Category: Security

MIL-OSI Security: Louisiana Bounty Hunter Sentenced for Missouri Kidnapping

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a bounty hunter from Louisiana to the three years he’s spent behind bars for removing a woman from a St. Peters, Missouri home and taking her across state lines against her will.

Wayne D. Lozier Jr., 46, of the New Orleans area, has been in custody since March 31, 2022.

Lozier was originally convicted by a jury in 2023 of one count of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Lozier’s conviction was overturned by the 8th U.S. Court of Appeals because of an issue with a jury instruction. Lozier then pleaded guilty in March, prior to a re-trial, to the same charges. He admitted entering a private residence without first notifying local law enforcement, transporting the victim without her consent and refusing the instructions of a St. Peters Police Department officer to either return the victim or transport her to the nearest law enforcement agency. He also admitted that neither he nor his partner, Jody L. Sullivan, were licensed by the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance to operate as surety recovery agents within Missouri.

Lozier and Sullivan had driven from Louisiana to where the victim was staying at the home of a friend in St. Peters, Missouri. They were attempting to return with the victim to St. Tammany Parish, where she had an arrest warrant for four misdemeanor offenses.

On May 9, 2019, Lozier handcuffed the victim and he and Sullivan took her away in their SUV. The homeowner contacted police. St. Peters Police Officer Jeffrey Atkins told Lozier on the phone that he was breaking the law and needed to return the victim, but Lozier refused to do so.

When the victim sought help from clerks at a gas station in Sullivan, Missouri, Lozier shocked the victim multiple times with a Taser and pulled her hair. He and Sullivan then dragged the victim out of the store by the chain that connected her handcuffs and leg. Lozier continued to refuse Officer Atkins’ instructions to return the victim to Missouri. But he did not bring her to Louisiana, instead dropping her off at a detention facility in Mississippi.

Sullivan, 57, of the New Orleans area, pleaded guilty Sept. 18, 2023, to the conspiracy and kidnapping charges and admitted unlawfully seizing the woman and transporting her across state lines. She was sentenced to five years of probation.

The FBI and the St. Peters Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Martin and Donald Boyce prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: FBI Chicago Announces Increased Reward for Information Leading to Arrest & Conviction of Joseph “Troubles” Matos

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

CHICAGO—Douglas S. DePodesta, special agent-in-charge of the Chicago Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced today a reward increase for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Joseph “Troubles” Matos.

Matos is wanted in connection with the shooting death of National Guard member Chrys Carvajal. On July 3, 2021, it is alleged that Matos and a fellow gang member shot and killed Carvajal when he was walking to his car following a party. Matos is believed to be a member of the Milwaukee Kings street gang, a criminal organization whose members and associates have engaged in narcotics trafficking and committed acts of violence, including murder and assault, to acquire and preserve the gang’s perceived territory on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois.

On May 14, 2024, an arrest warrant was issued for Matos in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, Chicago, Illinois, after he was charged with murder-in-aid of racketeering and murder through the use of a firearm. Previously, the FBI Chicago Field Office offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information from the public. The FBI is now offering a reward of up to $25,000 for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of Matos.

Matos should be considered armed and dangerous, and members of the public are asked not to approach him directly.

Anyone with information, even anonymously, is strongly encouraged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.

Additional resources:

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Saves Preston High School in the Bronx
Source: US State of New York

EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that Preston High School in the Bronx will remain open for years to come. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) facilitated an agreement between the Sisters of the Divine Compassion of the State of New York, which owned the property of Preston High School since 1947, Preston High School, and the Bally’s Foundation of North America, a charitable nonprofit organization. The Bally’s Foundation has purchased the property from the Sisters of the Divine Compassion and will lease the property to Preston High School for $1 per year for the next 25 years. The agreement gives Preston High School the option to renew its lease for successive five-year intervals at the end of the current 25-year lease term. Today’s agreement to keep Preston High School open follows a public hearing held by Attorney General James with teachers, students, parents, alumni, elected officials, and community members.

“Preston High School is a pillar of the Bronx community that has educated generations of young women and today I am proud to announce that the school will stay open for years to come,” said Attorney General James. “I want to thank all the students, teachers, parents, alumni, and elected officials who submitted testimony to my office and advocated to keep the school open. Today’s announcement would not have been possible without their relentless advocacy and leadership. Preston High School raises young women to become strong leaders, and I am thrilled that many more generations will benefit from this treasured school.”

“From the very beginning, when families and community members voiced their concerns about the possible closure of Preston High School, I made it a priority to listen and support them,” said Senator Nathalia Fernandez. “I’m truly grateful that Attorney General Letitia James took our concerns seriously and acted swiftly, resulting in an agreement to keep Preston open for years to come.”

“I’m thrilled at the news that an agreement has been reached to keep Preston High School open,” said Assemblymember Michael Benedetto. “This is a tremendous victory for the students, families, and the entire Throggs Neck community. I want to sincerely thank Attorney General Letitia James and her team for their steadfast commitment to protecting our schools and standing with Preston students during this critical moment.”

“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Attorney General Letitia James for her swift and thoughtful action in helping to prevent Preston’s abrupt closure,” said City Council Majority Leader Amanda Farias. “Her open communication, leadership, and commitment to keeping all parties at the table were instrumental in reaching this critical turning point. As a proud Preston alumna, I’ve been deeply invested in this fight from the very beginning – organizing, advocating, and working directly with stakeholders to ensure Preston had a future. I’m especially grateful that the Attorney General heard our concerns, launched a timely investigation, and ensured that due process and community voices were respected every step of the way. This outcome – including the historic agreement with the Bally’s Foundation to secure Preston’s home for the next 25 years and beyond – is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we lead with love, persistence, and unity. I am proud to have helped shape a deal that not only protects the future of Preston but honors the community that fought so hard for it. We didn’t just preserve a beloved institution – we protected a legacy.”

“I am thrilled to hear that an agreement has been reached to keep Preston High School open,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson. “At a time when we’ve seen the heartbreaking closure of several Catholic schools in our borough and across New York City, this outcome is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together. Preston High School has been a beacon of education and opportunity in the Bronx since it first opened its doors in 1947. Its legacy of academic excellence, character formation, and service has touched generations of young women and helped shape countless leaders in our city and beyond. Thank you to Attorney General Letitia James, the Charities Bureau, parents, students, educators, advocates, alumni, and my elected colleagues who fought tirelessly to preserve this institution. Our collective voices made this happen. This is more than just a win for Preston — it’s a win for the Bronx and for every young person who dreams of a bright future.”

Preston High School is an all-girls Catholic school that has served the Bronx community for 75 years. In late February, the Sisters of the Divine Compassion announced their plans to close the school and sell the property at the end of the 2025 academic year, citing financial hardship. On April 8, Attorney General James held a public hearing to gather input from students, teachers, parents, alumni, and community members on the impact of the closure.

Today, Attorney General James announced that the Bally’s Foundation has purchased the property from the Sisters of the Divine Compassion for $8.5 million. The Bally’s Foundation will lease the property to Preston High School for $1 per year for the next 25 years, with the opportunity to renew the lease for five successive years at the end of the current 25-year term. The lease also gives Preston High School the option to purchase the property and a right of first refusal if the Bally’s Foundation seeks to sell the property in the future. Moreover, the Bally’s Foundation has agreed to fund up to $1 million in capital improvements for the school and to cover up to $600,000 in legal and closing costs that associated with the process.

In addition, the Sisters of the Divine Compassion have agreed to establish independent governance of Preston High School that requires them to:
- Work with Preston High School to establish the school as an independent Catholic school as acceptable to the Archdiocese of New York;
- Help establish an independent board of trustees for Preston High School by appointing, with OAG approval, trustees to the board of trustees who are not affiliated with the Sisters of the Divine Compassion or employed at Preston High School; and
- Immediately relinquish all but one seat on the schools’ board of trustees and give up that seat once the school is fully independent.
Attorney General James thanks the Sisters of the Divine Compassion, the Bally’s Foundation, and Preston High School for working together with her office to find a financial and practical resolution for Preston High School to stay open for years to come.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Peggy Farber, Assistant Attorney General William Wang, and Section Chief Emily Stern, all of the Charities Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Karin Kunstler Goldman and Bureau Chief James Sheehan. The Charities Bureau is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. The public hearing was led by Operations team members Andrea Rua, Michael Fasullo, Sally Rifkin, Rouselle Ligon, and Wayne Collins, all under the supervision of Director of Strategic Planning Ryan Doyle. Hearing testimony was collected and managed by members of the Intergovernmental Affairs team, including Hanadi Doleh, Julian Sepulveda, Jessica Mates, Javier Medrano, and Casandra Walker, all under the supervision of Intergovernmental Affairs Director Harold Miller. Both the Operations and Intergovernmental Affairs teams are part of the Executive Division, which is overseen by Chief of Staff Anna Brower. Technical support for the hearing was provided by Jermaine Francis, Malik Donadelle, and Marcus Williams, all of the Administration Division’s Bureau of Internet Technology.

MIL OSI USA News –
April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: CORRECTION: African Development Bank approves $19.85 million grant for crisis response to the most vulnerable in Sudan’s conflict areas

Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, April 22, 2025/APO Group/ —

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has recently approved a $19.85 million grant over two years to support a humanitarian and resilience operation in Sudan, with a strong focus on improving livelihoods of vulnerable populations and easing the impact of the ongoing conflict on communities and infrastructure.

In the short term, the Crisis Response for Women and Affected Communities in Sudan project, co-financed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will train and mobilize frontline workers such as health professionals, water and sanitation specialists, and market facilitators. The project will also restore up to five health facilities and four emergency centers in conflict zones, as well as rehabilitate water and energy systems in urban and rural settings.

The financing also facilitates delivery of emergency food aid, such as lentils and sorghum and other staples, like tea leaves and sugar. Some 60,000 people will receive farming inputs like fertilizers and seeds this year alone. Cash grants to support livelihoods, with a focus on women and their dependents, as well as survivors of gender-based violence will also be provided.

Overall, the project will benefit 1.5 million Sudanese, or 265,000 households, of which a majority are led by women. The project will also benefit internally displaced (IDPs) and hosting communities. The Bank categorizes the Crisis Response for Women and Affected Communities in Sudan project as “Category 1” on its Gender Marker System, indicating the principal objective of the project directly addresses gender equality and women’s empowerment.

“Peace, security and stability are urgently needed for Sudanese communities to reach their full potential,” Dr. Beth Dunford, the Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, said about the project.

“The Crisis Response for Women and Affected Communities in Sudan project will help restore social services and economic opportunities to some of the country’s most vulnerable communities. The Bank financing will also strategically promote inclusive and resilient economic activities, intentionally contributing to peacebuilding” she added.

The Bank’s Transition Support Facility (TSF) is financing the bank’s share of the project. The Facility, introduced in 2008, provides additional concessional resources to countries facing situations of fragility and conflict.

This Bank crisis response operation, implemented in collaboration with the ICRC, goes beyond short-term humanitarian interventions to invest in long-term resilience and sustainable development with a focus on women and affected communities. It adopts a humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach which blends urgent humanitarian relief with efforts to lay the foundation for long-term development and peace. While addressing the conflict with a rapid response focused on food security and other livelihood support, the project’s focus remains on early recovery for affected communities and displaced populations.

The International Committee of the Red Cross will draw on its deep operational experience and long-standing presence in Sudan and work through existing staffing and infrastructure. The project focuses on scaling up sustainable solutions, including through strengthening capacities of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society. As part of its mandate, the ICRC will also advance respect for International Humanitarian Law, which remains a cornerstone of humanitarian response in conflict-affected areas, thereby also protecting civilian infrastructure and assets.

To date, an estimated eleven million Sudanese have been displaced internally, and another 3.8 million — mostly women and children — have been forced to flee to neighboring countries. Supporting Sudan’s stabilization requires coordinated and joint efforts of combined immediate relief laying the foundation for inclusive long-term development and lasting stability. Policy dialogue will be key to ensuring women’s participation in conflict prevention and crisis management.

MIL OSI Africa –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Owner of Collapsed Nursing Home Empire Sentenced to 36 Months’ Imprisonment for $38 Million Tax Fraud Scheme

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

NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in a $38 million employment tax fraud scheme involving nursing homes he owned across the country, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Joseph Schwartz, 65, of Suffern, New York, previously pled guilty to two counts of an indictment charging him with willfully failing to pay over employment taxes withheld from employees of his company, and willfully failing to file an annual financial report (Form 5500) with the Department of Labor for the employee 401K Benefit Plan Schwartz sponsored, before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court.

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

Schwartz, an insurance broker and operator of Skyline Management Group LLC (“Skyline”), with headquarters in New Jersey, willfully failed to pay employment taxes relating to numerous health care and rehabilitation facilities that Skyline operated in 11 states.

According to the indictment, Schwartz was required to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) trust fund taxes withheld from the pay of employees of Skyline and related companies. From October 2017 through May 2018, Schwartz caused taxes to be withheld from employees’ pay but failed to then pay over more than $38 million in employment taxes to the IRS. As an administrator of the Skyline 401K plan, Schwartz further had an obligation to file an annual Form 5500 financial report with the Secretary of Labor for calendar year 2018, but knowingly and willfully failed to file the report.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; Investigators with the Department of Labor-Employee Benefits Security Administration, under the direction of Regional Director Mark Seidel in the New York Regional Office; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz in the New York Regional Office, with the investigation that led to the sentencing in this case.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel H. Rosenblum and Kendall R. Randolph of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Shawn Noud of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

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Defense counsel: Kevin H. Marino, Esq.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Operators of New Jersey Company Sentenced to Prison and Enter Into Related Civil Settlement Agreement for Roles in $127 Million Health Care Fraud and Kickback Scheme

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

NEWARK, N.J. – Two operators of a New Jersey marketing company were sentenced to prison for their roles in conspiracies to commit health care fraud and to pay and receive illegal kickbacks, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Eric Karlewicz a/k/a “Anthony Mazza,” 46, of Rockland County, New York, and Nicco Romanowski, 33, of Roswell, Georgia, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court following their guilty pleas to Informations charging conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute and conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Karlewicz was sentenced to 51 months in prison and Romanowski was sentenced to 80 months in prison.

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

From in or around June 2017 through in or around May 2019, Karlewicz and Romanowski participated in a scheme with durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies, telemedicine companies, and doctors to submit false claims to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and TRICARE, based on a circular scheme of kickbacks and bribes. Karlewicz and Romanowski controlled a New Jersey-based marketing company, Empire Pain Center Holdings LLC (“Empire”), though which they and their co-conspirators identified Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries to target. Employees of Empire called the beneficiaries to pressure them to agree to accept DME, frequently consisting of back, shoulder, and knee braces. Karlewicz and Romanowski paid Empire’s employees commissions, bonuses, and incentives to encourage them to convince as many beneficiaries as possible to accept DME, regardless of medical necessity.

Karlewicz and Romanowski, through Empire, then paid kickbacks to telemedicine companies, which in turn paid kickbacks to doctors in exchange for prescriptions for the DME. As agreed upon, the doctors signed the prescription orders regardless of medical necessity, often without ever speaking to the patient. Karlewicz and Romanowski distributed the prescriptions to DME suppliers around the country, with which Empire had additional kickback arrangements. These DME suppliers submitted claims for reimbursement to health care benefit programs including Medicare and TRICARE, and thereafter sent a portion of the proceeds to Empire as payment for the doctor’s orders generated through the conspiracy. Empire received more than $63 million from DME suppliers in exchange for the referrals.

In total, Karlewicz and Romanowski caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs totaling in excess of $127 million for DME. Using proceeds from the scheme, Karlewicz and Romanowski purchased luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari, and Lamborghini, a Bentley, and a BMW.

In addition to the prison terms, Judge Salas sentenced each defendant to three years of supervised release and ordered them to pay $127,600,000 in restitution. Karlewicz was ordered to forfeit over $63 million, and Romanowski was ordered to forfeit over $5.5 million.

United States Attorney Habba also announced that Karlewicz and Empire entered into a civil settlement agreement. As part of that civil settlement agreement, Karlewicz and Empire admitted to violating the False Claims Act and agreed to the entry of a consent judgment against them in the amount of $63.8 million.

The civil settlement agreement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The relator, Robert Jackson Tyler, Jr., will receive a share of the funds recovered by the United States pursuant to the False Claims Act.

United States Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, and U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Silvestro, with the investigation.

The government is represented in the criminal case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Barbara Ward of the Bank Integrity, Recovery, and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.

The government is represented in the civil case by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Trial Attorney Martha Glover of U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Fraud Section.

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Defense counsel: Darren Gelber, Esq. (for Eric Karlewicz)

Alyssa Cimino, Esq. (for Nicco Romanowski)

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Bonavista — Bonavista RCMP arrests impaired ATV operator

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Last week, Bonavista RCMP stopped a 55-year-old male all-terrain vehicle (ATV) operator and arrested him for impaired operation.

On Thursday, April 17, 2025, shortly before 5:15 p.m., Bonavista RCMP received a report of a man driving an ATV who was possibly impaired. Police located the ATV in Catalina and located the man on his ATV pulling into his residence. The man showed signs of alcohol impairment and was subsequently arrested for impaired operation. He provided two breath samples that were more than three times the legal limit. His ATV was impounded.

The man was released from custody and is set to appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired operation.

Impaired operation of any motor vehicle is a choice that unnecessarily places the driver and all others who share the roadway at an increased level of risk. If you suspect an individual is driving while impaired, please immediately call your local police or 911 to make a report.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: DHS, USCIS, DOGE Overhaul Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Database

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, alongside USCIS and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), announced a comprehensive optimization of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to ensure a single, reliable source for verifying non-citizen status nationwide.

This overhaul eliminates fees for database searches, breaks down silos for accurate results, streamlines mass status checks, and integrates criminal records, immigration timelines, and addresses. Automatic status updates and a user-friendly interface will empower federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies to prevent non-citizens from exploiting taxpayer benefits or voting illegally.

“Illegal aliens have exploited outdated systems to defraud Americans and taint our elections,” said a spokesperson for DHS. “Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, this revamped SAVE system will ensure government officials can swiftly verify legal status, halting entitlements and voter fraud.”

DHS will provide ongoing updates to stakeholders as the SAVE Optimization Plan progresses.

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MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Massachusetts Lawmakers Sound Alarm on Trump Cuts to National Endowment for the Humanities Staff, Grants

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

April 22, 2025

“We write to seek answers about why you are crippling an agency that punches so far above its weight and is essential to enabling access to libraries, museums, archives, historic sites and more for Massachusetts residents and Americans in every state.”

Lawmakers highlight Massachusetts impacts, including canceled projects which helped state capture and preserve history and culture, promote learning, make humanities more accessible

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), along with Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), sent a letter to Michael McDonald, Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), regarding the impacts of recent staffing cuts and attempts to cancel grants in Massachusetts and across the country.

During the week of April 1, 2025, following the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) recommendations, a majority of NEH staff were placed on administrative leave and hundreds of grants were canceled. In the following days, state humanities councils and other grant recipients received emails notifying them that their funding would be terminated immediately and that the Trump administration would be “repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the president’s agenda.”

“We write to seek answers about why you are crippling an agency that punches so far above its weight and is essential to enabling access to libraries, museums, archives, historic sites and more for Massachusetts residents and Americans in every state,” wrote the lawmakers.

Congressionally appropriated NEH program funds directly benefit local communities. The NEH was founded by Congress in 1965 to “promote progress and scholarship in the humanities and the arts in the United States,” and the agency enables work in the humanities by funding libraries, museums, archives, historic sites, media outlets, research institutions, educators and independent scholars. These cuts will have devastating impacts on cultural institutions and scholarship in Massachusetts and across the country.

The Trump administration’s actions put tremendous financial strain on researchers, universities, and institutions. According to one institution in Massachusetts, the termination notices sent to individual recipients of NEH grants included language that the individuals will remain “subject to audit.” Grant recipients now face concerns that they will have to repay their funds to NEH at an undetermined time.

NEH-funded projects in Massachusetts — including research projects to better understand the impact of war on naval veterans and their families, projects to understand the role of historic textile mills in the American industrial revolution, and programs supporting museums’ efforts to digitize, archive, and modernize the products of Massachusetts art and culture — have enriched the state’s ability to capture and preserve history and culture, promote new knowledge and learning, and make the humanities more accessible.

“These actions at NEH mark another instance of overreach by the Trump administration, causing more destruction and devastation to research institutions and scholars across the country, but providing little in savings,” wrote the lawmakers.

Senator Warren has consistently pressed for answers on other federal funding cuts impacting Massachusetts, including those from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) causing “ongoing chaos” and harm to research institutions across Massachusetts.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Ecuadorian Man Charged with Transporting Aliens

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Manuel Rolando Meza-Cambo, 34, of Los Rios Province, Ecuador, has been charged by criminal complaint with transporting illegal aliens.

On April 21, 2025, Meza-Cambo appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Meza-Cambo be detained during the pendency of this matter.

According to court records, Meza-Cambo attempted to pick-up four illegal aliens along Richford Road in Richford, Vermont, in the early morning hours of April 19, 2025. A member of the United States Border Patrol spotted Meza-Cambo’s minivan before he could pick up the aliens and followed the minivan. After the minivan stopped in the middle of road, investigating Border Patrol Agents then found two Mexican citizens and two Venezuelan citizens near the side of the road. These four individuals are being prosecuted separately for illegal entry to the United States.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Meza-Cambo is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Meza-Cambo faces up to 5 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.

The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Meza-Cambo is represented by the Federal Public Defenders Office.

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

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Sex Offender from Uxbridge Charged with Possessing Child Pornography While on Federal Supervised Release

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

BOSTON – An Uxbridge man has been charged in federal court in Worcester for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while on federal supervised release for a prior CSAM conviction.

Scott Morrill, 52, was charged with possession of child pornography. Morrill was arrested on April 7, 2025 and remains detained in federal custody following a detention hearing that was held on April 17, 2025.

According to the charging documents, during a search of his residence, Miller’s laptop was allegedly found to contain images and videos depicting CSAM. At the time of the alleged offense, Morrill was on federal supervised release for a 2013 conviction of distribution of child pornography, for which he was sentenced to five years in federal prison.

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and the Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Foreign Nationals With Prior Convictions Charged For Illegally Reentering The United States

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LAS VEGAS – Mexican and Salvadorian nationals unlawfully residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances Monday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.

Heraldo Neftali Gomez-Jacobo, 54, and Ismael Perez-Reyes, 38, are both charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled for May 5, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe.

According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Gomez-Jacobo, a citizen and national of El Salvador, and Perez-Reyes, a citizen and national of Mexico, were both previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally.

On April 5, 2025, Gomez-Jacobo was remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), from the Clark County Detention Center, based on an ICE detainer after he had been arrested on a bench warrant. Gomez-Jacobo had previously been deported on or about October 15, 2003, after being convicted of four counts of Attempt Lewdness with A Child Under the Age of 14.

On March 31, 2025, Perez-Reyes was remanded to the custody of ICE, from the Clark County Detention Center, based on an ICE detainer after he been arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Allow Child Abuse/Neglect, by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police. Perez-Reyes had previously been deported to Mexico on December 7, 2022, and November 8, 2023. Perez-Reyes has two prior felony convictions: one for Possession or Use of a Controlled Substance in a Correctional Facility, and another for Illegal Reentry After Deportation. Perez-Reyes also has an active warrant out of Utah for violating the terms his probation by returning to the U.S illegally.

If convicted, Gomez-Jacobo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.

If convicted, Perez-Reyes faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.

United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.

The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

###

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: From Paris to Washington: The Jessup Journey of a Remarkable Team

Source: Universities – Science Po in English

Maria (Marysia) Szuster, Gabrijela Papec, Linn Junge, Fanny Burdin-Egloffe, Tatiana Van den Haute

Each year, the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition brings together thousands of law students from across the globe, challenging them to tackle the most complex and contested issues in public international law.

For five first-year students at Sciences Po Law School, the 2025 edition was more than just a competition — it was an intense, transformative experience that pushed them to their intellectual and personal limits.

From winning the French national rounds to representing France on the world stage in Washington D.C., this remarkable team not only proved their legal acumen but also exemplified resilience, teamwork, and passion. In this article, they reflect on what it took to get there, the lessons they learned along the way, and the advice they would give to those ready to take on the Jessup challenge.

« The Sciences Po Law School warmly thanks Clifford Chance for its valuable support in the 2025 Jessup Moot Court Competition. This contribution helped our team reach the top 16 worldwide, a remarkable achievement. It reflects both the talent of our students and the value of strong academic-professional partnerships. »

Sébastien Pimont, Dean, and Julie Babin d’Amonville, Executive Director

Can you introduce yourself?

Linn Junge, a first-year student in Economic Law, did Jessup for the second time this year, having won the French championship and advanced to the round of 16 in 2023 with Sciences Po Reims. Hailing from Germany but having also lived in the US, Linn was the team’s captain, and oralist for both Respondent and Applicant.

Gabrijela Papec from Croatia was a world-renowned debater in high school and during the undergraduate degree, skills she leveraged to the best effect in her role as oralist for the Applicant. She is in the English track, alongside Linn and Maria.

Tatiana Van den Haute is a Lebanese first year law student in Droit Économique. After completing her undergraduate degree at Sciences Po, Campus du Havre with an exchange in Taipei, she spent another year working there as a policy analyst. She was able to apply her analytical and public speaking experiences in her role as an oralist for Respondent.

Fanny Burdin-Egloffe is a French student in the first year of the French track in Droit Économique. After a year as a research assistant at the University of Sydney, she brought her analytical and legal research skills to her role as of counsel for this year’s Jessup team.

Maria (Marysia) Szuster is a Polish fist year student in Economic Law with a particular passion for human rights and refugees’ access to education. The skills she gained as a research assistant at Yale University and a writer for the American Bar Association on grave human rights violations she applied in research and finding arguments in Jessup this year.

What motivated you to participate in the 2025 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition?

For many of us, law and politics are equal passions and two sides of the same coin. International law as a field combines these two disciplines like perhaps no other arena—international law is most closely based on, after all, the political decisions of states. The Jessup Competition perfectly embodies this intersection, standing as the world’s oldest, largest, and most prestigious moot court competition.

What makes Jessup particularly valuable is the opportunity it provides students to spend eight months conducting deep research on widely debated and unresolved topics in international law. Beyond being a rare luxury within our fast-paced curriculum, this extended engagement allows participants to dive autonomously into aspects of public international law that fall outside the ordinary courses, exploring issues we would otherwise never encounter. The challenge of doing that in itself while going through our first year of law school called to all of us. Along with this intellectual challenge, participating in the Jessup opens doors to connecting with a community of like-minded people in all stages of their careers who share a passion for the competition and public international law as a whole.

Can you tell us about your preparation process for the competition?

Our first major task was learning how to balance our considerable coursework with researching public international law and this year’s problem, from scratch. The first phase of research culminated in the memorial writing phase, which was all the more complicated given that our team was spread across the world when the deadline came nearing in January 2025 during our Winter break. Nevertheless, we managed to submit two excellent memorials before returning to Paris, where we earnestly began preparing for the oral rounds.

Knowing how much effort it takes to learn, within a month, to become distinguished oralists and researchers, we met and practiced our pleading between three and five times a week until the national rounds at the end of February.

To our immense joy, we were crowned French national champions of the Jessup on March 1, having gone undefeated throughout all of the rounds. Despite the stress and fatigue that had worn on us over the course of the rounds, we managed to convince a unanimous jury to send us to Washington as the French representative team—a privilege that Sciences Po Law School has not been able to enjoy in seven years.

With that in mind, the preparation period for Washington was, if anything, even more intense than that for the nationals. On the one hand, we knew competition would be even more stiff, seeing that only the best of the best would be in Washington, and on the other, we had to arrange travel, accommodation, and funding in close collaboration with the Sciences Po Law School. All along, however, we continued to reach out to countless professors, friends, and connections whose advice and critiques were absolutely invaluable in continuously augmenting the quality of our performance as a team. The reward was significant. We advanced to the Octofinals in Washington, putting us within the 16 best teams in the world out of the more than 800 that competed this year. Only once in Jessup history has France advanced further than this.

Gabrijela Papec, Linn Junge received awards during the national rounds. Could you tell us more about that experience and what it meant to your team?

Jessup is 100% a team effort, but watching two of our team members get the recognition they deserve for all their hard work and talent was incredibly satisfying. The fact that both of the top speaker awards at the national rounds went to our team demonstrated what a resounding victory our team collectively enjoyed. So while Gabrijela and Linn are undoubtedly deserving of this award individually, we all felt it was more of a collective accolade.

Gabrijela also got 17th best oralist in the world at the international rounds, which is an incredible achievement in itself and felt like a validation both of her exceptional performance and all of our efforts.

Do you have any advice for future students who might want to participate in the next edition of the Jessup Moot?

When starting out, read and re-read the problem at length – then make sure you understand how international law works. Read commentaries on treaties and cases, know the histories of the institutions, conventions and treaties that you’re dealing with and why they are relevant. The issues that the Jessup will throw at you are qualified as ‘hard problems’ in international law, meaning that they are by nature unresolved and can be argued both ways. Stand on the shoulders of those who studied those problems in depth before you, in order to gain as holistic an understanding as possible of what they represent and the implications your arguments have.

Be passionate about it. This competition will take a big part of your life for 8 months, so might as well be obsessed with it. On this note, the team dynamic is everything. It starts on a personal level: because of the intensity, it is imperative that you get along with your team members. Knowing each other well will be invaluable in understanding how to best support one another over the course of the journey—from initial research to competing. From there, you need to stay accountable to one another, because everyone has to do their job, especially in the written drafting phase. And lastly: open communication is key. Again, the timeframe of the competition is too large to let slight frustrations and issues between team members fester until they become proper problems. If you accept the intensity and commitment, it will be a ride that you will be forever grateful for!

MIL OSI Europe News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson joins 26-state coalition backing federal Second Amendment Task ForceRead More

Source: US State of South Carolina

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today he has joined a 26-state coalition of attorneys general in sending a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi in strong support of the newly created Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force.

The letter, led by West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey, applauds the Trump Administration and AG Bondi for launching the Task Force as a powerful new tool to protect and enforce Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

“The Biden administration spent four years trying to punish gun owners and dismantle Second Amendment protections,” said Attorney General Wilson. “This Task Force marks a major course correction. It shows that under President Trump, we’re back to defending the Constitution, not bypassing it.”

In the letter, the 26 attorneys general commit to partnering with the U.S. Department of Justice to support litigation, share regulatory expertise, and assist in law enforcement efforts to uphold Second Amendment rights. The coalition described the Task Force as a crucial reset from the prior administration’s anti-gun agenda and a vital step toward restoring the Second Amendment as a first-class liberty.

“My office is ready to assist however we can, whether that’s in court, with policy reform, or alongside law enforcement,” Attorney General Wilson added. “South Carolina will always defend our citizens’ right to bear arms, and we’re proud to stand with AG Bondi and President Trump in this fight.”

The attorneys general also cited recent actions in their own states to protect firearm freedoms and combat discrimination against the firearms industry.

Read a copy of the letter here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British Transport Police Authority is recruiting a new Deputy Chief Constable for the British Transport Police

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments 2

22 April 2025

Following the retirement of Deputy Chief Constable Alistair Sutherland after his long and distinguished career in policing, the British Transport Police Authority is recruiting a new Deputy Chief Constable for the British Transport Police.

Further details on the role and how to apply are available on a dedicated online microsite here.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Hudson County Man Charged with Production, Distribution, and Possession of Child Pornography, and Coercion and Enticement

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey man was arrested for allegedly inducing multiple minors to send him sexually explicit videos and pictures over online platforms, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Julian Nova, 19, of Bayonne, New Jersey is charged by complaint with two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of coercion and enticement, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Nova appeared on April 17, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was detained.

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

In or around October and November 2023, Nova coerced multiple minor victims to produce child pornography, which he then distributed online. After gaining the victims’ trust, including by posing as a teenage girl, Nova enticed the victims to send child pornography of themselves. Nova then blackmailed the minor victims into producing additional child pornography, some of which included acts of self-degradation, by threatening to distribute the existing images and videos to the minor victims’ family and friends if they did not comply.

The charges of production of child pornography carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charges of coercion and enticement carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence Reilly for their assistance.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Kober of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

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

###

Defense counsel: Carol Dominguez, Esq.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chair appointed for public inquiry into Nottingham stabbing attack
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Chair appointed for public inquiry into Nottingham stabbing attack

Former senior circuit judge, Her Honour (HH) Deborah Taylor, has been appointed by the Lord Chancellor to chair the statutory inquiry into the Nottingham attacks.
HH Deborah Taylor

Her Honour Deborah Taylor to chair Nottingham inquiry

Holistic review to provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents

Full Terms of Reference to be published in due course

Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65, were tragically killed and three others seriously injured by Valdo Calocane in Nottingham in June 2023.

Speaking in the House of Commons today (April 22), the Lord Chancellor confirmed HH Deborah Taylor would undertake a thorough, independent assessment of the events that culminated in these brutal attacks, and provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents.

The statutory inquiry will have the power to examine all the agencies involved, including the Nottinghamshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service; compel witnesses, and establish the facts. The Prime Minister has committed that the inquiry should report within two years.

The bereaved families and survivors of the attack were present in the public gallery during the Lord Chancellor’s announcement.

Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said:

The bereaved families and survivors of the Nottingham Attack, who have suffered so much, deserve to know how these horrific attacks were able to happen.

I am pleased to appoint Her Honour Deborah Taylor as the Chair of this inquiry. She brings deep experience to the role, and I know she will undertake a fearless and thorough examination of the facts.

The Chair, a retired senior circuit judge, has already engaged with survivors and victims’ families, and taken views on the draft Terms of Reference, which will be laid in due course.

Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), Alex Davies-Jones, said:

My thoughts remain with the bereaved families and survivors of this terrible incident, who in the face of such tragedy, have consistently called for an Inquiry.

It is important for the bereaved families and survivors that this Inquiry reports without undue delay which is why the Prime Minister has committed the inquiry should report in two years.

Notes to editors:

With the Chair in place and the inquiry being formally established today, it can begin preliminary work immediately. The final terms of reference will be published as soon as possible.

There have been nine separate reviews into various elements of the Nottingham attacks including: Valdo Calocane’s healthcare and the healthcare institution; actions by Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire Police; and decisions of the CPS. IOPC investigations into the actions of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire police are ongoing.

The Law Commission is undertaking a review into homicide law and will consider the partial defence of diminished responsibility.

HH Deborah Taylor was a Senior Circuit Judge, Resident Judge at Southwark Crown Court and Recorder of Westminster until her retirement from the Judiciary in December 2022. In 2022 she was Treasurer of Inner Temple, where she advocated for greater diversity at the Bar.

Deborah has chaired the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board (CLAAB) since July 2023.

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Updates to this page

Published 22 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Murray Kentucky Man for Theft of Mail Matter

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury in Paducah, Kentucky, returned an indictment on March 11, 2025, charging a local man with theft of mail matter.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburg Division, and Chief Samuel Bierds of the Murray Police Department made the announcement.

According to the indictment, Austin L. Jones, age 34, was charged with theft of mail matter. On or about December 18, 2024, Jones stole mail matter from residential mailboxes in Calloway County, Kentucky.

On April 21, 2025, Jones made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Bowling Green Office and the Murray Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.

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

###

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Press Release: Motorists Urged to Drive Carefully and Protect People in Work Zones

Source: US State of Rhode Island

National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 21-25, 2025

Construction season has started, and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and its safety partners are reminding motorists to slow down and drive safely in work zones. This week (April 21-25) is National Work Zone Awareness Week � a time when drivers are asked to slow down when they approach a work zone � or a public safety vehicle.

RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, Jr. today joined officials from the Rhode Island State Police, Federal Highway Administration, Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association, AAA Northeast, the Laborers’ International Union of North America and the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council for a press conference at the Department’s headquarters in Providence.

“This week, our construction and safety partners raise awareness about the dangers our workers face as they go about their jobs to make our roads better and safer,” Director Alviti said. “In Rhode Island alone there are hundreds of work zones set up throughout the year. These men and women are working mere feet from live, often high-speed traffic and we need to keep them safe.”

This year’s Work Zone Awareness Week press conference featured the story of Lincoln Police Lieutenant Brad Stewart who was nearly struck by an errant driver in 2018 while assisting a work crew on Route 146 near Twin River Road. The driver thankfully did not hit his cruiser, but crashed into a sign board on a trailer, snapping it in half and nearly killing two workers on the road.

It was a harrowing reminder of a serious injury crash in 2013 when a car slammed into the back of his cruiser at a high rate of speed on the side of Route 146, when he stopped to assist a motorist with a flat tire. The driver was heavily intoxicated � four times the legal limit. Stewart’s cruiser was totaled, and he was hospitalized with significant injuries. It took seven months of recovery before he was able to get back to work. Although that near miss happened five years after he was seriously injured, being in the center of another potentially bad crash really jolted him.

“For a moment I was convinced that I got hit again,” he said. “It was that close. It all hit home again. You go out to work and you don’t know what could unfold when someone’s not paying attention and crashes into your work zone.”

Across the country, fatal crashes in work zones have steadily increased. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 900 people a year die in work zone crashes. That’s up significantly from an average of 500 per year 10 years ago. At the current rate, that’s equivalent to 18 coach buses filled to capacity.

“We have a shared responsibility to keep our roadways safe and this includes taking care when driving through a work zone,” said Lieutenant Colonel Robert Creamer, Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Field Operations for the Rhode Island State Police. “Our move-over law requires drivers to move over and slow down when they see emergency lights, so please follow the law and help us keep our roads safe for work crews and first responders.”

Fortunately, RIDOT has not had any work zone fatalities among its staff or contractors in many years, however each year there are hundreds of crashes in work zones, resulting in many injuries and financial losses for those affected. Last year there were nearly 500 work zone-related crashes in Rhode Island, up from 346 crashes reported in 2021.

“Distracted driving is an entirely preventable cause of work zone crashes, and we need to do more to protect the road workers and the police officers who are at these job sites every day,” said Chief Thomas F. Oates III, President of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association and Woonsocket Chief of Police. “Our ask is simple: please slow down and pay attention and help us make work zones safer for everyone.”

Safety is RIDOT’s highest priority, and all work zones are established with careful attention to safety and in coordination with national standards and best practices. RIDOT routinely inspects all work zones on state roads, including those set up by contractors, bridge inspectors and utility companies. This interaction includes making sure work zones are set up correctly.

RIDOT plans the timing and duration of work zones to reduce as much as possible the impact to traffic flow and travel time. The potential impact to traffic is carefully studied during the design process on each project with continual monitoring during projects for any changes that can be made to reduce congestion.

In addition to today’s event, RIDOT coordinated with the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority and Rhode Island Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to illuminate key structures in orange in recognition of Work Zone Awareness Week. This includes the State House, the Sakonnet River Bridge and the Pawtucket River Bridge. Additionally, Big Blue Bug Solutions is currently displaying a Work Zone Awareness Week banner at its “Nibbles Woodaway” statue on the roof of its Providence office, highly visible to motorists on I-95. RIDOT will utilize a variety of advertising mediums to help spread the important message of safe driving in work zones.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Lawrencetown — RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment investigates fatal collision

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment is investigating a fatal collision that occurred in Lawrencetown.

On April 21, at approximately 12:10 p.m., RCMP officers, fire, and EHS responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Lawrencetown Rd. and Gammon Lake Dr.

The investigation indicates an Econoline van was travelling south on Gammon Lake Dr. and a Yamaha motorcycle was travelling west on Lawrencetown Rd. when they collided.

The driver and sole rider of the motorcycle, a 65-year-old man from Three Fathom Harbour, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver and sole occupant of the van, a 59-year-old man from Westphal, was not injured.

A collision reconstructionist attended the scene; the investigation remains ongoing.

Lawrencetown Rd. was closed for several hours.

Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.

File #: 25-55022

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Chemical Weapon Precursors

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 21, 2025, United States District Judge Brett Ludwig accepted the guilty plea of James Morgan (formerly Karactus Blome) to one count of possession of chemical weapon precursors—chemicals that combine to create chlorine and chlorine gas—not intended for peaceful purposes, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 229(a).

According to court documents, on December 21, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at Morgan’s storage unit and found the precursor chemicals. Morgan had studied chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and had described himself as a weapon designer who did not need a conventional weapon. In a video, Morgan displayed the chemicals and said they were for making a lot of chlorine very quickly. In messages in 2022, he said that what he had was “scary,” and that the chemicals react to produce a lot of chlorine gas, which can be “effective if your enemy is not ready for it.” He sent links for purchasing the chemicals and discussed the amounts needed to make a lot of chlorine gas really fast. In messages in 2023, Morgan discussed a plan to defeat the government, if it came for his guns, by producing a large amount of chlorine that he claimed could be used against approximately twenty government agents. The FBI Laboratory determined that the chemicals Morgan possessed could produce a large amount of chlorine that could result in rapid, serious health effects, including death.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 1, 2025, before Judge Ludwig. Morgan faces up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release after any period of imprisonment.

The FBI, the Janesville Police Department, and the Whitewater Police Department investigated the case, which also resulted in Morgan’s conviction for possession of destructive devices in the Western District of Wisconsin.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully is prosecuting the case in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin prosecuted the case in the Western District of Wisconsin, and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section, assisted on both prosecutions.

###

For further information contact:

Public Information Officer

Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

(414) 297-1700

Follow us on Twitter

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: CTI Chairman Pfluger Responds to Homeland Democrats’ Calls to Visit Deported Salvadoran MS-13 Gang Member, Domestic Abuser

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, released the following statement regarding the detention of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national with ties to the transnational gang and foreign terrorist organization MS-13, who was unlawfully present in Maryland, as multiple House and Senate Democrats are reportedly planning performative trips to visit Garcia being held in El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center.

“Americans should not have their hard-earned tax dollars paying for an all-expenses-paid trip to import criminal illegal aliens back into our communities,” said Chairman August Pfluger. “Members who are rushing to El Salvador to retrieve an international gang-affiliated member, yet show zero urgency in meeting with Rachel Morin’s family or addressing the devastation from the Biden border crisis, have their priorities completely misaligned. This isn’t just failed leadership—it’s a complete abandonment of their duty to protect American citizens. While Democrats are fighting on behalf of illegal criminals on your dime, Republicans will continue to fight for the safety of American citizens.”

Background:

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran national who, according to the Department of Justice, has been repeatedly identified as having ties to MS-13, a transnational gang and foreign terrorist organization. Garcia, who was unlawfully present in Maryland, was arrested and deported by the Trump administration in early March.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pfluger Visits Children’s Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

Rep. Pfluger Visits Children’s Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas

Washington, April 17, 2025

SAN ANGELO, TX— Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) visited the Children’s Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas this week. During the visit, Congressman Pfluger was briefed on the many services they provide for children and families by staff and onsite partners, including the San Angelo Police Department and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

“I am grateful for the incredible work the Children’s Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas is doing in our communities across Texas-11,” said Congressman August Pfluger. “As we recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month, we must be committed to ensuring every child grows up in a safe and nurturing environment. I applaud the many state and local professionals working every day to better the lives of children and their families.”

Pictures available for broadcast and distribution below:

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF POPE FRANCIS

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Know Your Immigration Rights

If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.

Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.

Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.

Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.

The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.

Learn more here: KNOW YOUR IMMIGRATION RIGHTS – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cultural co-operation panel held

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum+ 2025 Ministerial Panel was held today, during which participating cultural ministers and senior officials exchanged views and shared their experience on policies and measures to promote arts and cultural development.

Officiating at the panel opening, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law highlighted that technological advancement is inevitable as the world has undergone rapid and vigorous changes.

A people-oriented approach, ie an approach to connect more with people, to create more for people and to engage more people, should be adopted, in order to promote arts and cultural development, she stressed.

Miss Law added that by making good use of its positions as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as well as the largest art trading centre in Asia, Hong Kong will continue to thrive.

Separately, Acting Chief Executive Chan Kwok-ki hosted the gala dinner for the delegations as well as local cultural leaders. In his speech at the event, Mr Chan pointed out that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been actively fostering the city’s development into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange with the clear national support in the National 14th Five-Year Plan.

With its unique advantage of blending Chinese and Western cultures and its extensive international connections, Hong Kong will become a “super connector” and “super value-adder” between the Mainland and the rest of the world, he stressed.

The Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum aims to promote cultural co-operation and exchanges among regions. Themed “Connect, Create, Engage: Bridging Cultures for All”, this year’s gathering has expanded its scale, welcoming participation from Belt & Road countries outside Asia.

The delegations attending the forum visited the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Oil Street Art Space yesterday. They will attend the plenary session and visit the Hong Kong Palace Museum tomorrow.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Fresh look for Sydney and Melbourne Buildings on the way
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The restoration recognises the history and architecture of the heritage-listed buildings.
In Brief:
- The Sydney and Melbourne Buildings in Canberra City are being restored.
- The restoration project is a joint effort between building owners and the ACT Government.
- Consultation on the legislative process for the buildings’ Revitalisation Plan will open soon.
The work to restore the exterior of the iconic Sydney and Melbourne Buildings is picking up pace.

Here’s what you need to know about this project:

What does the work involve?

Repainting has started on the Melbourne Building on the corner of Alinga Street and Northbourne Avenue. This section includes the business frontages of:
- Amici Wine Bar and Deli
- Bistro Nguyen’s
- Smith’s Alternative.
Who owns the Sydney and Melbourne buildings?

The Sydney and Melbourne Buildings are privately owned. They include four individual buildings with about 100 separate land titles. These have multiple owners, and no common management body.

The restoration recognises the history and architecture of the heritage-listed buildings. It is a shared project between the ACT Government and building owners. The work will restore and preserve these Canberra landmarks.

An owner’s outlook

Ravi Sharma is a Sydney Building property owner. “The façade repainting will lift these beautiful buildings and help create a standout feature for visitors to the city,” he said.

“As a building owner, I certainly appreciate the ACT Government’s support to preserve the character of these iconic buildings. The fresh façade will enhance the appeal of the businesses operating within them and be a drawcard for patrons.”

Who is paying for the work?

The ACT Government established a grants program to support building owners to repaint their building façades. Building owners have been offered a grant from the City Renewal Authority. This is to facilitate façade repainting work that is consistent with the cream and white colour scheme specified in the buildings’ Conservation Management Plan.

Over the last five years, the ACT Government has engaged with Canberrans about the potential for legislation to maintain the buildings. This has included:
- building owners
- businesses
- the broader community.
The legislation would allow the Government to carry out and charge for the painting works if the building’s owners do not complete it themselves.

A final round of consultation on the legislative process for the buildings’ Revitalisation Plan will open soon. This will gather any outstanding comments on the plan before legislation to maintain the buildings is tabled with the ACT Legislative Assembly.

The plan has been developed over several years. City Renewal will seek feedback from the buildings’ property owners and interested heritage stakeholders before it is finalised.

When will the restoration be finished?

It is estimated that the façade repainting of both buildings will take 18 months to complete. Repainting of the building façades follows pavement, lighting and infrastructure upgrades to the buildings’ Odgers and Verity Lanes completed in 2023.

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MIL OSI News –
April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: A Leader of Notorious Philadelphia ‘10th and O Crew’ Sentenced to Six Years for Opioid Drug Conspiracy

Source: US State of California

A South Philadelphia man was sentenced yesterday in the District of New Jersey to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance.

According to court documents, between January 2022 and February 2024, Michael Procopio, 50, coordinated the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a leader of South Philadelphia’s notorious “10th and O Crew.” Procopio obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area. He then unlawfully distributed them through a network of intermediaries. In February 2024, during a search of Procopio’s residence pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement found oxycodone, Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine), and other drugs stored in a safe concealed in a hollowed-out dictionary. During the execution of the search warrant, Procopio stated, “take me to jail” and “I f***ed up.”

Pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, one gram of actual oxycodone is equivalent to 6,700 grams of converted drug weight. Procopio admitted to distributing approximately 14,925 milligrams of oxycodone, which equates to between 80 and 100 kilograms of opioids by converted drug weight.

“The defendant led a criminal ‘crew’ that diverted addictive prescription drugs to sell on the streets of Philadelphia,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The unlawful distribution of opioids ravages communities, whether it’s fentanyl from overseas or prescription oxycodone obtained from a doctor. The Department of Justice is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate the illegal sale of these dangerous drugs.”

In June 2024, Procopio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. Court documents show that Procopio was previously convicted of sexual assault in Pennsylvania.

Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Philadelphia Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Jersey Field Division joined the announcement.

The FBI, DEA, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

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

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Lilydale — Lunenburg District RCMP investigates fatal crash in Lilydale

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Lunenburg District RCMP is investigating a fatal crash that occurred in Lilydale.

On April 20, at approximately 11:15 a.m., Lunenburg District RCMP, fire, and EHS responded to a report of a single motor vehicle crash on Hwy. 324.

Responders located a Jeep Compass on its roof alongside the highway. The initial investigation indicates the SUV was travelling southbound when it left the roadway and struck a tree before overturning onto its roof.

The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, a 31-year-old woman from Lunenburg, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

An RCMP collision reconstructionist attended the location of the crash; the investigation is ongoing.

A section of Hwy. 324 was closed for several hours.

Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Court Sentences North Carolina Woman to Twenty-Four Months Imprisonment for Trafficking Cocaine

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MOBILE, AL – On April 21, 2025, United States District Court Judge, Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Phyliss Joy Ferris of Wake Forrest, North Carolina, to 24 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine.

Documents filed with the Court established that on October 24, 2022, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) Special Operations Unit stopped Ferris on Interstate 65 for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop a deputy smelled the odor of marijuana and officers began a probable cause search of the vehicle based on the odor of marijuana. Ferris was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. Officers located the top to a marijuana dispensary jar that still contained small remnants of green leafy substance consistent with marijuana. Inside Ferris’ purse, officers located a bottle of “Blunt Bomb”, a cover agent commonly used to mask the odor of marijuana. The defendant later told officers that she purchased the “Blunt Bomb” while on the trip to help cover the odor of marijuana in the vehicle.

As officers continued to search, they opened the spare tire well inside the rear cargo area of the vehicle. Inside, they found a Ziploc bag wrapped in duct tape. White powder consistent with cocaine could be seen through cracks in the tape on the “brick” or kilo of suspected cocaine. Officers removed the cocaine from the vehicle and the DEA Laboratory later confirmed the powder was in fact cocaine weighing 1007 grams. In a later interview with a DEA Task Force Officer, Ferris admitted to being paid to make previous trips for the organization that hired her to transport the cocaine from Texas to North Carolina.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Colbert County Man Arrested for Failure to Register in the State of Alabama as a Sex Offender

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Colbert County man has been charged for violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and United States Marshal Martin Keely.

A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Michael Shane McDaniel, 56, of Plainfield, Indiana, with failing to register or update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). McDaniel was convicted of child molestation in the Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis, Indiana, and required to register as a sex offender under SORNA. Following this conviction, McDaniel travelled across state lines from Indiana to Alabama and did not register as a sex offender. McDaniel was arrested on April 16, 2025, in Colbert County, Alabama. McDaniel will be detained and held in federal custody pending disposition of this case.

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 implemented SORNA and established a comprehensive national system for the registration of sex offenders. The Act requires anyone convicted of specified crimes to register with the national sex offender registry. It is a federal felony offense for sex offenders to travel to another state and fail to register. Federal violations of SORNA can result in imprisonment for up to 10 years.

The U.S. Marshals Service for the Northern District of Alabama investigated the case along with the U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of Indiana, the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Hendricks County, Indiana Sheriff’s Office, and the Colbert County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025

Category: Security

Chair appointed for public inquiry into Nottingham stabbing attack

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Rep. Pfluger Visits Children’s Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas

In Brief:

What does the work involve?

Who owns the Sydney and Melbourne buildings?

An owner’s outlook

Who is paying for the work?

When will the restoration be finished?

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