NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Sentenced to 168 Months in Federal Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Child

    Source: US FBI

                WASHINGTON – Jason Hanif Rehman, 40, of Rockville, Md., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 168 months federal in prison in connection with coercing a minor victim to send him sexually explicit images of herself over the internet.  

                The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                Rehman pleaded guilty on Nov. 21, 2024, to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. In addition to the 14-year prison term, Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Rehman to serve 10 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

                According to court documents, in October and November of 2018, Rehman communicated with a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat. Rehman directed her to produce and send him child sexual abuse material. He also sent her explicit photographs of himself. Over the course of five weeks, Rehman continued to coerce the victim into sending him child sexual abuse material and, on at least two separate dates, traveled from Maryland and Washington, D.C. to Virginia where he had sex with her.

                A fellow student notified school officials of the minor victim’s communication with an adult male. Investigators identified the male as Rehman. Subsequently, other minors at the school  disclosed that Rehman had sent them similarly sexually explicit messages and requests over Snapchat. When investigators located Rehman, he admitted that he had used his Snapchat account to contact the victim and knew she was 15 years old. He also admitted to convincing her to send him explicit photos and admitted to having sexual intercourse with her.

                This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in conjunction with the Fairfax County Police Department. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell for the District of Columbia. and Trial Attorney Angelica Carrasco of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Georgia Bookkeeper Sentenced for Embezzling From Columbus Real Estate Brokerage Firm

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ga. – A former employee of Keller Williams Realty River Cities was sentenced to prison after she admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer to pay off her credit card.

    Lauren Williams Eldridge, 38, of Pine Mountain, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 27 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $453,876.64 in restitution to Keller Williams Realty River Cities by U.S. District Judge Clay Land on June 18 after she previously pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud on Jan. 29, 2025. There is no parole in the federal system.

    “The repercussions of employee theft are often felt beyond the prosecution, negatively affecting businesses, their customers and the community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Fraud and theft will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia. Our office will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to hold those who choose to disregard the law accountable.”

    “For years, Eldridge used her company’s funds like her personal ATM,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “She will now have more than two years behind bars to consider the impact of her actions.”

    According to court documents and other statements made in court, Eldridge was an office manager and bookkeeper for nine years with Keller Williams Realty River Cities (KW). KW representatives noticed some discrepancies in a KW account in Oct. 2022 and that Eldridge had moved money out of that account to other accounts. When Eldridge was initially questioned about the transfer, she did not provide a clear explanation. Eldridge resigned from her position soon afterward.

    Law enforcement was notified in Jan. 2023; a review of the KW accounts revealed that a total of $453,876.68 in monthly electronic payments were made to Eldridge’s personal American Express account from KW accounts between Jan. 2017 and Sept. 2022. Eldridge admitted to KW representatives and their legal counsel in Dec. 2022 that she embezzled the money from KW to pay her personal American Express credit card balance every month. She reported that she intended to pay this money back when she first began taking funds after she had charged $30,000 to her American Express for home repairs.

    The FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Hostetler prosecuted the case for the Government.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Foreign National Sentenced to Prison for Conducting Cyber Scams That Victimized U.S. Citizens and Businesses

    Source: US FBI

    CHICAGO — A foreign national has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for conducting a variety of cyber fraud schemes that victimized U.S. citizens and businesses.

    RIDWAN ADELEKE ADEPOJU and co-schemers operated multiple fraud schemes from Nigeria, including phishing scams, romance scams, and the submission of fraudulent tax returns.  The scams involved multiple spoofed email addresses, fictional social media personas, and unwitting money mules.  Adepoju’s schemes victimized numerous U.S. citizens and businesses, including individuals and companies in the Chicago area.

    Adepoju, 33, of Lagos, Nigeria, was arrested last year in the United Kingdom and extradited to the United States.  He pleaded guilty in March to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.  On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly imposed a 43-month prison sentence.

    The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ramsey E. Covington, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.

    “Defendant’s offense involved a years-long, complex scheme, involving several types of scams and many victims,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie E. Ursini argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Defendant chose to be a willing participant in the scheme over and over again.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Lab Owner Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison in Connection with $14 Million COVID-19 Testing Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    CHICAGO — The owner of a Chicago laboratory was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison for his role in a Covid-19 testing fraud scheme.

    ZISHAN ALVI, 46, of Inverness, Ill., owned and operated a laboratory in Chicago that performed testing for Covid-19.  In 2021 and 2022, Alvi caused tens of thousands of claims to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for Covid-19 tests that were not performed as billed.  As part of the scheme, the laboratory released negative test results to patients, even though the laboratory either had not tested the specimens or the results were inconclusive because Alvi diluted the tests to save on costs while making them unreliable.  Alvi knew that the laboratory was releasing negative results for Covid-19 tests that were not performed or were inconclusive, but still caused the laboratory to submit claims to HRSA for those tests.  Alvi also lied to laboratory directors to conceal his fraud. HRSA paid the laboratory more than $14 million because of the fraudulent claims that Alvi caused to be submitted.

    Alvi pleaded guilty last year to one count of wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. imposed the prison sentence during a hearing today in federal court in Chicago.  Judge Tharp also ordered Alvi to pay more than $14.1 million in restitution and forfeit more than $8 million in cash, a 2021 Range Rover HSE, a 2022 Tesla X, and a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB250W4, all of which were previously seized by law enforcement.

    The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten of the Northern District of Illinois, and Claire T. Sobczak, Trial Attorney of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

    “At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Zishan Alvi disregarded public health concerns in favor of greed and his own financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The government’s pandemic-relief programs were intended to keep people safe, not provide an avenue for fraud and illegal profits.  Our Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out abuse of these important programs and hold accountable those who seek to fraudulently profit from them.”

    “In the midst of economic uncertainty for many Americans, the defendant chose to cash in on a global pandemic by stealing millions of dollars and committing extensive fraud,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “Further, he placed patients and the public at risk by releasing false Covid-19 test results. The FBI and our dedicated partners are committed to investigating Covid con artists and ensuring they are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Alaskan Individual Charged with Possessing Firearms and Ammunition as a Fugitive From Justice

    Source: US FBI

    Baltimore, Maryland  – Today, a federal grand jury returned an indictment, charging Jack Amadeus LaSota, 34, of Fairbanks, Alaska — aka Andrea Phelps; Ann Grimes; Anne Grimes; Canaris; Julia LaSota; Ziz — with being a fugitive from justice in possession of firearms and ammunition. 

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.

    According to the indictment, LaSota possessed several firearms, including a GM6 Lynx .50 caliber rifle, a black HS Produkt, model Hellcat, 9x19mm handgun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. At the time, LaSota was knowingly a fugitive from justice and therefore was not permitted by law to possess a firearm or ammunition.

    If convicted, LaSota faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, the Allegany County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Beim who is prosecuting the federal case.  

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Wakpala Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Federal Prison for Assault and Burglary of a Home Within the Standing Rock Reservation

    Source: US FBI

    ABERDEEN – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of First Degree Burglary and two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on June 16, 2025.

    Francis Lee Dubray, age 35, was sentenced to five years and ten months months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Dubray was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023. He was found guilty on October 24, 2024, following a three-day federal jury trial.

    Shortly after nightfall on July 5, 2023, Dubray and two co-defendants went to a woman’s home in McLaughlin, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, to assault a man they believed had inappropriately touched a girl. As the woman yelled at them to go away, one of the co-defendants kicked in her front door. Dubray’s co-defendants rushed into the house while Dubray stood on the stoop, hollering and chastising the woman for allowing the man to stay in her house. Although the man they came to find was passed out, Dubray’s co-defendants repeatedly kicked him in the face and struck him with a bar while the woman pleaded for them to stop. The victim incurred a broken nose and shattered orbital and sinus bones in the assault. He still struggles with his vision and headaches today.  As Dubray’s co-defendants left the home, one of them knocked the woman to the floor. As she crawled toward the front door, Dubray kicked her in the face, then fled with his companions.

    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.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Haverhill Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Cocaine and Firearms Trafficking

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

    BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for trafficking cocaine and illegal firearms in and around the Boston area.

    Cordell Miller, 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 42 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In February 2025, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, aiding and abetting and one count of trafficking in firearms and conspiracy to do so. Miller was arrested and charged in November 2023 along with co-conspirators Malcolm Desir and Alan Robinson.

    Miller was identified as a firearms and ammunition trafficker in the metro Boston area. In August 2023, Miller arranged for the sale of distribution weight cocaine and several firearms to a cooperating witness. Prior to his arrest in November 2023, Miller and Robinson facilitated the sale of four separate firearms: an AR-15 “ghost gun” rifle; a Polymer 80 “ghost gun” pistol; a HIPOINT 9mm rifle; and a Ruger .38 caliber pistol.

    In April 2025, Robinson was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Desir was sentenced on June 18, 2025 to seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, with the first year to be served in home detention.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group Departs for Deployment

    Source: United States Navy

    NORFOLK, Va. — Nearly 4,500 Sailors assigned to the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group departed Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, June 24, for a regularly-scheduled deployment to the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Update on Developments in Iran (6)

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has welcomed today’s announcements regarding the situation in Iran and stressed the need for a resumption of the IAEA’s indispensable safeguards verification work in the country following a 12-day military conflict that severely damaged several of its nuclear sites.

    In a letter to Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Abbas Araghchi, Director General Grossi also proposed that they meet soon.

    “Resuming cooperation with the IAEA is key to a successful diplomatic agreement to finally resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities. I’ve written to Foreign Minister Araghchi stressing the importance of us working together and proposing to meet soon,” he said.

    IAEA inspectors have remained in Iran throughout the conflict and are ready to start working as soon as possible, going back to the country’s nuclear sites and verifying the inventories of nuclear material – including more than 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60% – which they last verified a few days before the Israeli air strikes began on 13 June.

    Even though the conflict interrupted safeguards inspections in the country, the IAEA has been closely monitoring the impact of the military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites at Arak, Esfahan, Fordow and Natanz as well as the possible consequences for human health and the environment, based on relevant information received from Iran’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

    “As I have repeatedly stated – before and during the conflict – nuclear facilities should never be attacked due to the very real risk of a serious radiological accident,” Director General Grossi said.

    “During these attacks, we have seen extensive damage at several nuclear sites in Iran, including its uranium conversion and enrichment facilities. Our assessment is that there has been some localized radioactive as well as chemical release inside the affected facilities that contained nuclear material – mainly uranium enriched to varying degrees – but there has been no report of increased off-site radiation levels,” he said.  

    Still, the IAEA is aware of concerns in the region regarding any radiological consequences as a result of the strikes on nuclear facilities.

    “Based on the data available to us, the IAEA can provide assurances that there has been no radiological impact to the population and the environment in neighbouring countries. Crucially in terms of nuclear safety, Iran’s research and power reactors were not targeted,” Director General Grossi said.

    In addition to the detailed assessment that Director General Grossi provided to the IAEA Board of Governors on Monday, the IAEA has identified additional impact points at nuclear sites at Fordow and Natanz as a result of strikes carried out before today’s announcements on the situation in Iran.

    Regarding the additional strikes to Fordow that were reported early on Monday – after the U.S. bombing of the facility early on Sunday – the IAEA assesses that access roads close to the underground facility and one of its entrances were hit.

    At Natanz, the IAEA has identified two impact holes from the U.S. strikes above the underground halls that had been used for enrichment as well as for storage. Based on its knowledge of what these halls contained, the IAEA assesses that this strike may have caused localized contamination and chemical hazards.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Update on Developments in Iran (6)

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has welcomed today’s announcements regarding the situation in Iran and stressed the need for a resumption of the IAEA’s indispensable safeguards verification work in the country following a 12-day military conflict that severely damaged several of its nuclear sites.

    In a letter to Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Abbas Araghchi, Director General Grossi also proposed that they meet soon.

    “Resuming cooperation with the IAEA is key to a successful diplomatic agreement to finally resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities. I’ve written to Foreign Minister Araghchi stressing the importance of us working together and proposing to meet soon,” he said.

    IAEA inspectors have remained in Iran throughout the conflict and are ready to start working as soon as possible, going back to the country’s nuclear sites and verifying the inventories of nuclear material – including more than 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60% – which they last verified a few days before the Israeli air strikes began on 13 June.

    Even though the conflict interrupted safeguards inspections in the country, the IAEA has been closely monitoring the impact of the military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites at Arak, Esfahan, Fordow and Natanz as well as the possible consequences for human health and the environment, based on relevant information received from Iran’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

    “As I have repeatedly stated – before and during the conflict – nuclear facilities should never be attacked due to the very real risk of a serious radiological accident,” Director General Grossi said.

    “During these attacks, we have seen extensive damage at several nuclear sites in Iran, including its uranium conversion and enrichment facilities. Our assessment is that there has been some localized radioactive as well as chemical release inside the affected facilities that contained nuclear material – mainly uranium enriched to varying degrees – but there has been no report of increased off-site radiation levels,” he said.  

    Still, the IAEA is aware of concerns in the region regarding any radiological consequences as a result of the strikes on nuclear facilities.

    “Based on the data available to us, the IAEA can provide assurances that there has been no radiological impact to the population and the environment in neighbouring countries. Crucially in terms of nuclear safety, Iran’s research and power reactors were not targeted,” Director General Grossi said.

    In addition to the detailed assessment that Director General Grossi provided to the IAEA Board of Governors on Monday, the IAEA has identified additional impact points at nuclear sites at Fordow and Natanz as a result of strikes carried out before today’s announcements on the situation in Iran.

    Regarding the additional strikes to Fordow that were reported early on Monday – after the U.S. bombing of the facility early on Sunday – the IAEA assesses that access roads close to the underground facility and one of its entrances were hit.

    At Natanz, the IAEA has identified two impact holes from the U.S. strikes above the underground halls that had been used for enrichment as well as for storage. Based on its knowledge of what these halls contained, the IAEA assesses that this strike may have caused localized contamination and chemical hazards.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jamaican National Extradited to U.S. for Participating in Lottery and Romance Scheme Targeting Elderly Arizona Resident

    Source: US FBI

    TUCSON, Ariz. – On June 12, 2025, Sherwayne Benjamin Bellinfantie, a.k.a. “Ice Man,” of Jamaica, was extradited to the United States to face charges related to a romance and sweepstakes scheme that targeted an Arizona resident. A federal grand jury in Tucson indicted Bellinfantie in March 2022 for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Bellinfantie was arrested in Jamaica on an extradition warrant on July 3, 2023.

    The indictment alleges that from December 2015 through January 2019, Bellinfantie and his co-conspirators participated in a romance and sweepstakes scheme targeting an elderly 85-year-old resident of Vail, Arizona. Using a fictitious name, Bellinfantie and his co-conspirators deceived the victim by leading her to believe she was engaged in a romantic relationship. In furtherance of the scheme, one of the co-conspirators would send flowers with love messages to the victim’s residence. The co-conspirators also falsely represented to the victim that she had won the lottery or another monetary prize to induce her into sending them money to pay “taxes” or other “fees.”  As a result of the scheme, the victim lost over $400,000. 

    A conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering each carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison.

    An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with securing the arrest and extradition of Bellinfantie to the United States.

    CASE NUMBER:          CR-22-0523-TUC-RCC
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-095_Bellinfantie

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    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Riverside County Woman Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Running $1.7 Million COVID-19 Benefits Fraud She Advertised on Instagram

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – An Inland Empire woman was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $1.7 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits, federally-guaranteed small business loans, California Small Business COVID-19 relief grants, and Los Angeles County economic opportunity grants. 

    Jasmine Unique Mallard-McCarter, 30, a.k.a. “JassyMC,” of Eastvale, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who also ordered her to pay $1,765,407 in restitution.

    McCarter pleaded guilty on February 28 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. 

    McCarter impersonated others to apply online for government benefits that she used for herself. McCarter also used the personal identifying information provided by her co-conspirators to apply for government benefits on their behalf, knowing those co-conspirators were not eligible for those benefits.

    McCarter charged fees to instruct others how to apply for government benefits for which they were not eligible without getting caught. Also, for a fee, McCarter served as a broker for counterfeit documents, such as Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, IRS Forms 1040, W-2s, bank statements, education degrees and transcripts, pay stubs, and doctors’ notes for handicapped placards. In some instances, the McCarter and her co-conspirators used the counterfeit documents to trick the government into paying unjustified benefits. 

    McCarter advertised her fraud services on Instragram, using handles “JassyMc” and “EliteRealEstateandBusiness.” McCarter referred to herself as the “Jass of All Trades” in social media posts, because she could file fraudulent unemployment insurance applications, file grant applications, and broker counterfeit documents and identification in return for a fee.

    According to McCarter’s Instagram posts, she charged a fee for introducing customers to her connection at the California Department of Motor Vehicles, who could help bypass requirements for smog checks, insurance, and registration.

    The U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Employee Development Department Investigations Division, U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Secret Service investigated this matter. 

    Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolster efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of the three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Brandishing Firearm at “No Kings” Protest Charged with Federal Firearms Violation

    Source: US FBI

    NASHVILLE – Elijah Millar, 19, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was federally charged on Friday, June 20, with the unlawful possession of a firearm, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

    According to court documents, Millar went to a “No Kings” protest near Bicentennial Mall in downtown Nashville on June 14, 2025. Millar was dressed in all black, wearing a mask, and was, according to witnesses, carrying a firearm. Witnesses reported to law enforcement that Millar told the protestors that he had a firearm, spat at them, yelled at them, and brandished the firearm. Officers with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) then approached Millar, disarmed him, and arrested him. According to court documents, MNPD seized a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from Millar at the time. Days later, officers of the Murfreesboro Police Department encountered Millar and recovered another loaded 9mm firearm from his waistband.

    According to the federal criminal complaint, in 2023, the Chancery Court in Rutherford County, Tennessee entered an Order appointing an emergency conservator for Millar finding that he was “at risk of substantial harm to his health, safety, and welfare” and prohibiting him from receiving or possessing a firearm. In September 2024, a Chancery Court Judge in Rutherford County issued an “Agreed Order of Limited Conservatorship” for Millar finding him to be a “disabled person needing care” and significantly restricting his access to firearms.

    “The right to peaceably protest government action is guaranteed by the First Amendment and cannot be infringed upon by armed individuals whose actions put people in danger,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Our efforts to hold firearm offenders accountable are designed to keep all members of the public safe from potential violence.”

    If convicted, Millar faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

    This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, and the Murfreesboro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Kurtzman and Kathryn Risinger are prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: ‘The mission is the same’: Retired Marine F-35 pilot finds new way to serve at FRCE

    Source: United States Navy

    In his new role as a civilian F-35 maintenance test pilot, retired Marine Ross Fearon traded combat maneuvers for flight testing to ensure  the nation’s warfighters receive flight-ready aircraft following modification or repair at the depot.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Men Sentenced for Multiple Drug Trafficking Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    COVINGTON, Ky. – An Aberdeen, Ohio, man, Gary Cunningham, Jr., 37, and Frederick Overly, III, 58, of Maysville, Ky., were sentenced to 268 months and 120 months, respectively, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and eight counts of distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.  Cunningham was also convicted of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it.

    According to testimony at trial, law enforcement identified Frederick Overly III, as a methamphetamine supplier, and used a confidential informant to make eight controlled purchases from Overly. Each purchase was arranged by the informant calling Overly, who in turn indicated that he would need to get the methamphetamine from his own supplier, Cunningham. Each time, Cunningham sold Overly the methamphetamine that Overly subsequently sold to the informant, totaling more approximately 80 grams.

    Cunningham was previously convicted of three counts of first-degree trafficking of a controlled substance in Mason County Circuit Court in 2013, and second-degree robbery in Mason County Circuit Court in 2014. He was on probation for possession of methamphetamine when he committed the federal offenses.   

    Under federal law, Cunningham and Overly must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release from prison, Cunningham will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years, and Overly will be under supervision for five years. 

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; jointly announced the sentencing.

    The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Maysville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Bracke and Drew Spievack prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

    – END –

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nation’s Largest Property Management Company to Pay Over $1.4M for Unlawful Charges on Military Servicemembers

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The Justice Department announced today that Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC will pay over $1.4 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) when it imposed illegal fees on military servicemembers who terminated their leases after receiving military relocation orders.

    The Department alleged that Greystar, the nation’s largest property management company with over 800,000 housing units under management, relied on software that it knew would automatically impose early termination charges on SCRA-protected servicemembers.

    Greystar will set aside $1.35 million to pay affected military members and their co-tenants and will pay a $77,370 civil penalty.  Greystar will pay triple damages to the servicemembers who paid the early termination charges.  The company will also make changes to its policies and training, including adopting SCRA-compliant software and forms at all its properties.

    “We honor the service and sacrifices of our military by defending their rights under the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are aggressively enforcing all laws, including the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, to protect our military servicemembers and veterans.”

    “America’s servicemembers devote their lives to defending our nation and must be able to do so without undue burdens,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects our military families from unfair hardships such as penalties for terminating a housing lease to fulfill military orders. We will continue to defend and support those who keep our country safe.”

    The Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $483 million in monetary relief for over 148,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.

    Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met officers foil drug gang murder plot

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two drug kingpins have been found guilty of importing and dealing a tonne of cocaine and plotting a murder, following one of the largest EncroChat investigations in history led by Met detectives.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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’.

    Detective Chief Inspector Jim Casey, who led the investigation, said: “This conviction sends a clear message: no matter how sophisticated the methods, criminals cannot hide behind encrypted software.

    “This operation dismantled a major supply chain and is a testament to the relentless work of our officers.

    “We monitored their drug-dealing activity but then we saw the group discussing the contract killing of a rival.  We moved fast to protect those in danger.

    “Harding and Kharouti planned to kill, we stopped that and put them before the courts.”

    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.

    Detective Inspector Driss Hayoukane QPM, who oversaw the Met’s EncroChat operation, added:

    “Thanks to the tenacity and commitment from Met officers, over 500 criminals have been successfully convicted since the EncroChat platform was cracked back in 2020, leading to well over 5,000 years of sentences being handed down to those involved.

    “This represents our commitment to combatting illegal drug supply, as well as the serious violence that comes with it.

    “Our work doesn’t stop here – we will continue to pursue those who profit from bringing harm to our communities and will continue to deliver our mission of reducing crime.”

    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.

    They are both due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 26 June.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Missing 14-year-old girl from west London

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Police are appealing for information about the whereabouts of a missing teenager from Ladbroke Grove.

    Aaliyah Ekedi-Morrow, 14, was reported missing from the W10 area on Wednesday, 11 June.

    She was last seen at 14:35hrs wearing her school uniform which includes a black blazer, a white shirt, a black skirt and a black and pink striped tie.

    She is of slim build and has light brown hair that she often wears in a bun. Aaliyah is known to visit the Dollis Hill area.

    Detective Inspector William Peel, from the Central West’s missing people team:

    “Due to Aaliyah’s age and the period of time she has been away from home we remain very concerned for her wellbeing.

    “I urge anyone including Aaliyah’s friends and family, who may have seen her or have information concerning her safety and whereabouts to please get in touch with police as soon as possible.”

    You can call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD: 8071/11JUNE or contact the Missing People charity on 116 000

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ICE Arrests 11 Iranian Nationals Illegally in the U.S. Over the Weekend

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Criminal illegal aliens arrested include an individual with admitted ties to Hezbollah, a known or suspected terrorist, and an alleged former sniper for the Iranian army 

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 11 Iranian nationals illegally in the United States over the weekend. ICE also arrested a U.S. citizen who threatened to kill ICE law enforcement while harboring an illegal alien from Iran. The weekend arrests reflect the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) commitment to keeping known and suspected terrorists out of American communities.  

    “Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or otherwise,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out—and we are. We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”  

    • On June 22, ICE Atlanta arrested Ribvar Karimi in Locust, Alabama. Karimi reportedly served as an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021 and at the time of his arrest, in his possession, he had an Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card. He entered the U.S. on a K-1 visa, which is reserved for aliens engaged to be married to American citizens, in October 2024 under the Biden administration. Karimi never adjusted his status — a legal requirement — and is removable from the United States. He’s currently in ICE custody, where he’ll remain pending removal proceedings. 
    • On June 22, ICE Houston officials arrested Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, an alien with a final order of removal, who was carrying a loaded 9mm pistol at the time of his arrest. Sepehrian entered the U.S. in Houston on Dec. 9, 2016, on an F-1 student visa. On Aug. 19, 2017, Harris County police arrested him for assaulting a family member by impeding breathing; his wife told the local assistant district attorney that Sepehrian was threatening her and obtained a restraining order against him. She also alleged he was threatening her family in Iran. On July 23, 2018, the University of Texas terminated Sepehrian’s status after he was placed on academic suspension. An immigration judge ordered him removed on Oct. 10, 2019, after he was released on an immigration bond; he filed a motion to reopen his case, which a Department of Justice immigration judge denied. Sepehrian is in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.  
    • Also in Houston, ICE arrested Hamid Reza Bayat, an Iranian national an immigration judge ordered removed nearly 20 years ago, on Aug. 4, 2005. Twice convicted of drug crimes and once convicted of driving on a suspended license, Bayat served time before receiving his final order of removal. He’s now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.  
    • On June 22, in Tempe — a Phoenix, Arizona suburb — ICE agents arrested Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, an Iranian citizen with a final order of removal convicted of threatening a law enforcement officer and being an alien in possession of a firearm. Eidivand entered the U.S. in San Ysidro, California, in June 2012. In August 2013, an immigration judge granted him a voluntary departure, which allows an alien to leave the country without a formal ICE removal, but he never left. Eidivand will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. 
    • At the same residence, officials arrested Linet Vartaniann, a United States citizen, for threatening a law enforcement officer and harboring Eidivand, an illegal alien. Vartaniann threatened to open fire on ICE officials if they entered her home, then said she would go outside and “shoot ICE officers in the head.” ICE officials obtained a search warrant for the residence and arrested the pair, who are now charged with federal crimes.
    • On June 22, in Gluckstadt, Mississippi, ICE officers and agents arrested Yousef Mehridehno, an Iranian national and former lawful permanent resident. The U.S. government terminated Mehridehno’s residency in October 2017 after determining he lied on his original visa application and committed potential marriage fraud. In February, Mehridehno was listed as a known or suspected terrorist, and he’s now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. 
    • On June 22, in Colorado Springs, ICE officials arrested Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour — two illegally present Iranian nationals living together. Immigration officials first encountered Shafiei in Seattle, Washington, in January 1981; a judge ordered him removed in January 1987. His criminal history includes state and federal convictions for drug crimes and arrests for assault and child abuse. U.S. Border Patrol encountered Mehdipour in June 2023 during the Biden administration near Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and processed him as an expedited removal. Both men are in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. 
    • On June 22, in St. Paul, Minnesota, ICE arrested Mehran Makari Saheli, a 56-year-old Iranian national. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Minneapolis, where he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. He is a former member of off the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with admitted connections to Hezbollah. An immigration judge ordered him removed June 28, 2022, under the Biden administration, but he illegally remained in the U.S. Saheli is now in ICE custody pending removal. 
    • On June 22, ICE San Francisco arrested Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani, a 62-year-old Iranian national, with a criminal history that includes a 1994 conviction for petty theft and a 1995 conviction of possession of a controlled substance for sale. Asfestani was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for the drug conviction and is now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. 
    • On June 23, ICE Buffalo arrested Mohammad Rafikian, a 65-year-old Iranian national convicted of grand larceny, schemes to defraud, criminal impersonation and practicing as an attorney.  
    • On the same date, ICE San Diego arrested Arkavan Babk Moirokorli, a 57-year-old Iranian national convicted of forging an official seal. Both are in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. 

    You can report crimes and suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form. 

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: U.S., Australia, and Japan strengthen ties during Southern Jackaroo 25

    Source: United States Navy

    TOWNSVILLE, Australia — U.S. Marines and Sailors with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) arrived in Townsville to train alongside the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) during Exercise Southern Jackaroo 25, a multi-lateral exercise held from May 25 through June 13, 2025 at the Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland, Australia.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Shootings and Carjacking

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

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who committed an armed 2018 carjacking, a 2021 shooting and two other crimes involving guns to 25 years in prison.

    Darnell L. Clemons left a string of victims terrified and traumatized, according to testimony at Monday’s sentencing hearing.

    On May 16, 2018, Darnell L. Clemons and a nephew robbed and carjacked the manager of a University City, Missouri restaurant. Clemons stole the victim’s 2015 Toyota Corolla, cash and her phone after placing the muzzle of a handgun to her forehead and stomach.

    On July 29, 2021, Clemons’ nephew spotted a gun in a bag belonging to a customer at a Florissant, Missouri gas station and convenience store. The nephew tried to steal the gun, triggering a struggle. Clemons spotted the struggle, ran into the store and shot the victim in the back, resulting in permanent injury. He fired another shot from outside of the store.

    On Aug. 4, 2021, following a shootout with unknown individuals in a car, Clemons jumped through a stranger’s window in the O’Fallon neighborhood in St. Louis. Police found a stolen 9mm pistol with the slide locked back and no ammunition, indicating that Clemons had fired it recently. Clemons initially gave his brother’s name to police and claimed that officers planted the gun they found. A witness saw Clemons with the gun and his fingerprint was on the pistol’s magazine, however.

    On Dec. 8, 2021, Clemons was arrested on outstanding warrants by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Fugitive Unit with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations. After a foot chase through the Delmar Loop, officers found a 9mm Glock loaded with a large capacity drum magazine. Clemons again gave his brother’s name and falsely claimed that police had planted the gun. He later told police he “should have shot it out with you all” rather than surrendering, and threatened to kill an officer that he recognized, and that officer’s mother.

    Clemons was a “one-man crime wave” for 20 years before that arrest, placing him in the highest criminal history category, according to a sentencing memo. That crime wave included a carjacking committed by Clemons and his nephew at a church and resisting-arrest convictions dating back to age 16. Clemons also “capped off months of domestic abuse by throwing his pregnant girlfriend through a table, causing her to miscarry his own child,” the memo says. He also shot her, the memo says. In a letter to Judge Autrey, Clemons’ former girlfriend said Clemons’ gun went off while he was pistol-whipping her on Mother’s Day. “Hurting people made you laugh, and that’s where you found your joy in life,” she wrote in her letter. “To this day, I still deal with not feeling safe, not even when the police would come, because you have successfully broken into my house countless times. Not only are you my worst nightmare, but also the mother of a child’s worst nightmare as well.”

    “This was a career criminal with no regard for human life and demonstrated a willingness to terrorize communities with violence,” said Mark Zito, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City. “This is exactly the kind of dangerous offender HSI targets: armed, repeat violent criminals who think they can operate without consequence. Let this sentencing serve as a clear warning – if you prey on the public with guns and fear, we will find you, we will build the case, and we will make sure you face the full weight of the justice system.”

    Clemons, 38, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of carjacking, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

    The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the University City Police Department, the Florissant Police Department and the St. Louis County Crime Lab investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Shootings and Carjacking

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

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who committed an armed 2018 carjacking, a 2021 shooting and two other crimes involving guns to 25 years in prison.

    Darnell L. Clemons left a string of victims terrified and traumatized, according to testimony at Monday’s sentencing hearing.

    On May 16, 2018, Darnell L. Clemons and a nephew robbed and carjacked the manager of a University City, Missouri restaurant. Clemons stole the victim’s 2015 Toyota Corolla, cash and her phone after placing the muzzle of a handgun to her forehead and stomach.

    On July 29, 2021, Clemons’ nephew spotted a gun in a bag belonging to a customer at a Florissant, Missouri gas station and convenience store. The nephew tried to steal the gun, triggering a struggle. Clemons spotted the struggle, ran into the store and shot the victim in the back, resulting in permanent injury. He fired another shot from outside of the store.

    On Aug. 4, 2021, following a shootout with unknown individuals in a car, Clemons jumped through a stranger’s window in the O’Fallon neighborhood in St. Louis. Police found a stolen 9mm pistol with the slide locked back and no ammunition, indicating that Clemons had fired it recently. Clemons initially gave his brother’s name to police and claimed that officers planted the gun they found. A witness saw Clemons with the gun and his fingerprint was on the pistol’s magazine, however.

    On Dec. 8, 2021, Clemons was arrested on outstanding warrants by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Fugitive Unit with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations. After a foot chase through the Delmar Loop, officers found a 9mm Glock loaded with a large capacity drum magazine. Clemons again gave his brother’s name and falsely claimed that police had planted the gun. He later told police he “should have shot it out with you all” rather than surrendering, and threatened to kill an officer that he recognized, and that officer’s mother.

    Clemons was a “one-man crime wave” for 20 years before that arrest, placing him in the highest criminal history category, according to a sentencing memo. That crime wave included a carjacking committed by Clemons and his nephew at a church and resisting-arrest convictions dating back to age 16. Clemons also “capped off months of domestic abuse by throwing his pregnant girlfriend through a table, causing her to miscarry his own child,” the memo says. He also shot her, the memo says. In a letter to Judge Autrey, Clemons’ former girlfriend said Clemons’ gun went off while he was pistol-whipping her on Mother’s Day. “Hurting people made you laugh, and that’s where you found your joy in life,” she wrote in her letter. “To this day, I still deal with not feeling safe, not even when the police would come, because you have successfully broken into my house countless times. Not only are you my worst nightmare, but also the mother of a child’s worst nightmare as well.”

    “This was a career criminal with no regard for human life and demonstrated a willingness to terrorize communities with violence,” said Mark Zito, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City. “This is exactly the kind of dangerous offender HSI targets: armed, repeat violent criminals who think they can operate without consequence. Let this sentencing serve as a clear warning – if you prey on the public with guns and fear, we will find you, we will build the case, and we will make sure you face the full weight of the justice system.”

    Clemons, 38, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of carjacking, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

    The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the University City Police Department, the Florissant Police Department and the St. Louis County Crime Lab investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Mill Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

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

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — Cederick Dion Dixon, 38, of Fort Mill, has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Jan. 15, 2023, a South Carolina Highway Patrol state trooper initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for a defective equipment violation. He identified the driver and sole occupant as Dixon. Dixon admitted that his license was suspended and a records check revealed that his driver’s license was suspended as a habitual traffic offender. Dixon was arrested and a search of the vehicle uncovered a small baggie of marijuana in the driver’s side door handle along with an open bottle of liquor in the backseat.  Inside of a backpack in the front seat, troopers found a firearm along with 9mm ammunition, and an assortment of narcotics.  

    Dixon is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to prior convictions for attempted armed robbery, unlawful carrying of a weapon, distribution of crack cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Dixon to 87 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    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.

    This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Carolina Highway Patrol.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Mill Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

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

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — Cederick Dion Dixon, 38, of Fort Mill, has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Jan. 15, 2023, a South Carolina Highway Patrol state trooper initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for a defective equipment violation. He identified the driver and sole occupant as Dixon. Dixon admitted that his license was suspended and a records check revealed that his driver’s license was suspended as a habitual traffic offender. Dixon was arrested and a search of the vehicle uncovered a small baggie of marijuana in the driver’s side door handle along with an open bottle of liquor in the backseat.  Inside of a backpack in the front seat, troopers found a firearm along with 9mm ammunition, and an assortment of narcotics.  

    Dixon is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to prior convictions for attempted armed robbery, unlawful carrying of a weapon, distribution of crack cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Dixon to 87 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    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.

    This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Carolina Highway Patrol.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Hampshire Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Kidnapping Case

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

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 20, 2025, Barry Perez of Lebanon, New Hampshire, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 78 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. The Court also ordered Perez to pay restitution in the amount of $44,626 and recommended that the Bureau of Prisons not give Perez credit for time Perez has been detained pending the sentencing date. Perez previously pleaded guilty to kidnapping an interstate trucker on January 13, 2023.

    According to court records, Perez stole a box truck in Lebanon, New Hampshire, in the early morning hours of January 13, 2023. He drove the stolen truck into Vermont along Interstate 89. He was under the influence of various illegal drugs. After crashing the box truck near Exit 1 on I-89, a tractor trailer driver with an interstate shipment stopped to assist Perez. Perez displayed what appeared to be handgun, but was in fact a pellet gun, to force the trucker to drive Perez further north on I-89. When Perez dozed off, the trucker was able to stop the truck and escape. After a standoff, Perez was arrested in Berlin, Vermont, and taken into custody.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Vermont State Police, and the Berlin Police Department.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Van de Graaf. Perez was represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously convicted felon sentenced to 95 months for firearm possession and cocaine trafficking

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

    A man with multiple prior felony convictions was sentenced to 95 months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine while armed, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.

    On June 18, 2025, Eric Dwayne Ned was sentenced by United States District Judge Ada Brown to 95 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

    Court documents reflect that Ned was arrested in June 2021 for evading arrest, unlawful possession of body armor, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, delivery of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance by state and local authorities.  He bonded out of state custody and was arrested again in September 2021 for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and resisting arrest.  After bonding out of state custody again, he was arrested a third time in March 2022 for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and delivery of a controlled substance.  

    Special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives reviewed his March 2022 conduct and initiated federal charges.  In addition to Ned’s prior felony convictions for drug offenses and several domestic violence assaults, court records reveal that Ned continued committing violent acts while incarcerated, including engaging in fights with other inmates and jail staff.

    ATF conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John Boyle prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun Offenses

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

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher Garrow, age 39, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty on June 9 to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

    United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

    Garrow admitted to trafficking drugs for several months in 2024. In May 2024, officers arrested Garrow on unrelated state arrest warrants and discovered cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and a revolver in his backpack.

    United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Gun-toting drug dealers should be afraid – not just of dying in the streets as a result of their chosen profession, but of swift and decisive federal prosecution that will put them behind bars for many years. Schenectady County will be safer with this criminal off the streets.”

    ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller stated: “Protecting the public from violent crime remains one of our highest priorities. This case reflects how illegal firearms and drug trafficking often go hand in hand, creating serious threats to our communities. Strong partnerships with local law enforcement are essential to disrupting these dangerous networks and holding offenders accountable. ATF New York thanks our partners from the Schenectady PD, the Schenectady County DA’s Office & U.S. Attorney’s Office of Northern District of NY for their continued dedication to public safety and collaboration in pursuit of justice.”

    Schenectady County District Attorney Robert M. Carney stated: “We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its successful prosecution of Mr. Garrow, who did present a real danger to our community.  I know that Assistant District Attorney James Faucher from our Major Crimes Bureau worked closely with federal authorities to help shape this case for federal prosecution based on his knowledge of Mr. Garrow’s activities from other matters. We have over my tenure as DA often referred gun cases to federal prosecutors and I thank Mr. Sarcone for continuing that association.”

    At sentencing, Garrow faces a prison term of at least 10 years and up to life, and a supervised release term of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

    ATF investigated the case with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department and the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously deported Mexican national sentenced to 262 months for methamphetamine distribution, second Mexican national sentenced to 168 months

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

    TYLER, Texas – Two Mexican nationals were sentenced to lengthy federal prison sentences for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

    Leopoldo Alonso-Palacios, 38, and Juan Luis Salinas-Leon, 37, both Mexican nationals illegally living in Center, were sentenced to 168 months and 262 months, respectively, by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on June 23, 2025.

    According to information presented in court, on March 4, 2025, Alonso-Palacios and Salinas-Leon were stopped while driving on Interstate-20 in Wills Point for speeding.  During the stop, they consented to a search of the vehicle, which resulted in the discovery of 937.7 grams of methamphetamine.  During his arrest, officers found Salinas-Leon in possession of a firearm. The two men then confessed to having additional methamphetamine at their homes in Center.  Federal agents searched the residences, where they discovered large plastic tubs containing chicken lard that tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine, along with paraphernalia such as metal pots and mesh screens, materials commonly used in a methamphetamine conversion lab. At such clandestine labs, methamphetamine concealed in other substances is extracted by applying chemical processes and reconstituted into distributable drugs. In total, agents recovered more than six kilograms of methamphetamine ready for distribution as well as 22 kilograms of liquids in various stages of the conversion process, which also tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine.

    Immigration records reveal that both men were unlawfully present in the United States and that Salinas-Leon has been previously prosecuted for illegally entering the country.

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

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive; Gregg County Sheriff’s Office; and Wills Point Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Allies step up multinational capability delivery cooperation

    Source: NATO

    Increasing transatlantic defence industry production capacity is imperative to meet higher defence investment demand signals and support NATO’s enhanced deterrence and defence effectively.

    Multinational capability delivery initiatives are a cost-effective way of acquiring capabilities at speed and scale, which some Allies would not be able to do alone. 

    This proven and valuable approach is gaining new momentum as Allies work to meet NATO’s newly agreed capability targets.

    At the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in The Hague on Tuesday (24 June 2025), Allies signed a number of new multinational projects and expanding existing ones.  Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Türkiye and the United Kingdom committed to the joint acquisition, storage, transportation and management of stockpiles of defence critical raw materials, including through recycling existing products. 

    This High Visibility Project will help facilitate access to a sufficient supply of defence critical raw materials such as lithium, titanium and rare earth materials, which the Allied defence industry requires to deliver the capabilities needed to keep people safe. It will also help make NATO less vulnerable to supply shocks and reduce reliance on external providers. The project supports the implementation of NATO’s Defence Critical Supply Chain Security Roadmap, agreed by NATO Defence Ministers in June 2024.

    The Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) programme also reached a new milestone, with Denmark and Sweden joining this initiative. In addition, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space for the acquisition of two additional A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, raising the current fleet to 12 aircraft. Launched in 2012, the MMF programme is an example of effective NATO-EU collaboration, supported initially by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) and currently managed by NSPA. The fleet provides participating nations with critical capabilities in air-to-air refuelling, strategic airlift, and aeromedical evacuation.
     
    Estonia, Finland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands and Sweden also broke new ground in supporting the further integration of new technologies in military operations, announcing the establishment of the first NATO Innovation Ranges. These are a key pillar of NATO’s Rapid Adoption Action Plan, which Allied Leaders are expected to endorse at the NATO Summit, and which aims to expedite innovation adoption, leverage new technologies at speed to deliver on capability targets, and increase production capacity through the inclusion of non-traditional suppliers in the defence industrial base. These ranges will enable Allies and NATO to test, refine, and validate new technological products in operationally realistic environments. 
     
    The NATO Support and Procurement Organisation (NSPO), NSPA’s governing body, also signed a partnership agreement with Australia. The agreement will allow Australia’s participation in the full range of NSPA activities and services, including, but not limited to, the fields of acquisition, logistics, operational and systems support and services. This is an important milestone in NATO’s cooperation with partners around the globe.

    At the signing ceremony, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska also praised the conclusion of several new framework contracts by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) since January 2025, worth 4.7 billion euros, for critical munitions sourced from across the Alliance.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Allies step up multinational capability delivery cooperation

    Source: NATO

    Increasing transatlantic defence industry production capacity is imperative to meet higher defence investment demand signals and support NATO’s enhanced deterrence and defence effectively.

    Multinational capability delivery initiatives are a cost-effective way of acquiring capabilities at speed and scale, which some Allies would not be able to do alone. 

    This proven and valuable approach is gaining new momentum as Allies work to meet NATO’s newly agreed capability targets.

    At the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in The Hague on Tuesday (24 June 2025), Allies signed a number of new multinational projects and expanding existing ones.  Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Türkiye and the United Kingdom committed to the joint acquisition, storage, transportation and management of stockpiles of defence critical raw materials, including through recycling existing products. 

    This High Visibility Project will help facilitate access to a sufficient supply of defence critical raw materials such as lithium, titanium and rare earth materials, which the Allied defence industry requires to deliver the capabilities needed to keep people safe. It will also help make NATO less vulnerable to supply shocks and reduce reliance on external providers. The project supports the implementation of NATO’s Defence Critical Supply Chain Security Roadmap, agreed by NATO Defence Ministers in June 2024.

    The Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) programme also reached a new milestone, with Denmark and Sweden joining this initiative. In addition, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space for the acquisition of two additional A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, raising the current fleet to 12 aircraft. Launched in 2012, the MMF programme is an example of effective NATO-EU collaboration, supported initially by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) and currently managed by NSPA. The fleet provides participating nations with critical capabilities in air-to-air refuelling, strategic airlift, and aeromedical evacuation.
     
    Estonia, Finland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands and Sweden also broke new ground in supporting the further integration of new technologies in military operations, announcing the establishment of the first NATO Innovation Ranges. These are a key pillar of NATO’s Rapid Adoption Action Plan, which Allied Leaders are expected to endorse at the NATO Summit, and which aims to expedite innovation adoption, leverage new technologies at speed to deliver on capability targets, and increase production capacity through the inclusion of non-traditional suppliers in the defence industrial base. These ranges will enable Allies and NATO to test, refine, and validate new technological products in operationally realistic environments. 
     
    The NATO Support and Procurement Organisation (NSPO), NSPA’s governing body, also signed a partnership agreement with Australia. The agreement will allow Australia’s participation in the full range of NSPA activities and services, including, but not limited to, the fields of acquisition, logistics, operational and systems support and services. This is an important milestone in NATO’s cooperation with partners around the globe.

    At the signing ceremony, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska also praised the conclusion of several new framework contracts by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) since January 2025, worth 4.7 billion euros, for critical munitions sourced from across the Alliance.

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