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Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lackawanna County Man Sentenced to 96 Months’ Imprisonment for Theft of Major Artwork

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

    SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Thomas Trotta, age 49, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 13, 2025, to 96 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a term of supervised release, and to pay restitution in the amount of $2,759,073, by U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for one count of theft of major artwork.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Trotta had previously pleaded guilty to one count of theft of major artwork, and admitted to stealing the following:

    • “Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania;
    • Nine (9) World Series rings, seven (7) other championship rings, and two (2) MVP plaques all belonging to Yogi Berra, worth over $500,000 stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls, New Jersey;
    • Six (6) championship belts, including four belonging to Carmen Basilio and two belonging to Tony Zale stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York;
    • The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy belonging to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum in Fargo, North Dakota;
    • The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library;
    • Fourteen (14) trophies and other awards worth approximately $300,000 stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York;
    • Five (5) trophies worth over $30,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York;
    • Three antique firearms stolen in 2006 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum in Wantage, New Jersey;
    • A 1903/1904 Tiffany Lamp stolen in 2010 from the Lackawanna Historical Society in Scranton, Pennsylvania,
    • “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Crospey, worth approximately $120,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey;
    • Antique firearms worth over $150,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey;
    • Hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of gold nuggets stolen in 2011 from the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, New Jersey;
    • An antique shotgun worth over $30,000 stolen in 2018 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum in Wantage, New Jersey;

    Trotta committed the above thefts as part of a larger, eight-person conspiracy.  After a month-long trial held earlier this year, co-conspirators Nicholas Dombek, age 54, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Damien Boland, age 48, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, and Joseph Atsus, age 48, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania, were convicted of conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property, as well as multiple related substantive offenses. They are presently pending sentencing.

    Three additional co-conspirators pleaded guilty pursuant to felony informations and were sentenced by Judge Mannion earlier this year. They include:

    • Dawn Trotta, age 53, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property;
    • Frank Tassiello, age 52, of Taylor, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property; and
    • Ralph Parry, age 47, of Springbrook Township, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to three years of probation as well as a period of home-confinement for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property.

    After stealing the above-described items, the conspirators would transport the stolen goods back to northeastern Pennsylvania, often to the residence of Dombek, and melt the memorabilia down into easily transportable metal discs or bars.  The conspirators would then sell the raw metal to fences in the New York City area for hundreds or a few thousands of dollars, significantly less than the sports memorabilia would be worth at fair market value.

    Dombek burnt the painting “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Crospey, valued at approximately $100,000, to avoid the painting being recovered by investigators and used as evidence against the members of the conspiracy. The whereabouts of many of the other paintings and stolen objects are currently unknown, however, several antique firearms stolen from the Space Farms: Zoo and Museum and the Ringwood Manor Museum, both in New Jersey, were recovered by investigators.

    The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the New Jersey State Park Police, the Newport Police Department (Rhode Island), the Fargo Police Department (North Dakota), the Chester Police Department (New York), the Exeter Borough Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Scranton Police Department, the Franklin Police Department (New Jersey), the Village of Goshen Police Department (New York), the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.), the West Milord Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Montclair Police Department (New Jersey), the Saratoga Springs Police Department (New York), the Canastota Police Department (New York), the South Abington Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Bernards Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Salisbury Township Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Montclair State University Police Department (New Jersey) the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office (Pennsylvania), the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (New York), and multiple other local law enforcement agencies from across the country.   

    Assistant United States Attorneys James M. Buchanan, Jenny Roberts, and Sean Camoni prosecuted the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Carbon County Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Prison for Producing Child Pornography

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

    SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ignacia Salcido-Lopez, age 19, of Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 13, 2025, to 240 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for producing child pornography.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, between December 23, 2023, and January 14, 2024, Salcido-Lopez produced hundreds of images of child pornography involving two children, ages seven and three, that he was babysitting. 

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

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Mt. Carmel Borough Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Violate Civil Rights

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

    HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that former Lt. David Donkochik, age 53, of the Mt. Carmel Borough Police Department, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. Chief District Judge Matthew W. Brann, to conspiring to use excessive force when arresting people over a three-year period.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, former Lt. Donkochik was previously indicted on June 15, 2023, with former Officer Jonathan McHugh, age 36, and former Officer Kyle Schauer, age 36, on charges of conspiracy to deprive rights under color of law.  Donkochik, McHugh, and Schauer conspired to violate the civil rights of those they arrested from 2018 to 2021.  During 22 different arrests, one or more of the defendants kicked, punched, choked, or otherwise used excessive force against those they were arresting.  In those arrests, they caused bodily injuries to their victims.

    Donkochik, McHugh, and Schauer also took steps to ensure that video of the arrests was not captured by police cameras, or if footage that incriminated them was captured, took steps to ensure that footage was not preserved.  They falsely reported that arrestees acted in a manner requiring violence and then charged arrestees with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and related offenses to conceal their own use of violence.  

    Schauer pleaded guilty on October 24, 2024, to conspiracy to deprive rights under color of law. 

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio and Carlo D. Marchioli and are prosecuting the case.

    The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: City Man Charged in 2023 Kidnapping, Death of Philadelphia Man Abducted Outside His Home

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

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tyheem Tyler, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping resulting in death, and aiding and abetting.

    The indictment alleges that on or about March 6, 2023, the defendant traveled to Wey Um’s place of business in Philadelphia and participated in a robbery of Wey Um at gunpoint.

    The indictment further alleges that in the early hours of March 31, 2023, Tyler and his co-conspirators drove a Ford Explorer SUV to Wey Um’s Philadelphia home, kidnapped Wey Um from outside of his residence, and at approximately 2:12 a.m., drove Wey Um in the Ford Explorer to a location near the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

    As alleged, Tyler knowingly, willfully, and unlawfully seized, confined, kidnapped, abducted, carried away, and held, and aided and abetted the unlawful seizing, confining, abduction, carrying away, and holding of, Wey Um, deceased, for ransom, reward, and otherwise, resulting in the death of Wey Um, and in committing and in furtherance of the commission of the offense used means, facilities, and instrumentalities of interstate commerce.

    If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment or death.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Timothy Lanni.

    An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southern District of Texas Charges Nearly 250 People in Second Week of March in Relation to Border Enforcement Efforts

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

    HOUSTON – A total of 245 new cases have been filed in the last week related to immigration and border security, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    Of those, 115 are charged with illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses. A total 118 face charges of illegally entering the country, 10 cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and assault of federal officers. 

    Of those facing allegations of illegally re-entering the country is Santos Demetrio Marquez-Hernandez from El Salvador. The criminal complaint indicates he has a felony conviction of contact with a minor with sexual intent and was removed just over two months ago on Jan. 8. He could receive up to 20 years in U.S. prison.

    Juan Daniel Pena and Jose Cristian Cantu Jr. were also arrested this week for attempting to smuggle 15 aliens through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. The charges allege the aliens, who were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Vietnam, were hidden inside two trucks being hauled on a flatbed trailer. Five of the illegal aliens were allegedly previously ordered removed from the United States and are now facing their own charges of illegal reentry into the United States.

    Relevant cases also featured this week include an Arkansas man who was found guilty of transporting illegal aliens in a truck’s wheel well and fuel tank. The jury deliberated for under 30 minutes following a less than two-day trial before finding Noel Mercado guilty on two counts of alien smuggling. An x-ray scan revealed at least two individuals in the truck’s wheel wells – found bolted inside modified wheel well compartments. Law enforcement also discovered two more individuals in the auxiliary fuel tank below the truck bed. All four were illegal aliens from the countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala with no authority to be in the United States. 

    Among those charged this week also includes Gerardo Hervey Rodriguez-Toscano, a Mexican citizen who allegedly ran up the Mexican side of the Hidalgo port of entry and attempted to evade U.S. law enforcement at the midpoint. Authorities were able to detain him, but after a struggle, according to the allegations. One officer allegedly suffered injuries to his wrist, knee and elbow. If convicted, Rodriguez-Toscano faces up to eight years in prison.

    In addition, a Honduran man attempted to enter the country illegally by pretending to be a minor. Elger Fabricio Cotto-Navarro claimed he was born in May 2007, when he was actually born the previous year. He initially denied the allegations and made a written statement as such, but ultimately acknowledged he was an adult and that he provided an incorrect date of birth and made false statements.   

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The cases are 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

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

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Western District of Texas Exceeds 200 New Immigration Cases in Four Days

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

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 215 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 10 through March 13.

    In Austin, several individuals were charged with illegal reentry after deportation, after being found in local area jails. Among those were Ricardo Hernandez-Hernandez, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States to Mexico on two prior occasions and had been convicted of indecency with a child sexual contact and failure to register as a sex offender; Andres Garcia-Saldana, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States on four occasions and had been convicted of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and driving while intoxicated three times—the third time being a felony conviction; Hernan Vasquez-Medina, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States three times before and had been convicted of making a terroristic threat and driving while intoxicated three times—like Garcia-Saldana, Vasquez-Medina’s third DWI was charged as a felony as well; and Jaime Ricardo Lopez-Rojas, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States a total eight times and had been convicted of illegal entry twice, illegal reentry after deportation four times, driving while intoxicated three times, and family violence assault causing bodily injury.

    In the Midland-Odessa area, two individuals with prior federal convictions were found in local area jails and were charged with illegal entry after deportation. Mexican national Saul Villalobos-Vasquez was allegedly removed from the United States once before and convicted in the Eastern District of Texas for unauthorized use of a social security number for which he had been sentenced to 12-months imprisonment in 2016.  Daniel Olivas-Nieto, also a Mexican national, had been allegedly removed from the United States and was previously convicted in the Western District of Texas for the illegal transportation of aliens for financial gain, for which he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

    These cases are 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).

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: EV battery recycling becomes critical area for ongoing investments in automotive industry, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    EV battery recycling becomes critical area for ongoing investments in automotive industry, says GlobalData

    Posted in Automotive

    As the automotive industry accelerates its transition towards electric vehicles (EVs), the focus on sustainable practices has never been more critical. Central to this evolution is the lifecycle management of EV batteries, which poses both opportunities and challenges.  As the future of the automotive industry is undoubtedly intertwined with the success of battery recycling, it has become a critical area for ongoing investment and development, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    The rising adoption of EVs has significantly increased the demand for efficient battery recycling processes. As EV batteries reach the end of their lifecycle, the automotive industry faces the critical challenge of managing their disposal. Current recycling methods, including hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, and direct recycling, are being explored to recover valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, and manganese. Among these, hydrometallurgical recycling has emerged as the most effective method, demonstrating a notable positive environmental impact.

    Madhuchhanda Palit, Automotive Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The automotive sector is increasingly embracing circular economy practices, focusing on reusing and recycling materials to minimize waste. This transition not only benefits the environment but also presents lucrative opportunities for businesses in the growing market for recycled battery materials. Patent analytics indicate a surge in research and development aimed at improving recycling efficiency and reducing costs. Companies are investing in innovative technologies that enhance recovery rates while lowering the carbon footprint associated with recycling processes.”

    Regulatory frameworks are undergoing significant evolution, as governments across the globe implement increasingly stringent guidelines concerning battery disposal and recycling. For instance, the European Union’s Battery Law mandates that by 2030, recycling processes must achieve recovery rates of 95% for cobalt, copper, lead, and nickel, and 70% for lithium. In the US, various states are progressively adopting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies, which will hold automakers accountable for the recycling of all batteries. This regulatory momentum is anticipated to drive investments in recycling technologies and infrastructure, thereby promoting a more sustainable automotive ecosystem.

    Palit concludes: “In conclusion, the journey towards a sustainable future for EVs hinges on the effective management of battery lifecycles. As the automotive industry embraces recycling as a core component of its strategy, the potential for growth and innovation is significant.

    “While challenges remain, the advancements in recycling technologies and the increasing emphasis on sustainability present a promising outlook for the automotive market. As stakeholders navigate this evolving landscape, the commitment to sustainable practices will not only mitigate environmental hazards but also drive market growth in the years to come.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Companies House launches registration of Authorised Corporate Service Providers

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Companies House launches registration of Authorised Corporate Service Providers

    Companies House has taken a big step towards greater certainty about who is filing information on behalf of companies.

    Today (18 March 2025), sees the launch of a new service that allows third-party corporate service providers, such as accountants, legal professionals and company formation agents to apply to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). 

    The new ACSP service is one of the changes being made under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (‘the Act’) to strengthen the business landscape in the UK.  

    As the Act is further implemented, third-party providers will have to register using this new service to file information and confirm that they have verified the identities of their clients.     

    The Act provides a more robust framework for anyone filing on behalf of a company.  

    For example, ACSPs will be required to: 

    • be based in the UK 
    • register with Companies House, providing opportunities for oversight 
    • be registered with a UK supervisory body for anti-money laundering (AML) purposes 
    • retain records of identity verification checks 

    Where appropriate, the registrar may suspend or cease an ACSP’s registration with Companies House.

    Companies House CEO Louise Smyth CBE said:

    The new ACSP regime is a step towards a more transparent and secure business environment in the UK.

    Requiring third party agents to register as authorised corporate service providers will provide assurance that identity checks they carry out achieve the same level of assurance as identity verification directly through Companies House.

    Soon all new and existing company directors (and equivalents), people with significant control, as well as those filing information with Companies House will need to verify their identity.

    This will provide more assurance about who is setting up, running, owning and controlling companies in the UK.

    To become an ACSP, businesses must be registered with one of the UK’s 25 anti-money laundering supervisory bodies. When registering as an ACSP, applicants will need to provide their AML supervisory body membership number.

    Michelle Giddings, Head of AML and Operations, Professional Standards, ICAEW said:

    ICAEW is the largest accountancy professional body supervisor in the UK, supervising around 10,000 firms. We welcome the launch of this new service which will enhance the integrity of the UK’s company registration system, combat financial crime and close the loopholes that have historically facilitated the misuse of corporate entities.

    Chartered accountants can play a vital role in the reforms by registering as an ACSP and supporting their clients with filing information and meeting the new verification requirements.

    The ACSP registration process will need to be completed by someone who holds a senior role within the business, such as a director.  

    Companies House estimates that up to 50,000 businesses could apply to register as ACSPs within 12 months of the service launch.

    Notes to editors

    The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced robust new laws to fight corruption, money laundering and fraud. 

    The changes we are introducing in phases will enable us to crack down on misuse of the UK companies register.

    From 18 March 2025, individuals and organisations will be able to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

    From 8 April 2025, individuals will be able to voluntarily verify their identity using GOV.UK One Login or via an ACSP.

    In due course, Companies House will be able to: 

    • make identity verification a compulsory part of incorporation and new appointments for new directors and PSCs
    • begin the 12-month transition phase to require more than 7 million existing directors and PSCs to verify their identity – the identity verification will happen as part of the annual confirmation statement filing
    • make identity verification of the presenters a compulsory part of filing any document
    • require third-party agent firms filing on behalf of companies to be registered as an ACSP
    • reject documents delivered by disqualified directors as they will be prohibited from doing so, unless they are delivered by an ACSP for specified filings permitted by law

    Useful links:

    • Authorised Corporate Service Providers – Changes to UK company law

    Registering as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) – YouTube

    Guidance: 

    • Applying to register as a Companies House authorised agent
    • Being an authorised corporate service provider 
    • How to meet Companies House identity verification standard
    • Registrar’s rules

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    Updates to this page

    Published 18 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: More than 23 million trips have been recorded on the Tavrida highway since the launch of traffic

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    This year marks 11 years since the reunification of Crimea with Russia. All this time, a lot of work has been done on the socio-economic development of the republic and the city of Sevastopol. One of the key areas has become the modernization of the road infrastructure, which plays an important role in improving the quality of life of Crimeans and integrating the region into the country’s economic space.

    “Today, on the instructions of the President, we are actively implementing the program of socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, including ensuring stable road connections of the regions with other subjects of Russia, creating convenient high-speed routes. In total, since 2015, more than 1.2 thousand km of roads have been built and repaired there at the expense of the federal budget. As part of the national project “Safe High-Quality Roads”, more than 18 million square meters of asphalt concrete pavement have been laid on the peninsula, and more than 1.8 thousand km have been brought into compliance. One of the most important road arteries is the A-291 “Tavrida” highway, which runs through the entire Crimea from east to west. Since August 2020, when traffic on the highway was launched, more than 23 million trips have been recorded on “Tavrida”, and the average daily traffic intensity was about 14 thousand cars,” said Marat Khusnullin.

    Positive changes in the road sector of the Republic of Crimea have not gone unnoticed by residents of the region. According to a study by VTsIOM conducted at the end of 2024, 73% of Crimeans are satisfied with the quality and accessibility of regional and local roads. This is one of the highest rates in Russia, with the national average being 56%. And in Sevastopol, the same rate reached 83%, which is second place among all 89 regions of the country.

    Among the significant completed road projects on the Crimean Peninsula, in addition to the Tavrida highway, are the transport crossing over the Kerch Strait, the Simferopol-Yevpatoriya-Mirny highway on the Skvortsovo-Yevpatoriya section with a bypass of Lake Sasyk-Sivash, the first stage of the construction of the Simferopol bypass on the Donskoye-Perevalnoye road section. In addition, at the end of 2024, a high-speed section to the Crimean Bridge, almost 120 km long, was launched, which connects the M-4 Don highway with the Tavrida highway. Thanks to this, a single route of about 2.6 thousand km long was created between St. Petersburg and Sevastopol without a single traffic light or intersection.

    With the development of an alternative land route to the Republic of Crimea in 2024, a section of the R-280 “Novorossiya” highway, 118 km long, running from Simferopol through Dzhankoy to the border with the Kherson region, was accepted into federal ownership. The highway will become part of the ring road around the Sea of Azov.

    As the head of the Federal Road Agency Roman Novikov noted, the comprehensive modernization of the Novorossiya highway is one of the main tasks of road workers from the point of view of the development of the Republic of Crimea and the development of the economic potential of the entire south of Russia. That is why a plan for the repair, maintenance and development of the road was quickly determined.

    In particular, in 2024, federal road workers completed ahead of schedule the repair of a section within the city of Dzhankoy with a length of 5.3 km. At the same time, a set of works was carried out to eliminate deformations and destruction of the road surface on sections with a length of 7 km from Dzhankoy to Simferopol. And in the current road construction season, work has begun to replace the asphalt concrete surface on the section from the 567th to the 585th km in the Krasnogvardeisky district of the republic.

    In addition, a three-year development program has been formed, which will allow us to take the necessary pace of work to convert the entire R-280 Novorossiya highway to a four-lane design in the future.

    In general, today the total length of federal, regional and inter-municipal roads of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol is more than 7.6 thousand km.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: More than 215 thousand square meters of housing have been commissioned and 22 billion rubles have been attracted to the economy on the Crimean peninsula thanks to infrastructure projects

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Square on Novikov Street, Balaklava, Sevastopol

    Since the reunification of Crimea with Russia in 2014, a large-scale comprehensive work on infrastructure development has been carried out on the peninsula, aimed at creating comfortable living conditions for people and sustainable socio-economic development of the regions. Modern housing, roads, social institutions, housing and communal services facilities are being built, and public spaces are being improved, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.

    “Today we celebrate 11 years since the Crimean Peninsula returned to Russia. During this time, the peninsula has been transformed almost beyond recognition. The state program of socio-economic development, national projects and targeted support instruments have allowed us to create and update the peninsula’s infrastructure at an accelerated pace. This work has yielded results. I would like to note the good pace of housing construction. In particular, effective regional development instruments have contributed – infrastructure budget and special treasury loans (IBK and STK). The projects implemented since 2022 with their help have stimulated the commissioning of 215.5 thousand square meters of housing and attracted more than 22.1 billion rubles of private investment to the local economy,” said Marat Khusnullin.

    Thus, with the involvement of IBC and SKK funds, six housing and communal services facilities were commissioned in the Republic of Crimea. Among them are the reconstructed Moinaki electrical substations in Yevpatoria, Foton and Severnaya in Simferopol. They made it possible to ensure a stable and uninterrupted power supply to thousands of consumers, and also, due to the increase in capacity, to form a reserve for connecting new facilities to the power grid. In addition, the reconstruction of Mramorny Lane, leading to a developing residential area in Simferopol, was completed, and a kindergarten for 250 children was built in the city of Saki. At the expense of IBC, the construction of a kindergarten for 280 children in Yevpatoria and Antichny Prospekt in Sevastopol continues.

    When creating comfortable living conditions for people, much attention is also paid to the improvement of populated areas. This work was successfully carried out within the framework of the national project “Housing and Urban Environment”.

    “Since 2019, about 500 public areas and courtyards have been renovated in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. Moreover, the opinions of local residents are taken into account when choosing priority locations. Last year, more than 213 thousand residents of the peninsula took part in the voting for improvement sites. Now, work on creating a comfortable urban environment continues within the framework of the national project “Infrastructure for Life”. In 2025, it is planned to improve 100 public areas: 77 in Crimea and 23 in Sevastopol,” said Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Irek Fayzullin.

    For example, the central city square in Yalta was improved. A light and music fountain was installed there, an amphitheater was arranged, navigation systems, shaded areas, and places for tourist groups to gather appeared for the convenience of vacationers. Now this square can host small events and open-air film screenings.

    A promising mechanism for the high-quality renewal of cities, the formation of a comfortable environment for life, work and recreation of citizens is the integrated development of territories. This tool allows for the renewal of housing stock, modernization or creation of the necessary social, communal and transport infrastructure, and the involvement of inefficiently used areas in municipalities in circulation.

    “By the decision of the Government, the Territorial Development Fund, with the involvement of a subsidiary, is implementing the KRT project in the village of Privetnoye in the urban district of Alushta. The total area of the territory to be developed is 480.6 hectares. It is planned to build more than 3.2 million square meters of real estate there. The implementation of the project will contribute to the socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea, create a year-round resort with beaches and berths for small vessels, as well as with modern infrastructure for comfortable living, increase the tourist flow and attract additional investment to the region. Currently, urban development documentation is being developed, support measures for the construction of infrastructure facilities are being worked out,” said Ilshat Shagiakhmetov, General Director of the Territorial Development Fund.

    In addition, large social facilities are being built on the peninsula. Thus, on the instructions of the President, the Federal Children’s Rehabilitation Center is being built in Yevpatoria. The work is being carried out under the supervision of the public-law company “Single Customer in the Sphere of Construction”.

    “The first stage of the center’s construction is currently being completed. A consultative and diagnostic building and a hospital building with 300 beds have already been erected. They are currently being equipped with new technological and medical equipment. The administrative building was previously put into operation. The construction of a boarding house for accommodating young patients with their parents and a dormitory for medical workers is also ongoing,” said Karen Oganesyan, General Director of the Unified Customer PPC.

    Construction and reconstruction of facilities is underway on the territory of the Kiparisny and Solnechny camps of the International Children’s Center Artek. The infrastructure for the Krymsky training center in Alushta is actively developing – a new sports complex with a swimming pool and a hotel are already ready, and reconstruction of the incline-cross track is ongoing.

    Also in Sevastopol, on Cape Khrustalny, a large cultural cluster with a total area of 150 thousand square meters will appear. The Academy of Choreography has already opened and is working. The museum complex, in which the Russian State Art Gallery will open, is at a high level of readiness.

    The work on the development of the peninsula is aimed not only at updating the infrastructure, but also at creating a favorable investment climate. The growth of the economy of Crimea and Sevastopol is also facilitated by the free economic zone, which has been operating since 2015, and which provides for a special legal regime for doing business. In 2024 alone, its participants invested 58.2 billion rubles in the economy. Today, there are 1,526 participants in the free economic zone, thanks to which 6.4 thousand infrastructure facilities have been commissioned and 111.5 thousand jobs have been created, and 481.2 billion rubles have been invested in the economy of the peninsula, including 272.4 billion rubles in capital investments.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pasco Tow Truck Operator Charged with Firearm Offense

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

    Richland, Washington – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced today that Socorro Jesus Lopez-Spindola, 59, has been charged by criminal complaint with one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Lopez-Spindola was arraigned on March 13, 2025, before the U.S. District Court in Richland, Washington.

    According to court documents, in November of 2024, Pasco Police detained Lopez-Spindola in connection to an investigation involving robbery, extortion, and threats to kill. Pasco Police also obtained a search warrant for the business Classic Towing and Recovery, which is owned and operated by Lopez-Spindola. During a search of Lopez-Spindola’s office, investigators allegedly located a loaded .22 caliber revolver in a desk drawer.

    Prior to November of 2024, Lopez-Spindola had been convicted of a number of crimes, including an Unlawful Reentry after Deportation conviction.

    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).

    This case is being investigated by the FBI and the Pasco Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon L. Pang.

    4:25-mj-07039-ACE

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

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tanner Settlement — Lunenburg District RCMP investigating suspected arson in Tanner Settlement

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Lunenburg District RCMP is investigating a suspected arson after a structure fire in Tanner Settlement.

    On March 17, at approximately 2:10 am, Lunenburg District RCMP and fire services responded to a report of a fire at a home on Tanner Settlement Rd. Upon arrival, the residence was fully engulfed in flames.

    The fire was extinguished, but the home sustained extensive damage. No one was at the residence at the time of the fire.

    Initial investigation indicates the fire was intentionally set.

    The investigation is ongoing and is being led by the Lunenburg District RCMP with assistance from RCMP Forensic Identification Services and the Nova Scotia Fire Marshal’s Office.

    Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lunenburg District RCMP at 902-634-8674. To remain anonymous, contact Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). A secure web tip can be submitted at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or use the P3 Tips App.

    File #: 2025-345521

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Water cooperation is essential when countries share lakes and rivers – yet it’s been deteriorating in many places, with serious consequences

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Susanne Schmeier, Associate Professor of Water Law and Diplomacy, IHE Delft

    Lake Chad once provided adequate livelihoods for 20 million people in Africa, but it lost 90% of its surface area in 30 years. AP Photo/Christophe Ena

    Just over half the world’s population shares a river or lake basin with at least one other country. To sustainably manage those water resources for the health of people, ecosystems and economies, neighboring countries must work together.

    However, many countries have been less willing to cooperate in recent years, even to protect a resource as vital as freshwater.

    This trend away from multilateralism isn’t unique to water. The world is seeing a decline in the general willingness of countries to jointly solve many interstate, regional and global challenges. It shows as countries, like the U.S., pull out of the global institutions, such as the World Health Organization, and drop their support for global climate goals.

    The breakdown in cooperation can have severe consequences. If one country takes more water than agreed upon, and builds dams or pollutes the water, its neighbors and their people, cities, agriculture, energy production and wildlife can suffer. That can ultimately destabilize local communities, deteriorate relations between countries and endanger regional peace and stability.

    Water flowing into Africa’s Nile River affects several countries. A large dam being built by Ethiopia has led to concerns and disputes in the region.
    AP Photo/Amr Nabil

    We conduct research and work with governments and international organizations on environment and water law, policy and governance. The shift we’re seeing away from multilateral cooperation and rules-based order to more nationalistic tendencies, in which a country prioritizes itself to the detriment of all others, is raising concerns about the future.

    Thousands of years of water cooperation paid off

    More than 4,000 years ago, two Sumerian city-states – Lagash and Umma – were engaged in a fierce war over a strip of fertile land and a canal fed by the Tigris River in what today would be southern Iraq.

    The conflict ended in 2550 B.C. with the first known precursor to an international water treaty. The Mesilim Treaty included payments and agreements on collaborative water use. It didn’t hold the peace permanently, but it created a model that lasted.

    Conflict still occurs over shared waters; however, since the late 1800s, and particularly since the end of World War II, cooperation has been the dominant interaction between countries in the world’s 313 surface water basins, 468 transboundary aquifers and more than 300 transboundary wetlands.

    In Europe, for example, countries have worked together through treaties, data sharing and joint projects to improve water quality, including in the Rhine and Danube rivers.

    Nine countries work closely to protect the health of the Rhine River, which each depends on. In 2018, that cooperation became essential as water levels dropped to levels that interrupted ship travel.
    AP Photo/Martin Meissner

    Having cooperative processes in place also helps when disagreements arise. In Southeast Asia, negotiations and technical exchanges between countries that share the Mekong River have helped to ease tensions over the construction of dams in Laos.

    Unilateralism is rising

    Despite the proven benefits from cooperating over water resources, we’re seeing a troubling trend: Countries are increasingly taking actions that undermine water cooperation.

    Even in the Columbia River Basin, often considered a model of cross-border cooperation, the status of an updated treaty between the U.S. and Canada is in question after the Trump administration paused talks in March 2025.

    Since 1964, the U.S. has paid Canada to control the river’s flow to prevent flooding and to serve U.S. hydropower plants. The updated deal has been agreed to in principle, but is not signed. That’s raising questions about what will happen if the interim agreements expire in 2027 before the new treaty comes into force.

    Another example is in the Zambezi River Basin in southern Africa, where countries increasingly disregard agreements to notify one another before building projects that will affect the water flow. Similar behavior happens in the Nile and Aral Sea regions, among others.

    Ethiopia’s construction of a large hydroelectric damage on the Blue Nile has upset its downstream neighbors.

    As unilateral actions over shared water resources become more frequent, the willingness of governments to enter into agreements and establish joint institutions to guide that cooperation is declining. The rate of establishing multilateral agreements has significantly slowed since the 2010s. Only around 10 agreements have been signed since 2020, and only two joint institutions have been established. A large proportion of basins have no agreements or institutions at all.

    The few recent attempts to establish cooperative mechanisms have stalled or failed. The formal establishment of an organization to manage Lake Kivu and the Ruzizi River basin, shared by Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, was never formally ratified by its member countries. That left the once-promising organization a zombie.

    Even when institutions already exist, some governments are withdrawing from them. But moves made for short-term gain can have long-term repercussions.

    An example involves the Aral Sea, which has shrunk dramatically since the 1960s due to a combination of water demand for cotton crops and climate change drying the region.

    The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, IFAS, was created in 1993 by five countries to support projects designed to ensure water use remains possible along its rivers. However, in 2016, Kyrgyzstan froze its membership, arguing that the organization wasn’t taking Kyrgyzstan’s national interests into account. Kyrgyzstan contributes about 25% of water flowing into the region. Its frozen participation limits IFAS’ effectiveness.

    The Aral Sea in Central Asia has been shrinking since the 1960s, but dramatically lost water each year over the past two decades. The top left image is from 2000.
    NASA

    Similarly, Egypt and Sudan froze their participation in the Nile Basin Initiative in 2010 over a cooperative agreement that they saw as violating their historical water rights – established in colonial 1929 and 1959 agreements – in favor of governance centered on “equitable water allocations.” While Sudan resumed participation in the Nile Basin Initiative in 2012, Egypt’s participation remains frozen.

    Erosion of multilateralism

    The changes we’re seeing with water agreements and institutions reflect a broader decline in countries’ willingness to address shared problems through multilateral cooperation — a trend that seems to be rapidly increasing.

    In the United States, the Trump administration is pursuing expansionist foreign policies and protectionist trade policies. The administration has also publicly wavered on the U.S. commitment to NATO and announced it was leaving the World Health Organization.

    Argentina also announced it would withdraw from the WHO. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States, which promotes economic and political cooperation in the region.

    The environment has been particularly affected by this trend. The U.S. move to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and the difficulty of reaching a global plastics treaty also reflect the growing difficulty in reaching cooperative solutions to benefit future generations.

    Harm to ecosystems, people and countries

    As climate change shrinks freshwater resources, and growing populations lead to overexploitation of water supplies, countries will increasingly need multilateral cooperation to avoid conflict.

    These agreements and institutions provide forums for communication and cooperation. Losing them can lead to less well-governed water resources, declining environmental, economic and health benefits, and increasing conflict.

    Lake Chad is a cautionary example. The Lake Chad Basin Commission was established in 1964 by Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria to oversee its water and other natural resources and coordinate projects related to the lake. But the countries never fully committed to cooperating.

    Since then, the lake has shrunk by around 90%, which has increased poverty by reducing people’s access to vital water resources to support their livelihoods. And that has created optimal conditions for terrorist group Boko Haram’s violent insurgency to succeed in recruiting young men who had limited livelihood options left.

    People collect water from a branch of Lake Chad in Ngouboua, Chad, which has been attacked by the terrorist group Boko Haram. People depend on the lake for water, but it has been shrinking.
    Philippe Desmazes/AFP via Getty Images

    We believe this decline in countries’ commitment to multilateral cooperation should be a wake-up call for everyone. If the world’s most precious resource is not managed cooperatively and sustainably across international boundaries, more than just water is at risk.

    Melissa McCracken has not received funding related to this article.

    Susanne Schmeier 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. Water cooperation is essential when countries share lakes and rivers – yet it’s been deteriorating in many places, with serious consequences – https://theconversation.com/water-cooperation-is-essential-when-countries-share-lakes-and-rivers-yet-its-been-deteriorating-in-many-places-with-serious-consequences-251864

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: From Disaster Recovery to Saving Cultural Heritage: IAEA Boosts Assistance to Countries in Non-Destructive Testing

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Non-destructive testing encompasses a variety of techniques that leverage the interactions of matter with radiation, sound, magnetic fields, electrical currents, and testing agents to inspect materials without damaging them. The most used methods include industrial radiography, ultrasonic testing, liquid penetrant inspection and magnetic particle inspection.

    Using gamma or X rays, industrial radiography plays a critical role in creating images that can reveal the safety and quality of civil engineering structures, as bridges, tunnels, dams and buildings are subject to deterioration from environmental stress, including extreme events like earthquakes. NDT is used extensively to inspect aircraft structures, turbine blades and pressure vessels.

    As NDT allows experts to inspect objects without harming them, it also contributes significantly to the field of cultural heritage. NDT techniques enable experts to analyse the internal structures of priceless artifacts, sculptures, and historical structures without causing damage, which aids in restoration and conservation efforts.

    Meet the Scientists at #ICARST2025

    Innovations and latest developments in NDT techniques will be prominently featured at the upcoming International Conference on Applications of Radiation Science and Technology, which will gather hundreds of experts from radiation-related physics, chemistry, materials science, biology, and engineering fields in Vienna from 7 to 11 April 2025. The conference will be livestreamed. 

    Following on from previous conferences in 2017 and 2022, #ICARST2025 will showcase how radiation sciences have contributed to industrial growth and economic development by providing versatile tools and processes to produce high quality products in a clean and efficient manner. Participants will discuss how these technologies help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

    “At a side event on Enhancing Global Collaboration in NDT for Disaster Recovery Enhancement, we will highlight the importance of strong international stakeholder networks in our NDT emergency response plan,” said Hannah Affum, an Industrial Technologist at the IAEA. “We will also sign Practical Arrangements with the International Committee for Non-Destructive Testing (ICDNT) for the promotion of increased use of NDT in industry, civil engineering, and cultural heritage.”

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: The ‘Wolf of West Virginia’ Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

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

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Theodore Miller, 35, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty today to two counts of wire fraud. Miller admitted to defrauding more than 170 individuals through two real estate-related investment schemes that caused losses of between $395,000 and $434,501.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller conceived and perpetrated the two fraudulent schemes between the spring of 2022 and September 2024. One scheme solicited direct investments to develop modern residential duplexes and a dry-storage lot on Bigley Avenue in Charleston. The other scheme offered a pooled real estate investment vehicle dubbed “Bear Lute.”

    To carry out these schemes, Miller portrayed himself on social media as the “Wolf of West Virginia,” a wealthy, successful and knowledgeable real estate mogul with enough disposable income to travel the world at his leisure. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that in reality, he had poor credit, thin month-to-month financial margins, was delinquent on property taxes and bills, and defaulted on loans.

    In each scheme, Miller made multiple misrepresentations to investors. These misrepresentations included that individuals would receive returns on their investments, that their investments were secured by real property, and that they could withdraw their investments. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that there were no returns on investments, that he never owned the real property he identified as security for the investments, and that he used the money from his fraud schemes to pay unrelated expenses, debts and obligations.

    Miller’s victims included an individual who wired $20,000 to Miller from California for the storage lot project on July 5, 2022, and an individual who wired $2,500 to Miller from Texas for Bear Lute on December 12, 2022.

    The money from the schemes was deposited into bank accounts for several entities Miller solely owned and operated including Bear Industries LLC, which initially served as an umbrella entity for the related businesses. Miller’s mother, Deanna Drumm, served as vice president of operations for Bear Industries from in or around 2019 to September 2024. While Miller lived outside the United States from in or about June  2021 to on or about August 8, 2024, he directed his mother to handle the day-to-day operational tasks for the Bear entities including the management of finances and transfer of funds.

    Drumm, 61, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on November 21, 2024, to aiding and abetting the sale and offer of unregistered securities. Both the direct investments and the Bear Lute investments were securities as defined by federal law, offered through interstate commerce via the internet, and were required to be registered. Drumm admitted that no registration statement was in effect for either of these securities, and that neither was exempt from the registration requirement. Drumm further admitted that she aided and abetted the offering of these unregistered securities in the course of her duties as vice president of operations for Bear Industries. Drumm is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025.

    In September 2022, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bear Industries ordering it to stop the unregistered sale and offering of securities in Bear Lute. In November 2022, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist order regarding the same. Miller admitted that he continued to operate Bear Lute in violation of the order and never disclosed the order to his investors.

    On August 9, 2024, law enforcement officers arrested Miller following his return to the United States. Miller admitted that he told his wife during a recorded jail phone call on August 11, 2024, to report his iPhone stolen to make it inaccessible to law enforcement and to hide a backpack containing his laptop computer. Miller further admitted that the laptop contained most of the documents related to the direct investments and Bear Lute.

    Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Miller also owes restitution of between $395,000 and $434,501, with the final amount to be determined by the Court.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia Fusion Center, the West Virginia Securities Commission, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

    United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Holly Wilson and Joshua Hanks are prosecuting the case.

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a parallel civil action against Miller, Bear Industries LLC, Bear Investments and Business Consulting LLC, and Drumm in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The lawsuit alleges that Miller has engaged in the unregistered and fraudulent offer of securities related to his real estate-related investment programs since at least 2022, and that Miller’s social-media persona and businesses were all a calculated fraud to divert investor funds for his own personal benefit. The lawsuit seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and prejudgment interest, and civil penalties.

    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 Nos. 2:24-cr-145 and 2:24-cv-479.

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    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: USS Vermont Returns Home From First Western Pacific Deployment

    Source: United States Navy

    JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Vermont (SSN 792) returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam March 16, following a seven-month deployment, the submarine’s first deployment to the Western Pacific. 104 Sailors assigned to Vermont earned their first Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, since the submarine’s departure from Pearl Harbor in August 2024.

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor announces new £6 million fund to support survivors of domestic abuse

    Source: Mayor of London

    • New £6 million investment from Mayor will help ensure thousands of victims and survivors of domestic abuse get the help and support they need to reach safe accommodation, and rebuild their lives for the long term
    • Since its launch in 2021, the Mayor’s Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation (DASA) programme has ensured more than 23,500 victims and survivors have received support
    • Additional funding builds on Sadiq’s record £233 million funding to tackle violence against women and girls in all its forms
    • Mayor visits voluntary organisations Refuge, Solace and Asha in Lambeth to see first-hand how his Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation (DASA) programme is supporting the most vulnerable in London’s diverse communities

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced a new £6 million package of funding to support grassroots community organisations delivering life-changing support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and violence across the capital.

    The funding will be used to fund keyworkers, helplines, advocates who can help support victims find new housing, legal advice, counselling and specialist play therapy for children alongside a range of other initiatives.

    It is part of Sadiq’s £54 million investment in his Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation (DASA) programme1 which funds vital support and services for survivors and their children in safe accommodation. 

    The additional £6 million announced today builds on the record support the Mayor has already provided for domestic abuse services in London, which includes the delivery of 81 vital services for domestic abuse survivors between 2022 and 2024.2

    Since it launched in 2021, the Mayor’s DASA programme has helped more than 23,500 survivors of domestic abuse, including vulnerable men, women, and children from across London’s communities rebuild their lives. Thanks to new City Hall investment, it is expected that thousands of more victims and survivors will benefit over the course of the Mayor’s DASA programme.

    The latest Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) found that an estimated 2.3 million people aged 16 or over in the UK had experienced domestic abuse in the last year ending March 2024.3 In London there were 86,863 police recorded domestic abuse offences in the 12-month period to February 2025.4

    Sadiq is continuing to work in partnership with community organisations, government, charities, the police and other partners to support victims of domestic abuse access safe housing and one-to-one support to cope and recover from trauma and abuse.

    However, victims and survivors are still facing barriers in receiving the help they need and the situation has been exacerbated by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis which is forcing many people who have been impacted to stay with abusers or face financial hardship.

    The Mayor is determined to ensure that all Londoners in need are able to access the domestic abuse support they need, in a way that benefits them. To help achieve that, Sadiq has today set out a new refreshed approach to Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation which will create more safe spaces for victims and survivors from minority backgrounds – included faith-based communities and those with more complex needs. The new approach will help communities from London’s diverse communities feel more comfortable reaching out for support. 5

    Today, the Mayor visited voluntary organisations Refuge, Solace and Asha in Lambeth to see first-hand how his funding will continue to help dedicated staff deliver high-quality care and support for survivors of domestic abuse and their families.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Domestic abuse refuges and community organisations are a lifeline for so many Londoners in need. Despite caseloads growing, grassroot support groups are struggling to survive due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and years of underfunding from the previous government.

    “So I’m pleased to be working with partners to fund vital support services for thousands of survivors of domestic abuse and violence who need safe accommodation across our city.

    “The investment I have announced today will build on my record £233 million funding to tackle violence against women and girls in all its forms and help community organisations continue their life-changing work with some of the most vulnerable people experiencing domestic abuse so we can build a safer and fairer London for everyone.”

    Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said: “The Mayor’s funding for domestic abuse victims and survivors is changing lives. Since 2021, the DASA programme has ensured more than 23,500 victims and survivors have received the support they need to move forward.

    “This latest investment and refreshed strategy will help us do even more and ensure Londoners of all backgrounds can access the vital one-to-one care they need to rebuild their lives. All of this is happening alongside record funding for the police to go after the worst domestic abuse offenders and better education and public campaigns to tackle the root causes of misogyny and domestic violence.”

    Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, said: “This vital new investment from the Mayor will ensure thousands of victims and survivors of domestic abuse in safe accommodation receive the help they need to rebuild their lives.

    “This will enable grassroots community organisations to continue delivering life-changing services for victims, including helplines and therapy, as we build a safer London for all.”

    London’s Independent Victims’ Commissioner, Claire Waxman OBE, said: “It’s absolutely critical that victims and survivors affected by domestic abuse and violence receive the support and help they need to access safety and rebuild their lives.

    “I know first-hand from my work with victims across the capital just how important these specialist services are; safe accommodation offers survivors a lifeline and ensures they can escape their abusers. Whilst there is a still a lot more work to do to tackle the root causes of domestic abuse, I hope this new funding from City Hall will support the most vulnerable victims and survivors in our diverse communities.”

    Cllr Claire Holland, the Leader of Lambeth Council, said: “We are proud of Lambeth’s leading work to support women and girls who are victims and survivors of domestic abuse and to work with the Mayor of London on our shared ambitions to keep women and girls safe.

    “This visit recognises Lambeth’s long history of strong local funding, partnerships and expertise. We are committed to tackling gender based violence in all its forms in our borough and have protected these services from the deep funding cuts our sector has faced over many years. Lambeth Council’s strategy for tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) has been in place since 2021 and sets out how the council works with its partners on the issue over the following five years. It builds on previous strategies and a decade of work to establish effective services, partnerships and processes that support victims and survivors and their children and hold perpetrators to account.

    “Lambeth council funds 52 refuge bed spaces, which is the highest number of commissioned domestic abuse safe accommodation beds in any London borough, and twice as many as the London average. The majority offer culturally specific support in recognition of the evidenced benefit of tailored support for women and their children fleeing abuse. There is also specialist community-based support for victims and survivors of all genders and ages who are at risk of gender based violence through our free, confidential and independent service, the Gaia Centre. We look forward to working with the Mayor and his team on a fair and sustainable offer for those fleeing domestic abuse across London.”

    Martina Palmer, Head of Services at Refuge, said: “Refuge is delighted to welcome a new strategy for domestic abuse safe accommodation from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). Violence against women and girls (VAWG) in London remains at ‘endemic’ levels, and funding for safe accommodation for survivors is an integral part of what’s needed to make good on the Government’s pledge to halve VAWG within the next decade.

    “Refuges play a lifesaving role for survivors by giving them the space, safety and support required to rebuild their lives free from abuse. We are proud to be continuing our work with Lambeth and other expert partners to deliver a co-ordinated approach to domestic abuse that is inclusive, accessible and tailored to each survivor’s individual needs.”

    Nahar Choudhury, Chief Executive of Solace, said: “Safe and accessible accommodation is a lifeline for survivors of domestic abuse, and we welcome the Mayor’s commitment to improving provision across London. Solace has been proud to contribute to the consultation on this strategy, which takes important steps to expand safe accommodation, strengthen specialist support, and remove barriers for those most in need.

    “We are particularly pleased to see a focus on grant funding for ‘by and for’ services, improving sanctuary schemes, expanding move on housing, and investing in psychologically informed environments. We look forward to continuing our work with the Mayor’s Office and partners to ensure every survivor in London has a secure place to rebuild their life.”

    Ila Patel, Director of Asha, said: “We welcome the Mayor’s new strategy for Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation, which is an important step in ensuring survivors have the support they need.

    Specialist by and for organisations like Asha play a crucial role in supporting women who are often the most vulnerable and least visible.

    “Working together with our Lambeth partners, we have delivered quality support to survivors, ensuring they feel safe, valued, and empowered to rebuild their lives. As a small organisation, this achievement was made possible through the DASA funding, which has been vital in enabling us to provide this essential support.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fatal collision close to The Strand

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Police are on scene and dealing with a collision close to The Strand, WC2.

    Officers were called at 11:41hrs on Tuesday, 18 March following a collision involving a van and pedestrians.

    Three pedestrians suffered injuries, with a woman in her twenties sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Two pedestrians have been taken to hospital, one has potentially life-threatening injuries, and the other has minor injuries.

    The driver of the van, a 26-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion causing death by careless driving and driving with concentration of specified controlled drug above specified limit.

    He remains in custody.

    Enquiries are ongoing and a crime scene is in place.

    This collision is not being treated as terrorism-related.

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cocoa Man Who Drove Across the State to Commit Armed Robbery in Tampa and Shot Employee in the Face Charged

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

    Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Phillip Johnson (21, Cocoa) with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, robbery, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted on all counts, Johnson faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.  

    According to the complaint, during the early morning hours of February 1, 2025, three individuals traveled from Brevard County to Tampa to commit a robbery. After arriving in Tampa, the three individuals went inside the Dreams Club near Ybor City. The three individuals were wearing all black clothing, ski masks, and armed with rifles and handguns.  

    While inside, the three individuals demanded money from the victim, and Johnson ultimately shot the victim in the face. 

    A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with great assistance provided by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Cocoa Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit in Tampa. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

    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 Neighborhoods (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Haines City Man Arrested for String of Convenience Store Robberies

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

    Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the arrest of Davian Walker (19, Haines City) for robberies of convenience stores throughout the Middle District of Florida. If convicted, Walker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

    According to the complaint and court statements, Walker committed five robberies over the course of less than three months. Each robbery involved Walker brandishing what appeared to be a handgun to store clerks and demanding cash.

    Through an investigation into the first four robberies, law enforcement was able to link Walker to the robberies by identifying his phone number and the vehicle Walker was using to travel to each of the robberies. Using that information, law enforcement tracked and ultimately arrested Walker shortly after he committed a robbery in Titusville during the early morning hours of March 13, 2025.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Zephyrhills Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Titusville Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

    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 Neighborhoods (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Transnational Criminal Organization That Dispatched Thousands of Kilograms of Cocaine From the Venezuela/Colombia Border Dismantled

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

    Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the dismantlement of a transnational criminal organization (TCO) that operated out of La Guajira, a peninsula on the Venezuelan/Colombian border. From there, the organization dispatched thousands of kilograms of cocaine intended for the United States and Europe.

    Socrates Barros-Fince Transnational Criminal Organization

    Name

    Age

    Sentence Imposed
    Socrates Gabriel Barros-Fince, a/k/a “Chunchun,” “Chun,” “Indio,” “El Loco,” “Tawara,” “Chupo”

    45

    		 17 years, 6 months
    Cristian Camilo Cordoba-Cuesta, a/k/a “Cris,” “El Primo”

    37

    		 14 years
    Jorge Leonardo Diaz-Ramos, a/k/a “40,” “Numerito”

    35

    		 7 years, 3 months
    Santander Barros-Pulido, a/k/a “Pollo,” “Tio,” “Divino”

    57

    		 15 years, 8 months
    Nefer Alfonso Hinojosa-Larrada, a/k/a “El Negrito,” “Divino”

    45

    15 years, 8 months

     

    According to the plea agreements, the above-named individuals were part of a transnational criminal organization that dispatched cocaine-laden vessels to the Dominican Republic and Spain. From the Venezuela/Colombia border, the organization planned smuggling trips and recruited crewmembers for that purpose. It was foreseeable to the conspirators that some of the cocaine was intended for the United States.

    The investigation resulted in several seizures totaling over 6,700 kilograms associated with the organization that were prosecuted in the United States and abroad, to include:

    • Seizure of about 932 kilograms of cocaine near the Dominican Republic on August 15, 2016;
    • Interdiction of a go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea on November 9-10, 2016, smuggling about 700 kilograms of cocaine and prosecuted in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico;
    • Interdiction of a go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea on October 4, 2018, smuggling over 450 kilograms of cocaine and prosecuted in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida;
    • Interdiction of the M/V KARAR carrying about 4,000 kilograms of cocaine off the coast of Galicia, Spain on April 25, 2020, resulting in the arrests of 15 crewmembers and a dozen Spanish organized crime members.

    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.

    This prosecution is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Panama Express Strike Force Initiative, whose mission is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Colombian National Police, Spanish National Police, and Spanish Coast Guard provided critical investigative support. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá assisted in the extradition of these defendants. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Wainwright Soldier Arrested on Multiple Child Pornography Charges

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

    Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is seeking additional information.

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Soldier stationed at Fort Wainwright was arrested yesterday evening on the military base after a criminal complaint was filed in federal court charging him with production and possession of child pornography.

    According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, the Fort Eustis Resident Unit of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (DACID) received a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) cybertip reporting that five images of alleged child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were uploaded to an online platform. Fort Eustis DACID reviewed the images and determined they depicted CSAM of prepubescent female children.

    A subsequent investigation resulted in law enforcement executing search warrants in October 2024 for the residence of David Andres Mayoral, 20, Mayoral’s electronic devices and his account on the previously mentioned online platform.

    A review and forensic examination of Mayoral’s accounts and electronic devices allegedly revealed over 2,500 images and over 680 videos of suspected CSAM that Mayoral possessed and communicated across four messaging applications.

    The complaint also alleges Mayoral engaged in sexually explicit conversations with minor victims, where he requested and directed the victims to take sexually explicit photos and send them to him.

    Mayoral is charged with three counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, Mayoral faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of the DACID Western Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

    The DACID and FBI Anchorage Field Office are investigating the case.  If anyone has information concerning Mayoral’s alleged actions or may have encountered an individual using the name “David Mayoral” or “ghoulishclown” online, please contact DACID at (907)353-6212 or anonymously at www.cid.army.mil/Submit-a-Tip/.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Vosacek and Jennifer Ivers are 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jacksonville Convicted Drug Dealer Indicted On Federal Charge Of Escaping From Halfway House

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Brian Keith Speights (67, Jacksonville) has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Jacksonville for escaping from custody at a halfway house in Jacksonville. If convicted, Speights faces up to five years in prison and a maximum of three years’ supervised release.

    According to court documents, in 2019, Speights was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison after being convicted of using his Jacksonville residence to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine, and for possessing several firearms in furtherance of illegal drug trafficking. On January 2, 2025, he knowingly and willfully escaped from custody at the Bridges Federal Reintegration Center in Jacksonville, where he was lawfully confined serving the sentence imposed in 2019. Speights was arrested on this new federal charge on March 17, 2025, and his arraignment and detention hearing are set for March 19, 2025.  

    An indictment is only an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Fullstory Has Successful Second Half: Sees Sustained Enterprise Customer Growth, Launches Innovation Solutions with Google, and Becomes First In Industry Certified In Responsible AI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fullstory, a leading behavioral data company, today announced several milestones the company reached in the second half of its fiscal year, including customer growth in key market segments, co-developed partner solutions, and certification for responsible AI.

    Following a strong first half, Fullstory’s momentum carried through the remainder of its year, and the company continues to see an increasing appetite for digital behavioral data. Its recent research findings highlighted the significant opportunity for enterprises to improve customer experiences and anticipate buyer needs through AI-driven personalization, a task that hinges on nuanced customer behavioral insights made available only through this unique data source.

    Customer and Partner Momentum
    Fullstory continues to see noteworthy growth in its enterprise customer base. Large accounts have been its fastest-growing customer segment for the past six consecutive quarters, with sustained double-digit growth for the past 14 consecutive quarters. In the second half of its fiscal year, Fullstory added several large and well-respected organizations to its customer portfolio, including: one of the largest crowdfunding platforms; a top 10 airline; one of the largest cruise lines; a Fortune 100 technology company; a high-end fashion house; a prominent online retail styling service; a Fortune 500 bank; a luxury women’s retailer; and one of the largest online gaming and sports betting companies in North America.

    Its inaugural customer awards, announced in January 2025, included winners across industries. The winners were Autodesk—Customer Experience Champion; Chipotle—Analytics In Action; LTK—AI Innovator; NOBULL—Fastest Time To Value; Patagonia—Data-Driven Innovator; PepsiCo—Cross-Platform Creator; and Pizza Hut—Digital Transformation Leader.

    Fullstory also continued to deepen its relationship with key partners across the ecosystem, activating its digital behavioral data in unique ways to deliver value to customers. In the fall of 2024, Fullstory and Google launched a number of Innovation Solutions that address specific mission-critical use cases across industries:

    Fullstory, alongside NVIDIA and Palo Alto Networks, will present additional top-of-mind use cases, like monetizing AI agents, at Google Cloud Next in April 2025.

    Leadership Appointments
    In addition to the appointments of President Jason Wolf and Chief Product and Technology Officer Claire Fang in the first half of its year, Fullstory added notable roles, including:

    • Chief Customer Officer: Adam Spisak, who has nearly two decades of experience and a depth of knowledge in customer success, was appointed Chief Customer Officer.
    • Chief Revenue Officer: Phil Simpson, a longtime Fullstory employee and former Salesforce sales executive, was appointed Chief Revenue Officer.

    Industry Recognition
    Fullstory continued to lead and innovate by being the first in the digital behavioral data analytics space to receive ISO/IEC 42001, the accredited certification for responsible AI.

    “We are honored to be not only the first in our industry but also amongst some of the largest and most trusted companies in the world to receive ISO/IEC 42001 certification,” said Mark Stanislav, vice president of security engineering & governance, risk, and compliance at Fullstory. “The power of AI must be matched with responsible, early security diligence to allow exciting new solutions to meet the expectations that customers should place on their vendors.”

    To learn more about Fullstory, visit www.fullstory.com.  

    About Fullstory
    Fullstory is on a mission to help technology leaders make better, more informed decisions by injecting behavioral data into their analytics stack. The company’s patented technology unlocks the power of quality behavioral data at scale by transforming every digital visit into actionable data and insights. With Fullstory, enterprises can get closer to their customers’ true sentiments and intentions to predict what they want, create personalized experiences, and drive conversion, loyalty, and revenue. Fullstory is headquartered in Atlanta, USA, with regional teams across North America, EMEA, and APAC. For more information, visit www.fullstory.com.

    Fullstory Media Relations
    Alexandra King
    Director of Communications
    pr@fullstory.com 

    The MIL Network –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Pivotal Appoints Marjorie Dickman to its Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALO ALTO, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pivotal, the market leader in light electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, today announced the appointment of Marjorie Dickman to its board of directors. A global government affairs and geopolitical expert, Ms. Dickman is consistently recognized among the nation’s top public policy executives and top women in technology. For decades, she has led corporate strategies that navigate complex regulatory landscapes in the U.S. and abroad – creating opportunities, managing risk and growing market share.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Marjorie to Pivotal’s Board of Directors. Her wisdom of U.S. and global government affairs and her deep business acumen in the emerging tech and transportation sectors are invaluable to our growth,” said Ken Karklin, Chief Executive Officer, Pivotal. “This is an exciting time for Pivotal. Our aircraft offer a new way to experience flight, and our aero architecture is ready for public safety and defense use cases.”

    “I am excited to join the board and delighted that my extensive experience in tech and transportation innovation aligns with Pivotal’s mission,” said Marjorie Dickman. “I am especially pleased that my regulatory expertise in navigating global market access and competition can be an asset for Pivotal’s growth in the eVTOL market.”

    About Marjorie Dickman
    Ms. Dickman is a highly seasoned government affairs expert and attorney, based in Washington, D.C.

    She built her career leading government engagement and communication strategies for multinational technology companies – with a focus on rapidly evolving sectors like AI, automated and connected vehicles, cybersecurity, data privacy, Internet of Things (transport, energy, manufacturing), and secure communications for defense and first responders. Her track record of success building trusted government relationships, influencing public policy, and navigating regulatory and legal frameworks has earned numerous accolades. Examples include “Tech Titan” Policy Influencer, Global HERoes Role Model, and Most Powerful Women in Tech.

    As BlackBerry’s first Chief Government Affairs and Public Policy Officer and direct report to the CEO/Executive Chairman, Ms. Dickman opened the company’s Washington, D.C. office in 2020. She built BlackBerry’s Global Government Affairs and Public Policy organization from the ground up, including the company’s Government Relations and Technical Standards teams operating in the U.S., Canada, EMEA, the UK, LATAM, and APJ.

    Prior to BlackBerry, Ms. Dickman led a highly successful 16-year career at Intel Corporation – most recently launching and leading global government affairs for two of Intel’s most ‘disruptive’ businesses: Automated Driving and the Internet of Things – where she managed teams across the U.S., EMEA, China and Japan. Prior to Intel, she practiced law at a prominent Washington firm, specializing in telecom regulation and M&A.

    Ms. Dickman has been appointed to the Boards of the Eno Center for Transportation, Consumer Technology Association (CES), U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Technology Engagement Center and Cybersecurity Leadership Council, No. Virginia Technology Council, and George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing. She is an honors graduate of Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.) and Duke University (A.B., Public Policy).

    About Pivotal
    Pivotal designs, develops, and manufactures light eVTOL aircraft. An industry pioneer, Pivotal is renowned for the BlackFly, the first light eVTOL to be commercially available and delivered to customers in the United States. In October 2023, Pivotal introduced its next generation production aircraft, the Helix, and in January 2024 began sales of the Helix. The company’s distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable technology platform have been under continuous improvement for well over a decade, and today, Pivotal has the most mature technology in the light eVTOL category. Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal vehicles are designed for a wide range of consumer, public safety, and defense applications. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. For videos and more information, visit https://pivotal.aero.

    Media Contact:
    Heidi Groshelle
    press@pivotal.aero

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7fd7ffc9-f2e7-429c-b5b0-55ff0a50da3d

    The MIL Network –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coventry food business sentenced for filthy conditions

    Source: City of Coventry

    A Coventry food business operator has been given a 12-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to food hygiene offences.

    Mrs Liang Zheng, the former Food Business Operator of Chef Wang, 4 Torrington Avenue, Coventry pleaded guilty to 3 hygiene offences at Coventry Magistrates Court on 12 March 2025.  

    Mrs Zheng was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £3,377.58 as well as a victim surcharge of £26.

    Food & Safety Officers visited the business to undertake an unannounced food hygiene inspection on 7 June 2023. During this visit, filthy conditions were found throughout the kitchen. The standard of cleaning was well below standard – both day to day cleaning such as touch points, as well as deeper cleaning.

    Officers found:

    • Wash hand basins were not in use, either being obstructed or not provided with soap and hygienic hand drying facilities.
    • Dirty and deteriorated cloths were in use for cleaning.
    • Staff not wearing clean protective clothing.
    • Flies throughout the food preparation and handling areas.

    Officers worked with the food business to ensure conditions were improved and it was safe to operate.

    On 27 July 2023 following a paid for request for a re-rating revisit, a rating of 3 (hygiene standards are generally satisfactory) was achieved.

    When questioned about the poor conditions found in June 2023, Mrs Zheng did not appear to understand the gravity of the situation and did not think the conditions found by officers were poor, thus demonstrating that Mrs Zheng’s baseline cleaning standards do not match those of food hygiene law.

    Mrs Zheng pleaded guilty to three offences under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations in respect of the following identified issues:

    •         Failure to keep the premises clean.

    •         Failure to protect food from contamination.

    •         Failure to implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on the HACCP (Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points) principles.

    The business has been subject to several inspections since the poor conditions were found in 2023.

    In June 2024, an unannounced food hygiene inspection led to a rating of 1 (major improvement is necessary) being issued and following payment for a rating revisit, a further unannounced inspection was carried out in August 2024 which resulted in a food hygiene rating of 4 (hygiene standards are good).

    Councillor Khan, Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities said:

    “It is vital that people running food businesses in Coventry are running clean and safe establishments all of the time to ensure the safety of the food they sell to customers.”

    “This is a reminder to all Food Business Operators to ensure they have a clean kitchen with suitably trained staff undertaking regular and thorough cleaning every day to prevent a problem like this occurring and putting customers at a risk to their health”

    Davina Blackburn, Strategic Lead for Regulation and Communities in the city, said:

    “We take a staged approach to enforcement and prosecution is a matter of last resort. Wherever possible officers will always try to work with businesses offering advice and guidance but will take the necessary actions if they feel there is a risk to health.”

    We would encourage all residents to report unsatisfactory food hygiene conditions found in food businesses in Coventry to ehcommercial@coventry.gov.uk or call 08085834333.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bessie Margolin, Labor Lawyer

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    Bessie Margolin was not born to privilege; she was left at the Jewish Orphans Home of New Orleans at four. She was fortunate to have a foundational education at the Newman School. She was admitted to Tulane Law School, the only woman in her class, and graduated with a liberal arts degree and a law degree, with honors, in 1930. The strong recommendations that she had from Tulane got her admitted to Yale Law School, where she worked as a research assistant and earned the Sterling Fellowship, the first woman to be awarded that honor. She graduated from Yale with a J.S.D. in May 1933. She immediately began working as a researcher for the Inter-American Commission of Women, mainly writing and conducting her research at the Library of Congress during that summer. (Trestman, 38.)

    Her first permanent post-degree position was at the new agency, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), at a time when women formed only 2% of the legal profession. (Trestman, 41.) While at the TVA, where again she was the first female lawyer, she worked on several key cases, including a few that challenged the TVA’s existence, such as Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley

    KF26 .L3 1963e United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. Equal Pay Act of 1963.
  • Earl Warren papers, box 832, Remarks, Dinner Marking Retirement of Bessie Margolin, Washington Hilton Hotel, January 28, 1972.
  • JK671.C52  Civil Service Journal.
  • KF3306 2016 The Employment Law Sourcebook / Eleanor L. Grossman, J.D., and Robert B. McKinney, J.D., of the staff of the National Legal Research Group, Inc., editors.

Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Case Concludes with Nine Defendants Sentenced to a Total of Over 79 Years in Federal Prison

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

    ALEXANDRIA, La. – Nine defendants involved in an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) operation have all been sentenced for their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. This investigation in the Avoyelles Parish area resulted in a total sentence of over 79 years in federal prison for these defendants who conspired together in this drug trafficking organization. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell sentenced the nine defendants as follows:

    Darrell Joseph Sampson, Jr., 39, of Marksville, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 113 months (9 years, 5 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    Christopher Glynn Bradford, 46, of Marksville, was sentenced to 50 months (4 years, 2 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    Travis Demond Carroll, 34, of Baton Rouge, was sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    Kelly Johnson, Jr., 32, of Lake Charles, was sentenced to 90 months (7 years, 6 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    Troy Wayne Dominick, 42, of Mansura, was sentenced to 80 months (6 years, 8 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    Arthor Francisco, 37, of Moreauville, was sentenced to 160 months (13 years, 4 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    Desmond Dewayne Jordan, 46, of Alexandria, was sentenced to 225 months (18 years, 9 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    Joseph Patrick Murray, III, 27, of Cottonport, was sentenced to 37 months (3 years, 1 month) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    Tremayne Lee Lavalais, 34, of Bunkie, was sentenced to 20 months (1 year, 8 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    Each defendant will serve a term of supervised release following their release from prison.

    The FBI Central Louisiana Gang Task Force began an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine in the Avoyelles Parish area. During their investigation, agents conducted surveillance of the defendants and observed them conducting drug transactions. Law enforcement agents received authorization to conduct wiretaps on phones which the defendants were using to conduct their drug trafficking business. Between January and September of 2023, numerous communications between the defendants wherein they discussed their narcotics trafficking were intercepted by law enforcement. This organization sourced the methamphetamine from the Houston, Texas area and distributed it throughout central and south Louisiana. 

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Louisiana State Police, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John W. Nickel and LaDonte A. Murphy.

    The investigation and conviction of these defendants is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: 6 killed in aircraft crash off Roatan Island

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Honduran National Police officers and rescue teams from the Honduran government work in rescue operations after a small plane crashed into the sea, on Roatan island, Honduras, on March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    At least six people were killed after a small plane lost control and crashed on Monday evening upon taking off from Roatan Island in northern Honduras, said Octavio Pineda, minister of Infrastructure and Transportation of Honduras.

    The plane carried 18 people, including 15 passengers and three crew members, said the official.

    The aircraft lost power upon takeoff and fell into the sea some 1 km from the side of the airstrip, Miroslava Cerpas, the presidential commissioner of the National 911 Emergency System of Honduras told Xinhua.

    The aircraft of the Lanhsa company was carrying out a local flight from the Juan Manuel Galvez International Airport in Roatan to the city of La Ceiba.

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 19, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Registration for the qualifying round of the International Financial Security Olympiad is open

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    The Olympiad is organized by Rosfinmonitoring jointly with the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Education of Russia, as well as universities of the International Network Institute in the field of AML/CFT, including the Higher School of Economics. This year, HSE experts took methodological part in developing the tasks of the invitational round. Schoolchildren and students who registered for the selection round before March 30 are allowed to participate.

    International Financial Security Olympiad — is an intellectual competition that is held annually on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Its main objectives include popularizing financial security as a norm of life, minimizing the risks of involving young people in illegal activities and forming a new type of thinking: from the financial security of an individual to the financial security of the state and the commonwealth of states. Over the four years of its existence, the Olympiad has already united over 6 million people from 36 countries!

    The Olympiad is held for students in grades 8–10 in the unified profile “financial security” based on such school subjects as mathematics, computer science and social studies, and for students (1–3 years of bachelor’s degree, 1–4 years of specialist degree and 1st year of master’s degree) — in separate areas of training:

    jurisprudence;

    Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Fundamental Computer Science and Information Technology, Computer Science and Computer Engineering, Applied Computer Science, Information Security, Business Computer Science;

    economics, finance and credit, economic security;

    international relations, foreign regional studies.

    The International Financial Security Olympiad is held in several stages. The first of them is an invitational one, which allows you to get acquainted with the format of the tasks, study additional materials and prepare for the new cycle. The second stage is a qualifying one. It is organized in the form of two rounds – from March 31 to April 4 and from April 9 to 15 – in an online format using the Sodruzhestvo platform. You can start completing the tasks only after registration, which must be completed before March 30.

    The third important stage is the qualification stage, which is scheduled for the period from August 1 to September 3.

    The final will take place from September 28 to October 3 at the Siberian Federal University (Russia, Krasnoyarsk).

    Winners and prize winners of the Olympiad will receive advantages when entering a university and offers for practical training and internships with the possibility of further employment from Rosfinmonitoring, the Bank of Russia, PAO Promsvyazbank, MUMCFM, leading financial organizations and partners. Schoolchildren who show high results will be able to enroll in a bachelor’s/specialist’s degree at the Higher School of Economics without entrance examinations or get 100 points for the entrance examination. The benefits apply to the programs of the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow.Information security“, “Computer security” And “Jurisprudence: Digital Lawyer“, as well as to the relevant programs in Nizhny Novgorod And Perm.

    “We invite students not only to test themselves by participating in the Olympiad, but also to delve into the issues of financial security in more detail! For this purpose, in 2025 we are launching a minor”Financial Security and Computer Investigations”. You will be able to obtain the necessary knowledge base and form a framework of important legal, financial and digital competencies, and upon completion – an official document confirming the additional qualification received. Thanks to this, new career opportunities in this field will open up for you,” comments Alexander Chepovsky, Director of Strategic Work with Applicants.

    The micro-qualification obtained by the minor is “specialist (expert) in the field of financial and information security”. It will allow you to be a sought-after employee in the corporate sector, government agencies, budgetary organizations and non-profit organizations.

    Minor Selection Campaign will take place in the near future: March 20 and 21 – the first wave, March 25 – the second.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    March 19, 2025
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