NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI Security: Goshen Man Found Guilty After 3-Day Jury Trial

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SOUTH BEND – Late yesterday, Orlando Rodriguez-Roman, 42 years old, of Goshen, Indiana, was convicted of three felony counts after a three-day jury trial before United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Rodriguez-Roman was found guilty of attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

    Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2025.

    This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service including the USPS Forensic Laboratory Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Elkhart County Intelligence and Covert Enforcement Unit and the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lydia T. Lucius and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Madison Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – A Madison man was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Reginald Fullwood, Jr., 59, of Madison, participated in a scheme to pay kickbacks to a marketer in exchange for completed doctors’ orders so that he could cause his durable medical equipment company, Jackson Medical Supply, to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary and/or ineligible for reimbursement. When Medicare initiated an investigation of Jackson Medical Supply, the defendant opened another entity in the name of a nominee owner and again paid kickbacks to a marketer in exchange for doctors’ orders so that the new entity could continue to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans for orthotic braces. Overall, Fullwood caused these entities to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage approximately $12,441,625.30 and the entities were reimbursed approximately $6,448,092.61 for durable medical equipment that was medically unnecessary and/or ineligible for reimbursement.

    Fullwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States on August 28, 2024.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General made the announcement.

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.

    The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Strike Force and Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for House Burglary on the Choctaw Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – A Philadelphia man was sentenced to three years in federal prison for burglarizing a home in the Tucker community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Reservation.

    According to court documents, Sherente Tubby, 23, burglarized the home of a tribal member in December of 2021.  Tubby was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2022, and pled guilty in September of 2024.  He was sentenced on January 14, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.  

    The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a nationwide initiative that was launched in 2001 and works to reduce violent crime and gun violence.  It’s a collaboration between federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement, prosecutors, and community leaders.  PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, please visit http://www.psn.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A registered sex offender has pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to child pornography charges.

    Corey Bouchard, 34, of Douglas, pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with accessing with intent to view child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025 in Worcester. Bouchard was charged by complaint in April 2024.  

    During a November 2023 search of Bouchard’s home, a cache file was found on Bouchard’s cell phone, which contained approximately 72 videos depicting child pornography. The file names of approximately 56 of those videos matched the file names from media files shared by others to Kik messenger group chats that Bouchard was in. Bouchard admitted to accessing child pornography with the intent to view it.

    Bouchard has a prior state conviction for possession of child pornography and is a registered sex offender. The charge of access with intent to view child pornography provides for a sentence of a minimum of 10 years in prison and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, an assessment of $5,000, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3014, and assessment of up to $17,000, a mandatory special assessment of $100, restation, and forfeiture. 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 Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge and Douglas Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

    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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bartlesville Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Killing Dewey Couple

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Lucas Anthony Walker, 22, for two counts of Second Degree Murder in Indian County. Judge Russell ordered Walked to serve 420 months for each count, followed by five years of supervised release.

    In January 2023, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies began investigating the disappearance of Deborah and Larry Dutton. After searching the Dutton’s home, deputies found Deborah and Larry deceased in a shallow grave in the backyard. Walker confessed to shooting and stabbing Deborah and stabbing Larry to death.

    Walker is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    The FBI, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Donald Trump is firing out presidential pardons and warnings of retribution. What happens next?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Quinn, Associate Professor in American and International Politics, University of Birmingham

    Donald Trump has now pardoned or commuted the sentences of around 1,500 January 6 protesters, including those who were convicted of crimes against police officers relating to the riot at the US Capitol.

    But use of the presidential pardon in the last few days was not restricted to the incoming president. On his last day in office, outgoing president Joe Biden signed a number of pre-emptive pardons in an effort, he suggested, to shield people from possible “retribution” at Trump’s hands.

    This included not just members of the House committee that investigated the Capitol riot, but also Anthony Fauci, former chief medical advisor to the president during the COVID pandemic, and Gen. Mark Milley, who retired in 2023 after four years as the nation’s most senior military officer, and whom Trump has previously suggested would have been executed for treason in a previous era.

    In December, Biden granted his son Hunter a sweeping pardon, and he extended the same to several other relatives in the final minutes of his presidency. In an accompanying statement he said: “Even when individuals have done nothing wrong — and in fact have done the right thing — and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.”

    Such pardons may be greeted with ambivalence by some recipients. One person who received a pardon was Adam Schiff, now a US Senator and previously a House member who both served on the Jan 6 committee and was lead prosecutor in Trump’s first impeachment. He had previously declared he did not want such a pardon because, first, it was unnecessary since he had done nothing wrong, and, second, it set a bad precedent. We may find out in the months and years ahead whether he was right on either count.

    So how did we get here?

    A year ago, Trump faced a daunting obstacle course of criminal cases. Among them, he faced trial in New York for falsifying business records. Federal prosecutors had indicted him for trying to steal the 2020 election, and for illegally holding onto classified documents after his presidency ended. He also faced state-level election subversion charges in Georgia.

    By the time of his inauguration, however, his legal problems had been almost entirely resolved. He was convicted on the New York charges, but his punishment, an unconditional discharge, is a slap on the wrist. The greatest symbol of Trump’s victory over legal threats, however, is the shelving of the two federal cases against him. Both cases have now been dismissed at the request of the Justice Department because its policy prevents a criminal case against a sitting president. Even if this were not the case, as head of the executive branch Trump would have authority to order them dropped.



    Read more:
    Nixon’s official acts against his enemies list led to a bipartisan impeachment effort

    Trump enters a second term freer of personal legal jeopardy than he has been in years. He is convinced that the cases against him represented a weaponisation of the criminal justice system by his political opponents. Now restored to the highest office, there are widespread fears that he may wield federal power to retaliate against those he believes have wronged him.

    In the run-up to the election he spoke often about “retribution” against “the enemy within”. An NPR investigation of Trump’s rallies and social media posts since 2022 found more than 100 instances of his explicitly or implicitly threatening to “investigate, prosecute, jail or otherwise punish his perceived opponents”.

    He has repeated that he “would have every right” to go after those he believes have waged “lawfare” against him over the last several years.

    If he does decide to try, it is less likely than during his first term that top officials will block or dissuade him. Trump’s current nominee for attorney general, former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, was part of his defence team during his 2020 impeachment, then an active supporter of his campaign to overturn the 2020 election. During her Senate confirmation hearing she refused to say that she would defy pressure from Trump, but she did say that “politics will not play a part” in deciding who to investigate. Few will have felt completely reassured.

    Even more concerningly, Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, the leading national criminal investigative agency, has resigned before the usual duration of his tenure, after Trump declared he intended to replace him with Kash Patel. Patel, more than any other senior Trump nominee, has spent his career at the heart of the post-2016 Maga movement. He held junior roles late in the first Trump administration, but in the years since he has advocated using criminal and civil prosecution to root out “conspirators” among journalists and government officials.

    Patel even published a book containing a list of “Members of the Executive Branch Deep State” (including both Democrats and Republican appointees), seen by some as an “enemies list”. This is an appointment that some believe suggests restraint is unlikely.



    Read more:
    Trump’s election interference case may be closed, but it still matters for America’s future

    The January 6 rioters and plotters were among the first beneficiaries of the transfer of power. While campaigning Trump had portrayed them as martyrs to his cause and pledged pardons. He made good on that promise on day one by pardoning or commuting sentences. He also ordered the Justice Department to dismiss all pending indictments.

    It remains to be seen what approach the new president will take toward those who have worked prominently against him. He had previously said that some who served on the Congressional committee investigating the attack on the Capitol ““should go to jail”, often singling out former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who also received a pre-emptive pardon from Biden. Trump has also suggested that Biden should have issued a pardon for himself.

    It is doubtful that targeted investigations could ultimately produce criminal convictions without some plausible case. For the time being at least, US courts and the jury system retain sufficient independence that blatantly groundless and malicious prosecutions would struggle to get that far against targets with the resources to defend themselves.

    But as previous federal probes have illustrated – such as those into the Clintons – even an investigation that ultimately stops short of bringing charges against its top targets can last years, impose significant legal expenses on those embroiled in it, and inflict stress and distraction.

    The aim of this kind of action may be to instil a climate of anticipatory fear in which outspoken criticism in the future seems, to most, more trouble than it is worth. The US is not there yet. But it is closer to such a state than it has been in any of our lifetimes.

    Adam Quinn has previously received research funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Charles Koch Foundation (CKF)

    – ref. Donald Trump is firing out presidential pardons and warnings of retribution. What happens next? – https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-is-firing-out-presidential-pardons-and-warnings-of-retribution-what-happens-next-247646

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch on Trump’s January 6th Pardons: “Their actions should be condemned by each of us and by our President. Those actions should not be condoned with pardons.” 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) yesterday delivered remarks from theSenate Floor about President Donald Trump’s pardons of insurrectionists, who onJanuary 6th 2021 used violence in an attempt to stop the peacefultransfer of power. President Trump issued pardons for nearly 1,600 January 6th defendantsand commuted the sentences of 14 dangerous criminals in his first week oftaking office. 
    Watch Senator Welch’s remarks here: 

    Key quotes from Senator Welch’s speech: 
    “In the United States we believe in the peaceful transfer of power. In the United States we believe that the people—not elected politicians—decide who is their president.  
    “And both of those principles have served our democracy very well—through thick and thin, through strife and turmoil—for the past 248 years.  
    “Both of those principles were challenged on January 6th, 2021. A mob that was incited by then-President Trump attacked the Capitol for the explicit purpose of using violence to overturn the peaceful transfer of power. They were trying to intimidate elected politicians to substitute their judgment, their preferred candidate for president, instead of acknowledging the will of the people that they represented.  
    “But our democracy endured—that is the very good news. And, in testament to that, we just witnessed a renewal of America’s commitment to the peaceful transfer of power with the inauguration of Donald Trump as our 47th President.  
    “However, I must speak today, sadly, about one of the first actions of President Trump. And that, of course, is pardoning 1,600 people and commuting sentences of 14 very dangerous criminals who were involved in that violent attack on January 6th. Speaking for myself, I condemn that action by President Trump.” 
    ■■■ 
    “I was there that day—many of us were. I was in the Gallery of the House of Representatives. It’s a day I won’t forget but America will never forget. It’s had a deep impact on our country, the citizens, the folks who work here, and that honorable tradition of the peaceful transfer of power.  
    “I was very amazed and proud to see officers, men and women, who withstood this assault. More than 150 officers from the U.S. Capitol Police and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department were injured that day. Five officers died in the aftermath.   
    “There was severe damage to this Senate Chamber, the House Chamber, the office buildings, the Capitol Rotunda—where we just had another inauguration only a few days ago. Blood, feces, glass, and other debris from the mob’s attack was everywhere—at a cost of close to $3 million.”  
    ■■■ 
    “How is it that one of the first acts of our president, who wants to be “unifier,” was to pardon people who acted with such violence, such anger, and such contempt?  
    “President Trump has tried to erase this attack and re-write the history of what happened on January 6th. He has called the insurrectionists, including those who fought with the police, ‘patriots’ and ‘hostages’. They were neither.” 
    ■■■ 
    “These pardons are disrespectful. They’re also dangerous. They’re disrespectful to the men and women who served, who suffered the violence, and are living with the consequences. And they’re dangerous to the law enforcement who serve us every day. The pardons validate the violence of the mob and dishonor the service of those who protect us.  
    “Unconscionable and appalling actions of January 6th should be repudiated by every Member of Congress. Whatever differences we have, it is vital that those differences be resolved at the ballot box and that the will of the people be respected.  
    “No citizen, however passionate they may be about their political beliefs, no matter how disappointed they may be at the outcome of an election, is justified in attacking the men and women of the Capitol Police. Their actions should be condemned by each of us and by our President. Those actions should not be condoned with pardons.” 
    ■■■ 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Large-scale stress test held at Kai Tak Sports Park (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) conducted a large-scale stress test at the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) tonight (January 24) to test the operation and capability of the three venues and the supporting facilities in the vicinity during events with maximum attendance, with a view to ensuring the smooth operation of the KTSP upon its official commissioning in the first quarter of this year.

         Co-ordinated by the Exercise Team of the HKPF, the stress test covered five specific testing and evaluation areas, namely security screening and ticket checks; venue signage and designated seating arrangements; inter-agency co-ordination in response to emergencies; various crowd management measures; and passenger flow management by public transport operators.
     
         Over 60 000 participants simulated crowd flow during the test. A number of bureaux, departments and organisations, namely the HKPF, the Fire Services Department, the Transport Department, the Civil Aid Service, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the MTR Corporation Limited and the KTSP Limited, also participated in the stress test.
     
         The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, inspected the stress test. He said that, thanks to the close collaboration of all parties, the exercise was conducted in a smooth manner. The anticipated effects and test objectives were achieved with satisfactory results.
     
         He added that during the stress test, the arrangements for participants entering and leaving the venue, as well as public transportation, became more refined and orderly. All units were able to respond promptly to deal with simulated emergencies.
     
         Mr Chan expressed gratitude to various government departments, the KTSP Limited and public transport operators for their preparation and co-ordination work. He also thanked the personnel involved in the test, including civil servants from 77 bureaux and departments, community members, and residents of the Kai Tak area, for their full support and co-operation.
     
         He said he believes that the KTSP will become a new landmark in Hong Kong, welcoming audiences from all over the world to enjoy exciting events and activities together with Hong Kong citizens.
     
         In future test events and stress tests co-ordinated by the Exercise Team, the “Red Team” concept will continue to be applied to identify vulnerable areas, working in concert with relevant bureaux, departments and organisations to continuously review and enhance various aspects, with a view to ensuring full preparedness for the official commissioning of the KTSP.
                          

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Remarks by CS at media session after stress test at Kai Tak Sports Park

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; and the Exercise Director of Inter-departmental Task Group on Test and Drills and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Chow Yat-ming, met the media after the stress test at the Kai Tak Sports Park this evening (January 24). Following are the remarks of the media session:
     
    Reporter: Can you confirm that the Kai Tak Sports Park will open officially on March 1? What can we expect to see at the opening ceremony? This is the first time such a large crowd disperse at the same time and we observed that sometimes the paths were quite packed. Are there any concerns about the potential bottleneck or crowd crush and how can we prevent that? Thank you.
     
    Chief Secretary for Administration: We will have many stress tests in the future, as I just told you that we have two large scale stress tests in the future. So up to now, depending on the results of the tests, I think we cannot confirm the official opening day of the Kai Tak Sports Park. But once when everything is ready, we will make an announcement as soon as possible. Today, the dispersal is very smooth, I would say, and I really don’t see any bottleneck actually, because the situation, I would say, is far better than my expectation.
     
    (Please also refer to the Chinese version of the remarks.)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Murder investigation launched following stabbing in Putney

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a 75-year-old man in Putney.

    On Friday, 24 January at 03:36hrs police were called to an address in Deodar Road, SW15 following reports of a stabbing.

    Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service who treated a man for stab injuries.

    Sadly, despite the emergency services best efforts, he was pronounced dead on scene.

    His next of kin have been made aware although we currently await formal identification. They are currently being supported by specialist officers.

    A special post-mortem examination is due to take place today.

    A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder, he remains in police custody. It is believed he was known to the victim.

    Detective Superintendent Amanda Mawhinney from the South West Command Unit which covers Putney said: “We are currently supporting the family of a man who was sadly killed in the early hours of this morning.

    “I am aware that people in the community may feel shocked following this – we believe this to be an isolated incident and there is no wider threat to the public.

    “Although we have made significant progress by making an arrest, I would like to make it clear that our investigation does not stop here. We need the local community to help us understand what happened in the early hours of this morning.

    “We are appealing for anyone who was in the area at around 3am and that saw or heard anything unusual to contact us as soon as possible.

    “You may notice a higher police presence within the area today whilst we carry out our enquiries. A scene is in place as well as road closures. If you feel the need to raise anything with our officers, then please feel free to speak with them whilst they are in the area.”

    Enquiries remain ongoing.

    Anyone with information which could assist with the investigation is asked to call 101 stating CAD721/24JAN. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or by submitting an online form.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Response to Storm Éowyn

    Source: Scottish Government

    Severe weather and disruption expected to continue. 

    First Minister John Swinney has asked people to continue to follow Police Scotland advice not to travel during the red weather warning and to be mindful that dangerous conditions will persist for the rest of the evening while the amber warning remains in place. 

    It follows a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR), which is co-ordinating the response to the damage and disruption caused by Storm Éowyn in Scotland. 

    SGoRR was updated on the current impacts, including: 

    • Currently around 100,000 households without power 
    • Severe transport disruption with rail, bus, flight, ferry and tram cancellations as well as road closures across the network 
    • 92% of the school estate in Scotland is closed 
    • Cancellation of non-urgent medical appointments 

    The First Minister said utility companies are working at pace to restore power as quickly as possible, however as conditions remain too dangerous for recovery teams to operate fully, welfare provisions are in place to support the most vulnerable. Members of the public are also being urged to plan ahead and continue to follow safety advice in the coming days, including checking for the latest road conditions, Scotrail services and public transport advice which are all expected to experience continued disruption.   

    First Minister John Swinney said: 

    “Storm Éowyn is an exceptional weather event and is causing significant impacts across Scotland, with multiple reports of fallen trees and blown over vehicles. What the Met Office predicted has come our way, with gusts of 100mph winds reported. 

    “I want to thank members of the public for largely following Police Scotland’s advice not to travel. However, this storm is not over yet. Even once the red weather warning expires, severe weather warnings for wind, snow and ice remain in place across much of the country tonight and into tomorrow morning. 

    “A high level of vigilance is still required. There are still too many lorries on the road and I urge all HGVs to follow Police Scotland advice not to travel during the red weather warning. 

    “We are also seeing reports of multiple power outages across Scotland and expect these to continue over the course of the day. It will take time to recover power and transport services across the country, as conditions still remain too dangerous for recovery teams to operate.  

    “Utilities companies are focused on supporting their most vulnerable customers and I’d encourage everyone to please look out for each other and take extra care during this time.” 

    Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland, who is leading the multi-agency response to Storm Eowyn, said:

    “We have seen significant disruption across the country, particularly in the areas affected by the red weather warning. First and foremost, our thoughts are with those who have been injured and those impacted by the weather.

    “The high winds are forecast to continue, with Amber warnings in place into this evening and tomorrow morning.

    “It is concerning that there has been a large number of HGVs on the road. We have responded to 11 incidents so far where HGVs have overturned due to high winds and I want to reiterate the advice that you should not travel in or to areas under the red weather warning. Additionally, I would urge the public to avoid travelling in areas affected by the Amber warning and consider delaying your travel until conditions improve. We don’t ask you to do this lightly and we make this ask with public safety at the forefront of decision-making.

    “Roads are likely to be affected by debris for some time to come and motorists should drive with caution when it is safe to return to the roads.”

    Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Head of Operations Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Garry Mackay said:

    “Our Operations Control rooms are experiencing an extremely high number of 999 calls at the moment. Please only dial 999 and ask for us where there is an immediate risk of harm.

    “For fallen trees or obstacles that do not pose an immediate risk to the public or property, we are asking the public to please contact your local authority.”

    Background  

    SGoRR was attended by the Deputy First Minister, and Cabinet Secretaries for Health; Education; Transport; Justice; Rural Affairs and Islands; and Net Zero and Energy. They were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, SEPA, transport and utilities companies and resilience partners. 

    The latest Met Office weather warnings are available on the Met Office website.  

    Flood alerts are issued by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and can be viewed on their website.   

    Advice on preparing for severe weather can be found on the Ready Scotland website.   

    Follow Traffic Scotland for the most up-to-date information on the trunk roads throughout the warning periods, via their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts. Updates on ScotRail services and road conditions are available online. 

    To report a power cut or damage to electricity power lines or substations call the SP Networks national Freephone number 105. More information on what to do during a storm can also be found on SP Energy Website. 

    During a power cut firefighters can be called to fires started by candles or portable heaters. For advice on how to stay safe during a power cut visit Scottish Fire and Rescue Website.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Issues Notification of Investigative Findings Regarding Investigation into the Death of Bashe McDaniel

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) is today issuing a Notification of Investigative Findings regarding the investigation into the death of Bashe McDaniel, who died on December 29, 2023 after an encounter with members of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Police in Queens. Upon completion of the investigation into Mr. McDaniel’s death, OSI has concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ use of deadly physical force was justified under the law. A final Investigation Report will follow.

    About the Incident
    On December 29, 2023 at 10:20 p.m. two MTA officers shot and killed Mr. McDaniel in front of 91-04 Sutphin Boulevard in Queens after Mr. McDaniel fired a round from a gun he had in his waistband area while the officers were attempting to handcuff him. A firearm was recovered from Mr. McDaniel and recovered ballistics evidence showed that Mr. McDaniel fired at least one shot.

    The two MTA officers were searching for an individual on Sutphin Boulevard in Queens following a report of an alleged sexual assault. The officers spotted Mr. McDaniel, who appeared to match a photograph they had of him, and attempted to arrest him. Mr. McDaniel resisted being handcuffed, and he and the officers fell to the ground, where, during the struggle, Mr. McDaniel’s firearm discharged and struck him in the abdomen. The officers discharged their service weapons in response, striking Mr. McDaniel.

    Incident Video and Evidence Photos
    The incident was captured on the officers’ body-worn cameras.

    Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

    In cases where the evidence and legal analysis are clear and the investigation is complete, OSI may issue a Notification of Investigative Findings announcing the conclusion of the investigation. In such cases, OSI will issue the final Investigation Report, as required by law, at a later date.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: His Majesty the King of the Netherlands visits Europol

    Source: Europol

    His Majesty the King of the Netherlands visited Europol today, where he gained insight into the Agency’s efforts to support EU Member States in tackling serious and organised crime, and terrorism.Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle welcomed His Majesty to the organisation’s headquarters as Europol recently marked 25 years of fostering law enforcement cooperation across Europe and beyond. Becoming fully…

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Convicted in $20M Insurance Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A federal jury convicted a Maryland man yesterday for conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, money laundering, filing false tax returns and identity theft.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, James Wilson, of Owings Mills, conspired with others to defraud insurance companies by obtaining over 30 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million.

    Wilson also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that he then used to pay premiums on fraudulently-obtained life insurance policies. To conceal the fraud, Wilson transferred the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. Wilson filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which concealed approximately $5.7 million and $2 million respectively of fraud proceeds.

    Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering; and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. Wilson also faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.

    IRS-CI investigated the case, with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and Maryland Attorney General.

    Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Maryland Man Convicted in $20M Insurance Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    A federal jury convicted a Maryland man yesterday for conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, money laundering, filing false tax returns and identity theft.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, James Wilson, of Owings Mills, conspired with others to defraud insurance companies by obtaining over 30 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million.

    Wilson also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that he then used to pay premiums on fraudulently-obtained life insurance policies. To conceal the fraud, Wilson transferred the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. Wilson filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which concealed approximately $5.7 million and $2 million respectively of fraud proceeds.

    Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering; and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. Wilson also faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.

    IRS-CI investigated the case, with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and Maryland Attorney General.

    Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Former CEO of Startup Software Company Sentenced for Payroll Tax Fraud Crimes

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A New Hampshire man was sentenced yesterday to two-and-a-half years in prison for willfully failing to pay more than $14 million in payroll taxes and not filing personal tax returns.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Andrew Park, 49, of Bedford, was the co-founder and CEO of a startup technology company. Park was responsible for all financial matters related to the company, including for filing the company’s quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying over Social Security, Medicare and income taxes withheld from the employees’ wages to the IRS, as well as the matching Social Security and Medicare taxes the company owed.

    From the company’s founding in 2014 through the third quarter of 2021, Park withheld federal taxes from the wages of the company’s employees but did not pay them over as required by law. He also did not pay over the portion of the employment taxes that the company owed. Park willfully failed to do so even though a payroll service company that he hired to process the employees’ payroll regularly notified him that the taxes were due, and in more than one instance was notified by an employee that the amount paid to Social Security listed on her W-2 did not match what was reported by the Social Security Administration.

    From 2013 through 2020, Park also did not file individual tax returns as required by law, despite the fact that he paid himself a salary of approximately $250,000 each year.

    In total, Park caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $14 million.

    In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty for the District of New Hampshire ordered Park to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $639,821.78 in restitution to the United States and a fine of $15,000.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney John J. McCormack for the District of New Hampshire made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Assistant Chief Eric Powers of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter for the District of New Hampshire prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Romania Native Charged With Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nicolae Strava, age 30, a citizen of Romania, was indicted on January 23, 2025, by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Strava was previously removed from the United States on April 23, 2019, through Houston, Texas.  It is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States on September 20, 2024, in Centre County, Pennsylvania, without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country.

    This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger is prosecuting the case.

    The maximum penalty under federal law for the most significant offense is two years, a fine, and supervised release following imprisonment.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

    Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Roanoke Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Role in Gun Store Heist

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROANOKE, Va. – A third man involved in a scheme to break into a Virginia pawnshop and steal firearms was sentenced recently to 10 years in federal prison.

    Ronald Perry, 42, of Radford, Virginia, previously pled guilty to giving a firearm to a felon.

    Several men, including defendants Perry, Malcolm Stanton, and Michael Hall were charged with being involved in a burglary at a local pawn shop. Justin Cumbee and Austin Hixon were charged with being prohibited persons in possession of firearms.

    Cumbee and Stanton were each sentenced to 10 years.

    According to court documents, on November 1, 2022, Perry broke into the 1st Pawn, and stole approximately 15 firearms which he divided up with Stanton & Hall. Several of those guns were later illegally sold or traded for drugs.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Radford Police Department, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the Pulaski County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, the Christiansburg Police Department, the Virginia State Police Search and Recovery Team, and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly McGann and Lee Brett are prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former CEO of Startup Software Company Sentenced for Payroll Tax Fraud Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A New Hampshire man was sentenced yesterday to two-and-a-half years in prison for willfully failing to pay more than $14 million in payroll taxes and not filing personal tax returns.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Andrew Park, 49, of Bedford, was the co-founder and CEO of a startup technology company. Park was responsible for all financial matters related to the company, including for filing the company’s quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying over Social Security, Medicare and income taxes withheld from the employees’ wages to the IRS, as well as the matching Social Security and Medicare taxes the company owed.

    From the company’s founding in 2014 through the third quarter of 2021, Park withheld federal taxes from the wages of the company’s employees but did not pay them over as required by law. He also did not pay over the portion of the employment taxes that the company owed. Park willfully failed to do so even though a payroll service company that he hired to process the employees’ payroll regularly notified him that the taxes were due, and in more than one instance was notified by an employee that the amount paid to Social Security listed on her W-2 did not match what was reported by the Social Security Administration.

    From 2013 through 2020, Park also did not file individual tax returns as required by law, despite the fact that he paid himself a salary of approximately $250,000 each year.

    In total, Park caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $14 million.

    In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty for the District of New Hampshire ordered Park to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $639,821.78 in restitution to the United States and a fine of $15,000.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney John J. McCormack for the District of New Hampshire made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Assistant Chief Eric Powers of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter for the District of New Hampshire prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces Bill to Ensure Dignified Burial for Aborted Fetal Remains

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    January 24, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) led eleven colleagues in introducing the Dignity for Aborted Children Act. The bill would require abortionists to dispose of the remains of unborn children with the same dignity and respect as any other human being who dies.

    “A few years ago, the remains of over 2,200 aborted babies were discovered in an abortionist’s home,” said Senator Ricketts. “It’s horrifying that human remains would be treated like common medical waste. My bill will ensure that the remains of aborted children are given the dignity and respect they deserve.”

    Ricketts’ bill is co-sponsored by Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jim Justice (R-WV), James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

    The bill was first covered by the Daily Signal here. Bill text can be found here.

    Ricketts has long championed the right to life. When he was Governor, he signed into law bills to ban dismemberment abortion and bolster Nebraska’s informed consent protections for moms. He provided pregnant mothers priority parking spots and nursing mothers’ rooms at state buildings. He also allowed state teammates to donate unused vacation leave to support expecting mothers.

    BACKGROUND

    The Dignity for Aborted Children Act sets out requirements for the disposition of human fetal tissue from an abortion.

    Specifically, the bill:

    • Requires abortionists to dispose of the remains of unborn children just as any other human being.
    • Requires abortionists to obtain a patient’s informed consent for retaining possession of the remains or for allowing the abortionist to transfer the remains to an entity that provides interment or cremation services.

    Abortionists must ensure any tissue released to them is interred or cremated within seven days of the procedure in a manner consistent with state law regarding the disposal of human remains. Abortionists must report annually about these requirements and other specified information. The bill provides civil or criminal penalties for violations of disposal, informed consent, and reporting requirements.

    Ricketts’ bill is endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Concerned Women for America, and Students for Life Action.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Plymouth Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to a Decade Long Cyberstalking Campaign Against Multiple Victims and Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Defendant allegedly posted digitally altered images of victim to social media accounts and programmed artificial intelligence-driven chatbots to mimic human conversation with other unknown users of social media platforms

    BOSTON – A Plymouth, Mass. man has agreed to plead guilty to charges relating to cyberstalking numerous Massachusetts victims through social media, email and various online platforms. The defendant allegedly programmed multiple artificial intelligence-driven chatbots to mimic human conversation through text or voice interactions with unknown users of social media platforms and used generative artificial-intelligence tools to create pornographic images of the victims in order to post them online to websites that focus on shaming and degrading women.

    James Florence Jr., 36, has agreed to plead guilty to seven counts of cyberstalking and one count of possession of child pornography. Florence was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2024. According to the charging documents, on or about January of 2014 through September of 2024, Florence engaged in an extensive cyberstalking campaign targeting victims and those associated with them. Florence used a variety of techniques and methods to allegedly harass and intimidate his victims and others in the community, including making fake nude images of the victims, doxing or exposing victims’ personal information, creating vulgar fake accounts in the victims’ names and accessing online accounts without authorization (i.e. “hacking”) the victims’ accounts.

    Florence’s cyberstalking campaigns allegedly included obtaining, -and then widely distributing, private information about the victims, such as private photographs or photographs shared amongst friends on social media. These photographs were frequently doctored to appear sexual or pornographic in nature. According to court documents Florence also allegedly accessed online accounts without authorization; created accounts in the name of his victims; and solicitated fantasy sexual encounters on their behalf. In the case of one victim, those fabricated sexual encounters allegedly included building a profile of the victim on an interactive platform with information about the victim’s apparent underwear preference, information that the victim was sexually adventurous, used sex toys and had a sex swing in her home. Florence allegedly listed the victims home address; posed as his victims by creating impersonation accounts in their names and then posted  or sent various harmful content from those accounts; encouraged others to extort, shame, defame and intimidate victims for pornographic material; and stole victims’ underwear and used photos of the underwear to both harass those victims or engage with others on the internet to further  mutual sexual fantasies.

    In addition to having received threatening messages from social media and email accounts believed to be controlled by Florence, the victims also allegedly received harassing and extorting communications that are believed to be from users who messaged the victims as a result of Florence’s posts encouraging them to do so. Florence allegedly created and posted photo collages of one of the victims to a website, including images edited to make her appear nude or semi-nude along with all her personal identifying information and captions that encouraged viewers to “Post & Share Her Everywhere. Make The Whore Famous.”

    The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Plymouth Police Department and Plymouth Fire Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Woman pleads guilty to human smuggling conspiracy resulting in 16 deaths

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – On Jan. 21, Yaquelin Dominguez-Nieves, 26, of Sebring, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court in Miami to conspiring to smuggle aliens into the United States.

    According to court documents and information presented during the case’s detention hearing, around November 2022, Dominguez-Nieves, who entered the United States illegally, collected at least $11,500 from the migrants’ family members in South Florida with the promise to smuggle the migrants from Cuba into the United States. Dominguez-Nieves transferred the money she collected to her co-conspirator located in Cuba. Then, Dominguez-Nieves’s co-conspirator loaded approximately 18 migrants onto a small fishing vessel with no life jackets and with a captain who, according to the two survivors, did not appear to know how to operate the vessel. The vessel sank roughly 30 miles into its journey to the United States, killing all but two migrants aboard. Many of the 16 victims were young children and teenagers, including children ranging from nine months to seven years old, as well as two 16-year-olds. Four of the migrants’ bodies were recovered at sea, and their cause of death was ruled drowning.

    A sentencing hearing is set for April 11, at 11:00 a.m. in Miami. Dominguez-Nieves faces up to life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. 

    Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Margelot U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region, made the announcement.

    CGIS, Southeast Region, investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West, U.S. Border Patrol (BP) Miami Sector, Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller is prosecuting the case.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20223.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Anderson Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm Following Drunk Driving Crash

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS— Jonathon Jerald Ashley Jr., 30, of Anderson, Indiana, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    According to court documents, on October 22, 2023, an Anderson Police Department officer was called to a vehicle crash in the vicinity of 20th and Noble Streets. The officer arrived to find a heavily intoxicated Jonathon Ashley walking away from the accident.

    During a search of Ashley’s person, officers located a loaded Glock handgun in his front right pocket. At the time of arrest, Ashley had been previously convicted of domestic battery, resisting law enforcement, invasion of privacy, dealing in a narcotic drug, and pointing a firearm. His felony convictions prohibit him from ever legally possessing a firearm again.

    “This defendant has repeatedly demonstrated his utter disregard for the law or the safety of others, including those closest to him,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Many illegally armed perpetrators of gun violence in the home and in the community have a prior history of domestic violence. That’s why our office is working together with the FBI, through the LEATH initiative, to protect the public from these offenders and save lives.”

    “This dangerous combination of impaired driving and illegal possession of a firearm had the potential to lead to devastating consequences and this sentence underscores the seriousness of the defendant’s actions,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who show such reckless disregard for the law and the safety of others will be held accountable.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Anderson Police Department and investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case.

    This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call.  A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney and HSI Announce Federal Sex Crimes Involving a Minor Against U.S. Army Soldier

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A U.S. Army soldier has been charged with multiple federal sex crimes involving a minor, including interstate travel for sexual conduct and production of child sexual abuse material, following an investigation by federal authorities.

    The indictment alleges that between November 2022, and May 2024, Victor Barnett Lane allegedly coerced a minor into sexual activity, traveled from South Korea to New Mexico for purposes of sexual activity, and produced child sexual abuse imagery.

    Lane has been ordered to remain in custody pending trial. If convicted, Lane faces a minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.

    Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division and Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case 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, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

    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: Hudson County Man Charged With Defrauding Elderly Victim Out Of More Than $880,000

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, NJ. – A New Jersey man was arrested today and charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud an elderly victim investor out of out of more than $880,000, after entrusting  him to invest her money on her behalf, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.

    Antonio Petrosino, a/k/a Anthony Petrosino, 59, of Union City, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. He is scheduled to have his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.

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

    Between March 2018 and March 2024, Petrosino fraudulently induced the victim investor to transfer approximately $916,000 to Petrosino based on his misrepresentations that he would invest those funds in brokerage accounts and other investment products for the benefit of the victim investor.  To perpetuate his fraud, Petrosino provided the victim investor with falsified investment statements that purported to show that she had hundreds of thousands of dollars deposited in various investment accounts in her name.  Petrosino also provided the victim investor with payments in the approximate range of $4000-$8000 that he claimed was the interest that the victim investor had earned on her investments.

    In reality, Petrosino failed to invest the victim investor’s funds for her benefit as promised.  Instead, he misappropriated the money to pay for his personal expenses, including gambling, credit card payments, and rent on his luxury apartment unit.  Petrosino also caused the transfer of the victim investor’s funds without her knowledge or consent, including transfers directly from the victim investor’s bank account to Petrosino’s landlord. Additionally, Petrosino told the victim investor he would assist her with preparing her tax returns and told her to send him approximately $40,000 that he claimed she owed in taxes, which he misappropriated for his personal benefit.  In total, Petrosino stole more than approximately $888,000 from the victim investor.

    The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.  The money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.  Both counts carry a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kozar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

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

                                                                    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Six people charged with the murder of a man in Haringey

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A further two men have been charged with the murder of a man in Haringey, following an investigation by homicide detectives. This takes the total charged to six people.

    Gregory Castillo Volquez, aged 36, was stabbed at an address on Tiverton Road, Haringey on Monday, 13 January.

    Gabriel Francisco Pineda Gonzalez, aged 20 (17.04.2004) of High Trees, SW2 appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 17 January.

    Benito Ramirez Kones, aged 19 (27.06.2005) of Fermain Court East, N1 appeared at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 23 January. Both were charged with murder.

    The above comes after three men and a woman were charged on Wednesday, 15 January.

    • Carlos Alfredo Ramirez Tavarez, aged 27 (24.08.1996) of Tiverton Road, N15
    • Edison Dario Canario Perez, aged 22 (6.6.2001) of Tiverton Road, N15
    • Joan Perea, aged 20 (07.10.2004) of Tiverton Road, N15
    • Naiara Lizeth Hernandez-Bonilla, aged 20 (2.6.2004) of Birnam Road, N4

    They have been remanded in custody. A trial is due to begin on Monday, 20 October at the Old Bailey.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Corporation and Former Chief Executive Officer Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Tax Conspiracy

    Source: United States Attorneys General 9

    The Justice Department announced today that KBWB Operations LLC, which did business as Atrium Health and Senior Living (KBWB-Atrium), and former Chief Executive Officer and Managing Member Kevin Breslin of KBWB-Atrium, both pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of tax conspiracy related to the operation of numerous skilled nursing facilities.

    “Americans rely on skilled nursing facilities to care for themselves, family members and other loved ones, and the operators of these institutions must live up to their obligations and the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to help ensure the safety and dignity of our must vulnerable citizens.”

    Breslin, 58, of Hoboken, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on Dec. 17, 2024. KBWB-Atrium pleaded guilty in the same court on Jan. 21. Breslin is one of six owners of KBWB-Atrium. KBWB-Atrium’s corporate headquarters was located in Little Falls, New Jersey, and its Midwest corporate office was located in Appleton, Wisconsin. KBWB-Atrium operated and owned nursing facilities in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

    On Feb. 1, 2023, a Wisconsin grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against defendants Breslin and KBWB-Atrium (collectively the defendants) charging health care fraud and tax conspiracy, among other charges. According to court documents, from approximately Jan. 1, 2015, to in or about September 2018, KBWB-Atrium operated and owned 23 skilled nursing facilities in Wisconsin, and Breslin was responsible for overseeing all of KBWB-Atrium’s operations. The primary source of income for the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities was federal Medicare and Medicaid funds from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

    According to court documents, the defendants’ alleged health care fraud scheme involved unlawfully diverting CMS funds intended for the operation, management, maintenance, and care of the residents of the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities for other purposes and personal expenses. The defendants allegedly prioritized distributions and guaranteed payments to KBWB-Atrium’s owners regardless of KBWB-Atrium’s financial situation. The defendants’ alleged actions resulted in failing to meet the required federal regulations governing skilled nursing facilities, including not operating the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities in a manner that would enhance residents’ quality of life. According to court documents, the defendants also knew that vendors were not being paid for extended periods of time or some were not paid at all for their services. Additionally, defendants allegedly failed to pay third-party administrators monies deducted from KBWB-Atrium employees’ paychecks for insurance premiums and 401(k) plan contributions.

    As a part of the tax conspiracy alleged in court documents, Breslin, acting on behalf of KBWB-Atrium, directed that income taxes and employment taxes withheld from KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin employees’ paychecks not be paid over to the IRS. This caused employees to prepare tax returns listing those withholdings as having been paid to the IRS, which was false.

    The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 7 before U.S. District Judge William M. Conleyfor the Western District of Wisconsin. Breslin faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison for the health care fraud count and five years in prison for the conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States count, along with a period of supervised release. Both defendants face restitution and other monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence of each defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.       

    “Healthcare fraud affects every American,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “My office was proud to partner with the Justice Department’s Civil Division to help prosecute these individuals who harmed seniors and exploited our health care benefits programs for personal gain.”

    “This guilty plea demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding individuals accountable who exploit vulnerable populations and defraud the healthcare system for personal gain,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Breslin’s actions not only eroded public trust but endangered the well-being of patients who rely on our health care system. The FBI will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to investigate and bring to justice those who abuse positions of trust.”

    “The guilty pleas of Kevin Breslin and KBWB Operations LLC serve as a reminder that healthcare fraud is not only a direct violation of patient care, but also an attack on the financial systems that underpin public and private trust,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “IRS-CI and its law enforcement partners remain dedicated to investigating and prosecuting individuals and businesses who seek to exploit public and private institutions for personal gain.”

    “HHS-OIG is dedicated to protecting Medicare and Medicaid funds and ensuring that health care providers uphold their responsibility to serve vulnerable populations with integrity,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The actions of those involved in this scheme erode the trust placed in our nation’s health care system, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who misuse public funds for personal gain.”

    “Employers placing profit over upholding their legal fiduciary responsibilities when managing health benefit plans will not be tolerated,” said Regional Director Ruben R. Chapa of the Employee Benefits Security Administration in Chicago. “The Employee Benefits Security Administration remains committed to ensuring that those who knowingly break the law are held fully accountable.”

    The IRS-CI Chicago Field Office; HHS-OIG – Office of Investigations, Milwaukee Field Office; U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, New York and Chicago Regional Offices; FBI Milwaukee Field Office; and the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys with the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.  For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: D. Boral Capital Acted as Joint Bookrunner to Decent Holding Inc. (Nasdaq: DXST) in connection with its $5.0 Million Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On Jan. 23, 2025, Decent Holding Inc. (Nasdaq: DXST) (the “Company”), an established wastewater treatment services provider in China, announced the closing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 1,250,000 ordinary shares (the “Ordinary Shares”) at a public offering price of $4.00 per share for aggregate gross proceeds of $5 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses. The Ordinary Shares commenced trading on Nasdaq Capital Market on January 22, 2025, under the ticker symbol “DXST.” The Offering closed on January 23, 2025.

    In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters an option, exercisable within 45 days from the closing date of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 187,500 Ordinary Shares at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts, to cover over-allotments, if any.

    The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for (i) business expansion; (ii) research and development; (iii) promoting the river water quality management service and expanding the treatment scope of river water; (iv) development and upgrade of wastewater treatment technology; and (v) recruiting talents in research and development and management.

    The Offering was conducted on a firm commitment basis. Craft Capital Management LLC and D. Boral Capital LLC acted as underwriters (the “Underwriters”) for the Offering. Ortoli Rosenstadt LLP acted as U.S. securities counsel to the Company, and The Crone Law Group, P.C. acted as U.S. securities counsel to the Underwriters, in connection with the Offering.

    A registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-282509) relating to the Offering, as amended, was previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC“) and was declared effective by the SEC on January 21, 2025. The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus related to the Offering may be obtained from Craft Capital Management LLC by standard mail to Craft Capital Management LLC, 377 Oak St, Lower Concourse, Garden City, NY 11530, or via email at info@craftcm.com or by telephone at +1 (800) 550-8411; or from D. Boral Capital LLC by standard mail to D. Boral Capital LLC, 590 Madison Ave 39th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by email at info@dboralcapital.com, or by telephone at +1 (212) 970-5150. In addition, a copy of the final prospectus relating to the Offering, dated January 21, 2025, can also be obtained via the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

    Before you invest, you should read the prospectus and other documents the Company has filed or will file with the SEC for more information about the Company and the Offering. This press release has been prepared for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About Decent Holding Inc.

    Decent Holding Inc. specializes in the provision of wastewater treatment by cleansing the industrial wastewater, ecological river restoration and river ecosystem management by enhancing the water quality, as well as microbial products primarily used for pollutant removal and water quality enhancement, through the Company’s subsidiary, Shandong Dingxin Ecology Environmental Co., Ltd.

    For more information, please visit: https://ir.dxshengtai.com.

    Forward-Looking Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may, “will, “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s statements regarding the expected trading of its Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market and the closing of the Offering. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the initial public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the registration statement filed with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at http://www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

    Contact Us:

    D. Boral Capital
    590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor
    New York, NY 10022
    Main Phone: +1 (212) 970-5150
    http://www.dboralcapital.com
    info@dboralcapital.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Corporation and Former Chief Executive Officer Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Tax Conspiracy

    Source: US State of California

    The Justice Department announced today that KBWB Operations LLC, which did business as Atrium Health and Senior Living (KBWB-Atrium), and former Chief Executive Officer and Managing Member Kevin Breslin of KBWB-Atrium, both pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of tax conspiracy related to the operation of numerous skilled nursing facilities.

    “Americans rely on skilled nursing facilities to care for themselves, family members and other loved ones, and the operators of these institutions must live up to their obligations and the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to help ensure the safety and dignity of our must vulnerable citizens.”

    Breslin, 58, of Hoboken, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on Dec. 17, 2024. KBWB-Atrium pleaded guilty in the same court on Jan. 21. Breslin is one of six owners of KBWB-Atrium. KBWB-Atrium’s corporate headquarters was located in Little Falls, New Jersey, and its Midwest corporate office was located in Appleton, Wisconsin. KBWB-Atrium operated and owned nursing facilities in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

    On Feb. 1, 2023, a Wisconsin grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against defendants Breslin and KBWB-Atrium (collectively the defendants) charging health care fraud and tax conspiracy, among other charges. According to court documents, from approximately Jan. 1, 2015, to in or about September 2018, KBWB-Atrium operated and owned 23 skilled nursing facilities in Wisconsin, and Breslin was responsible for overseeing all of KBWB-Atrium’s operations. The primary source of income for the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities was federal Medicare and Medicaid funds from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

    According to court documents, the defendants’ alleged health care fraud scheme involved unlawfully diverting CMS funds intended for the operation, management, maintenance, and care of the residents of the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities for other purposes and personal expenses. The defendants allegedly prioritized distributions and guaranteed payments to KBWB-Atrium’s owners regardless of KBWB-Atrium’s financial situation. The defendants’ alleged actions resulted in failing to meet the required federal regulations governing skilled nursing facilities, including not operating the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities in a manner that would enhance residents’ quality of life. According to court documents, the defendants also knew that vendors were not being paid for extended periods of time or some were not paid at all for their services. Additionally, defendants allegedly failed to pay third-party administrators monies deducted from KBWB-Atrium employees’ paychecks for insurance premiums and 401(k) plan contributions.

    As a part of the tax conspiracy alleged in court documents, Breslin, acting on behalf of KBWB-Atrium, directed that income taxes and employment taxes withheld from KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin employees’ paychecks not be paid over to the IRS. This caused employees to prepare tax returns listing those withholdings as having been paid to the IRS, which was false.

    The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 7 before U.S. District Judge William M. Conleyfor the Western District of Wisconsin. Breslin faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison for the health care fraud count and five years in prison for the conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States count, along with a period of supervised release. Both defendants face restitution and other monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence of each defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.       

    “Healthcare fraud affects every American,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “My office was proud to partner with the Justice Department’s Civil Division to help prosecute these individuals who harmed seniors and exploited our health care benefits programs for personal gain.”

    “This guilty plea demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding individuals accountable who exploit vulnerable populations and defraud the healthcare system for personal gain,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Breslin’s actions not only eroded public trust but endangered the well-being of patients who rely on our health care system. The FBI will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to investigate and bring to justice those who abuse positions of trust.”

    “The guilty pleas of Kevin Breslin and KBWB Operations LLC serve as a reminder that healthcare fraud is not only a direct violation of patient care, but also an attack on the financial systems that underpin public and private trust,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “IRS-CI and its law enforcement partners remain dedicated to investigating and prosecuting individuals and businesses who seek to exploit public and private institutions for personal gain.”

    “HHS-OIG is dedicated to protecting Medicare and Medicaid funds and ensuring that health care providers uphold their responsibility to serve vulnerable populations with integrity,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The actions of those involved in this scheme erode the trust placed in our nation’s health care system, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who misuse public funds for personal gain.”

    “Employers placing profit over upholding their legal fiduciary responsibilities when managing health benefit plans will not be tolerated,” said Regional Director Ruben R. Chapa of the Employee Benefits Security Administration in Chicago. “The Employee Benefits Security Administration remains committed to ensuring that those who knowingly break the law are held fully accountable.”

    The IRS-CI Chicago Field Office; HHS-OIG – Office of Investigations, Milwaukee Field Office; U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, New York and Chicago Regional Offices; FBI Milwaukee Field Office; and the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys with the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.  For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Pleas from Two Zuni Men in Armed Assault Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – Two men from Zuni, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon after admitting to committing an armed assault involving four victims.

    According to court documents, on April 8, 2023, Kamron Kallestewa, 24, and Kaden Panteah, 20, both enrolled members of the Pueblo of Zuni, armed themselves with pistols and went to a residence within the exterior boundaries of the Zuni Pueblo, where they assaulted four individuals.

    There, Kallestewa struck John Doe 1 in the face and head with a pistol, causing bruising, and then pointed the weapon at John Doe 2, placing the muzzle on the back of his head. He further escalated the violence by pointing the pistol at Jane Doe 1’s head and striking Jane Doe 2 in the face, resulting in a cut under her eye.

    Panteah participated in the assault by putting the muzzle of his pistol to the back of John Doe 2’s head. Additionally, Panteah discharged a weapon in the direction of all four victims with the intent to cause bodily harm.

    Kallestewa and Panteah will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, they each face up to 10 years in prison. Upon their release from prison, Kallestewa and Panteah will be subject to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Mia Ulibarri-Rubin and Jesse Pecoraro are prosecuting the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –