NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI Security: Member of Drug Trafficking Organization That Distributed Heart Shaped Pills Resembling Candy, Laced with Lethal Drugs, Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Investigation resulted in what is believed to be one of the largest single-location seizures of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Massachusetts and the region – over eight million individual doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder

    BOSTON – A Lynn, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) on the North Shore of Massachusetts. In November 2023, millions of doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder, with street value estimated to be over $7 million, was seized from a stash location and clandestine laboratory used by the organization.

    Sebastien Bejin, a/k/a “Bash,” 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In January 2025, Bejin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Bejin was charged in November 2023 along with alleged co-conspirators Emilio Garcia and Deiby Felix. The defendants were later indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023.

    In July 2023, an investigation began into an overdose death in Salem, Mass. which led investigators to the drug trafficking organization led by Bejin, Garcia and Felix.

    On Nov. 1, 2023 searches were conducted at four locations frequented by Bejin and Garcia. The searches resulted in what is believed to be, one of the largest single-location seizures of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Massachusetts and the region. The seizure included nine kilograms (20 pounds) of pink heart shaped fentanyl-laced pills pressed to look like candy. Additional narcotics and five firearms were also seized. During the course of the investigation over 150 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine were seized, along with multiple additional kilograms of cocaine and dozens of kilograms of cutting agents, including xylazine, that are used to adulterate controlled substances.

    In total, more than an estimated eight million individual doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder was seized. The street value is believed to be upwards of $8 million.

    Garcia and Bejin would travel to the stash location on a daily basis and then bring quantities of suspected controlled substances from the premises to supply lower-level dealers.

    A search of Felix’s residence resulted in the seizure of more than three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of pressed pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl and a firearm. A subsequent search of the basement of Felix’s residence revealed a clandestine drug laboratory that had been built into a small room. Multiple industrial pill presses, mixing equipment and other manufacturing paraphernalia and equipment were also recovered. Within multiple large storage bins located within the laboratory, over 100 pounds of suspected fentanyl powder was also discovered.

    Garcia pleaded guilty on Feb. 7, 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30, 2025. Felix pleaded guilty on Feb. 3, 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the Lynn, Lynnfield and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Participating in Violent Kidnappings in the Chicago Suburbs

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for conspiring to abduct several victims at gunpoint in the Chicago suburbs.

    SEDGWICK WILLIAMS participated in kidnappings in Naperville, Ill., and Westchester, Ill., in the fall of 2019.  Williams and a co-conspirator also attempted a third kidnapping in South Holland, Ill., but they were unsuccessful and were arrested fleeing from the intended victim’s residence.

    A federal jury last year convicted Williams, 48, of Chicago, and co-defendant TAI HON LA, 35, of Beach Park, Ill., of participating in the kidnapping conspiracy and other related charges.  On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso sentenced Williams to 50 years in federal prison.  La is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2025.

    Two other defendants pleaded guilty in the case.  IVAN AYERS, 37, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to participating in the kidnapping conspiracy and is set to be sentenced on June 10, 2025.  JONATHAN VARGAS, 38, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to kidnapping the first victim in Naperville and is set to be sentenced on June 5, 2025.

    Williams’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The case was investigated with assistance from the Naperville Police Department, Westchester Police Department, South Holland Police Department, Chicago Police Department, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.

    According to evidence presented at trial, the first kidnapping occurred in Naperville on Oct. 17, 2019.  The conspirators posed as law enforcement officers to handcuff and abduct a man at gunpoint outside of his electronics store, which they then burglarized.  The conspirators forced the victim into a car and transported him to Chicago, where they assaulted him and extorted his family.

    The conspirators carried out the kidnapping in Westchester on Nov. 16, 2019.  Posing as federal agents, the conspirators handcuffed and abducted a man at gunpoint outside of his residence.  The conspirators forced the victim into his home, where they seized another victim and forced them both into the basement.  Two other victims later arrived at the residence and were also forced into the basement at gunpoint.  The conspirators stole cash and jewelry before fleeing.

    The conspirators attempted the third kidnapping in South Holland on Dec. 11, 2019, but the intended victim was able to call 911 and the South Holland Police arrived before the conspirators could gain access to the house.

    “Williams orchestrated a series of incredibly violent abductions and armed robberies throughout Chicago and the neighboring suburbs,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Jodrey and Kate McClelland argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Williams and his co-conspirators ruthlessly threatened, restrained, beat, robbed, kidnapped, terrorized, and tortured people for their own personal gain.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Charged with Trafficking Narcotics in the Waterbury Area

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of  Connecticut, Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo today announced that ZACHARY FOSTER, also known as “Lee,” 58, of Waterbury; KEVIN LUCAS, 61, of Waterbury; PHILLION HARVEY, also known as “Dawg,” 52, of New Haven; RONALD McDOWELL, 58, of Waterbury; and KENYA BROWN, 43, of Bristol; have been federally charged with conspiring to traffic narcotics in and around Waterbury.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on November 26, 2024, Foster was sentenced in New Haven federal court to approximately 35 months of imprisonment, time already served, and four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.  In February 2025, an investigation by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force determined that Foster had resumed his drug trafficking activity.  Between February and April 2025, investigators intercepted hundreds of calls between Foster and his associates coordinating the distribution of cocaine, crack, and fentanyl.

    During the investigation, a search of a stash location that Foster maintained at a residence on National Avenue in Waterbury revealed approximately one kilogram of cocaine, and a search of a location he maintained on Meriden Road in Waterbury revealed approximately 600 dose bags of fentanyl.  Harvey, McDowell, and Brown also were found in possession of distribution quantities of fentanyl.

    On April 16, 2025, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging each of the five defendants with conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine and fentanyl.  If convicted of the charge, based on the type and quantity of drug attributed to each defendant, and based on Foster’s previous conviction for a serious drug felony offense, Foster faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Lucas, Harvey, McDowell, and Brown each faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Foster also faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release.

    Foster, Lucas, and McDowell were arrested on federal criminal complaints on April 3, 2025, and are currently detained.  Brown was arrested on April 25, 2025, and is released on $100,000 bond, and Harvey was released on April 29, 2025, and is released on a $50,000 bond.

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

    This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The DEA Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Natasha M. Freismuth.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Rock Hill Cop Convicted at Trial of Receiving, Sending Child Sexual Abuse Materials

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal jury in Columbia has convicted Daniel Paul Shealy, 36, of Rock Hill, on 18 counts of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.* The jury returned a guilty verdict following three days of testimony and an hour and a half of deliberation.

    According to evidence presented during trial, in 2023 investigators with the York County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that three videos depicting the sexual abuse of children were flagged on the social messaging app Kik, under the username “orgasmd0nor.” Investigators with the YCSO and FBI traced the account and IP address to Shealy, a detective and former school resource officer with the Rock Hill Police Department.

    Further investigation revealed that Shealy was a member of more than 40 private groups on Kik designed for users to trade child sexual abuse materials, including groups with references to minors, teens, and incest in the titles. According to testimony from a Kik representative, users in such groups often exchange images and videos of rape, sexual assault, bestiality, and other abuse of children. Investigators testified during trial that after receiving the tip, they executed a search warrant on Shealy’s phone and his Kik account. Shealy’s phone was in his patrol car and accessible through his thumbprint and a passcode, which was his badge number. 

    Agents recovered 126 explicit videos of children from Shealy’s phone and Kik account, which Shealy had received or distributed to others on the internet. The files included recordings of prepubescent minors in bondage and constraints and child sex abuse materials represented the majority of explicit recovered from his Kik account.

    When Shealy testified at trial, he admitted that he operated the orgasmd0nor account and that he accessed child sex abuse material on the platform. He also admitted that he never reported the any of the videos to Kik or to law enforcement because he either did not know how to report or was concerned about his privacy related to his intimate life. Shealy taken into custody at the conclusion of the trial. 

    “The facts alone in this case were disturbing but became even more appalling because the defendant was a police officer, an individual given immense public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We remain committed to holding those who betray public trust accountable and protecting our most vulnerable citizens, our children. We’re grateful to the FBI, York County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case and our trial attorneys that worked diligently to bring this man to justice.”

    “The FBI is unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding children from individuals who perpetrate physical and sexual abuse or engage in the exploitation of minors through the distribution of child sexual abuse material, as proved in this case,” said Reid Davis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “We hope this verdict represents a meaningful step toward justice for the victims and ensures that the defendant is held fully accountable under the law.”

    He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison and a maximum of 20 years. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, lifetime supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, and sex offender registry requirements.  United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. presided over the trial and will sentence Shealy after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

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

    The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office, the York County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force at the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Founder Of Celsius Sentenced To 12 Years For Fraud And Market Manipulation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Alexander Mashinsky Deceived Customers About Celsius’s Financial Stability and Rigged the Price of Celsius’s Crypto Token, Leading to Billions in Losses

    Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ALEXANDER MASHINSKY, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Celsius Network LLC and their affiliated entities (collectively, “Celsius”), was sentenced to 12 years for committing commodities fraud and securities fraud at Celsius.  MASHINSKY previously pled guilty on December 3, 2024, before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl, who imposed today’s sentence.

    U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Alexander Mashinsky targeted retail investors with promises that he would keep their “digital assets” safer than a bank, when in fact he used those assets to place risky bets and to line his own pockets.  In the end, Mashinsky made tens of millions of dollars while his customers lost billions.  America’s investors deserve better.  The case for tokenization and the use of digital assets is strong but it is not a license to deceive.  The rules against fraud still apply, and the SDNY will hold those who flout them accountable for their crimes.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:

    Celsius, a crypto asset platform, offered customers “rewards” on deposited assets, secured loans, and custody services.  Marketing itself as the “safest place for your crypto,” Celsius encouraged customers to “unbank” themselves by transferring crypto assets to its platform.  Celsius’s primary offering, “Earn” program, promised to deploy customer assets to generate investment returns.  Celsius also provided “Custody” and “Borrow” programs, the latter allowing customers to obtain loans by posting crypto assets as collateral.  MASHINSKY, as CEO, directly marketed Celsius to retail customers globally.  Throughout his tenure, he repeatedly misrepresented key aspects of Celsius’s business and finances to attract customers and retain their assets.  His false claims covered the safety of Celsius’s yield-generating activities, its profitability, the sustainability of high rewards rates, and the risks associated with depositing crypto assets on the platform.  As MASHINSKY portrayed Celsius as secure, the platform grew exponentially.  By the fall of 2021, Celsius had become one of the largest crypto platforms in the world, holding approximately $25 billion in assets at its peak.

    MASHINSKY and others orchestrated a yearslong scheme to mislead customers about Celsius’s proprietary crypto token CEL.  They manipulated CEL’s price by spending hundreds of millions purchasing it on the open market to artificially inflate its value.  At times, they used customer deposits to fund these market purchases, without disclosing that to customers.  Without aggressive manipulation, CEL’s price would have been significantly lower.  As Roni Cohen-Pavon, Celsius’s Chief Revenue Officer who later pled guilty to illegally manipulating CEL’s price, privately told MASHINSKY, “the value was fake and was based on us spending millions.”

    To further the manipulation scheme, MASHINSKY repeatedly made false public statements about Celsius’s market activity and role in supporting and inflating CEL’s.  In some instances, MASHINSKY and other executives personally purchased CEL to artificially support its value.  The artificial price inflation allowed MASHINSKY to profit approximately $48 million from his own sales of CEL.  He publicly claimed he was not selling CEL, while actually selling large quantities, sometimes to Celsius itself.

    Before Celsius halted customer withdrawals on June 12, 2022, MASHINSKY continued assuring customers of Celsius’s strong financial position and liquidity.  Meanwhile, he withdrew $8 million worth of his own non-CEL assets from Celsius.  When Celsius announced it was halting customer withdrawals, hundreds of thousands of Celsius customers had $4.7 billion in inaccessible assets on the platform.  Celsius filed for bankruptcy on July 13, 2022.

    *                *               *

    In addition to the prison term, MASHINSKY, 59, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine and forfeiture of $48,393,446.

    Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, each of which has filed a parallel civil action.

    The case is being overseen by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Davis, Adam S. Hobson, and Allison Nichols are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Johnson County Man Sentenced for Producing and Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIKEVILLE, Ky. – A Hagerhill, Ky., man, Jason Ryan Campbell, 46, was sentenced on Thursday to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.  

    According to his plea agreement, on August 27, 2022, Campbell engaged in the production of child pornography. Specifically, upon searching his phone, law enforcement located two videos taken of Campbell and a minor victim engaging in sexual conduct. Law enforcement also found additional videos and photos of child pornography on his phone. 

    Under federal law, Campbell must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. 

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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

    – END –

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 21 Armed and Violent Drug Traffickers and Gang Members from Spokane Area Facing Federal Drug and Firearm Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Spokane, Washington – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced that 21 individuals have been charged following the return of 15 separate indictments alleging dozens of charges against these defendants.  Certain of the individuals indicated are not yet in federal custody.

    The arrests follow a long-term joint federal investigation that began in October 2024, led by the by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This 7-month long investigation has targeted violent individuals and armed drug traffickers in Spokane as well as individuals operating in what has become nothing less than an open-air drug market on Division Street downtown..  These individuals have been problems in multiple states, impacting multiple communities during their lifetimes, in not only Washington State, but also Texas, Nevada, North Dakota, Montana, Alabama, Idaho, Oregon, and California.

    Upon release of the latest indictment, which was unsealed earlier today upon the arrest of several additional suspects, Acting United States Attorney Rich Barker stated, “I am grateful for the coordinated efforts of so many law enforcement agencies, who worked together to coordinate the takedown of this alleged drug trafficking operation.”  Acting U.S. Attorney Barker continued, “It is an honor work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners on such important prosecutions, which help remove illegal drugs and firearms from our community.  Our community and nation are safer, because of the work of our law enforcement and prosecution teams.”

    To date, agents seized just shy of 14-pounds of methamphetamine, over 1 kilogram of heroin, over 16,000 fentanyl pills, over 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, almost $60,000 in drug proceeds, as well as four vehicles and 36 firearms.  In connection with the prosecution, the United States has filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Eastern District of Washington against a local Spokane apartment complex located near North Central High School, which allegedly was being used to distribute illegal drugs and a place for individuals to obtain firearms. Properties such as this one are not only a community safety issue as a free for all of illicit activity, they are also a drain on public resources that could be used elsewhere.  For example, in the last 2.5 years, records show there have been approximately 58 separate calls for service at the address.

    According to unsealed charging documents, the following individuals, many of whom have ties to various street gangs and who have a history of violence, have been charged in connection with the investigation. Additionally, the names of others indicted in connection with this investigation will be unsealed upon the arrest of those individuals.

    Andrew Vincent Auerbach, charged with Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking.  Auerbach has a prior federal conviction for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

    Daryl Edward Boone, 45, charged with Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, Possess with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine

    James M. Ferguson, 33, charged with Unlawful Possession of a Short-Barreled Shotgun

    Jonathan Jacob Inglis, 40, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl. On January 30, 2025, he was sentenced to 151 months in prison.

    Nathan Carlson Johnson, 44, charged with Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine.

    James Lelacheur, 56, charged with Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine.

    Christopher Wayne O’Neal, charged with Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine.  O’Neal is currently in Spokane County Jail stemming from a separate drug trafficking investigation.

    Gabriella Sherif Rizkalla, charged with multiple counts of Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, and Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine

    Roland Dewayne Sanders, 36, charged with Distribution of Fentanyl, Distribution of 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl.  Sanders was on federal supervised release at the time of his offense and utilized his minor child to assist in the distribution of fentanyl.

    Bernie Ray Shaw Jr., 45, charged with Distribution of Fentanyl

    Courtney A. Wheeler, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

    Andrew Lee Williams, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

    Anthony Dale Williams, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, multiple counts of Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Distribution of Cocaine.

    Certain of the individuals will be arraigned at the Spokane Federal Courthouse on May 9, 2025, at 10:00am.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation along with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Moses Lake Police Department, Border Patrol, and the Washington Department of Corrections. Additional assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

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

    WILLIAMS et al – 2:25-CR-75-RLP

    SANDERS – 2:25-CR-15-MKD

    LELACHER – 2:24-CR-16-MKD

    FERGUSON – 2:24-CR-158-RLP

    JOHNSON – 2:24-CR-159-MKD

    AUERBACH – 2:25-CR-16-TOR

    INGLIS – 2:23-CR-56-TOR

    SHAW – 2:24-CR-163-MKD

    BOONE – 2:24-CR-164-RLP

    United States of America v. Real Property Known as 625 West Maxwell Avenue Spokane Washington et al, 2:25-cv-00148-RLP

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Accused of Concealing Death of Disabled Veteran for Years to Reap Financial Benefits

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

    ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from Salem, Missouri was indicted on Wednesday and accused of concealing the death of his uncle, a U.S. Army veteran with quadraplegia, for at least five years so that he could steal at least $650,000 of his disability benefits.

    Brian K. Ditch, 44, is now facing four felony counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of theft of government property and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    The indictment alleges that Ditch was solely responsible for his uncle’s care beginning in 2008, and kept his uncle locked in his garage and under his control so he could fraudulently obtain his government benefits. Instead of properly caring for his uncle, Ditch trapped him in the garage for over 24 hours at a time, forcing his uncle “to sit in his own urine and feces without the ability to eat or drink,” the indictment says. After his uncle’s death around 2019, Ditch concealed his death and the body so that he could continue to receive the money, the indictment says. It says Ditch told relatives that he had moved his uncle into a nursing home.

    His uncle received $9,559 per month in Disability Compensation benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the indictment says. The VA would not have continued to pay had they known Ditch’s uncle was dead, the indictment says. Ditch’s uncle also received a total of $235,210 in Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and Retirement Insurance benefits from the Social Security Administration since 2008.

    Ditch used the money to buy exotic reptiles, fund lavish vacations and enrich himself, the indictment says. Salem police officers found the uncle’s partially frozen body in a trash can in March, as well as three shotguns, the indictment says. As a convicted felon, Ditch is barred from possessing firearms.

    Ditch is expected to plead not guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday.

    Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    “The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General is committed to holding accountable anyone who exploits veterans or steals their VA benefits,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the VA OIG’s Central Field Office. “VA’s programs and services are established to justly compensate deserving veterans and the VA OIG will bring to justice those who would defraud these programs.”

    The Salem Police Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

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

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Larry Joe Chapman, 44, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to a reported shoplifting at a MacCorkle Avenue business in South Charleston. The officers found that Chapman, the subject of the shoplifting call, had locked himself in the storage room of the business. Chapman unlocked the door for the officers, and officers found him in the storage room with a knife in his hand with the blade open. Officers disarmed and arrested Chapman, took him outside, and searched him. Officers found a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol and over $1,000 in merchandise belonging to the business on Chapman’s person. Officers later determined that the firearm was stolen.

    Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Chapman knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for breaking and entering a building other than a dwelling on February 5, 2018, and conspiracy to operate and attempt to operate a clandestine drug laboratory for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine on November 8, 2013, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the South Charleston Police Department.

    United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh prosecuted the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-125.

    ###

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Stepmums, alien mums, robot mums, vengeful mums: 7 films to watch this Mother’s Day

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Gildersleeve, Professor of English Literature, University of Southern Queensland

    With Mother’s Day around the corner, you may be wondering what gift you’ll give mum – or any of the mums in your life. This year, why not skip the fancy dinner and offer one of the most precious gifts there is: quality time, in front of the TV.

    When I asked seven experts what movies they’d recommend for Mother’s Day, I wasn’t expecting I, Tonya or Alien: Romulus – but their responses have made me realise just how multifaceted the experience of motherhood is, and how weirdly and wonderfully it can be reflected onscreen.

    So here’s what to watch if you want to laugh, cry, or scream, in an ode to mothers everywhere.

    I, Tonya (2017)

    The first film from Margot Robbie’s production company LuckyChap Entertainment – which earned Robbie an Oscar nomination for best actress – is an ideal viewing choice for anyone wanting to support Aussie female talent.

    Former American figure skater Tonya Harding became a household name in 1994, after her then-husband Jeff Gillooly orchestrated an assault on her primary rival, Nancy Kerrigan, in a bid to block Kerrigan from representing the United States at that year’s Winter Olympics.

    I, Tonya presents the event, and those of Harding’s career leading up to it, from a more sympathetic perspective than usual. Although it is careful to open with the caveat that the story is derived from “irony-free, wildly contradictory, totally true interviews with Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly”, the film presents Harding’s life as one of abuse and cruelty at every turn.

    The judges can’t stand her “unfeminine” power. Her husband only shows love through violence. And her heartless mother, LaVona (Alison Janney) is desperate to cash-in on the financial gains from her career success, while simultaneously resenting it.

    Janney’s performance as LaVona won her the Academy Award for best supporting actress, a title thoroughly deserved as an ice-cold LaVona chainsmokes through barbed criticisms and physical threats. While I, Tonya may not be the most obvious choice for a film to watch on Mother’s Day, it certainly will make you appreciate yours.

    – Jessica Gildersleeve

    Stepmom (1998)

    Stepmom, starring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon, is a family weepy for anyone who needs a cathartic cry. Directed by Chris Columbus, the comedy–drama follows the story of terminally ill woman Jackie Harrison (Sarandon) as she comes to grips with the fact her ex-husband’s new girlfriend Isabel (Roberts) will soon be her children’s stepmother.

    The film, like others under Columbus’ direction, is a critique of domestic dysfunction (think Home Alone, Mrs Doubtfire, or Nine Months), and an exploration of the lengths characters will go in order to restore the ruptured (nuclear) family, whether literally or symbolically.

    Despite its melodramatic machinery and predictable ending, Stepmom offers a nuanced portrayal of the struggles of children during separation or divorce. We see 12-year-old Anna and her little brother, Ben, an aspiring magician, caught in an emotional tug-of-war between their loyalty to their dying mother and their natural affection for their new stepmum.

    In an honest moment, an anxious Ben asks his dad, “can you ever fall out of love with your kids?”

    “No, that’s impossible,” Dad responds.

    In an equally realistic thread, the sullen Anna begrudgingly turns to Isabel for advice on boys, clothes and makeup – their relationship soon resembling one of sisters rather than adversaries (controversially, Roberts’ character even takes it upon herself to explain the concept of “snowblowing” to the tween).

    In 1998, Stepmom was ahead of its time – not in its representation of motherhood, but in its acknowledgement the nuclear family was, even back then, a thing of the past.

    – Kate Cantrell

    Double Jeopardy (1999)

    Like most thrillers made in the 1990s, Double Jeopardy begins in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States: the epicentre for murder and mist.

    Libby Parsons (Ashley Judd) is living the idyllic waterfront life with her husband Nick (Bruce Greenwood) and son Matty. After being convinced by Nick to go yachting, Libby wakes up on the boat (during what could best be described as a mist storm) to discover Nick is missing, and there is an endless path of blood from her hands to the yacht’s edge.

    Libby is tried and convicted for Nick’s murder. While grieving her son in jail, she finds out her husband is actually alive and has framed her. Libby’s cellmate tells her about the “double jeopardy” rule: you can’t be tried for the same crime twice.

    The montage of Libby preparing for revenge in jail signals an uptick in campy action. Upon her release, we’re introduced to parole officer Travis (Tommy Lee Jones). A game of cat and mouse ensues that is equal parts thrilling and ridiculous.

    Ultimately, Libby must choose between vengeance and getting her son back. Will she follow the rules and wait, or will she put her relentless jail workouts to good use? Double Jeopardy is profoundly stupid and fun, with all the unexpected charm of a midday movie that pulls you in, despite not making much sense.

    It’s just the kind of movie my mum and I have found ourselves glued to on a Saturday afternoon – cheerleaders for revenge.

    – Kathleen Williams

    Monster-in-Law (2005)

    What lengths would you go to protect your son from marrying someone unsuitable? One of the first references to the roles of the mother-in-law can be traced back to Latin literature, and the comedic play Hecyra, by Roman playwright Terence, which was first successfully performed in 160 BC. The play’s comedic twist is that the mother-in-law is accused of hating her son’s wife.

    The 2005 box office hit Monster-in-Law (2005) follows this trajectory and takes it to the extreme. Viola Fields (Jane Fonda) becomes manipulative and acts downright dirty to prevent her son, Kevin (Michael Vartan), from getting married to his fiancée Charlie (Jennifer Lopez) – who she thinks is not good enough for him.

    This romantic comedy has the conventions of love, romance, a wedding, and overall impending chaos. It is about a mother trying to do what she thinks is best for her son, as well as the fragile links between romantic love, familial love and matriarchy.

    In parts, the film transgresses into slapstick territory, as Kevin remains oblivious of Viola’s volatile antics towards Charlie. The tension between the two strong female leads hilariously spirals out of control in the lead-up to the wedding.

    Monster-in-Law is a feel-good film that draws on the close bond between mother and child, making it good viewing for Mother’s Day.

    – Panizza Allmark

    The Wild Robot (2024)

    There’s a cultural belief that once your baby is in your arms, you’ll immediately know how to look after them, or that you can draw on your own experience of being mothered, or find the right path in one of eleventy billion parenting books.

    But even if you did have a good experience of being mothered (and many don’t), or you find some great books, parenthood remains a journey of uncertainty and trial and error.

    When I took my young children to see The Wild Robot, I laughed and cried way more than them. Not just because the animation was so beautiful, or because the story was so moving, but because of the non-didactic moments that resonated so strongly with how we parents feel.

    We often don’t know what we’re doing; we’re trying our best, and wishing it will be the right thing – playing out an internal war between wanting to protect our children and wanting them to forge their own path.

    In The Wild Robot, Roz the robot (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) is focused on helping her adopted gosling Brightbill (Kit Connor) learn how to fly – something she has no experience of. More importantly, Brightbill must fly on a migration flight with other birds, where she can’t join him.

    The film mirrors the beautiful and horrifying knowledge parents carry: if we do our job, our children will become their own individuals who are able and willing to leave us. All we can hope is we’ve formed a bond that will make them want to return.

    – Rebecca Beirne

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

    Was your mother born overseas? It’s likely. Nearly half of all Australians have a parent born overseas. Or perhaps you married into a family where your “new mum” was born overseas?

    Your mother-in-law counts on Mother’s Day. Don’t forget it. And if you married into a wonderfully loud Greek/Italian family as I did, then your mother-in-law is likely a hard worker who deserves to be entertained. So why not offer her, and all the mums in your life, a sweet, disarming rom-com about a clash of cultures and a life milestone all mums can get behind: a wedding. A Big Fat Greek Wedding, to be precise.

    Written by and starring Nia Vardalos, this film tells the tale of Toula Portokalos, who, at the “advanced” age of 30, remains persistently unmarried in the early aughts Chicago. In Greek terms, this is already a tragedy. The title does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of what comes next.

    The real charm of the film is the clash of cultures that anyone with any ethnic background will recognise.

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a small film with huge global success. Will your mum care it was made with a budget of just US$5 million but grossed more than US$360 million worldwide, making it one of the most profitable films of all time, with a more than 6,150% return? Probably not.

    But she’ll love John Corbett, that tall guy who was also in Sex in City (and he’s really good in this one). Just make sure you skip the sequels.

    – Ruari Elkington

    Alien: Romulus (2024)

    Not everyone wants to watch saccharine romantic comedies on Mothers’ Day. If you can relate, dystopian horror film Alien: Romulus (2024) offers much darker pleasures.

    Feminist scholars have long found the Alien franchise to be rife with symbolism and repressed fears about motherhood, birth and reproductive organs. Alien: Romulus goes further than the original 1979 film in making the theme of sexual violation explicit. As you might expect from Fede Álvarez, the director of Evil Dead (2013), there is plenty of body horror as human characters are assaulted and orally impregnated by Alien species.

    The film also includes neo-Marxist messages about “the company” and its violation of workers’ bodies. Working mums may enjoy the dark humour of a futuristic corporation that literally sucks the life out of workers before politely thanking them for their service.

    Leading action woman Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) is more vulnerable and relatable than the iconic character Ripley of previous films. When Rain discovers her work contract has tipped over into slavery, she joins up with her ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux) and his pregnant sister Kay (Isabela Merced) to hijack a space station.

    They must then manage a coolly indifferent IT operating system called “MU/TH/UR” to control the ship. The fact Kay is pregnant does not bode well; her baby eventually bursts out as a hideous alien-human mutant which tries to eat her.

    Alien Romulus is basically every unspeakable anxiety about pregnancy and motherhood realised through spectacular special effects. It’s also the franchise’s best film since the original.

    – Susan Hopkins

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Stepmums, alien mums, robot mums, vengeful mums: 7 films to watch this Mother’s Day – https://theconversation.com/stepmums-alien-mums-robot-mums-vengeful-mums-7-films-to-watch-this-mothers-day-255004

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley, Thompson, Markey, McGovern, Carter Continue Investigation Into Conditions at ICE Facilities After Hearing Allegations of Medical Neglect

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Letters Follows Lawmakers’ Visit to Louisiana Facilities Where Rümeysa Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil are Being Held

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), along with Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Congressmen James P. McGovern (MA-02) and Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02), sent a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seeking more information on the detention conditions of immigrants held at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center (CLIPC) and the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center (SLIPC) after an oversight trip to the facilities last month.

    Both facilities have long faced allegations of inhumane treatment and poor detention conditions. During the visit, Members received allegations that detainees at the facilities have had miscarriages – and may not be receiving adequate maternal healthcare or proper cancer screenings. 

    “During our oversight visit to the facilities, we observed troubling detention conditions and received significant allegations about mistreatment from detainees,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “We heard from women who felt lumps in their breasts but were not provided appropriate medical attention; witnessed a pregnant mother with medical risks and detention staff unprepared for the birth of a child; observed men and women suffering respiratory issues in unreasonably cold and humid dormitories; and saw young women shaking and crying in fear of retaliation if they were to speak to Members of Congress.”

    Last month, the lawmakers traveled to ICE facilities in Basile and Jena, where Rümeysa Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil are being unlawfully detained and subjected to inhumane conditions in retaliation for their protected speech. Rep. Pressley, Senator Markey, and Rep. McGovern recounted their harrowing visit at a press conference in Boston.

    “While at SLIPC, we received conflicting information from staff about detainees’ allegations. For example, we received deeply troubling information alleging that multiple women at SLIPC suffered from miscarriages while in custody—allegations staff denied,” the lawmakers continued in their letter. “Additionally, medical staff told us that during detainees’ menstrual periods, the facility provided as many menstrual products as requested, yet detainees consistently reported that facility employees regularly withheld not just menstrual products but also toilet paper.”

    Yesterday, Pressley, Markey, and McGovern issued a statement applauding the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit for directing the Trump Administration to comply with a lower court order to transfer Rümeysa Öztürk from ICE custody in Louisiana to Vermont. 

    In a powerful New York Times op-ed, Pressley, Markey, and McGovern discussed their meeting with Ms. Öztürk in detention and warned the American people of the dangers posed by the Trump administration’s unlawful attacks on our constitutional rights to freedom of speech and due process. Full text of the op-ed is available here.

    Rep. Pressley, along with Sens. Warren and Markey, have pushed for answers and action since Öztürk’s March arrest. In March, they led over 30 lawmakers in writing to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Acting Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, demanding information about Öztürk’s arrest and detention as well as similar incidents across the country.

    In April, the lawmakers sounded the alarm on Öztürk’s medical neglect in DHS custody and renewed urgent calls for her release. Last week, Pressley, Warren and Markey demanded Secretary of State Rubio released any documents related to her arrest after a recent report indicated that an internal State Department memo concluded that the key premise underlying Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk’s arrest and detention was false. Last month, Congresswoman Pressley issued a statement condemning reports that ICE arrested and detained Rumeysa Ozturk, an international student with legal status in a graduate program at Tufts University. Earlier in the week, Rep. Pressley issued a statement following reports of ICE activity in Boston and other municipalities in Massachusetts.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: What They Are Saying: Changes to New York’s Discovery Laws

    Source: US State of New York

    ollowing the FY26 State Budget agreement, District Attorneys, domestic violence survivor advocates, religious leaders and business groups are voicing their support for essential changes to New York’s discovery laws. Included in this year’s Budget, these discovery reforms build upon Governor Hochul’s record investments in proven crime prevention initiatives, while holding perpetrators accountable and safeguarding the right to a fair and speedy trial in New York State.

    Rensselaer County District Attorney and DAASNY President-Elect and Mary Pat Donnelly said, “I am grateful to Governor Hochul for recognizing the important role which Discovery has in the efforts of prosecutors to secure justice for victims in New York State. These changes protect against technical dismissals, and the dangerous consequences of those dismissals. This is a critical investment in public safety; these changes will be effective in promoting a safer New York.”

    Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon said, “I believe in pragmatic solutions to criminal justice issues, so I am grateful for Governor Hochul’s vision and leadership on Discovery reform. These common sense adjustments to the Discovery laws that the Governor fought for will help us restore justice for victims and provide us more tools to promote public safety.”

    Wayne County District Attorney Christine K. Callanan said, “The original discovery legislation, while well-intentioned, had unintended consequences that allowed for gamesmanship and resulted in the dismissal of otherwise prosecutable cases. The recent reforms preserve the full disclosure of important discovery materials to defendants, ensuring transparency and fairness, while eliminating procedural loopholes that came at the cost of successful prosecutions and justice for victims. This balanced approach strengthens due process without compromising public safety or victims’ rights.”

    Columbia County District Attorney Chris Liberati-Conant said, “The tweaks to the discovery law are a big win for public safety and the people of Columbia County. They uphold the core principles of justice, fairness, and transparency while bringing balance and common sense to the law. Defendants are still entitled to essentially everything in prosecutors’ files — everything they need for their defense. But these changes should end the practice of lying in wait by requiring defense counsel to confer in good faith about any discovery issues and setting a reasonable time limit on discovery motions. No longer should cases be dismissed for technical, minor violations that do not affect the defendant’s ability to prepare a defense. These changes protect crime victims while upholding defendants’ rights and ensuring swift, just, and responsible prosecution of cases. I thank the Governor for her steadfast leadership in support of these needed amendments.”

    Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said, “It has always been critically important to provide complete disclosure of the evidence against someone accused of a crime. The changes to New York’s discovery laws continue to protect the rights of the accused while significantly reducing the chance that a case will be dismissed based upon a technicality. These changes represent a commonsense and pragmatic solution that protects the rights and safety of all New Yorkers and I am extremely pleased that this was a priority for Governor Hochul in this year’s budget.”

    Ulster County District Attorney Manny Nneji said, “Discovery rules are all about achieving justice for all through a fair and transparent process. The adjustments made by Governor Hochul and our State Legislature will go a long way in eliminating the worries for victims of crime resulting from the aggressive and overzealous abuse of loopholes existing in the original discovery reforms. As a prosecutor who has dealt with these abuses firsthand in homicide cases, I am grateful to the Governor and Legislature for taking action that positively impacts victims of crime in my community.”

    Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace said, “I am proud to stand alongside Gov. Hochul and my District Attorney colleagues in support of a Fiscal Year 2026 budget that prioritizes public safety. This is a hard-won victory, but one that was undoubtedly worth fighting for. I commend Gov. Hochul’s leadership and the efforts of everyone inside and outside government who brought these reforms over the finish line. This agreement is a win for all New Yorkers who believe crime victims deserve a meaningful chance at securing justice. Though discovery is not often in the public spotlight, it lies at the heart of the criminal justice process. For years, we operated under a status quo that yielded arbitrary disappointments and absurd results. Now, these reforms will help restore the public’s faith in our criminal justice system.”

    Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said, “As prosecutors, we are dedicated to pursuing justice fairly, ethically, and within the bounds of the law. While the 2019 discovery reforms were well-intentioned, they created significant operational challenges to our Office, and to district attorneys’ offices state-wide. We applaud Governor Hochul and our lawmakers for proposing amendments that preserve the spirit of reform while adding safeguards to prevent unjust dismissals of cases based upon minor technical errors in disclosures. These changes promote fairness by allowing proportionate remedies for procedural errors, protecting both defendants’ rights and public safety. We are happy to hear that Governor Hochul is committed to providing additional funding to district attorneys’ offices for discovery. To implement these reforms effectively, district attorneys’ offices urgently need additional resources. Investment in staffing and technology is essential to uphold these standards and ensure a just, efficient legal system.”

    Village of Brightwaters Mayor and President of the Suffolk County Village Officials Association John Valdini said, “On behalf of the Villages across Suffolk County, I would like to thank Governor Hochul for standing up for the victims of crimes with the Discovery Law changes included in this year’s state budget. These necessary changes will help restore balance to our justice system, keep our communities safe and support victims throughout the legal process.”

    Westhampton Beach Mayor Ralph Urban said, “Mayor Ralph Urban of Westhampton Beach strongly supports any legislation that will reduce the ‘Revolving Door’ that is currently putting a great deal of stress on our Justice and Police Departments along with putting the public at risk for encountering repeat offenders without relief.”

    North Haven Village Mayor Chris Fiore said, “The recent position of the Governor’s office and the revision of the over restrictive discovery laws will proactively address recidivism and make our neighborhoods safer. There’s more to do but these are great first steps.

    New York City Council Member Keith Powers said, “Safety is a top priority for all New Yorkers. While we’ve continued to see crime fall, it’s as important as ever that we give prosecutors the tools they need to bring criminals to justice. Tweaks to the state’s discovery law will hold perpetrators accountable while keeping the intention of the original 2019 reforms intact, ensuring speedy trials. I commend Governor Hochul for her work, and applaud the prosecutors who have worked so hard to achieve this agreement.”

    New York City Council Member Gale A. Brewer said, “These thoughtful changes to New York’s discovery laws reflect our continued commitment to justice, fairness, and public safety. By listening to the concerns of prosecutors, advocates, and communities across the state, we’ve struck the right balance—ensuring timely access to information, protecting victims, and reinforcing our fundamental promise of due process under the law.”

    Southold Town Supervisor Albert J. Krupski, Jr. said, “I am in support of New York State’s effort to change the discovery law to provide better public safety for our communities.”

    Monroe County Sheriff Todd K. Baxter said, “On behalf of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the communities we serve, I want to express our appreciation to Governor Hochul for her support of public safety and meaningful discovery reform. This important revision to our discovery laws helps ensure that law enforcement has the tools we need to protect our neighborhoods, while upholding the integrity of our justice system. These changes are necessary across the bail reform spectrum. We are grateful for the willingness to discuss, the willingness to improve.”

    Partnership for New York City President & CEO Kathryn Wylde said, “Governor Hochul’s leadership has resulted in adjustments to the discovery law that were necessary to keep New Yorkers safe. Together with leaders Andrea Stewart Cousins and Carl Heastie, she has delivered reform that was a top priority for the city’s employers.”

    Greater NY Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Mark Jaffe said, “Kathy Hochul is listening! Our members throughout NY have been frustrated by the 2019 Discovery Reforms that needed to be fixed to protect public safety. The well-meaning reforms had resulted in tens of thousands of dismissals for felony and repetitive misdemeanor cases that too often left law abiding citizens without justice. The Governor’s leadership and conviction has delivered a system that will now protect the accused without sacrificing justice for victims of crime. Again, we must thank Governor Hochul for standing up for our members and providing a safer environment for all those who live, work, and visit NY.”

    Manhattan Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jessica Walker said, “This was a very heavy lift, but the Governor got it done! This is one of those wonky issues that isn’t particularly well-known or understood but which has substantial and far-reaching impacts. It goes to the very heart of public safety and justice in New York. The Governor made a strong case, stood firm, and delivered on her promise to fix the issue. New Yorkers should all be tremendously grateful for her steady leadership.”

    Staten Island Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Linda Baran said, “The adjustments to New York State’s discovery law and the investments in our justice system included in the State budget are promising steps towards improving public safety and protecting New Yorkers and business owners. The Chamber is grateful for these improvements and congratulates Governor Hochul and District Attorney McMahon for their efforts in making New York a better and safer place for businesses to thrive.”

    Bronx Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Sorin said, “Retail theft continues to threaten the stability of small businesses and commercial corridors across New York City—particularly in the Bronx, where so many local entrepreneurs operate on razor-thin margins. The discovery law changes included in this year’s budget are a critical step toward restoring accountability, protecting small businesses, and making our communities safer for all residents. We commend Governor Hochul and the Legislature for advancing these thoughtful reforms and for recognizing that economic vitality and public safety must go hand in hand.”

    Long Island Against Domestic Violence Executive Director Wendy Linsalata said, “LI Against Domestic Violence fully supports efforts to enhance systems that are in place to protect survivor safety and hold those that are responsible for inflicting fear and harm on their partner accountable. Changes to the discovery laws were needed to prevent the dismissal of cases and support prosecution based on the merits of the case while not infringing on the rights of offenders. These changes will provide a positive impact for survivors whom, often feel unheard and discouraged from reaching out for assistance in the future when cases are dismissed.”

    Crime Victims Center Executive Director Laura A. Ahearn said, “I applaud Governor Hochul for championing these much needed changes to New York’s discovery laws. These reforms will help ensure victims on Long Island and across the state can finally seek justice based on the facts, not be denied it because of technicalities.”

    SEPA Mujer Inc. Executive Director Martha Maffei said, “The strengthened discovery protections in New York State law are a vital step toward justice, ensuring that those who bravely speak up are not further endangered. For many of the immigrant women we serve, this confidentiality is not just a legal right—it’s a lifeline. These changes affirm that survivor safety and due process can coexist, and we will continue to advocate for both.”

    Sanctuary for Families CEO Hon. Judy Harris Kluger said, “Governor Hochul and the Legislature have taken a vital step to ensure our justice system works for domestic violence survivors as well as defendants. For years, cases were dismissed over minor procedural errors, leaving survivors without protection and offenders without accountability. By addressing the unintended consequences of our discovery laws, these reforms will help restore survivors’ ability to seek safety and justice through the courts.”

    Willow Domestic Violence Center of Greater Rochester President & CEO Meaghan de Chateauvieux said, “Governor Hochul’s proposed discovery reform is a critical step toward strengthening protections for survivors of domestic violence. By ensuring sensitive information is safeguarded and survivors are not retraumatized through the legal process, this proposal prioritizes both justice and safety. We are grateful for the Governor’s leadership and commitment to building a system that better supports those who courageously come forward.”

    Brighter Tomorrows, Inc. Executive Director Dolores Kordon said, “Domestic violence victims face many obstacles in their quest for justice. Measures that create a pathway towards safety for themselves and their children is critical. Streamlining the discovery process helps to ensure fairness for victims.”

    Beit Simchat Torah Senior Rabbi Emerita Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum said, “As Senior Rabbi Emerita of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST), co-founder of the New York Jewish Agenda, and a lifelong advocate for equality, I deeply appreciate Governor Hochul’s leadership in advancing these critical changes to New York’s discovery laws. The discovery amendments that the Governor and the Legislature enacted this budget honor the spirit of the 2019 reforms—protecting the rights of the accused—while addressing unintended consequences that have harmed victims. These thoughtful amendments preserve the rights of the accused and do right by victims, ensuring our justice system works for everyone it touches.”

    Garment District Alliance President Barbara Blair said, “The Garment District Alliance thanks governor Hochul and the state legislature for recognizing and addressing the serious need to modify NY’s discovery laws. GDA has been a first-hand witness to a justice system compromised by opportunism with regard to discovery. Strengthening these laws are an improvement step in restoring credibility and fairness to the judicial process.”

    Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris said, “We commend Governor Hochul for standing strong and delivering reforms to discovery rules for all New Yorkers so victims will no longer be denied justice for technicalities. New York still has the most transparent criminal justice system and protects the rights of the accused while making sure that New York is safe for all.”

    Chinatown Partnership Executive Director Wellington Chen said, “To see and hear directly from the domestic violence advocates and victims talk about their experience and the impacts this change in New York Discovery Laws mean to them make it clear why this is so necessary and why the inscription on the pediment says it all: “the true administration of justice is the firmest form of good government.”

    Village Alliance Business Improvement District Executive Director Scott Hobbs said, “We applaud Governor Hochul and the Legislature for advancing thoughtful reforms that bring fairness and accountability back to our justice system. In our community, small businesses were left vulnerable by the well-intentioned changes to the law in 2019, but the unintended consequences led to cases being dismissed on technical grounds—leaving victims without recourse and emboldening repeat offenders. These essential changes will help ensure that crimes against Greenwich Village’s small businesses are taken seriously, that victims can seek justice, and that due process remains protected for all parties.”

    Staten Island Economic Development Corporation President & CEO Mike Cusick said, “I applaud Governor Hochul for her efforts to build on record crime prevention investments while safeguarding fair trials and accountability as part of the FY26 State Budget. For our small business owners, this means a justice system that works faster, protects community safety, and supports a more stable environment to live and do business on Staten Island.”

    Noir et Blanc Owner Deborah Koenigsberger said, “A done deal! As she promised, Governor Kathy Hochul got it done. So grateful to our Governor who stood her ground on behalf of small businesses like mine! BRAVA Governor! Thank you for fighting with us!”

    Family Services CEO Leah Feldman said, “At Family Services, we stand with victims of crime every step of the way. We thank the Governor for treating discovery reform as a human issue. Ensuring trauma-informed and survivor centered systems protects victims’ rights and promotes justice, strengthening the ability of victims to safely participate in the legal processes meant to protect them without being retraumatized.”

    Citizens Crime Commission of NYC President Richard Aborn said, “At its core, the criminal justice system must be based on a careful balance. The right of an individual who has been accused of a crime to a fair and open trial is of paramount importance. The government has no greater power than to deprive some one of their liberty. Before it can exercise that power, the government must be held to a standard that ensures a just outcome. The balance is struck when the rights of the accused are carefully juxtaposed with the right of the government to fully present its evidence within constitutional and statutory bounds. With the governor’s steady leadership, the legislature has moved New York State law closer to striking that balance. The changes in the discovery law will continue to offer those accused of crimes very high levels of protection from unjust outcomes while removing obstacles that unfairly impinged on prosecutors’ ability to prove their cases. This is a classic win-win.”

    Antioch Baptist Brooklyn Pastor and President of AACEO Rev. Dr. Robert M. Waterman said, “Governor Hochul’s leadership in reforming New York’s Discovery Laws strikes a balance between protecting defendants’ rights and advancing justice for victims—strengthening public safety while ensuring fairness and accountability in our legal system.”

    God’s Battalion of Prayer Pastor Rev. Al Cockfield said, “Public safety is the cornerstone of the faith community and of Black and brown communities, and we are grateful for Governor Hochul’s support in keeping us safe. These changes to discovery delicately uphold transparency while targeting repeat offenders who terrorize our city. No New Yorker should be afraid to go to church or take their child to school. Today’s announcement marks a new day in our criminal justice system.”

    River of Life Church Pastor Donald Mapes said, “Thank you to Governor Hochul for spearheading the much needed reforms to the Discovery Laws. Lawyers must have the time and evidence they need to better ensure victims here in the Hudson Valley and across the State have the justice they deserve.”

    Women’s Equal Justice Director Jane Manning said, “These reforms will make a real difference for survivors and will reduce the number of cases dismissed for trivial technical violations. We still have more work to do, but this bill moves us forward in a powerful way. I cannot say enough how grateful we are to the Governor for standing strong to secure these very significant reforms. Without her commitment to fighting for victims and survivors, this important bill would not have been possible.”

    Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Executive Director Taina Bien-Aimé said, “We applaud Governor Hochul for her unflinching commitment to stand with survivors who have endured unspeakable violence at the hands of people who should have instead loved and protected them. The Governor’s vision of justice for victims and survivors of gender-based violence has carried the day in New York with these necessary changes to the discovery law, and is an example for the country as we continue the journey toward equality, especially for women.”

    Met Council on Jewish Poverty CEO David G. Greenfield said, “As the largest provider of domestic violence services in New York’s Jewish community, Met Council has seen firsthand the heartbreak when survivors summon the courage to seek justice—only to have their cases dismissed over minor procedural errors. Governor Kathy Hochul’s reforms to the state’s discovery laws directly address this injustice by ensuring that serious cases are no longer derailed by technicalities. These changes restore faith in the legal system and offer survivors a real path to safety and accountability. We applaud Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to protecting victims and strengthening justice for all New Yorkers.”

    Urban Resource Institute CEO Nathaniel M. Fields said, “URI is grateful to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for their work to protect survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. The deal struck on discovery strikes the right balance and will ensure that survivors can access justice and safety through the courts. As the largest provider of transitional housing for domestic violence survivors in the country, we look forward to our continued partnership to prevent harm, increase safety and reduce recidivism by investing in violence prevention and accountability work with people who have caused harm.”

    Staten Island Community Board 2 Chair Fred Giunta said, “Staten Island Community Board 2 recognizes the importance of updating New York’s Discovery Laws to ensure that survivors have the necessary tools to seek justice, while also upholding the right to a fair and timely trial. These changes are vital for fostering accountability, protecting due process, and strengthening trust in our legal system. We also appreciate Governor Hochul’s commitment to this issue by allocating $135 million in next year’s budget to support its implementation.”

    Westerleigh Improvement Society President Mark Anderson said, “We are pleased to hear that Governor Kathy Hochul has signed into law, commonsense changes to the discovery requirements in pending criminal cases. These changes are reasonable not only for the prosecution, but also for the defense. These new requirements create a more productive process by relieving the undue burden of providing unnecessary evidence or omitted or incorrect evidence from causing the case to be prematurely dropped. Provisions are also welcomed, that provide a timely process for challenges of the evidence, which will create an expedited defense for those charged. We are also grateful to our elected state officials and especially the efforts towards this successful legislation by District Attorney Michael McMahon.”

    Richmondtown and Clarke Avenue Civic Association President Carol Donovan said, “The 2026 Discovery Laws reforms are welcomed efforts to improve the criminal justice system, and public safety overall. We want to thank Governor Hochul for including these public safety changes in the State budget.”

    Port Richmond Strong North Shore Alliance Vice Chair Mario Buonviaggio said, “The critical investments in public safety and changes in the discovery laws for the 2026 State budget will ensure perpetrators are held accountable and victims of crime are not denied justice on technicalities. We thank Governor Kathy Hochul and Staten Island District Attorney Mike McMahon for these critical changes to the discovery laws that will make our local communities safer.”

    Forest Regional Residents Civic Association President Neil Anastassio said, “Our civic association supports the discovery changes in the 2026 State budget secured by Governor Hochul, in partnership with our Staten Island District Attorney, which reforms timelines and procedures in criminal trials. These reforms will assure that all evidence is allowed to be considered during trials, thus protecting the rights of those accused as well as the victims of these crimes.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Update 290 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has once again lost the connection to its only remaining back-up power line, underlining the continued fragility of the electrical grid during the military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

    The latest disconnection of the 330 kilovolt (kV) power line – which occurred just before noon local time on Wednesday – left the plant entirely dependent on its last functional 750 kV power line for the electricity it needs to cool its reactors and for other essential nuclear safety and security functions. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy, the disconnection occurred as a result of military activities.

    “A secure supply of off-site power from the grid for all nuclear sites is one of the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security that we outlined early in the war. It is obvious that this supply is far from being secure. The vulnerability of the grid remains a deep source of concern for nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant as well as elsewhere in Ukraine,” Director General Grossi said.

    Before the conflict, the ZNPP had access to a total of ten external power lines, both 750 and 330 kV. The site has lost all off-site power eight times during the conflict.

    The IAEA team based at the ZNPP continued to hear explosions at distances far away from the site on several days over the past week.

    The team has continued to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security at the plant, in recent days conducting a site walkdown, confirming the water levels in the sprinkler ponds, and observing the testing of an emergency diesel generator. The team also visited the nuclear safety related electrical breakers and instrumentation, and control cabinets of units 3 and 4.

    Director General Grossi said he was in daily contact with both sides to organize the next rotation of IAEA experts at the ZNPP. The current team, ISAMZ27, has been at the plant for more than two months now. The previous rotation, conducted in early March, was also delayed because of difficult conditions on the ground.

    “The IAEA’s continuous presence at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, since September 2022, has been of vital importance for our efforts to help prevent a nuclear accident during the war. However, getting our staff to and from the site – located on the frontline – has become more complicated in recent months. In the coming days, I will continue to engage intensively with both sides to find a solution, which is urgently needed. My overarching priorities are the safety of my staff and the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant,” Director General Grossi said.

    At the Chornobyl site, investigations to determine the extent of damage sustained by the New Safe Confinement (NSC) arch are ongoing following the drone attack in mid-February.

    It took several weeks to completely extinguish the fires caused by the strike. The emergency work resulted in approximately 330 openings in the outer cladding of the NSC arch, each with an average size of 30-50 cm.

    According to information provided to the IAEA team at the site, a preliminary assessment of the physical integrity of the large arch-shaped building identified extensive damage, for example to the stainless-steel panels of the outer cladding, insulation materials as well as to a large part of the membrane – located between the layers of insulation materials – that keep out water, moisture and air.

    In addition, the IAEA team was informed that the NSC’s main crane system (MCS), which includes the crane north maintenance garage area, was damaged by the drone strike and is currently not operational. The MCS is one of the building’s main systems. The crane maintenance garage area houses several electrical cabinets for various systems, most of which were affected by the drone incident and by the water used to put out the resulting fires.

    The NSC’s other systems – providing relevant safety functions such as radiation monitoring, seismic monitoring, decontamination and radioactive waste management, power supply, and fire protection – remain functional, the IAEA team was informed.

    While the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems remain functional, they are not in service after the drone incident, the Chornobyl site added.

    “We are gradually getting a more complete picture of the severe damage caused by the drone strike. It will take both considerable time and money to repair all of it,” Director General Grossi said.

    On a more re-assuring note, there still has been no increase in radiation levels measured at the Chornobyl site, indicating there was no release of radioactive materials as a result of the strike.

    At Ukraine’s three operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine – five out of their total of nine units are currently operating and generating electricity. The four other reactors are in various stages of shutdown for planned maintenance and refueling, of which two are expected to restart soon.

    The IAEA teams based at the three operating NPPs and the Chornobyl site have continued to report about air raid alarms on most days over the past week. The team at the Khmelnytskyy NPP had to shelter on the site in the morning of 30 April.

    As part of the IAEA’s assistance programme to support nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, the Khmelnytskyy NPP and Energoatom’s Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility received radio-communication systems, procured with funding from the European Union. In addition, USIE Izotop – a Ukrainian state enterprise involved in the management of radioactive material intended for medical, industrial and other purposes – received software for dose assessments and related calculations, funded by New Zealand. This brings the total number of deliveries to 135 since the start of the conflict.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Companies sentenced for workplace fatalities

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Detainee Admits to Possessing Contraband Inside Wyatt Detention Center

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE –   A federal detainee found to be in possession of contraband while detained at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center today pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy and to a charge of providing and possessing contraband in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Anthony Whyte, 50, admitted that on May 21, 2023, he took possession of an envelope containing documents passed to him by a visitor. Upon further inspection, Wyatt officials determined that eight of the pages had the appearance of having been contaminated with some sort of substance. One of the eight pages later analyzed by the FBI was determined to have been treated with synthetic cannabinoids.

    Court documents reflect that Whyte arranged for the delivery of the contaminated pages during recorded telephone conversations he made from inside the Wyatt Detention Center. The papers and the manilla envelope they were contained in were seized moments after Whyte took possession of them. At the time, Whyte was detained in an unrelated criminal matter brought in the District of Connecticut.

    Whyte is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.

    The matter was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Wyatt Detention Center Professional Standards Unit.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse. The sentencing took place on May 1, 2025.

    Louis James Swallow, 22, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Swallow will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

    Swallow was indicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Abusive Sexual Contact by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 10, 2025.

    The case was charged after an acute disclosure of forcible sexual assault by the 13-year-old victim.  She disclosed Swallow followed her while she was walking home, grabbed her, forced her to the ground, and then raped her.  In sentencing Swallow to 20 years in prison, Judge Schreier condemned Swallow’s “frightening conduct,” noting he had also been charged in Pennington County for raping and strangling a girlfriend in 2020. Judge Schreier further recognized the trauma Swallow’s violence inflicted on the 13-year-old victim.

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

    This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Private School Settles with Justice Department to Address Discrimination Against Children with Disabilities

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 8, 2025, Wisconsin Montessori Society, Inc., d/b/a Milwaukee Montessori School (MMS) agreed to injunctive relief and payment of $290,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to provide full and equal enjoyment of its educational services to children with disabilities, in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12189.

    MMS is a private day school that offers pre-K through grade 8 education.  Private schools, day care centers, and other places of education are generally prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability under Title III of the ADA. Disabled individuals protected under Title III include both individuals with an actual disability—meaning “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual”—as well as individuals “regarded as having such an impairment.”

    Since at least 2018, MMS has discriminated against young children with disabilities.  MMS has: (1) denied, on the basis of disability, participation in its educational services to disabled children by expelling and refusing to admit them; (2) denied disabled children equal participation in MMS’s educational services by repeatedly sending them to the office, seating them separately from other students, and sending them home early because of manifestations of their disabilities; and (3) failed to make reasonable modifications for disabled children.  MMS’s discriminatory actions are evidenced by the experiences of ten children described in the Settlement Agreement.

    “Children with disabilities have the right to access the educational opportunities offered by private schools, including Montessori schools,” said Acting United States Richard Frohling.  “This settlement is an important reminder that the ADA’s obligations extend to private schools and their treatment of students with disabilities.”

    Under the settlement agreement, MMS will pay monetary damages of $240,000 to compensate aggrieved persons as well as a civil penalty of $50,000 to the United States.  It also includes injunctive relief that requires monitoring and reporting, and MMS has voluntarily taken some steps to address the government’s findings.

    The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of covered entities. The Department of Justice is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa Yun and Nia Schmaltz represented the government in this matter.  The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; MMS does not admit liability for the allegations.

    # #  #

    For Additional Information Contact:

    Public Information Officer

    Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

    414-297-1700

    Follow us on Twitter

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Trumbull Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Handguns, Ghost Guns, Ammunition

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JACK JAKUPS, 41, of Trumbull, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Jakups’ criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics possession, burglary, robbery, larceny, and escape offenses.  In January 2019, Jakups was released from prison to Connecticut’s Special Parole program.  On November 30, 2021, Jakups’ parole officer, with the assistance of ATF, conducted a search of Jakups’ residence and seized a Diamondback 9mm handgun, a Ruger 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, a privately made Glock-19-style firearm, a privately made AR-15-style firearm, and more than 300 rounds of ammunition.

    It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

    On November 14, 2022, Jakups pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon.

    Jakups, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on August 8.

    This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of Connecticut State Parole.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Crocodile captured in Little Annan River near Rossville

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 6 May 2025

    Open larger image

    The 2.8m crocodile was removed from the wild following several reports from the local community.

    A 2.8-metre estuarine crocodile has been captured in a baited trap on the Little Annan River near Cooktown on 27 April 2025.

    Wildlife Rangers from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) set the trap near Rossville on 24 April 2025, after receiving sighting reports from local residents.

    Lindsay Delzoppo, DETSI’s Director Northern Wildlife Operations, said the crocodile had been declared a ‘problem crocodile’ and targeted for removal based on its size and location – near private campgrounds where people often swim.

    “The fact that it had entered a baited trap after only three days, shows it must have been pretty hungry, he said.

    “We’d like to thank the members of community who reported the crocodile sightings to us. Such information is vital for us to locate the animal promptly and assess that it needed to be targeted for removal,” Mr Delzoppo said.

    “We would also like to thank the Cook Shire Council for their support and assistance while our wildlife rangers were investigating this and other crocodile sighting reports in the Cooktown area.

    “The removal of this animal is a reminder that crocodiles are highly mobile and can turn up in places they may not have been seen for many years, especially after flooding.”

    “People living on and visiting Cape York Peninsula should be aware that crocodiles may be present in any waterway, even if there are no warning signs.”

    Cook Shire Council Mayor Robyn Holmes confirmed that wildlife rangers have successfully removed a crocodile from the Little Annan River, crediting strong collaboration between agencies.

    “This is great news for the community,” Mayor Holmes said. “I want to thank the wildlife rangers not only for capturing the crocodile but also for educating the public and putting up recent sighting warning signs during their investigation.

    “Thank you to everyone who reported sightings to DETSI. I encourage all residents to report any crocodile sightings—this helps protect our community.

    “We live in crocodile territory. Staying alert and reporting sightings keeps everyone safer.”

    Crocodiles can be reported by using the QWildlife app, completing a crocodile sighting report on the DETSI website, or by calling 1300 130 372. The department investigates every crocodile sighting report received.

    Further information is available at: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/animals/living-with/crocodiles/becrocwise

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Rangers crack down on illegal activity in South Burnett State Forests

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 7 May 2025

    Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is issuing a strong reminder to visitors about the serious consequences of illegal activity in State forests and national parks.

    Rangers have observed a concerning increase in unsafe and unlawful behaviour across State forests and national parks including Wondai and Benarkin State Forests in recent months, with a number of fines issued over the Easter holiday period.

    Of particular concern is the number of adults and children riding unregistered motorbikes, not holding valid driver licences and failing to wear helmets, increasing the risk of serious injury.

    Rangers detected an increase in people camping without a permit which impacts on the visitor experience through overcrowding and places unnecessary pressure on facilities and amenities.

    Recent enforcement activity has resulted in the issuing of several Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) including:

    • $1209 issued for operating a vehicle with an unrestrained child
    • $322 for failure to wear a helmet while riding a motorbike
    • $322 for camping without a permit
    • $322 for driving/riding an unregistered vehicle

    QPWS Senior Ranger Luke stressed that the same rules that apply in public and on public roads also apply in state forests.

    “These rules exist for a reason. Those who choose to disregard these regulations are putting themselves and others at risk, damaging these delicate ecosystems, and spoiling the camping experience for responsible visitors.

    “A State forest is not a motocross track, and when people go off-road or ride dangerously, they put themselves at risk, destroy vegetation and cause erosion.

    “You would not do it in the main street of Wondai, the local botanic gardens or your backyard, so don’t do it in a State forest or national park.”

    Ranger Luke also highlighted the importance of camping permits.

    “Permits help to prevent overcrowding, protect wildlife and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors.

    “At just $7.25 per person, a permit is a small price to pay to camp in some of Queensland’s most spectacular locations. Camping illegally can end up being a very costly mistake and can result in a $322 fine.”

    QPWS will continue to conduct regular patrols of State forests in the South Burnett including Wondai and Benarkin State Forests, and those caught breaking the law will face heavy penalties.

    Any illegal activity in national parks and State forests can be reported anonymously by calling 1300 130 372.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How the Take It Down Act tackles nonconsensual deepfake porn − and how it falls short

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Sylvia Lu, Faculty Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, University of Michigan

    The Take It Down bill, co-authored by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, easily passed both houses of Congress. President Trump is expected to sign it into law. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    In a rare bipartisan move, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Take It Down Act by a vote of 409-2 on April 28, 2025. The bill is an effort to confront one of the internet’s most appalling abuses: the viral spread of nonconsensual sexual imagery, including AI-generated deepfake pornography and real photos shared as revenge porn.

    Now awaiting President Trump’s expected signature, the bill offers victims a mechanism to force platforms to remove intimate content shared without their permission – and to hold those responsible for distributing it to account.

    As a scholar focused on AI and digital harms, I see this bill as a critical milestone. Yet it leaves troubling gaps. Without stronger protections and a more robust legal framework, the law may end up offering a promise it cannot keep. Enforcement issues and privacy blind spots could leave victims just as vulnerable.

    The Take It Down Act targets “non-consensual intimate visual depictions” – a legal term that encompasses what most people call revenge porn and deepfake porn. These are sexual images or videos, often digitally manipulated or entirely fabricated, circulated online without the depicted person’s consent.

    The bill compels online platforms to build a user-friendly takedown process. When a victim submits a valid request, the platform must act within 48 hours. Failure to do so may trigger enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission, which can treat the violation as an unfair or deceptive act or practice. Criminal penalties also apply to those who publish the images: Offenders may be fined and face up to three years in prison if anyone under 18 is involved, and up to two years if the subject is an adult.

    A growing problem

    Deepfake porn is not just a niche problem. It is a metastasizing crisis. With increasingly powerful and accessible AI tools, anyone can fabricate a hyper-realistic sexual image in minutes. Public figures, ex-partners and especially minors have become regular targets. Women, disproportionately, are the ones harmed.

    These attacks dismantle lives. Victims of nonconsensual intimate image abuse suffer harassment, online stalking, ruined job prospects, public shaming and emotional trauma. Some are driven off the internet. Others are haunted repeatedly by resurfacing content. Once online, these images replicate uncontrollably – they don’t simply disappear.

    In that context, a swift and standardized takedown process can offer critical relief. The bill’s 48-hour window for response has the potential to reclaim a fragment of control for those whose dignity and privacy were invaded by a click. Despite its promise, unresolved legal and procedural gaps can hinder its effectiveness.

    NBC News gives an overview of the Take It Down Act.

    Blind spots and shortfalls

    The bill targets only public-facing interactive platforms that primarily host user-generated content such as social media platforms. It may not reach the countless hidden private forums or encrypted peer-to-peer networks where such content often first appears. This creates a critical legal gap: When nonconsensual sexual images are shared on closed or anonymous platforms, victims may never even know – or know in time – that the content exists, much less have a chance to request its removal.

    Even on platforms covered by the bill, implementation is likely to be challenging. Determining whether the online content depicts the person in question, lacks consent and affects the hard-to-define privacy interests requires careful judgment. This demands legal understanding, technical expertise and time. But platforms must reach that decision within 24 hours or less.

    On the other hand, time is a luxury victims do not have. But even with the 48-hour removal window, the content can still spread widely before it is taken down. The bill does not include meaningful incentives for platforms to detect and remove such content proactively. And it provides no deterrent strong enough to discourage most malicious creators from generating these images in the first place.

    This takedown mechanism can also be subject to abuse. Critics warn that the bill’s broad language and lack of safeguards could lead to overcensorship, potentially affecting journalistic and other legitimate content. As platforms may be flooded with a mix of real and malicious takedown requests – some filed in bad faith to suppress speech or art – they may resort to poorly designed and privacy-invasive automated monitoring filters that tend to issue blanket rejections or err on the side of removing content that falls outside the scope of the law.

    Without clear standards, platforms may act improperly. How – and even whether – the FTC will hold platforms accountable under the act is another open question.

    Burden on the victims

    The bill also places the burden of action on victims, who must locate the content, complete the paperwork, explain that it was nonconsensual, and submit personal contact information – often while still reeling from the emotional toll.

    Moreover, while the bill targets both AI-generated deepfakes and revenge porn involving real images, it fails to account for the complex realities victims face. Many are trapped in unequal relationships and may have “consented” under pressure, manipulation or fear to having intimate content about them posted online. Situations like this fall outside the bill’s legal framing. The bill bars consent obtained through overt threats and coercion, yet it overlooks more insidious forms of manipulation.

    Even for those who do engage the takedown process, the risks remain. Victims must submit contact information and a statement explaining that the image was nonconsensual, without legal guarantees that this sensitive data will be protected. This exposure could invite new waves of harassment and exploitation.

    Loopholes for offenders

    The bill includes liability-evasive conditions and exceptions that could allow distributors to escape liability. If the content was shared with the subject’s consent, served a public concern, or was unintentional or caused no demonstrable harm, they may avoid consequences under the Take It Down Act. If offenders deny causing harm, victims face an uphill battle. Emotional distress, reputational damage and career setbacks are real, but they rarely come with clear documentation or a straightforward chain of cause and effect.

    Equally concerning, the bill allows exceptions for publication of such content for legitimate medical, educational or scientific purposes. Though well-intentioned, this language creates a confusing and potentially dangerous loophole. It risks becoming a shield for exploitation masquerading as research or education.

    Getting ahead of the problem

    The notice and takedown mechanism is fundamentally reactive. It intervenes only after the damage has begun. But deepfake pornography is designed for rapid proliferation. By the time a takedown request is filed, the content may have already been saved, reposted or embedded across dozens of sites – some hosted overseas or buried in decentralized networks. The current bill provides a system that treats the symptoms while leaving the harms to spread.

    In my research on algorithmic and AI harms, I have argued that legal responses should move beyond reactive actions. I have proposed a framework that anticipates harm before it occurs – not one that merely responds after the fact. That means incentivizing platforms to take proactive steps to protect the privacy, autonomy, equality and safety of users exposed to harms caused by AI-generated images and tools. It also means broadening accountability to cover more perpetrators and platforms, supported by stronger safeguards and enforcement systems.

    The Take It Down Act is a meaningful first step. But to truly protect the vulnerable, I believe that lawmakers should build stronger systems – ones that prevent harm before it happens and treat victims’ privacy and dignity not as afterthoughts but as fundamental rights.

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

    – ref. How the Take It Down Act tackles nonconsensual deepfake porn − and how it falls short – https://theconversation.com/how-the-take-it-down-act-tackles-nonconsensual-deepfake-porn-and-how-it-falls-short-255809

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Presses Justice Department on Media Subpoena Policy and Threats to the First Amendment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led her Judiciary Committee colleagues in pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding her decision to change Justice Department policies to make it easier for the Justice Department to subpoena journalists to obtain information about their confidential sources and potentially harass journalists who write stories critical of the Administration.    .
    “We write to express our deep concern with the Department of Justice’s April 25, 2025 memorandum changing the guidance that set limitations on the Department’s ability to subpoena materials from journalists and news organizations,” wrote the Senators. “The free press is a bedrock of our democracy and reporters must be able to do their jobs without fear of being investigated or prosecuted.”
    “When asked at your confirmation hearing to commit to ‘respect the importance of a free press,’ you said ‘absolutely,’” the Senators continued. “Yet your decision to rescind important limits on the Justice Department’s ability to compel information from the press threatens the ability of journalists to fully perform their critical jobs, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.” 
    Along with Klobuchar, the letter was signed by every Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee – Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA). 
    The full letter is available here and below. 
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to express our deep concern with the Department of Justice’s April 25, 2025 memorandum changing the guidance that set limitations on the Department’s ability to subpoena materials from journalists and news organizations.
    The free press is a bedrock of our democracy and reporters must be able to do their jobs without fear of being investigated or prosecuted. When asked at your confirmation hearing to commit to “respect the importance of a free press,” you said “absolutely.” Yet your decision to rescind important limits on the Justice Department’s ability to compel information from the press threatens the ability of journalists to fully perform their critical jobs, as guaranteed by the First Amendment. 
    Under the previous guidance, the Justice Department was authorized to subpoena journalists engaged in news gathering only “[w]hen necessary to prevent an imminent or concrete risk of death or serious bodily harm.” Under the 2025 guidance, Justice Department officials can take the extraordinary step of subpoenaing journalists merely to investigate “unauthorized disclosures that undermine President Trump’s policies,” extending far beyond disclosures of classified information. In other words, under this new guidance, there is little protection for journalists who publish any story critical of the Administration from being threatened with a subpoena and litigation to enforce the subpoena. The threat to journalists is especially concerning given Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel’s claims prior to his confirmation that the news media is “the most powerful enemy the United States has ever seen” and that he would “come after the people in the media . . . criminally or civilly.” 
    Nor does it appear that the Justice Department would subpoena reporters’ records only as a last resort. Under the guidelines, the Justice Department may subpoena journalists after the Attorney General has made only a few subjective determinations, such as whether the information sought is “essential to a successful prosecution,” whether “reasonable attempts” to obtain the information from alternative sources were made, and whether engaging in negotiations would threaten “the integrity of the investigation.” These factors make it far too easy for the Attorney General to compel journalists to reveal sources.   
    This change will also deter whistleblowers from coming forward with information to the news media, depriving the public of valuable information about its government. Whistleblowers that violate the law—for example by disclosing classified information—should be subject to the legal consequences of that action, but the government should not be allowed to intimidate or harass journalists who lawfully report the news. 
    As the Office of Legal Policy prepares regulations to implement your memorandum, we respectfully request that you provide responses to the following questions:
    What protections are in place to ensure that journalists are not targeted because they published a news article critical of the Administration?
    Will you commit to ensuring that issuing a subpoena to a journalist or news organization will be used only as a last resort when there is a compelling and overriding interest in the information, such as protecting national security?
    Will the regulations require the Department to comply with state shield laws?
    Is the Department consulting with outside organizations, including organizations representing journalists, as part of the preparation of regulations? If so, what organizations?
    What measures will the regulations put in place to ensure that the White House is not allowed to order or influence the issuance of a subpoena to a journalist or news organization?
    What process for review, if any, will be put in place to ensure the new regulations are being followed and are not being abused for political or any other inappropriate purpose?  
    Has the Justice Department issued any subpoenas to journalists or news organizations under this new guidance? If so, to whom and seeking what information?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, SH29, Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Emergency services are at the scene of a serious four-vehicle crash on SH29, in Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park. 

    Police were called about 6.40am. 

    Initial indications are one person has sustained serious injuries, while several others have sustained moderate or minor injuries. 

    The road is blocked and traffic management is in place.

    Motorists should avoid the area, or expect delays.

    ENDS 

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ontario Chief Coroner reports raise concerns that MAID policy and practice focus on access rather than protection

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Trudo Lemmens, Professor of Health Law and Policy, University of Toronto

    The Ontario Coroner’s reports cover two aspects of medical assistance in dying (MAID): waiver of final consent, and same- or next-day provision of MAID. (Shutterstock)

    The Chief Coroner for Ontario recently released two new reports of its interdisciplinary MAID Death Review Committee: on Same or Next Day Provision of MAID and on Waiver of Final Consent.

    The MAID Death Review Committee — of which I am a member — reviews cases of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) that are selected by the coroner’s MAID team for the common issues they raise. The review helps inform policy recommendations.

    Committee reports contain case summaries and summaries of committee discussions, and the Chief Coroner’s recommendations. The newly released reports appear to confirm what is argued in several chapters in our recently co-edited volume, Unravelling MAiD in Canada: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide as Medical Care, and in other publications: Canada’s MAID law, policy and practice focuses excessively on promoting access to death, not on protection.

    Some of the cases suggest a troubling prioritizing of ending patients’ lives with MAID rather than a precautionary approach. In my opinion, they reveal an urgent need for more rigorous legal and professional standards. Committee members’ starkly contrasting views on the ethics of some of the practices, which can be gleaned from the anonymous summaries of the committee’s discussions, are striking.

    Most assisted dying laws or policies in other countries prohibit same-day provision of MAID and waiving of final consent.
    (Shutterstock)

    Access over protection

    The topics of the reports illustrate how Canada’s MAID law reform has prioritized access over protection. Most assisted dying laws or policies in other countries prohibit same-day provision of MAID and waiving of final consent. Many impose a reflection period to protect patients against rushed and desperate decision-making, for example following a devastating diagnosis.

    Before 2021, Canada’s MAID law had a 10-day reflection period, which could be shortened by request. This was removed in the 2021 expansion of MAID, which also removed the safeguard of a reasonably foreseeable natural death.

    At the time, concerns that removing the 10-day reflection period could lead to rushed decisions were dismissed, with a hypothetical example involving same-day MAID provision being described as “absurd.” An official report now documents the practice.

    Waiver of final consent, which was also introduced in 2021, moves Canada clearly away from unambiguous or clear consent, which the Supreme Court emphasized as a key safeguard in its 2015 Carter decision — the decision that declared an absolute criminal law prohibition on euthanasia and assisted suicide to be unconstitutional.

    A waiver enables track 1 patients (those with a reasonably foreseeable death) who are at risk of losing capacity to receive MAID at a specific time in the near future. In contrast, with an advance request for MAID, a patient authorizes someone else to request MAID on their behalf in the future, when they have lost capacity and specified conditions are met.

    Québec recently introduced advanced requests, and Health Canada has organized public consultations on the topic, seemingly considering it. But it remains prohibited under the Criminal Code. Rightly so, since it raises unique ethical, legal and professional challenges.

    The coroner’s report on waiver of final consent includes cases, and notes on case discussions, that demonstrate the fine line between flexible use of such waivers and circumventing the prohibition of advance request. In some cases, it appears that different guidance documents of the Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers have been combined to facilitate MAID: guidance on waiver of final consent and on dementia.

    In a journal publication, my co-authors and I warned that combining these guidance documents, which we consider to be obfuscating, could lead to advance requests for MAID even though they remain prohibited under the criminal code.

    Case reports

    Take the case of Mr. A. Distressed by short-term memory loss and a diagnosis of an onset of Alzheimer’s disease, he signed a waiver scheduling MAID 3.5 years later. Some, but not all, members of the committee opined that scheduling it so much in advance was incompatible with a track 1 approval, since it revealed that he was not approaching his death, not in an advanced state of irreversible decline of capability and could hardly be considered to suffer intolerably at the time of approval.

    The MAID provider ended up not using the waiver for Mr. A’s consent for MAID. However, his MAID death remains problematic due to concerns about how the provider accepted he was able to provide final consent.

    Less than a year after signing the waiver, he was hospitalized after a fall. He was deemed delirious, confused and had hallucinations. During “a period of cognitive improvement” the MAID provider deemed him capable of confirming final consent and provided MAID based on the original assessment.

    Family pressures, such as caregiver burnout, need to be sufficiently investigated.
    (Shutterstock)

    Informed consent concerns also arose in the case of 80-year-old Mrs. B, who told a first MAID assessor she preferred palliative care because of personal and religious values. When a palliative care physician noticed her husband’s “caregiver burnout,” he requested hospice care for Mrs. B, which was rejected.

    Her husband then contacted a second MAID assessor, who approved her for MAID and who rejected the first assessor’s request to talk to Mrs. B. the next day. A third assessor confirmed the second assessor’s approval and Mrs. B received MAID the same day.

    The case of Mr. C involved a man in his 70s, diagnosed with metastatic cancer, who requested a MAID assessment five days after admission into palliative care. But before he could be assessed, he experienced cognitive decline and “loss of ability to communicate.”

    When the palliative care team told a MAID provider the next day that he had lost capacity to consent, the provider “vigorously roused Mr. C., who opened his eyes and mouthed ‘yes’” when asked if he wanted MAID. After withholding pain medication for 45 minutes, the provider considered him more “alert.” A second MAID assessor confirmed his eligibility after an online assessment, also accepting mouthing yes, and “nodding his head in presumed agreeance” as clear and capable informed consent, and he was euthanized.

    These and some other cases described in the committee reports raise several concerns. They show how MAID has been provided in cases where assessors clearly disagree about the application of access criteria, with two seemingly limited assessments favouring MAID overriding others.

    Some patients received MAID after capacity and informed consent procedures that appear problematic, in the case of Mr. C overriding a capacity assessment by a treating palliative care team. Family pressures, such as caregiver burnout, may also be insufficiently investigated, as in the case of Mrs. B.

    And MAID appears to have been delivered in the case of Mr. C. when the patient appeared otherwise comfortable in palliative care and may not have had capacity to consent.

    The reports also reveal that even patients specifically hospitalized for suicidal ideation and in need of mental health care are offered MAID, as earlier coroner reports already revealed. Some cases appear to stretch the contours of MAID law.

    Starkly differing views

    The committee discussions included in the report further suggest starkly different views among MAID Death Review Committee members, including on standards for assessing capacity for consent.

    As discussed in a recent study I co-authored, most of Canada’s MAID practice is driven by a relatively small group of frequent providers. The study found that there are 1,837 MAID providers in Canada, but up to 336 of these are frequent providers who are likely responsible for the majority of annual MAID deaths. This adds to concerns about arguably overly flexible provision of MAID among these providers.

    Another committee member recently discussed how the report on same- or next-day provisions reveals this practice is disproportionately present in some geographical locations. This suggests, as others have discussed in relation to Québec’s MAID practice, that there may be starkly different professional standards and approaches among providers.

    To date there have been no known cases of criminal or professional sanctions against a MAID provider. However, the Chief Coroner’s reports, as well as media reports, indicate that this does not mean Canada’s MAID practice is exemplary, safe and compliant. When reading these cases, many likely wonder, as I do, what it will take for political, judicial and professional authorities to provide firmer guidance, investigate thoroughly and put a halt to problematic delivery of MAID.

    The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, after hearing evidence from both the federal government and civil society organizations, recently urged Canada to withdraw track 2 MAID (MAID cases in which the patient’s death is not reasonably foreseeable), not to introduce MAID for mental illness and with advance requests, and to improve MAID monitoring and safeguards.

    The UN committee cited the earlier coroner reports. The two most recent reports, which the UN committee did not have yet at its disposal, clearly confirm the urgent need for a revisiting of our MAID law, and for refocusing on protection, not on further expansion.

    Trudo Lemmens is a member of the Chief Coroner of Ontario MAID Death Review Committee. He has been an expert witness for the Federal Attorney General in the Truchon and Lamb cases. He has been an advisor to the Vulnerable Person Standard. His research is partly funded by a Scholl Chair in Health Law and Policy. He is co-editor of a McGill/Queens University Press book Unravelling MAID in Canada: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide as Medical Care.

    – ref. Ontario Chief Coroner reports raise concerns that MAID policy and practice focus on access rather than protection – https://theconversation.com/ontario-chief-coroner-reports-raise-concerns-that-maid-policy-and-practice-focus-on-access-rather-than-protection-253917

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons grills FBI Director Kash Patel over firing of FBI officers for investigations of January 6 rioters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) questioned FBI Director Kash Patel at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing today, where he confronted Patel about the circumstances behind seemingly politically-motivated firings and whether the FBI had taken disciplinary actions against FBI agents who worked on cases against January 6th insurrectionists.

    During his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing earlier this year, Patel pledged that his tenure as director would be forward-looking and that there would be no political retribution for FBI agents who worked on the investigation into the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Just weeks after Patel’s confirmation, however, former head of the FBI’s New York office James Dennehy was essentially forced out of the agency after he refused a request from the Trump administration to turn in the names of all agents who worked on Capitol riot cases. Several other officials at the Department of Justice have also been dismissed because their connections to January 6th investigations.

    Senator Coons also asked Patel about a response to a letter from Senate Judiciary Democrats earlier this year to then-Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll over alleged purges within the Justice Department and FBI that targeted career prosecutors and agents involved in January 6thinvestigations. 

    Patel was testifying before the Senate today on the White House’s 2026 budget proposal that calls for a funding cut of more than $500 million for the FBI.

    A video of Senator Coons’ full questioning and partial transcript of his comments are available below.

    WATCH HERE.

    Senator Coons: You’ve also testified just yesterday in front of House Appropriations that you are orienting the FBI looking forward—there won’t be any actions against FBI agents based on what they did in terms of carrying out assignments to investigate January 6 incidents. During your confirmation, you said there will be no retribution taken by the FBI should you be confirmed as director.

    James Dennehy, who was head of the New York Field Office, has been forced out, received no reason for his removal, but had resisted efforts to turn over a list of agents involved in January 6 investigations. That’s how I’ve understood the characterization of his separation, and that sounds to me like politicization and retribution for involvement in January 6. I just want to hear your statement about where you see any disciplinary actions related to January 6 investigations.

    Patel: Thank you, Senator. With the ongoing litigation related to the specific list, there’s only so much I can talk about, but I can tell you this with affirmation: no one on any list will be punished at the FBI. As someone who was given case assignments I didn’t want many times over, you don’t get punished for your case assignments. You only get punished if you didn’t do the job and fail to follow the ethical guidelines and break the law, and that’s the standard.

    Senator Coons: The Judiciary Committee recently had two career prosecutors in front of them who were dismissed explicitly for their involvement in prosecuting January 6 cases—I understand that’s not the FBI. I hope to work with you on ensuring that we orient the FBI forward. In February, I did join all my judiciary colleagues to send then-Acting Director Driscoll letters about proposed purges of agents for simply carrying out their assignments. Do you know if you’ve answered that letter?

    Patel: I’ll have to check, Senator. Sorry.

    Senator Coons: I’ll tell you that I haven’t received a response, and I expect a response. More importantly, I expect a budget and an appropriations request so we can do our job as the relevant appropriations subcommittee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Access to Mifepristone

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    The Stop Comstock Act would repeal an 1873 law that could be misused to limit abortion access nationwide

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper joined Tina Smith and 25 of their Senate colleagues to introduce the Stop Comstock Act to protect access to medication abortions like Mifepristone. Specifically, the legislation would repeal the outdated Comstock Act of 1873, which anti-choice extremists have threatened to invoke to effectively end access to medication abortion without a single act of Congress.

    “Extreme Republicans and dust-covered laws from 1873 have no business dictating a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions,” Hickenlooper said. “We’re fighting to take those arcane laws off the books and protect reproductive health care nationwide.”

    The Stop Comstock Act would repeal language in the Comstock Laws that could be used to ban the mailing of mifepristone and other drugs used in medication abortions, instruments and equipment used in abortions, and educational material related to sexual health. Medication abortion is the most common form of abortion care in the U.S.

    The legislation has been endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Reproductive Rights, National Women’s Law Center, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America), Take Back the Court Action Fund, Healthcare Across Borders, Expanding Medication Abortion Access (EMAA).

    A summary of the bill is available HERE. The text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Emily Pike Investigation Reward

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

    In support of the Gila County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the death of Emily Pike, the FBI is now offering a reward of up to $75,000 for any person providing independently verifiable information identifying the individual(s) responsible for her disappearance and murder. Please see the attached “Seeking Information” poster from the FBI. The poster can also be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/emily-pike.

    This reward is in addition to the reward already being offered by the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

    Again, the FBI Phoenix Field Office is supporting the Gila County Sheriff’s Office investigation, and anyone with information is urged to contact the Gila County Sheriff’s Office or report tips to the FBI.

    As this is an ongoing investigation, no other information is available from the FBI at this time.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Preston — UPDATE: Police continue to ask for the public’s assistance in homicide investigation

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The RCMP/HRP Integrated Criminal Investigation Division (CID) continues to ask for the public’s assistance in relation to the 2024 homicide of Tyrell Beals.

    Today marks one year since the RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment received a report that a man had been shot near the 1100 block of Downey Rd. Upon arrival at the scene, officers located Beals, of Westphal. He had sustained gunshot wounds and was later pronounced deceased at the hospital.

    “To advance unsolved homicide investigations, we need information from the public in order to find those responsible,” says Sgt. Jason Withrow of CID. “If you were in the area of Downey Rd. on May 8, 2024, or have any information regarding the murder of Tyrell Beals, please contact us; we need your help to bring closure to his loved ones.”

    The ongoing investigation is led by Homicide Investigations in the Special Enforcement Section of the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service, RCMP Forensic Identification Services, and RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment.

    Anyone with information regarding this homicide is asked to contact police at 902-490-5020.

    Our thoughts continue to be with Mr. Beals’ loved ones.

    File #: 24-61350

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sex Trafficker Who Supplied His Prostitutes with Heroin Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON D.C. – Johnny Lee Gibson, 58, whose last known residence was in Florence, South Carolina, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 90 months in federal prison for sex-trafficking women who he kept under his control by supplying them with narcotics.

    The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

    Gibson, aka “Preach,” pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. In addition to the 90-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Gibson to serve 10 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

    According to court documents, Gibson recruited drug-addicted women to work as prostitutes for his commercial sex enterprise that operated in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. The enterprise ran from 1994 until Gibson’s arrest at a motel in Brooklawn, New Jersey, on July 25, 2024.

    Gibson placed online advertisements offering the women’s sexual services. Some ads ran on websites that targeted the DMV. In 2019, he ran ads in the District touting one woman that stated “100% Real and always discreet, always on time, fresh, and looking my very best. I always aim to please…”

    When he was arrested in July 2024, Gibson gave a recorded statement in which he admitted to sex trafficking five women, acting as a pimp, procuring drugs for them, and controling the women by providing access to drugs.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

    It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Ditzler Shinskie and Rachel Forman.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rhode Island Man Admits to Cyberstalking, Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island man today pleaded guilty as charged by federal indictment to one count of cyberstalking and four counts of distribution of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Melvin Vidal Herrera Perez, 21, admitted to a federal judge that he befriended a minor child, encouraged her to take sexually explicit images of herself, and later used the images to threaten and harass her after she turned eighteen.

    Perez admitted that he used a variety of tactics to cause serious emotional distress to the victim, including opening websites to display her images, texting and emailing her images, and messaging a wide number of individuals in the victim’s personal and social circles.

    Perez, who has been detained since his arrest in December 2024, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 6, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Julie M. White.

    The matter was investigated by the FBI.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –