NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Luzerne County Residents Charged With Drug Trafficking And Firearms Violations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Craig Lee Hickson, age 34, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, and Rasheeda Kelly, age 46, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, were indicted on March 4, 2025, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and a firearms violations.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on February 21, 2025, in Luzerne County, Hickson and Kelly conspired and attempted to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine.  The indictment also alleges that Kelly possessed several firearms as a felon prohibited from possessing firearms.

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

    The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

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

    Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: A step forward for girls in custody: Reflecting on the review

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    A step forward for girls in custody: Reflecting on the review

    Susannah Hancock, YJB Board member, reflects on her review of girls in custody, which makes several recommendations about how we can better meet their needs.

    YJB Board member, Susannah Hancock

    My independent review into placements for girls in custody was published this week. I was delighted to be asked to undertake the review by Sir Nic Dakin, Minister for Youth Justice, as I have seen first-hand through my work with the YJB that girls are some of the most complex and vulnerable children in the youth justice system. The report considers short-to-medium term placement options for girls in the children’s secure estate and makes a number of recommendations about how we can better meet their needs.  

    I have been especially pleased to see that the government has acted on the first recommendation from my review with immediate effect; to stop placing girls in young offender institutions (YOIs). This is an essential and positive step forward for the treatment and care of girls in custody. It will address a fundamental issue that has long been overlooked; the need for a system that is responsive to the distinct needs of girls. 

    What we know about girls in custody 

    Following the closure of Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre (STC) in 2021, the Youth Custody Service (YCS) began placing some girls temporarily into Wetherby YOI. However, some 3 and a half years later, YOIs have remained a custody option for girls. 

    Currently there are around 10 girls in the custodial system, making up less than 2% of the population, and it’s due to this that placements are often geared around the needs of boys, with girls needs often overlooked. This is a systemic issue, and one I was determined to understand better. 

    An incredibly important factor for girls entering the youth justice system are their experiences of trauma, physical abuse, sexual abuse and victimisation, and most girls in custody have experienced more than one of these adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The YJB’s most recent data also shows that between 75% and 90% have experienced abuse from a family member. This means that too often, when girls arrive in a custodial setting, it serves to retraumatise them.  

    Overall, the figures suggest that a significant number of the girls in custody, particularly those on remand, would not be there if appropriate community provisions were in place. 

    A range of voices, with girls at the heart  

    During the time I spent on the review – alongside my day job – I made it a priority to fully engage with a wide range of voices from across the sector. From frontline staff to think tanks and academics, the breadth of the conversations I had was invaluable. I also had the opportunity to speak directly with girls themselves in the establishments I visited, as well as with two young women who had earlier experience of the children’s secure estate. These conversations, alongside reading wider consultations with girls about their experience in custody, really shaped the direction of the review. I am so grateful to them for their openness and honesty in sharing their voices; it is these voices that are paramount in ensuring that the services we provide are not only effective but tailored to girls’ needs. 

    “The voices of girls were really important in shaping the review, to understand what they thought about different establishments.” 

    Trauma-informed practice 

    As I spoke to professionals across the sector, it became clear that the needs of girls in custody are distinct from those of boys. They require a trauma-informed approach focused not only on containment but about providing appropriate, therapeutic care. While evidence shows that boys are more likely to externalise trauma through violence, girls’ trauma often manifests through self-harm and substance misuse. Girls also often suffer post-traumatic stress disorder which can result in behavioural difficulties. Indeed, my findings were stark: over 50% of self-harm incidents in custodial settings involved girls and their exposure to ACEs is four times higher than their peers in the community.  

    I recognise that there are many vulnerable boys in the secure estate who also present with experiences of trauma and abuse. I am hopeful that much of the learning from the girls’ review can also be applied to them as we move forward with this work.  

    Gender-responsive settings  

    Gender-responsive approaches recognise girls’ experience of gender-based violence, the impact of their trauma and that responses must centre on the abuse, victimisation and systemic inequalities faced by girls. In short, staff working with girls in secure settings must recognise that girls are different and the kind of support they need is different. What came out loud and clear from girls and staff themselves is that high- quality, trauma-informed and gender-responsive training is key to support and deliver the best possible outcomes.

    “Girls are different and their needs are different. Girls need gender-responsive services to support those needs.” 

    What girls want  

    There was a strong level of consensus from the professionals I spoke to, and girls themselves, on a what a model establishment should look like. 

    Girls valued small, homely environments, clear boundaries and a caring and skilled workforce who listen to their views: “If we raise something, it needs to be taken seriously.”  

    Secure settings should be gender-sensitive, offer physical, emotional and mental health services, including psychiatric support and ability to respond to self-harm incidents. As set out in my recommendations, the evidence suggests that secure children’s homes and the secure school are best suited to deliver this, and I look forward to seeing this shift happen over time. 

    A ‘girls consortia’ – the ideal model 

    In the review I recommend developing a ‘girls consortia’ – a collective group of secure children’s homes and the new secure school, which work collaboratively across the secure estate, and with cross-governmental support, to provide placements for all girls in custody. By working together, this model would determine suitable placements for girls based on their own individual experiences, tailored to their specific needs. Further to this, the model could support knowledge sharing and access to shared training to better meet the needs of vulnerable girls.  

    Alongside the consortia model, we equally need to strengthen and develop provision in the community so many of these girls can be kept out of custody altogether. My review makes some clear recommendations for cross-departmental working, alongside local authorities and local partners, including youth justice services, to come together to develop and invest in community alternatives.  

    Conclusions  

    I’m excited to see where the government goes with the recommendations, and I’m hopeful that we will see progress in several areas. The Youth Justice Board has a crucial role to play in supporting girls, and this review presents a real opportunity to collaborate with the sector on the development of a national strategy for girls across the youth justice system. 

    This review has been an important step forward – building on the great work undertaken by many practitioners, academics and research bodies before me. While I am pleased with the immediate action on the YOI recommendation, there is still much to be done. I hope this review, through the clear evidence base, offers a vision of how we could do things differently; to maximise the positive changes we can make for these girls and deliver the best outcomes for them. Everyone has a role to play in this. It is only by working together that we will make the step change needed.

    Read the full review: Delivering the best for girls in custody

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Announces Settlement with App Developer for Failing to Protect Young Users’ Privacy

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a settlement with Saturn Technologies, a developer of an app called Saturn used by high school students, for failing to protect young users’ privacy. Saturn allows high school students to create a personal calendar, message other members, share social media accounts, join groups, and know where other users are located based on their calendars. Saturn Technologies claimed that its app only allowed users from the same high school to interact with each other. However, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation found that the company failed to verify users’ school email and age to ensure they were high school students and allowed users from different high schools to interact with each other. As a result of today’s settlement, Saturn Technologies must pay $650,000 in penalties and significantly change its practices to protect users.

    “The Saturn App helps students stay up to date with school-related events, sports, exams, and homework, but it failed to protect young users’ safety and privacy,” said Attorney General James. “Saturn Technologies should have strictly verified users to ensure that they were actually high school students and should have made sure students were interacting with others in their high school, not strangers. With this settlement, Saturn Technologies will have to update its practices, better protect users, and keep its promises. My top priority is always to stand up for New Yorkers’ safety, especially when it comes to vulnerable youth.”

    The Saturn app is a social network built around a customized calendar for high school students. The app allows students to choose their high school community and share personal information with that high school community, such as their name, picture, biography, social media links, and school schedule. Students could also befriend other users in their school and chat with them. Saturn Technologies promised users that their platform was limited to high school students who had been verified to attend the same school. Initially, Saturn required all app users to verify their membership in a particular high school community using their high school email credentials.  

    However, OAG found that in 2021, Saturn Technologies made email-based user verification optional and did not notify users of the change or modify the safety promises it had previously made. Saturn Technologies also turned off user verification for more than 4,000 high schools between 2021 and 2023, allowing anyone to join the students’ high school community and access their schedules and other personal information.

    The OAG investigation also found that after Saturn Technologies made school email credential verification optional in 2021, it began to use unproven and untested user verification methods. One unproven method of verifying users as members of a high school community was checking whether they appeared in the phone contact books of as few as three other users. Another unproven method of verifying users as members of a high school community was confirming that the user was accepted as SaturnApp “friends” with as few as one other user. These methods of verification are not strong enough to confirm that a user belongs to a certain high school community.

    The OAG’s investigation also determined that Saturn Technologies:

    • Did not screen new users based on birth date to confirm that they were high school-aged until August 2023;
    • Promoted its app through other high school students without disclosing that they were compensated for their promotions;
    • Made a copy of users’ contact books (with names, personal phone numbers, and other contact information) and continued using the copies even if the user changed their phone settings to deny the app access to their contact book; and
    • Failed to keep sufficient records regarding data privacy, data permissions, user verification, and user privacy. 

    This settlement requires Saturn Technologies to notify current users regarding verification changes to its app and provide users with options to modify their privacy settings. The company is also required to provide all current and future users under the age of 18 with enhanced privacy options, such as hiding social media accounts from non-friends. Saturn will also prompt all users under 18 to review their privacy settings every six months. In addition, Saturn Technologies is prohibited from making any future claims about user safety or user verification unless the company has a reasonable basis for making the claim based on competent and reliable scientific evidence.

    This settlement also requires Saturn Technologies to:

    • Limit the visibility of information about non-Saturn-using students that other Saturn users may enter into the app, such as the non-Saturn user’s class enrollment or event attendance;
    • Allow teachers to block their name, initials, or other personal identifier from appearing in the app’s class schedule feature;
    • Delete retained copies of the phone contact books of certain users; and
    • Hide the personal information of current users under 18 until Saturn Technologies obtains informed consent to the new Saturn app terms. 

    Saturn Technologies is also required to pay $650,000 in penalties and costs to the state. The company will pay $200,000 immediately and $450,000 will be suspended to ensure SaturnTechnologies’ compliance with the settlement terms.

    Attorney General James has taken several actions to protect children online.  In November 2024, Attorney General James urged Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to protect children from dangerous social media features. In October 2024, Attorney General James and a bipartisan coalition of 14 state Attorneys General sued TikTok for harming children’s mental health. In September 2024, Attorney General James co-led a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general in urging Congress to implement warning labels on social media platforms as called for by the United States Surgeon General. In June 2024, two pieces of legislation advanced by Attorney General James became law in New York State; these new laws will prevent collection of children’s personal data and limit social media features that are harmful to teen mental health.

    This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Gena Feist and Deputy Bureau Chief Clark Russell, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Kim Berger of the Bureau of Internet and Technology. The Bureau of Internet and Technology is a part of the Division for Economic Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Chris D’Angelo and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

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

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and West Haven Police Chief Joseph Perno announced that MARIO RENE GARCIA MARTINEZ, also known as “Mario Rene Martinez Garcia,” 33, a citizen of Guatemala was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with child exploitation offenses.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on two occasions in February 2024, in Connecticut, Garcia Martinez used his smartphone to record sexually explicit videos and images of a prepubescent minor female while she was sleeping.

    Garcia Martinez was arrested this morning in Valley Stream, New York.  He appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.

    The complaint charges Garcia Martinez with production of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and with possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

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

    This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings with the assistance of the Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Ansonia-Milford.

    This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Second Offense

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

    WILMINGTON, Del. – Shannon T. Hanson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Michael Natale, of Laurel, Delaware, was sentenced yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware for his crime of possessing child sexual abuse material. The Honorable Colm F. Connolly, Chief Judge, issued the sentence.

    In October 2024, Mr. Natale plead guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The case against Mr. Natale arose from conversations he was having online with another individual on the instant messaging platform “Kik.” Mr. Natale and the other individual exchanged graphic videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, to include the sexual abuse of the other individual’s own young son. That individual was arrested and a search of her Kik account led to the identification of Mr. Natale.

    Today, Chief Judge Connolly sentenced Mr. Natale to 10 years of imprisonment. This sentence is the mandatory minimum sentence Mr. Natale must serve because he has a prior conviction in the State of Delaware for dealing in child pornography.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson stated, “Our office has always been dedicated to the protection of Delaware’s most vulnerable community members, the children. We will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit children for their own twisted satisfaction, especially those who refuse to change their behavior after previous convictions. I commend the FBI’s dedication and collaboration across districts in bringing this case, and that of Mr. Natale’s co-conspirator, to justice.”

    “Natale posed a significant threat to children as demonstrated by his repeated perverse and sick exploitation. Even in the darkest corners of the internet, the FBI will find a way to seek justice for our children and stop the monsters who threaten their innocence and sense of security,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno.

    This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Knox is prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Prison expanded to create UK’s largest public sector jail and make streets safer

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Prison expanded to create UK’s largest public sector jail and make streets safer

    More dangerous criminals will be taken off the streets thanks to a 700-place expansion which will turn a Suffolk jail into the UK’s largest public sector prison.

    • three new houseblocks to be built at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk by summer 2027
    • key milestone in efforts to deliver 14,000 extra prison places nationwide by 2031
    • part of Government’s Plan for Change to create safer streets

    The three new, four-storey houseblocks at HMP Highpoint will boost its capacity by more than 50 percent– and is the latest step in Government action to create safer streets.  

    The houseblocks will include innovative workshops and teaching facilities to train prisoners with skills to secure a job on release and turn their backs on crime for good. The new cells will be fully operational by summer 2027. 

    The construction is a significant milestone in the Government’s plan to deliver 14,000 more prison places by 2031 to lock up dangerous offenders and keep the public safe.   

    Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord James Timpson said: 

    This government is fixing the broken prison system it inherited – wasting no time in getting shovels in the ground to deliver the spaces needed to protect the public. 

    These new houseblocks have been designed with a laser-focus on cutting crime and are a major step in our plan to deliver 14,000 more prison places by 2031.  

    But we cannot simply build our way out of this crisis, which is why we’re also reviewing sentencing so we can lock up dangerous offenders, cut crime and make our streets safer.

    HMP Highpoint Prison Governor Nigel Smith said: 

    The expansion at Highpoint will provide much-needed prisoner places in our region.

    The new accommodation will provide a safe and secure environment for us to rehabilitate prisoners and get them ready for release.  

    We are pleased that the construction work has officially begun and we look forward to working with our contractors to get things delivered.

    The build will be delivered by Wates Group, a leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance company. Once completed Highpoint will be the largest public sector prison in terms of land size in North-West Europe and the largest in the UK based on prisoner population.

    It will help provide an economic boost to East Anglia with hundreds of jobs created during construction and over 200 permanent jobs at the prison once built. Construction alone will bring investment into local businesses with 30% of materials/subcontractors coming from within a 50-mile radius. 

    Phil Shortman, Regional Managing Director at Wates said:   

    We are proud to be involved in the major programme of delivering much-needed prison spaces.  

    Through the construction of this project, around 2,000 building components have been crafted in prison workshops, providing meaningful employment opportunities, helping develop valuable skills and supporting brighter futures.  

    We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the government delivering additional prison capacity with a focus on rehabilitation, sustainability and social value for the local community.

    The development is part of the government’s 10-year prison capacity strategy published in December. It includes 6,400 places through new houseblocks and 6,500 places via new prisons. One thousand rapid deployment cells will be rolled out across the estate while more than 1,000 existing cells will be refurbished. 

    A 1,500-capacity prison in Yorkshire, HMP Millsike, will be opened in the coming weeks. The government is investing £2.3 billion to deliver these prison builds, while a further £500 million will go towards vital building maintenance across prisons and the probation service.     

    The strategy will work alongside the Independent Sentencing Review to ensure the most serious offenders can always be sent to prison to protect the public.    

    Notes to editors 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Court Finds That Trump’s Termination of NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox Was Unlawful and Void

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Ruling follows an amicus brief filed by Attorney General Bonta in support of Wilcox 

    Judge calls Wilcox’s firing “blatantly illegal” 

    OAKLAND – The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order granting summary judgment in Wilcox v. Trump. The order declares that Gwynne Wilcox remains a full member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and finds that she was unlawfully dismissed by President Donald Trump. Following her purported dismissal from NLRB, Wilcox filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. On February 28, California Attorney General Bonta joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of Wilcox, underscoring that the purported removal was unlawful, exceeded presidential authority, and would undermine the independence of federal agencies. In its ruling, the court stated that, “in the ninety years since the NLRB’s founding, the President has never removed a member of the board. His attempt to do so here is blatantly illegal, and his constitutional arguments to excuse this illegal act are contrary to Supreme Court precedent and over a century of practice.”  

    “The Court rightfully held that the President’s attempt to dismiss NLRB Member Wilcox without cause was both illegal and void. No one is above the law – not even the President,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Workers across the country rely on the NLRB to protect their rights by preventing unfair labor practices and safeguarding their ability to unionize. Trump’s attempt to remove Member Wilcox jeopardized these rights by denying the NLRB a quorum and leaving the field open for bad actors to trample on workers’ rights. We’re pleased the NLRB and Member Wilcox can continue their work to protect workers across our country.”  

    On January 27, 2025, President Trump purported to dismiss Wilcox from the NLRB during the middle of her five-year appointment, leaving just two members remaining on the five-member board. This denied the NLRB a quorum, incapacitating it. The amici states argued that a functioning NLRB is necessary for the enforcement of labor laws across the United States. 

    The NLRB is an independent federal agency that enforces U.S. labor laws related to workers’ rights, union representation, and collective bargaining. It oversees union elections, ensuring that employees can freely choose whether to be represented by a union. The board also investigates and resolves unfair labor practice charges against employers and unions, addressing issues like retaliation, unlawful firings, and refusal to bargain in good faith. The amici states argued that the unlawful firing of Wilcox and incapacitating of the NLRB created a dangerous regulatory vacuum. 

    While the president appoints members of the NLRB, the president can only fire board members for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office. This was done intentionally by Congress to grant the board some level of political independence. The court found that Wilcox was not dismissed for neglect or malfeasance, but rather because she did not share the political objectives of the Trump Administration. In its ruling confirming Wilcox’s status on the board, the court noted that, “as an entity entrusted with making impartial decisions about sensitive labor disputes, the NLRB’s character and perception as neutral and expert-driven is damaged by plaintiff’s unlawful removal.” 

    In their amicus brief, the states argued that the NLRB’s independence is crucial to the Board, as it prevents the NLRB from completely changing its approach to enforcing American labor laws every few years. The result of that independence is a stability and predictability that are broadly beneficial to labor relations across America. 

    In submitting the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta joined the attorneys generals of Minnesota, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Edgewood Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COVINGTON, Ky. – An Edgewood, Ky. man, Eric Fultz, 52, was sentenced on Friday to 262 months in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine.

    According to his plea agreement, on June 29, 2024, law enforcement stopped Fultz’s vehicle travelling on Interstate 75 in Erlanger.  Shortly thereafter, a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle.  Officers searched the vehicle and found 55.5 grams of actual methamphetamine.  Fultz admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.

    Under federal law, Fultz must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.

    Paul C. McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Director Scott Hardcorn, Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

    — END — 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five More Sentenced in Federal Pandemic Fraud Unemployment Benefit Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ABINGDON, Va. – An additional five of the 17 defendants charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, commit program fraud, and commit mail fraud in connection to a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits, were sentenced this week in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.

    On Thursday, Christopher Kirk Webb, 40, of Raven, Virginia was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison. Russell Eric Stiltner, 42, of Abingdon, Virginia, was sentenced to 24 months. Jessica Dawn Lester, 35, of North Tazewell, Virginia, and Cara Camille Bailey, 38, of Davenport, Virginia, were both sentenced to 19 months, and Justin Warren Meadows, 39, of Oakland, Virginia, was sentenced to 18 months. All defendants were also ordered to pay restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission for the amount of their individual fraudulent claims. 

    Six Defendants were previously sentenced for their roles in the scheme.

    Jonathan Webb, the individual charged with ‘recruiting’ others to file fraudulent claims, mostly inmates at local jails, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $150,218 in restitution.

    Terrence Brooks Vilacha was sentenced to 18 months in prison and was ordered to pay $14,894 in restitution. Joseph Hass was sentenced to 27 months’ incarceration and was ordered to pay $19,316 in restitution. Brian Addair was sentenced to 24 months in prison and was ordered to pay $22,284.

    Stephanie Amber Barton and Hayleigh McKenzie Wolfe were each sentenced to 12 months and 1 day.

    According to court documents, between March 2020 and September 2021, Josef Brown, Jonathan Webb, and Crystal Shaw developed a scheme to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment befits via the Virginia Employment Commission website. The scheme involved the collection of personal identification information (PII) of inmates housed at SWVRJA-Haysi, as well as personal friends and acquaintances of Brown, Webb, and Shaw. The conspirators used that information to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment benefits for incarcerated individuals and others who were ineligible for the benefits.

    In all, the defendants stole $341,205 in pandemic relief to which they were not entitled.

    As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending.

    Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the sentences.

    Agencies that assisted with this investigation included the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor, and the Virginia Employment Commission.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case for the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DHS Ends Collective Bargaining for TSA’s Transportation Security Officers, Enhancing Safety, Efficiency, and Organizational Agility

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it is ending collective bargaining for the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Transportation Security Officers, which has constrained TSA’s chief mission: to safeguard our transportation systems and keep Americans safe.

    Eliminating collective bargaining removes bureaucratic hurdles that will strengthen workforce agility enhance productivity and resiliency, while also jumpstarting innovation.

    Making America’s Transportation Networks Resilient Again

    Gaps in benefit programs, including non-verifiable Family and Medical Leave, are being exploited by a select few poor performers, placing greater burden on TSOs at the expense of American travelers and taxpayers.

    This includes instances, where a TSO requested sick leave seven months in advance.

    TSA has more people doing full-time union work than we have performing screening functions at 86% of our airports. Of the 432 federalized airports, 374 airports have fewer than 200 TSA Officers to preform screening functions.

    Nearly 200 TSA Officers are paid by the government but work full-time on union matters. These people do not retain certification to perform screening functions. Additionally, in a recent TSA employee survey, over 60% said poor performers are allowed to stay employed and, not surprisingly, continue to not perform.

    Fighting for TSA Workers

    The Transportation Security officers are losing their hard-earned dollars to a union that did not represent or protect their interests. The union has hindered merit-based performance recognition and advancement—that’s not the American way.

    By eliminating the collective bargaining agreement, Transportation Security Officers will now have opportunities based on their performance, not longevity or union membership.

    A statement from a DHS Spokesperson is below:

    “Thanks to Secretary Noem’s action, Transportation Security Officers will no longer lose their hard-earned dollars to a union that does not represent them. The Trump Administration is committed returning to merit-based hiring and firing policies.

    “This action will ensure Americans will have a more effective and modernized workforces across the nation’s transportation networks. TSA is renewing its commitment to providing a quick and secure travel process for Americans.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Free Welsh language learning for UK civil servants

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Free Welsh language learning for UK civil servants

    Welsh language training now available to all civil servants through the Civil Service Learning website

    Dame Antonia Romeo DCB

    Free Welsh language learning for UK civil servants

    Welsh language training now available to all civil servants through the Civil Service Learning website

    Every civil servant in the UK can now access free Welsh Language training thanks to a new initiative.

    Government Skills has been collaborating with the National Centre for Learning Welsh to offer civil servants easy access to free Welsh Language training—provided by the Welsh Government—via a programme called Work Welsh.

    It is the first time every civil servant in the UK has been given access to free learning on Civil Service Learning, which is specifically focused on helping them learn a new language.

    Promoting the Welsh language

    Dame Antonia Romeo DCB, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice and Permanent Secretary Place Champion for Wales and a Welsh language learner herself, said: 

    “This initiative underpins our commitment to promote the Welsh Language and ensure its presence across all Government departments – supporting the Welsh Government vision to have one million people speaking Welsh by 2050.”

    This opportunity is the result of an initiative led by Professor Kim Ann Williamson MBE, Strategic Advisor to the Wales and the Northern Ireland Head of Place with the great support of Rich Williams (Ministry of Justice), Alison Dods (Department of Work and Pensions), Dave Martin (Government Skills) and our Joint Heads of Place for Wales Ross Maude (DCMS) and Professor Tom Crick MBE (DCMS).

    An important milestone 

    Kim Ann, who herself relocated from London to Wales some 28 years ago, said she believes that learning a new language can be a vital part in staff development.

    “It’s an important milestone to be able to offer civil servants this opportunity and it highlights our determination to support diverse and thriving civil service communities in regions and nations across the UK.

    “Learning Welsh can help foster inclusive teams, particularly where there are Welsh-speaking colleagues. It’s also a wonderful way to forge closer links with the local community and support the Welsh language, heritage and culture.”

    Launch in Cardiff

    The learning is among a range of courses available on the National Centre for Learning Welsh’s website. But, by providing access via Civil Service Learning, Government Skills is ensuring that civil servants get easy access to the free learning. It can also monitor numbers accessing the learning from the Civil Service.

    Representatives from more than 14 government departments attended the launch of the Work Welsh language learning in Cardiff and had the opportunity to hear from Dame Nia Griffith MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales speaking in support of this new learning opportunity.

    Work Welsh is accessible via Civil Service Learning.

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Garantex Cryptocurrency Exchange Disrupted in International Operation

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Note: View the indictment here.

    Two Administrators Charged with Operating Multibillion-Dollar Crypto Money Laundering Service

    The Justice Department announced today a coordinated action with Germany and Finland to disrupt and take down the online infrastructure used to operate Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange that allegedly facilitated money laundering by transnational criminal organizations — including terrorist organizations — and sanctions violations. Since April 2019, Garantex has processed at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions.

    Garantex Splash Page

    In conjunction with the operation targeting Garantex, the Department also announced the unsealing of an indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia against Aleksej Besciokov, 46, a Lithuanian national and Russian resident, and Aleksandr Mira Serda (previously Aleksandr Ntifo-Siaw), 40, a Russian national and United Arab Emirates resident. Mira Serda and Besciokov are charged with money laundering conspiracy, and Besciokov is charged with conspiracy to violate sanctions and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

    According to court documents, between 2019 and 2025, Besciokov and Mira Serda controlled and operated Garantex. Besciokov was Garantex’s primary technical administrator and responsible for obtaining and maintaining critical Garantex infrastructure, as well as reviewing and approving transactions. Mira Serda was Garantex’s co-founder and chief commercial officer.

    Garantex received hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds and was used to facilitate various crimes, including hacking, ransomware, terrorism, and drug trafficking, often with substantial impact to U.S. victims. According to the indictment, Besciokov and Mira Serda knew that criminal proceeds were being laundered through Garantex and took steps to conceal the facilitation of illegal activities on its platform. For example, when Russian law enforcement sought records relating to an account registered to Mira Serda, Garantex provided incomplete information in response and falsely claimed the account was not verified. In reality, Garantex had associated the account with Mira Serda’s personal identifying documents, even while disclosing identifying information related to other accounts requested by Russian law enforcement.

    On April 5, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Garantex for its role in facilitating money laundering of funds from ransomware actors and darknet markets. According to court documents, despite the widespread publicity of the sanctions and Garantex administrator’s personal knowledge of them, Besciokov and his co-conspirators violated those sanctions by continuing to transact with U.S.-based entities. Further, Besciokov and his co-conspirators redesigned Garantex’s operations to evade and violate U.S. sanctions and induce U.S. businesses to unwittingly transact with Garantex in violation of the sanctions. For example, Garantex moved its operational cryptocurrency wallets to different virtual currency addresses on a daily basis in order to make it difficult for U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchanges to identify and block transactions with Garantex accounts.

    Despite doing substantial business in the United States and operating as a money transmitting business, Garantex failed to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as required.

    On March 6, U.S. law enforcement, led by the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), executed a seizure order authorized by a judge in the Eastern District of Virginia against three website domain names used to support Garantex’s operations. According to court records unsealed today, Garantex.org, Garantex.io, and Garantex.academy were associated with the administration and operation of Garantex. The seizure of these domains will prevent these sites from being used for money laundering and additional crimes. Individuals visiting those sites now will see a message indicating that the site has been seized by law enforcement.

    As part of the coordinated actions, German and Finnish law enforcement seized servers hosting Garantex’s operations. U.S. law authorities have separately obtained earlier copies of Garantex’s servers, including customer and accounting databases. In addition, U.S. law enforcement has also frozen over $26 million in funds used to facilitate Garantex’s money laundering activities.

    Besciokov and Mira Serda are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Besciokov is also charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.    

    Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Michael Centrella of the USSS’ Office of Field Operations, and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division made the announcement.

    USSS and the FBI are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.

    The Justice Department also recognizes the critical cooperation of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, the Frankfurt General Prosecutor’s Office, the Dutch National Police, Europol, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, and the Estonian National Criminal Police.

    Finally, the Department thanks Tether and blockchain analytics firm Elliptic for their proactive assistance in this investigation.

    Any individual who believes he/she is a victim whose funds were laundered through Garantex or who may otherwise have a claim to restrained funds should reach out to law enforcement via email address GarantexClaimants@secretservice.gov.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Telegram-Based Bank Fraud Scheme That Targeted Alabama Businesses

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

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Florida man has been sentenced for his role in a Telegram-based check fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.

    U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Haikala sentenced Gabriel Samuel Odiot, 21, of Kissimmee, Florida, to 60 months in prison and ordered him to forfeit $84,000. In December 2024, Odiot pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    According to the plea agreement and other court documents, from August 2022 to March 2023, Odiot served as an administrator of “RICH OFF PLAYS,” a Telegram channel dedicated to the negotiation of fraudulent checks. Odiot used the channel to recruit mail carriers, to advertise the services of bank insiders, and to collaborate with others to commit bank fraud. He frequently posted pictures and videos of himself committing bank fraud on the channel. These included pictures and videos depicting stolen checks, transaction receipts, and large amounts of cash. In many cases, the pictures and videos were branded with Odiot’s nickname “Motion.”

    The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Heflin Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Canter prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Walking netball takes centre court for International Women’s Day

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    Over fifty ladies from walking netball groups across Northern Ireland gathered at Banbridge Leisure Centre for on-the-court and off-the-court activities to celebrate International Women’s Day.

    The event was organised by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council’s Sports Development Department and funded by Sport NI, through the District Council’s Community Planning Investment Programme.

    Supporting on the day were Netball NI, Banbridge Netball Club and Billy Stewart from the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Policing Community Safety Partnership (ABCPCSP) who spoke to the ladies about being vigilant for online scams, financial safety and ‘in case of emergency’ cards.

    The main event kicked off with a ‘shooter of the week’ challenge and warm-up activities before the competitions got into full swing between the ‘Jeth Throwers’ (Lurgan), the ‘Nutty Netballers’ (Larne), the ‘Nifty Netballers’ (Bangor), the ‘Lilies of the Valley’ (Newtownabbey) and the ‘Bann Ballers’ (Banbridge).

    After some show-stopping skills and impressive competitive spirit, Larne’s Nutty Netballers were crowned overall winners and awarded prizes sponsored by Netball NI. Local team ‘Bann Ballers’ finished in second place and received some baked goods sponsored by Irwin’s Bakery.

    Walking Netball has evolved from a growing demand for walking sports. The inclusive nature of the game encourages those who have dropped out of the sport they love due to serious injury, to those who believed they had hung up their netball trainers many years ago, to get going again! The fun, laughter and camaraderie throughout the social sessions are just as important as the health benefits from being active.

    The ‘Bann Ballers’ netball group was established after a successful pilot as part of ABC Council’s Positive Aging Month campaign. The group meets every Friday at Banbridge Leisure Centre from 12.30 – 1.30pm. New members are always welcome! For more information please visit www.getactiveabc.com/walkingnetball

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Denver Warns of Online File Converter Scam

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

    The FBI Denver Field Office is warning that agents are increasingly seeing a scam involving free online document converter tools, and we want to encourage victims to report instances of this scam.

    In this scenario, criminals use free online document converter tools to load malware onto victims’ computers, leading to incidents such as ransomware.

    “The best way to thwart these fraudsters is to educate people so they don’t fall victim to these fraudsters in the first place,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “If you or someone you know has been affected by this scheme, we encourage you to make a report and take actions to protect your assets. Every day, we are working to hold these scammers accountable and provide victims with the resources they need.”

    To conduct this scheme, cyber criminals across the globe are using any type of free document converter or downloader tool. This might be a website claiming to convert one type of file to another, such as a .doc file to a .pdf file. It might also claim to combine files, such as joining multiple .jpg files into one .pdf file. The suspect program might claim to be an MP3 or MP4 downloading tool.

    These converters and downloading tools will do the task advertised, but the resulting file can contain hidden malware giving criminals access to the victim’s computer. The tools can also scrape the submitted files for:

    • Personal identifying information, such as social security numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers, etc.)
    • Banking information
    • Cryptocurrency information (seed phrases, wallet addresses, etc.)
    • Email addresses
    • Passwords

    Unfortunately, many victims don’t realize they have been infected by malware until it’s too late, and their computer is infected with ransomware or their identity has been stolen.

    The FBI Denver Field Office encourages victims or attempted victims of this type of scheme to report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

    In addition, the FBI Denver Field Office recommends taking the following actions to protect yourself from this scam:

    • Take a breath, slow down and think. Be aware of your actions online and what risks you could be exposed to.
    • Keep your virus scan software up to date and scan any file you receive before opening it to help eliminate malicious software from being installed on your computer.

    If you are a victim of this scam, here are some steps to take:

    • Contact your financial institutions immediately. Take steps to protect your identity and your accounts.
    • Change all your passwords using a clean, trusted device.
    • Make a report at IC3.gov
    • Run up-to-date virus scan software to check for potentially malicious software installed by the scammers. Consider taking your computer to a professional company specializing in virus and malware removal services.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: La Oficina del FBI en Denver Advierte Sobre Estafas al Usar Los Conversores de Archivos en Línea

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

    La Oficina del FBI en Denver ha emitido una advertencia alertando sobre un aumento en las estafas relacionadas con herramientas en línea gratuitas para convertir documentos. Se insta a las víctimas a reportar cualquier caso relacionado con dichas estafas.

    En este tipo de esquemas, los delincuentes aprovechan las herramientas gratuitas de conversión de documentos en línea para cargar malware o ransomware en las computadoras de las víctimas.

    “Como parte de nuestros esfuerzos continuos para combatir el fraude, creemos que la forma más efectiva de detener a estos delincuentes es mediante la educación”, señaló Mark Michalek, agente especial a cargo de la Oficina del FBI en Denver. “Al promover la concienciación, podemos evitar que las personas caigan en estas trampas. Si usted o alguien que usted conoce ha sido afectado, le recomendamos que lo reporte de inmediato y tome las medidas necesarias para proteger sus activos. Todos los días trabajamos para responsabilizar a los estafadores y proporcionar a las víctimas el apoyo y los recursos necesarios.”

    Para llevar a cabo este esquema, los ciberdelincuentes de todo el mundo están aprovechando diversas herramientas gratuitas de conversión o descarga de documentos. Estas incluyen sitios web que prometen convertir archivos de un formato a otro, como transformar un archivo .doc en .pdf, o servicios que permiten combinar archivos, como unir varios .jpg en un solo .pdf. Además, los programas sospechosos pueden presentarse como herramientas para descargar archivos MP3 o MP4.

    Estos conversores y herramientas de descarga cumplen con lo que prometen, pero el archivo resultante contiene malware oculto que permite a los delincuentes acceder a la computadora de la víctima. Además, estas herramientas pueden recopilar los archivos enviados para extraer:

    • Información personal identificable, como números de seguro social, fechas de nacimiento, números de teléfono, entre otros.
    • Información bancaria.
    • Datos relacionados con criptomonedas (frases semilla, direcciones de billeteras, etc.).
    • Direcciones de correo electrónico.
    • Contraseñas.

    Desafortunadamente, muchas víctimas no se dan cuenta de que sus computadoras han sido infectadas con malware hasta que ya es demasiado tarde y su dispositivo ha sido comprometido con ransomware o su identidad ha sido robada.

    La Oficina del FBI en Denver exhorta a las víctimas, o a aquellos que hayan sido blanco de intentos de estafa, a denunciarlo en el Centro de Quejas de Crímenes en Internet del FBI en www.ic3.gov.

    Asimismo, recomienda seguir las siguientes precauciones para evitar caer en esta estafa:

    • Respire profundamente, tómese su tiempo y piense. Sea consciente de sus acciones en línea y los riesgos a los que podría estar expuesto.
    • Mantenga su software antivirus actualizado y escanee cualquier archivo que reciba antes de abrirlo para evitar la instalación de software malicioso en su computadora.
    •  

    Si es víctima de esta estafa, siga estos pasos:

    • Póngase en contacto con sus instituciones financieras de inmediato. Tome medidas para proteger su identidad y sus cuentas.
    • Cambie todas sus contraseñas utilizando un dispositivo limpio y confiable.
    • Reporte el incidente en IC3.

    Ejecute un escaneo con software antivirus actualizado para verificar si hay algún software malicioso instalado por los estafadores. Considere la posibilidad de llevar su computadora a un profesional para que la limpie.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Group convicted of being part of Russian spying operation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A group of six Bulgarians living in the UK have been convicted of being part of a spying operation across Europe on behalf of Russia.

    Following a three-month trial at the Old Bailey, two women and a man were found guilty of conspiring to obtain information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to Russia.

    Three other men pleaded guilty to Official Secrets Act charges before the trial started.

    Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “These convictions have been achieved as the result of an extremely complex investigation into a group that was carrying out sophisticated surveillance operations in the UK, and in Europe, on behalf of the Russian state.

    “This case is a clear example of the increasing amount of state threat casework we are dealing with in the UK – particularly linked to Russia. It also highlights a relatively new phenomenon whereby espionage is being ‘outsourced’ by certain states.

    “While the outsourcing of espionage activity might suggest that recent efforts by the UK to thwart direct Russian activity have been effective, it means that we also have to guard against this new kind of emerging threat.

    “But regardless of the form the threat takes, this investigation shows that we will take action to identify and disrupt any such activity that puts UK national security and the safety of the public at risk.”

    The court heard that detectives from the Met’s Counter terrorism Command sifted through more than 200,000 messages and seized hundreds of items after a co-ordinated series of raids and arrests were carried out on 8 February 2023.

    In particular, a 33-room former hotel belonging to Orlin Roussev was found to contain items, including sophisticated spying equipment such as listening devices, concealed cameras and a fake ID card printer.

    Through their investigation, detectives identified that Roussev, who was leading the group, was in direct contact with Jan Marsalek – an Austrian national who, in turn, was identified as working with the Russian intelligence services.

    The investigation team identified six core spying ‘plots’ the group were involved in. This included activity that targeted two investigative journalists who were seen as reporting stories contrary to the interests of the Russian state.

    A former senior Kazakh politician who lived in the UK was also targeted, and the group planned to stage protests at the Kazakhstan embassy in London. Both operations were part of an elaborate plan to help the Russia state gain favour with Kazakhstan.

    The group also carried out surveillance at a US military site in Germany, where they believed Ukrainian soldiers were being trained.

    Another man who was designated as a ‘foreign agent’ by Russia was also targeted by the group during surveillance operations in Montenegro.

    Sifting through thousands of messages, and then matching this up with physical travel, financial statements and surveillance reports and footage, meant detectives were able to build up a compelling picture of the group’s activity, as well as identify those involved and their roles within the group.

    The six members of the group were:

    – Orlin Roussev, 46 (06.02.1978) of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
    – Bizer Maksimov Dzhambazov, 43 (21.04.1981), of Harrow, north London
    – Katrin Nikolayeva Ivanova, 33 (01.07.1991) of Harrow, north London
    – Ivan Iliev Stoyanov, 33 (22.12.1991) of Greenford, west London
    – Vanya Nikolaveva Gaberova, 30 (10.08.1994) of Euston, north London.

    – Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39 (31.07.85) of Acton, west London

    Officers found that Roussev was directing the group’s activity, and was receiving tasks through his contact with Marsalak. Dzambaszov was effectively the second in command.

    The other four were all found to be involved in the execution of various espionage and surveillance activities across the UK and Europe in relation to the six plots identified by detectives.

    Ivanova, Gaberova and Ivanchev were all found guilty of conspiracy to spy, contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 after a three-month trial at the Old Bailey

    Roussev and Dzhambazov pleaded guilty before the trial started to conspiracy to spy, contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

    Stoyanov pleaded guilty before the trial to spying, contrary to section 1(1)(c) of the Official Secrets Act 1911.

    The group will be sentenced at the Old Bailey in May.

    All material from the trial is available to download here https://mps.box.com/s/z3jt1xiy…

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Thousands of social homes treated for hazardous damp and mould

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Thousands of families faced with a potential health hazard from living in mouldy homes are breathing easier following a £15m programme to upgrade some of the region’s dampest social housing.

    The money, given to local councils by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), has been used to install damp busting measures in more than 4,400 homes across the region.

    Around 8,000 individual improvements have been carried out with some homes also getting high-quality insulation and ineffective, high carbon heating systems replaced with modern electric ones. Leaky roofs, windows and doors have also been fixed.

    The Social Housing Decency Fund programme is now nearing completion ahead of the Government’s introduction of Awaab’s Law in October. This will require social housing landlords to investigate and fix black mould and damp within strict timelines.

    The new law is named after three-year-old Awaab Ishak who died from mould exposure in his Rochdale home in 2020.

    Ruqia Ali and her two-month-old baby boy Zakariya are among the 10,000 people to benefit from the programme.

    She lives with husband Abdikadir and their two other children, six-year-old son Zayd and daughter Sara, aged three, in a council house in Bordesley Green, Birmingham.

    The family had several measures installed at their Victorian-built, two up, two down terraced house including roof space ventilation and specialist kitchen and bathroom fans.

    Mrs Ali said: “The condensation in the house was really bad before. It was aggravating my asthma and making me feel worse. We had damp on the walls and mould coming up from the skirting boards in the bedrooms.

    “But we’ve had no damp since the work was done and the house is now really comfortable. I feel much better and I don’t have to worry any more about how it’s affecting our health. It’s made a big difference.”

    Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, joined Cllr Jayne Francis, Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for housing and homelessness, to see how the work has made Mrs Ali’s home safer and healthier.

    The Mayor has made the construction of thousands of safe and warm new social homes a key priority to help tackle the region’s housing crisis. But he is also working with councils and housing associations on ways to upgrade the region’s existing social housing stock, bringing it up to modern standards.

    The Mayor said: “It can’t be right that in 2025, in one of the world’s richest countries, there are thousands of children living in cold, damp and mouldy homes.

    “The tragic death of Awaab Ishak is a stark reminder of the dangers of mould, especially for young children. Unfortunately, too many people have to live in old, substandard homes because of the region’s housing crisis. That’s why my priority is to build thousands of new social and affordable homes.

    “But we must also upgrade the social housing we already have. We’ve made a start but we need to do more because this is not just about improving homes – it’s about improving and even saving lives.”

    According to the most recent English Housing Survey it is thought there are as many as 90,000 homes in the West Midlands that fail to meet decency standards.

    Around 60,000 of these are privately rented and 30,000 are social homes for rent, owned by councils or housing associations. The survey estimated that the investment required to make all of these properties decent would be around £600m.

    The Social Housing Decency Fund improvements on Mrs Ali’s home were carried out alongside wider work being done by Birmingham City Council which is investing £1.6bn into its council houses over the next seven years.

    The council’s investment program began in April 2024 and just over £240m was invested last year, with a similar amount set to be invested again this year.

    Cllr Francis said: “The investment we are making into our council homes is the largest in the country and will ensure all our residents will be able to live in warm, safe, sustainable homes.

    “Many tenants will soon see significant improvements in their accommodation, including new kitchens and bathrooms, but they will also see energy bills cut and homes made warmer, helping to reduce the danger of damp and mould.

    “We will continue to work closely with partners like the WMCA to improve and build social homes, and I’d like to thank our contractors EQUANS for carrying out the works on Mrs Ali’s home.”

    Last year the WMCA commissioned the housing research team at the Centre for the New Midlands to undertake a wide-ranging evaluation of the problem of damp.

    It found that many tenants still faced life-threatening health risks from long-term exposure to dangerous levels of damp and mould and that it was commonplace for tenants to live with the hazard for four years or more. Consequently, many tenants reported feelings of helplessness and a range of mental and physical health issues.

    The report consequently called for a new funding model for social and council housing so damp and mould issues could be better tackled.

    Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell and Wolverhampton councils were among the lead contributors to another recent report calling for reform of council housing finance Securing the Future of Council Housing – Interim Report.pdf

    In January this year the Mayor announced a new initiative to improve living standards and tackle fuel poverty in thousands of low-income households.

    Up to 10,000 of the region’s oldest and coldest social and privately-owned homes will be upgraded to make them warmer and cheaper to run thanks to a £167 million energy efficiency fund.

    The funding will bring thousands of homes up to modern energy efficiency standards with new insulation, doors, windows, solar panels, and state-of-the-art greener and smarter heating systems.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Garantex Cryptocurrency Exchange Disrupted in International Operation

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Note: View the indictment here.

    Two Administrators Charged with Operating Multibillion-Dollar Crypto Money Laundering Service

    The Justice Department announced today a coordinated action with Germany and Finland to disrupt and take down the online infrastructure used to operate Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange that allegedly facilitated money laundering by transnational criminal organizations — including terrorist organizations — and sanctions violations. Since April 2019, Garantex has processed at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions.

    Garantex Splash Page

    In conjunction with the operation targeting Garantex, the Department also announced the unsealing of an indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia against Aleksej Besciokov, 46, a Lithuanian national and Russian resident, and Aleksandr Mira Serda (previously Aleksandr Ntifo-Siaw), 40, a Russian national and United Arab Emirates resident. Mira Serda and Besciokov are charged with money laundering conspiracy, and Besciokov is charged with conspiracy to violate sanctions and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

    According to court documents, between 2019 and 2025, Besciokov and Mira Serda controlled and operated Garantex. Besciokov was Garantex’s primary technical administrator and responsible for obtaining and maintaining critical Garantex infrastructure, as well as reviewing and approving transactions. Mira Serda was Garantex’s co-founder and chief commercial officer.

    Garantex received hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds and was used to facilitate various crimes, including hacking, ransomware, terrorism, and drug trafficking, often with substantial impact to U.S. victims. According to the indictment, Besciokov and Mira Serda knew that criminal proceeds were being laundered through Garantex and took steps to conceal the facilitation of illegal activities on its platform. For example, when Russian law enforcement sought records relating to an account registered to Mira Serda, Garantex provided incomplete information in response and falsely claimed the account was not verified. In reality, Garantex had associated the account with Mira Serda’s personal identifying documents, even while disclosing identifying information related to other accounts requested by Russian law enforcement.

    On April 5, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Garantex for its role in facilitating money laundering of funds from ransomware actors and darknet markets. According to court documents, despite the widespread publicity of the sanctions and Garantex administrator’s personal knowledge of them, Besciokov and his co-conspirators violated those sanctions by continuing to transact with U.S.-based entities. Further, Besciokov and his co-conspirators redesigned Garantex’s operations to evade and violate U.S. sanctions and induce U.S. businesses to unwittingly transact with Garantex in violation of the sanctions. For example, Garantex moved its operational cryptocurrency wallets to different virtual currency addresses on a daily basis in order to make it difficult for U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchanges to identify and block transactions with Garantex accounts.

    Despite doing substantial business in the United States and operating as a money transmitting business, Garantex failed to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as required.

    On March 6, U.S. law enforcement, led by the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), executed a seizure order authorized by a judge in the Eastern District of Virginia against three website domain names used to support Garantex’s operations. According to court records unsealed today, Garantex.org, Garantex.io, and Garantex.academy were associated with the administration and operation of Garantex. The seizure of these domains will prevent these sites from being used for money laundering and additional crimes. Individuals visiting those sites now will see a message indicating that the site has been seized by law enforcement.

    As part of the coordinated actions, German and Finnish law enforcement seized servers hosting Garantex’s operations. U.S. law authorities have separately obtained earlier copies of Garantex’s servers, including customer and accounting databases. In addition, U.S. law enforcement has also frozen over $26 million in funds used to facilitate Garantex’s money laundering activities.

    Besciokov and Mira Serda are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Besciokov is also charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.    

    Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Michael Centrella of the USSS’ Office of Field Operations, and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division made the announcement.

    USSS and the FBI are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.

    The Justice Department also recognizes the critical cooperation of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, the Frankfurt General Prosecutor’s Office, the Dutch National Police, Europol, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, and the Estonian National Criminal Police.

    Finally, the Department thanks Tether and blockchain analytics firm Elliptic for their proactive assistance in this investigation.

    Any individual who believes he/she is a victim whose funds were laundered through Garantex or who may otherwise have a claim to restrained funds should reach out to law enforcement via email address GarantexClaimants@secretservice.gov.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Detectives arrest man in Stockwell murder investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Met detectives investigating the murder of Lathaniel Burrell in Stockwell have arrested a man.

    A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder in Croydon on the morning of Friday, 7 March. He remains in custody.

    Lathaniel, from Stockwell, died at the scene following the shooting in Paradise Road, SW4, on Tuesday, 4 March. He was 16 years old.

    Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee said: “Our detectives are working hard to piece together the events of Tuesday afternoon and identify those responsible for killing Lathaniel.

    “We continue to appeal for anyone with information about Lathaniel’s murder to please come forward and speak to us.”

    Officers were alerted at 15:21hrs on Tuesday, 4 March to reports of a shooting and officers attended with emergency service colleagues.

    Medics from London’s Air Ambulance and the London Ambulance Service treated Lathaniel at the scene but despite their efforts, he sadly died. His family are being supported by officers.

    If you have any information which may help the investigation, please call 101 with the reference 4116/04MAR.

    You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 if you want to remain anonymous.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Britain can still be a bridge between the US and Europe – here’s how Starmer can prove it

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nick Whittaker, Subject Lead in Social Sciences & Law, University of Sussex

    The US-EU relationship is at its most fragile point since the build-up to the Iraq war in 2003. While President Donald Trump openly questions Nato and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s desire for peace, EU leaders have continued to voice their unequivocal support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.

    Between the two lies Britain. In a flurry of diplomacy, Keir Starmer has attempted to navigate the country’s tricky position: close to the US diplomatically, while staying aligned with the EU’s Ukraine policy.

    I argue that Starmer could use Britain’s island identity – separated from its closest neighbours just enough to allow a global outlook – to his advantage. Acting as an effective link between the US and the EU could turn this time of crisis into an opportunity. What Britain may lack in material capabilities, it can make up for in skilful diplomacy.

    Britain’s position as a “geopolitical bridge” stretches far back into the last century. As Britain was decolonising and reckoning with the growing power of the US and a uniting European continent, acting as a bridge was an effective way of ensuring relevance and maintaining alliances while its status as an imperial great power waned.

    This position was especially favoured by Labour politicians keen to emphasise how a socialist Britain could act as a link between the capitalist and communist worlds. In (sometimes reluctantly) arguing for Britain’s entry into the European Economic Community, some Conservatives posited membership as allowing Britain to bridge the Atlantic, given the UK’s strong postwar ties with the US.

    Even older is the idea of Britain as an “offshore balancer”. The UK’s proximity to the European continent meant it has always had an eye on political developments there. It has thus sought to maintain alliances in order to prevent Europe being dominated by one power (Napoleonic France, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union) who could threaten the island sanctuary.

    With Britain no longer in the EU, this time of heightened transatlantic tensions provides an opportunity to reclaim these geopolitical stances (and some lost relevance) as a vital interlocutor between America and Europe.

    Nato on the brink

    Trump is notoriously erratic and unpredictable, yet one of his most consistent motifs has been to question Nato and “free-riding” allies. Herein lies the spectre of the most terrifying British nightmare: an American withdrawal from Nato.

    Britain and the US have, historically, both articulated their role as that of offshore balancer in relation to continental Europe. The threat against which they have been balancing since the end of the second world war is the Soviet Union and then Russia.

    If the Trump administration ceases to regard Russia as a threat or sees no utility in acting in its historic balancing role, the UK-US relationship will be placed under serious threat. For all of the importance of Anglo-Saxon identity tropes, kith and kin and the special relationship, alliances are best nurtured in conditions of shared interests.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

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    Nato has been the real cornerstone of UK foreign, defence and security policy since the North Atlantic treaty’s inking in 1949, and is beloved of both Labour and Conservative politicians. US abandonment would be devastating. Thus it is Starmer’s greatest challenge and opportunity.

    The reality is that Nato is centred on continental Europe and always has been. Starmer can gain common ground with Trump at this critical juncture by emphasising Britain’s islandness, and the US’s similar separation from the continent.

    Starmer could position Britain as a mid-Atlantic interlocutor, close to Europe but not of Europe – appealing to the antipathy of some in the Trump administration about the continent. And his government has already gained Trump’s approval by increasing defence spending, an act that will also please nervous European governments.

    Global Britain?

    At this moment, Britain seems closer to the EU than it has been since 2016. Foreign and defence policy remain, to some extent, unfulfilled gaps in the EU’s portfolio. If Starmer can forge a close relationship around these issues, he can undercut some of the disappointments around Brexit, such as Britain being viewed as less relevant internationally and losing a seat at European security discussions.

    Notwithstanding the latest increase in defence spending, the British Army is smaller than it has been for several hundred years. Cuts to foreign aid, along with the merging of international development with the Foreign Office have prompted questions around Britain’s international clout.

    Yet its leaders remain high profile and listened to, with Starmer managing to cut a dignified figure in an era of posturing strongmen. He will need to convince Trump and his team that Europe (and Nato) is worthy of their time and attention. He must emphasise their common ground as offshore balancers, capable of providing a counterweight to Russia.

    EU leaders will also need to be reassured of Britain’s commitment to the continent after Brexit. Pressing harder for a UK-EU security pact is one way Starmer could signal this.

    Starmer’s White House visit was seen as a diplomatic success, but the mood has changed after Zelensky’s visit.
    Number 10/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

    Trump repeatedly emphasises the personal aspect of politics, seeing states and alliances through a prism of which leaders are willing to flatter him or, at the very least, be “respectful”. Starmer grasped this early on and thus has a shot at forging a productive relationship with Trump, however painful it might be for some in his party.

    Yet the stakes are much higher than disgruntled backbenchers. The Labour party, with its internationalist roots, is deeply proud of the foreign policies of Clement Attlee and Ernest Bevin (although less so of Tony Blair’s). Although it may be stressed in different terms to their Conservative opponents, the party is just as concerned with retaining relevance and influence on the world stage.

    If this Labour government can find a way to successfully act as a bridge – by interesting Trump in Europe and convincing the EU that they are a reliable partner – then this not only salves some of the wounds of Brexit, it also potentially keeps Nato alive, for now.

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

    – ref. Britain can still be a bridge between the US and Europe – here’s how Starmer can prove it – https://theconversation.com/britain-can-still-be-a-bridge-between-the-us-and-europe-heres-how-starmer-can-prove-it-251405

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Women are three times as likely as men to feel unsafe in parks – here’s how we can design them better

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anna Barker, Associate Profession in Criminal Justice & Criminology, University of Leeds

    FotoDuets/Shutterstock

    Parks and other green spaces are vital for life in a city, providing places to exercise, relax or meet friends. But for many women, these spaces can feel unwelcoming and unsafe. Concerns about personal safety can create significant barriers for women and girls, reducing their access to the benefits these spaces can provide.

    A 2022 survey revealed that four out of five of women in Britain feel unsafe in parks after dark, compared to two out of five men. Although women feel safer during the day, they are still three times more likely than men to feel unsafe (one in six women compared to one in 20 men).

    This gender gap in perceived safety leads to unequal access, reduced physical activity and lowers the restorative benefits of green spaces for women. This matters because women, particularly those with time pressures like caregiving responsibilities, have the most to gain from time in green spaces.

    Public spaces are often designed with male users as the norm, overlooking the specific needs of women and girls and other vulnerable groups. For example, common recreational facilities in parks often include games areas, skateparks and BMX tracks, all traditionally considered male interests.

    One study found that men are five times more likely to use basketball courts, four times more likely to use exercise areas, and almost 20 times more likely to use skateparks compared to women and girls. This results in girls feeling unwelcome and unaccommodated, avoiding spaces that do not cater to their essential needs, or are dominated by men and boys.

    Safety work

    Women often engage in what researchers call safety work. This is the hidden mental and physical effort needed to navigate public spaces in the threat of male violence and harassment. This can take the form of avoidance, where women bypass parks entirely, or at certain times. After dark or when alone, women often elect, to take longer routes to avoid parks, even if going through them is the most direct and efficient route.

    Women are more likely to feel unsafe and more likely to change their behaviour as a result. In 2022, a survey revealed revealed that 37% of women and 24% of men reported avoiding quiet places, such as parks, after dark due to safety concerns. Generally speaking, men face fewer safety related inhibitions and use parks more frequently in their daily routines.

    Women also engage in hidden safety work to access the benefits of parks. They preemptively plan their visits, considering time of day, busyness of the space and location. Once in the park, they are hyperaware of their environment, assessing social situations and monitoring unfamiliar men for potential threats. These strategies highlight the extra mental load women carry simply to use public spaces.

    Research suggests that women are significantly more likely than men to experience “dysfunctional worry”, when worry and precautionary behaviour negatively impacts their quality of life and wellbeing.

    What makes parks feel unsafe?

    We have conducted research into what makes parks feel safe and unsafe for women. We found that it is a mix of things, from the immediate social and physical features of environments to broader patriarchal structures, misogyny and fear of men.

    A few examples highlighted in our research and other studies show what features make parks feel (un)safe:

    Factors like socioeconomic status, race, disability and age can exacerbate the experience of feeling unsafe for some people. And people in marginalised communities are already more likely to live near small, unsafe poorly maintained parks and further away from larger and higher quality green spaces. These combined factors are the subject of an innovative new study we are leading to ensure parks meet the needs of different users.

    Features like exercise equipment and skateparks may not be welcoming to all users.
    Macrovector/Shutterstock

    Urban planners and policymakers must prioritise, and actively incorporate women’s safety in park design and management. Community engagement with women from different backgrounds is essential for creating safe and inclusive parks and green spaces.

    Initiatives like the Safer Parks Guidance, which one of us (Anna Barker) produced with Keep Britain Tidy, Make Space for Girls and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, aims to improve perceptions of safety by incorporating better lighting, open sight lines, regular maintenance and inclusive programming.

    Simply having a park nearby is not enough – they must be welcoming and safe for all.

    Anna Barker receives funding from Mayor of West Yorkshire via the Home Office Safer Streets Fund and the Economic and Social Research Council. She is affiliated with University of Leeds and a Trustee of Love Leeds Parks.

    Jennie Gray receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. She is affiliated with the University of Leeds.

    Vikki Houlden receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, and the Medical Research Council. She is affiliated with the Univesity of Leeds.

    – ref. Women are three times as likely as men to feel unsafe in parks – here’s how we can design them better – https://theconversation.com/women-are-three-times-as-likely-as-men-to-feel-unsafe-in-parks-heres-how-we-can-design-them-better-248465

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Attorney’s Office Charges 46 Illegal Aliens with Various Offenses including Immigration Crimes, Drug Trafficking, Weapons Offenses, and Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – Since January of this year, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has charged 46 aliens who were unlawfully present in the United States with offenses including illegal reentry into the United States, drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, and child pornography offenses. These aliens’ home countries include Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Venezuela. Several had prior convictions for human smuggling, drug trafficking, drunk driving, assault, and theft. In many cases, the aliens had been returned to their home country numerous times but have continued to violate immigration laws by re-entering the United States.

    Recent cases include:

    Hector Bejerano-Bejerano, a native of Mexico, was located at a gas station in Novi, Michigan, when he was creating a nuisance to customers. He was arrested and identified by United States Border Patrol and found to have two prior federal immigration convictions, including one in which Bejerano-Bejerano was caught smuggling three other illegal aliens into the United States from Mexico. During this encounter, Bejerano-Bejerano fled from a Border Patrol Agent and assaulted him. According to court filings in that case, Bejerano-Bejerano was encountered by Border Patrol 18 times during 2021 alone.

    Dulce Rubio-Rivera, a native of Mexico, was found in Detroit, Michigan, when agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed a federal search warrant at a house. Inside the house was Rubio-Rivera, along with drugs, a scale, ammunition and an AK-47 rifle. Rubio-Rivera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 6.25 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.

    Luis Fernando Santillan-Valderrabano, a native of Mexico, was located in the passenger seat of a vehicle in Detroit. Santillan-Valderrabano was originally admitted into the United States on a special visa that permitted him to stay in the United States for only 72 hours and within 25 miles of the United States-Mexico border. However, five months later Santillan-Valderrabano was arrested and pleaded guilty to theft charges in Georgia. A year after that, he was again arrested and convicted in Nebraska for resisting arrest and felony theft. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed back to Mexico in 2009, but illegally returned and was arrested in 2010 in Ithaca, Michigan, for a driving offense. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed again but tried to sneak back into the United States in 2011, was caught, and federally prosecuted in Texas for illegal entry. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed a third time in 2011, but again tried to illegally enter the United States, was caught, federally prosecuted in Texas for illegal reentry, and removed in 2012. In 2021, he was arrested in Wixom, Michigan, for driving 86 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone. During this encounter with police, he used a fake name and date of birth and failed to appear for his court hearing after being charged with reckless driving, providing false identification, and not having a vehicle operation license.

    Gustavo Placencia-Rosales, a native of Mexico who was unlawfully present in the United States, was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. The complaint alleges that agents with the DEA have been investigating Placencia-Rosales for involvement in drug trafficking actitivies. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by Placenia-Rosales, with three others, and recovered four brick-shaped packages that field tested positive as cocaine along with two firearms.

    Luis Gerardo Rodriguez-Rey, a native of Columbia who was unlawfully present in the United States, was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  According to the complaint, officers with the River Rouge Police Department were on routine patrol when they encountered Rodriguez-Rey traveling at a high rate of speed in a vehicle which did not have any exterior lights illuminated.  A traffic stop was conducted and upon a search of his person and vehicle, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson pistol along with ammunition.

    Luis Angel Alvarez-Alvarez, a native of Venuzuela, was arrested by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol after agents stopped a vehicle that Alvarez-Alvarez was operating without a license plate.  Alvarez-Alvarez had a prior final order of removal at the time of the arrest.   During a search of his cellular device, officers discovered alleged child sexually abusive material.  Alvarez was charged with production and possession of child pornography and remains in custody pending the disposition of his charges.

    “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has a long-standing commitment to enforcing the immigrations laws of the United States, and that commitment is unwavering,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those individuals who are in our district unlawfully.”

    “These cases represent a fraction of the criminal aliens we and our federal partners arrest every day across the Detroit Sector that’s making this country safer than it was just a few short months ago,” said Detroit Sector Chief Patrol Agent John R. Morris. “I could not be more proud of our agents for their enforcement efforts as well as their ability to form strong bonds with our local, state and federal partnerships such as we see exemplified here with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

    “Keeping dangerous people and illicit drugs and weapons from infecting our communities is at the core of our comprehensive border security mandate,” said Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon. “The CBP Office of Field Operations is as committed as ever in protecting our homeland alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”

    “Our ICE Detroit officers will continue to secure our communities through the apprehension and arrest of criminal aliens and immigration violators,” said ICE ERO Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we have been able to apprehend serious public safety threats from foreign sex offenders to drug traffickers and aliens in possession of illegal firearms.”

    “As the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, our agents are prioritizing investigations into bad actors who exploit our immigration system,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “From illegal aliens in possession of child sexually abusive material to dismantling human smuggling or trafficking rings, our ICE HSI team stands ready to safeguard the homeland alongside our partners.”

    “The men and women of DEA work hard – day in and day out – to protect families from the dangers and violence associated with drug trafficking in our communities,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton.  “In that vein, we have prioritized our drug investigations on those involving violent, illegal criminals responsible for flooding our neighborhoods with deadly and dangerous drugs. We will continue to work with the Department of Homeland Security and our federal partners with immigration enforcement efforts.”

    “ATF, along with our Department of Justice partners, stand side by side with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement partners in their efforts to enforce immigration laws and protect public safety,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “We remain committed to supporting coordinated enforcement actions to uphold the rule of the law and ensure the security of our communities.”

    “Members of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, in collaboration with federal law enforcement partners—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Border Patrol (CBP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), are actively investigating and apprehending individuals wanted for federal violations and those unlawfully present in the United States,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Michigan Division. “The FBI in Michigan remains steadfast in its mission to uphold the Constitution and ensure the safety and security of the American people.”

    A complaint/indictment is merely a formal charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  It is the burden of the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    These cases were investigated by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

    These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in the National Security Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Lawyer Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    The defendant stole more than $2 million of client funds.

    Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Matthew C. Browndorf, 54, of Irvine, California, to more than five years in federal prison for money laundering and wire fraud.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Edwin Bonano, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). 

    According to the guilty plea, the defendant served as an attorney licensed to practice law in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and was a named partner at a law firm. Browndorf was also majority owner and CEO of Plutos Sama, LLC, which operated as a holding company for his various business endeavors. 

    Plutos Sama, with Browndorf signing the purchase agreement as a managing member, procured the Fisher Law Group.  After Plutos Sama acquired the Fisher Law Group, it changed the name to BP Fisher which served as an organization that represented lending and loan servicing clients in foreclosure proceedings.  The newly acquired company had agreements with its clients to facilitate the foreclosure of a property, take out its expenses, and then return the remaining money.

    BP Fisher also maintained an Interest on Lawyer’s Trust Account (IOLTA) and operating account, which the defendant oversaw. An IOLTA is maintained in a financial institution for the deposit of funds received or held by an attorney or law firm on behalf of a client or third person.  All funds received into an IOLTA account must be delivered in whole or in part to a client, unless received as payment for fees owed to the lawyer by the client or in reimbursement for expenses that the lawyer properly advanced on behalf of the client.

    Over several years, the defendant led clients to believe that they had immediate access to the money in the two BP Fisher IOLTA accounts. But Browndorf was directing employees to transfer the clients’ money into Plutos Sama accounts and other accounts that he controlled.  The scheme caused more than $2.4 million in losses to BP Fisher’s clients. Browndorf used the stolen funds to pay for expenses such as his American Express credit card bill, car-lease payment to Ferrari and Maserati of Newport Beach, and mortgage.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and FHFA-OIG for their work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Sarma, Joshua Rosenthal, and Matthew Phelps, who prosecuted the federal case.

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

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Materials*

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ANDERSON, S.C. — Tyler Michael Berlick, 36, of Muskego, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to production of child sexual abuse materials.

    Evidence presented to the court showed that Berlick met a girl he believed to be 13 years old located in Greenville, South Carolina in an online game. He sent the child sexually explicit messages and produced sexual abuse materials of the child over the internet. Berlick also traveled from Wisconsin to South Carolina and engaged in sexual activity with the child and then traveled with the minor to Florida and further engaged in sexual activity with the child. 

    “This defendant targeted and exploited someone he knew was a child, and this sentence reflects magnitude of such an offense,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “This child was brought home safely due to law enforcement coordination across multiple states. Our office will continue to bring every resource we have to bear in the fight to keep our child safe from predators like this.”

    “The FBI is steadfast in its commitment to combating violent crime, especially cases involving the exploitation of children,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “This defendant, preyed on a child, and he is now facing justice. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always prioritize safeguarding children and pursuing those who pose a threat to their safety.”

    United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Berlick to 360 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

    This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI Miami Field Office, the Latana Police Department (Florida), the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (Florida) and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department (Wisconsin). Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Marosek is prosecuting the case.

    ###

    * The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages use of the phrase “child pornography.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition 2025

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

    News story

    Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition 2025

    Created by the NPCC, Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition aims to highlight the vital contribution staff make to policing.

    Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition.

    This year, we took the opportunity to speak to a number of staff to gain an insight into their roles and personal achievements.  

    Vicki talked us through her role as Learning and Development (L&D) Business Partner.

    “As Learning and Development Business Partner, my role is to provide advice and guidance to the business on all aspects of learning and development, mainly in the areas of Leadership Development. I have responsibility for the senior leadership development programmes both within Force and via our partner agencies. I also hold the portfolio for our Digital Delivery, which includes all our eLearning packages, learning webinars and online learning content.

    “I’ve been with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) almost eight years, starting off in Police Officer Recruitment which gave me a great grounding into the life of our new officers. I transitioned into L&D five years ago having specialised in instructional design and training as part of my long career within Human Resources.

    “No two days are the same in this role, and I love the challenge that new projects, training delivery and online content bring. I’ve been involved in many new initiatives in the corporate training arena during my time here and have recently qualified as a Level 5 CMI Coaching Practitioner. This supports the work I do as well as giving me a good insight into the lives of my coachees and their challenges. The rewarding part of my job is supporting the wider organisation and enabling those on the front line to be their best and encouraging those who may not think they have the opportunity to develop to do just that!”

    Caitlin shared some of her experiences as Inspections Manager.

    “I joined in October 2022 as the Inspections Manager. Prior to this I was a secondary school teacher for 12 years, teaching History and English – first in Australia, then in Scotland. I have spent the past two years undertaking significant study to gain my Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) qualification, and have been working with the Inspections and Assurance team to carry out our annual inspections plan which has included reviewing the Corporate Induction and the annual Operational Inspection.

    “The aspect of the role I enjoy the most is getting to learn more about the way the organisation works – especially when visiting the various Operational Policing Units (OPUs). I like to believe that the work we do can create positive change as well, no matter how small.

    “Some of the highlights of my career have been some of the work I’ve been able to do outside my role with the CNC, including working with the Violence against women and girls (VAWG) team to introduce a range of initiatives. The one I am proudest of is establishing the CNC’s Domestic Abuse Contacts network so we can better support people in our organisation who are experiencing domestic abuse.”

    Kay spoke about her role as Vetting Officer.

    “After serving 31 years as an officer, I retired in 2021. I became Police staff as an intelligence officer in the South East Regional organised crime unit (SEROCU) for two years before returning to the online child abuse team within Thames Valley Police, where my role was to identify victims of online abuse.

    “I started working with CNC as a vetting officer six months ago as for my own mental health, I needed to move away from the subject matter which I had specialised in for much of my career. Police vetting was very much in the spotlight on a National basis which I found interesting.

    “Vetting is evolving and I am constantly learning. Since the day I joined, everyone in my team has been supportive and helpful – answering every question I have (and there have been many!). It is a great team to work with.

    “Surrounding yourself with good people is key to staying resilient and motivated when facing tough times. I have been very fortunate in my career to work with fantastic teams and that has continued with the CNC.”

    Speaking about the importance of Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition, Chief Constable Simon Chesterman said: “Police staff are an essential part of the team, performing vital roles, and we could not function without them.

    “It is great to see that there is now a Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition, dedicated to highlighting and acknowledging the incredible and valuable work our police staff colleagues carry out.

    “Understandably in an armed police force, the emphasis is often on the front-line, however, we should use this week to pause and reflect on the fact that without police staff, we would not have a front-line. Officers would not be recruited, trained, paid, equipped, deployed, and their wellbeing looked after without the police staff element of the overall CNC team.

    “So, to all our police staff colleagues – thank you for your outstanding contribution to our mission and to our success as an organisation”.

    Learn more about life in the CNC as a member of police staff and browse our current opportunities on our jobs website.

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Around the Air Force: Skyraider II, Training Wing F-35 Transition, ACE Field Training

    Source: United States Air Force

    In this week’s look Around the Air Force, AFSOC has a new airframe, the Skyraider II, that can provide close air support and reconnaissance, the last F-16 training squadron at Luke AFB transitions to the F-35A Lightning II, and a professional development course for SNCOs in the Pacific runs its first-ever ACE field training exercise.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Philadelphia Reminds Spring Breakers of Safety Aboard Aircrafts

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

    PHILADELPHIA—As March means spring break travel for many, the FBI Philadelphia Field Office advises travelers to remain vigilant and exercise caution when traveling aboard aircrafts and navigating airports.

    The FBI remains committed to prioritizing investigations into federal crimes occurring on aircrafts that endanger the safety of passengers, the flight crews, and flight attendants.

    “As spring breakers take to the skies, the FBI wants to remind them to prioritize safety while traveling through airports and flying,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Working with our federal, state, and local partners, and most importantly the public, is key to identifying these threats and combating crime in airports and aboard aircrafts.”

    Each of the FBI’s 55 field offices have airport liaison agents (ALA). These agents are assigned to the nearly 450 U.S. aviation facilities that have passenger screening operations regulated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and respond to crime aboard an aircraft, a violation which falls within the FBI’s special investigative jurisdiction.

    Some of the violations the FBI investigates if they are committed during a flight are listed below:

    • Sexual misconduct, including sexual assault; indecent exposure, lewd, indecent, sexual, or obscene acts; and indecent or sexual proposal to a minor.
    • Assault, including striking or hitting, throwing an object, grabbing or unwanted touching, and spitting.
    • Interference with flight crew members, including assault, threats, or intimidation and/or an attempt or conspiracy to do the same.
    • Theft

    In addition, the FBI investigates airport-based violations. This includes violence against persons and property at international airports if the victim or offender is a United States national, or if the offender is located within the U.S. It also includes interfering with airport security screening personnel ahead of a flight, including airport employees or airline employees working at the gate.

    The FBI also investigates bomb threats whether they are made on the ground or in-flight.

    Everyone should be aware of their surroundings while onboard an airplane or in an airport. If you have been the victim of one of these crimes or if you have witnessed one take place, report it to your flight crew, airport authority police and the FBI.

    FBI Philadelphia can be reached at (215) 418-4000 or tips can be reported online at tips.fbi.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Lancaster County Man and Long-Distance Trucking Company Sentenced for Violations of Clean Air Act

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Leon Martin, age 42, of Lititz, PA, and Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc. (Frock Brothers), of New Oxford, PA, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley for conspiracy and violations of the Clean Air Act. 

    Martin was sentenced to a two-year term of probation, with three months of a home curfew, and a $500,000 fine. Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc. was sentenced to a two-year term of probation and an $80,000 fine.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Martin was a mechanic who worked at a diesel repair shop, in Ephrata, PA.  Between 2018 through October 2023, Martin provided “tuning” or “reprogramming” services in which he tuned the engine control modules (ECMs) on diesel trucks. The ECM is a computerized system that manages and controls the engine’s performance.  During that time, Martin began tampering with the emissions diagnostic systems on the vehicles of many companies to prevent the diagnostic system software from monitoring the emission control system hardware, thereby defeating the systems’ ability to reduce pollutant gases and particulate matter being emitted to the atmosphere by the trucks. 

    In November and December 2018, Martin did work for Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc., a long-distance trucking company that delivers general freight and other products.  At that time, Martin, Frock Brothers, and others, conspired to tamper with the emission control hardware on approximately eight diesel vehicles of Frock Brothers, in violation of the Clean Air Act.  The illegal actions were for the purpose of obtaining economic benefits, including, among other things, reduced or avoidance of repair costs, fuel savings from improved fuel economy on modified vehicles, and reduced expenditures on diesel exhaust fluids required to operate emissions systems components.  As part of the scheme, Frock Brothers removed the vehicles’ ECMs from their engines and shipped them to Leon Martin for reprogramming. Once the devices were “tuned,” Martin shipped them back to Frock Brothers, where they were reinstalled on the trucks. As a result of the emissions systems tampering, Frock Brothers vehicles emitted excess emissions, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, into the atmosphere. 

    “Tampering with required emissions monitoring devices in heavy duty vehicles results in a significant increase in air pollution,” said Allison Landsman, EPA-CID Special Agent in Charge. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that we will hold violators accountable for breaking our environmental laws.” 

    The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Behe prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ensures the Enforcement of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c)

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY IN FEDERAL COURTS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a memorandum directing federal agencies to enforce a rule mandating financial guarantees from parties requesting injunctions. This ensures coverage of potential costs or losses if the court later deems an injunction wrongly issued.
    The memorandum instructs agency heads, in consultation with the Attorney General, to request under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c) that federal courts require plaintiffs post security equal to the federal government’s potential costs and damages from a wrongly issued preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order.
    Security refers to a financial guarantee compensating the government for losses if an injunction is later found unjustified.

    This applies to all lawsuits seeking preliminary injunctions or temporary restraining orders where the government can demonstrate monetary harm from the requested relief.
    Agencies must justify security amounts based on reasoned assessments of harm, ensuring courts deny or dissolve injunctions if plaintiffs fail to pay up, absent good cause.
    STOPPING JUDICIAL OVERREACH AND FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS: By issuing this memorandum, President Trump is ensuring the democratic process remains intact by curbing activist judges and holding litigants accountable.
    Unelected district judges have issued sweeping injunctions beyond their authority, inserting themselves into executive policymaking and stalling policies voters supported.
    Activist groups file meritless suits for fundraising and political gain, facing no consequences when they lose, while taxpayers bear the costs and delays.
    The Justice Department is forced to divert resources from public safety to fight these frivolous cases, weakening effective governance.
    Enforcing Rule 65(c) deters such litigation by holding plaintiffs accountable for costs and damages if their injunctions are baseless, protecting taxpayer funds and judicial integrity.
    STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S JUDICIAL SYSTEM: President Trump is committed to protecting our democracy, challenging judicial overreach, and ensuring the rule of law is upheld.
    Injunctions can cost taxpayers millions or even billions of dollars, especially when they mandate continued funding.
    President Trump appointed high-performing “superstar” judges according to a respected study.  Trump’s judges occupied 9 of the top 11 spots for productivity, and 9 of the top 10 spots for influence.
    President Trump’s judges are also rated the least partisan.
    Multiple Supreme Court justices have recently warned that “single district-court judges” acting outside their judicial power are “abusing” the power entrusted to them.

    MIL OSI USA News –