Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 4 of 8]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on


    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Cmdr. Christina Carter, center, and Lt. William Douthitt, right, both deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), lead a tabletop training exercise with local nurses of Vaiola Hospital during PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.26.2025
    Date Posted: 06.26.2025 18:43
    Photo ID: 9134608
    VIRIN: 250626-N-ED646-1040
    Resolution: 8468×5645
    Size: 10.29 MB
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO

    Web Views: 7
    Downloads: 1

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    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 1 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on


    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Public Health Service Lt. Sung Jik Park, left, Environmental Health Officer with Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), trains local public health officials in the quality testing of public water sources during PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.26.2025
    Date Posted: 06.26.2025 23:46
    Photo ID: 9135016
    VIRIN: 250626-N-ED646-2069
    Resolution: 8640×5760
    Size: 11.72 MB
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO

    Web Views: 0
    Downloads: 0

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 2 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on


    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Public Health Service Lt. Sung Jik Park, left, Environmental Health Officer with Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), trains local public health officials in the quality testing of public water sources during PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.26.2025
    Date Posted: 06.26.2025 23:46
    Photo ID: 9135017
    VIRIN: 250626-N-ED646-7867
    Resolution: 8485×5661
    Size: 12.29 MB
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO

    Web Views: 0
    Downloads: 0

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    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: B-29 Memorial Ceremony honors Airmen, deepens US–Japan bonds

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    SASEBO, NAGASAKI, Japan (U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 374th Airlift Wing along with members of the Japan Air Self‑Defense Force and community officials gathered atop Mount Shizuhata, June 21, 2025, for the annual B‑29 Memorial Ceremony. The event paid tribute to 23 U.S. aircrew members killed in a midair collision on June 20, 1945, during a B‑29 Superfortress air raid over Shizuoka, which also claimed nearly 2,000 Japanese civilian lives.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: B-29 Memorial Ceremony honors Airmen, deepens US–Japan bonds

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    SASEBO, NAGASAKI, Japan (U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 374th Airlift Wing along with members of the Japan Air Self‑Defense Force and community officials gathered atop Mount Shizuhata, June 21, 2025, for the annual B‑29 Memorial Ceremony. The event paid tribute to 23 U.S. aircrew members killed in a midair collision on June 20, 1945, during a B‑29 Superfortress air raid over Shizuoka, which also claimed nearly 2,000 Japanese civilian lives.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Strength, energy and unfailing personal commitment

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    Investigation into Post Office Horizon scandal gathers momentum

    • Scope increased with 6m documents to review
    • Currently seven main suspects under investigation

    Six months since the police team investigating the Post Office Horizon scandal was strengthened to 100, their work continues to gather pace with the scope ever increasing.

    Currently, there are over 45 individuals under investigation as enquiries progress, with seven formally identified as suspects.

    At its introduction, the team, made up of officers and staff from around the country, began with around 1.5 million documents to review and through evidence gathering this has now increased to 6 million, with both the number of documents, suspects and victims expected to rise.

    The investigation is overseen by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Metropolitan Police, led by Commander Stephen Clayman. He said:

    “Victims remain at the heart of this investigation and our contact with the many people affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal continues to increase. This week (25 June) the whole investigation team met in person for the first time during our operational development day, a valuable opportunity to come together and reaffirm our focus on the investigative strategy and discuss next steps.

    “To date, four individuals have been interviewed. Two in late 2021, one in late 2024 and most recently one in early 2025. Formally identifying a suspect and preparing to question them takes a significant amount of time due to the volume of material and enquiries necessary so these numbers will continue to rise as the team’s work progresses.

    “We are making progress and laying the foundations for what is to come. We all have a personal commitment to this investigation which goes far beyond documents and evidence. It is about the thousands of lives the Post Office Horizon scandal has impacted and we remain focussed on our goal of securing justice for those affected.”

    Four Regional Investigation Teams (RITs) are made up from police forces across England and Wales with Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland also making contributions.

    For further information and updates on Op Olympos visit: www.police.uk/pu/operation-olympos

    Further information about Op Olympos

    Additional national oversight of the investigation is provided by a Platinum group, led by NPCC Chair, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, and comprised of nationally appointed leads for the investigation, finance, Crown Prosecution Service and victim engagement. Its role is to ensure the national team remains resourced to agreed strengths, along with oversight of the financial management of the investigation and support infrastructure. 

    The investigation is unprecedented in both its scale and complexity and is truly national in its scope – with most areas across England and Wales affected, along with Scotland and Northern Island. It was determined that a national policing response would be required to effectively investigate the actions of Post Office Limited and its investigators, managers, legal teams and executive oversight, along with staff and executives within Fujitsu. This will involve reviewing millions of documents to identify actions which could amount to criminal offences on both an individual and corporate basis.

    Op Olympos is investigating perjury and perverting the course of justice offences in relation to the prosecutions. These prosecutions and the sub postmasters span all police forces with potential suspects across the country.

    Op Olympos is not a reinvestigation of these wrongful prosecutions. Whilst the sub postmasters are victims of tainted or missing evidence being presented about them, the offences under investigation are against the Post Office.

    The action taken against the sub postmasters provides part of the evidence for perverting the course of justice, however it is not necessary to review each and every case. This strategy has been reviewed and agreed by Crown Prosecution Service throughout and is deemed to meet disclosure and evidential requirements, whilst remaining focussed and proportionate. This will require continuous scrutiny in order to prevent the scope becoming too large and less focussed.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Strength, energy and unfailing personal commitment

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    Investigation into Post Office Horizon scandal gathers momentum

    • Scope increased with 6m documents to review
    • Currently seven main suspects under investigation

    Six months since the police team investigating the Post Office Horizon scandal was strengthened to 100, their work continues to gather pace with the scope ever increasing.

    Currently, there are over 45 individuals under investigation as enquiries progress, with seven formally identified as suspects.

    At its introduction, the team, made up of officers and staff from around the country, began with around 1.5 million documents to review and through evidence gathering this has now increased to 6 million, with both the number of documents, suspects and victims expected to rise.

    The investigation is overseen by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Metropolitan Police, led by Commander Stephen Clayman. He said:

    “Victims remain at the heart of this investigation and our contact with the many people affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal continues to increase. This week (25 June) the whole investigation team met in person for the first time during our operational development day, a valuable opportunity to come together and reaffirm our focus on the investigative strategy and discuss next steps.

    “To date, four individuals have been interviewed. Two in late 2021, one in late 2024 and most recently one in early 2025. Formally identifying a suspect and preparing to question them takes a significant amount of time due to the volume of material and enquiries necessary so these numbers will continue to rise as the team’s work progresses.

    “We are making progress and laying the foundations for what is to come. We all have a personal commitment to this investigation which goes far beyond documents and evidence. It is about the thousands of lives the Post Office Horizon scandal has impacted and we remain focussed on our goal of securing justice for those affected.”

    Four Regional Investigation Teams (RITs) are made up from police forces across England and Wales with Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland also making contributions.

    For further information and updates on Op Olympos visit: www.police.uk/pu/operation-olympos

    Further information about Op Olympos

    Additional national oversight of the investigation is provided by a Platinum group, led by NPCC Chair, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, and comprised of nationally appointed leads for the investigation, finance, Crown Prosecution Service and victim engagement. Its role is to ensure the national team remains resourced to agreed strengths, along with oversight of the financial management of the investigation and support infrastructure. 

    The investigation is unprecedented in both its scale and complexity and is truly national in its scope – with most areas across England and Wales affected, along with Scotland and Northern Island. It was determined that a national policing response would be required to effectively investigate the actions of Post Office Limited and its investigators, managers, legal teams and executive oversight, along with staff and executives within Fujitsu. This will involve reviewing millions of documents to identify actions which could amount to criminal offences on both an individual and corporate basis.

    Op Olympos is investigating perjury and perverting the course of justice offences in relation to the prosecutions. These prosecutions and the sub postmasters span all police forces with potential suspects across the country.

    Op Olympos is not a reinvestigation of these wrongful prosecutions. Whilst the sub postmasters are victims of tainted or missing evidence being presented about them, the offences under investigation are against the Post Office.

    The action taken against the sub postmasters provides part of the evidence for perverting the course of justice, however it is not necessary to review each and every case. This strategy has been reviewed and agreed by Crown Prosecution Service throughout and is deemed to meet disclosure and evidential requirements, whilst remaining focussed and proportionate. This will require continuous scrutiny in order to prevent the scope becoming too large and less focussed.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal grand jury indicts Cheektowaga man on multiple sex trafficking charges

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a nine-count indictment charging Darryl Lamont Paul, a/k/a Darryl Lamont, 59, of Cheektowaga, NY, with sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, transportation across state lines of an individual with intent that such individual engage in prostitution, and using and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, for the last 25 years, Lamont has owned NoLimit Entertainment (NLE), a company that provides entertainment, including nude dancers and topless bartenders, for parties such as stags and birthdays. Lamont is accused of conspiring with others to recruit young vulnerable women from area strip clubs, to work for NLE, and he would also refer young women to these strip clubs for additional employment.

    During that time, Lamont is accused of using force, fraud, and coercion to sex traffic a total of six victims. He is also accused of transporting one of the victims across state lines to engage in prostitution. In addition, from 2021 to March 13, 2025, Lamont maintained a Beach Road apartment in Cheektowaga, for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, and using cocaine.

    Lamont was arraigned this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.

    The indictment is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm.

    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: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 1 of 8]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on


    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Cmdr. Christina Carter, public health nurse deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), writes on a whiteboard during a tabletop training exercise with local nurses of Vaiola Hospital as part of PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.26.2025
    Date Posted: 06.26.2025 18:43
    Photo ID: 9134605
    VIRIN: 250626-N-ED646-9883
    Resolution: 7888×5261
    Size: 8.65 MB
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO

    Web Views: 2
    Downloads: 0

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 2 of 8]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on


    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Capt. Andrew Kaplan, right, and Chief Hospital Corpsman David, center, both deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), assist a local doctor perform an ultrasound during PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.26.2025
    Date Posted: 06.26.2025 18:43
    Photo ID: 9134606
    VIRIN: 250626-N-ED646-3171
    Resolution: 8640×5760
    Size: 12.03 MB
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO

    Web Views: 2
    Downloads: 0

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Meink, Allvin, Saltzman outline strategies, priorities necessary to secure the nation

    Source: United States Airforce

    DAF senior leaders highlighted the recent U.S. strike on Iran as a vivid example for what is possible – but also at risk – unless Congress ensures sufficient, uninterrupted funding for the Air Force and Space Force.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Recommit Efforts to Protect Elder Americans From Fraud and Other Abuse

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – The month of June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada and the FBI Las Vegas Division are reinvigorating its efforts to protect older citizens from fraudulent and other criminal schemes that cost the United States billions of dollars and threaten to victimize over 100,000 elder Americans each year. 

    “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protect our seniors from fraudulent schemes targeting their hearts and bank accounts,” said United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI and other partner agencies to investigate and prosecute financial exploitation crimes and bring criminals to justice.”

    “It is essential that we educate the public, specifically our seniors, about the devastating effects of elder fraud schemes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafik Mattar for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “These schemes are critical to protecting them and their hard-earned money. The far-reaching consequences of these elaborate schemes can decimate the life savings of elderly individuals. The FBI works with our local and federal partners to ensure that our seniors, their caregivers, families, and friends know the signs to look for to keep Americans safe from falling victim to these deceitful criminals.”

    Romance Fraud

    United States v. Aurora Phelps. A 21-count superseding indictment charged Aurora Phelps, who has residences in Las Vegas and Guadalajara, Mexico, for allegedly luring older men she met through online dating services and stealing their monies for her personal benefit. In September 2023, a grand jury indicted Phelps with seven counts of wire fraud; three counts of mail fraud; six counts of bank fraud; three counts of identity theft; one count of kidnapping; and one count of kidnapping resulting in death. Phelps is currently in custody in Mexico.

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

    National Elder Fraud Hotline

    If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

    More information about the department’s efforts to help older Americans is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage, which can be found at elderjustice.gov. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National Arrested for His Role in a Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    CONCORD – A Dominican Republic national was arrested yesterday, in connection with an enforcement action last week, for his role in a drug trafficking organization operating out of Massachusetts and distributing illegal narcotics in Manchester, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    Cesar Joel Perez Mejia, age 30, a Dominican Republic national unlawfully residing in Hyde Park, Massachusetts, was arrested on one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He will appear in federal court today at 4:30pm.

    According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on June 23, 2025, the defendant facilitated a drug sale with an undercover officer. When the defendant arrived at the agreed upon location, law enforcement searched the defendant’s vehicle and found small individually wrapped bags containing approximately 57 grams of suspected fentanyl and 43 grams of suspected crack cocaine.

    Possession with intent to distribute carries a maximum prison term of 20 years, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least three years and up to life.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Major Offender Task Force and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation.  DEA New England, HSI New England, and the Boston, Attleboro, Methuen, Lynn, and Providence Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Shannon and Heather Cherniske are prosecuting the case.

    This effort 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).

    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: Essex County Man Charged in Bank Fraud Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County resident was charged for his role in a bank fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Isiah J. Jordan, 27, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre and was released on $100,000 bond.     

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

    Jordan was part of a multi-person scheme to steal checks from the mail and deposit those checks into bank accounts controlled by his co-conspirators. For example, in June 2023, Company-1 mailed out a business check for over $50,000. That check was stolen and altered by Jordan and his co-conspirators such that the payee information on the original check was changed so that the check could be deposited into an account controlled by the conspirators. Then in July 2023, after the stolen check cleared, Jordan and his co-conspirators withdrew the money from the account and split the proceeds.   

    Jordan and his coconspirators then continued to actively recruit other members to participate in and join the conspiracy. Specifically, they recruited individuals who had long-standing bank accounts to continue the scheme of depositing stolen checks and withdrawing the funds before the bank or the victims whose checks were stolen were aware of the illegal activity. 

    The bank fraud conspiracy and the bank fraud charges both carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.      

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation. 

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey S. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division and Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

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

                                                               ###     

    Defense counsel: John Yauch, New Jersey    

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton concludes joint operations with Japan and Philippine Coast Guards

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    06/26/2025 03:16 PM EDT

    KAGOSHIMA, Japan – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) departed Kagoshima June 20, following in-port and at-sea engagements with Japan Coast Guard (JCG), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Japan government officials. This event marks a significant milestone as the first time the trilateral search and rescue exercise with the Philippine Coast Guard, occurred in a region outside the Philippine territorial seas, emphasizing the growing cooperation among the three nations.

    For breaking news follow us on twitter @USCGHawaiiPac

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Doctor Sentenced to Four Years for $6.3M Medicare Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A Michigan doctor was sentenced today to four years in prison for a $6.3 million Medicare fraud scheme in which elderly and disabled patients were sent thousands of orthotic braces that they did not need.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sophie Toya, M.D., 56, of Bloomfield Hills, prescribed over 7,900 orthotic braces to more than 2,600 Medicare patients during a six-month period. The patients were solicited through deceptive television commercials offering free back braces. When they called the advertised telephone number, they were persuaded to accept braces for other parts of their bodies, with the promise that Medicare would pay. Toya spoke to some of these patients briefly over the phone, and she had no contact at all with the others. Toya nonetheless signed orders prescribing more than 7,900 braces, including prescribing four or more braces to nearly 1,000 patients.

    Toya prescribed as many as 136 braces in a day, 12 braces for a single patient, and numerous braces for undercover agents posing as Medicare beneficiaries after speaking with them by telephone for less than a minute. The prescriptions and accompanying medical records signed by Toya falsely represented that the braces were medically necessary and that she diagnosed the beneficiaries, had a plan of care for them, and recommended that they receive certain additional treatment. In the case of one patient, to whom Toya prescribed five braces for which Medicare was billed $3,883, she falsely attested that she evaluated the patient and that the patient was mobile when, in fact, the patient had long been confined to a wheelchair, could not walk or stand, and was suffering from a dangerous spinal infection that could not be treated by braces but instead required spinal surgery.

    Toya’s false prescriptions were used by brace supply companies to bill Medicare more than $6.3 million. Toya was paid approximately $120,000 by purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signing the fraudulent prescriptions.

    On May 10, 2024, Toya was convicted following an eight-day trial on one count of health care fraud and five counts of false statements relating to health care matters. Toya was also ordered to pay $3,606,935 in restitution and $120,475 in forfeiture.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Division; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

    The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The case was charged as part of Operation Rubber Stamp, a coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation that targeted medical professionals who participated in fraudulent telemedicine schemes.

    Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Trial Attorney Chris Wenger of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian national arrested in multimillion-dollar email and money laundering scam

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Houston man has been taken into custody for his role in a large-scale business email compromise and money laundering scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Authorities have arrested Edikan Adiakpan who is expected to make his initial appearance at 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.

    A federal grand jury in Houston returned a three-count indictment June 11 charging Adiakpan with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and illegal money transmission. The indictment alleges that in 2021, Adiakpan and co-conspirators carried out a business email compromise scheme targeting companies in at least eight states, including a California research group focused on developing treatments for U.S. veterans. 

    Victims received “spoofed” emails that appeared to come from known suppliers and creditors, according to the charges. They were allegedly tricked into sending payments to bank accounts the fraudsters controlled instead of the actual suppliers.

    The charges further allege the conspirators laundered the funds by quickly transferring the money between multiple bank accounts they controlled. They then allegedly converted the funds into cashier’s’ checks. Adiakpan allegedly cashed the checks and kept a percentage as a fee.

    Another Nigerian citizen, Ayobami Omoniyi, 26, was previously charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of the same scheme and is awaiting sentencing before U.S District Judge Andrew S. Hanen. 

    If convicted, Adiakpan faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges and up to five years for the illegal money transmitting. Each conviction carries a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

    FBI – Houston and its Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Christine Lu are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment 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: Mexican National Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Laundering $5.4 million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LEXINGTON, Ky. – Today, a Mexican national was sentenced to 100 months in prison for his role in arranging for the collection of drug proceeds in the United States and the repatriation of the proceeds, or their equivalent value, to Mexico as part of a money laundering conspiracy.

    According to court documents, Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez, a/k/a Meño, served as a “money broker” in an organization that aided the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) by collecting, laundering, and repatriating drug proceeds generated in the United States to the cartel in Mexico. Martinez personally arranged for the laundering of $5,462,289 that was proceeds of drug trafficking crimes. Martinez used a network of co-conspirators to pick up those drug proceeds all over the United States. After money was delivered in the United States, Mr. Martinez provided instructions for the transfer of those funds via cryptocurrency, including providing a cryptocurrency wallet address, or a bank account.   Martinez worked for “commissions,” or a percentage of the money laundered successfully.

    As a direct result of the money laundering contracts brokered by Martinez, DEA Lexington and its domestic partners seized a staggering quantity of drugs, including approximately 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 52.77 kilograms of cocaine, 7,078.63 kilograms of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of charcoal lumps, 170 gallons of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of coconut oil, 140 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine.  DEA also seized $1,352,160 in bulk U.S. currency.

    “The successful prosecution of Martinez disrupted the flow of vital drug proceeds back to CJNG, and removed substantial quantities of dangerous drugs from American communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Paul McCaffrey.  “While the fight against cartel-sourced drug trafficking is far from over, today’s result is a step in the right direction, and is a testament to our law enforcement partners’ collaboration and constant commitment to justice.”

    “Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez helped Mexican drug traffickers to wash their ill-gotten gains from the sale of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in U.S. neighborhoods and communities,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

    “This prosecution should serve as a warning of the Department of Justice’s focus on holding to account anyone who seeks to help launder cartel’s money and underpins a system that delivers dangerous drugs that destroy our neighborhoods and communities.”

    “The Drug Enforcement Administration will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt the flow of drugs across our borders and the flow of money back to Mexico by cartel operatives and bring these individuals to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division.  “I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners in this case and commend them for their dedication to public safety.”

    On March 7, Martinez pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and concealment money laundering.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Lexington Resident Office investigated the case, working closely with the Detroit Field Division and Rocky Mountain Field Division, and assisted by DEA offices in Mexico, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Birmingham, Chicago, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Baltimore, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Portland, Columbia, and Rapid City, as well as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division.

    Deputy Criminal Chief Todd Bradbury of the Eastern District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted this case.

    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 other 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 Neighborhoods.

    – END –

     

     

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: West Haven Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that CARLOS INESTI, 29, of West Haven, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with child exploitation offenses.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in April 2025, the FBI arrested an individual in Utah for possession of child pornography.  Analysis of a cell phone seized during the investigation revealed videos involving an adult male, subsequently determined to be Inesti, engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler-aged girl.  The investigation revealed that Inesti had recorded the videos and shared them through the Telegram application.

    Inesti appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and was released on a $100,000 bond into home detention with location monitoring.  He is prohibited from accessing the internet and having any contact with minors.

    The complaint charges Inesti with sexual exploitation of children, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 year, and with distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

    U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s New Haven and Salt Lake City Field Offices, with the assistance of the West Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.

    This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Canadian National Extradited for Mailing Fraudulent Prize Notices

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    WASHINGTON — A Canadian national accused of operating fraudulent prize notice schemes was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance in Las Vegas federal court on June 18, the Department of Justice and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today.

    Patrick Fraser, 44, of Alberta, Canada, will face federal charges of conspiracy and mail fraud. Fraser was arrested on June 15, 2023, by Canadian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request and was surrendered to the United States this month. A detention hearing was held on June 23, and Fraser was ordered detained pending trial.

    According to the indictment, the defendant conspired with others to operate fraud schemes through which he mailed fraudulent prize notifications to individuals in the United States and in other countries. The prize notifications falsely represented that the victims had been specifically chosen to receive a large cash prize, typically over $1 million, and would receive the prize upon payment of a small free. Many of the victims were elderly and vulnerable.

    “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting and pursuing those who perpetrate fraud schemes targeting America’s seniors,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “I thank Canada for assisting in extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States. The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement partners will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”

    “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with the Consumer Protection Branch and our law enforcement partners in the United States and the world to identify and pursue transnational criminals who prey on older Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Through our Elder Justice Initiative, Assistant U.S. Attorneys and professional staff are combating elder financial exploitation and fraud. This extradition is another example of the outstanding collaboration between federal law enforcement and international partners.”

    “Postal inspectors protect the vulnerable. If you use fake prize offers to scam others, we’ll find you—and you will be held accountable,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen.

    Fraser is charged in a nine-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Las Vegas. If convicted, Fraser faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Senior Trial Attorney Ann Entwistle and Trial Attorney Charles B. Dunn of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department is grateful to the Vancouver Police Department, who provided assistance through official requests. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division accomplished the extradition of Fraser from Canada.

    The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

    More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

    For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of Minor

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty to the federal charge of sexual abuse of a minor.

    According to court records, on February 15, 2025, John Albert Carrillo, Jr., 36, a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, used force to commit a sexual act with a minor victim.

    Carrillo pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor and faces up to 15 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Carrillo will be required to register as a sex offender and must serve a term of supervised release not less than five years and up to life.

    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 Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Air Force Leaders Testify on Expanding Air, Space Dominance

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    During a hearing in Washington, Air Force senior leaders told a Senate defense subcommittee that the department’s fiscal year 2026 budget request prioritizes defending the homeland and bolstering defenses in the Indo-Pacific region, where China is the pacing threat. 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Final Member Sentenced in Tennessee Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana Trafficking Ring

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Caricus Hendrix, 38, of Bolivar, Tennessee to 25 years in federal prison for his role in an organized drug trafficking scheme that spanned the state of Tennessee. Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. announced the sentence today.

    According to evidence presented in court, in July 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bolivar Police Department began an investigation into the illegal distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana by members and associates of the rap label “FFG” in the Western District of Tennessee. By using controlled purchases of narcotics, search warrants, wiretaps, and other investigative tactics, agents determined Hendrix and others were responsible for transporting and distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana throughout the state of Tennessee, especially the Western District of Tennessee. During the investigation, agents seized approximately 16 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of fentanyl, 4.5 pounds of marijuana, and 13 firearms.

    On October 22, 2024, Hendrix pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. On May 16, 2025, United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Hendrix to 25 years in federal prison and ordered Hendrix to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of the prison term.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    “This investigation represents the strength of federal and local partnerships in taking down complex drug trafficking organizations that poison our communities. The Bolivar Police Department remains committed to working alongside our federal partners to protect the citizens of our community from dangerous drugs and violent crime. This case demonstrates what is possible when agencies unite toward a common goal.”, said Bolivar Police Department Chief Michael Jones.

    The following co-conspirators have already pled guilty and have been sentenced:            

    • Shannon Wilder, 28, of Jackson, TN: 130 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Eula Morris, 56, of Bolivar, TN: 87 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Jarrett Wilson, 27, of Henderson, TN: 144 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Joshua Fields, 29, of Lexington, TN: 204 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Sheneka Waller, 37, of Bolivar, TN: 12 months and one day and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Myreon Woods, 42, of Bolivar, TN: 120 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
    • Montrez Brown, 29, of Bolivar, TN: 42 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Charmaine Beauregard, 42, of Bolivar, TN: 15 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Cordarvin McNeal, 36, of Bolivar, TN: 120 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Danielle Boyd, 37, of Bolivar, TN: 12 months and one day and a three-year period of supervised release maintaining a drug premises.
    • Jaylen Sain, 29, of Bolivar, TN: 50 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and aiding and abetting the possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Shumarcus Cross, 40, of Bolivar, TN: 27 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Cameron Mickens, 26, of Henderson, TN: 100 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Alfredia Atkins, 54, of Bolivar, TN: 36 months and a three-year period of supervised release for maintaining a drug premises.
    • Tavares Atkins, 47, of Selmer, TN: 36 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Shalonda Bills, 36, of Bolivar, TN: 30 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
    • Curtis Brown, 33, of Selmer, TN: 60 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Michael Douglas, 32, of Lexington, TN: 130 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Correy Brown, 41, of Bolivar, TN: 5 years of probation through the State of Tennessee.

    This investigation was conducted as 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.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Resident Agency, Bolivar Police Department, Jackson Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Chester County Sheriff’s Department, McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, the Selmer Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons.

    Assistant United States Attorney Christie Hopper prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.   

    ###

    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Utah Man Indicted after Allegedly Shooting a Stolen Semi-Automatic Pistol at Two Victims in Salt Lake City

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned and indictment charging a restricted person with multiple firearm crimes after he allegedly possessed a stolen semi-automatic pistol and shot at two victims in Salt Lake City.

    Hiram Bokadrik, 29, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was charged by complaint on June 11, 2025.

    According to court documents, on June 7, 2025 at approximately 4:18 p.m., officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department responded to a call of “shots fired” at a residence in Salt Lake City. Upon arrival, officers met with two individuals who reported a male suspect, later identified as Bokadrik, had fired a single round at them when confronted about trespassing on their property. During this time, officers recovered an expended 9mm casing from the scene. Additional officers quickly located Bokadrik, who fled from the officers on foot, but was subsequently located in a construction area hiding underneath a tarp. On construction materials, officers also recovered a loaded Glock 43X and a hat described to be worn by Bokadrik at the time of the crime.

    Additionally, the investigation revealed the firearm, which was manufactured outside the state of Utah, was stolen during a vehicle burglary at a nearby residence at approximately 12:00 a.m. on the same day. Bokadrik is prohibited from possessing, purchasing, transferring, or owning firearms or ammunition under both state and federal law.

    Bokadrik is charged with being a restricted person in possession of a stolen firearm and ammunition, and possession of a stolen firearm. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 26, 2025, at 2:15 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

    Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated by an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department, Robbery and Violent Crimes Unit. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    Assistant United States Attorney Victoria K. McFarland of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

    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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal alien sentenced to 60 months for illegally reentering the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Honduran national who resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally entering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Denis Hernandez-Cruz pleaded guilty April 11.

    U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Hernandez-Cruz to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Cruz needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again.

    Hernandez-Cruz has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as two convictions for burglary of a habitation. He has three prior removals from the United States, most recently in April 2020.

    He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case.

    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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Prison Inmates Sentenced for the Death of Fellow Inmate

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jonathan Guillory, 45, and Anthony Bell, 44, both federal inmates at the U.S. Penitentiary-Florence, Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) in Florence, Colorado, were sentenced for their roles in the death of a fellow inmate.

    According to the plea agreements, on December 6, 2021, a violent altercation occurred inside a cell at ADX involving Guillory and the victim. During the confrontation, Guillory repeatedly stabbed the victim with a homemade weapon, including a fatal wound to the base of the throat. While the assault unfolded, Bell exited the cell and deliberately held the door shut, preventing the victim from escaping or receiving assistance.

    Guillory was sentenced to 88 months for voluntary manslaughter and Bell was sentenced to 27 months for involuntary manslaughter.

    “This case underscores our unwavering commitment to safety within the federal prison system,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Acts of violence, even behind bars, will be met with serious consequences. These defendants now face significant additional time to reflect on the gravity of their actions and the reach of the law.”

    “The FBI does not give felons a free pass to commit crimes because they are already serving federal time,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Violence behind bars – whether committed against prison staff or fellow inmates – brings consequences, as this case demonstrates.”

    United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez sentenced Bell on June 12, 2025, and sentenced Guillory on June 18, 2025.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

    Case Number: 1:23-cr-00391-RMR 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Members of Violent ‘21st and Vietnam’ Crew Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, Shooting

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON –  Jamiek Bassil, 32, and Charles Manson, 34, of the District of Columbia, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison and 175 months, respectively, for their roles in the violent 21st and Vietnam drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other drugs in Northeast Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, and, in Manson’s case, for a March 2024 shooting near 19th and I Streets NE. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

                Bassil, aka “Onion,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 135-month prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Bassil to serve five years of supervised release.

                Manson, aka “Cheese,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to multiple counts: conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the 170-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Manson to serve five years of supervised release.

                According to court documents, Bassil and Manson were members of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, which controlled an open-air drug market and distributed narcotics in the area of the 2100 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.

                Bassil repeatedly sold significant quantities of fentanyl – as much as roughly 80 grams at a time — to undercover law enforcement between January and March 2024.

                Manson sold narcotics directly to customers and was captured on surveillance video engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions. During the conspiracy, Manson also participated in multiple controlled drug sales to law enforcement.

                In a March 7, 2024, Manson was the gunman in a shooting. Manson was with several co-conspirators adjacent to an apartment building on the 1900 block of I Street that was the base of the conspiracy’s operations. A person walked by with their dog. Members of the crew had a verbal altercation with the dogwalker. Manson then went into the crew’s stash house in the apartment building. A crew member handed Manson a ski mask. Manson exited the apartment building wearing the mask and armed with a gun. Manson fired several rounds in the direction of the dogwalker. Neither the dogwalker nor the dog were hit.

                On May 15, 2024, investigators arrested Manson at his residence on the 1900 block of I Street, NE. Law enforcement recovered a Glock 17 pistol loaded with 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition. They also recovered a handgun magazine, a box of ammunition, about 50 grams of fentanyl analogue, about 13.88 grams of cocaine, and assorted drug paraphernalia.

                This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.

                This investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Violent Crime Investigations Team of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross-Border Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the District of Columbia National Guard Counter Drug Program, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel of the Violent Crime Reduction and Narcotics Trafficking Section.

    24cr226

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Police Officer Sentenced to Prison and 20 Years of Supervised Release for Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Samuel Joseph Weimer, 46, of Show Low, Arizona, was sentenced on June 24, 2025, by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa, to 42 months in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. Weimer previously pleaded guilty to Possessing Child Pornography. 

    Between August and November of 2022, Weimer used a social media chat room to contact an individual he believed to be a father living in Pennsylvania who was willing to provide his 11-year-old daughter for sex. Weimer sent two images and one video of child pornography to this individual. In an interview with law enforcement, Weimer admitted to possessing and sending the pornographic files. At the time of the offense, Weimer was employed as a police officer with the Show Low Police Department.

    “Police officers swear an oath to uphold the law and protect our citizens” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “This makes Mr. Weimer’s possession of child pornography even more appalling. Child pornography humiliates and degrades our most vulnerable members of society and will never be tolerated.”

    “The conduct of this former police officer was beyond shocking and a gross betrayal of public trust,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “When someone in a position of authority commits such a revolting crime, the damage extends beyond the youthful victims— it shakes the very foundation of our communities’ trust. No matter their badge or title, the FBI will always aggressively pursue cases like this one.”

    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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-08089-PCT-DJH
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-100_Weimer

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

     

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbian National Indicted, Accused of Assaulting Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A man from Columbia was indicted Wednesday and accused of assaulting an officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Yefferson Josue Pinzon Suarez, 31, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with one felony count of assaulting a federal employee.

    In March, an immigration judge ordered Pinzon Suarez removed from the country, according to a motion to have Pinzon Suarez held in jail until trial. On June 20, he was picked up from the St. Louis County Jail, where he was serving a sentence. After being taken to the Robert A. Young Federal Building in downtown St. Louis, Pinzon Suarez refused to cooperate during fingerprinting. Pinzon Suarez bit a deportation officer’s forearm and hit him in the chest, the motion says.

    Pinzon Suarez had been living in Maryland Heights.

    A charge set forth in an indictment is merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Department of Homeland Security investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is prosecuting the case.

    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 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.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Felon Who Sold Fentanyl and Heroin Causing Two Marion Overdose Deaths Convicted by Jury

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A convicted federal felon who sold fentanyl and heroin that resulted in two overdose deaths in 2023 was convicted by a jury on June 25, 2025, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

    Cody Kinzie Dittmar, age 34, originally from Dubuque, Iowa, but who was living Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at the time of the crimes, was convicted of distributing and conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl, resulting in two deaths.  The verdict was returned yesterday afternoon following about two hours of jury deliberations.

    Court records show that Dittmar was sentenced to 64 months in federal prison for a 2017 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The evidence at trial showed that Dittmar was released to federal supervised release on that conviction in June 2023.  Dittmar immediately began selling heroin and fentanyl with his girlfriend, then wife, Alysha (Gould) Dittmar.  On July 1, 2023, the Dittmars sold a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and xylazine to a customer in Marion, Iowa.  The customer and his wife used the drugs shortly thereafter.  Both then died of overdoses.  The Dittmars continued to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Cedar Rapids area until July 2024.  Alysha Dittmar previously pled guilty to distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in the two deaths.

    Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Dittmar remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Dittmar faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on each count and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, $2,000,000 in fines, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.

    The case was investigated by the Marion Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff’s Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Nagin and Dan Chatham.

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

    The case file number is 25‑CR‑00001‑CJW‑MAR.

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