NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Bullard High School Teacher Charged with Federal Child Exploitation Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Ray Anthony Waller, 37, of Fresno, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child sexual abuse images, and sending obscene material to a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, between mid-November 2024 and mid-February 2025, Waller communicated with a minor by sending text, voice, and iMessages designed to have the minor create and transmit to Waller images of the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Waller sent obscene images of himself to the victim and convinced the victim to reciprocate with images of the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Waller is currently detained pending trial. A detention hearing to determine his federal custody status has been scheduled for June 30, 2025. Waller has also been charged in Fresno County Superior Court with crimes relating to this conduct.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, specifically the Fresno Police Department, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted of the sexual exploitation of a minor offense, Waller faces a prison term of between 15 and 30 years and a fine up to $250,000. If convicted for receipt of child sexual abuse images, he faces a prison term of between 5 and 20 years and fine up to $250,000. If convicted for transmitting obscene material to a minor, he faces a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bennington Man Sentenced to 50 Months for Possessing Bomb

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 24, 2025, Tyler Hayes, 43, of Bennington, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph LaPlante to a term of 50 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Hayes was previously convicted by a jury on February 13, 2025, of unlawfully possessing an unregistered bomb and possessing a bomb as an unlawful drug user after a 5-day trial.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, a bomb was discovered in Hayes’s former Bennington residence days after he abandoned the property in February of 2023. The property manager contacted law enforcement, who defused the bomb. Witnesses at trial described how Hayes had been discussing and constructing bombs for months, and had offered to trade a bomb for fentanyl. Other witnesses described Hayes making admissions after the bomb was discovered, including that he was “on the run” after a bomb had been found at his residence. An explosives expert from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives testified that, although the homemade bomb was rudimentary and simplistic (constructed from a combination of a pipe bomb and flammable liquids stored in plastic water bottles), it was nonetheless capable of causing substantial destruction and injury had it been detonated.

    The jury convicted Hayes of possessing an unregistered destructive device, in violation of the National Firearms Act (“NFA”), and of possessing a destructive device while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, in violation of the Gun Control Act (“GCA”). Hayes faced up to 10 years in prison on the NFA violation, and up to 15 years on the GCA violation.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and the Bennington Police Department.  

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne Smith and Nicole Cate. Hayes was represented by James Valente, Esq., and Chandler Matson, Esq.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Mexican national unlawfully residing in New Bedford has pleaded guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

    Bernardo Lorenzo-Guatemala, 38, pleaded guilty on July 24, 2025 to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in May 2025.  

    Lorenzo-Guatemala was deported from the United States on June 4, 2019. Sometime after his removal, Lorenzo-Guatemala unlawfully reentered the United States. immigration officials became aware of Lorenzo-Guatemala’s unlawful presence in the United States following his arrest on July 2, 2024 for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

    The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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 and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sun Prairie Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Illegally Possessing Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Javaris Nunn, 33, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was sentenced June 24, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 30 months in prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. Nunn pleaded guilty to this charge on March 26, 2025.

    On December 28, 2023, Nunn was a rear passenger in a vehicle that was stopped because it did not have a license plate. Next to Nunn, officers found a backpack containing an unloaded Glock 42 .380 caliber handgun and a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P .45 caliber handgun with the serial number scratched off. While Nunn denied knowledge of the handguns, the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory found evidence of Nunn’s DNA on both guns.

    Nunn has prior felony convictions for theft from a person, felon in possession of a firearm, and robbery. As a convicted felon, Nunn cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

    At sentencing, Judge Peterson said that he was considering not only Nunn’s traumatic past and positive characteristics, but also his significant criminal history and the severity of the offense.  Judge Peterson noted that Nunn carrying firearms was a recipe for disaster. Judge Peterson imposed the sentence to run concurrently with a state revocation sentence and ordered that Nunn serve three years of supervised release.

    The charge against Nunn was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consisting of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies representing the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.

    This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Topeka man indicted for alleged assault on Tribal land

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

    TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with committing an assault on Tribal land.

    According to court documents, Wesley Reel Bennett, 23, of Topeka was indicted on one count of assaults within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. 

    In June 2025, Bennett is accused of assaulting and seriously injuring a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation within the confines of its Tribal territory. 

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Police Department are investigating the case. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case.

    OTHER INDICTMENTS

    Hector Alvarado, 55, of Topeka was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case. 

    Kenneth Norman Baker, 41, of Baxter Springs was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona to Evansville Fentanyl Trafficking Operation Dismantled, Landing Two in Federal Prison

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

    EVANSVILLE— Two men have been sentenced to a combined 16 years in federal prison for their roles in a drug trafficking operation responsible for pumping thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills from Arizona into Evansville.

    Deriontai Mathis, 31, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

    Ernest Gilbert, 38, of Arizona, was sentenced in July of 2024 to five years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

    According to court documents, between September and November of 2022, Mathis and Gilbert conspired together to buy and sell thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. Gilbert, who resided in Arizona, would obtain the pills, ship or otherwise transport them to Indiana, and then fly to Indiana and drive the pills to Mathis in Evansville.

    On November 10, 2022, during a search of Mathis’s residence, investigators recovered nine plastic bags containing ten thousand counterfeit M-30 fentanyl pills hidden inside of a child’s toy car, a camouflaged backpack that contained $56,800.00 in cash, a body armor vest and nine firearms. During a search of another residence Mathis used to store his contraband, officers recovered three additional handguns and a 12-gauge shotgun.

    In 2015, Mathis was convicted for being a drug abuser in possession of a firearm, thereby prohibiting from ever legally possessing a firearm again.

    This investigation also led to the discovery that Jeremial Leach was a customer of Mathis, purchasing counterfeit fentanyl pills for $10 per pill. In May of 2024, Leach was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for dealing fentanyl resulting in at least three overdoses and a teen’s death. See: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/evansville-snapchat-fentanyl-dealer-responsible-least-three-overdoses-and-teens-death

    “The sentences imposed here should serve as a warning: these poisons kill—and selling them will earn you decades in federal prison,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our office remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local and federal partners in order to keep our communities safe, hold drug traffickers accountable, and stop the flow of deadly substances into our neighborhoods.”

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: ‘Historically Successful’ Strike on Iranian Nuclear Site Was 15 Years in the Making

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff held a press briefing to share more details about the success of Operation Midnight Hammer, which had been in the works for 15 years.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Secretary of Defense General Officer Announcements for June 26, 2025

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that President Donald J. Trump has nominated Army Lt. Gen. Thomas M. Carden, Jr. for appointment to the grade of general, with assignment as vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Army Maj. Gen. Bobby L. Christine for appointment as judge advocate general.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: PDAAG Roger P. Alford Delivers Remarks to the International Association of Privacy Professionals

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Good afternoon. I am pleased to be here today. It is an honor to represent the United States and work with the Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater and the amazing attorneys, economists, and staff and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. I also want to thank the IAPP for inviting me to participate in this 2025 Digital Policy Leadership Retreat and Jonathan Zittrain and David Sanger for joining this discussion on such an important and timely topic.

    The world today has indeed become a digital world. Almost every company has some digital presence and almost every product sector is touched by digital platforms. Every day, platforms are connecting users and consumers in new and exciting ways. They are introducing novel commercial relationships with ever sophisticated algorithms. While we welcome these changes, we also recognize that these innovations introduce a range of competition issues. At the Department of Justice, we are watching these developments closely, scrutinizing the competitive implications of digital conduct.

    The topic for my speech today is where we go from here in applying antitrust law and policy in the digital world. I won’t bury the lede. We are heading towards a better future for the American people that maximizes their consumer welfare in digital markets through the vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws. In fact, thanks to recent enforcement efforts, we are already beginning to see that world unfold.

    Many doubted that would ever be possible. When digital markets first emerged, enforcers had for decades been accustomed mostly to smokestack industries. Products rolled off assembly lines with similar features and prices year after year. These things could be measured and scrutinized quantitatively. We came to think that’s all antitrust enforcers should do.

    In contrast, digital markets offered zero price goods, with consumers trading their time and data for services. They were often defined by innovation and dynamism. Those looked like square pegs that didn’t fit the round holes of traditional antitrust analysis.

    We had become so used to smokestack industries that many assumed consumer welfare should always be measured in the prices and outputs of the goods that rolled off the assembly line. Privacy, attention, choice, and innovation were afterthoughts. And so some suggested that there could be no antitrust enforcement in many digital markets because traditional measures of consumer welfare were difficult to apply.

    Others accepted that premise, but pushed for a divorce between antitrust enforcement and the consumer welfare standard. They thought that to adequately protect competition in digital markets, antitrust needed to abandon its core focus on consumer welfare and have an essentially unlimited lens on its mission to include citizen welfare or a nebulous public interest standard.

    We now know that there is a third way. Consumers’ welfare is not merely about the price they pay. Consumers benefit when their privacy is better protected. They pay for digital services in time, attention, and data. Consumer welfare rises when companies innovate, and new technologies disrupt incumbent technologies.

    The answer was not to abandon antitrust in digital markets, or to abandon consumer welfare. The answer was to recognize the many dimensions of the competitive process that maximizes consumer welfare online.

    I’d like to spend my time today talking about how that principle has played out in recent cases and will continue to inform our work in digital markets in the years to come.

    First, our recent successes in protecting consumers from monopoly abuse in digital markets unequivocally demonstrate the continued vitality of the consumer welfare frame in protecting the American people online.

    As many of you are aware, the Department of Justice has been vigorously enforcing the antitrust laws against the exclusionary and unlawful conduct of Big Tech for some time now, going back to the first Trump Administration. The DOJ currently has two large, ongoing litigations against Google in particular.

    These are historic monopolization cases in which the DOJ earned landmark wins in federal district courts in Washington D.C. and Virginia, finding that Google is a serial monopolist — in general search, in search text advertising, and in multiple segments of the ad-tech stack. These rulings recognize that Google has abused its monopoly status by controlling how digital advertisements are placed on the free and open internet.

    The DOJ has proven that Google repeatedly broke the law against monopolization. In response, we have proposed remedies tailored to restore competition and address the competitive harms of Google’s monopoly abuses.[1] In the Google Search case, a decision is expected by the end of the summer, following a three-week remedy hearing this spring. In Google Ad Tech, a remedies hearing is scheduled for early fall. We are hopeful that the federal courts in both cases will issue strong rulings that adopt structural and behavioral remedies to restore competition. Historic monopolization cases call for historic remedies, and our digital freedoms deserve nothing less.

    The Google cases represent a bipartisan consensus in favor of vigorous antitrust enforcement. Beginning in the first Trump Administration, these cases reflect an historic commitment by both Republican and Democratic Administrations and almost every State Attorney General to protect consumers from monopoly abuse.

    Both of these cases were won with evidence presented within a consumer welfare frame, expanded to account for the unique properties of digital markets. We defined consumer welfare broadly to include not only price, but also quality, output, innovation and anything else that impacts consumers. And we recognized that consumer welfare impacts do not always need to involve the kind of quantitative evidence available in a price-focused case, but that qualitative non-price evidence can be equally valuable.

    Judge Mehta’s opinion in Google Search is a great example of the modern approach to addressing all of the determinants of consumer welfare. It mentions privacy 55 times. For example, when assessing the relevant market, it notes how Google compares its privacy to Duck Duck Go.[2] And its overall market definition approach appropriately takes account for the full range of qualitative evidence that bears on defining competition in search. Meanwhile, the Google Ad Tech opinion reminds its readers that the antitrust laws are a “consumer welfare prescription,” and then goes on to examine the many unique attributes of consumer welfare, beyond price and output, in the ad tech markets Google monopolized there.[3]

    While we assess the full range of determinants of consumer welfare, that does not mean our analysis is unlimited. The ultimate question for antitrust law remains economic competition in a relevant market. The law does not permit an untethered overall public interest analysis that asks courts to weigh effects across markets or to include non-competition values.

    For that reason, we consistently reject arguments that we should excuse harm to competition in order to protect a national champion firm on the theory that this will somehow benefit national security. We don’t accept the premise that shielding our businesses from competition somehow makes us stronger. That’s the Chinese and Russian way. The American way of winning the global economic competition is with strong competition in our domestic firms that makes our companies stronger to compete abroad. That premise has served us well for centuries, and we do not intend to abandon it now.

    Let me offer a word of thanks to those who prosecuted these cases. The incredible attorneys, economists, and staff at the Antitrust Division that prosecuted the Google Search case deserve particular mention. Following a ten-week liability trial in 2023 and then a three-week remedies trial in 2025, they outlawyered the other side by presenting strong legal theories in support of critical remedies designed to ensure that our digital spaces will be free and open. No matter what the federal court orders in the remedies phase, the leadership at the Division is incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication of the public servants who have litigated that case.

    As Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater has said, “The Google Search case matters because nothing less than the future of the internet is at stake here. Are we going to give Americans choices and allow innovation and competition to thrive online? Or will we maintain the status quo that favors Big Tech monopolies? If Google’s conduct is not remedied, it will control much of the internet for the next decade and not just in internet search, but in new technologies like artificial intelligence.”[4]

    As for the Google Ad Tech case, the extraordinary attorneys have won a landmark liability ruling and we anticipate that they will present a strong case for robust remedies in the digital ad tech space. As Attorney General Pam Bondi has said, the ruling in the Antitrust Division’s favor in April in that case was “a landmark victory in the ongoing fight to stop Google from monopolizing the digital public square.”  I could not agree more. We are fortunate to have such quality attorneys working to protect the American public.

    Let me now turn to some of our thinking about how we will protect consumer welfare in digital markets in the future. Digital technologies have significant implications for virtually all the monopoly conduct and cartels that the DOJ analyzes today. The DOJ has an obligation to husband our resources to enforce the laws where it matters most, to protect markets that most directly impact the average American, markets such as healthcare, housing, agriculture, education, and insurance. Let me focus on just a few of those digital markets.

    In healthcare, in particular, we have a mandate to use our resources to ensure American markets in health sectors are more competitive, innovative, affordable, and provide higher quality to patients and consumers. For years, we have witnessed consolidation across healthcare leading to higher prices and lower wages for healthcare workers. We see pharmacy benefit managers and brand name monopolies driving up prescription drug prices. Consolidation and roll-ups of physician practices and hospitals often increase health care costs, raising prices for services, and deteriorating patient outcomes. And algorithms and data increase complexity by playing an ever-larger role in health care markets and practices. We are even seeing algorithmic management technologies gaining a foothold in the health care labor sector, one of the largest labor sectors in the country.[5]

    Our recent Las Vegas nursing case is an example of the Department of Justice protecting Americans’ pocketbooks in the health sector. In that case, the Division successfully prosecuted a three-year conspiracy to fix the wages of nurses — capping their wages. As AAG Slater has stated: “Wage-fixing agreements are nakedly unlawful attempts at unjustly profiting off American workers…. The nurses here deserved better, and under President Trump’s leadership, they will be protected.”[6]

    The DOJ is committed to combatting monopoly abuse and collusion in the health care sector. This includes collusion that is accomplished by digital algorithms. Our recent statement of interest in the In re Multiplan Health Insurance Provider Litigation is an example.[7] In that case, competitors used a common pricing algorithm to share confidential information to set prices. Such algorithmic sharing of confidential information on digital platforms should be challenged as a violation of the antitrust laws.

    The DOJ is focused on algorithmic collusion in housing markets as well. The Division is litigating an ongoing case against RealPage and large landlords for algorithmic collusion affecting the rental prices for millions of Americans.[8] In this case, RealPage has introduced a digital platform that made it easier for landlords to coordinate to dramatically increase rental prices for the average American. RealPage and large landlords actively participated in the illegal pricing scheme, setting their rents by using each other’s competitively sensitive information via common pricing algorithms.[9]

    These cases are examples of a growing trend. If we do not take a strong stand now against algorithmic collusion, we will see this new form of price fixing destroying effective competition across a whole range of digital markets.

    And still there is more. Algorithmic collusion is only a subset of the issues that algorithms raise for antitrust enforcement. We can see on the horizon new concerns that will be extremely difficult for enforcers to address using traditional antitrust law. Academic work is already exploring how artificial intelligence can be instructed to profit maximize and learn to set prices in a manner consistent with collusion. We are on the verge of autonomous algorithmic collusion.

    Regardless of the digital sector, we at the DOJ will follow the facts and apply the law in connection with algorithmic pricing and potential collusion. These issues provide an opportunity for our enforcers to engage critically with the practical realities of how complex technologies are affecting Americans’ lives today and in the future. Artificial intelligence holds so much promise, but it also presents unique challenges. Will these technologies empower anticompetitive behavior targeted at unsuspecting digital citizens?  The DOJ must meet this moment and fulfill its mandate to protect competition for the American people.

    Let me conclude with a few thoughts about the Antitrust Division’s agenda with respect to mergers in the digital space.

    When President Trump announced that Gail Slater would lead the Antitrust Division, he reiterated that Big Tech has stifled Little Tech innovation and competition. We are pro Little Tech and welcome Little Tech innovation. We will bring the antitrust laws to bear on Big Tech to answer for their abuses, but we are open and receptive to procompetitive mergers, especially in Little Tech. We want innovative start-ups to see exit opportunities other than acquisitions by the largest, most dominant players, whose acquisition strategies are often driven as much by their desire to entrench their existing power as they are to drive innovation. The enforcers at the DOJ work tirelessly to promote a competitive landscape to ensure that new ideas get funding, so that startups can compete on the merits and disrupt incumbents.

    An embrace of Little Tech recognizes the benefits of venture capital and digital mergers. We want to see venture capital funds flowing to support innovative companies. In healthy, competitive markets, venture capital funds should flow freely.

    During AAG Slater’s tenure at the Division, we will challenge anticompetitive mergers. That is already evident in these early months. But the vast majority of mergers do not raise competition concerns, and those that do often can be resolved through negotiation, settlements, and consent decrees. We are committed to providing clear guidance to merging parties on their proposed transactions, welcoming most mergers and only challenging the problematic ones.

    In conclusion, let me state what an honor it is for me to return to the Antitrust Division and serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General to AAG Slater. As part of the Republican realignment, President Trump and Assistant Attorney General Slater have a clear vision for robust antitrust enforcement over the next four years. Our paramount focus will be to put consumer welfare first, accounting for the wide range of harms and benefits to consumers and workers that can arise in modern markets.

    Yes, competition brings lower prices. But it also brings better quality, improved privacy options, lower advertising loads, greater data portability, more choice, and increased innovations. Competition maximizes consumer welfare by driving businesses to deliver everything consumers want. That makes it the critical tool to protect consumers in our free market system, even in a changing world.

    Thank you. 

    [2] See United States v. Google LLC, 747 F. Supp. 3d 1, 54-55 (D.D.C. 2024).

    [3] See United States v. Google LLC, 23-cv-108, 2025 WL 1132012 (E.D. Va. Apr. 17, 2025) (“Google AdTech”).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Secretary Noem Terminates Wasteful DHS Program that Encouraged DEI in K-12 Schools

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    The “Invent2Prevent” program funneled millions of dollars to a highly politicized organization and targeted school children with radical ideology

    WASHINGTON – Today, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that she terminated the DHS “Invent2Prevent” program – a wasteful and highly politicized initiative that cost the American taxpayer over $1.5 million dollars.

    Despite its high cost, the program accomplished very little towards its apparent mission: preventing terrorism. Instead, it funneled taxpayer money into a highly politicized organization called “The Eradicate Hate Global Summit,” which promoted DEI and LGBTQ ideology at K-12 schools.

    “President Trump was given a mandate by the American people to eliminate wasteful government spending, and that is exactly what we are doing,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary. “This program was not only wasteful, it was also using public money to support an openly partisan and political organization. Politicized NGOs like Eradicate Hate have been siphoning away taxpayer dollars for far too long. We are ending the grift.”

    Under the guise of counter terrorism, this program used tax money on initiatives to foster “inclusive environments in schools,” promote DEI, and expose grade school children to sexualized topics like LGBTQ issues.

    By canceling Invent2Prevent, Secretary Noem is saving the taxpayer $1,523,146.24.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Second Owner of Fuel Truck Supply Company Incarcerated for Bid Rigging, Market Allocation, and Wire Fraud Conspiracies

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The owner of a fuel truck supply company, Kris Bird, 62, was sentenced today in Boise, Idaho, to three months in prison and a $24,000 fine for his role in schemes to rig bids, allocate territories, and commit wire fraud over an eight-year period. Further, Bird was ordered to forfeit to the federal government $1,542,387 as proceeds of his wire fraud offenses. The conspiracies Bird participated in related to contracts to provide fuel trucks that assist the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to battle wildfires in Idaho and the mountain west.

    Bird pleaded guilty in March 2025 — two weeks before his trial was set to begin — to the seven-count indictment. The plea followed an investigation that involved evidence from a judicially authorized wiretap and led to charges against two executives in December 2023. Earlier this month on June 5, Bird’s co-defendant, Ike Tomlinson, 61, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his leadership role in the criminal conduct.

    “Mr. Bird stole taxpayer funds allocated for critical wildfire-fighting efforts protecting the American people to line his own pockets,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Trump Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its law enforcement partners will continue the fight to ensure that the fraudulent use of taxpayer money results in incarceration.”

    “Today’s sentencing underscores the FBI’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our markets,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Antitrust violations are not just corporate misconduct, they’re federal crimes that distort competition, drive up costs for consumers and erode public trust. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to hold accountable those who rig the system for personal gain.”

    “Bid rigging is not a victimless crime. It cheats taxpayers and the honest contractors who play by the rules,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Jason Suffredini of the General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG). “GSA OIG and our partners remain committed to pursuing those who engage in procurement fraud.”

    According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated their bids to inflate prices and to determine who would have priority to receive business from the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies in the event of a wildfire in a specific geographic area. The co-conspirators further coordinated to exclude and punish potential competitors to further maintain the success of their conspiracy. During the conspiracies, from March 2015 to March 2023, Bird annually submitted false SAM certifications to the federal government covering up his bid-rigging conspiracy and committing wire fraud. 

    The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, and General Services Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg and Trial Attorneys Elena A. Goldstein, Daniel B. Twomey, and Matthew Chou of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho have been prosecuting the case.

    In addition to today’s criminal sentence, in May 2025, the United States, on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, entered into a civil settlement with Kris Bird and other related entities and individuals who agreed to pay $781,186 to resolve civil claims after admitting to allegations that they obtained government contracts through bid-rigging and the submission of false SAM Certifications, as well as wrongly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General investigated the civil case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert B. Firpo and Civil Chief James Schaefer are handling the case.

    In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Second Owner of Fuel Truck Supply Company Incarcerated for Bid Rigging, Market Allocation, and Wire Fraud Conspiracies

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The owner of a fuel truck supply company, Kris Bird, 62, was sentenced today in Boise, Idaho, to three months in prison and a $24,000 fine for his role in schemes to rig bids, allocate territories, and commit wire fraud over an eight-year period. Further, Bird was ordered to forfeit to the federal government $1,542,387 as proceeds of his wire fraud offenses. The conspiracies Bird participated in related to contracts to provide fuel trucks that assist the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to battle wildfires in Idaho and the mountain west.

    Bird pleaded guilty in March 2025 — two weeks before his trial was set to begin — to the seven-count indictment. The plea followed an investigation that involved evidence from a judicially authorized wiretap and led to charges against two executives in December 2023. Earlier this month on June 5, Bird’s co-defendant, Ike Tomlinson, 61, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his leadership role in the criminal conduct.

    “Mr. Bird stole taxpayer funds allocated for critical wildfire-fighting efforts protecting the American people to line his own pockets,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Trump Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its law enforcement partners will continue the fight to ensure that the fraudulent use of taxpayer money results in incarceration.”

    “Today’s sentencing underscores the FBI’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our markets,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Antitrust violations are not just corporate misconduct, they’re federal crimes that distort competition, drive up costs for consumers and erode public trust. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to hold accountable those who rig the system for personal gain.”

    “Bid rigging is not a victimless crime. It cheats taxpayers and the honest contractors who play by the rules,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Jason Suffredini of the General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG). “GSA OIG and our partners remain committed to pursuing those who engage in procurement fraud.”

    According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated their bids to inflate prices and to determine who would have priority to receive business from the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies in the event of a wildfire in a specific geographic area. The co-conspirators further coordinated to exclude and punish potential competitors to further maintain the success of their conspiracy. During the conspiracies, from March 2015 to March 2023, Bird annually submitted false SAM certifications to the federal government covering up his bid-rigging conspiracy and committing wire fraud. 

    The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, and General Services Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg and Trial Attorneys Elena A. Goldstein, Daniel B. Twomey, and Matthew Chou of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho have been prosecuting the case.

    In addition to today’s criminal sentence, in May 2025, the United States, on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, entered into a civil settlement with Kris Bird and other related entities and individuals who agreed to pay $781,186 to resolve civil claims after admitting to allegations that they obtained government contracts through bid-rigging and the submission of false SAM Certifications, as well as wrongly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General investigated the civil case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert B. Firpo and Civil Chief James Schaefer are handling the case.

    In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jamestown, New York, Man Going to Prison for Assisting in the Burial of a Murder Victim

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Matthew Rudy, 43, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of accessory after the fact, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler and Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on May 27, 2014, Anthony Neubauer kidnapped Joseph Anthony and traveled from Jamestown to property in Pennsylvania owned by Matthew Rudy. Neubauer tricked Anthony into traveling by offering him cocaine. After arriving in Pennsylvania, Neubauer and Rudy told Anthony they did not have any cocaine, before shooting and killing him, and then burying him on Rudy’s property. Neubauer and Rudy took Anthony to Pennsylvania because they believed he was a cooperator.

    Anthony Neubauer was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm. Additional assistance was provided by the Warren County, PA, District Attorney’s Office.

    # # # #

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Woman Arrested After 20 Pounds of Cocaine Seized at New Mexico Checkpoint

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Texas woman is facing federal charges after U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than 20 pounds of cocaine from her vehicle during a checkpoint inspection south of Alamogordo, New Mexico.

    According to court documents, on the afternoon of June 16, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Aurelia Madrid-Marquez, 51, at the Highway 54 checkpoint located South of Alamogordo, New Mexico, driving a minivan with Illinois license plates. During routine questioning, agents conducted a canine inspection of the vehicle, which resulted in a positive alert for narcotics. A subsequent search revealed seven vacuum-sealed bundles containing a white powdery substance concealed in the driver-side floorboard area. Field tests confirmed the substance to be cocaine.

    Madrid-Marquez is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Madrid-Marquez faces up to 10 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, and Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector made the announcement today.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former HUD Employee, Who Moonlighted for Two Other Federal Agencies, Admits Making False Claims

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Caused an Estimated Loss to the U.S. Government of $225,866

               WASHINGTON – Crissy Monique Baker, 45, a federal employee from Fairfax, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims in connection with claiming to work more hours for the government than she actually did.

               The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting Inspector General Stephen Ravas of AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Michael Smith with Office of the Inpsector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

               Between October 2021 and May 2025, Baker worked as a management and program analyst for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to court documents, from October 2021 through July 2024, Baker held multiple full-time government contractor positions to perform human resources services for other federal agencies but did not seek approval from HUD to engage in this outside employment. Through this years-long scheme, Baker billed the government more than 24 hours in a single day between her employment with the federal government and contractors. The estimated loss to the government was $225,866.

               Between September 2021 through April 2023, Contractor-A employed Baker to perform full-time work as a human resources assistant for AmeriCorps. From May 16, 2022, until Dec. 2, 2022, Contractor-B employed Baker to work fulltime as a human resources specialist for the National Institutes of Health. 

               Because of her scheme, Baker willfully caused the contractors to submit false claims to the U.S. Government for hours that she did not actually work. In addition, Baker submitted timesheets to HUD certifying that she worked hours for the government agency that she never actually did. For example, in June 2022, Baker certified through timesheets to HUD, Contractor-A, and Contractor-B, that she worked 26 hours per day on 13 workdays out of a total of 21 workdays that month.   

               Baker teleworked in all three positions, so she was able to conceal her employment with HUD and the two contarctors from each other.

    U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 30, 2025.

               This case was investigated by the Offices of the Inspector General for the following agencies:  AmeriCorps; Housing and Urban Development; the Department of Energy; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; the Department of Homeland Security; the General Services Administration; the Department of Health and Human Services; and the Department of Treasury (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration), the Department of Defense (Defense Criminal Investigate Service), and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

               The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Kondi Kleinman.

    25cr172

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Armed Robber Sentenced to Over 26 Years Imprisonment for String of Commercial Armed Robberies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    STATESBORO, GA:  A Waynesboro resident was sentenced to federal prison for 10 commercial armed robberies that he committed in Bulloch, Burke, Chatham, Emanuel, Glascock, Jenkins, and Ware Counties.

    Cordell Cobb, 24, of Waynesboro, was sentenced to 318 months in prison after pleading guilty to ten counts of Interference With Commerce by Robbery and two counts of Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Cobb to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term and to pay $12,081 in restitution to the various victimized businesses.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    As described in court documents and testimony, on ten different occasions from January 2023 through June 2023, Cobb entered commercial establishments throughout the Southern District of Georgia and brandished weapons before demanding money. Employees in all ten locations provided United States currency to Cobb to avoid physical harm and Cobb left the locations with his ill-gotten proceeds. Following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Chatham County Police Department (CCPD), Glascock County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Jenkins County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Waycross Police Department (WPD), Burke County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), and Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO), Cobb was apprehended and ultimately admitted to committing all ten robberies.

    “This sentencing reflects the serious consequences of violent crime and the strength of coordinated law enforcement” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Communities across Georgia are safer today because of the tireless work of our local, state, and federal partner agencies in bringing this armed robber to justice.”

    “We applaud the collaborative efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation. Together, we have sent a strong message that armed robbery will not be tolerated, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” said Thomas Crawford, ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge.

    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 Neighborhoods (PSN).

    This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.

    The case was being investigated by the ATF, GBI, CCPD, GCSO, JCSO, WPD, BCSO, ECSO and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Henry W. Syms, Jr.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Boston Gang Member Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for drug conspiracy charges.

    Avery Lewis, a/k/a “Wave,” 33, of Dorchester was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to 46 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2025, Lewis pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

    Lewis was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation that began in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. Over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation.

    According to the charging documents, the H-Block street gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H-Block. Current members of H-Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation.

    Lewis was a long-time H-Block gang member and daily street-level dealer with a regular roster of customers. Over the course of the investigation, Lewis sold cocaine to an undercover officer on several occasions and coordinated other drug trafficking criminal activities with H-Block gang members.

    On April 5, 2023, Lewis was arrested with approximately 250 grams of cocaine in his vehicle. In addition, in March 2024, Lewis was involved in an altercation with a Boston Police Department officer, leading to the officer being struck by a bullet fired by a concealed gun in Lewis’s possession resulting in state charges. Lewis was sentenced to seven to nine years in state prison in that matter.

    According to court records, Lewis’ criminal history includes a 2017 cocaine conviction for possessing 86 bags of cocaine inside his apartment as well as a 2013 conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.  

    Lewis is the first defendant to be sentenced in the case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Sentenced in Rhode Island for Bank Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE   A Bronx, NY, man who participated in a conspiracy that intended to defraud banks in at least ten states of approximately $143,000 was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Paul Keenan, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnel, Jr., to    24 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Keenan, charged and arrested in this matter in August 2024, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

    According to court documents, Keenan, working alongside other members of a conspiracy, to facilitate their scheme, recruited and organized individuals and obtained their photographs and personal identifying information (PII). Keenan and his co-conspirators used the information to create fraudulent IDs that contained their own photographs and the PII of some of the recruits.

    Keenan and others then obtained the PII of at least 28 victim individuals, including their names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank account information. They also obtained information of at least 20 business entities, including business names and banking information. The information collected was used to create fraudulent IDs and checks. Members of the conspiracy then traveled with recruits to banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and at least eight other states to cash bogus checks.

    Through the scheme, Keenan and others attempted to defraud banks of a total of approximately $143,000, successfully defrauding twenty-two banks of a total of approximately $93,200.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine Lowell with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Hebert.

    The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the East Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the Portsmouth Police Department.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Remote Patient Monitoring Company Settles False Claims Act Lawsuit for $1.29 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ATLANTA – Health Wealth Safe, Inc. and Dr. Subodh Agrawal have paid $1.29 million to settle allegations that they knowingly caused false claims to be presented to Medicare.

    “Knowingly billing Medicare for services that do not meet Medicare’s requirements is a fraud against taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will continue to enforce the False Claims Act to recover government payments that result from such misconduct.”

    “Healthcare professionals have a sworn duty to prioritize patient health and to ensure all services billed to the federal government are fully compliant with program requirements,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the integrity of the Medicare program.”

    The investigation began when former employees of Health Wealth Safe, Inc. (“Health Wealth”) filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Act referred to as a qui tam suit. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any person who submits false claims to the federal government or its contractors. The law imposes treble damages and civil penalties on those who submit false claims. Under the law, whistleblowers (also called “relators”) who bring fraud to the government’s attention share in any recovery obtained by the government.

    The United States alleged that, at the direction of owner Dr. Subodh Agrawal, Health Wealth caused claims to be presented to Medicare for remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) services that were not reimbursable. RPM involves the use of non-face-to-face technology to monitor and analyze a patient’s physiological metrics, such as oxygen saturation, blood pressure, weight, and blood-sugar or blood-oxygen levels. For monitoring services to be covered by Medicare, the monitoring devices must automatically report readings to the monitoring company without further human intervention. The United States alleged that Health Wealth knowingly billed for RPM services even though it failed to provide patients with devices that met these requirements between September 2019 and January 2021.

    The settlement resolved the underlying lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, United States ex rel. Chavous v. Health Wealth Safe, Inc., No. 1:22-cv-02553. The relator will receive $238,650 from the settlement in this matter, plus attorney’s fees.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

    The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Massachusetts Resident Living in California Pleads Guilty to PPP Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Los Angeles man who formerly resided in Randolph, Mass. has pleaded guilty to submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of multiple companies he owns and controls.  

    Rindal Pierre-Canel, 30, pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025 to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Oct. 1, 2025. The defendant was arrested and charged in January 2025.  

    Between March 2021 and May 2021, Pierre-Canel submitted three fraudulent applications seeking and receiving over $50,000 in PPP funds. Two of the applications were submitted in Pierre-Canel’s own name and the third application was submitted using the stolen personal identifying information of a victim. The submissions included false representations about the existence and income of businesses and included false tax documents in support of these false representations. Pierre-Canel used the funds he received from the fraudulent PPP loan applications on personal expenses, including flights to California and purchases of designer clothing.

    The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 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 and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Cambridge and Hermosa Beach (Calif.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at: Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: North Stonington Woman Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Crystal Meth

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JILL MULLIGAN, 45, of North Stonington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking crystal meth.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in April and May 2023, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made three controlled purchases of crystal meth from Mulligan.  Mulligan was arrested on May 4, 2023.  At the time of her arrest, searches of Mulligan’s North Stonington residence and her vehicle revealed approximately 390 grams of crystal meth, and quantities of crack cocaine, LSD, and prescription pills.

    On November 1, 2023, Mulligan pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  She has been detained since March 12, 2025, when her bond was revoked.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: U.S. Coast Guard, USS Sampson Conduct Drug Interdiction In Eastern Pacific

    Source: United States Navy

    PACIFIC OCEAN – U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy interdicted three suspected drug smugglers and more than 7,850 pounds of cocaine, with an assessed wholesale value of approximately $58.1 million, in the Eastern Pacific on Sunday morning.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Swanzey Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing Firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Winchester

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

    CONCORD – A Swanzey man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for stealing 18 firearms from Trader John’s Gun Shop in Winchester, New Hampshire, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    Khale Guillou, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot to 18 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.  In March 2025, Guillou pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee (FFL). 

    “The defendant stole 18 guns from an FFL and, just days later, shell casings were found in his car. This case highlights the dangerous link between gun thefts and violent crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “Yesterday’s sentence sends a message that we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who fuel gun violence are held accountable.” 

    “ATF’s collaboration with our industry partners forms the first line of defense against firearms trafficking and diversion,” said Acting ATF SAC Scott Riordan. “ATF prioritizes investigations which both victimize those industry partners and endanger the community by placing guns in criminal hands. This investigation reflects ATF’s commitment to protect federal firearm licensees and ensure firearms in lawful commerce are not diverted for criminal use.”

    According to the court documents and statements made in court, on the night of July 6, 2024, Guillou broke into Trader John’s Gun Shop and stole 17 handguns and one rifle. Nine days later, Guillou’s car was involved in a shooting in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Law enforcement recovered three of Trader John’s stolen firearms from the trunk of Guillou’s car and spent shell casings from inside the vehicle. Three additional stolen firearms were recovered from Guillou’s home, two of which were also taken from Trader John’s Gun Shop.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation. The Keene, Swanzey, Winchester, and Tewksbury Police Departments provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski prosecuted 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).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictments Charge Seven Individuals in Drug Trafficking and Firearms Investigations

    Source: US FBI

    PROVIDENCE – Seven individuals have been charged by way indictments unsealed in U.S. District Court in Providence related to a year-long Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation into firearm and drug trafficking in Rhode Island, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Court documents reflect that between September 11, 2024, and April 30, 2025, Jose Rodriguez Morales, aka Bam Bam, 28, of Providence, allegedly arranged for the sale and delivery of at least 700 grams of fentanyl pills; 104 grams of fentanyl powder; 96 grams of cocaine; and seven firearms, to include an AR-15, two semi-automatic handguns, three handguns, and a Glock switch. Some of the deliveries were allegedly made by associates of Jose Rodriquez Morales, including two of his brothers. The deliveries were surveilled by members of law enforcement and the items trafficked were quickly seized.

    The investigation included the execution of multiple search warrants in Providence and Central Falls by the FBI Safe Street Task Force and a multitude of law enforcement partners on June 12, 2025.

    A 13-count indictment returned on June 11, 2025, and unsealed today charges

    • Jose Rodriguez Morales, aka Bam Bam, 28, of Providence, with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, unlawful possession of a machinegun, unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful dealing in firearms. The defendant was arrested on      June 12, 2025, and ordered detained in federal custody.
    • Iven Rodriguez Morales, 30, of Central Falls, with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, unlawful possession of a machinegun, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The defendant was arrested on       June 16, 2025, and ordered detained in federal custody.
    • Bryan Pacheco Morales, 23, of Central Falls, with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of40 grams or more of fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendant was arrested on June 12, 2025, and released on June 23, 2025, on unsecured bond.
    • Edgar Aviles Cruz, 33, of Central Falls, with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendant was arrested on June 12, 2025, and was released on an unsecured bond.
    • Jashua Encarnacion, 25, of Central Falls , with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendant was arrested on June 12, 2025, and released on an unsecured bond.
    • Carlos Figuereo, 24, of Providence, with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendant was arrested today and was ordered detained in federal custody.

    Additionally, the investigation led to the return of an indictment charging Christian Carrion, 32, of Pawtucket, with distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  According to information presented to the court, it is alleged that, on at least two occasions, Carrion sold fentanyl-laced pills to another person. It is alleged that the total weight of fentanyl pills sold by Carrion totaled 60 grams. Carrion was arraigned before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on June 12, 2025, and was ordered detained.

    A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    These 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 (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 cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julianne Klein and Peter I. Roklan.

    The ongoing investigation is led by the FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force, with valuable assistance provided by Rhode Island State Police, United States Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Pawtucket and Central Falls Police Departments.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Opens Investigation into the University of California System for Race- and Sex-Based Employment Practices

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the University of California (UC) system, including its individual campuses, concerning potential race- and sex-based discrimination in university employment practices.

    The University of California’s “UC 2030 Capacity Plan” directs its campuses to hire “diverse” faculty members to meet race- and sex-based employment quotas. These initiatives openly measure new hires by their race and sex, which potentially runs afoul of federal law. The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether the University of California is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

    “Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal risk under federal law.”

    The notice letter is available here.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Laundering $5.5M

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Mexican national was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in the collection of drug proceeds in the United States and the repatriation of those proceeds or their equivalent value to Mexico as part of a money laundering conspiracy.

    According to court documents, Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez, also known as Meno, 52, of Guadalajara, Mexico, served as a “money broker” in an organization that conspired with drug traffickers to launder money for them in Mexico. Martinez personally brokered contracts to launder approximately $5.5 million and used a network of co-conspirators to pick up the drug proceeds all over the United States. Martinez then directed the transfer of the funds to Mexico via cryptocurrency and kept a percentage for himself as a fee. 

    As a direct result of the money laundering contracts brokered by Martinez, The Drug Enforcement Administration Lexington Field Office and its partners seized 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. The DEA also seized $1,352,160 in bulk U.S. currency.

    The 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, with the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Leaders and Members of YBMG Gang Sentenced for Murder for Hire Conspiracy, Attempted Murder, Racketeering, Narcotics, and Firearms Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the sentencing of SHPENDIM HAXHAJ, a/k/a “White Mike,” the last of seven defendants to be sentenced in a case involving members of a street gang known as the Young Bronx Money Getters, or “YBMG,” that operated in the Bronx, Long Island, Upstate New York, and Connecticut. HAXHAJ was sentenced to 35 years in prison for crimes relating to his membership in YBMG, including a conspiracy to commit murder for hire that resulted in the August 16, 2019, murder of Isael Lagares in the Bronx.  HAXHAJ previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on August 7, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, who imposed today’s sentence.  HAXHAJ was the last of the seven defendants in the YBMG case before Judge Failla to have been convicted and sentenced.     

    “For more than a decade, the YBMG gang terrorized communities in the Bronx, Long Island, Upstate New York, and Connecticut with drugs, guns, and senseless violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Among YBMG’s many victims was Isael Lagares, who was gunned down after Haxhaj and other gang members paid a hitman to end his life.  The seven members of this incredibly violent gang have now been convicted and sentenced for their crimes.  The women and men of the Southern District will continue to vigorously pursue those who bring illegal drugs and violence into our communities.”

    According to the Superseding Indictment, public court filings, evidence introduced at the trial of Yeltsin Beltran, a/k/a “Yells,” and statements made in court:

    From at least in or about 2006 to in or about 2021, YBMG was a criminal enterprise centered in the Bronx.  In order to make money for the gang, protect the gang’s territory, and promote the gang’s standing, members of YBMG engaged in, among other things, narcotics trafficking and violence, including murder.  To that end, YBMG members sold heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, promoted their gang affiliation on social media, possessed firearms, and engaged in shootings as part of their gang membership and narcotics trafficking.

    On or about August 16, 2019, HAXHAJ and BORIS BELTRAN hired a man to murder a rival gang member.  That same day, the hired hitman then shot and killed Lagares, who was socializing with a group of people on a residential street in the Bronx.

    YBMG members also participated in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics in New York and elsewhere. HAXHAJ, YELTSIN BELTRAN, BORIS BELTRAN, JEREMY CEDENO, FRANCISCO ORTEGA, and IVIS PERDOMO participated in a conspiracy with other individuals to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana from at least in or about 2006 up to and including 2021 and carried, brandished, and discharged firearms that were possessed in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking.

    On or about December 23, 2019, PERDOMO shot two people non-fatally in a nightclub in the Bronx.

    On or about June 7, 2019, CEDENO shot at a member of an opposing gang in New York, New York.

    *                      *                     *

    A chart containing the names of the defendants, the charges they were convicted of, and the sentences they received is set forth below.

    Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New York City Police Department.

    The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit and White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Brumwell, Benjamin Gianforti, Brandon D. Harper, Frank Balsamello, and Mathew Andrews are in charge of the prosecution.

     

    Defendant

     

     

    Age

     

    Conviction

     

    Sentence
    SHPENDIM HAXHAJ, a/k/a “White Mike” 33 Murder for Hire Conspiracy; Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Narcotics Conspiracy 35 years
    YELTSIN BELTRAN, a/k/a “Yells” 33 Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; 380 months
    BORIS BELTRAN, a/k/a “Bebe” 27 Murder for Hire Conspiracy and Narcotics Conspiracy 20 years
    JEREMY CEDENO, a/k/a “Jerm” 39 Narcotics Conspiracy 135 Months
    IVIS PERDOMO, a/k/a “Lite” 43 Narcotics Conspiracy 188 Months
    FRANCISCO ORTEGA, a/k/a “Fresh” 36 Narcotics Conspiracy 140 Months
    DRILON HAXHAJ 29 Narcotics Conspiracy 32 Months 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Menachem Lieberman Sentenced to 52 Months for Fraud on Federal Childcare Programs

    Source: US FBI

    The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that MENACHEM “MAX” LIEBERMAN was sentenced today to 52 months in prison for two fraudulent schemes involving federally funded childcare companies.  LIEBERMAN previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden, who imposed today’s sentence. 

    “Max Lieberman defrauded federal childcare programs that provide vital services to our most innocent and vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “New Yorkers believe in opportunity, particularly for our children, and by defrauding our Head Start and childcare voucher programs, Max Lieberman exploited our collective belief in opportunity for his own financial gain.  The women and men of the Southern District of New York are committed to pursuing those who breach the public trust for illicit, personal financial gain.”

    According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court proceedings:

    LIEBERMAN participated in two schemes involving federal grant programs meant to provide assistance for childcare to low-income families.  

    First, between 2019 and January 2023, LIEBERMAN secretly “owned” and exercised control over a non-profit entity, Project Social Care Head Start Inc. (“PSCHS”), that operated in the New York City area (and which, as a non-profit entity, could not legally be privately owned).  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), which administers the Head Start program, annually granted to PSCHS millions of dollars that were to be used exclusively on the Head Start program and from which earning a profit is prohibited by law.  Between 2019 and 2021, LIEBERMAN paid co-defendant Martin Handler $4.7 million to obtain “ownership” over PSCHS, and used his control over PSCHS to impermissibly direct PSCHS’s Head Start funding to his own for-profit companies.  In order to protect his control over PSCHS’s funding, LIEBERMAN conspired with others to impair HHS’s ability to provide effective oversight of PSCHS by, among other things:

    • Misrepresenting to HHS that PSCHS had an independent board of directors that was monitoring PSCHS,
    • Submitting a letter to HHS when it began investigating LIEBERMAN’s involvement that falsely stated there were no conflicts of interest or less-than-arms’-length dealings with LIEBERMAN,
    • And coordinating false testimony to HHS investigators.

    Second, between July 2020 and January 2023, LIEBERMAN perpetrated a separate fraud that caused harm of nearly $2 million to the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (“ACS”), which administers a federally funded childcare voucher program for low-income families.  In July 2020, LIEBERMAN submitted an application to ACS on behalf of PSCHS that contained a false signature of the nominal executive director and included fake receipts for six children that purported to show those children were already attending the program, when in fact the program did not exist and no children attended.  When questioned by ACS whether the executive director’s signature was legitimate, LIEBERMAN created and submitted a fraudulently notarized document supposedly from the executive director that falsely affirmed that the signature was accurate.  From July 2020 through his arrest in January 2023, LIEBERMAN applied for and received over $1.8 million in ACS reimbursements, even though the program did not actually exist and no children attended the program except for a brief period from September 2022 to October 2022.

    *                *                *

    In addition to today’s prison sentence, LIEBERMAN, 48, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $200,000, restitution of $1,854,543.35 to ACS, and forfeit $1,774,543.35. 

    Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and HHS, Office of the Inspector General.  Mr. Clayton also thanked U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance with this investigation.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel H. Wolf, Catherine Ghosh, Jacob R. Fiddelman, and Stephanie Simon are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Nandita Vasantha.  

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Five MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for a Murder in Kings Park and a Related Murder Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    Earlier today in Central Islip, an indictment was unsealed in federal court charging five members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the “MS-13,” with multiple racketeering offenses in connection with two murders—the October 28, 2023 murder of Yoneli Ramos-Moreno at the Sunken Meadow Bluff in Kings Park, New York, and the March 3, 2025 murder of Carlos Lopez-Lopez in Blue Point, New York—and with other charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and narcotics trafficking conspiracy (the Indictment).  The five defendants are David Orellana-Aleman, also known as “Tenebroso” (Orellana-Aleman), who is a leader in the Hollywood Locos Salvatruchas (Hollywood) subgroup or “clique” of the MS-13; Noel Portillo-Romero, also known as “Discreto” (Portillo-Romero), a member of the Carlington Locos Salvatruchas clique of the MS-13 (Carlington); Cruz Eduardo Sanchez-Gutierrez, also known as “Escriper,” “Poison,” and “Bellaco” (Sanchez-Gutierrez), a member of the Hollywood clique; Ernesto Torres-Hernandez, also known as “Perverso” (Torres-Hernandez), a member of the Carlington clique; and Omar Zavala-Ventura, also known as “Snyder,” “Little Ejecutor,” “Pequeno Ejecutor,” and “Liro” (Zavala-Ventura), a member of the Hollywood clique.

    Portillo-Romero, Sanchez-Gutierrez and Torres-Hernandez were arrested yesterday, and they are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown.  Orellana-Aleman is currently in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), and Zavala-Ventura is currently in federal custody.  They will be arraigned at a later date.

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York); Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD); Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney; and Steven G. James, Acting Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), announced the arrests and charges.

    “The legal terms in the Indictment cannot adequately describe the sheer savagery with which the defendants, in service to the MS-13 gang, beat, strangled, and murdered Ramos-Moreno, and plotted to murder Lopez-Lopez,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “The charges in the indictment demonstrate my Office and our law enforcement partners’ resolve to hold vicious transnational organized crime groups like MS-13 accountable for their crimes and continue the mission to eradicate them from Long Island.”

    Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York City Police Department, the Glen Cove Police Department, and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations for their valuable assistance and partnership in this case.

    “These violent gang members, allegedly involved in murder and poisoning our communities through the sale of drugs, pose a serious threat to our communities that we will not tolerate,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Alfonso.  “MS-13 gang members committing such vile acts, as outlined in this indictment, represent the ‘worst of the worst’ among criminal aliens. HSI is dedicated to disrupting and dismantling these foreign terrorist organizations that threaten our communities and national security.”

    “The indictment of these five individuals connected to the brutal executions of two people—all because they were viewed as disloyal—is a clear demonstration of our commitment to hold these defendants accountable,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina.  “The violence carried out by MS-13 reaches barbaric proportions and we will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to put an end to this transnational gang’s reign of terror.”

    “I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office EDNY for their leadership in working together with their local partners to investigate and charge these alleged members of the MS-13 gang. Meaningful collaboration between all levels of law enforcement is always vital to safeguard public safety, but never more so then when you are investigating alleged crimes committed by members and associates of violent transnational gangs such as the MS-13,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney.

    “Precise coordination, excellent police work and investigative persistence at all levels was key in bringing these murderers to justice. I commend each agency involved for their tireless efforts and invaluable partnership. The New York State Police remains committed to keeping our communities safe from dangerous criminals and the violence that they perpetuate,” stated NYSP Superintendent James.

    As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants participated in the murder of Ramos-Moreno, a former associate of the MS-13, who was targeted by the gang because he was suspected of being disloyal, and specifically by associating with the rival Latin Kings.  Ramos-Moreno was first lured to a parking lot in Hauppauge and then driven to the Sunken Meadow Bluff where he was strangled with a rope and beaten to death.  The gang members dragged his body deeper into the woods and left the area.  Later, the defendants burned the rope used to kill Ramos-Moreno and destroyed his cellular phone.

    Three of the defendants, Portillo-Romero, Torres-Hernandez, and Zavala-Ventura, have also been charged with a conspiracy to murder Carlos Lopez-Lopez, who was stabbed to death and drowned after being attacked on the beach in Blue Point, New York.  The victim, a former member of the MS-13 who also participated in the Ramos-Moreno murder, was targeted because the MS-13 members believed that he was cooperating with law enforcement.

    Finally, the Indictment charges the defendants with conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana.  These charges stem from the MS-13 cliques’ street-level sales of cocaine and marijuana on Long Island, the proceeds of which were used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations, including purchasing firearms, ammunition, and other weapons, and sending money to MS-13 leadership in the United States and Central America.

    The Indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent transnational criminal organization.  The MS-13 is comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America, and it has leaders in El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States, with thousands of members all over the world.  With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island.  Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults.  Since 2010 alone, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 75 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and it has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders.  These prosecutions are the product of extensive collaboration with numerous law enforcement agencies, including HSI, FBI, and our local and state partners.

    The charges in the Indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, each of the defendants faces up to life in prison, or the possibility of the death penalty. 

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at eradicating transnational criminal organizations, combating violent crime, and restoring the rule of law.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Megan E. Farrell, Paul G. Scotti, and Justina L. Geraci are in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendants:

    David Orellana-Aleman (also known as “Tenebroso”)
    Age:  27
    Hyattsville, Maryland

    Noel Portillo-Romero (also known as “Discreto”)
    Age:  27
    Hempstead, New York and Central Islip, New York

    Cruz Eduardo Sanchez-Gutierrez (also known as “Escriper,” “Poison,” and “Bellaco”)
    Age:  29
    Glen Cove, New York and Central Islip, New York

    Ernesto Torres-Hernandez (also known as “Perverso”)
    Age:  26
    Port Jefferson, New York and Central Islip, New York

    Omar Zavala-Ventura (also known as “Snyder,” “Little Ejecutor,” “Pequeno Ejecutor,” and “Liro”)
    Age:  27
    Glen Cove, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-209 (GRB)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Foundation IT Manager Charged with Theft and Money Laundering of Nearly $1 Million From Employer

    Source: US FBI

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of wire fraud and money laundering, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    The nine-count Indictment named Charles A. Richardson, 45, as the sole defendant.

    According to the Indictment, Richardson was employed as an information technology professional with the Pittsburgh-based philanthropic foundation The Heinz Endowments. Between 2016 and 2024, Richardson embezzled almost $1 million in funds from his employer through a shell corporation Richardson controlled and fraudulent invoices that billed the foundation for work not performed or performed by other vendors.

    The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain associated with the offense, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation resulting in the Indictment.

    An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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