern Region, Conor Washington, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elisa T. Wiygul and Diana Vondra Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

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    Defense Counsel:

    Lee Vartan, Esquire and Melissa Wernick, Esquire for William O’Hanlon

    Zach Intrater, Esquire for Karen Stefanowski

    Megan Davies, Esquire for James Toner

    Michael Baldassare, Esquire for La’Tresa Jackson

    Perry DeMarco, Sr., Esquire for Alex Klemash

    Ira M. Slovin, Esquire for Michael Lambe

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts South Carolina man on sex trafficking and firearms charges

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a South Carolina man today on charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; production of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct; transportation with the intent to engage in prostitution; transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in prostitution; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, during July 2024, Johnny Thiel Banks, 30, of Summerville, transported a minor, identified as Jane Doe, from North Carolina to Virginia on multiple occasions. While in Virginia, he sex-trafficked Jane Doe at hotels, a truck stop, and a gas station in Hampton Roads, including in Suffolk and Virginia Beach. Jane Doe was 15 years old at the time and had just finished the 8th grade. Banks repeatedly threatened Jane Doe and her family to get her to comply with his demands. He also had her pose for and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM). When she did not want to go back to Virginia to engage in commercial sex, he threatened to have her “floating in a creek.”

    On July 31, 2024, while armed with a firearm, Banks took Jane Doe from a residence and brought her to a hotel in Virginia Beach to sex traffic her. He set up multiple commercial sex appointments that night. After they arrived in Virginia Beach, he argued with Jane Doe and strangled her, and she called a family member for help. After receiving information that Jane Doe was missing from Charlotte, the Virginia Beach Police Department quickly located Jane Doe in the parking garage of a hotel. As officers spoke with Jane Doe, Banks walked by and was detained.

    Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and recovered Banks’ loaded handgun from his rental vehicle. As a previously convicted felon, Banks cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Police also obtained search warrants for three cellphones that contained CSAM and evidence of sex trafficking.

    Banks is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19 and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the verdict.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Gantt and Megan M. Montoya are prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-15.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian National Indicted for Selling Firearms

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

    BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully living in the Clinton and Framingham areas has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.

    Patrick Rodrigues DeOliveira, 25, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 30, 2025. Rodrigues DeOliveira had previously been charged by criminal complaint Sept. 18, 2024.

    According to the charging documents, between August and September 2024, Rodrigues DeOliveira conspired to obtain firearms in South Carolina and sell them in Massachusetts. Specifically, in August 2024, Rodrigues DeOliveira allegedly traveled with others to South Carolina to obtain firearms. Additionally, it is alleged that Rodrigues DeOliveira sold a shotgun and a pistol outside of a motel in Framingham on Sept. 10, 2024 for $3,500.  

    The charges of conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three 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.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Framingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FORMER MAYORAL CANDIDATE SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR ARMED ROBBERY OF DOLLAR GENERAL

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

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Whitfield Leland III, 45, was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment in federal court today for Hobbs Act Robbery, Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and being an Armed Career Criminal in Possession of a Firearm. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this career criminal will no longer be able to victimize and terrorize our community.  My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting violent criminals to hold them accountable to the full extent of the law in order to keep our communities safe.”

    Court documents reflect that Leland robbed a Tallahassee Dollar General at gunpoint on May 20, 2024. During the robbery, Leland pointed a pistol at the store manager and demanded that the manager open the safes. A customer observed the robbery in progress and called 911. Officers from the Tallahassee Police Department responded within minutes and surrounded the store while Leland was still inside. Leland then stole the manager’s Dollar General shirt and exited the store pretending to be an employee. Leland made it outside the store in his disguise but kept running when ordered to stop. Officers chased Leland and were able to follow a trail of dropped money to where he was hiding in nearby bushes, still wearing the Dollar General shirt and with additional money stuffed into his pants. Officers were able to recover $689 stolen during the robbery.

    Leland is a 13-time convicted felon who qualified as an Armed Career Criminal because he had convictions for three violent felonies committed on separate occasions: two separate incidents of resisting a law enforcement officer with violence and one conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Leland was a 2022 candidate for Tallahassee mayor.

    Leland received a sentence of 22 years in prison, which will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Leland was also ordered to pay restitution.

    “The safety of our community is always our top priority,” said Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department. “Thanks to the quick actions of our officers and strong collaboration with our federal partners, a repeat violent offender is off the streets. This outcome reflects our continued commitment to protecting Tallahassee’s residents and businesses from harm.”

    The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: KC Man Indicted for Illegal Firearms, Meth Trafficking

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

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing firearms and drug trafficking.

    Victor Roseberry, 60, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on June 27, 2025.

    The indictment was unsealed and made public today following Roseberry’s arrest.

    The indictment charges Roseberry with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

    The indictment alleges Roseberry possessed firearms on June 9, 2023, and July 4, 2024.  The indictment also alleges that on July 4, 2024, Roseberry possessed 5 or more grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.  The indictment alleges Roseberry is an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.

    Roseberry has prior felony convictions for robbery, domestic assault, aggravated assault, tampering, and possession of a firearm by a person with three prior convictions for crimes of violence.

    The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

    Under federal statutes, Roseberry is subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

    Operation Take Back America

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Large-scale thefts of luxury watches: gang dismantled in Italy with support of Eurojust

    Source: Eurojust

    25 July 2025|

    Nine members of a gang involved in stealing luxury watches were arrested this week in Italy, with the support of Eurojust. Through an exchange of information and evidence via the Agency, police forces across southern Italy were able to link the criminals to thefts in various Italian cities, as well as in Ibiza, Spain and Saint-Tropez, France. The suspects were part of a roving gang, which travelled frequently between the three countries.

    The criminal network mainly targeted elderly victims in wealthier tourist resorts, following them on motorcycles. Once a target was established and with the cooperation of accomplices who followed the motorbikes by car in small and busy streets, expensive watches were snatched from the victims. 

    The thefts took place at carefully chosen opportunities, for instance, when victims got out of their cars. The watches were then passed on to the accomplices in cars. The value of the stolen watches is estimated at at least EUR 370 000. 

    The gang was run by two senior members. For part of the time, they ran the operation from prison in Ibiza, where they were detained for similar thefts. They have now been arrested again in Italy. The two senior gang members gave instructions for the thefts and chose new recruits and target locations. They also arranged the financing of the trips for gang members and their transport.

    The operation was carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:

    • Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Lucca; State Police of Naples, Caserta, Foggia, Avellino and Salerno
    • France: Public Prosecutor’s Offices of Nice, Draguignan and Paris (International Cooperation Section)
    • Spain: Investigative Court no. 4 of Ibiza; Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Baleares 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Large-scale thefts of luxury watches: gang dismantled in Italy with support of Eurojust

    Source: Eurojust

    25 July 2025|

    Nine members of a gang involved in stealing luxury watches were arrested this week in Italy, with the support of Eurojust. Through an exchange of information and evidence via the Agency, police forces across southern Italy were able to link the criminals to thefts in various Italian cities, as well as in Ibiza, Spain and Saint-Tropez, France. The suspects were part of a roving gang, which travelled frequently between the three countries.

    The criminal network mainly targeted elderly victims in wealthier tourist resorts, following them on motorcycles. Once a target was established and with the cooperation of accomplices who followed the motorbikes by car in small and busy streets, expensive watches were snatched from the victims. 

    The thefts took place at carefully chosen opportunities, for instance, when victims got out of their cars. The watches were then passed on to the accomplices in cars. The value of the stolen watches is estimated at at least EUR 370 000. 

    The gang was run by two senior members. For part of the time, they ran the operation from prison in Ibiza, where they were detained for similar thefts. They have now been arrested again in Italy. The two senior gang members gave instructions for the thefts and chose new recruits and target locations. They also arranged the financing of the trips for gang members and their transport.

    The operation was carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:

    • Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Lucca; State Police of Naples, Caserta, Foggia, Avellino and Salerno
    • France: Public Prosecutor’s Offices of Nice, Draguignan and Paris (International Cooperation Section)
    • Spain: Investigative Court no. 4 of Ibiza; Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Baleares 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Action against ATM fraud in Romania and UK stopped by joint investigation team with Eurojust assistance

    Source: Eurojust

    Authorities in Romania and the United Kingdom have taken concerted action to block criminals who illegally withdrew cash from automated teller machines (ATMs) on a large scale. By using specialised computer programs and devices, the Romanian criminal network managed to steal an estimated EUR 580 000. The criminal group was also involved in other types of payment and card fraud. 

    During an operation in Romania, two suspects were identified and brought in for questioning. In the UK, prosecutions have already been initiated against eight members of the group, following an action day in December 2024.

    © DIICOT Poliția Română

    Eurojust supported a joint investigation team of the Romanian and British authorities, which investigated the case. The Agency also assisted with the preparation of the action day in Romania. Europol provided data analysis support, in addition to sending an analyst to Romania and organising meetings to prepare for the operations on the ground.

    The criminal network was formed last year in the Romanian city of Bacău, mainly consisting of family members and friends. They adopted a derogatory term aimed at the police as their so-called trademark, which they used on social media, on custom license plates and on clothes they wore.

    Most of the money was stolen in the UK by pretending to take money from an ATM with a bank card, removing the screen of the ATM and then cancelling the transaction. This allowed them to reach into the ATM itself and take all the cash inside, before ending the transaction.

    The criminals also counterfeited public transport cards, which they distributed across the UK with the help of individuals of Turkish origin. Furthermore, they committed card fraud by using software that identifies card numbers and then generates illicit income through fraudulent payments.

    The proceeds of the criminal activities were invested in luxury cars, jewellery, real estate and expensive holidays. The gang members being prosecuted in the UK and those brought in for questioning in Romania are suspected of cyber fraud, membership of an organised crime group, money laundering and forgery of payment instruments. 

    During the action day in Romania, a total of 18 places were searched and real estate, vehicles electronic devices and cash were seized. 

    The operations against the criminal network were carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:

    • Romania: Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) – Bacău Regional Service; Romanian Police – Anti Cybercrime Service of Bacău County Organised Crime Brigade
    • United Kingdom: Crown Prosecution Service; Eastern Regional Special Operations Unit

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Action against ATM fraud in Romania and UK stopped by joint investigation team with Eurojust assistance

    Source: Eurojust

    Authorities in Romania and the United Kingdom have taken concerted action to block criminals who illegally withdrew cash from automated teller machines (ATMs) on a large scale. By using specialised computer programs and devices, the Romanian criminal network managed to steal an estimated EUR 580 000. The criminal group was also involved in other types of payment and card fraud. 

    During an operation in Romania, two suspects were identified and brought in for questioning. In the UK, prosecutions have already been initiated against eight members of the group, following an action day in December 2024.

    © DIICOT Poliția Română

    Eurojust supported a joint investigation team of the Romanian and British authorities, which investigated the case. The Agency also assisted with the preparation of the action day in Romania. Europol provided data analysis support, in addition to sending an analyst to Romania and organising meetings to prepare for the operations on the ground.

    The criminal network was formed last year in the Romanian city of Bacău, mainly consisting of family members and friends. They adopted a derogatory term aimed at the police as their so-called trademark, which they used on social media, on custom license plates and on clothes they wore.

    Most of the money was stolen in the UK by pretending to take money from an ATM with a bank card, removing the screen of the ATM and then cancelling the transaction. This allowed them to reach into the ATM itself and take all the cash inside, before ending the transaction.

    The criminals also counterfeited public transport cards, which they distributed across the UK with the help of individuals of Turkish origin. Furthermore, they committed card fraud by using software that identifies card numbers and then generates illicit income through fraudulent payments.

    The proceeds of the criminal activities were invested in luxury cars, jewellery, real estate and expensive holidays. The gang members being prosecuted in the UK and those brought in for questioning in Romania are suspected of cyber fraud, membership of an organised crime group, money laundering and forgery of payment instruments. 

    During the action day in Romania, a total of 18 places were searched and real estate, vehicles electronic devices and cash were seized. 

    The operations against the criminal network were carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:

    • Romania: Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) – Bacău Regional Service; Romanian Police – Anti Cybercrime Service of Bacău County Organised Crime Brigade
    • United Kingdom: Crown Prosecution Service; Eastern Regional Special Operations Unit

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: USS John L. Canley and Royal New Zealand Navy Conduct Talisman Sabre AUV Operations

    Source: United States Navy

    GLADSTONE, Australia — Sailors from the Royal Australian Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy and the U.S. Navy embarked the Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) to conduct integrated mine countermeasures operations during exercise Talisman Sabre, July 13-19, 2025

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: USNS Comfort Arrives in Limón, Costa Rica for CP25

    Source: United States Navy

    LIMÓN, Costa Rica – The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Limón, Costa Rica, July 24, 2025, for the fifth mission stop of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25). This visit marks the sixth CP mission stop to Costa Rica since its inception in 2007, and the third visit aboard Comfort in support of CP.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian National Indicted for Selling Nearly a Dozen Firearms

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

    BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Marlborough was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.

    Guilherme Fernandes-Tavares, 31, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court on July 30, 2025. Fernandes-Tavares was previously charged by criminal complaint on March 7, 2025.

    According to the charging documents, between December 2023 and May 2024, Fernandes-Tavares sold 11 firearms and ammunition across 10 different dates and offered others for sale. It is alleged that the firearms sold were pistols, some of which were privately manufactured firearms without serial numbers and one of which had an obliterated serial number. It is further alleged that one of the firearms was sold with a large capacity magazine that could hold 28 rounds of ammunition. In addition, a package intended for Fernandes-Tavares sent from Florida was intercepted and allegedly found to contain an additional firearm.

    The charge of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three 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.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Westborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Everett Man Indicted for Selling Firearms

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

    BOSTON – An Everett man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.

    Joao Victor Da Silva Soares, 21, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 30, 2025. Da Silva Soares was previously charged by criminal complaint in January 2025.

    According to the charging documents, between August and September 2024, Da Silva Soares supplied firearms for sale in Eastern Massachusetts. Specifically, on Aug. 26, 2024, Da Silva Soares allegedly delivered two AM-15 rifles and sold them for $6,000 in a parking lot in Malden. It is further alleged that on Sept. 11, 2024, Da Silva Soares participated in another sale involving a total of five firearms (consisting of rifles, pistols and a shotgun) outside a residence in Milford.

    The charges of conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three 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.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Malden and Milford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Everett Man Indicted for Selling Firearms

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

    BOSTON – An Everett man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.

    Joao Victor Da Silva Soares, 21, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 30, 2025. Da Silva Soares was previously charged by criminal complaint in January 2025.

    According to the charging documents, between August and September 2024, Da Silva Soares supplied firearms for sale in Eastern Massachusetts. Specifically, on Aug. 26, 2024, Da Silva Soares allegedly delivered two AM-15 rifles and sold them for $6,000 in a parking lot in Malden. It is further alleged that on Sept. 11, 2024, Da Silva Soares participated in another sale involving a total of five firearms (consisting of rifles, pistols and a shotgun) outside a residence in Milford.

    The charges of conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three 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.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Malden and Milford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Erie Felon Sentenced to Six Years of Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Possession of Stolen Firearms

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

    ERIE, Pa. – A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal drug and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Djimon Dapree Johnson, 27, on July 24, 2025.

    According to information presented to the Court, on or about October 20, 2021, Johnson possessed with the intent to distribute 382.61 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. In addition, Johnson possessed two stolen firearms and a 50-round 9mm drum magazine as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

    Judge Baxter ordered that Johnson’s federal sentence be served consecutive to the sentence Johnson is already serving for violation of his parole for an unlicensed firearm conviction.

    Assistant United States Attorney Molly W. Anglin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Johnson.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Erie Felon Sentenced to Six Years of Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Possession of Stolen Firearms

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

    ERIE, Pa. – A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal drug and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Djimon Dapree Johnson, 27, on July 24, 2025.

    According to information presented to the Court, on or about October 20, 2021, Johnson possessed with the intent to distribute 382.61 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. In addition, Johnson possessed two stolen firearms and a 50-round 9mm drum magazine as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

    Judge Baxter ordered that Johnson’s federal sentence be served consecutive to the sentence Johnson is already serving for violation of his parole for an unlicensed firearm conviction.

    Assistant United States Attorney Molly W. Anglin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Johnson.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southern District of Texas charges 204 this week alone in relation to border enforcement efforts

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

    HOUSTON – A total of 201 new cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from July 18-24, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Among those are 87 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 98 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while 11 cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration crimes and assault of officers.

    Some of those facing new criminal charges are five Mexican nationals, all of whom have previous felony convictions, according to their charges. One is Cristian Jesus Rodriguez-Cuarenta who allegedly has a prior conviction for conspiracy to transport an illegal alien and had just been removed in January. Four others – Juan Manuel Perez-Tamez, Ramiro Rodriguez-Esquivel, Jose Martinez-Lemus and Hector Esael Gonzalez-Garcia – are also alleged to be convicted felons of crimes including drug trafficking, multiple driving while intoxicated instances or illegal reentry. Despite their previous removals on varying dates between 2019 – 2022, authorities allegedly discovered all five men in the Edinburg area without any authorization to be in the United States. They face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.

    Also in the McAllen area this week, a suspicious vehicle led to the arrest of three, two of whom are Mexican nationals, and the discovery of nearly three dozen illegal aliens. They are now charged with human smuggling after authorities discovered 24 illegal aliens hidden in a tractor trailer at a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint, which included defendant Elbis Lisandro Moreno Uruqia. Joe Michael Cruz and Uruqia allegedly transported the aliens from Mission to Hebbronville. According to the charges, Uruqia and Cruz smuggled 18 aliens two weeks earlier. A related search at a Mission residence led to the arrest of Jesus Felipe Hernandez Rangel and the discovery of 10 additional illegal aliens, according to the complaint. If convicted, each faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

    In addition to the new cases, Laredo resident Juan Francisco Reyna was ordered to federal prison. He led a multi-year human smuggling operation that used social media, inclement weather and the Covid-19 pandemic to transport over 100 illegal aliens, including minors, across the United States. Reyna coordinated the scheme through Facebook, paid drivers to monitor checkpoints and scheduled crossings during storms to avoid detection. Authorities linked him to stash houses in Laredo and San Antonio where they seized over $56,000 in U.S. currency and ammunition. He received a sentence of 63 months.

    “Over the past six months, the Department of Justice has made securing our national border the number one priority, and the Southern District is putting that promise into action,” said Ganjei. “Human smugglers may have had an easy time over the past few years, but those days are over. If you engage in these crimes, if you break our nation’s immigration laws, you will be caught and you will be punished. Simple as that.”

    An armed cartel carjacker was also sentenced this week. Mexican national Johnathan Mata-Espinoza received 108 months for two counts of armed carjacking. On July 27, 2023, he threatened two adults and a child, stealing their vehicle after they refused to give him a ride to the bus station, saying, “You better take me because if not, I will kill you all.” Authorities later linked him to a second armed encounter that same night, during which he threatened another victim and displayed a concealed firearm.

    In Corpus Christi, a 40-year-old Mexican national illegally living in Houston pleaded guilty to leading a human smuggling organization and unlawfully reentering the United States. Edgar-Ruiz-Briones coordinated transportation of illegal aliens crossing the southern border, recruited drivers from as far as Kansas and managing over 100 smuggling trips into the United States over an 18-month period. He handled payments from aliens and paid drivers to move them from stash houses to destinations across the country. Ruiz-Briones, who had previously been removed multiple times, now faces up to 30 years in federal prison.

    Jose Pascual Soliz received a sentence of 240 months in federal prison after admitting to recruiting Clara Miranda Aleman and others as well as coordinating the transportation of methamphetamine hidden in a vehicle’s gas tank. Aleman helped smuggle the drugs into the United States as part of a Laredo-based trafficking operation tied to Cartel De Noreste. Authorities seized more than 11.85 kilograms of methamphetamine from the pair, noting it was part of a larger shipment. The court also found Soliz had multiple felony convictions, including one for narcotics trafficking. Aleman previously received a 41-month sentence.

    A Corpus Christi jury also convicted a former Texas National Guard soldier of smuggling illegal aliens. Mario Sandoval coordinated smuggling trips in the Rio Grande Valley and sent text messages to a co-conspirator about law enforcement activity. The defense attempted to convince the jury no conspiracy existed, and his text messages were out of context. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

    In Houston, a 32-year-old Mexican national was ordered to serve 42 months after again illegally reentering the country. Juan Medina-Garcia has felony convictions for possession, aggravated assault and illegal reentry. He also has two prior removals from the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the sentence should serve as a significant deterrence to prevent any future illegal reentries.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Navy Public Health Nurse Returns from Pacific Partnership Mission in Tonga

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga — Cmdr. Christina Carter, a public health nurse currently serving as Director for Public Health at Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms and Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms, recently returned from a temporary assignment to the Kingdom of Tonga in June, where she served as part of Pacific Partnership 2025, the U.S. Navy’s largest annual humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission in the Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Pennsylvania Residents Sentenced to Prison for Narcotics Trafficking

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

    One of the defendants also sentenced on unlawful possession of a firearm conviction

    JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Three residents of Pennsylvania have been sentenced in federal court on their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and/or methamphetamine, with one of the defendants also being sentenced for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    The sentences imposed by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan were:

    Defendant Age Residence Sentence
    Azheem Ellis 49 Philadelphia, Pa. 96 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release
    James Dotson 47 Johnstown, Pa. 180 months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release
    Sandra Box 59 East Conemaugh, Pa. 33 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release

    According to information presented to the Court, from in and around April 2019 to in and around July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Ellis conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, and quantities of heroin, cocaine, and crack. During this same timeframe, Dotson conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, 28 grams or more of a mixture of crack, 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and cocaine. Additionally, in and around June 2021, Dotson—who had been previously convicted of a felony—unlawfully possessed a firearm. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Further, from in and around February 2021 to in and around April 2021, Box conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of heroin and crack. The  defendants were intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that they distributed to others, with Ellis and Dotson as two of the main targets of the wiretap investigation.

    Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of the defendants. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: SecAF visits Asia-Pacific to strengthen alliances, assess readiness

    Source: United States Spaceforce

    Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink departed July 24 on his first international trip as SecAF, traveling throughout the U.S. Asia-Pacific area of responsibility to reinforce international partnerships and meet with Airmen and Guardians supporting the 2025 Department-Level Exercise. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: SecAF visits Asia-Pacific to strengthen alliances, assess readiness

    Source: United States Air Force

    Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink departed July 24 on his first international trip as SecAF, traveling throughout the U.S. Asia-Pacific area of responsibility to reinforce international partnerships and meet with Airmen and Guardians supporting the 2025 Department-Level Exercise. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Civil Rights Division Moves to Dismiss Court-Ordered Agreement Regarding Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has moved to dismiss a 2015 Court-Ordered Settlement Agreement regarding the Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center (the Center) in Greenwood, Mississippi because the Center has achieved sustained substantial compliance with all areas of the Settlement Agreement.  

    The Center implemented reforms to ensure that children are not subjected to undue restraint use; children who feel suicidal or need to talk to mental health are connected to a mental health provider within hours; children are not punished with isolation and instead receive programs and activities that include cooking and robotics classes; sleeping rooms are clean and have appropriate beds. Additionally, the Center implemented an outstanding compliance review system and staff misconduct is taken seriously and handled professionally.

    “All children deserve to be protected from harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We thank the Center’s leadership and staff for their commitment over the years to ensuring safety for these children and for the community of Leflore County.”

    “The counties and municipalities that this center serves can now move forward, knowing that when they make use of this facility to hold juveniles, that they can do so with the knowledge that these youths are held safely in a constitutionally compliant manner,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Civil Rights Division Moves to Dismiss Court-Ordered Agreement Regarding Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has moved to dismiss a 2015 Court-Ordered Settlement Agreement regarding the Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center (the Center) in Greenwood, Mississippi because the Center has achieved sustained substantial compliance with all areas of the Settlement Agreement.  

    The Center implemented reforms to ensure that children are not subjected to undue restraint use; children who feel suicidal or need to talk to mental health are connected to a mental health provider within hours; children are not punished with isolation and instead receive programs and activities that include cooking and robotics classes; sleeping rooms are clean and have appropriate beds. Additionally, the Center implemented an outstanding compliance review system and staff misconduct is taken seriously and handled professionally.

    “All children deserve to be protected from harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We thank the Center’s leadership and staff for their commitment over the years to ensuring safety for these children and for the community of Leflore County.”

    “The counties and municipalities that this center serves can now move forward, knowing that when they make use of this facility to hold juveniles, that they can do so with the knowledge that these youths are held safely in a constitutionally compliant manner,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi.

    MIL Security OSI –