NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI USA: Leger Fernández, Cortez Masto, Barragán Introduce Resolution to Recognize Latina Equal Pay Day

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA)  announced the introduction of the Latina Equal Pay Day Resolution to recognize the disparity in wages paid to Latinas, the significance of equal pay, and its larger impact on women, families, and the economy. 

    “Mis hermanas y yo decidimos que ya basta! We introduced the bicameral Latina Equal Pay Day Resolution to recognize the unequal and unfair treatment of women in the workforce, especially Latinas, who are undervalued and underpaid—earning only 51 cents to an average male worker,” said Congresswoman Leger Fernández. “Latinas play a huge role in our economy, especially our care economy. But our contributions are not valued, and our value is not paid. Today, we recommit to closing the gender and racial wage gap. Latinas deserve equal pay NOW.” 

    “Overall, working Latinas are still being paid far less than their male counterparts—and it’s time we close the pay gap,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m proud to introduce this bicameral resolution to recognize Latina Equal Pay Day and underscore the power Latinas bring to our economy. I’ll continue working to make sure that every woman in Nevada—regardless of her background—receives equal pay for equal work.”

    “Pay disparities experienced by women, and especially Latinas and women of color, show that the contributions we make to society are consistently undervalued,” said Congresswoman Barragán. “In many Latina families, the women of the family are the sole economic providers. It takes several additional months for a Latina woman to make the equivalent of a white man – which puts them behind in their pursuit of their American Dream. I am proud to lead on this resolution that reaffirms Congress’ commitment to closing the pay gap. Ha llegado el momento de que las latinas reciban igualdad de salarios!”

    More than 60 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, all Latinas with reported earnings in 2023 were paid just 51 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. That is one cent less than last year. Latinas who work full-time, year-round are paid only 58 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. On Latina Equal Pay Day, we recognize the pay gap between Latinas and White non-Hispanic men in the previous calendar year. 

    The resolution is led in the Senate by Senator Cortez Masto (D-NV) and co-led in the House by Nanette Diaz Barragán and co-sponsored by Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29), Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-08), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37), Linda Sanchez (D-CA-38), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Katie Porter (D-CA-47), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Judy Chu (D-CA-28), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO-05), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), André Carson (D-IN-07), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Alma Adams (D-NC-12), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29), J. Luis Correa (D-CA-46), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Greg Casar (D-TX-35).

    The resolution is endorsed by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and supported by 26 organizations, including Equal Rights Advocates & Equal Pay Today, Michigan Pay Equity Network, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Justice for Migrant Women, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, MomsRising/MamásConPoder, AnitaB.org, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center, Women Employed, MANA, A National Latina Organization, UnidosUS, Women’s Law Project, National Hispanic Council on Aging, SER National Inc., National Council of Jewish Women, Family Values @ Work, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), Esperanza United, Hispanic National Bar Association, Hispanics in Philanthropy, Methodist Federation for Social Action, National Education Association, PowHer New York, Latinas in Healthcare, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.

    “Thank you to Senator Cortez Masto and Representatives Leger Fernández and Barragán for their leadership in Congress working to close the pay gap. This Latina Equal Pay Day, we are honoring Latina leaders in the labor movement and across sectors to amplify the incredible ways that Latinas make change in our communities. We also continue to advocate for the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act and BE HEARD in the Workplace Act to create more economically secure and safer workplaces,” said Mónica Ramírez, President and Founder, Justice for Migrant Women.

    “As a Latina, mother, grandmother, and lifelong advocate for workers, I’ve witnessed Latinas take on incredible sacrifices to progress in this country, but it is our role as advocates to ensure that Latina’s wages do not continue to be sacrificed. Today, in 2024, Latinas face a staggering wage gap that continues to undermine our contributions and hold our community back. While unions have been instrumental in securing higher wages and vital protections for unionized Latinas, a wage gap still persists even among unionized Latinas. Our work won’t end until every Latina—and every woman—is valued equally for her labor. We must demand action now. Support the Paycheck Fairness Act and the BE HEARD Act—two essential pieces of legislation to combat pay discrimination and workplace violence. Our fight is about more than wages; it’s about dignity, respect, and the fundamental principle of equality that our country is founded upon,” said Evelyn DeJesus, National President, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement and Executive Vice President, American Federation of Teachers.

    “Equal Pay Today, a nationwide pay equity coalition of over 45 state and national organizations, applauds Congresswomen Leger Fernández and Barragán and Senator Cortez Masto for introducing this Latina Equal Pay Day Resolution. While Latinas are the backbone of our economy, leaders, entrepreneurs, and the second-largest group of women workers in the United States, they suffer from egregious pay gaps, ongoing workplace harassment, and continued segregation into low paid work and workplaces that lack paid leave and benefits. This resolution recognizes that true pay equity requires an intersectional approach to address gender and race-based discrimination and galvanizes our collective support to address the injustices which impact Latinas, their families, and our economy,” said Deborah J. Vagins, Director of Equal Pay Today with Equal Rights Advocates.

    “We are grateful to Congresswomen Leger Fernández and Barragán and Senator Cortez Masto for calling attention to the ongoing and egregious wage gaps experienced by Latinas. The median annual pay for all Latinas is less than an appalling $27,000 a year, plunging a working mother of two in poverty. Over her lifetime, a Latina is robbed of over a million dollars in wages. This travesty must end. We are proud to join the Members of Congress and partner organizations who support this resolution and who are working together on common sense workplace protections and benefits to end this economic injustice for Latinas,”said Noreen Farrell, Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates & Chair of Equal Pay Today.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Basic standards for protecting the rights of consumers of financial services: decisions of the Bank of Russia

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    The Bank of Russia has decided to approve Basic standard protection of the rights and interests of recipients of financial services provided by members of self-regulatory organizations uniting insurance organizations and foreign insurance organizations.

    The document was developed by the All-Russian Union of Insurers, a self-regulatory organization in the financial market, and on September 19, 2024, it was approved by the Committee on Standards for the Activities of Insurance Organizations and Foreign Insurance Organizations under the Bank of Russia.

    At the same time, the Bank of Russia decided to refuse to approve the Basic Standard, which was agreed upon on August 21, 2024 by the Committee on Standards for the Activities of Insurance Organizations and Foreign Insurance Organizations. The decision was made due to the non-compliance of certain provisions of the standard with the requirements established by Article 6.2 of the Law of the Russian Federation dated November 27, 1992 No. 4015-I “On the Organization of Insurance Business in the Russian Federation”.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.kbr.ru/press/event/?id=21058

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What are the greatest upsets in NRL grand final history?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wayne Peake, Adjunct research fellow, School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University

    The Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm will contest the National Rugby League (NRL) grand final on Sunday.

    Betting markets have them pretty much equal favourites. However, history shows grand finals don’t always go to plan.

    But what are the biggest upsets in NRL grand final history?

    Using a combination of formlines during the season and in finals, betting odds, media coverage and past performances, here are some of the most outlandish upsets in rugby league’s history.

    1944: Balmain 12, Newtown 8

    In 1944, Newtown was the minor premier while Balmain was second.

    Newtown entered the finals series as hot favourite and looked even hotter after destroying third-placed St George 55–7 in the first semi-final.

    However, in the final, Balmain won 19–6. That wasn’t the end of the story, though.

    Under the rules of the day, Newtown, as minor premier, could seek a rematch in a grand final “challenge”.

    Newton fielded a much stronger side and most expected it to reverse the final result. However, Balmain won again, 12–8.

    1952: Western Suburbs 22, South Sydney 12

    In 1952, Wests were minor premiers, while Souths finished third.

    Souths won the first semi-final 18–10 but Wests, as minor premiers, went straight to the grand final challenge three weeks later anyway. Meanwhile, Souths beat North Sydney to advance.

    According to the Sydney Truth, Wests were “regarded in some quarters as rank outsiders”.

    Then, rumours spread that Wests had “thrown” the first game and the referee assigned to the decider, George Bishop, had placed £400 on them, causing their price to shorten.

    Bishop sent off a player from each team ten minutes into the second half. Souths scored a try with 20 minutes to go to take the lead before Wests scored four tries in the last ten minutes to win.

    Bishop retired after the grand final.

    1963: St George 8, Western Suburbs 3

    In 1963, St George was minor premiers, while Wests were second. However, Wests, which had lost the previous two grand finals to St George, had beaten them twice in the regular rounds and again in the major semi-final, and went into the game favourite.

    On grand final day, the field deteriorated into a quagmire and led to the famous post-match “gladiators” photograph of captains Arthur Summons and Norm Provan shaking hands while coated in mud.

    The foul conditions contributed to a low-scoring game, which St George won 8–3.

    Once more it was suspected the referee, this time Darcy Lawler, had a financial interest in the outcome. He, too, retired immediately.

    Today we view St George’s victory in the context of a huge winning streak of premierships from 1955 to 1966.

    1989: Canberra 19, Balmain 14

    South Sydney had been minor premiers while Balmain finished third, one point clear of Canberra.

    Balmain were generally considered to have been more impressive than Canberra and were favourites for the grand final.

    One media expert, Harry Craven, was so confident Balmain would win he had his “weatherboard” (house) on the Tigers.

    In the grand final, Balmain led 14-8 with 15 minutes to play before Canberra levelled at 14–14 with 90 seconds remaining.

    After 20 minutes of extra time, Canberra won 19–14 and became the first team to win from further back than third in the regular season.

    1995: Canterbury 17, Manly 4

    Possibly the hottest grand final favourites of the past half-century, Manly lost just two games in the regular season and shared the minor premiership with Canberra.

    Canterbury (officially, the “Sydney Bulldogs” in 1995) were sixth and needed to win four straight games to be premier.

    The two sides met once in the regular season, with Manly winning 26-0.

    In the grand final, the Bulldogs led 6–4 at half-time and disaster loomed when Terry Lamb was sin-binned early in the second term.

    Somehow, the Dogs held Manly out until his return, then gained the ascendancy and won comfortably.

    1997: Newcastle 22, Manly 16

    In 1997 we had the first season of the News Limited-funded “Super League”.

    The glamourous Manly side was once more expected to be easy winners over Newcastle, which was contesting its first grand final.

    Only two teams in 70 years had won at their first attempt, while Manly had won its past 11 matches against the Knights.

    The grand final followed its anticipated plot until Newcastle’s Robbie O’Davis evened the score at 16–16. Newcastle missed with two field goal attempts, but after the second, Darren Albert regathered the ball and pierced the Manly defence to score under the posts with six seconds remaining.

    In 1997, the Newcastle Knights secured a maiden title against the Manly Sea Eagles.

    1999: Melbourne 20, St George Illawarra 18

    Odds for the 1999 grand final are unknown but the press anointed St George “hot favourites” while Canterbury champion Ricky Stuart rated them “unbeatable”.

    Melbourne was in just its second year of NRL competition and had never beaten St George.

    Melbourne had pulled off “escapes” against Canterbury and Parramatta to make the decider but the Saints were winning with ease and even crushed Melbourne 34–10 in the qualifying final.

    In the decider, St George led 14–0 and was looking good. Then, in the 51st minute, Anthony Mundine kicked the ball to a vacant try line but fumbled it touching down.

    The Melbourne Storm shocked the NRL world when they won the 1999 grand final.

    Nevertheless, St George maintained an 18–6 advantage midway through the second half, before a Storm fightback.

    With minutes remaining, Melbourne received a penalty try which it converted to win the game.

    The biggest upset: 1969, Balmain 11, South Sydney 2

    Most agree the biggest grand final upset is Balmain’s 11-2 defeat of South Sydney in 1969.

    Bookies had Souths as heavy favourites – they had won the previous two grand finals, while Balmain was a young team lacking grand final experience.

    However, the form lines of the two teams were not dissimilar.

    At the end of the regular season, South Sydney was the minor premier with Balmain just one win behind them.

    Souths defeated Balmain by one point in the semi-final, and a week later, Balmain beat Manly by a point to scrape into the grand final.

    Despite South’s heavy favouritism, Balmain were not friendless. Of six “experts” whose opinion was sought by one newspaper on the morning of the game, two picked Balmain outright and another conceded them an even-money chance.

    It was perhaps the circumstances of the game, as much as the result, that has lent the 1969 grand final its legend status.

    Souths, noted for their attacking potency, were unable to score a try. Balmain scored a single try early in the second half but then several Balmain players set about disrupting the Souths attack by, allegedly, feigning injuries to give their teammates a breather.

    The game has since become known as the “sit-down grand final”.

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

    – ref. What are the greatest upsets in NRL grand final history? – https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-greatest-upsets-in-nrl-grand-final-history-239380

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $7.4 MILLION FOR ROCKLAND COUNTY TO REMOVE LEAD PAINT HAZARDS FROM AGING HOMES, SAYS INVESTMENT WILL PROTECT THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF HUDSON VALLEY CHILDREN FROM TOXIC…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    U.S. Department Of Housing And Urban Development’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program Provides Federal Funding To Rid Homes And Communities Of Lead Hazards
    Schumer Has Long Fought To Get The Lead Out Of NYS – Securing Millions In Fed $$ To Remove Lead Hazards From Homes – And Latest Investment Will Boost Efforts Even Further To Rid Homes Of Toxic Lead Paint
    Schumer: Federal Funding To Remove Lead Hazards Is A Shot In The Arm To Protect Rockland’s Children And Public Health
    U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today announced $7,400,000 in federal funding for Rockland County from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program. Schumer explained that the funding will be used to address lead-based paint hazards, improving the health of children and families across New York State.
    “No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for children in Rockland County. I am proud to secure $7.4 million to help Rockland County & the Village of Pomona remove lead paint from homes to protect our children and public health,” said Senator Schumer. “Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future. This major federal funding is the shot in the arm the Hudson Valley needs accelerate lead paint removal and prevention and protect the health and safety of families in Rockland County.”
    This funding builds on years of efforts by Schumer to help address toxic lead exposure across Upstate NY. Schumer has long been a driving force in securing federal funding to reduce lead exposure in New York. In addition to fighting lead exposure in paint, Schumer has also led the charge to increase federal funding to eliminate lead service pipes for drinking water in New York. The senator secured one of the largest federal investments ever into eliminating lead service pipes in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law, which includes a $15 billion carve-out within the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) over 5 years ($3 billion every year) for lead service pipe replacement.
    According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children’s developing nerves and brains. Lead-based paint, still encasing the walls of many homes, often erodes and settles on children’s toys on the floor, eventually falling into the hands and mouths of children. For children under the age of 6, lead exposure can result in developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral issues, which may lead to lifelong health and financial consequences. Schumer has long advocated for protecting New York’s children and families in the past by securing millions of dollars in federal funding to eradicate these toxic elements from homes in order to reduce lead poisoning cases. Lead poisoning can cause developmental difficulties, physical pain, and neurological damage.
    The purpose of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program is to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned housing for rental or owner-occupants. These grants are used to assist municipalities in carrying out lead hazard control activities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $22+ MILLION FOR FOUR UPSTATE NY COMMUNITIES TO REMOVE LEAD PAINT HAZARDS FROM AGING HOMES; SENATOR SAYS INVESTMENT WILL PROTECT THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF NY’S CHILDREN FROM TOXIC…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Fed Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program Will Boost Albany, Schenectady, Onondaga, and Chautauqua County To Help Rid Homes And Communities Of Lead Hazards
    Schumer Has Long Fought To Get The Lead Out Of Upstate NY – Securing Millions In Fed $$ To Remove Lead Hazards From Homes – And Latest Investment Will Boost Efforts Even Further To Rid Homes Across Upstate NY Of Toxic Lead Paint
    Schumer: Fed $$$ Is A Shot In The Arm To Protect Upstate NY’s Children And Public Health
    U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced $22,467,061 in federal funding for four cities from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program. Schumer explained that the funding will be used to address lead-based paint hazards, improving the health of children and families across Upstate NY in Onondaga, Albany, Schenectady, and Chautauqua Counties.
    “No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for children in Upstate NY. Today I am proud to deliver $22+ million for communities from the Capital Region to Central NY to Western NY to remove lead paint from homes to protect our children and public health,” said Senator Schumer. “Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future. This major federal funding is the shot in the arm that these regions need to boost lead paint removal and prevention and protect the health and safety of families across Upstate NY.”
    A full list of awards can be found below:

    Organization Name

    Community

    County

    Federal Funding

    Albany Community Development Agency

    Albany

    Albany

    $5,000,000.00

    City of Schenectady

    Schenectady

    Schenectady

    $3,967,061.00

    Onondaga County Community Development

    Syracuse

    Onondaga

    $7,750,000.00

    Chautauqua County

    Mayville

    Chautauqua

    $5,750,000.00

    This funding builds on years of efforts by Schumer to help address toxic lead exposure across Upstate NY. Most recently in 2023, Schumer helped secure $6.3 million in federal funding for Broome County, nearly $4 million for Utica, and $3.3 million for Niagara County through the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program to bolster ongoing efforts.
    Schumer has long been a driving force in securing federal funding to reduce lead exposure in New York. In addition to fighting lead exposure in paint, Schumer has also led the charge to increase federal funding to eliminate lead service pipes for drinking water in New York. The senator secured one of the largest federal investments ever into eliminating lead service pipes in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law, which includes a $15 billion carve-out within the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) over 5 years ($3 billion every year) for lead service pipe replacement.
    According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children’s developing nerves and brains. Lead-based paint, still encasing the walls of many homes, often erodes and settles on children’s toys on the floor, eventually falling into the hands and mouths of children. For children under the age of 6, lead exposure can result in developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral issues, which may lead to lifelong health and financial consequences. Schumer has long advocated for protecting New York’s children and families in the past by securing millions of dollars in federal funding to eradicate these toxic elements from homes in order to reduce lead poisoning cases. Lead poisoning can cause developmental difficulties, physical pain, and neurological damage.
    The purpose of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program is to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned housing for rental or owner-occupants. These grants are used to assist municipalities in carrying out lead hazard control activities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton to Werfel: Partisan Voter Registration Drives Violate Federal Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353 October 3, 2024 
    Cotton to Werfel: Partisan Voter Registration Drives Violate Federal Law
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote a letter to the Internal Revenue Service Commissioner, Danny Werfel urging an investigation into the Voter Participation Center’s alleged partisan activities. This charity is targeting likely Democrat voters while excluding likely Republican voters through its voter-registration ads on social media. The IRS prohibits 501(c)(3) organizations from conducting partisan voter-education or voter-registration activities.
    In part, Senator Cotton wrote:
    “According to the Washington Free Beacon, the Voter Participation Center is targeting likely Democrat voters and excluding likely Republican voters through its voter-registration ads on social media. The Voter Participation Center has instructed Facebook to exclude users from seeing ads if they expressed interest in ‘John Wayne,’ ‘Redneck Mud Club,’ ‘Daytona 500,’ ‘Duck Dynasty,’ and other topics associated with conservatives. On the other hand, the group instructed Facebook to target users interested in ‘hot yoga,’ ‘Charli XCX’ (who is closely associated with Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign), ‘Pitchfork Media,’ and other topics that tend to interest progressives.”
    Full text of the letter may be found here and below.
    October 3, 2024
    The Honorable Danny Werfel
    Commissioner
    Internal Revenue Service
    1111 Constitution Avenue, Northwest
    Washington, DC 20224
    Dear Commissioner Werfel,
    I write regarding a tax-exempt charity that may be violating federal law. The Voter Participation Center is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that reportedly engages in partisan voter-registration drives.
    The IRS prohibits 501(c)(3) organizations from conducting partisan voter-education or voter -registration activities. The IRS states that a 501(c)(3) organization may only conduct voter-registration drives “if they are conducted in a neutral, non-partisan manner.” It further warns that a private foundation is subject to a tax if it uses funds for partisan voter-registration drives.
    According to the Washington Free Beacon, the Voter Participation Center is targeting likely Democrat voters and excluding likely Republican voters through its voter-registration ads on social media. The Voter Participation Center has instructed Facebook to exclude users from seeing ads if they expressed interest in “John Wayne,” “Redneck Mud Club,” “Daytona 500,” “Duck Dynasty,” and other topics associated with conservatives. On the other hand, the group instructed Facebook to target users interested in “hot yoga,” “Charli XCX” (who is closely associated with Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign), “Pitchfork Media,” and other topics that tend to interest progressives.
    The Voter Participation Center has spent over a million dollars on this ad drive. It has also paid over $50 million to Democrat micro-targeting firms. According to 26 U.S. Code § 4945(d)(2), these partisan expenditures must be taxed.
    The IRS should immediately open an investigation into this organization.
    Sincerely,
    Tom Cotton
    U.S. Senator 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DOJ Charges Ten Pharmaceutical Distributors Affiliated with Unlawful Sales of Over 70M Opioid Pills

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Today, the Department is announcing charges against 10 individuals affiliated with pharmaceutical distributors alleged to have funneled nearly 70 million opioid pills and 30 million doses of other commonly abused prescription drugs to “pill-mill” pharmacies, mostly in the Houston, Texas area. These drugs had an estimated street value of over $1.3 billion.

    Related Press Release:

    Ten Pharmaceutical Distributor Executives, Sales Representatives, and Brokers Charged in Connection with Unlawful Sales of Nearly 70M Opioid Pills

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Blumenthal Push Department of Justice to Hold Boeing Executives Accountable for Deadly Safety Failures

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    October 03, 2024
    Lawmakers urge DOJ to investigate Boeing executives’ behavior, criminally prosecute those responsible for crashes
    “For too long, corporate executives have routinely escaped prosecution for criminal misconduct… This coddling comes at the expense of customer and worker safety.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Boeing executives following years of promoting short-term profit over passenger safety. In the letter, the lawmakers urge the DOJ to review the behavior and potential culpability of Boeing’s executives, and criminally prosecute those responsible.
    The letter comes as years of safety issues involving Boeing planes – including the fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 – have continued to raise alarm about Boeing’s corporate culture. As recently as last week, the National Transportation Safety Board was forced to issue “urgent safety recommendations” for Boeing’s 737 aircraft line due to mechanical issues. Even amidst these continued failures, the Department of Justice has not criminally prosecuted those individuals responsible for harms to deliver justice and hold Boeing accountable. In July 2024, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of conspiring to defraud the federal government, but DOJ did not take the company to trial or charge individual executives. The deal included an additional fine, commitments to update compliance and safety processes, and oversight by a safety monitor for three years.
    “For years, the federal government has accused Boeing of putting profits over passenger safety, without pursuing full accountability from the company or the company’s executives directly responsible for compromising passenger safety,” the lawmakers wrote. “[T]he combination of a relatively small fine coupled with a toothless commitment to improve aircraft safety has proven insufficient to effect real change at the company.”
    In October 2023, Senator Warren called on the DOJ to immediately reverse its newly unveiled “safe harbor” policy, which would offer a “get-out-of-jail-free” card for mergers involving corporate white-collar criminals. Deputy Attorney General Monaco justified the policy, later noting that “[t]he rule of law demands that those most culpable for a company’s misconduct are the ones being charged, prosecuted, and convicted.”
    “For too long, corporate executives have routinely escaped prosecution for criminal misconduct. This coddling comes at the expense of customer and worker safety, and it must end,” wrote the lawmakers.
    After 346 people died in two Boeing 737 MAX plane crashes due to apparent failures in the MCAS flight stabilization system, the DOJ deferred prosecution, instead negotiating a deal to resolve criminal charges. This year, after the DOJ found that Boeing violated the terms of the deal, Boeing entered a plea agreement. Again, the DOJ failed to hold any Boeing executives accountable for the serious failures — and since the fatal 737 MAX crashes, countless more safety concerns have surfaced.
    “The deadly crashes and reporting on safety issues since 2018 have shined a spotlight on Boeing’s corporate culture of prioritizing profits at the expense of safety…DOJ must do its part to bring the individuals responsible for Boeing’s safety failures to justice,” wrote the lawmakers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Establishment of the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People

    Source: Australian Ministers for Social Services

    Joint with:

    The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP
    Minister for Social Services
    Member for Kingston

    Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy
    Minister for Indigenous Australians
    Senator for the Northern Territory

    The Albanese Labor Government is committed to achieving better outcomes for First Nations children, young people and their families.

    An independent National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People will be officially operational from 13 January next year to progress this aim.

    The Commission has now been established as an Executive Agency under the Public Service Act 1999 with applications for the role of the National Commissioner to open this month.

    The National Commissioner will be dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights, interests and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people across a range of issues, including the over representation of Indigenous children in out-of-home care.

    The Commissioner, a First Nations person, will champion First Nations children’s strengths, sense of hope and ideas for change.

    They will work directly with First Nations children and young people and listen to and amplify their voices, needs and aspirations, along with the broader community.

    The Commissioner will also work with groups such as the Safe and Supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Group, other First Nations leaders, state and territory Children’s Commissioners, Guardians and Advocates, as well as the National Children’s Commissioner and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner.

    Policy advice will then be provided from the Commissioner to governments to assist in the implementation of key policy frameworks and coordination.

    Indigenous children are almost eleven times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children and 29 times more likely to be in youth detention.

    Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth emphasised that the Commission and Commissioner will highlight how systemic change should be inspired and led by First Nations people.

    “This is a historic milestone, and one which demonstrates our commitment to shared decision-making through the establishment of a legislated, independent and empowered National Commissioner,” Minister Rishworth said.

    “The National Commissioner will work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities, commissioners, guardians, advocates, and other stakeholders to provide expert advice on the development and delivery of policies, programs and services to ensure they meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.”

    Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said the Commission and Commissioner will be an important part of the Commonwealth’s strategy to Closing the Gap on outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.

    “The over-representation of young people in out-of-home care and youth detention is unacceptable. The National Commissioner will focus on working with First Nations people and organisations on evidence-based programs and policies to turn those figures around,” Minister McCarthy said.

    “The National Commissioner will be informed by the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, whose voices deserve to be heard. Their strengths, sense of hope and new ideas will drive systemic change.”

    Chair of the Safe and Supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Group Catherine Liddle said the Leadership Group has been working with the Albanese Government to frame the National Commissioner’s roles and responsibilities. 

    “It has taken time to get to this point, but we have to get this role right. Our children deserve it,” Ms Liddle said.

    “Through shared decision-making processes we have been able to establish strong functions that reflect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector’s long-held ambition to have a National Commissioner with real authority.

    “This position will be a game-changer in tackling the over-representation of our young people in out-of-home care and youth detention.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: White  House Appoints 2024-2025 Class of White  House  Fellows

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    The President’s Commission on White House Fellows is pleased to announce the appointment of the 2024-2025 class of White House Fellows. Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program offers exceptional young leaders first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal government. Fellows spend a year working with senior White House Staff, Cabinet Secretaries, and other top-ranking Administration officials, and leave the Administration equipped to serve as better leaders in their communities. Fellowships are awarded on a non-partisan basis.
    This year’s Fellows advanced through a highly competitive selection process, and they are a remarkably gifted, passionate, and accomplished group. These Fellows bring experience from across the country and from a broad cross-section of professions, including from the private sector, state government, academia, non-profits, medicine, and the armed forces.
    Applications for the 2025-2026 Fellowship year will be accepted starting November 1, 2024. The application link and additional information is available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/get-involved/fellows/.
    Class of 2024-2025 White House Fellows
    Patrick Branco is from Kailua, Hawai‘i, and is placed at the Department of the Navy. He has been the Director of External Affairs with Hawai‘i Green Growth, a United Nations (UN) hub catalyzing action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals for the Asia-Pacific region. Branco is the first from Hawai‘i to receive the Congressman Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, funding his master’s degree at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He served at the State Department in Colombia, Pakistan, Venezuela and the Secretary of State’s Operations Center. In 2020, he was elected to the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives. Branco currently serves as a U.S. Navy officer reservist and is proficient in Spanish, Korean, and Hawaiian.
    Nicholas Dockery is from Indianapolis, Indiana, and is placed at the Office of the First Lady: Joining Forces Initiative. With a distinguished career in the Infantry and Special Operations Community, Nick has deployed to numerous combat zones and operational areas worldwide. For bravery and wounds in combat, Nick was awarded two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts. His military experience is complemented by his academic and advisory roles; he served as a research fellow at the Modern War Institute and as an advisor to the Military Times Charitable Foundation. Nick has received the West Point Nininger Award for Valor at Arms, the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, and the title of 2022 Soldier of the Year. An advocate for equine therapy, Nick passionately supports its use in helping veterans cope with PTSD. Nick holds a Master of Public Policy from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
    Tawny Holmes Hlibok, Esq. is from West Palm Beach, Florida, and is placed at the Domestic Policy Council. As a third-generation Deaf person and attorney, she is a dedicated advocate for deaf children’s education rights and language equity including access to sign languages. Tawny is a tenured associate professor in Deaf Studies at the world’s only university for the Deaf, Gallaudet University, where she recently won $3.75 million funding to lead a national implementation and change center for early intervention with deaf babies and their families in partnership with HRSA and NICHQ. She also serves as the executive director of the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf.
    DeAnna Hoskins is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and is placed at the Department of the Army. She has served as President/CEO of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), a national nonprofit that empowers people directly impacted by the criminal justice system. DeAnna is a nationally- recognized advocate and policy expert who has shifted the national narrative on the disparities and limitations of having a criminal background. She has served as Senior Policy Advisor and as Deputy Director of the Federal Interagency Reentry Council at the U.S. Department of Justice. DeAnna was also the founding Director of Reentry for Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners in Ohio.
    Michael Kennedy is from Morehead City, North Carolina, and is placed at the United States Coast Guard. As a nurse practitioner, her career involves direct patient care while leading process improvement in rural and underserved settings. Michael attended Lenoir Community College to become a Registered Nurse and later earned a B.S. Nursing from Barton College. Witnessing disparities in practice led Michael to East Carolina University for an M.S. Adult Nurse Practitioner, Post-M.S. Nursing Leadership, Doctorate of Nursing Practice, and Post-DNP Nursing Education. To better serve her community, Michael completed a Post-M.S. Adult-Gerontological Acute Care NP and Post-DNP Psychiatric-Mental Health NP at Duke University. Michael is a Great 100 Nurse and Bonnie Jones Friedman Humanitarian Award recipient.
    Hoa Nguyen is from Silver Spring, Maryland, and is placed at the National Economic Council and the United States Coast Guard. At Montgomery College, she is an associate professor and chair of the business department, where she helped implement a zero-textbook-cost Business degree, saving students thousands of dollars in education costs. Under her leadership, faculty and students have won multiple local, state and national awards and recognitions. Hoa also co-led numerous initiatives that led to the launch of the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Taskforce at the college. Hoa received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Arizona.
    Amnahir Peña-Alcántara is from Bronx, New York, and is placed at the Department of Commerce: National Institute of Standards and Technology. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University funded by the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship. Her research focuses on polymer blends for stretchable electronics. She graduated from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering, and was a researcher at Northwestern University, Oxford University, and MIT. She has interned in wearable technology and textile fabrication companies in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and India.
    Padmini Pillai is from Newton, Massachusetts, and is placed at the Social Security Administration. Padmini is an immunoengineer bridging the gap between discoveries in immunology and advances in biomaterial design to treat human disease. She has led a team at MIT developing a tumor-selective nanotherapy to eliminate hard-to-treat cancers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Padmini was featured in several media outlets including CNBC, The Atlantic, and The New York Times to discuss vaccination, immunity, and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on vulnerable communities. Padmini received her Ph.D. in immunobiology from Yale University and a B.A. in biochemistry from Regis College.
    Maddy Sharp is from San Diego, California, and is placed at the Office of the Second Gentleman. She is a physician leader committed to securing a healthier and more equitable future for all Americans. She has served as a health policy fellow for Senator Amy Klobuchar and a policy research fellow for Secretary John Kerry. Madison has performed clinical work and research in Nicaragua, Jordan, and the Navajo Nation to reduce health disparities and championed policies to enhance healthcare delivery. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Madison holds an M.D. from the Yale School of Medicine and B.A. from Yale University, where she captained the NCAA Division I field hockey team.
    Jason Spencer is from Medford, New York, and is placed at the Department of Commerce. Jason is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy serving as an Information Warfare and Intelligence Officer. At sea, he was assigned to aircraft carriers and destroyers deployed to the Middle East and Europe. Ashore, Jason served as Targeting Officer and Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and later as Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii. At the Pentagon, he served as Senior Intelligence Briefer for the Chief of Naval Operations – Intelligence Plot and as an Executive Officer to the Joint Staff’s Director for Intelligence. Jason earned a B.A. in international studies and political science from Virginia Military Institute, an M.A. from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, and an M.P.A. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
    Nalini Tata is from New York City, New York, and is placed at the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs. She is a neurosurgery resident at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she helps treat the spectrum of emergency and elective neurosurgical conditions between a level I trauma center and a world-renowned cancer institute. Her published work spans clinical and non-scientific journals with a focus on advancing equity in access to care. Her career in neurosurgery and long-standing interest in public policy are closely bound by a deep-rooted dedication to public service. She received her BSc in neurobiology from Brown University, MPhil from the University of Cambridge, M.D. from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and MPP in Democracy, Politics, and Institutions from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    Alexander Tenorio is from Los Angeles, California, and is placed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a neurological surgery resident at the University of California, San Diego. He is the proud son of Mexican immigrants and dedicated to improving health disparities. He has led a research team investigating neurological traumatic injuries at the U.S.-Mexico border with his published work featured in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times. In his commitment for health equity, he partnered with Hospital General de Tijuana in Mexico to improve their neurosurgical care. He earned an M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco and B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
    Zachary White II is from Birmingham, Alabama, and is placed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a Radiation Oncology resident physician and cancer researcher at Stanford University. Passionate about health equity, Zach co-chairs Stanford Medicine’s GME Diversity Committee, promoting diverse medical trainees’ recruitment and development, and provides health education to communities to improve health literacy. Zach graduated summa cum laude from Tuskegee University with a B.S. in biology and earned an M.S. in biomedical and health sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He received his M.D. from the University of South Alabama, where he served as class president.
    Ryan Wisz is from Aiken, South Carolina, and is placed at the Central Intelligence Agency. He is a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy serving as a Submarine Warfare officer. At sea, he has served aboard Attack and Ballistic Missile submarines and has deployed seven times, including missions vital to national security. Ashore, he has served as aide-de-camp to the Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and as the Submarine Squadron Engineer in San Diego, California. Prior to military service, he was a Page in the South Carolina House of Representatives and Senate. He received his B.S. in economics from the University of South Carolina and is a Distinguished Graduate from the Naval Postgraduate School with his MBA and published master’s thesis. He has received numerous personal and unit awards during his Navy service, is active in local tutoring, and passionate about financial education and physical fitness.
    Mark York is a seventh-generation farmer from Lake Wilson, Minnesota, and is placed at the Department of Defense Office of Strategic Capital. He is a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Harvard, where he researches crowdsourcing and reinforcement learning algorithms in collaboration with MIT. He is the co-founder and President of Farm Yield Africa, a non-profit providing tractor services and microcredit to 1,500 farmers in Ghana since 2016. Mark has worked as a consultant, and before that he led a data science team at a startup building agricultural risk models. He began his career at Cargill as a commodity trader and data scientist. Mark studied agronomy and mathematics at South Dakota State University, where as Student Body President he introduced legislation at the state and local level.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Letter to DOJ Highlights Concerns Over Non-Citizens Participating in Federal Elections

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    BISMARCK, N.D. – As concerns grow over non-citizens registering to vote and voting in federal elections, reports in Virginia and Texas claim thousands of non-citizens were found on voter rolls. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) in a bicameral letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking for stricter enforcement of federal laws prohibiting non-citizens from registering to vote or voting in federal elections.

    The letter reiterates a previous request for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide details on enforcement actions taken since January 2021, including statistics on prosecutions and referrals related to non-citizen voting. It also demands accountability and immediate action to protect public confidence in the electoral process.

    “Given that the 2024 Presidential Election is in less than 36 days, your Department’s inaction and refusal to provide any information regarding its efforts to promote public trust and confidence in our elections is especially alarming,” wrote the senators. “Clearly, there is a non-negligible amount of voter participation by non-citizens in federal elections, which is not only a serious threat to the integrity of our elections and the democratic process they represent, but also has the potential to reduce Americans’ trust and confidence in election results.” 

    Throughout his time in the Senate, Cramer has advocated for policies to restore the integrity of the U.S. immigration system and electoral process. He was the first original cosponsor of U.S. Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which requires proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. Cramer also cosponsored Hagerty’s Equal Representation Act, which prohibits the counting of non-citizens in congressional and Electoral College apportionment.

    Click here for the letter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: DOJ Charges Ten Pharmaceutical Distributors Affiliated with Unlawful Sales of Over 70M Opioid Pills

    Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

    Today, the Department is announcing charges against 10 individuals affiliated with pharmaceutical distributors alleged to have funneled nearly 70 million opioid pills and 30 million doses of other commonly abused prescription drugs to “pill-mill” pharmacies, mostly in the Houston, Texas area. These drugs had an estimated street value of over $1.3 billion.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWkw6dDQ5mk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Attemtped arson attack north-eastern suburbs business

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police are investigating following an attempted arson on a tobacco shop in Clearview earlier this morning.

    About 4.45am on Friday 4 October, police and emergency services were called to a business premises on Hampstead Road after a member of the public reported seeing a fire at the front of the property.

    MFS crews extinguished the small fire on the ground outside the business and fortunately no damage was caused to the shop.

    Western District patrols located remnants of a Molotov cocktail nearby and a crowbar suspected to have been used on the roller shutter at the front of the building causing minor damage.

    Crime Scene Investigators and Detectives will be attending the scene this morning to further investigate the incident.

    Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.  You can anonymously provide information to Crime Stoppers online at https://crimestopperssa.com.au or free call 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IIFT organizes regional conference of Asian and African chair holders of WTO Chairs Programme in New Delhi

    Source: Government of India (2)

    IIFT organizes regional conference of Asian and African chair holders of WTO Chairs Programme in New Delhi

    Conference highlights need for aligned trade strategies, digital solution for trade barriers and climate-responsive global trade norms

    Posted On: 03 OCT 2024 4:50PM by PIB Delhi

    The Indian Chair of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Chairs Programme (WCP) organised a  regional conference of the Asian and African Chairs on the theme Fostering Resilient and Responsible Trade for Changing Global Order at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi on 27thand 28thSeptember, 2024. The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) represented through its centres, namely, the Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) and the Centre for WTO Studies (CWS) administers the WTO Chair in India. The conference was inaugurated by Shri Ajay Bhadoo, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Government of India.

    The key takeaways from the Conference are: (i) necessity of aligning regional and multilateral trade strategies for coherent global norms; (ii) importance of addressing barriers to trade using digital tools to ensure inclusivity and equal opportunities for all nations and stakeholders in international trade and (iii) critical need for robust climate action that accommodates the unique challenges faced by developing countries.

    Several dignitaries including India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO Dr. Senthil Pandian C.; Deputy Director General, WTO, Amb. Xiangchen Zhang; Vice Chancellor, IIFT, Prof. Rakesh Mohan Joshi; Head and Professor, CTIL and India Chair, WCP, Prof. James J. Nedumpara; Permanent Representative of France to the WTO, H.E. Ms. Emmanuelle Ivanov-Durand and H.E. Mr. Jung Sung Park, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the WTO addressed the gathering.

    The conference provided an opportunity for WTO chairholders, leading scholars, trade experts, and policymakers from across Asia and Africa to discuss ways and means of fostering resilient and responsible trade in a dynamic global economy.

    The Conference, over the two days, included seven thematic sessions on a broad array of topics relating to resilient and responsible trade, a keynote address by Henry J. Braker Professor of Commercial Law at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, United States, Prof. Joel Trachtman and a special address by CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri B. V. R. Subrahmanyam.

    The Conference also focused on critical issues at the intersection of global trade and sustainability. The discussions highlighted the need for coherence in trade strategies, the challenges of inclusive digital transformation, and the importance of responsible practices in critical mineral extraction with a specific focus on Asia and Africa regions. The event emphasized collaborative approaches to support developing countries in navigating complex trade dynamics and achieving sustainable development goals.

    In the thematic sessions, the representatives from the WCP Chairs from Asian and African institutions presented their ideas and experiences from a national, regional and multilateral perspective. The sessions covered topics such as regional aspects in international trade law, green industrial policies, critical minerals for a clean energy future, WTO dispute settlement system and sustainable climate actions.

    A roundtable of WCP Chairs was also held during the Conference to deliberate on collaborations between WCP Chairs of Asia and Africa. During the roundtable, the WCP Chairs discussed the role that the WTO could play in facilitating the network and the different ways in which the WCP Chairs could exchange knowledge, and experience and engage in academic partnerships under the aegis of WTO Chairs Programme.

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    AD/VN/CNAN

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India Charts Course towards Maritime Decarbonization at High-Level Conference

    Source: Government of India

    India Charts Course towards Maritime Decarbonization at High-Level Conference

    The conference organised by Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways underscored India’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070

    Through initiatives like the Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines and Harit Nauka Green Transition Guidelines, we are setting a global example in the adoption of green energy, sustainable port operations, and cleaner shipping practices: Shri TK Ramchandran, Secretary, MoPSW

    Expert sessions highlighted global best practices and regulatory strategies to drive maritime decarbonisation

    Posted On: 03 OCT 2024 5:27PM by PIB Delhi

    The Conference on Maritime Decarbonization in India, co-hosted by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), concluded today at Le Meridien, New Delhi. The event brought together over 200 delegates, including leaders from key Indian ports, central and state government officials, industry stakeholders, international experts, and academia to discuss the future of green shipping and port operations.

    The conference underscored India’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 and highlighted strategic initiatives to decarbonize its maritime sector, aligned with the Maritime India Vision 2030. Discussions covered a range of critical themes, including green port infrastructure, clean harbor craft, the use of zero-carbon fuels, emissions reduction strategies, and the electrification of inland waterways.

    In his keynote address, Shri T. K. Ramachandran, Secretary, MoPSW, reinforced India’s determination to transform its maritime sector. He said “India’s maritime sector is not just a key driver of nation’s economy but also a critical player in our fight against climate change. Through initiatives like the Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines and Harit Nauka Green Transition Guidelines, MoPSW is setting a global example in the adoption of green energy, sustainable port operations, and cleaner shipping practices. Our efforts today will define the maritime landscape of tomorrow, ensuring a balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability.”

    “MoPSWs ambition to embrace low or zero-emission fuels and transform all vessels in Indian waters into green vessels by 2047 exemplifies forward-thinking approach to climate action and sustainable maritime practices”.

    “The National Green Hydrogen Mission, with its goal of making India a global hub for green hydrogen production, reflects commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. By reducing carbon intensity and adopting ‘Working with Nature’ principles, MoPSW ensures that India’s maritime sector not only supports economic growth but also aligns with broader climate objectives, driving innovation and sustainability in every step”.

    One of the event’s highlights was a special session on Green Ports and Maritime Decarbonization, where experts shared knowledge and best practices for reducing the carbon footprint of Indian ports. The session included presentations from Ajay Kumar Singh, Head of DNV Maritime Advisory India, who discussed the role of smart ports in enhancing energy efficiency, and Lawrence Ong, Deputy Director of Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, who shared insights into Singapore’s decarbonization journey.

    In another session, discussions focused on the role of zero-carbon fuels in maritime operations, with experts highlighting the need for early adoption of alternative fuels like green hydrogen and ammonia. Captain Prashant S. Widge of Maersk Line shared a shipowner’s perspective on the global challenges and opportunities in transitioning to green fuels, while Madhu Nair, CMD of Cochin Shipyard, presented the Indian experience with alternative fuels.

    The conference also spotlighted Inland Waterways as a key area for decarbonization, with presentations from R. Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary (IWT), MoPSW, and P. J. Shaji, CGM of Kochi Water Metro, showcasing successful efforts in reducing emissions and improving efficiency in water-based transportation. Shri Lakshmanan also suggested transitioning to low-emission alternative fuels would help tapping into the complete potential of IWT as a sustainable transportation mode. 

    During the session Shri. R. Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary (Ports), MoPSW emphasized the importance of continued collaboration within the sector, to drive tangible progress toward achieving decarbonization goals in India’s maritime industry. He emphasized on MoPSW blueprint for Ecosystem Development for Green Hydrogen Production and Export at Major Ports.

    The conference was expertly moderated by distinguished professionals from ADB and KPMG, ensuring insightful discussions and seamless coordination throughout the event. The conference concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Yesim Elhan-Kayalar, Advisor, ERDI, ADB, on India’s maritime decarbonization priorities and the path forward for sustainable and green shipping practices.

    As part of the outcomes, the conference emphasized the need for continued collaboration between government bodies, industry leaders, and international organizations to achieve shared decarbonization goals. It also set the stage for further discussions on innovative financing models and regulatory frameworks that support green shipping and port development.

    As India moves forward with its ambitious goals, the insights gained from the Conference on Maritime Decarbonization will play a crucial role in shaping policies and practices that contribute to a cleaner, greener maritime sector.

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    (Release ID: 2061576) Visitor Counter : 76

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates a newly constructed Police Commissioner’s Office in Ahmedabad, built at a cost of ₹140 crore

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates a newly constructed Police Commissioner’s Office in Ahmedabad, built at a cost of ₹140 crore

    The new building will also be an attempt by the Ahmedabad Police to establish a new working system

    The ‘Joint Interrogation Center’ in the building, ‘Tera Tujhko Arpan’ portal and the book ‘Cyber Saathi’ were also inaugurated

    Modi ji has put forward the concept of pro-active, predictive and scientific approach for pro-active policing

    Many innovations of Gujarat Police in the form of ‘E-GujCop’, body-worn camera and ‘Vishwas’ project, have established its identity as the most modern police force in the country

    Gujarat Police’s campaign against narcotics is exemplary

    Use of technology in three new criminal laws, will complete the judicial process in time for timely justice

    Posted On: 03 OCT 2024 10:19PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the newly constructed Police Commissioner’s Office in Ahmedabad, Gujarat today.  On the occasion, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel along with other dignitaries attended the program.

    In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that the new building of the Police Commissioner’s Office in Ahmedabad will not only enhance the facilities of the building but will also enable the Ahmedabad police to establish a new working system.

    Union Home Minister stated that the sevenstorey Police Commissioner’s Office, built with modern technology at a cost of approximately ₹140 crores and covering an area of about 18,000 square meters, includes facilities for the fitness of personnel such as a gym, parking for citizens, CCTV cameras, fire safety equipment, and centralized Air conditioning. He mentioned that this modern building will not only ensure security but also houses a police museum that will showcase the measures taken for the security of Ahmedabad from the beginning to the present.

    He said that a beautiful memorial has also been constructed here in the memory of the police personnel who were martyred to protect the citizens. Besides, a public convenience center and a control room have also been created which will cover every nook and corner of Ahmedabad and ensure the security of the entire city.

    Shri Amit Shah stated that the new Police Commissioner’s Office building also saw the inauguration of the ‘Joint Interrogation Center’ and the ‘Tera Tujhko Arpan’ portal, along with the launch of the ‘Cyber Saathi’ book. The first two initiatives aim to raise awareness among people affected by cybercrime and help them recover their lost money. He mentioned that the establishment of the ‘Joint Interrogation Center’ was made so that central agencies and Ahmedabad police can conduct inquiries in a correct and scientific manner during riots, terrorist attacks, and other situations of unrest.

    Union Home Minister explained that India’s internal security landscape has significantly changed over the past 10 years. A decade ago, there were three major hotspots in the country—Kashmir, the Northeast, and Naxal-affected areas—where bomb blasts were so common that they barely made the news. It was considered as normal. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, due to permanent and systematic measures over the past 10 years, and the dedicated work from a security and development perspective, violence in these three hotspots has reduced by 70 per cent. Shri Shah added that security agencies across the country, along with state police forces, have worked together to reduce mortality rate by 72 per cent in Kashmir, the Northeast, and Naxal-affected areas. He said that this success shows that in the coming days, ‘Naxal free India’ and ‘Terrorism free India’ are going to be a reality.

    Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has made efforts to bring about several changes in the police culture. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has put before the country the concept of pro-active, predictive and scientific approach for pro-active policing. Shri Shah also mentioned that India has made a radical overhaul of the colonial-era criminal laws by creating three new criminal laws, and their implementation has already begun across the country. In these laws, provisions have been made for the use of technology to solve crimes, prevent crimes, complete prosecution quickly and punish as many criminals as possible.Keeping the next 100 years in mind, the laws have been designedto account for future technologies, so that there will be no need to change these laws over the next century.To prevent delays in investigations, prosecutions, and other judicial processes, it has been decided to impose time limits on police, lawyers, and judges on 83 instances of the judicial process.

    Union Home Minister stated that after the implementation of the three new laws, the process of developing the necessary infrastructure has begun. Once this is in place, within the next three years, India’s criminal justice system will become the most modern in the world. He added that with the new laws in effect, the entire process of justice, from filing of an FIR up to justice from the Supreme Court, will be completed within three years, ensuring timely justice for the people.

    Shri Amit Shah stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has elevated India’s economy from the 11th to the 5th position globally, and by 2027, we are surely on track to become the world’s third-largest economy. At such a critical time, police officers need robust legal support to ensure the security of our nation, including cybersecurity, and to prevent economic crimes. The three new criminal laws will provide strong backing to police officers in their efforts.

    Union Home Minister said that the Gujarat Police has made several technological innovations throughout its glorious history. Initiatives like ‘E-GujCop’, ‘body-worn cameras’, and the ‘Vishwas Project’ have helped Gujarat Police establish itself as one of the most modern police forces in the country, which is a matter of pride. He added that the way the Gujarat Police has launched a determined campaign against narcotics is commendable, and they are now cited as an example across the country for its investigation.

    Shri Amit Shah also mentioned that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has envisioned a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. Gujarat has always been a progressive state. This is the same Gujarat that used to experience frequent curfews in the 1980s and 1990s, but now the situation has changed, and a safe environment has been established in the state.

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    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Hooning Offences – Katherine

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Northern Territory Police have impounded a vehicle in relation to recent hooning offences in Katherine.

    On the evening of Wednesday 2 October 2024, two vehicles were sighted by members of the public driving in a manner that caused damage to road surface and public places as well as driving a vehicle causing a deliberate loss of traction.

    NT Police members from the Road Policing Division became aware of the incident after footage was posted on social media by a member of the public. Police have since located one of the vehicle’s following an investigation.

    Police subsequently seized the vehicle under hooning legislation, which has since been impounded.

    The registered owner of the vehicle will receive an infringement notice for drive vehicle causing loss of traction and damaging road surfaces.

    Sergeant Rowan Benson said  “ Hooning will not be tolerated in our community. The manner of driving is dangerous and put the occupants of the vehicle and members of the community at unnecessary risk.

    Road users are encouraged to report traffic offending to police either by calling 13144 or online at http://pfes.nt.gov.au/reportonline

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Interstate Transportation of Stolen Andy Warhol Art Print

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    LOS ANGELES – An Ohio man has agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge for trafficking a stolen Andy Warhol print worth at least $175,000. 

    Image Source: Federal Plea Agreement

    Brian Alec Light, 58, of Hudson, Ohio (formerly a resident of downtown Los Angeles), is expected to plead guilty in the coming weeks to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. His initial appearance in federal court is scheduled for October 28.

    According to his plea agreement, a thief stole the Warhol print – a trial proof depicting former Soviet Union leader Vladimir Lenin and was print number 44 of 46 total Warhol made – from the victim’s home in Los Angeles County in early 2021. The victim informed law enforcement of its theft soon after, as well as the original gallery in West Hollywood that sold him the artwork. Days after the theft, the thief brought the artwork to a pawnshop, which purchased it. The pawnshop’s owner contacted Light for help selling the artwork, which Light knew was stolen. Light contacted an auction house to sell the print within weeks of its theft. Light told the pawnshop owner to drop off the Warhol at the auction house in Beverly Hills so that it could be transported to Dallas for inspection and sale, which the pawnshop owner did.

    The auction house shipped the Warhol artwork to Dallas where it was to be inspected and included in an upcoming auction in the spring of 2021. An employee of the auction house in Dallas reached out to the gallery in West Hollywood for its opinion of the piece. The gallery immediately recognized the piece as the stolen piece of art. As a result, the gallery notified the auction house of its stolen nature and notified the FBI. When the FBI questioned Light about it, he lied and created a fake receipt purporting to show that he bought the print before it was stolen. 

    Upon pleading guilty, Light will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. 

    As part of his plea agreement, Light will forfeit the stolen artwork retrieved by law enforcement.

    The FBI’s Art Crime Team is investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Erik Silber, Senior Counsel in the Criminal Division and Assistant United States Attorneys Dominique Caamano and Matthew O’Brien, of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, are prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Two people charged with drug trafficking 

    Source: Tasmania Police

    A 23 year old Penguin woman and a 36 year old Burnie man have been charged by police with trafficking in controlled substance and other crimes committed in the state’s north and north west.
    Yesterday members of the Western Drugs and Firearms Unit and other specialist units arrested a man and woman in the Exeter area after a targeted operation.  A search was conducted at the time of the arrest where police seized illicit drugs, stolen property and cash.
    As a result of the investigation, the woman was charged with trafficking in controlled substance, selling controlled drug, possessing a controlled drug, dealing with proceeds of crime, using controlled drugs, burglaries, stealing and failing to appear in court.
    The man was charged with trafficking in controlled substances, possessing a controlled drug, burglaries, stealing, aggravated evade, unlicenced driving, and attaching false registration plates.
    The man has appeared in court and has been remanded in custody to reappear on 7 November.  The woman was also remanded in court to reappear on 11 November.
    Police will continue to target those who cause harm to our community through illicit drug distribution.  Anyone with information to assist is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sixty-Eight Defendants Charged in Indictment of Dozens of Members and Associates of San Fernando Valley White Supremacist Gang

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    LOS ANGELES – Federal and local law enforcement have arrested 42 members and associates of the SFV Peckerwoods, a San Fernando Valley-based white supremacist street gang, on a 76-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they engaged in a years-long pattern of racketeering activity that included trafficking of drugs – including fentanyl – illegal firearms possession, and COVID-19 benefits and loan fraud, the Justice Department announced today. 

    The indictment unsealed today charges a total of 68 defendants with a score of federal crimes: conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices.

    The 29 defendants arrested today are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Prior to today’s takedown, 13 defendants were already in custody.

    During the investigation, law enforcement seized large quantities of illegal firearms, and dozens of pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, according to the indictment. 

    “The Peckerwoods’ violent white-supremacist ideology and wide-ranging criminal activity pose a grave menace to our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “By allegedly engaging in everything from drug-trafficking to firearms offenses to identity theft to COVID fraud, and through their alliance with a neo-Nazi prison gang, the Peckerwoods are a destructive force. In prosecuting the members of the Peckerwoods criminal organization, our office is carrying out its mission to protect the public from the most dangerous threats.”

    “The Justice Department has dealt a decisive blow to the San Fernando Valley (SFV) Peckerwoods, a violent white supremacist gang that we charge is responsible for trafficking deadly fentanyl and other drugs, committing robberies, and perpetrating financial fraud to fund both their criminal enterprise and that of the Aryan Brotherhood,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “With today’s charges and arrests, the Justice Department, together with our state, local, and federal partners has targeted the heart of this gang’s operations, and we will continue to zero in on the criminal enterprises that endanger our communities.”

    “This operation, led by our Joint Terrorism Task Force, disrupted a racially motivated violent extremist group who engaged in a wide range of criminal activity,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “This case strikes at the heart of our collective mission to rid our communities of the corrosive elements that fuel violence and extremism that greatly impact our way of life. The FBI, along with our federal, state, and local partners, remains strongly committed to working every day to make sure the people of the Southland remain safe.”

    “The San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods, the Aryan Brotherhood and their associates are fused by one thing: hatred,” Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Los Angeles Field Division. “It appears, however, that the business of hate was not enough for them. Driven by greed, they engaged in other crimes, including drug distribution, pushing out deadly fentanyl onto our streets. Operating from corners of the San Fernando Valley, they conducted their crimes within and beyond the 8-1-8 community. Today’s large-scale indictments and arrests reflect our relentless commitment to dismantling criminal organizations that continue to harm our communities.”         

    According to the indictment that a grand jury returned on September 26, the Peckerwoods is a street gang based in communities in the San Fernando Valley whose members engage in a wide variety of criminal activity, including drug trafficking, violent crime, and fraud. As a white supremacist gang, the Peckerwoods at times takes orders from the Aryan Brotherhood, California’s dominant prison-based white supremacist gang, and maintains an alliance with the Mexican Mafia prison gang, which controls most Latino street gangs in California. The Peckerwoods use Nazi tattoos, graffiti, and iconography to indicate their violent white supremacy extremist ideology. These tattoos and iconography include swastikas, the symbol “88”, used by violent white supremacy extremists as code for “Heil Hitler,” and images of Nazi aircraft.

    Members and associates of the gang used social media to share information with each other about their criminal activities and gang rules, to identify gang members in good standing, and to target people who broke the gang’s rules. The social media use included a members-only Facebook group and private, direct messages between the gang’s members and associates. 

    From at least December 2016 to September 2024, Peckerwoods members conducted and participated in the affairs of their criminal enterprise by engaging in violence and threats of violence to preserve and expand the gang’s criminal operations, which promoted a climate of fear. Members and associates of the gang illegally maintained firearms and ammunition in furtherance of these aims.

    To generate revenue for the gang, its members trafficked narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. Specifically, lead defendant Claire Patricia Haviland, 62, of Chatsworth, and co-defendants Brian Glenn Ekelund, 53, of Chatsworth, and Brianne Brewer, 38, of North Hollywood, maintained and oversaw drug stash houses where large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs were stored prior to distribution. Haviland and Ekelund allegedly mailed illegal drugs to customers and used applications such as Zelle and CashApp to receive money from drug buyers and send money to their drug sources.

    They also generated revenue via robberies and financial fraud and participated in identity theft schemes. For example, from at least March 2021 to July 2023, defendants Sean Craig Gluckman, 35, of Encino, Maria Anna James, 30, of Canyon Country, and others submitted false and fraudulent applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was designed to aid businesses harmed by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants – posing as sole proprietors – signed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of individuals incarcerated in California state prisons and collected a portion of the fraudulently obtained proceeds from co-conspirators as payment for their assistance.

    Gluckman in April 2021 submitted an application that falsely stated he was a self-employed “artist/writer” with a gross income of nearly $250,000. Later that month, he obtained a PPP loan in the amount of $20,833. In a separate scheme, Gluckman submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) applications in the names of other people to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) to fraudulently obtain jobless benefits.

    “The proliferation of gang related organized crime deteriorates the core of our society,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “Taking guns out of the hands of gang members and drugs from our streets is just one more step towards reducing this deterioration. Today is yet another example of how local, regional, and federal law enforcement, with a matched dedication, are working together to investigate, apprehend and prosecute criminals.”     

    “When criminal organizations cross jurisdictional lines, it makes conducting investigations and subsequent prosecutions much more difficult,” said Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff. “Having our federal law enforcement partners involvement in such cases greatly enhances our ability to protect not only the citizens of our county, but also those of our region of the state.”

    “The DOL-OIG will continue to allocate investigative resources to support our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in the fight against organized crime, particularly when it involves matters within our jurisdiction,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s Western Region. “This investigation reinforces our commitment to protecting the integrity of the nation’s unemployment system.” 

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

    If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

    The FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this matter. Other law enforcement agencies that assisted in today’s takedown are the Simi Valley Police Department; California Highway Patrol; the Glendale Police Department; the Burbank Police Department; the Redondo Beach Police Department; the Beverly Hills Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the United States Marshals Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police; the United States Department of Labor; the Federal Bureau of Prisons; the Los Angeles County Probation Department; the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services; the Pasadena Fire Department; United States Customs and Border Protection; and IRS Criminal Investigation.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Reema M. El-Amamy of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, Jeremiah M. Levine of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.

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

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

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Beaumont Convenience Store Robbers Guilty of Killing Clerk with Firearm

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    BEAUMONT, Texas – Two men who robbed a Beaumont convenience store and killed the clerk last December have pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

    Larry Nathaniel Hagan, 27, of Houston, pleaded guilty to possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death before U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on October 2, 2024.  Keandre Marquis Robinson, 20, of Beaumont, pleaded guilty to the same offense before Judge Crone on October 1, 2024.  

    According to information presented in court, on December 29, 2023, Robinson and Hagan were wearing masks and brandishing semi-automatic pistols when they entered the Kris Food Mart located on Gulf Street in Beaumont.  Robinson quickly forced the clerk behind the counter and demanded cash while Hagan guarded the front door.  Seconds later, Robinson shot the clerk two times in the chest, killing him.  Robinson grabbed cigarettes from behind the counter and fled with Hagan.  No cash was taken.

    Later that night, the Beaumont Police Department posted images from the robbery to social media and a tip identified Robinson.  Police detained Robinson about three hours after the robbery as he was leaving his residence just a few blocks from the store.  Robinson later confessed to his role in the robbery and killing but would not identify Hagan.

    Detectives searched Robinson’s phone and discovered text messages with Hagan related to the robbery.  The texts began on December 28 at 10:15 a.m. and ended a few minutes after the robbery. During the conversation, Robinson and Hagan planned to rob the store to “[g]et some money.” In one text, Robinson told Hagan that he would “knock [the clerk’s] top” [to eliminate any] “lose [sic] ends…”.  The conversation ended on December 29 at 10:07 p.m. (approximately 4 minutes after the shooting).  In that text, Hagan told Robinson to “[s]tay in the house for some days”. 

    Robinson was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 7, 2024.  Hagan, who was at large until April 24, 2024, when he was arrested in New Orleans by the U.S. Marshals Service, was added to the indictment by the federal grand jury on May 1, 2024. 

    Robinson and Hagan each face up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office.

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

    This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Long Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Smash-and-Grab Robbery at Beverly Hills Jeweler That Caused $2.6 Million in Losses

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    LOS ANGELES – A Long Beach man pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for participating in the daylight smash-and-grab robbery of a Beverly Hills jewelry store in 2022 in which more than $2.6 million in merchandise was stolen – and which he later displayed on Instagram.

    Ladell Tharpe, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act). 

    According to his plea agreement, on March 23, 2022, Tharpe, Deshon Bell, 22, of Long Beach, and Jimmy Lee Vernon III, 33, also of Long Beach, and other co-conspirators robbed a luxury jewelry store in Beverly Hills. Before, during, and after the robbery, Tharpe led the cars used to transport the robbers and the getaway vehicle to the location. Bell was one of the getaway drivers. Tharpe conducted surveillance and acted as the lookout for the co-conspirators. 

    Once they had arrived outside the jewelry store, some of the robbers – including Vernon – got out of one of the cars, entered the store and used heavy tools to smash the store’s display cases while employees and customers were present. 

    The thieves removed from the store’s display cases at least 19 bracelets, seven pairs of earrings, four necklaces, a pair of obelisks, eight rings, and 20 watches, all of which was valued at approximately $2,674,600. The robbers then returned to the car in which Bell was waiting and then fled the scene.

    Tharpe posted images of large amounts of cash on Instagram after the robbery with the text “Robbery Gang.”

    United States District Judge George H. Wu scheduled a January 6, 2025, sentencing hearing for Tharpe, who will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Tharpe has been in federal custody since March 2023. 

    Bell and Vernon each have pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery. Judge Wu on February 26 sentenced Bell to one year and one day in federal prison and ordered him to pay $2,674,600 in restitution. The sentencing hearing for Vernon, who has been in federal custody since September 2022, is scheduled for December 5.

    The FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Kevin B. Reidy of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Executive at Irvine-Based Company That Marketed Faulty Stem Cell Products Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    LOS ANGELES – The imprisoned founder and CEO of an Orange County-based company that marketed stem cell-based products linked to multiple hospitalizations was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison – consecutive to his current prison sentence.

    John Warrington Kosolcharoen, 53, most recently of Rancho Santa Margarita, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also scheduled a December 3 restitution hearing in this case.

    Kosolcharoen pleaded guilty on August 26 to one count of introducing an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead. Kosolcharoen is currently in custody serving a sentence for a separate, unconnected conviction.

    “Exploiting the hopes of patients suffering from serious illnesses is not merely greedy, it’s cruel,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who take advantage of victims’ fears and anxieties to line their pockets.” 

    “Misleading the public about the safety and effectiveness of purported cures and treatments is illegal,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals who market potentially dangerous products for personal gain.” 

    Beginning in 2016, Kosolcharoen created two companies, the Irvine-based Liveyon LLC and the San Diego-based Genetech Inc., to manufacture and distribute injectable stem cell products made from human umbilical cord blood. Liveyon marketed the products under different brand names, including “ReGen.”

    Kosolcharoen and others misrepresented ReGen as suitable for the treatment of a variety of conditions, such as lung and heart diseases, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and others. Liveyon marketed the products throughout the United States until about April 2019 using advertising materials that contained multiple false and misleading statements about their purported safety and effectiveness.

    In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers that patients seeking cures and remedies for serious diseases and conditions may be misled about unapproved stem cell products that are illegally marketed, have not been shown to be safe or effective, and, in some cases, may have significant safety issues that put patients at risk. Stem cell products are regulated by FDA, and generally they must have FDA approval before being introduced into interstate commerce.

    Kosolcharoen misled the FDA about Liveyon’s activities by directing Liveyon’s purchase orders to falsely state that the stem cell products were being sold “for research purposes only.” In 2018, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of patients in multiple states requiring hospitalization for bacterial infections after receiving Liveyon products. Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others fraudulently induced customers into purchasing stem cell-derived Liveyon products by, among other things, misleading the public about the cause and severity of adverse events suffered by Liveyon patients, and falsely reporting and concealing material facts regarding the outcome of an FDA inspection of Genetech. According to FDA records, that inspection documented evidence of significant deviations from good manufacturing and tissue practices.

    FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations; the FBI; Amtrak Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Labor Employment Benefits Security Administration; and the California Department of Health Care Services investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Aveis of the Major Frauds Section and David H. Chao of the General Crimes Section, Assistant Director Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorneys Meredith B. Healy, Kathryn A. Schmidt and Peter J. Leininger of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Inmate Guilty of Assaulting Two Correctional Officers

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old felon from Donna has been convicted of assaulting two correctional officers while housed at Coastal Bend Detention Center in Robstown, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

    U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has found Aaron Gutierrez guilty of two counts of assaulting or impeding a federal officer following a one-day bench trial that occurred Sept. 16. 

    On Aug. 25, 2023, Gutierrez and six other inmates escaped from a recreation area through an unlocked gate. They ran down a walkway to intercept another inmate belonging to a rival gang. Two correctional officers were escorting that inmate – who was in full restraints.

    The seven escaped inmates attacked the defenseless other inmate as well as the correctional officers who were attempting to protect him. As a result, both officers suffered injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment. One required surgery. Authorities also transported the victim inmate to the hospital for treatment.

    Within a minute of the attack, multiple correctional officers converged on the attackers and restrained them.

    Gutierrez attempted to convince the court that while he intended to join the fight, he never got the chance because he was the last one to leave the recreation yard. However, testimony revealed that every inmate participated in the attack. Judge Morales did not believe defense claims and found him guilty as charged.

    Correctional officers at Coastal Bend Detention Center work on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and are protected as federal officers when in the performance of their official duties. 

    Judge Morales will impose sentencing in January 2025. At that time, Gutierrez faces up to eight years in federal prison. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

    The other six inmates involved in the attack had previously pleaded guilty. Raul Valdez, 49, San Antonio, received 24 months, while Corpus Christi residents Benito Aguirre, 43, John Steve Espinoza, 31, Joe Isaac Espinoza, 27, and Adalberto Pena, 32, each received 18 months. Emilio Salinas, 34, Edinburg, is set for sentencing Oct. 17.

    They all also remain in custody.

    The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the USMS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals and Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies Capture New Jersey Fugitive Wanted for Aggravated Sexual Assault

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Memphis, TN – Yesterday, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Team captured Siamel Alberto Perez, 34, of New Jersey, who was wanted for an Aggravated Sexual Assault of a child in New Jersey.

    On September 23rd, 2024, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Perez out of Linden City Municipal Court in Union County, New Jersey. Perez has charges ranging from Aggravated Sexual Assault, Sexual Assault, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The USMS New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force (NY/NJ RFTF) adopted the case days later.

    NY/NJ RFTF Investigators developed information that Perez was traveling south and could be hiding in the Memphis area. The USMS Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Memphis was requested to help locate and apprehend Perez.

    On October 1, Deputy Marshals and sheriff’s deputies located a vehicle with a New Jersey license plate at the Sleep Inn Suites off American Way and Perkins Road. While investigators were watching the car, Perez was spotted walking out the hotel toward the parking lot. He was arrested without incident and transported to the Shelby County Jail to await extradition.

    The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, the Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured over 2,600 violent offenders and sexual predators.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals New Orleans Task Force Concludes Fiscal Year 2024 Operations With Over 500 Arrests, 24 Missing Endangered Children Recovered Across Eastern District Of Louisiana

    Source: US Marshals Service

    New Orleans, LA – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Louisiana New Orleans Task Force conducted multiple violent fugitive and sex offender fugitive operations during fiscal year (FY) 2024 (Oct. 1, 2023—Sept. 30, 2024) along with several USMS Missing Endangered Children operations. The task force also participated in the FBI New Orleans Field Office’s Operation Clean House. The USMS New Orleans Task Force fugitive operations included Boo Dat, New Orleans Saints and Sinners, and Baseline. The fugitives arrested by the task force included 107 persons arrested on murder related offenses, 41 suspects arrested on rape/sex assault related cases, nine individuals for kidnapping, 41 persons for robbery, 100 individuals for assault/battery, 32 for sex offender registration violations, and 20 suspects on felony narcotics offenses. In total 531 fugitives were arrested and over 150 firearms were recovered during FY 2024 as a direct result of USMS New Orleans Task Force investigations across E/LA. The USMS New Orleans Task Force also worked 95 collateral lead requests from USMS offices outside of the Eastern District of Louisiana (E/LA).  

    Missing Child Unit (MCU) operations Fresh Start, Crawfish Boil, and other MCU work done during FY 2024 resulted in the recovery of 24 missing/endangered children, with five persons arrested related to recoveries.

    Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans (GNO) provided support for several of the arrests made during the year and helped to sponsor Operation Boo Dat with a fugitive photo spread sent out to New Orleans metro area media outlets.

    Highlights of FY 2024 cases worked across E/LA include: 

    • In Tangipahoa Parish two children, 3 and 6, were abducted allegedly abducted by Daniel Callihan. Callihan is believed to have murdered the children’s mother and kidnapped the children from her residence before fleeing the state. USMS along with FBI, state police, and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office started a manhunt in attempts to locate/apprehend Callihan. USMS E/LA was able to identify Callihan’s whereabouts in Jackson, Mississippi, and a collateral lead request was sent by the USMS New Orleans Task Force to the USMS Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and USMS S/MS Jackson Office. Members of the GCRFTF observed Callihan near an abandoned house on Boozier Drive in Jackson. As members of the GCRFTF approached the house, Callihan ran from the house and was taken into custody. Members of the GCRFTF located a hole on the back side of the house where both missing girls were located, one of whom was deceased.
    • A teen girl was one of several runaway juveniles associating in a suspected human trafficking ring orchestrated by local gangs in the greater New Orleans metro. During the investigation, another teen girl was also identified as a missing/endangered runaway. USMS, along with Homeland Security Investigations, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Kenner Police Department and the NOPD Special Victims Division – Child Abuse Unit began working these cases together and identified two additional missing juveniles.   All four girls were believed to be involved in a sex trafficking and prostitution ring. During the course of the investigation, the four girls were recovered, one arrest was made on scene and two men were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending deportation. By the end of the investigation another arrest was made of a man charged with raping one of the juveniles and the individual responsible for setting up the juveniles’ appointments for sex was deported.
    • A teen girl was recovered after running away from her foster parent in Ouachita Parish.  She was alleged to have been a previous victim of sex trafficking and sexual assault/rape. USMS, along with HIS, located her in New Orleans and recovered her. During an interview with the teen, she disclosed that a high school teacher in New Orleans picked her up from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and transported her to New Orleans approximately one week prior to her recovery. HSI after a several months investigation obtained an E/LA federal arrest warrant for Aaron Johnson for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in prostitution and coercion or enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. The USMS New Orleans Task Force with HSI located Johnson at a New Orleans East apartment complex and arrested him on the warrant Aug. 15.  At the time of his arrest, Johnson was working as a teacher at a local New Orleans high school.
    • Ernest Cortney Dixon III was arrested May 22 for an alleged rape that occurred in May 2024 in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  Dixon is alleged to have gone into a French Quarter business with a firearm and raped an adult female employee of that business.  At the time of the alleged rape, he was already wanted on an April 2024 NOPD warrant for domestic violence assault with a firearm stemming from an incident where he was alleged to have fired a handgun at an ex-girlfriend.  During Dixon’s arrest at a French Quarter business, the USMS New Orleans Task Force recovered a loaded stolen firearm alleged to have belonged to Dixon.
    • Wayne D. Bennett was arrested Sept. 23 by USMS Northern District of Florida and USMS Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force in Altha, Florida.  Investigators with the USMS New Orleans Task Force and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office tracked Bennett to the Altha area before sending a request to the USMS FCRFTF, who were able to locate and arrest him.  Bennett was wanted by the TPSO for first-degree rape, third-degree rape, five counts of trafficking of children for sexual purposes and three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
    • Marrio Haynes was arrested Feb. 28 on a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant for second-degree murder.  On Dec. 26, 2023, Haynes allegedly murdered a Lacombe man at a gas station using an AR-15 style rifle.  Later that night officers located his vehicle and arrested his girlfriend in connection with the murder, but Haynes was able to flee on foot avoiding arrest. He went on the run and was featured in multiple Crimestoppers GNO news reports. After a two-month investigation he was arrested by the USMS New Orleans Task Force at a home in Kentwood.  His girlfriend, who was present at the residence, was rearrested for harboring a fugitive during his arrest.
    • Fugitives Davonn Davis and Carlos Taylor were arrested Sept. 26 in Baton Rouge by the USMS Middle District of Louisiana Fugitive Task Force.   Davis was wanted on a NOPD charge of second-degree murder in connection with a shooting outside of The Shamrock Bar in New Orleans.  Taylor escaped from the Orleans Juvenile Justice Center, and then is alleged to have carjacked a woman, almost running her over.  He was featured across the state of Louisiana in news outlets as a dangerous fugitive with a previous violent history.   He and Davis were located together in Baton Rouge where Taylor initially attempted to flee on foot.
    • Leon Ruffin was arrested Feb. 27 on a JPSO warrant for escape. During the escape Ruffin assaulted a JPSO deputy during a medical transport and stole her police vehicle. Ruffin was awaiting trial on a murder related charge.  He was tracked by the USMS New Orleans Task Force to a motel in New Orleans East and arrested. 

    “The U.S. Marshals Service New Orleans Task Force successfully apprehended over 500 fugitives and recovered 24 missing and endangered children in 2024,” said Enix Smith III, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “These significant accomplishments underscore the critical importance of vigilance and collaboration between law enforcement and the community.  Together, we can create a safer environment where justice is upheld, and our neighborhoods can thrive.”      

    The USMS New Orleans Task Force is sponsored by USMS E/LA and includes the following law enforcement agencies: Homeland Security Investigations, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Kenner Police Department, LA Army National Guard Counter Drug Program, LA Probation and Parole, LA State Police, New Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The task force also frequently works with the local ATF, DEA, and FBI field offices.   

    Any information about wanted felony fugitives can be provided to the U.S. Marshals Service at (504) 589-6872 or via email at usms.wanted@usdoj.gov.  Crimestoppers GNO may also be contacted with tips at (504) 822-1111.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Canonsburg Resident Indicted on 11 Counts Involving Sexual Exploitation of Minors

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

    The 11-count Indictment named Justin A. Darby, 36, as the sole defendant.

    According to the Indictment, Darby received and attempted to receive material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor on five separate occasions during September and October of 2021, as well as on one occasion in February 2024. Darby is also alleged to have distributed such material on one occasion in September 2021. The Indictment further alleges that, from September 20, 2021, through October 29, 2021, Darby accessed with intent to view material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, and that, on February 6, 2024, Darby induced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. Additionally, Darby is charged with altering, destroying, concealing, or covering up records and documents associated with a messaging application on his cellular telephone on two separate dates.

    The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Darby was ordered to be detained.

    Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

    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.justice.gov/psc.

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

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley, Welch Unveil Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Big Businesses’ Corporate Misbehavior

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Thursday, October 03, 2024

    U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) have introduced bipartisan legislation, the Hold Corporate Criminals Accountable Act, to direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to crack down on corporate wrongdoing by America’s biggest businesses.  
    “More and more big businesses are receiving a slap on the wrist by the DOJ for corporate misbehavior, allowing corporations to skirt litigation fees while incentivizing repeated offenses. This bipartisan legislation has the teeth to hold Corporate America accountable and would crack down on DOJ’s sweetheart deals,” said Senator Hawley. 
    “All wrongdoers should be held accountable for their actions—plain and simple. Yet federal prosecution of white-collar crimes has fallen to record lows in recent years, making it easier for ultra-wealthy executives to game the system and avoid responsibility when they hurt hardworking people. It’s also making it harder for the victims of corporate crimes to get justice, and that’s unacceptable,” said Senator Welch. “Our bipartisan bill will ensure a level playing field and provide needed accountability.”
    Senator Hawley’s bill introduction comes in response to one of the most egregious and highest-profile examples of corporate misbehavior: The DOJ in 2021 had arranged a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) for Boeing after the company exhibited safety lapses contributing to two airplane crashes. Boeing then took advantage of the DOJ’s deal by committing a follow-up felony—conspiring to deceive the Federal Aviation Administration about the safety of the 737 MAX aircraft.
    Boeing will consequently pay approximately $250 million in corporate penalties.
    Senator Hawley’s new bipartisan legislation would raise the standards required to offer DPAs in the first place.
    Specifically, the Hold Corporate Criminals Accountable Act would: 
    Require corporations entered into a DPA or on probation to use effective compliance monitoring rather than skirting oversight, as in the case of Boeing’s recent agreement.
    Require federal agencies to keep a list of the deferred and non-prosecution agreements they enter, so they can be accessible to the public.
    Extend all statutes of limitations related to corporate criminal offenses by five years to provide prosecutors more time to bring complex cases.
    Redefine substantial assistance for a sentencing reduction for corporate offenders to ensure actual assistance in identifying and prosecuting individual bad actors within a corporation.
    Read the full text of the bill here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Lawler’s Bill Enhancing Secret Service Protection for Vice President Harris and Former President Trump Signed Into Law

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17)

    This week, the Enhanced Presidential Security Act of 2024 – Representative Mike Lawler’s (R-NY-17) bill introduced with Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) to provide enhanced United States Secret Service protection for former President Trump and Vice President Harris – was signed into law by President Biden. Last week, the legislation passed the Senate unanimously, after unanimously passing the House the previous week.

    “I am glad to see my legislation ensuring former President Trump and Vice President Harris have the same level of Secret Service protection as the sitting President is now the law of the land,” said Congressman Lawler. “It should not have taken two assassination attempts against the former President to ensure our presidential candidates have the protection they need.”

    “Political violence has no place in our country and its precipitous rise in recent years is deeply disturbing,” Congressman Lawler concluded. “The Enhanced Presidential Security Act will ensure our elections are always determined by ballots, not bullets – something that is vital to our democracy and something that we can all agree on, regardless of party.”

    Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of the 118th Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indiana Seniors Lose Nearly 38-Millon-Dollars to Fraud

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

    INDIANAPOLIS, IN—September 29, 2024 – A recent FBI report shows that Indiana seniors lost $37,812,966 to elder fraud schemes in 2023. Indiana ranked 25th on the FBI’s list of 57 scammed states and U.S. territories.

    “Elder fraud schemes exploit the trust and goodwill of older Americans, preying on their vulnerabilities. Common scams include lottery scams, romance scams, and phishing schemes that can lead to significant financial losses,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “Fraudsters constantly evolve their tactics so staying informed about the latest scams through events such as this workshop can help protect seniors.”

    On October 8, 2024, the Indianapolis FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBIICAAA) will present—AI Isn’t Sci-Fi: Free Fraud Workshop and Luncheon – a community outreach and education event to help curb fraud in Indiana.

    “Elder fraud is on the rise, impacting our communities, neighbors, and families. This is one of our organization’s main community outreach priorities for 2024,” said Scott Hainey, FBIICAAA president. “Our goal for this event is to help educate and empower older adults in Central Indiana and their families on how to prevent becoming a victim to a fraud scheme.”

    The program’s keynote presenters will be Christopher Knight, forensic accountant with the FBI Indianapolis Field Office, a renowned expert in elder fraud; and Scott Barnhart, director and chief council of consumer protection with the Office of the Indiana Attorney General. A panel of experts representing the FBI, Indiana Attorney General’s Office, Secretary of State Office, Medicaid, and the IRS will address audience questions.

    Online registration for this free local workshop and luncheon is open until, Tuesday, October 1, 2024, or by phone 317-731-2289. The workshop will be held at Emmanual Church located at 1640 W. Stones Crossing Road, Greenwood, Indianapolis, 46143.

    AI Isn’t Sci-Fi: Free Fraud Workshop and Luncheon is presented by the FBI Indianapolis Citizens Academy Alumni Association; a nonprofit organization separate and apart from the FBI. Workshop partners included Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated Alpha Mu Omega Chapter, Indiana Council Against Senior Exploitation (INCASE), Emmanuel Church, and Indiana Real Estate Experts.

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