NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cuban men arrested for roles in nationwide multimillion-dollar auto theft ring

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – Two Cuban nationals have been taken into custody on charges related to the exportation of stolen motor vehicles, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Sadiel Noa-Aguila, 42, and Miguel Baez-Echevarria, 36, resided in Pharr and Las Vegas, Nevada, respectively. 

    Noa-Aguila is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker in McAllen at 9 a.m., while Baez is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Wexler in Las Vegas.  

    According to the criminal complaint unsealed upon their arrests, authorities launched an investigation in 2024 that uncovered a large ring linked to numerous vehicle thefts nationwide. The charges allege the vehicles were primarily stolen from major metropolitan airports and surrounding areas, including Las Vegas; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Texas cities including Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.

    As part of the scheme, co-conspirators allegedly used electronic devices to steal the vehicles and reprogram key fobs. They then equipped the vehicles with fraudulent license plates or altered vehicle identification numbers before reselling them, according to the charges. Several vehicles were also allegedly exported to Mexico through ports of entry in Hidalgo County and El Paso. 

    Noa-Aguila allegedly attempted to export one of the vehicles, a 2022 GMC Sierra AT4 through a port of entry in Hidalgo County Oct. 1, 2024. It had been reported stolen in Denver the previous month, according to the allegations.

    The charges allege Baez is linked to the theft of at least 15 additional vehicles and estimates the organization stole vehicles worth millions of dollars in total.

    Both are charged with aiding and abetting the exportation of stolen motor vehicles which carries a maximum 10-year-prison term, upon conviction. Baez also faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering for which he could receive up to 20 years in federal prison.  

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are conducting the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Dallas Fort Worth Airport Department of Public Safety, Tarrant County District Attorneys’ Office and Tarrant County Regional Auto Crimes Task Force as well as sheriff’s offices in El Paso and Hidalgo Counties; Otero County, New Mexico; Broward County, Florida; and police departments in El Paso, Houston and Pharr; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; and Denver.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto Lopez Jr. is prosecuting the case.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Medical Doctor Charged with Naturalization Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant currently serving sentence for attempted murder of his unborn child in 2014

    CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a former medical doctor with naturalization fraud, for providing false answers on a U.S. citizenship application and during an in-person interview.

    According to the factual allegations in the indictment, Yousif Abdulraouf Alhallaq, 46, of Canton, was born in Kuwait but was a Jordanian citizen at the time he entered the United States on an H1B visa in 2006. In 2011, Alhallaq filed an application to become a permanent resident of the United States, which was approved and granted him lawful status. Since approximately 2012, Alhallaq worked as a medical doctor in Northeast Ohio. Then, in December 2014, the defendant poisoned a victim who was pregnant with his child, in an attempt to terminate the pregnancy without her knowledge. On March 18, 2021, Alhallaq was indicted in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas and charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault for trying to purposely cause the termination of the victim’s pregnancy and knowingly causing serious physical harm to the victim and her unborn child. In September 2021, Alhallaq pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to four years in prison.

    Before Alhallaq was indicted and sentenced in 2021, Alhallaq mailed a federal application in late 2017, Form N-400, to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. In the application he submitted “no” answers to the following questions:

    • 14C – Were you ever involved in any way with killing or trying to kill someone?
    • 14D – Were you ever involved in any way with badly hurting, or trying to hurt a person on purpose?
    • 22 – Have you ever committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?

    In March 2018, Alhallaq continued with the process of applying for U.S. citizenship and was interviewed by an immigration officer to review the previously submitted naturalization application. Under oath, the defendant verbally confirmed answers to questions 14C, 14D, and 22 as “no” which matched those initially submitted by mail. On May 4, 2018, the defendant became a naturalized U.S. citizen during a ceremony in Stark County, Ohio.

    The grand jury charges that although Alhallaq knowingly committed acts of attempted murder and felonious assault against his unborn child in 2014, he nonetheless proceeded to sign his naturalization application in 2017 and then provided verbal confirmation to an immigration official during an interview in 2018 and in both instances attested to the truthfulness of the information he provided, which resulted in being granted U.S. citizenship.

    Alhallaq faces a maximum of up to 10 years in prison for naturalization fraud.

    If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

    The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This case is being prosecuted by Matthew W. Shepherd for the Northern District of Ohio.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Medical Doctor Charged with Naturalization Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant currently serving sentence for attempted murder of his unborn child in 2014

    CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a former medical doctor with naturalization fraud, for providing false answers on a U.S. citizenship application and during an in-person interview.

    According to the factual allegations in the indictment, Yousif Abdulraouf Alhallaq, 46, of Canton, was born in Kuwait but was a Jordanian citizen at the time he entered the United States on an H1B visa in 2006. In 2011, Alhallaq filed an application to become a permanent resident of the United States, which was approved and granted him lawful status. Since approximately 2012, Alhallaq worked as a medical doctor in Northeast Ohio. Then, in December 2014, the defendant poisoned a victim who was pregnant with his child, in an attempt to terminate the pregnancy without her knowledge. On March 18, 2021, Alhallaq was indicted in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas and charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault for trying to purposely cause the termination of the victim’s pregnancy and knowingly causing serious physical harm to the victim and her unborn child. In September 2021, Alhallaq pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to four years in prison.

    Before Alhallaq was indicted and sentenced in 2021, Alhallaq mailed a federal application in late 2017, Form N-400, to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. In the application he submitted “no” answers to the following questions:

    • 14C – Were you ever involved in any way with killing or trying to kill someone?
    • 14D – Were you ever involved in any way with badly hurting, or trying to hurt a person on purpose?
    • 22 – Have you ever committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?

    In March 2018, Alhallaq continued with the process of applying for U.S. citizenship and was interviewed by an immigration officer to review the previously submitted naturalization application. Under oath, the defendant verbally confirmed answers to questions 14C, 14D, and 22 as “no” which matched those initially submitted by mail. On May 4, 2018, the defendant became a naturalized U.S. citizen during a ceremony in Stark County, Ohio.

    The grand jury charges that although Alhallaq knowingly committed acts of attempted murder and felonious assault against his unborn child in 2014, he nonetheless proceeded to sign his naturalization application in 2017 and then provided verbal confirmation to an immigration official during an interview in 2018 and in both instances attested to the truthfulness of the information he provided, which resulted in being granted U.S. citizenship.

    Alhallaq faces a maximum of up to 10 years in prison for naturalization fraud.

    If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

    The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This case is being prosecuted by Matthew W. Shepherd for the Northern District of Ohio.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wakpala Woman Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Killing Her Mother within the Standing Rock Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ABERDEEN – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Wakpala, South Dakota, woman convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on June 23, 2025.

    Malania Rose Fast Horse, age 25, was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025. She pleaded guilty on March 6, 2025.

    Fast Horse quarreled with her mother in their Wakpala, South Dakota, home, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, on Christmas Eve 2024. Fast Horse lost her temper and stabbed her mother several times in the chest, arm, and hand. Fast Horse ambled to her grandmother’s home next door and told her grandmother and brother she had stabbed her mother. She then grabbed some cigarettes and left. Fast Horse’s brother ran next door, finding his mother lying in a pool of blood on the floor, alive but incoherent. Although EMS was promptly dispatched, Fast Horse’s mother later succumbed to her injuries.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

    Fast Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wakpala Woman Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Killing Her Mother within the Standing Rock Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ABERDEEN – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Wakpala, South Dakota, woman convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on June 23, 2025.

    Malania Rose Fast Horse, age 25, was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025. She pleaded guilty on March 6, 2025.

    Fast Horse quarreled with her mother in their Wakpala, South Dakota, home, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, on Christmas Eve 2024. Fast Horse lost her temper and stabbed her mother several times in the chest, arm, and hand. Fast Horse ambled to her grandmother’s home next door and told her grandmother and brother she had stabbed her mother. She then grabbed some cigarettes and left. Fast Horse’s brother ran next door, finding his mother lying in a pool of blood on the floor, alive but incoherent. Although EMS was promptly dispatched, Fast Horse’s mother later succumbed to her injuries.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

    Fast Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Role in Romance Scam and Money Laundering Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant tricked a Massachusetts resident into wiring more than $2.5 million abroad

    BOSTON – A Nigerian national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his involvement in the theft of more than $2.5 million from six romance scam victims by transferring their money to cryptocurrency accounts that he controlled.  

    Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 35, of Abuja, Nigeria, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering and money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23, 2025. Nwadavid was arrested in April 2025 after arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In January 2024, a federal grand jury in Boston indicted Nwadavid on charges of mail fraud and money laundering.

    According to the charging documents, “romance scams” recruit victims through advertisements for online relationships on dating or social media websites. Individuals perpetuating romance scams create fictitious profiles and then use them to gain victims’ trust through a purported romantic relationship. Perpetrators then direct their victims to send money or to conduct financial transactions involving other victims’ money under false pretenses, such as an urgent need for money to secure a multi-million dollar inheritance or to pay for an unexpected hospitalization.  

    Between in or about 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad. In an effort to conceal the ultimate recipient of the victims’ funds, a victim from Massachusetts was tricked into receiving funds from five other victims around the United States. The victim then passed the funds to Nwadavid through a series of cryptocurrency transactions. Nwadavid repeatedly accessed accounts in the victim’s name from overseas, to transfer the victims’ funds to accounts he controlled at LocalBitcoins, an online cryptocurrency platform.  

    The mail fraud charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the loss to the victim, restitution and forfeiture. The money laundering charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the laundering transactions, restitution and forfeiture. 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Role in Romance Scam and Money Laundering Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant tricked a Massachusetts resident into wiring more than $2.5 million abroad

    BOSTON – A Nigerian national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his involvement in the theft of more than $2.5 million from six romance scam victims by transferring their money to cryptocurrency accounts that he controlled.  

    Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 35, of Abuja, Nigeria, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering and money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23, 2025. Nwadavid was arrested in April 2025 after arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In January 2024, a federal grand jury in Boston indicted Nwadavid on charges of mail fraud and money laundering.

    According to the charging documents, “romance scams” recruit victims through advertisements for online relationships on dating or social media websites. Individuals perpetuating romance scams create fictitious profiles and then use them to gain victims’ trust through a purported romantic relationship. Perpetrators then direct their victims to send money or to conduct financial transactions involving other victims’ money under false pretenses, such as an urgent need for money to secure a multi-million dollar inheritance or to pay for an unexpected hospitalization.  

    Between in or about 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad. In an effort to conceal the ultimate recipient of the victims’ funds, a victim from Massachusetts was tricked into receiving funds from five other victims around the United States. The victim then passed the funds to Nwadavid through a series of cryptocurrency transactions. Nwadavid repeatedly accessed accounts in the victim’s name from overseas, to transfer the victims’ funds to accounts he controlled at LocalBitcoins, an online cryptocurrency platform.  

    The mail fraud charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the loss to the victim, restitution and forfeiture. The money laundering charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the laundering transactions, restitution and forfeiture. 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bullhead Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon within the Standing Rock Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ABERDEEN – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Bullhead, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on June 23, 2025.

    Kaitlyn Shantell Left Hand, age 27, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Left Hand was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. She pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025.

    On July 2, 2024, Left Hand saw two women brawling in Bullhead, South Dakota, which lies within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Left Hand and a passerby decided to wade into the affray, intending to break it up. Their good intentions went awry. Left Hand, panicked, drew a small knife and stabbed one woman in the head and the abdomen and another woman in the back. The injured women needed stitches, but nothing further.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

    Left Hand was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bullhead Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon within the Standing Rock Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ABERDEEN – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Bullhead, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on June 23, 2025.

    Kaitlyn Shantell Left Hand, age 27, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Left Hand was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. She pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025.

    On July 2, 2024, Left Hand saw two women brawling in Bullhead, South Dakota, which lies within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Left Hand and a passerby decided to wade into the affray, intending to break it up. Their good intentions went awry. Left Hand, panicked, drew a small knife and stabbed one woman in the head and the abdomen and another woman in the back. The injured women needed stitches, but nothing further.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

    Left Hand was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four SoCal Residents Sentenced for Their Roles in an Armed Robbery and Carjacking at Car Repair Shop in San Bernardino County

    Source: US FBI

    Three Southern California residents on June 23 were sentenced to prison for their roles in a 2024 armed robbery and carjacking at a Bloomington, California, auto repair shop and ordered to pay $11,980 in restitution.

    All four defendants were found guilty by a jury of participating in an armed robbery and carjacking of a car repair business in Bloomington, California, in which one victim was pistol-whipped into near unconsciousness. At the conclusion of a 13-day trial, a federal jury on late June 18 returned a guilty verdict on all counts against the following defendants:

    • Marcos Guerrero, 49, of Glendora, California, was sentenced to 219 months in federal prison.
    • Elijah Gafare, 36, of West Covina, California, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
    • Cinthia Leal, 39, of Glendora, California, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.
    • A fourth defendant, Vincent Solarez, 59, of Upland, California, was sentenced to four years in prison on June 2. Solarez was also ordered to pay $11,980 in restitution.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Vertical Farmer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty yesterday to wire fraud and tax evasion.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: John (Jack) Griffin of Philadelphia was the principal and founder of Second Story Farming Inc., which did business as Metropolis Farms. Second Story Farming had several lines of business, including growing crops in vertical farms to sell to customers, developing sustainable vertical farming technologies, and selling vertical farming systems to customers. Vertical farming refers to a practice of growing crops vertically and in horizontally stacked layers.

    In 2017, Griffin, through Second Story Farming, sold vertical farming systems along with the equipment, supplies, materials, and operational instructions necessary to operate them to two companies. Before entering into the contracts, Griffin provided financial projections to them that grossly overstated the anticipated revenues that could be generated by the vertical farms and grossly understated the anticipated expenses necessary to operate the vertical farms. In reliance on the financial projections, the companies each paid Second Story Farming to set up vertical farms for them. Rather than use those funds to provide them with vertical farms, Griffin used most of the money to pay his own personal expenses and operate Second Story Farming’s research and development line of business.

    In 2017, Griffin earned income from his work at Second Story Farming. Despite being legally required to file a tax return for that year, Griffin did not do so. Griffin tried to conceal that he received any income in 2017 by, among other things, withdrawing cash and paying personal expense from his business’s bank accounts and transferring funds from his business to his wife, and withdrawing cash from Second Story Farming’s business bank account.  

    Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 22. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the wire fraud charges and a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the tax evasion charge. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Weber for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: British Man Sentenced to 42 Years in Prison for Three Counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A British man, Scott West, 40, of Manchester, United Kingdom, was sentenced on June 23, 2025, to 42 years in prison following his convictions for three counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

    At the sentencing hearing, the court was informed that West and another co-conspirator created an account on a popular social media platform in which the two men pretended to be a young woman. Both men used the account to reach out to young boys to solicit sexually explicit photos. Multiple minors contacted by West were in the Central District of Illinois. When a victim responded by sending sexually explicit photos to the account, West would solicit more photos, threatening to expose the victim if he did not comply. Independently, West would meet children online and engage in similar behavior, knowingly soliciting sexually explicit photos from underage boys in multiple different countries.

    Also at the hearing, U.S. Chief District Judge Sara Darrow found that the offense involved the knowing misrepresentation of a participant’s identity to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

    West was indicted in December 2022, and a request was made to the government of the United Kingdom for his extradition in June 2023. He was extradited to the United States in October 2024 by the United States Marshals Service and remained in their custody after United States Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley ordered his detention. West pleaded guilty in January 2025.

    The statutory penalties for sexual exploitation of a child include not less than 15 years and up to 30 years’ imprisonment per count, to be followed by not less than 5 years and up to a life term of supervised release on each count. Judge Darrow further ordered that West serve a ten-year term of supervised release.

    “West manipulated and preyed upon children on two continents in his quest to fulfill his own sexual desires.”said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger. “This extradition and sentence ensured that his American victims received justice in the United States for his crimes. We will continue to work with law enforcement across the globe to bring justice to victims of abuse.”

    “Adults should protect children, not prey upon them online as the predator in this case did to victims in multiple countries. The sentencing in this case reflects the heinousness of this man’s insidious actions to threaten and harm kids,” said Michael Kurzeja, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Springfield Resident Office. “The Secret Service is committed to keeping children safe online and pursuing crimes committed against them. Thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of Illinois, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Greater Manchester Police Serious Crime Division in England, the Illinois State Police and all of our local law enforcement partners for helping bring this defendant to justice.”

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from the United Kingdom.

    The United States Secret Service and the Greater Manchester Police Online Child Abuse Investigation Team in England investigated the case, with assistance from the Illinois State Police and several local Illinois police departments and sheriffs’ offices: the Geneseo Police Department, the Colona Police Department, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kewanee Police Department. Significant assistance was also provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.

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

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) encourage parents to discuss online safety with their children and to ask for help from adults or professionals if they have experienced threats online. Children should know it is always okay to speak with a trusted adult if something they are experiencing online makes them uncomfortable. For more information contact gethelp@ncmec.org. NCMEC also has a CyberTipline for reporting child sexual exploitation. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FACT CHECK: ICE Provided Full Medical Care to Guatemalan Illegal Alien with History of Child Abuse and Wanted for Homicide 

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    This detainee received prenatal care, including an ultrasound and OB-GYN visit, dental care, and medication 

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) set the record straight about Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, a Guatemalan criminal illegal alien – who claimed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provided no medical treatment or prenatal care for her pregnancy while detained and blamed ICE for her pregnancy loss.  

    CLAIM: “They didn’t give me medical attention, nowhere, not in Louisiana, not in Alabama.”   

    FALSE: She received prenatal care, including an ultrasound and OB-GYN visit, dental care, and medication. She was also admitted to a hospital and saw multiple nurses.  

    CLAIM: “Asked for ultrasound and only tested for blood pressure and urine.”   

    FALSE: She received prenatal care including a fetal doppler ultrasound.  

    CLAIM: “Thought she was having a stroke, but they didn’t give her medical exam.”   

    FALSE:  As soon as she identified the distress on April 29, ICE provided immediate medical assistance. 

    CLAIM: “Begged to go to hospital, but was told no.”   

    FALSE: ICE sent her to a hospital immediately to receive medical care.  

    CLAIM: “In Alabama, I was sleeping on the floor.”    

    FALSE:  She was not required to sleep on the floor.  She had a bed in her cell.  

    CLAIM: “She was starving and not getting the nutrients she needed. Spaghetti had cockroaches.”   

    FALSE: All ICE New Orleans detainees are provided appropriate dietician cleared menus daily, per ICE Performance Based National Detention Standards.       

    CLAIM: “Mistreatment and mocking from guards.”  

    FALSE:  We have no record of a grievance filed by detainee. 

    Monterroso-Lemus was arrested twice for child abuse/neglect with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office. She also has an active warrant for homicide in Guatemala. Monterroso-Lemus entered the country illegally in 2018 and was deported back to Guatemala on May 9, 2025. 

    “This reporting is absolutely FALSE.  Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus had FULL medical, prenatal care,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We have documentation to show it. Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, 37, is a citizen of Guatemala who has been arrested multiple times for child abuse and is wanted on an active warrant for homicide.”   

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FACT CHECK: ICE Provided Full Medical Care to Guatemalan Illegal Alien with History of Child Abuse and Wanted for Homicide 

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    This detainee received prenatal care, including an ultrasound and OB-GYN visit, dental care, and medication 

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) set the record straight about Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, a Guatemalan criminal illegal alien – who claimed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provided no medical treatment or prenatal care for her pregnancy while detained and blamed ICE for her pregnancy loss.  

    CLAIM: “They didn’t give me medical attention, nowhere, not in Louisiana, not in Alabama.”   

    FALSE: She received prenatal care, including an ultrasound and OB-GYN visit, dental care, and medication. She was also admitted to a hospital and saw multiple nurses.  

    CLAIM: “Asked for ultrasound and only tested for blood pressure and urine.”   

    FALSE: She received prenatal care including a fetal doppler ultrasound.  

    CLAIM: “Thought she was having a stroke, but they didn’t give her medical exam.”   

    FALSE:  As soon as she identified the distress on April 29, ICE provided immediate medical assistance. 

    CLAIM: “Begged to go to hospital, but was told no.”   

    FALSE: ICE sent her to a hospital immediately to receive medical care.  

    CLAIM: “In Alabama, I was sleeping on the floor.”    

    FALSE:  She was not required to sleep on the floor.  She had a bed in her cell.  

    CLAIM: “She was starving and not getting the nutrients she needed. Spaghetti had cockroaches.”   

    FALSE: All ICE New Orleans detainees are provided appropriate dietician cleared menus daily, per ICE Performance Based National Detention Standards.       

    CLAIM: “Mistreatment and mocking from guards.”  

    FALSE:  We have no record of a grievance filed by detainee. 

    Monterroso-Lemus was arrested twice for child abuse/neglect with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office. She also has an active warrant for homicide in Guatemala. Monterroso-Lemus entered the country illegally in 2018 and was deported back to Guatemala on May 9, 2025. 

    “This reporting is absolutely FALSE.  Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus had FULL medical, prenatal care,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We have documentation to show it. Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, 37, is a citizen of Guatemala who has been arrested multiple times for child abuse and is wanted on an active warrant for homicide.”   

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Off-Camera, On-Background Press Briefing on FY2026 Budget

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Senior military and senior defense officials will hold an off-camera, on-background press briefing today, June 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. EDT, in the Pentagon Briefing room and via Zoom.  The officials will discuss the President’s FY26 National Defense budget request.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Detectives appeal for information following fatal Croydon shooting

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating a fatal shooting in south London are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

    Shortly before 17:05hrs on Thursday, 19 June officers were called to reports of a shooting in Imperial Way, Croydon.

    Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and found 41-year-old Anthony Morrison suffering gunshot injuries. Sadly, despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Anthony was pronounced dead at the scene.

    His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

    A murder investigation was launched by detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.

    On Sunday, 22 June detectives arrested a 41-year-old man [A] on suspicion of murder and 37-year old woman [B] on suspicion of assisting an offender. [A] was subsequently charged on Monday, 23 June while [B] was bailed pending further enquiries.

    Detective Chief Inspector Dan Whitten from the Specialist Crime Command, who is leading the investigation, said: “Our thoughts continue to be with Anthony’s family and friends at this difficult time. This charge marks significant progress in the investigation into Anthony’s death. However, it is vital that we further develop our understanding of what happened that day.

    “We understand that Anthony was attending a wake at the time of the shooting, and we would implore anyone who was present in Imperial Way that evening, whether at the wake or otherwise, to contact us.

    “Similarly we are keen to speak with anyone who attended a funeral service at New Testament Assembly in Tooting Bec and/or London Road Cemetery, Mitcham, earlier on Thursday, 19 June and might have seen the victim.

    “We are determined to get justice for Anthony’s family and friends, and we would ask for the public’s help in doing that by speaking to us or, if they’d prefer, anonymously to Crimestoppers.”

    Detective Chief Superintendent Nick Blackburn, in charge of policing for Croydon, said: “I am very grateful to my Specialist Crime colleagues, who have worked tirelessly to investigate this matter professionally, securing charges. I’d now appeal to anyone who has any information to contact the team to help them with their investigation.

    “I would like to reassure local communities and the wider public that firearm-enabled murders remain very rare in London.

    “Our policing teams will continue to engage with communities across Croydon, providing extra support as required.”

    Anyone who has video footage or any other relevant information is asked to contact us by visiting the Public Portal.

    Alternatively, you can call 101 quoting CAD 6530/19Jun. To remain anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: International Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export Firearms to Russia

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Defendant Unlawfully Exported American-Made Firearms Through JFK International Airport

    Yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn, Sergei Zharnovnikov, 46, of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export violations. The defendant exported firearms and ammunition worth over $1.5 million from the United States to Russia, in violation of U.S. law. When sentenced, Zharnovnikov faces up to 20 years in prison.

    “By his own admission, Zharnovnikov willfully violated U.S. export controls to smuggle American-made firearms into Russia,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt illicit arms networks and prosecute those who illegally transfer U.S. weaponry abroad.”

    “The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of extensive investigative work, showing that this office will not allow merchants of lethal weapons and Russia to flout U.S. sanctions.”

    According to court filings and statements made during the plea proceeding, the defendant is the owner of an arms dealer located in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan Company-1). Since at least March 2020, the defendant, together with others, has conspired to export firearms controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce from the United States to Russia. The defendant exported $1,582,836.52 worth of U.S.-manufactured firearms and ammunition from the United States to Russia without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce. In one transaction, he entered into a five‑year, $900,000 contract with a company in the United States (U.S. Company‑1) to purchase and export U.S. Company-1 firearms to Kyrgyzstan. DOC issued a license for U.S. Company-1 to export firearms to Kyrgyzstan Company-1. The license, however, explicitly prohibited the export or re-export of the firearms to Russia. Nevertheless, the defendant exported and re-exported U.S. Company‑1 firearms, including semi‑automatic hybrid rifle-pistols, to Russia via Kyrgyzstan without the necessary approvals.

    According to an export filing, in connection with the defendant’s contract with U.S. Company-1, U.S. Company-1 exported semi-automatic rifles from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Kyrgyzstan Company-1 on or about July 10, 2022. On or about Nov. 14, 2022, the General Director of a Russian company that is a client of the defendant executed a tax form listing the same semi‑automatic rifle‑pistols that U.S. Company‑1 had exported to Kyrgyzstan Company‑1, the defendant’s company. The defendant did not apply for, obtain, or possess a license to export or re-export the semi‑automatic pistol-rifles to Russia.

    The defendant traveled from Kyrgyzstan to the United States on or about Jan. 18, 2025. The defendant traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he attended the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show to meet with U.S. arms dealers.

    The FBI New York Field Office and U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Sise for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Rebecca Roth. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: International Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export Firearms to Russia

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Defendant Unlawfully Exported American-Made Firearms Through JFK International Airport

    Yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn, Sergei Zharnovnikov, 46, of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export violations. The defendant exported firearms and ammunition worth over $1.5 million from the United States to Russia, in violation of U.S. law. When sentenced, Zharnovnikov faces up to 20 years in prison.

    “By his own admission, Zharnovnikov willfully violated U.S. export controls to smuggle American-made firearms into Russia,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt illicit arms networks and prosecute those who illegally transfer U.S. weaponry abroad.”

    “The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of extensive investigative work, showing that this office will not allow merchants of lethal weapons and Russia to flout U.S. sanctions.”

    According to court filings and statements made during the plea proceeding, the defendant is the owner of an arms dealer located in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan Company-1). Since at least March 2020, the defendant, together with others, has conspired to export firearms controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce from the United States to Russia. The defendant exported $1,582,836.52 worth of U.S.-manufactured firearms and ammunition from the United States to Russia without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce. In one transaction, he entered into a five‑year, $900,000 contract with a company in the United States (U.S. Company‑1) to purchase and export U.S. Company-1 firearms to Kyrgyzstan. DOC issued a license for U.S. Company-1 to export firearms to Kyrgyzstan Company-1. The license, however, explicitly prohibited the export or re-export of the firearms to Russia. Nevertheless, the defendant exported and re-exported U.S. Company‑1 firearms, including semi‑automatic hybrid rifle-pistols, to Russia via Kyrgyzstan without the necessary approvals.

    According to an export filing, in connection with the defendant’s contract with U.S. Company-1, U.S. Company-1 exported semi-automatic rifles from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Kyrgyzstan Company-1 on or about July 10, 2022. On or about Nov. 14, 2022, the General Director of a Russian company that is a client of the defendant executed a tax form listing the same semi‑automatic rifle‑pistols that U.S. Company‑1 had exported to Kyrgyzstan Company‑1, the defendant’s company. The defendant did not apply for, obtain, or possess a license to export or re-export the semi‑automatic pistol-rifles to Russia.

    The defendant traveled from Kyrgyzstan to the United States on or about Jan. 18, 2025. The defendant traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he attended the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show to meet with U.S. arms dealers.

    The FBI New York Field Office and U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Sise for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Rebecca Roth. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Pacific Partnership 2025 Concludes Successful Mission in Virac, Philippines

    Source: United States Navy

    VIRAC, Philippines – Pacific Partnership 2025 successfully concluded its mission in Virac, Philippines, marking the end of a series of intensive training exercises and collaborative engagements aimed at strengthening disaster response capabilities and fostering lasting partnerships, June 12, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Navy Week Sets Sail for Duluth

    Source: United States Navy

    The U.S. Navy is bringing Navy Week back to Duluth, Minnesota, from June 30-July 6, 2025. As part of a nationwide outreach effort, Duluth Navy Week will connect Sailors with the community through a variety of performances, educational events, and service projects.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Arrest in Anacostia

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

    Defendant Charged as Part of Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Initiative

                WASHINGTON –Ronald Stevenson Richardson, 29, of the District of Columbia, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Richardson is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

                According to court documents, on May 6, 2025, members of the Seventh District Special Missions Unit (SMU) were patrolling the area of 1509 W Street SE in Washington, D.C., in the Anacostia neighborhood. While on patrol, police observed allegedly Richardson standing at a bus stop with an open container of alcohol at the intersection of 16th Street SE and W Street SE.

                Richardson was subsequently arrested for possession of an open container of alcohol. During a search incident to the arrest, officers allegedly discovered a firearm in Richardson’s undergarments, beneath his waistband. The firearm was identified as a Glock 42, chambered in .380 auto, loaded with one round in the chamber and four additional rounds in its six-round capacity magazine.

                Richardson is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to a prior conviction in D.C. Superior Court for carrying a pistol without a license outside home/business, establishing him as a felon in possession.

                This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott is prosecuting this case.

                The “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative is a public safety effort surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Arrest in Anacostia

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

    Defendant Charged as Part of Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Initiative

                WASHINGTON –Ronald Stevenson Richardson, 29, of the District of Columbia, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Richardson is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

                According to court documents, on May 6, 2025, members of the Seventh District Special Missions Unit (SMU) were patrolling the area of 1509 W Street SE in Washington, D.C., in the Anacostia neighborhood. While on patrol, police observed allegedly Richardson standing at a bus stop with an open container of alcohol at the intersection of 16th Street SE and W Street SE.

                Richardson was subsequently arrested for possession of an open container of alcohol. During a search incident to the arrest, officers allegedly discovered a firearm in Richardson’s undergarments, beneath his waistband. The firearm was identified as a Glock 42, chambered in .380 auto, loaded with one round in the chamber and four additional rounds in its six-round capacity magazine.

                Richardson is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to a prior conviction in D.C. Superior Court for carrying a pistol without a license outside home/business, establishing him as a felon in possession.

                This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott is prosecuting this case.

                The “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative is a public safety effort surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: McKeesport Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Ammunition Collected from Scene of Fatal Apartment Complex Shooting

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

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 33 months of imprisonment on his conviction of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Desmond Dontae Lee, 47.

    According to information presented to the Court, on March 1, 2023, Lee and his son were both part of a group of individuals congregating outside of an apartment in a McKeesport apartment complex. When the resident of the apartment confronted the group and asked them to leave, one of the group members approached the resident and struck him with a closed fist, which led to the resident shooting and killing his attacker. Lee entered and proceeded through the apartment next to the resident’s, exiting that apartment from the rear, and then approached the rear of the resident’s apartment, firing five rounds from a 9mm semi-automatic pistol into the apartment before fleeing the scene. At that time, Lee’s son shot back at and killed the resident at the front of the apartment. The firearm used by Lee was never recovered, but investigators with the Allegheny County Police Department Homicide Unit collected the shell casings fired from Lee’s gun.

    Lee was previously convicted on state drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

    Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Allegheny County Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lee.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: McKeesport Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Ammunition Collected from Scene of Fatal Apartment Complex Shooting

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

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 33 months of imprisonment on his conviction of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Desmond Dontae Lee, 47.

    According to information presented to the Court, on March 1, 2023, Lee and his son were both part of a group of individuals congregating outside of an apartment in a McKeesport apartment complex. When the resident of the apartment confronted the group and asked them to leave, one of the group members approached the resident and struck him with a closed fist, which led to the resident shooting and killing his attacker. Lee entered and proceeded through the apartment next to the resident’s, exiting that apartment from the rear, and then approached the rear of the resident’s apartment, firing five rounds from a 9mm semi-automatic pistol into the apartment before fleeing the scene. At that time, Lee’s son shot back at and killed the resident at the front of the apartment. The firearm used by Lee was never recovered, but investigators with the Allegheny County Police Department Homicide Unit collected the shell casings fired from Lee’s gun.

    Lee was previously convicted on state drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

    Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Allegheny County Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lee.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Venezuelan National Residing Unlawfully in the U.S. Indicted on Federal Charges

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

    TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, 24, a Venezuelan national residing in Perrysburg, Ohio, with possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States, making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, and making or using false writings or documents.

    According to the indictment, the defendant is accused of submitting a false date of birth to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on federal applications for Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization Documents in 2024 and 2025.

    In the original criminal complaint and underlying affidavit filed May 22, 2025, investigators learned that Perrysburg Schools reported to the Perrysburg Police Department that they received information that Labrador-Sierra, a student attending Perrysburg High School, was actually a 24-year-old man who enrolled under false pretenses.

    The grand jury further charges that Labrador-Sierra was in possession of a Taurus G3C 9mm, semiautomatic pistol, which he did not have lawful status to purchase or own in the United States, and that he submitted false information on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 to purchase the firearm. Among the alleged false statements the defendant submitted that were intended and likely to deceive the licensed firearms dealer at the point of sale, were that:

    • He was a United States citizen or national.
    • He was not illegally or unlawfully in the United States.
    • He was not an alien who had entered the United States under a nonimmigrant visa.

    If convicted, Labrador-Sierra faces up to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by an alien; 10 years in prison for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm; and up to five years in prison for making or using false writings or documents.

    This case is being investigated by the City of Perrysburg Police Department, United States Border Patrol−Sandusky Bay Station, the FBI Toledo Field Office, and the ATF, with assistance from the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert N. Melching and Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Dobson.

    This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visit fbi.gov/tips.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Misconduct hearing into search of Child Q delivers findings

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Gross misconduct and misconduct has been proven for three officers involved in the search of Child Q.

    A disciplinary hearing found a number of allegations proven against trainee Detective Constable Kristina Linge, PC Victoria Wray and PC Rafal Szmydynski, each attached to Central East Command Unit which covers Hackney and Tower Hamlets.

    The hearing did not find that the officers were influenced by Child Q’s race, nor that was she subject to adultification.

    Commander Kevin Southworth said: “The experience of Child Q should never have happened and was truly regrettable.

    “We have sincerely apologised to Child Q since this incident happened. Again, I am deeply sorry to Child Q and her family for the trauma that we caused her, and the damage this incident caused to the trust and confidence Black communities across London have in our officers.

    “While the officers involved did not act correctly, we acknowledge there were organisational failings. Training to our officers around strip search and the type of search carried out on Child Q was inadequate, and our oversight of the power was also severely lacking.

    “This left officers, often young in service or junior in rank, making difficult decisions in complex situations with little information, support or clear resources to help their decision-making.

    “What happened to Child Q was a catalyst for change both for the Met and for policing nationally.

    “While we should not have needed an incident such as Child Q to check our approach, it has absolutely led us to improving our processes and significantly reducing the number of these types of searches carried out.

    “It’s crucial we get this right to ensure the impact on young people is minimised as far as possible.

    “Sadly, we know there are children in London being exploited to carry drugs and weapons for others as well as involved in criminality, so these types of searches have to remain within police powers. The work we have done since Child Q means we now have the right safeguards in place.”

    The search of Child Q took place on Thursday, 3 December 2020, when police were called to a Hackney school. Staff were concerned that a 15-year-old girl smelled strongly of cannabis and may have been in possession of drugs.

    Two female officers conducted a more thorough search of the girl, that exposed intimate parts, in the medical room at the school.

    No drugs were found.

    The Met voluntarily referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in May 2021 following complaints received.

    The misconduct hearing concluded that the search on Child Q was unnecessary, inappropriate and disproportionate. It was carried out without authorisation from a more senior officer, without an appropriate adult present and a proper record was not made afterwards.

    The hearing found T/DC Linge and PC Szmydynsk breached standards of professional behaviour in relation to authority, respect and courtesy, orders and instructions, duties and responsibilities and discreditable contact at the level of gross misconduct.

    PC Wray breached standards in relation to authority, respect and courtesy, orders and instructions and duties and responsibilities at the level of misconduct.

    Allegations against all the officers that they breached the standards of professional behaviour for equality and diversity were not proven.

    Allegations that PC Szmydynski and TDC Linge breached standards for honesty and integrity for reportedly making a misleading record of the search were also not proven.

    The misconduct panel is now considering sanction.

    Progress since this case

    Ensuring the safeguarding of every child who is searched is an absolute priority.

    • Every strip search or more thorough search where intimate parts are exposed (an ‘MTIP search’ outside custody as carried out on Child Q) requires authorisation by a local officer of inspector rank. That inspector is also responsible for the administration of the search, including recording the rationale, and a mandatory safeguarding referral to relevant authorities. This has been cemented in our Metropolitan Police Service Children’s Strategy, published in September 2024.
    • We have issued guidance to every frontline officer across the Met on the correct process, including the requirement for an appropriate adult to be present during the strip search or MTIP search of a child.
    • We have linked in with policing nationally to share areas of learning from Child Q’s incident and ensure forces across the country are aligned.
    • Recognising the wider community concerns that this case has raised regardless of today’s outcome, the Met is currently training more than 20,000 frontline officers and staff as part of a New Met for London around the risk of adultification and how to ensure a child-first approach in every instance.
    • We continue to listen to communities and partners on what more we need to do around our processes. Hackney has an active community-led scrutiny panel which scrutinises the use of police powers across the borough.
    • We continue to work closely in partnership with schools across London to keep children safe and prevent and detect crime.
    • Following Child Q we reviewed all strip searches and MTIP searches across the Met and made a number of voluntary referrals to the IOPC. In a number of those cases the IOPC found officers acted correctly, in others we have progressed disciplinary matters and learning.
    • We continue to publish data, which shows how the figures have significantly fallen on these types of searches, both inside and outside of custody:

    Stops and Search – More Thorough Searches Dashboard | Tableau Public

    Custody Dashboard | Tableau Public

    For MTIP searches on those aged under 18:

    A total of 68 were carried out between 1 June 2023 and 31 May 2024. The positive outcome rate was 66.2 per cent (45 individuals).

    A total of 42 were carried out between 1 June 2024 and 31 May 2025. The positive outcome rate was 59.5 per cent (25 individuals).

    This shows a decrease over this period in the number of searches carried out of 38.2 per cent. The overall positive outcome rate for this period was 63.6 per cent.

    A positive outcome means when criminality of any type is detected following a search.

    The number of MTIPs carried out on under 18s over this period was 7.3 per cent of the total for all ages.

    The dashboard carries data from the last two years.

    Prior to that, between 25 May 2021 and 24 May 2022 – a full year before we made changes to policy as the result of Child Q – a total of 232 MTIP searches on children were carried out.

    Between 25 May 2022 and 24 May 2023 – a full year post policy change – a total of 101 MTIP searches on children were carried out.

    This is a 56 per cent decrease.

    On average in London, in the five years to 31 May 2025, we have each year seen 499 children (aged 17 and under) recorded as a victim of crime after being injured with a knife, not including domestic abuse related incidents.

    Tragically, during that five-year period, 59 of those children were fatally stabbed.

    An annual average of 432 children were arrested for possession with intent to supply drugs and an annual average of 1,626 were arrested for possession of an offensive weapon.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two drug kingpins jailed for life following Met EncroChat investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two men have been jailed for life for importing and dealing a tonne of cocaine and plotting a murder.

    The Met’s investigation uncovered the two men’s plan to commit a murder, as well as their role in delivering millions of pounds worth of drugs across the capital and beyond.

    The evidence of the offences were identified after officers trawled through thousands of messages on encrypted communication service EncroChat.

    Thought to be impenetrable by law enforcement, Met officers accessed chats between James Harding and Jayes Kharouti.

    It was identified that James Harding, 34 (01.01.1991), of Alton, Hampshire, was the head of a sophisticated organised drug dealing network, turning over an estimated £5 million profit in just 10 weeks. Harding resided in Dubai at the time of his arrest.

    Detective Chief Inspector Jim Casey, who led the investigation, said:

    “This sentencing shows the severity of the crimes the duo committed.

    “Following one of the largest EncroChat investigations in the Met’s history, I am pleased that both criminals are serving the time they deserve.

    “Not only did they have a detailed plan to kill, their conspiracy to import and deal drugs harmed a number of our communities in London and across the country.

    “This sends a clear message to other potential offenders: we will investigate and we will put you before the courts.”

    Harding was found guilty by the jury of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and conspiracy to commit murder on Tuesday, 24 June at The Old Bailey, following a seven-week trial.

    He was sentenced to life at The Old Bailey on Thursday, 26 June, and will have to serve a minimum of 32 years’ imprisonment.

    Kharouti, 39, (09.02.1986) of Depot Road, Epsom, previously admitted to his role in supplying drugs on Friday, 8 November 2024 at The Old Bailey. He was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder alongside Harding on Tuesday, 24 June at the same court.

    He was sentenced to life at The Old Bailey on Thursday, 26 June, and will have to serve a minimum of 26 years’ imprisonment.

    Chats on the encrypted messaging site unveiled they both spoke, in detail, about their plan to kill a suspected drug courier from a ‘rival crime network’.

    This case is part of a wider operation to take down those who utilised EncroChat, after the National Crime Agency (NCA) passed information onto the Met after European agencies cracked the encrypted communications platform.

    So far, Met investigations have led to more than 5,000 years-worth of prison sentences for criminals on the site.

    The investigation

    Following the thorough investigation into a series of conversations on EncroChat, the Met discovered Harding used the handle “thetopsking”, while Kharouti used “besttops”. They used the platform to confidently communicate with each other about their vast criminal enterprise.

    The Met spent hundreds of hours reviewing and analysing these messages. Among them were clear conspiracies to carry out a murder of a rival drug gang member with detailed plans, involving recruiting paid hitmen, arranging firearms and getaway vehicles. They had also discussed times, dates and locations.

    This was on top of plans to coordinate deliveries of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine across the country, manage their vast finances and discuss security threats.

    The court heard that approximately 50 importations were made into the UK, with a total weight of one tonne, between April and June 2020.

    This allowed Harding to live a lavish lifestyle in the United Arab Emirates, where he conducted his criminal enterprise.

    The arrests

    Harding was arrested on Monday, 27 December 2021 at Geneva Airport, Switzerland. On Friday, 27 May 2022, he was extradited from Switzerland to the UK when he was arrested by Met officers.

    Kharouti’s home was searched in 2020 after he was linked to the messages. Police found a handset with the same number he gave to Harding. He fled the country shortly after this, before being found in Turkey and extradited back to the UK.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three people charged in connection with Hounslow murder

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the murder of a man in Hounslow have charged three people in connection with his death.

    [A] Kaywan Warzier Karim, 27 (23.08.97), of Walnut Tree Road, Hounslow, was charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon on Wednesday, 25 June.

    [B] Tania Hamza, 33 (05.01.92), of Kingsley Road, Hounslow, was charged on Thursday, 26 June with violent disorder and assisting an offender.

    [C] Aziz Hama, 31 (07.11.93), of Selbourne Ave, Hounslow was charged on Thursday, 26 June with assisting an offender.

    All three will appear in custody at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 26 June.

    On Thursday, 26 June, police arrested a 35-year-old man [D] on suspicion of murder. He remains in police custody.

    Police were called at 14:21hrs on Sunday, 22 June to reports of a stabbing in Hanworth Road, Hounslow, near the junction with School Road.

    Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service and treated a 22-year-old man for stab wounds.

    The victim, Dara Omar from Brentford, was taken to hospital but sadly died sometime later.

    His next-of-kin continue to be supported by specialist officers.

    Anyone who can assist the investigation team is asked to call 101 quoting 4387/22Jun or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org to remain anonymous.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO concludes historic Summit in The Hague

    Source: NATO

    On Wednesday (25 June 2025), NATO concluded a historic Summit in The Hague. Allies reached a decision to invest 5% of GDP in defence – laying the foundation for a strong, united NATO in the years to come – and reaffirming their continued support to Ukraine.

    Leaders came together for a series of events around the NATO Summit in The Hague on 24-25 June. 

    On Tuesday, the Secretary General spoke at the NATO Public Forum – a conference that lasted two days and provided in-person and online audiences with an opportunity to dive into the decisions being made at the Summit, as well as other topics on which NATO is engaged. NATO also hosted a Summit Defence Industry Forum on the 24th that brought together political and military leaders, as well as industry, to advance efforts to boost defence industrial production across the Alliance. 

    On Tuesday evening, the Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima hosted a social dinner for the leaders gathered for the Summit at the historic Huis ten Bosch. In parallel, NATO Defence Ministers held a working dinner, as did NATO Foreign Ministers who met, along with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, for a working dinner of the NATO-Ukraine Council.

    At the formal session of NATO Heads of State and Government on Wednesday, Allied leaders adopted a summit declaration that set a new benchmark for defence investment, underlined the importance of ramping up defence industrial production, and affirmed continued support for Ukraine. With The Hague Defence Investment Plan outlined in the statement, Allies commit to investing 5% of GDP in defence – including 3.5% of GDP on core defence requirements and 1.5% on defence- and security-related investments like infrastructure and industry. This marks a major uplift from the previous benchmark of 2% of GDP.

    “Together, Allies have laid the foundations for a stronger, fairer, more lethal NATO,” the Secretary General stated in a closing press conference. “These decisions will have a profound impact on our ability to do what NATO was founded to do – deter and defend.” Highlighting the challenges to Allied security, the Secretary General underscored, “whether from Russia or terrorism, cyberattacks, sabotage or strategic competition – this Alliance is and will remain ready, willing and able to defend every inch of Allied territory,” explaining that the new pledge would “ensure that our one billion people can continue to live in freedom and security.”

    There were also a number of additional meetings held at the NATO Summit including a meeting of the NATO Secretary General, the President of Ukraine, and the Presidents of the European Council and European Commission; a meeting of the NATO Secretary General, the President of Ukraine, the President of France, the German Chancellor, and the Prime Ministers of Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom; and a meeting between the NATO Secretary General and NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners. 

    The next NATO Summit is planned for 2026 in Türkiye.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Springfield Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Conspiracy to Traffic Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for using a straw purchaser to illegally acquire firearms.

    DeSean L. Franklin, 24, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 78 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

    On Nov. 25, 2024, Franklin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms. Franklin admitted to conspiring to receive a firearm from another, knowing that he was prohibited from possessing one.

    Franklin is one of three defendants in this case who have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms and is the third to be sentenced. Joseph M. Johnson pleaded guilty on May 20, 2024, and was sentenced to 5 years of probation. Raimaiya L. Tyson pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024, and was sentenced to 19 months.

    Johnson admitted to purchasing a firearm that he then transferred to another person, Franklin, who was prohibited from possessing firearms. Franklin was a close associate of an area gang known as “ODB,” who have been linked to a number of violent and firearm offenses. Many of the members of ODB are unable to purchase firearms due to their youth, history of drug use, or other prohibited status and use straw purchasers to obtain them.

    Investigators with the ATF observed Tyson and Franklin at a gun show in Greene County, Mo., on Aug. 12, 2023. Franklin was prohibited from purchasing firearms because of pending felony criminal charges out of Caddo County, Ok. for unlawful possession of a controlled drug, and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony. Tyson attempted to purchase a Draco pistol but was denied due to pending felony criminal charges out of Henry County, Mo. Later that morning, Tyson and Franklin returned to the gun show with Johnson and Johnson purchased a Micro Draco 7.62 caliber semi-automatic pistol.

    On Aug. 31, 2023, deputies with the Greene County Sherriff’s Office searched Desean Franklin’s vehicle during a traffic stop and found the loaded Draco pistol which was then equipped with a high-capacity magazine, and three other firearms. Franklin admitted that the Draco pistol belonged to him, and claimed he had purchased it at a gun show.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods

    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.

    MIL Security OSI –