NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Forging the Future: Training Center Opens to Train Next Generation of Defense Manufacturers

    Source: United States Navy

    The Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program, launched in 2021, has graduated more than 777 students from 45 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Australia. About 25% of participants are veterans, and the program boasts a 90% job placement rate within the defense industrial base. New cohorts begin every eight weeks, offering a fast track to meaningful careers across five trades.

    The new National Training Center, a state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot facility on the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) campus, opened its doors on January 13. On that day, the center welcomed its first cohort of students, marking the beginning of an expanded operation that will train 1,000 students annually, creating a pipeline of skilled workers critical for building and maintaining the nation’s submarines and warships.

    “This facility helps address our immediate workforce needs,” said Frederick “Jay” Stefany, the Direct Reporting Program Manager for the Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program. “It advances our efforts to restore our industrial base and ensure our industry partners have the skilled workforce they need to build and maintain the Navy’s fleet.”

    ATDM’s graduates are essential in addressing the maritime industry’s expanding workforce needs. The Navy’s shipbuilding plans include the construction of Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarines, along with more than 10 different classes of surface ships, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, amphibious warships, and support vessels. This unprecedented scale of shipbuilding requires a comprehensive strategy to rebuild America’s manufacturing capabilities. The establishment of the National Training Center marks a significant milestone in this endeavor.

    A National Imperative

    The MIB Program leads the Navy’s workforce development initiatives while advancing shipbuilding and repair capabilities through industrial base development, supply chain resilience, and advanced manufacturing technologies. With the U.S. manufacturing base having shrunk to a third of its size from 30 years ago, the program must overcome major challenges. One of these pressing challenges involves recruiting and training 140,000 new workers over the next decade for submarine production and sustainment, with an additional 110,000 workers needed for surface vessel construction and maintenance.

    “The decline in American manufacturing has created a critical skills gap,” said Erica Logan, Workforce Director for the MIB Program. “But we’re not just filling jobs—we’re rebuilding America’s maritime manufacturing capability and offering meaningful careers for the next

    generation of workers. Every graduate represents another step toward restoring our nation’s industrial strength.”

    This workforce development initiative is vital for both new construction and fleet maintenance, underscoring the strategic importance of programs like ATDM in maintaining America’s naval readiness. This national revitalization effort takes shape through individual success stories and community partnerships.

    The IALR campus, which hosts the National Training Center, also houses another key MIB Program initiative: the Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence. This co-location creates a hub for maritime manufacturing innovation.

    Transforming Lives, Strengthening Communities

    Natasha Barnes, part of the inaugural class that began training January 13 in the new facility, represents a growing wave of skilled workers entering the defense manufacturing workforce.

    “ATDM has done an excellent job adapting during the transition into the new facility,” said Barnes, a CNC student. “It’s been an uplifting experience to learn in such a clean and well-maintained environment. I am very excited to see what the future holds for the program.”

    For Telly Tucker, president of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), the program’s impact goes beyond the classroom.

    “This facility is about more than training—it’s about revitalizing southern Virginia,” Tucker said. “It’s creating jobs, fostering economic growth, and building a pipeline of skilled workers who will strengthen our nation’s security.”

    To deliver on this promise of regional revitalization and support to national security, the National Training Center provides intensive, hands-on preparation.

    Hands-On Training for Real-World Impact

    ATDM’s intensive, 16-week accelerated training program provides students with 600 hours of hands-on experience in one of five trades critical to maritime manufacturing: welding, CNC machining, additive manufacturing, quality assurance, and non-destructive testing. Training runs on three shifts, mirroring the 24/7 operations of the defense industry.

    “This program isn’t theoretical—it’s practical,” said Christa Reed, ATDM’s Interim Vice-President. “When our students graduate, they’re not just trained—they’re ready to hit the ground running.”

    The curriculum, developed in collaboration with industry leaders, ensures students are equipped with the skills and certifications needed to meet the Navy’s rigorous standards. By

    simulating real-world manufacturing environments, the program prepares graduates to succeed in high-demand roles. This focused training approach directly enhances America’s maritime security.

    A Shared Mission

    The opening of the National Training Center represents a milestone in the Navy’s efforts to address workforce challenges and bolster the maritime industrial base. For Stefany, it’s a reminder of how these efforts impact national security.

    “Every ship we build, every submarine we launch, is a promise to the American people,” Stefany said. “That promise begins here, with the people we train.”

    As the Navy ramps up its fleet expansion, programs like ATDM and the new National Training Center are creating a ripple effect—transforming communities, empowering individuals, and ensuring America’s maritime superiority. The center highlights innovation, collaboration, and resilience, its impact extending beyond Danville to strengthen America’s maritime future.

    For more information about ATDM and its programs, visit http://www.atdm.org.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met officer convicted of rape

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A Met officer has been convicted of rape following an investigation by detectives.

    PC Samuel McGregor, 33, previously attached to the Central North Command Unit was found guilty of rape on Friday, 24 January following a trial at Inner London Crown Court.

    He had previously pleaded not guilty to rape at Inner London Crown Court Crown Court on 23 June 2023.

    Chief Superintendent Andy Carter, in charge of policing for Central North: “I am sickened by McGregor’s abhorrent behaviour and the pain he has caused the victim.

    “There is simply no place for individuals like McGregor in the Met, and we will continue to root out such vile individuals.

    “I am proud of the officers who throughout the investigation displayed the care and compassion deserved by the victim, as they carried out interviews and gathered forensic evidence to show the extent of the abuse and develop a watertight case against McGregor.   

    “Above all, I am pleased to see today’s result, which I hope brings some closure to the victim.

    “Now that criminal proceedings have taken place, McGregor will face a misconduct hearing at the earliest opportunity.”

    The court heard that the victim, who was known to McGregor, had been raped on 11 May 2021 at an address in London. She confided this incident to her colleagues at a later date, and they reported it to officers on the victim’s behalf on 2 June 2021. McGregor was swiftly arrested the day after, on suspicion of rape.

    A misconduct hearing will take place in due course.

    Sentencing will be held on Monday, 10 March.

    McGregor was suspended from duty on 3 March 2022 after he admitted lying during a police interview.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump inherits the Guantánamo prison, complete with 4 ‘forever prisoners’

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lisa Hajjar, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara

    A control tower overlooks the Camp VI detention facility, at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

    President Joe Biden’s record of handling the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, is decidedly mixed. He succeeded in reducing the detainee population he inherited by more than half, but he compounded problems in the military commissions that the Bush administration had invented in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to try people captured in the “war on terror.” Now all the problems at Guantánamo are again President Donald Trump’s.

    When Biden took office in 2021, there were 40 prisoners. Today there are 15, the lowest number since the first 20 Muslim men and boys captured in Afghanistan were airlifted to the base on Jan. 11, 2002.

    Biden left Trump four people the U.S. will not release but also cannot put on trial – the so-called “forever prisoners.” He also left intact the troubled military commissions system, with three pending criminal cases against a total of six detainees.

    In December 2021, former chief military defense attorney Brig. Gen. John Baker testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee: “It is too late in the process for the current military commissions to do justice for anyone. The best that can be hoped for at this point … is to bring this sordid chapter of American history to an end.” Baker made clear that the only viable option is to resolve the cases with plea bargains for the defendants.

    Marine Brig. Gen. John Baker tells U.S. senators that there is no opportunity for justice to be done at Guantánamo.

    A chance to make progress

    There are three cases that have not yet gone to trial – the 9/11 case with four defendants facing charges for their connections with the attacks, the USS Cole bombing in October 2000 with one defendant and the Bali bombing in October 2002 with one defendant.

    The 9/11 and USS Cole cases have been stuck in the pretrial phase since Biden was Barack Obama’s vice president. In the summer of 2024, a breakthrough in the 9/11 case appeared imminent: Prosecutors and defense lawyers for three of the four defendants reportedly reached plea-bargain agreements. Khalid Sheikh Mohammad – the alleged “mastermind” of the attacks – Walid bin Attash and Mustafa Hawsawi agreed to plead guilty and accept life sentences in exchange for the government taking the death penalty off the table. There was no deal for the fourth 9/11 defendant, Ammar al-Baluchi.

    The deals were approved on July 31 by the top military officer overseeing the Guantánamo commissions, retired Brig. Gen. Susan Escallier. But two days later, Biden’s defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, stepped into the process and overrode Escallier – whom he had appointed. Austin announced that the plea deals were revoked.

    The judge, Air Force Col. Matthew McCall, decided to schedule plea hearings for early January. But after some legal back-and-forth that forced a stay, he had to cancel them. Biden left the case against three 9/11 defendants in limbo.

    The basement of this government building in Bucharest, Romania, held a secret CIA prison, one of many across the world.
    AP Photo

    Witness to the transition

    In mid-January 2025, I made my sixteenth reporting trip to Guantánamo. I came for closing arguments on a motion in the 9/11 case that seeks to suppress statements that Ammar al-Baluchi made to the FBI in January 2007. That was four months after he and 13 others were transferred to Guantánamo from CIA black sites where they were held for years. The litigation to suppress those statements started in 2019.

    In Chapter 10 of my book, “The War in Court: Inside the Long Fight against Torture,” I detail how the litigation on this suppression motion made public previously unknown details and under-acknowledged horrors of the CIA’s rendition, detention and interrogation program.

    These closing arguments were the culmination of six years of litigation on the key question in the 9/11 case: Does torture matter in the pursuit of justice in the military commissions?

    A drawing by Guantánamo detainee Abu Zubaydah depicts a person being waterboarded.
    Copyright Abu Zubaydah 2019. Licensed by Professor Mark Denbeaux, Seton Hall Law School

    Can Guantánamo be closed?

    Of the 780 people ever detained at Guantánamo, 540 were released during the presidency of George W. Bush, who established the detention facility. Obama, who signed an executive order on his second day in office pledging to close Guantánamo within a year, released 200.

    In his first term, Trump pledged to keep the facility open. The only man to leave Guantánamo during Trump’s first term was Ahmed al-Darbi, who was repatriated to Saudi Arabia in 2018 to serve out the remainder of his sentence from a 2014 plea bargain agreement.

    When Biden took office, he said that he supported shutting down the military prison at Guantánamo. In the early years of his presidency, there was a slow stream of transfers, mostly people who had been cleared for release long ago and were freed.

    In Biden’s last months, the pace of transfers quickened. In December 2024, a Kenyan detainee, two Malaysian members of al-Qaida who had pled guilty the previous January, and a Tunisian man who had been in Guantánamo since the day the facility was opened were all repatriated to their countries of origin and freed. In January 2024, 11 Yemenis were transported from the prison to Oman to be resettled.

    15 men left behind

    The Biden administration had also planned to repatriate a severely disabled Iraqi detainee, Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, to serve out his plea-bargained sentence in a Baghdad prison. But a federal judge blocked that transfer, ruling that al-Iraqi would not get necessary medical treatment in Iraq and might be subject to abuse there.

    Al-Iraqi is one of the 15 that Biden left behind. Three of them – a Libyan, a Somali and a stateless Rohingya – have long been cleared for release. Their continuing detention without charges highlights a key element of the Guantánamo problem: No one can be released unless the U.S. government finds another country willing to accept them.

    One of the remaining detainees, Ali Bahlul, is serving a life sentence for conspiracy to commit war crimes. Six others, including the four 9/11 defendants, are awaiting their trials.

    There are also four detainees whom the government refuses to transfer but cannot put on trial for lack of evidence.

    The U.S. goverment says it cannot release Abu Zubaydah from Guantánamo because he would disclose classified interrogation techniques critics have labeled torture.
    U.S. Central Command via AP

    These so-called “forever prisoners” include Abu Zubaydah, a Saudi-born man of Palestinian descent who was taken into CIA custody in 2002 and was used as the guinea pig for the CIA torture program. The government long ago conceded that Abu Zubaydah was not a top leader of al-Qaida – in fact he was not even a member. But he will not be released because he knows how he was treated by the CIA, and that treatment remains highly classified.

    The newest forever prisoner is one of the original 9/11 defendants, Ramzi bin al-Shibh; in September 2023, he was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial. Now he is uncharged, unreleased and untreated for his psychological maladies that were caused by the torture he endured in CIA black sites.

    The ‘War on Terror’ is not over

    When Biden pulled U.S. troops out of Afghanistan in August 2021, he claimed to have ended America’s longest war – and repeated this claim in a January 2025 speech. But the Guantánamo prison remains open, and as long as it is, the “war on terror,” which first put U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2001, is not over.

    How Trump will deal with Guantánamo is an open question. If he focuses on the death penalty, he will press ahead with military commission trials like his predecessors, hoping for unanimous guilty verdicts and death sentences. If he prioritizes cutting wasteful government spending, he will release additional detainees and allow the three plea bargain agreements to go into effect.

    No one I spoke to during my last trip was willing to predict what a second Trump term might bode for Guantánamo – except that it won’t be closed.

    Lisa Hajjar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump inherits the Guantánamo prison, complete with 4 ‘forever prisoners’ – https://theconversation.com/trump-inherits-the-guantanamo-prison-complete-with-4-forever-prisoners-247058

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

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

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    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 OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Yarmouth Resident Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A South Yarmouth man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possessing a firearm and ammunition. Defendant barricaded himself in basement following domestic disturbance.

    Michael Giampapa, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to 45 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2024, Giampapa pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    On March 16, 2022, police responded to a call reporting a domestic disturbance at a residence in South Yarmouth involving Giampapa and a family member. Giampapa was barricaded in the basement when police arrived. He spoke by phone with a family member and during that call, stated he has a gun. After a standoff with law enforcement Giampapa eventually exited the residence and was arrested.

    Following a search of the residence where Giampapa was staying a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard loaded .380 handgun was recovered inside a cereal box on open shelving in the basement. Giampapa had previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Chief Kevin Lennon of the Yarmouth Police Department made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit.

    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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clinton County Man Indicted For Production Of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kyle Grey, age 35, of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, was indicted on January 23, 2025, on four charges of production of child pornography.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Grey produced child pornography three times on or about October 9, 2024, and once on October 29, 2024.

    The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  http://www.usdoj.gov/psc.

    The maximum penalty under federal law for each offense is 30 years of imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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 and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Man Charged with Narcotics Distribution Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that DARREN EBRON, also known as “D,” 32, of Bridgeport, was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with narcotics distribution offenses.

    Ebron appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement identified Ebron as a distributor of various controlled substances in and around Bridgeport.  Between August 2024 and January 2025, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of distribution quantities of fentanyl from Ebron, intercepted numerous calls and text messages through a court-authorized wiretap during which Ebron coordinated the sale of fentanyl and crack cocaine to others, and observed Ebron conducting narcotics transactions.

    The complaint charges Ebron with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of four years.

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

    This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Stratford Police Department.  The Task Force is composed of personnel from the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Trumbull Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: KC Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Traffic Machine Guns

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a conspiracy to traffic machine guns.

    Sheron Lamont Manning, 21, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Thursday, Jan. 23, to conspiracy to traffic firearms and to illegally trafficking a firearm that had been converted into a machine gun.

    By pleading guilty today, Manning admitted that he participated in a conspiracy that illegally distributed at least 22 firearms to other persons from May 24, 2022, to April 20, 2023. Manning also admitted that he sold a Glock .45-caliber pistol that had been converted into a machine gun to a confidential informant of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for $1,200 on Nov. 18, 2022. During the transaction, Manning stated he could get the informant more fully automatic firearms.

    Manning also admitted to additional criminal conduct, including four instances in which he illegally sold firearms to a confidential informant who was a felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm. Those sales included an AR-15 style, multi-caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number that had been altered into a machine gun, two Glock .40-caliber pistols that had been altered into machine guns, and an AR-15 style, multi-caliber pistol.

    Under federal statutes, Manning is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Española Man with Drug Trafficking and Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury has indicted an Española man on multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances following an incident at the Sandia Resort and Casino in Bernalillo County.

    According to court documents, on September 16, 2024, Pueblo of Sandia Police responded to a 911 hang-up call from a hotel room at the Sandia Resort and Casino. Upon arrival, officers made contact with Zacary Cipriano Lucero, 63, and two women in the hotel room. At that time, Lucero claimed the women had stolen money from him.

    During the investigation, one of the women suggested searching Lucero‘s bags, alleging he was trading fentanyl for sex. Lucero denied consent to search his bags and stated he wanted to drop the charges against the women.

    After being read his Miranda rights, Lucero told officers he had invited the women to his room around 4 a.m. after meeting them in the casino. He claimed he discovered his cell phone and money were missing after dozing off.

    Officers sealed the room and obtained a search warrant. On September 17, 2024, during the execution of the warrant, police discovered:

    • Approximately 238 grams of suspected fentanyl
    • 16 grams of suspected cocaine
    • 50 grams of suspected methamphetamine
    • Approximately $3,190 in cash

    These items were found in bags that Lucero had previously claimed ownership of.

    Lucero will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Lucero faces up to 40 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with the assistance of the Pueblo of Sandia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.

    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: Woman jailed for the manslaughter of her four small sons after fatal fire in Sutton

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A mother has been given a ten year sentence for manslaughter after her four small sons were left alone at home and killed in a house fire in Sutton.

    The boys – two sets of twins, Bryson and Kyson Hoath, aged four, and Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged three – had been left alone at their home in Collingwood Road one evening in December just over three years ago when a fire broke out that would end their lives.

    Their mother, Deveca Rose, 30 (03.10.94), of Collingwood Road, Sutton, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, 24 January where she was sentenced to ten years in prison.

    The boys’ paternal grandmother, Kerrie, said:

    “This sentence marks the end of a three year ordeal.

    “Bryson, Kyson, Leyton and Logan were cruelly taken from us in a senseless act of negligence by their mother.

    “The disregard she showed towards them has been echoed throughout this trial, and our family have had to endure three years of lies, delays and false narratives, which has been a nightmare.

    “The toll it has taken on our family cannot be overstated.

    “The boys were beautiful, loving children who did not deserve this and the impact they made on us in their short lives cannot be measured.

    “We miss them every day and will always hold them in our heart.

    “We wish to thank the courts, the jury and the police for the work they have done to ensure the boys’ story has been heard and that justice is done.”

    Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said:

    “This has been a deeply upsetting investigation for everyone involved.

    “Deveca Rose was a mother who placed her own self-interest above the safety of her children.

    “Had she not left the children to go shopping, she may have been able to put out the fire, or at the very least, got the children to safety.

    “Instead of taking responsibility for her actions, she invented a story that was built around a babysitter whose very existence could not be confirmed.

    “The sadness at the needless loss of four young lives is beyond our comprehension.

    “I cannot begin to imagine the devastation felt by the children’s wider family and loved ones and our thoughts are with them all today.”

    Ms Rose had previously been convicted of manslaughter at the same court on Thursday, 3 October and was bailed for sentencing. She was found not guilty of child neglect.

    The court heard that shortly after 19:00hrs on the night of Thursday, 16 December 2021, a passer-by on Collingwood Road realised the house was on fire.

    They alerted a neighbour who kicked in the front door in an attempt to reach the children, but the fire, having taken hold of the property, prevented their entry.

    Officers attended the scene, along with colleagues from the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service.

    Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control and recovered the four unconscious boys from an upstairs bedroom, whilst medics attempted to save them.

    Despite their efforts – treating the children at the scene – they sadly died in hospital.

    Their mother, Ms Rose, had left the boys alone to go shopping and returned whilst the house was on fire.

    She claimed the children had been left in the care of a woman called ‘Jade’, which prompted firefighters to go back into the house to search for Jade.

    No other people were found inside.

    Ms Rose was arrested on suspicion of child neglect that same night, and following interview, was released under investigation.

    Post-mortem examinations found the boys had died from inhalation of fire fumes, whist detectives undertook a meticulous investigation in order to identify the alleged babysitter, ‘Jade’.

    Detectives considered that the passer-by who raised the alarm may have been ‘Jade’, but the description of the woman who had alerted neighbours to the fire differed to the description of ‘Jade’ given by Deveca Rose.

    After Ms Rose described the circumstances of her meeting ‘Jade’ a few days before the fire, officers scoured hours of CCTV and could find no trace of them having met, to which Ms Rose responded with claims they had met on a minor road with no CCTV.

    In addition, examination of the call data on Ms Rose’s mobile phone showed no contact details for a ‘Jade’ and, when she had attempted to call ‘Jade’ from the scene of the fire, data showed that Ms Rose’s calls did not connect as the number was not viable, and the number was instead notably similar to her own phone number.

    CCTV enquiries in the area showed Ms Rose had also gone out alone the day before the fire.

    Investigators believed the fire was started in the living room on the ground floor either by a candle, tealight or a burning cigarette. Conditions inside the house were messy and unsanitary which helped the fire spread quickly.

    The children, who had been locked inside and were unable to escape the house, had fled to an upstairs bedroom where they would be overcome by smoke.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dartmouth — New text message scam appears to be from the RCMP

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The RCMP is warning the public about a new phishing scam that’s taking place via text message.

    Today, the Nova Scotia RCMP received information from the public about unsolicited text messages being received by potential victims. RCMP officers have learned that scammers are sending fictitious “RCMP Delivery Notice” messages; the texts state that the RCMP has been unable to deliver court documents and ask people to “please reschedule the delivery to avoid missing your court date by using the link below.”

    Investigators remind the public that the RCMP does not issue notices by text message.

    “Scammers have created what appears to be a legitimate notification that brings you to a convincing website,” says Cpl. Mitch Thompson, Commercial Crime Section. “Remember that the RCMP will never ask for your personal information via text or email.”

    Criminals create a sense of urgency and have the ability to spoof phone numbers and websites to make them appear very authentic. If you receive a suspicious text message, protect yourself:

    • Don’t respond to unknown phone numbers
    • Don’t provide any personal information, including your name, date of birth, phone number, email, address or banking details
    • Don’t click on links sent to you from an unverified source
    • Access government agency websites through official links; the RCMP’s website is https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/

    Anyone who believes they may be a victim, knows someone who is a victim, or has information about these scams, is encouraged to contact their local RCMP detachment or police of jurisdiction. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-tips (8477) or submit a secure web tip at http://www.crimestoppers.ns.ca.

    For more tips and information on current scams, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.

    File #: 2025-106308

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Upper Onslow — Colchester County District RCMP charges several people after firearms stolen

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Colchester County District RCMP has arrested and charged several people after a residential break and enter where multiple firearms were stolen.

    On January 20, at approximately 5:50 p.m., RCMP officers responded to a report of a break and enter that had occurred at a residence on Adam McCallum Rd. earlier that morning.

    Officers learned that three men in masks had entered the home and stolen a variety of items, including two shotguns and a rifle. Three residents were home at the time and their demands for the men to leave were ignored. The men eventually left. No one reported injuries related to the incident.

    On January 22, Colchester County District RCMP, with assistance of the RCMP Emergency Response Team and Truro Police Service, executed a search warrant at a residence on Lockhart Ave. in Truro as part of the investigation. Officers arrested six people. During the execution of the search warrant, police located and seized items related to the offences. Lockhart Ave. was closed while the police operation was underway; officers appreciated the cooperation of the public in the area.

    Alexander Grady, 28, of Truro, and Tyler Burns, 27, of Truro, are both charged with the following offences:

    • Possession of a Firearm Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized
    • Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
    • Breaking and Entering and Stealing Firearm
    • Breaking and Entering and Committing an Indictable Offence
    • Disguise with Intent to Commit an Indictable Offence

    Burns is also facing an additional charge of for Breach of a Release Order.

    Grady and Burns had first court appearances on January 24 at Truro Provincial Court and have been remanded into custody, pending future court appearances.

    Another woman arrested was found to be breaching conditions related to a previous, unrelated investigation and has been charged with Fail to Comply with Release Order, unrelated to the break and enter.

    Three other people have been released without charges.

    The investigation is ongoing and is being led by Colchester County District RCMP General Investigation Section and Street Crime Enforcement Unit, with assistance of the RCMP Forensic Identification Section.

    Anyone with information is asked to call the Colchester County District RCMP at 902-893-6820. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at http://www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor appoints David Soanes and Niamh Moloney as members of the Prudential Regulation Committee

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    David Soanes and Niamh Moloney have been appointed as the new external members of Prudential Regulation Committee.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has today confirmed that David Soanes and Niamh Moloney will join the Prudential Regulation Committee (PRC). They will both serve three-year terms on the Committee, which takes the most important decisions of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), one of the UK’s financial regulators.

    They replace Jill May and Julia Black who completed their second terms in July 2024 and November 2024 respectively.

    David Soanes has been a career investment banker specialising in Financial Services, who has also sat on the board of UK Finance and the Leadership Council of The CityUK, and he is a former UK Country Head at UBS.

    Niamh Moloney is Professor of Financial Markets Law in the Law School at the London School of Economics and Political Science and is an Independent Non-Executive Director of the board of the Central Bank of Ireland. She specialises in financial regulation, institutional structures and supervision.

    Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer said:

    I am pleased to announce the appointments of David Soanes and Niamh Maloney to the Prudential Regulation Committee of the Bank of England.

    Both appointments will bring extensive experience of financial services to the role, and will support the regulators renewed focus on growth.

    Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England said:

    I am very pleased to welcome David Soanes and Niamh Moloney to the Prudential Regulation Committee. Between them they bring a great deal of experience and expertise to the role, and the committee’s work will benefit greatly from their insight.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Province Appoints Two Judges to Provincial Court

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Lawyers Mark Scott, KC (King’s counsel), of Halifax and Brian Warcop of Lantz have been appointed judges of the Nova Scotia provincial court.

    “Mr. Scott and Mr. Warcop are both highly respected lawyers who bring significant experience to the provincial bench and to the cases that will come before them,” said Attorney General and Justice Minister Becky Druhan. “They will join our judiciary in service to Nova Scotians, reflecting our highest ideals of integrity, fairness and compassion.”

    Mr. Scott was called to the Nova Scotia bar in December 1996 and has done criminal defence, appeals and per diem work for both the federal and provincial Crown. In 1998, he was appointed as a Crown attorney in the Halifax office of the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, where he prosecuted a wide range of criminal offences. Most recently, Mr. Scott served as chief Crown attorney of appeals and special prosecutions. He has conducted more than 150 criminal appeals in both the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada and is a past president of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society.

    After being called to the Ontario bar, Mr. Warcop was appointed as an assistant Crown attorney in 2006 by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. He was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 2015 and worked as a Crown attorney with the public prosecution service from 2015 to 2016. Mr. Warcop then became a partner with a private practice, where he represented clients in criminal matters and also acted as duty counsel for legal aid matters in Halifax. More recently, he returned to work with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service as a Crown attorney.

    The appointments will fill two vacancies after two provincial court judges were appointed to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court last fall.

    Quick Facts:

    • judges are selected by the government from a list of candidates recommended by a seven-member independent Advisory Committee on Provincial Judicial Appointments
    • appointments to the bench are based on merit and professional excellence
    • gender, language/bilingualism, racial and cultural diversity, geographical representation and commitment to public service are among the criteria for the appointment of judges

    Additional Resources:

    The Provincial Judicial Appointments Guidelines and the application form to apply to become a provincial court judge are available at: https://novascotia.ca/just/Court_Services/

    Information on Nova Scotia courts: https://www.courts.ns.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Pillen and Senators Introduce Juvenile Justice Reform Legislation

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Senator Merv Riepe of Omaha introduced LB 556 at the request of the Governor. LB 556 was introduced in response to a dramatic rise in felonies committed by juveniles since 2017. In Douglas County alone, juvenile repeat offenders have increased by 1700% since 2017. 

    “Public safety is the highest calling of government,” said Gov. Pillen. “None of us in Nebraska want to come to the reality that we have young boys committing these violent acts. The reality is that there are violent and even deadly crimes being committed by juveniles as young as 11 and 12 years old. This is hard for us to comprehend in Nebraska. The officers and prosecutors here are seeing the impacts of it firsthand and to say it’s alarming is an understatement.”

    LB 556 changes the criteria for detention to give greater authority to the courts to detain juveniles in a physically restrictive facility for the safety of the juvenile and the community. Furthermore, this legislation will require a court hearing to review juvenile placement unless waived by both parties and lower the minimum age at which a juvenile may be detained from age 13 to age 11.

    For felony arrests of a juvenile, it requires a judge, in consultation with a probation officer, to make a determination about detention. Finally, LB 556 will lower the age at which a juvenile can be charged as an adult for the most serious crimes (Class I, IA, IB, IC, ID, II and IIA felonies) from age 14 to age 12.

    “This bill is not about punishment—it’s about protection: for our communities, our families, and the juveniles themselves,” said Senator Riepe. “By providing safe, secure detention options and empowering judges to make case-specific decisions, we can intervene early, prevent further harm, and offer meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation. Safety and accountability go hand-in-hand, ensuring a balanced approach that reduces crime and builds a safer future for all.”

    Speaking on the importance of addressing the spike in serious criminal offenses by juveniles, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine thanked Governor Pillen for prioritizing this commonsense legislation that will address public safety deficiencies within our current law dealing with juveniles committing very violent crimes. “I’ve seen and met with the victims of these crimes, and I’ve seen the impact it also has on that juvenile,” said Mr. Kleine. “We need better tools to address these issues. The judge will ultimately determine whether detention is appropriate. It’s about fairness, safety, and doing what’s right for the juvenile.”

    Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson added his support for LB 556. “I would like to thank Governor Pillen and Senator Riepe for introducing this commonsense piece of legislation,” said Sheriff Aaron Hanson. “Since 2017’s Juvenile Justice reform efforts, we have seen a 1700% increase in repeat juvenile offenders in Douglas County alone. Current law ties the hands of parents, probation officers, police, prosecutors, and judges when it comes to keeping the public and these offenders safe. This new legislation is a transformative step that will allow Law Enforcement to better protect the public and these juvenile offenders.”

    Governor Jim Pillen

    Senator Merv Riepe

    Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson

    Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yuba County Man Charged with Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Ignacio Valencia, 33, of Plumas Lake, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, Valencia was found in possession of a loaded, Glock model 20, 10 mm caliber handgun as well as a magazine containing 25 rounds of 10 mm ammunition. Valencia is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition after being convicted of four felonies: possession of a controlled substance for sale, being a felon in possession of a firearm, evading a peace officer in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, and being a felon or addict in possession of a firearm.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Elk Grove Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vanek is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Valencia faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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: Glen Burnie Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection With Multi-State Dogfighting Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Mario Damon Flythe, 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, to six months in federal prison and six months of home detention – followed by three years of supervised release; a $10,000 fine, and an additional $2,800 in a forfeiture money judgment, for his involvement in a multi-state dogfighting conspiracy.

    Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office- Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service – Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Clinton Fuchs, U.S. Marshal for Maryland; and Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police Chief.

    Flythe is affiliated with the same dogfighting enterprise as co-defendant Frederick Douglass Moorfield, Jr.  The defendant also operated a kennel under the name “Razor Sharp Kennels,” and used his home to keep, train, and breed dogs for dogfighting for several years.

    A review of Flythe’s cellphone records uncovered numerous message exchanges connected to dogfighting — primarily over the instant-messaging applications WhatsApp and Telegram — with members of a group known as the “DMV Board.”  In addition to arranging dog fights and wagers, Flythe and the DMV Board discussed the breeding and training of fighting dogs, procuring supplies for the maintenance and feeding of fighting dogs, and law enforcement criminally prosecuting dogfighters.  Additionally, Flythe and others discussed indictments of other members of the DMV Board and speculated about the identity of a potential “snitch.”

    Flythe’s instant messages also revealed several exchanges arranging or “hooking” dogfights.  During these conversations, Flythe identified the weight and sex of the dog he wanted to sponsor in a fight.  Other dogfighters then proposed a fight against their own dog or matched Flythe with another contact who had a dog in the same weight class. The dogfighters then agreed on wagers and set a date for the fight, usually six to eight weeks after arranging the match.  In addition to stating the winner’s fee for each fight, dogfighters agreed on forfeit or “fit” payments if a dogfighter backed out prior to the fight.

    After hooking a fight, Flythe trained his dogs in a process known as a “keep.”  Flythe’s typical keep schedule for a dog involved physical training — using treadmills, weighted collars, and other accessories — a diet plan, and steroids.  Flythe obtained steroids and other veterinary drugs through various contacts in his dogfighting network instead of obtaining legitimate veterinary prescriptions.

    When Flythe sponsored a dog, the fight only ended after a dog died or if the owner forfeited the match by the dog quitting the fight or the owner picking up the dog. Several times between 2019 and 2023, Flythe received monetary payments through CashApp in connection with dogfighting activities.  Flythe also sent money to dogfighting contacts related to the dogfighting enterprise.

    On September 6, 2023, during a search of Flythe’s home, investigators recovered a total of seven pit-bull type dogs from the premises.  Authorities found four dogs chained to posts or poles in fenced-in cages in the property’s backyard, and three dogs in large metal cages in the basement.  Flythe acknowledged that he bred and/or trained dogs for the purposes of sponsoring them for dogfights. 

    U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Marshals Service; Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County Animal Control; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for their valuable assistance in the investigation.  Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Levin who prosecuted the federal case.

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

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: 22 locals arrested in multi-count money laundering and narcotics indictments

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A total of 29 people are now in custody for money laundering and drug trafficking criminal violations following a major law enforcement operation in Houston and other areas in the United States, announced acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

    The coordinated law enforcement effort spanned multiple jurisdictions and states to include Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina and other parts of Texas.

    Those arrested in the Houston area have begun to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.

    The charges contained in four different indictments allege crimes occurred between April 2022 and October 2024.

    Houston grand juries returned the indictments in October and November 2024. They allege the individuals engaged in a multi-national trade-based money laundering network operating in the United States and in international markets. Criminal organizations including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) allegedly used the network to launder illicit funds through the purchase and sale of cellular telephones.

    Francisco Jaramillo-Valdovinos aka Chico Jaramillo, allegedly a top CJNG commander, is one of those charged. He is considered a fugitive and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts or any of the other fugitives in the case is asked to contact the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) at 713-693-3000.

    The arrests are the culmination of a 21-month Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Noch. During the investigation, law enforcement allegedly seized multi-hundred kilograms of cocaine, heroin, meth, marijuana and alprazolam as well as millions of dollars in drug proceeds.

    As part of the arrests, authorities also seized 85 kilograms of meth, 10 kilograms of cocaine, 17 firearms, $481,000 from a bank account and approximately $566,000 of bulk cash.

    If convicted, many charged with drug trafficking offenses face up to life in federal prison and could pay millions in fines. Those charged with money laundering offenses face up to 20 years in federal prison.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation along with police departments in Houston and Galveston with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and local police departments and sheriffs’ offices throughout the country.

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman, Sherin Daniel and Leo J. Leo III are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Government Contractor Convicted of Defrauding FEMA and Georgia-Based Litigation Funding Company

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ATLANTA – Following an eight-day trial, Tiffany Brown was found guilty by a jury of defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) in connection with a nearly $156 million contract she was awarded to provide self-heating meals to the residents of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, and for fraudulently obtaining $700,000 in litigation advances from the Litigation Funding Group of Georgia (“LFG”) by falsely claiming that she had settled with a logistics company who failed to deliver the meals to FEMA. 

    “Brown resorted to extraordinary lengths to defraud FEMA during a critical period when individuals were in desperate need of food resources during the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Maria,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our Office, along with our law enforcement partners, will remain vigilant in pursuing and prosecuting individuals who exploit the devastation caused by natural disasters as an opportunity to commit fraud.”

    “We will continue to investigate and support the prosecution of fraudsters who target vulnerable populations for their own gains,” said DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D.

    “Brown greedily deceived the federal government during a natural disaster to enrich herself,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue any person who seeks to defraud the government, especially during times of tragedy.”

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Puerto Rico. In its wake, FEMA issued a solicitation for 40 million self-heating meals per week to deliver to the island. Meals requiring a microwave or an external heating source, such as for boiling water, were unacceptable. FEMA issued the meal solicitation because it had exhausted its existing supply of self-heating meals from its own warehouses, primary vendors, and federal agency partners in responding to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma— both Category 4 hurricanes that impacted broad swaths of Texas, Louisiana, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    On September 28, 2017, Brown submitted a proposal to FEMA falsely representing that her Georgia-based company, Tribute Contracting LLC, could provide the necessary self-heating meals. In doing so, Brown misrepresented that Tribute: (a) could deliver 10 million meals per day utilizing 210 trucks; (b) would provide 300,000 meals prepositioned; and (c) had partnered with C.H. Robinson, a major shipping and logistics broker, to meet FEMA’s delivery requirements.

    But Tribute was incapable of delivering 10 million meals, never prepositioned any meals, and did not have the claimed partnership. A FEMA contacting officer spoke with Brown after receiving Tribute’s proposal. The contracting officer knew that U.S.-based manufacturers could not produce the number of meals that Brown claimed in her proposal. In response, Brown falsely represented that she was procuring the self-heating meals from Action Meals, a Canadian manufacturer. Brown sent FEMA a doctored image of an Action Meals package with a fraudulent expiration date.

    Based on her conversation with the contracting officer, Brown submitted a revised proposal falsely representing that she had firm confirmation from her “core suppliers for 30 million self-heating meals in 30 days” and that she could begin delivering one million meals a day beginning on October 7, 2017.

    On October 3, 2017, FEMA awarded Tribute and Brown a $155,982,000 contract requiring the delivery of 30 million self-heating meals between October 7 and October 23, 2017. FEMA had to confirm that Tribute’s proposed meal was “technically acceptable” before approving the delivery. FEMA approved Brown’s proposal in part because it understood that Brown would deliver self-heating meals manufactured by Action Meals. Unbeknownst to FEMA, Brown had not secured a supplier when she was awarded the FEMA contract. After being awarded the contract, Brown repeatedly mispresented to FEMA the status of her suppliers and timing of deliveries.

    On October 19, 2017, FEMA terminated its contract with Brown and Tribute. Before doing so, however, FEMA paid Brown $255,000 based on her submission of fraudulent invoices and bills of ladings claiming that she had successfully delivered 50,000 self-heating meals. Brown in fact had delivered 50,000 non-compliant, dehydrated meals. After FEMA terminated the contract, Brown continued making false representations to FEMA. For example, Brown submitted fraudulent invoices in December 2017 and June 2019 claiming to have purchased tens of thousands of dollars of heaters.

    In March 2019, Brown falsely represented to LFG that she had a tentative $5 million settlement with a logistics company, Total Quality Logistics (“TQL”). Brown claimed that TQL was willing to settle with her because it failed to timely deliver meals to FEMA, which she claimed was the reason FEMA terminated her contract. In truth, TQL obtained a default judgment against Brown for unpaid deliveries.

    To secure the fraudulent litigation financing, Brown provided LFG with a mix of actual and fabricated documents. For instance, she provided the real FEMA contract, but a fraudulent tentative settlement agreement, and fabricated emails between TQL’s general counsel and “Jerry Rosenstein,” Tribute’s purported in-house counsel. Brown further perpetrated the fraud by using her attorney to create the illusion that she was a successful government contractor who was negotiating directly with TQL. Brown later falsely claimed she settled with TQL for $6.5 million, which she evidenced by an agreement that TQL’s CEO supposedly signed. The scheme unraveled when TQL did not pay the $6.5 million, and Brown’s attorney received an email from a “James Wilson,” who was supposedly an in-house attorney at TQL. “James Wilson” wrote that he was willing to release the settlement funds in exchange for $500,000. Investigators later determined that Brown was responsible for creating the fake “Jerry Rosenstein” and “James Wilson” personas.   

    Tiffany Brown, 45, of Atlanta, Georgia is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr.  Brown was found guilty by a federal jury on January 17, 2025, of 11 counts of major disaster fraud, 17 counts of wire fraud, one count of theft of government money, and three counts of money laundering.

    This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Office of Chief Counsel.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex R. Sistla and Jessica C. Morris are prosecuting the case.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: No stone left unturned: 6 tonnes of cocaine and EUR 6 million seized in large drug sting

    Source: Europol

    The Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil), supported by Europol, has dismantled a large-scale drug trafficking network in an investigation involving Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama. The suspects were allegedly involved in the reception and wholesale distribution of cocaine across the EU, as well as in money laundering. The sting was coordinated by Europol’s Operational Taskforce.Network spans Latin America, Europe…

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Federation of BiH undertakes important steps in protecting victims of domestic violence and violence against women

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: Federation of BiH undertakes important steps in protecting victims of domestic violence and violence against women

    SARAJEVO, 24 January 2025 –  Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH (Mission) welcomes efforts by authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) to improve the legal framework governing gender-based violence in FBiH, including efforts to strengthen the FBiH Law on Domestic Violence and Violence against Women (Law). 
    The adoption of this law by the House of Representatives of the Parliament of FBiH on 28 January in its expected form, would constitute a decisive step forward in ensuring and promoting zero tolerance to domestic violence and violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ahead of the session, the Mission kindly urges parliamentarians to also ensure an applicable legal mechanism that fully protects victims during the transition to the new Law, namely during the finalization of relevant bylaws and the provision of necessary training to practitioners. In line with the conclusions from the series of joint sessions of four FBiH parliamentary committees held during 2024, the Mission would further ask the Parliament of FBiH, to maintain strong oversight of the implementation of the new Law, ensuring accountability form the responsible institutions.  
    The Mission remains fully committed to supporting institutions at all levels in the implementation of the Law. Working with institutions is one of the Mission’s three key pillars of engagement – along with the engagement with legislators and political parties – to establish sustainable, effective and victim-centric responses to domestic and gender-based violence, in line with BiH’s international commitments.  

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coming up next week at the London Assembly W/C 27 January

    Source: Mayor of London

    PUBLIC MEETINGS

    Tuesday 28 January

    Planning and Tall Buildings

    Planning and Regeneration Committee – Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am

    The Planning and Regeneration Committee will ask guests ask guests from industry and the London Tenants Federation about issues including residents’ experiences of living in tall buildings and how they vary among different groups, the characteristics of successful tall buildings, and the extent to which high-rise buildings meet Londoners’ housing needs.

    Guests include:

    Panel 1 – 10am – 11.15am:

    • Stuart Baillie, Partner and Head of Planning, Knight Frank
    • Russell Whitehead, Director, Robert Bird Group
    • Chris Edgington, Associate Director – Building Services, ARUP
    • Additional guests TBC

    Panel 2 – 11.30am – 12.30pm:

    • Kath Scanlon, Distinguished Policy Fellow and Deputy Director, LSE London
    • Pat Turnbull, Regional Delegate, London Tenants Federation

    MEDIA CONTACT: Josh Hunt on 07763 252310 / [email protected]  

     

    Wednesday 29 January

    Q&A with the Met Police

    Police and Crime Committee – Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am

    The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee will question the Metropolitan Police Service and the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime on the work being done in relation to grooming gangs in London, and to understand what impact the national audit will have in London.

    The guests are:

    • Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime 
    • Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist KPM, Frontline Policing, Metropolitan Police Service
    • Claire Waxman OBE, London’s Independent Victims’ Commissioner

    MEDIA CONTACT: Anthony Smith on 07763 251727 / [email protected]
     

    Thursday 30 January

    HIV in London

    Health Committee – Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am

    The London Assembly Health Committee will discuss HIV prevention efforts in London, the work of HIV charities in London and international comparisons.

    The guests are:

    Panel 1 – HIV prevention in London (10:00 – 11:10):

    • Marc Thompson, Lead Commissioner, London HIV Prevention Programme
    • Mona Hayat, Director of Sexual Health, London Sexual Health Programme
    • Professor Kevin Fenton CBE, Statutory Health Advisor to the Mayor

    Panel 2 – HIV charities in London (11:15 – 12:25):

    • Judi Otti, Head of HIV Services, Africa Advocacy Foundation
    • Mark Santos, Executive Director, Positive East
    • Kat Smithson, CEO, British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH)
    • Joel Robinson, CEO, Spectra
    • Tony Wong, CEO, METRO Charity

    Panel 3 – International comparisons (12:30 – 13:00):

    • Elske Hoornenborg, Head of the Center for Sexual Health and medical doctor specialised in internal medicine and infectious diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam

    MEDIA CONTACT: Anthony Smyth on 07763 251727 / [email protected]

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New King’s Counsels welcomed by Lord Chancellor

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of 105 barristers and solicitors as new King’s Counsel (KC) in England and Wales.

    His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of 105 barristers and solicitors as new King’s Counsel (KC) in England and Wales. The title of KC is awarded to those who have demonstrated particular skill and expertise in the conduct of advocacy. 

    The Lord Chancellor will preside over the appointment ceremony at Westminster Hall in March 2025, where she will formally bestow the title of KC upon the successful applicants.

    Further information

    • See the list of 2024 – 2025 Kings Counsel appointments.  
    • KCs are appointed by His Majesty The King, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor is in turn advised by an independent Selection Panel which receives and considers each application and makes recommendations as to appointment. 
    • The announcement of Honorary King’s Counsel awards will be made separately this year. 
    • For further information, please contact the Ministry of Justice press office. Follow us @MoJGovUK. 

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man convicted of two violent assaults in Harrow

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been convicted following two violent assaults that left one of his victims dying from stab wounds.

    Abdul Khan, 27 (14.08.97), of Durham Road, Harrow, had previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter through diminished responsibility of Bohdan Vandzhura, possession of an offensive weapon and actual bodily harm.

    At the Old Bailey on Thursday, 23 January he was found guilty of the attempted murder of a then 43-year-old man.

    He will be sentenced on Tuesday, 25 March.

    Detective Chief Inspector Tom Williams, who led the investigation, said: “Our thoughts today are with Mr Vandzhura’s family and friends.

    “This was a truly horrific assault by Khan on his innocent neighbour as he was heading to work one morning to provide for his family. The ferocity of the knife attack has shocked everyone who has seen the CCTV footage.

    “Our thoughts are also with his second victim who suffered serious injuries in the attack.

    “It’s clear that mental health was a key factor in the events building up to that day but Khan’s pattern of aggression towards two people cannot be ignored.”

    An investigation was launched after police were called on the morning of 8 July 2023 to reports of a stabbing on Pinner Road in North Harrow.

    Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance. At the scene, they found 49-year-old Bohdan – a father-of-two who was from Harrow – with stab wounds. Despite their efforts he died at the scene.

    A post-mortem examination carried out the following day confirmed he died as a result of multiple stab wounds to the chest and neck.

    Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command launched an investigation, involving a quick time review of CCTV footage from the area.

    Officers followed Khan’s movements using CCTV which captured him disposing of the weapon and making his way towards Mr Vandzhura’s home. This led detectives to believe Khan lived in the area and he was quickly identified and arrested.

    This same footage provided them with evidence of his father – Khalid Khan – leaving the home with a carrier bag that contained his son’s bloodied clothing.

    Abdul Khan was arrested on 8 July and charged within 24 hours.

    Detectives also established that Abdul Khan was the unidentified suspect in an earlier assault on another man in Harrow.

    On 20 August 2022, Khan punched the man to the ground before repeatedly stamping on him, leaving him unconscious. Officers carried out an investigation but were unable to identify a suspect at the time.

    Khalid Khan, 62 (22.04.62) of Durham Road, Harrow was convicted of assisting an offender in relation to the manslaughter.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 116 tortoises returned to Tanzania in landmark wildlife trafficking investigation

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    24 January 2025

    Intercepted by Thai customs officials in July 2022, the tortoises will serve as vital evidence to prosecute the smuggler

    SINGAPORE – More than two years after a Ukrainian woman was stopped at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport during an INTERPOL operation with 116 baby tortoises concealed in her luggage, the internationally protected species have been returned to Tanzania as evidence against their smuggler.

    The repatriation of the tortoises signals the final phase of a long-running enquiry into an international wildlife trafficking ring that has led to the arrest of 14 suspects from various countries and tracked down the Ukrainian smuggler after a global investigation.

    A handover ceremony marking the reptiles’ return was held yesterday in Bangkok, attended by high-level officials from Thailand and Tanzania.

    Police Major General Surapan Thaiprasert, Commander of the Foreign Affairs Division at the Royal Thai Police said:

    “Thailand worked closely with INTERPOL and our partners in Tanzania on this significant case. Through our strong detection capabilities, we were able to intercept the smuggler and rescue the tortoises. Their successful return to Tanzania is a testament to our collaborative efforts.”

    A rescued pancake tortoise. The species is critically endangered (CITES Appendix I)

    Rescued radiated tortoises placed in crates for their journey to Tanzania

    The Aldabra giant tortoise is one of the largest tortoises in the world. It is a vulnerable species. (CITES Appendix II)

    The Aldabra giant tortoise is one of the largest tortoises in the world. It is a vulnerable species. (CITES Appendix II).

    A rescued pancake tortoise. The species is critically endangered (CITES Appendix I).

    A rescued radiated tortoise. The species is critically endangered (CITES Appendix I).

    A rescued pancake tortoise. The species is critically endangered (CITES Appendix I).

    Tanzanian and Thai officials worked together to repatriate all 116 tortoises to Tanzania.

    Tanzanian and Thai officials worked together to repatriate all 116 tortoises to Tanzania.

    A radiated tortoise is carefully placed in a crate for its return to Tanzania.

    A tortoise crate being transferred to its next mode of transport.

    A handover ceremony marking the return of the tortoises was held in Bangkok on 23 January 2025.

    A handover ceremony marking the return of the tortoises was held in Bangkok on 23 January 2025.

    Criminal economy

    The trafficking of endangered tortoises is a significant criminal economy, with species removed from their natural habitats, often to be sold abroad as exotic pets.

    The 116 tortoises recovered in Bangkok included pancake tortoises, radiated tortoises and Aldabra giant tortoises, all of which are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

    Many of the tortoises died after being found in the smuggler’s luggage, despite urgent care provided by Thai authorities. All 116 were nevertheless repatriated as evidence.

    Cyril Gout, Acting Executive Director of Police Services at INTERPOL said:

    “Wildlife trafficking is a serious global threat that disrupts ecosystems and harms communities while enriching organized crime groups. This case demonstrates the resolve of law enforcement internationally to protect vulnerable species, stop illegal wildlife trafficking and bring criminals to justice.  

    “INTERPOL plays a vital role in facilitating coordinated action against wildlife crime and will continue to support our member countries in breaking up wildlife trafficking syndicates.”

    Dismantling a wildlife crime network

    Following her arrest in Bangkok, the Ukrainian smuggler fled Thailand before she could be fully prosecuted. Through intense international police collaboration and an INTERPOL Red Notice, she was located in Bulgaria in March 2023 and extradited to Tanzania three months later.

    Once it was established that the smuggler belonged to a larger wildlife trafficking network, INTERPOL provided investigative and operational support. As a result of these efforts, 14 additional suspects, from countries including Egypt, Indonesia, Madagascar and Tanzania, have so far also been arrested.

    Ramadhan Hamisi Kingai, Director of Criminal Investigation at the Tanzania Police Force said:

    “From the capture of the suspect to the repatriation of the tortoises, these successes were made possible through strong international police cooperation and a collaborative, multi-agency approach facilitated through INTERPOL. Tanzania is firmly committed to addressing wildlife crime and continues to work with other countries to ensure that those responsible are arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    Local wildlife officials in Tanzania will quarantine and care for the surviving tortoises before assessing if they can be safely returned to their natural habitats.

    United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other donors.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Stronghold Digital Mining Announces CFO Transition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stronghold Digital Mining, Inc. (the “Company”) today announced that Chief Financial Officer Matthew Smith will resign from his position, effective November 15, 2024, after the Company files its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the third quarter of 2024. Mr. Smith will also step down from the Company’s Board of Directors at that time. Mr. Smith’s resignation was not due to any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices, including accounting principles and practices.

    Following his departure, the Company intends to retain Mr. Smith as a consultant to assist with the transition of his responsibilities for a period of time. Currently, the Company does not intend to fill the vacancy on the Board that will be created following the effective date of Mr. Smith’s resignation. The Company thanks Mr. Smith for his contributions over the past three years.

    About Stronghold Digital Mining, Inc.
    Stronghold is a vertically integrated Bitcoin mining company with an emphasis on environmentally beneficial operations. Stronghold houses its miners at its wholly owned and operated Scrubgrass Plant and Panther Creek Plant, both of which are low-cost, environmentally beneficial coal refuse power generation facilities in Pennsylvania.

    Forward Looking Statements of Stronghold:
    Certain statements contained in this press release, including guidance, constitute “forward-looking statements.” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates” or “anticipates” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements and the business prospects of Stronghold are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause Stronghold’s actual results in future periods to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, including with respect to its potential carbon capture initiative and with respect to completing a strategic review process or entering into a transaction. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the hybrid nature of our business model, which is highly dependent on the price of Bitcoin; our dependence on the level of demand and financial performance of the crypto asset industry; our ability to manage growth, business, financial results and results of operations; uncertainty regarding our evolving business model; our ability to retain management and key personnel and the integration of new management; our ability to raise capital to fund business growth; our ability to maintain sufficient liquidity to fund operations, growth and acquisitions; our substantial indebtedness and its effect on our results of operations and our financial condition; uncertainty regarding the outcomes of any investigations or proceedings; our ability to enter into purchase agreements, acquisitions and financing transactions; public health crises, epidemics, and pandemics such as the coronavirus pandemic; our ability to procure crypto asset mining equipment from foreign-based suppliers; our ability to maintain our relationships with our third-party brokers and our dependence on their performance; our ability to procure crypto asset mining equipment including to upgrade our current fleet; developments and changes in laws and regulations, including increased regulation of the crypto asset industry through legislative action and revised rules and standards applied by The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network under the authority of the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act and the Investment Company Act; the future acceptance and/or widespread use of, and demand for, Bitcoin and other crypto assets; our ability to respond to price fluctuations and rapidly changing technology; our ability to operate our coal refuse power generation facilities as planned; our ability to remain listed on a stock exchange and maintain an active trading market; our ability to avail ourselves of tax credits for the clean-up of coal refuse piles; legislative or regulatory changes, and liability under, or any future inability to comply with, existing or future energy regulations or requirements; our ability to replicate and scale the carbon capture project; our ability to manage costs related to the carbon capture project; and our ability to monetize our carbon capture project, including through the private market; our ability to qualify for, obtain, monetize or otherwise benefit from the Puro registry and Section 45Q tax credits, our ability to timely complete a strategic review process and our ability to consummate a transaction in connection with such process, in part or at all, our ability to qualify for demand response programs, our ability to qualify as PJM “In Network” load, our ability to prepare our sites for and execute on GPU computing initiatives and our ability to expand the power capacity at our sites. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect our financial results are included in our filings with the SEC, including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 8, 2024, and in our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statement or guidance speaks only as of the date as of which such statement is made, and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements or guidance, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Contacts:

    Stronghold Digital Mining, Inc.
    Investor Contact:
    Matt Glover or Alec Wilson
    Gateway Group, Inc.
    SDIG@gateway-grp.com
    1-949-574-3860

    Media Contact:
    contact@strongholddigitalmining.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Battleford  — North Battleford CRT-GTF seize firearms, cocaine and methamphetamine

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 22, 2024 at approximately 9:15 p.m., Saskatchewan RCMP’s North Battleford Crime Reduction Team – Gang Task Force (CRT-GTF) executed search warrants at two residences, one on 109 street and one on 110 street in North Battleford, SK. The warrants were executed as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation.

    At the residences, officers located and seized a loaded handgun, a rifle, approximately 81 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 58 grams of crack cocaine, ammunition, a sum of cash and drug trafficking paraphernalia.

    As a result of investigation, two adult males and an adult female were arrested at the residences.

    21-year-old Enricko Thompson from North Battleford is charged with:

    • one count, possession of a firearm when knowing possession unauthorized, Section 92(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of restricted firearm/prohibited weapon with ammunition without license/registration, Section 95(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, unsafe storage of firearms, Section 86(2), Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, Section 88(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of property obtained by crime less than $5000, Section 354(1)(a), Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine, Section 5(2), Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and
    • one count, possession for the purpose of trafficking – methamphetamine, Section 5(2), Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

    39-year-old Justin Fraser from North Battleford is charged with:

    • one count, possession of a firearm when knowing possession unauthorized, Section 92(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, unsafe storage of firearms, Section 86(2), Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, Section 88(1), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, possession for the purpose of trafficking – methamphetamine, Section 5(2), Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

    20-year-old Chloe Bates was arrested on an outstanding warrant from Battlefords RCMP for charges including failure to comply with probation order and failure to appear in court.

    Enricko Thompson and Justin Fraser appeared in court in North Battleford on October 24.

    Saskatchewan RCMP’s Critical Incident Response Team and Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) Tactical Support Unit assisted in this investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Rapper Lil Durk Arrested on Complaint Alleging He Ordered Murder Attempt that Resulted in Fatal Shooting Near Beverly Center

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Grammy Award-winning Chicago rapper has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he conspired with others to murder a rival rapper, resulting in a shooting and murder that took place at a gas station near the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los Angeles in August 2022 – an attack that resulted in a family member of the rival being shot and killed, the Justice Department announced today.

    Durk Banks, 32, a.k.a. “Lil Durk,” was arrested near Miami International Airport late Thursday on a complaint charging him with conspiracy to use interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death.   

    He made his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and remains in federal custody. His arraignment is expected to occur in Los Angeles federal court in the coming weeks.

    “Mr. Banks is charged with orchestrating a cold-blooded murder that resulted in the death of a rival’s family member,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Not only that, the shooting occurred in the open, at a gas station at a busy intersection, endangering many others in the area. Violent gun crime of this sort is devastating to our community and we will have zero-tolerance for those who perpetrate such callous acts of violence.” 

    “The apprehension of Mr. Banks as he attempted to leave the United States is once again proof that the FBI and our extraordinary partners at the Los Angeles Police Department have a long reach” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “No excuse can justify this violent act and let me be clear: While you’re going about your life, thinking you ‘got away with it,’ the FBI is piecing together the facts that will serve as your undoing.”

    “Cases like these that span multiple states and jurisdictions are complicated and can oftentimes only be resolved through the collaboration of multiple departments,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “This arrest is the culmination of the combined efforts of our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and LAPD’s Operation West Bureau Homicide detectives who discovered that Durk D a.k.a. Lil Durk was involved in this heinous murder. The hundreds of hours spent on the investigation included surveillance, authoring numerous search warrants, using forensic technology, and tireless investigative travel and collaboration alongside our federal partners led to this arrest. I am appreciative of the dedication of those involved.”

    According to the complaint filed Thursday night, Banks is the leader of the Chicago-based rap collective known as “Only the Family” or “OTF.” Law enforcement believes OTF also acts as a group of individuals who engage in violence – including murder and assault – at Banks’ direction and to maintain their status in OTF.

    Banks feuded with a victim, identified in court documents as “T.B.” The feud stemmed from a November 6, 2020, murder in which an associate of T.B. shot and killed an OTF rapper named Dayvon Bennett, a.k.a. “King Von.” Bennett and Banks were close friends. 

    In response to Bennett’s murder, Banks allegedly put a bounty on T.B.’s life.

    On August 19, 2022, several OTF members and associates used two vehicles and worked in tandem to track, stalk, and attempt to murder T.B. for hours, culminating in a shooting at a gasoline station located near the Beverly Center mall. The co-conspirators fired at least 18 rounds at T.B.’s vehicle, striking and killing a victim identified in court documents as “S.R.,” who was T.B.’s family member who had been traveling with T.B.

    Banks allegedly ordered T.B.’s murder and the hitmen used money from Banks and OTF-related finances to carry out the hit. Bank and flight records show that an OTF member and close associate of Banks coordinated and paid for five co-conspirators to travel from Chicago to California on the day before the murder. Around the time the one-way flights were purchased, Banks told the OTF associate booking the flights, “Don’t book no flights under no names involved wit [sic] me.”

    The same day the hitmen traveled from Chicago to California, Banks also traveled to California in a private jet with another conspirator, Kavon London Grant, 28, a.k.a. “Cuz” and “Vonnie.” Later that day, Grant allegedly purchased ski masks for the shooters to use to commit the murder and paid – using a credit card in Banks’ name – for the other co-conspirators’ hotel room.

    On Thursday morning, federal and local law enforcement in the Chicago area arrested Grant and four other defendants charged in a four-count federal grand jury indictment alleging their roles in the murder-for-hire plot. After law enforcement made the arrests and executed search warrants in Chicago, the FBI learned that Banks had been booked on three international flights scheduled to leave the United States on Thursday. When banks arrived near one of the departing airports – in Miami, specifically – law enforcement personnel arrested him.

    In additional to Grant, the defendants charged in the separate indictment, which a grand jury returned on October 17, are:

    • Deandre Dontrell Wilson, 33, a.k.a. “DeDe,” of Chicago;
    • Keith Jones, 33, a.k.a. “Flacka,” of Gary, Indiana;
    • David Brian Lindsey, 33, a.k.a. “Browneyez,” of Addison, Illinois; and
    • Asa Houston, 36, a.k.a. “Boogie,” of Chicago.

    These four defendants along with Grant are charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Jones faces and additional count of possession of a machine gun.

    These defendants made their initial appearances on Thursday in the Northern District of Illinois and are expected to be arraigned in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks. 

    A complaint and indictment contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

    If convicted, Banks and the five defendants charged in the separate indictment each would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

    The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter. 

    Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the General Crimes Section and Daniel H. Weiner of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saskatchewan  — Saskatchewan RCMP asks public to report sightings of Brenden Yew

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Saskatchewan RCMP’s Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) and the Offender Management Unit are asking members of the public to report sightings of 29-year-old Brenden Yew.

    Earlier this month, Saskatchewan RCMP received a report that a male failed to report to a probation officer after he was released from custody. Further investigation determined he was not complying with a court-ordered 24-hour electronically-monitored curfew, nor residing at his court-approved address.

    As a result of investigation, Saskatchewan RCMP has charged Brenden Yew of Meadow Lake, SK with three counts, fail to comply with release order condition, Section 145(5)(a), Criminal Code. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

    WEST and other Saskatchewan RCMP units are actively working to locate him and ask the public to immediately report all sightings of Brenden Yew or information on his whereabouts.

    Brenden Yew is described as 5’10” and approximately 220 lbs. He has brown eyes and black hair. He has flowers tattooed on his right hand and a rosary tattooed on his left arm.

    Investigators have reason to believe Brenden Yew could be in the Edmonton, Meadow Lake, Beauval, Canoe Narrows, and Flying Dust First Nation areas, but his current whereabouts are unknown.

    If you see Brenden Yew, do not approach him.

    Report sightings or information on his whereabouts to your local police service. You can reach your local RCMP detachment by dialling 310-RCMP (7267) and information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or http://www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Meadow Lake — Meadow Lake RCMP CRT seizes illicit drugs, firearms during search

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 20, 2024, Saskatchewan RCMP’s Meadow Lake Crime Reduction Team (CRT) conducted a search of a residence in Meadow Lake, SK as part of an ongoing investigation.

    During a search of the residence, officers located and seized 500 grams of methamphetamine, 68 grams of cocaine, four modified firearms (two of which are prohibited and one that was loaded), ammunition, a significant sum of currency and drug trafficking paraphernalia. An adult male was arrested at the scene.

    As a result of investigation, 36-year-old Lindsay Bouvier of Meadow Lake is charged with:

    • one count, possession for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine, Section 5(2), Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;
    • one count, possession for the purpose of trafficking – methamphetamine, Section 5(2), Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;
    • one count, possession of weapon for dangerous purposes, Section 88(1), Criminal Code;
    • two counts, possession of restricted firearm/prohibited weapon with ammo without licence/registration, Section 95(1), Criminal Code;
    • two counts, unsafe storage of firearms, Section 86(2), Criminal Code;
    • two counts, possession of a firearm when knowing possession unauthorized, Section 92(1), Criminal Code;
    • four counts, weapons possession contrary to order and fail to surrender authorization Section 117.01(1), Criminal Code;
    • three counts, fail to comply with release order condition, Section 145(5)(a), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, possession of property obtained by crime less than or equal $5,000, Section 355(b), Criminal Code.

    He appeared in Meadow Lake Provincial Court on October 23, 2024. He will make his next appearance on October 28, 2024.

    MIL Security OSI –