NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Possession and Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

    Source: US FBI

    AKRON, Ohio – Dion Dejournett, 29, of Akron, was sentenced to 90 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and one count of possession of firearms to further the crime of drug trafficking. Dejournett was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following release from prison and will also forfeit drug-related assets including four pistols, a semi-automatic rifle and more than $6,000.

    According to court documents, in June 2023, the Akron Police Department (APD) executed a search warrant at Dejournett’s apartment. Methamphetamine and fentanyl were recovered throughout the master bedroom, hidden in a closet, drawers, and under the bed, including fentanyl in plain sight on top of a dresser. Packaging materials, cutting agents, and a digital scale were also recovered. Numerous firearms, including several pistols and a semi-automatic rifle, were found at his residence and confiscated. APD later found additional fentanyl on Dejournett following his arrest. Laboratory testing confirmed that police seized a total of 116.39 grams of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl and 1,460.51 of mixtures and substances containing methamphetamine.

    The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Akron Police Department and the FBI.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio.

    If you have information about the drug-related manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances, submit an anonymous tip at dea.gov/submit-tip.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Drug Conspiracies Land Little Rock Man in Federal Prison for 18 Years

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock man’s involvement in two separate drug conspiracies will end with him spending 18 years in federal prison. Desmond Kelley, aka “Trell,” 28, was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, with that sentence to run consecutive to a 65-month sentence he recently received for being involved in a heroin distribution conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian S. Miller handed down the sentence.

          In May 2017, Kelley was named in a 33-defendant indictment that charged him with conspiracy to distribute heroin, distribution of heroin, and use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking crime. In that case, Kelley worked with Aaron “Black” Clark to distribute heroin in Little Rock. In 2016 and 2017, Clark supplied Kelley with multiple ounces of heroin at a time, which Kelley then resold.

          The FBI arrested Kelley in that case on May 31, 2017, and Kelley was released on pretrial bond on January 30, 2018. At that point, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) developed evidence that Kelley immediately went back to selling drugs, including both heroin and fentanyl, to a new group of people. This time, Kelley was at the top of the 17-defendant conspiracy and supplied significant amounts of fentanyl to multiple people who were also indicted.

          Kelley was then indicted for the second time and arrested by the DEA on October 15, 2019, and this time charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The next day, Kelley pleaded guilty conspiracy to distribute between 400-700 grams of heroin in the 2017 case. Kelley received a 65-month sentence from United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr., on October 13, 2020. On February 1, 2021, Kelley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute between 1.2 and 4 kilograms of fentanyl in the 2019 case.

          In addition to the prison sentence, which totals 216 months combined, Judge Miller sentenced Kelley to five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

          The 2017 case was investigated by the FBI’s Met Rock Task Force, in coordination with the LRPD and NLRPD, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benecia Moore. The 2019 case was investigated by the DEA, in coordination with the LRPD and NLRPD, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens.

    # # #

    This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former DEA Supervisory Agent Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison for Accepting Bribes from Drug Kingpin

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—A former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent was sentenced today for accepting bribes from a drug trafficker. Nathan Koen, 45, now of Auburn, Illinois, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.

          Koen was charged by a federal grand jury in November 2019 with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and one count of bribery of a public official. In August 2021, he pleaded guilty to bribery in exchange for dismissal of the drug-related charge.

          During the sentencing hearing, which took place over two days and concluded today, Judge Miller found that Koen accepted bribes from a known, large-scale drug trafficker for the purpose of helping facilitate a drug conspiracy, and that the conspiracy involved at least 15 to 45 kilograms of methamphetamine. The drug trafficker testified during the hearing and explained that he believed Koen provided was providing sensitive, law-enforcement information, which helped the trafficker avoid detection by law enforcement and run his drug organization. The drug trafficker, who is in federal custody, stated that his organization was responsible for distributing kilogram quantities of methamphetamine cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana.

          “This defendant’s actions are a disgrace to the thousands of dedicated law enforcement officers who work with integrity every day to protect and serve our communities,” stated United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “His greed and deception have no place in law enforcement, and we are pleased to see this case come to its rightful conclusion.”

          In 2018, the FBI began investigating Koen, who had been working for DEA since 2002 and had transferred in 2016 to work as a Group Supervisor in the Little Rock DEA office from Jacksonville, Florida. FBI agents interviewed the drug trafficker who told law enforcement he had paid Koen cash for information and protection related to his drug-trafficking activities.

          The drug trafficker told FBI agents he had been in custody on federal drug charges in 2013-2014 when another inmate told him he should contact Koen and offer to work as an informant, which he did. After his case was resolved, the informant resumed distributing large amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine in Florida, California, Arkansas, and elsewhere, while making payments to Koen for protection. The informant paid approximately $31,500 to Koen before he began cooperating with the FBI.

          The informant began working with FBI, and he agreed to set up a controlled delivery of a bribe payment to Koen. Koen and the informant agreed to meet in Las Vegas on December 3, 2018. FBI agents equipped the informant with $9,000 cash and multiple audio recording devices. Koen and the informant met on the sidewalk across from the Bellagio hotel and walked together to the Paris Las Vegas hotel, where they went inside a bathroom away from casino cameras. Once inside, the informant placed the cash in Koen’s backpack, and they left the hotel, each going in different directions.

          Recordings of the encounter revealed that Koen asked the informant, “Did you make this worth it?” The informant responded, “Come on, man, you know I always make it worth it for you.” Koen responded, “I know.” Koen also advised the informant that he should get rid of all his phones and change his address because he expected a search warrant to be executed at his home soon. Koen was arrested when he returned to Arkansas later that day, and he admitted to accepting bribes from the informant.

          “By protecting a drug trafficking organization and accepting bribes from a drug kingpin, former Group Supervisor Nathan Koen deceived and betrayed his brothers and sisters in the DEA,” FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson said. “His disgraceful and corrupt conduct only strengthens our resolve to continue attacking corruption at all levels. We’re grateful for the strong, ongoing partnerships we share with both the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

          “Today’s sentencing reflects DEA’s commitment to hold accountable any DEA employee who abuses the trust of the American people by violating their oath as a federal law enforcement officer,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Nathan Koen put himself ahead of the principles he swore to protect. I commend our federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case and the U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted it.”

          “Koen turned his back on his duty to protect the public. As a DEA Agent, Koen was tasked with investigating drug traffickers. Instead, he accepted a cash bribe and provided a known drug trafficker with sensitive law enforcement information. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will continue to investigate those who engage in this kind of conduct,” said Cloey C. Pierce, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Dallas Field Office.

          In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Miller also sentenced Koen to two years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benecia Moore and Chris Givens.

    # # #

    This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Towson Resident Sentenced for Murder

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Thomas Raymond Phillips, III, age 36, of Fort Towson, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a term of life in prison for First Degree Murder in Indian Country.  Phillips was also sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence.  The sentences are set to be served consecutively.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    On October 25, 2023, Phillips was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury at trial.   According to investigators, on the evening of December 19, 2020, Phillips fired multiple shots into a Fort Towson bar after being ejected by management for instigating a fight.  One bullet struck a patron, killing the victim at the scene.  The crime occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    “The defendant’s malicious and senseless acts stole a life, and the defendant will spend his remaining days in prison paying the price justice demands for his crimes,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.  “I commend county, state, and federal law enforcement for their investigative work and the prosecuting attorneys for presenting the case and advocating for the victim.”

    The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Phillips will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean Burris and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Drug Dealers Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Federal Witness

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—Two drug dealers will spend the remainder of their lives in prison after conspiring to cause witness tampering resulting in death. Samuel “Big Hit” Sherman, 38, of Batesville, and Donald Bill Smith, 38, of Malvern, were both sentenced today to life in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Chief District Judge D. P. Marshall, Jr., imposed the sentences.

          Smith and Sherman were indicted in September 2019 in connection with the death of Susan Cooper, who had bought methamphetamine from Sherman but had begun working as an informant for law enforcement. In May 2016, Sherman was arrested and charged with selling methamphetamine to Cooper. As his case progressed, Sherman was released and permitted to work as an informant himself.

          Though Sherman was supposed to be working as an informant, he had not provided enough information to help his case, and in September 2016, Sherman learned he was facing a significant federal prison sentence. Evidence at trial showed that upon learning this, Sherman called Smith, who was a methamphetamine dealer in the Malvern area. Smith had sold drugs to Rachael Cooper, who was Susan Cooper’s sister-in-law (they were married to brothers).

          Cellular tower data presented at trial showed that shortly thereafter, Smith drove from Malvern to Batesville, where Sherman lived, and stayed in Batesville for approximately 40 minutes before returning to Malvern. On the way back to Malvern, Smith called Rachael. Rachael had been communicating with Susan about making arrangements for Susan to trade some hydrocodone pills for methamphetamine. Susan did not know the trade was with Smith.

          That night, Rachael picked Susan up and drove her to meet Smith for the drug exchange. Rachael testified at trial that as they waited, she heard a gunshot followed by Susan crying out “I’m shot—get me out of here!” Rachael jumped in the driver’s seat and saw Smith shoot Susan several more times. Smith pulled Susan from the truck as Rachael sped away.

          For a year and a half, Susan Cooper’s body had not been found. In July 2018, Smith was charged in state court with the murder, and after his arrest, a witness came forward to disclose Smith had demanded he help bury the body. This witness took federal agents to the location of Cooper’s body.

          In September 2021, a jury trial resulted in both Smith and Sherman being convicted of conspiracy to cause witness tampering resulting in death. Smith was also convicted of witness tampering resulting in death, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Smith, in addition to his life sentence, was ordered to serve a 50 year consecutive sentence.

          The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anne Gardner and Bart Dickinson.

    # # #

    This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pryor Man Sentenced to Life After Jury Convicts Him of Aggravated and Abusive Child Sexual Abuse

    Source: US FBI

    TULSA, Okla. – Previously convicted by a jury in July, Adam Joseph King, was sentenced today for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country.

    U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced King, 36, to life imprisonment on both counts.

    “King took advantage of a child entrusted in his care and continues to show no remorse for his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The only way to stop someone like King and protect the community is by giving him a lengthy prison sentence.”

    “The victim in the case was just eight years old when King began abusing her. Despite the trauma she endured, she found the courage to tell her story in court, and as a result this dangerous predator will now live behind bars where he can never harm another child,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “Her resilience is a powerful reminder of why we do this work – to protect the most vulnerable members of our community and hold violent offenders accountable for their crimes.”

    Evidence presented to the jury showed that King repeatedly sexually abused his girlfriend’s child from age eight through eleven years old. King exploited the child that was in his care and warned the victim not to tell.

    The child victim testified about the sexual abuse she received and eventually reported the abuse to a school counselor. Experts further testified that the evidence collected from King’s bedroom matched the DNA of the child victim.

    The investigation showed that King and his girlfriend, the victim’s mother, denied any wrongdoing by King. Once the investigation began, the minor victim and sibling were removed from the home and placed in the custody of their grandparents, where they have remained.

    The minor victim is a tribal citizen. King will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    The FBI, the Catoosa Police Department, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria Luster and Matthew Cyran prosecuted the case.

    If you want to make a report of child sexual exploitation, you can use the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: January Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments Announced

    Source: US FBI

    United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the January Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.

    The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

    Bradley Andrew Friend. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Production of Child Pornography; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. Friend, 40, of Oologah, is charged with enticing and persuading a minor child to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with producing, possessing, receiving, and distributing materials that depict the sexual abuse of children. The Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-013

    Gary Syd Goldberg. Possession of Child Pornography. Goldberg, 76, of Mannford, is charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Mannford Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-253

    Shawn Ray Murnan. Bank Fraud (Counts 1 through 4); False Statements (Counts 5 through 8); Unlawful Monetary Transactions (Counts 9 through 14). Murnan, 56, of Windemere, Florida, is charged with fraudulently submitting 14 applications on behalf of his various businesses seeking more than $2.7 million in CARES Act Funds. Of those applications, Murnan received more than $1.6 million in PPP and EIDL loans. After receiving CARES Act funds, Murnan requested loan forgiveness. More than $1.3 million was forgiven. Two of the PPP loans were funded by a bank located within the NDOK. Each application submitted by Murnan contained false representations and inaccurate accounting regarding employees’ wages, including that he owned no other businesses. The FRB-CFPB Office of the Inspector General, the SBA Office of the Inspector General, and TIGTA are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Whipple and Cheryl Baber are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-014

    Xavion Eugene Paggett. Attempted Bank Robbery; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Paggett, 24, of Broken Arrow, is charged with using a firearm to rob a bank in Nov. 2024. He is further charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema M. Onias is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-012

    Anthony Clay Russell. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (superseding). Russell, 32, of Tulsa and a member of the Osage Nation, is charged with maliciously killing Tasha Shepard on Oct. 22, 2024. He is further charged with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and intentionally assaulting a second victim with a dangerous weapon. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. McConney and John Brasher are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-365

    Marcos Javier Suazo-Otero; Marcos Javier Suazo-Mancilla. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 and 3); Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute (Count 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 and 6); Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (Count 7); Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 8); Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms (Count 9) (superseding). Suazo-Otero, 46, and Suazo-Mancilla, 23, both Mexican nationals, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 2024 through Nov. 2024. They are further charged with maintaining a residence for drug distribution. Suazo-Otero knowingly possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute and is additionally charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Aug. 2018. Lastly, Suazo-Mancilla knowingly possessed cocaine with intent to distribute, possessed firearms while drug trafficking, and knowingly did so while being an alien illegally in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-397

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Schertz Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Transporting a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity

    Source: US FBI

    SAN ANTONIO – Yesterday, a Schertz man was sentenced to 168 months in prison for transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

    According to court documents, in early January 2020, Kraig David Van Winkle, 36, used a social media application to start chatting with a minor in Arkansas.  Shortly thereafter, the conversation became sexual in nature. On January 9, 2020, Van Winkle arranged to meet with and ultimately brought the minor back to Texas with the intent to engage in sexual activity.  During the trip back to Texas, Van Winkle made the minor throw the minor’s cell phone in a drainage ditch.  He also handcuffed, bound the child with rope and placed tape across the child’s mouth when he left the victim alone in his residence.

    On October 5, 2021, Van Winkle pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.  Van Winkle has remained in federal custody since his arrest on January 13, 2020.

    “I am thankful for the FBI and Springdale Police Department’s tireless efforts in locating the victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff.  “Our office will continue to hold child predators accountable and to deliver justice for survivors.”

    “This sentencing sends a strong message to those who would commit these types of heinous crimes, they will face justice and be held accountable for their actions,” said FBI San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr.

    The FBI, with valuable assistance from the FBI Little Rock Field Office and the Springdale, AR Police Department, investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Beaverton Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.—A Beaverton, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing fentanyl that caused the fatal overdose of a local man.

    Billy Ray Trueblood II, 33, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release.

    According to court documents, in early March 2019, investigators from the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN) responded to a fatal overdose of a local man in his early thirties who was found unresponsive by his roommates. An autopsy by the Oregon State Crime Lab later confirmed the man died of an acute fentanyl overdose.

    Further investigation revealed that the victim became addicted to opioids after using prescription pain killers in college to deal with athletic injuries. Investigators also learned the victim had been purchasing drugs from Trueblood since college and had recently exchanged text messages with him to arrange the purchase of “blues,” a term used to describe counterfeit Oxycodone pills manufactured with fentanyl.

    In the days following the victim’s fatal overdose, investigators attempted to locate Trueblood, but were unable to do so until one investigator spotted him on television at a Portland Trailblazers basketball game. After another investigator confirmed the man spotted was indeed Trueblood, the investigators relayed the information to police officers at the game who located and arrested him. During his arrest, Trueblood was found in possession of a large amount of cash and several types of pills including some that resembled those found in the deceased victim’s bedroom.

    On November 10, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Trueblood with distributing fentanyl, distributing fentanyl resulting in death, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

    On May 30, 2023, Trueblood pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl.

    This case was investigated by WIN and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Lewis S. Burkhart, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    WIN is a Washington County, Oregon-based multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program that includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins in Recognizing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day and Announces Appointment of Regional MMIP Coordinator

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5, 2024, as National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.

    The office also announced today the appointment of an MMIP Regional Coordinator based in the District of Oregon. Cedar Wilkie Gillette, who since June 2020 has served as the District of Oregon MMIP Coordinator, will now serve as regional coordinator for the Northwest Region under the Justice Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program. The Northwest Region includes the states of California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

    Ms. Wilkie Gillette will work alongside Ms. Bree R. Black Horse who was appointed in February 2024 in the Eastern District of Washington to serve as the MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northwest Region.

    “We are delighted that Cedar Wilkie Gillette will serve as northwest regional coordinator for the Justice Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program is a critical next step in the department’s ongoing effort to address this crisis, which has affected tribes and communities across our region and country. Cedar is abundantly qualified for this position and we are eager for her to expand the great work she has done here in Oregon throughout the Northwest Region,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    “There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.”

    Launched in July 2023, the MMIP Regional Outreach Program permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered indigenous people. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. 

    The regional outreach program program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorney’s Offices promoting public safety in Indian Country and fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022. 

    The Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort. In March, the Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered indigenous peoples and human trafficking crisis.

    Over the past year, the Department awarded $268 million in grants to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.

    For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website. Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.

    In early 2022, the District of Oregon established an MMIP Working Group to increase multi-agency communication and collaboration in support of and response to Oregon-connected MMIP cases. The working group includes representatives from each of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon, the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior Regional Solicitor’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, and Oregon State Police.

    Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2020, Ms. Wilkie Gillette served as a law fellow for Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization. She has a juris doctorate from the Vermont Law School and a bachelor’s degree in applied social justice and human rights activism from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Wilkie Gillette is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and a direct descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. She has conducted extensive research on indigenous human rights and environmental justice issues.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tigard Repeat Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Transporting a Victim Across State Lines for Illegal Sexual Activity and Laundering Proceeds Through a Bottled Water Company

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.—A Tigard, Oregon man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to federal prison today for transporting an adult victim across state lines for illegal sexual activity and laundering the proceeds through a Portland-based bottled water company.

    Johnell Lee Cleveland, 42, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and seven years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $32,115 in restitution to the Oregon Department of Employment. The sum of restitution Cleveland must pay to his adult victim will be determined at a later date.

    “In the summer of 2020, Johnell Cleveland received a rare early release from federal prison he could have used as an opportunity to chart a new path away from criminality. Unfortunately, he did the exact opposite, diving headfirst into a remarkable series of crimes,” said Steven T. Mygrant, Chief of the Narcotics and Criminal Enterprises Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “We thank the FBI, IRS, and PPB for their efforts in holding Cleveland accountable and securing this nine-year prison sentence.” 

    “Johnell Cleveland has demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the law,” said Douglas A. Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Even after serving a prison term, Cleveland continued his chronic criminal behavior with money laundering, wire fraud, and transporting an adult victim for illegal sexual activity. The FBI, along with our partners, is dedicated to maintaining the safety of our communities, and with Cleveland behind bars, our community is more secure.”

    “30 days is long enough to form positive habits; it is also more than long enough to return to bad ones, as Mr. Cleveland unfortunately chose to do,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Seattle Field Office. “Given a second chance, Mr. Cleveland did not choose to better himself. Instead, he proceeded to cause immense harm to the people and to the communities around him. This sentencing shows that CI, along with our partners in law enforcement, will bring justice to repeat offenders as many times as needed, as Mr. Cleveland is finding out today.”

    According to court documents, in July 2019, Cleveland was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for distributing cyclopropyl fentanyl, possessing a machine gun and money laundering. In the summer of 2020, nineteen months before his original projected release date, Cleveland sought and was granted a compassionate release from prison based on health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Less than 30 days following his release from prison, Cleveland and an associate submitted a fraudulent insurance policy application for nine pieces of jewelry previously seized by law enforcement. Approximately four months after Cleveland and his associate were issued an insurance policy worth more than $100,000, his associate submitted a false burglary report to the Las Vegas Police Department claiming her Mercedes-Benz sedan and various personal property, including the nine pieces of insured jewelry, had been stolen. Seeking reimbursement, Cleveland quickly notified his insurance company of the purported jewelry theft.

    While his insurance fraud scheme was ongoing, in October 2020, Cleveland devised a separate scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID relief program funds. On October 14, 2020, he applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits for a five-month period beginning in April 2020, claiming he was unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In reality, Cleveland was unemployed during this time because he was in federal prison. Despite his false claims, Cleveland’s application was approved, and he began receiving PUA benefits.

    Investigators later learned that during this same time period, Cleveland transported for illegal sexual activity an adult woman he had, in August 2020, commenced a romantic relationship with. Cleveland told the woman that he needed money to get his business ventures off the ground and fund their future together. Over time, Cleveland became less friendly and more menacing toward the woman, demanding she travel frequently and engage in more commercial sex. Meanwhile, Cleveland kept all the money the woman earned and threatened her with various punishments he claimed to have used on other women, including locking her in a dog cage.

    To conceal and disguise the nature of his victim’s proceeds, Cleveland used the money to pay business expenses for the bottled water company, including costs for bottling and manufacturing, rental of corporate office space in Portland, merchandising, and a monthly retainer with a modeling agency.

    On November 3, 2021, Cleveland was arrested without incident in Portland. The same day, investigators seized Cleveland’s vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a secret compartment in the driver-side door that concealed a loaded handgun.

    On October 19, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Cleveland and his insurance fraud associate with conspiring to commit and committing wire fraud. Later, in on March 10, 2022, Cleveland was indicted a second time for sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; and money laundering. 

    On February 4, 2024, Cleveland pleaded guilty to both counts of his fraud indictment and a three-count superseding criminal information charging him with transportation for illegal sexual activity, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and money laundering.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS CI, and the Portland Police Bureau Human Trafficking Unit. It was prosecuted by Peter Sax and Nicole Bockelman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

    If you or someone you know is in danger, please call 911. If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting 233733. Calls and texts are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    Human trafficking is a serious federal crime where individuals are compelled by force, fraud, or coercion to engage in commercial sex, labor, or domestic servitude against their will. Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause unimaginable harm. In February 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland launched a new national strategy to combat human trafficking that aims to prevent all forms of trafficking, prosecute trafficking cases, and support trafficking victims and survivors.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Warns Public to Beware of Scammers Impersonating FBI Agents and Other Government Officials

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, OR—The FBI Portland Division has seen an increase in reports of scammers falsely representing themselves as FBI agents, or a representative of another government agency, and sending couriers to pick up cash or gold payments.

    Be advised, federal agencies do not call or e-mail individuals threatening arrest or demanding money. Scammers often spoof caller ID information, and these phone calls are fraudulent even if they appear to be coming from an agency’s legitimate phone number. Recipients should hang up immediately and report the call.

    There are many versions of the government impersonation scam, and they all exploit intimidation tactics. Typically, scammers will use an urgent and aggressive tone, refusing to speak to or leave a message with anyone other than their targeted victim; and will urge victims not to tell anyone else, including family, friends, or financial institutions, about what is occurring.

    Payment is demanded in various forms, in this new version of the scam, victims are asked to withdraw money as either cash or gold and give that to a courier who arrives at their home. Other tactics include prepaid cards, wire transfers, and cash, sent by mail or inserted into cryptocurrency ATMs. Victims are asked to read prepaid card numbers over the phone or text a picture of the card.

    According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 14,190 people reported being victims of government impersonation scams in 2023, with losses totaling more than $394 million dollars. Here in the Portland Division, which includes all of Oregon, financial losses exceeded $1.7 million dollars in 2023.

    The scammers typically target older adults. In 2023, almost half the complainants reported to be over 60 (40%), and experienced 58% of the losses (almost $770 million) nationally. Complainants over the age of 60 lost more to these scams than all other age groups combined, and reportedly remortgaged/foreclosed homes, emptied retirement accounts, and borrowed from family and friends to cover losses in these scams. Some incidents have resulted in suicide because of shame or loss of sustainable income.

    The FBI will never:

    • Call or e-mail private citizens to demand payment or threaten arrest. You will also not be asked to wire a “settlement” to avoid arrest.
    • Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal.
    • Ask you for wire transfers or gift cards.
    • Call you about “frozen” Social Security numbers or to coordinate inheritances.

    Scams impersonating the FBI and other government agencies are a persistent problem and can also occur via e-mail. Common hallmarks of a scam e-mail include misspellings, missing words, and incorrect grammar. Fraudulent e-mails may give the appearance of legitimacy by using pictures of the FBI Director and/or the FBI seal and letterhead.

    Members of the public seeking to confirm that they have been contacted by an actual FBI employee are encouraged to call the FBI Portland Division at 503-224-4181 and ask to be connected directly.

    If you think you are a victim of this, or any other online scam please file a report with your local law enforcement agency and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.

    More information about government impersonation schemes and other online fraud schemes can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Doctor Guilty in $10 Million TRICARE Scheme

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—An Alexander doctor has been convicted for his involvement in a multi-million-dollar kickback conspiracy at the conclusion of a week-long trial. A federal jury found Joe David “Jay” May, 41, guilty on all 22 counts for which he was indicted.

          The jury returned their verdict Thursday evening after deliberating for about three hours. United States District Judge Kristine Baker presided over the trial, and Judge Baker will sentence May at a later date. 

          “Dr. May used his signature as a rubber stamp to help his friends rake in millions of dollars in kickbacks from fraudulent prescriptions,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “His crimes are a reprehensible abuse of his Hippocratic oath and his medical license. Our office and our federal law enforcement partners at the FBI and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) are resolved to continue to bring to justice all other health care professionals who defraud our nation’s healthcare systems.”

          A grand jury returned an indictment against May in January 2020. The indictment alleged that May signed off on illegitimate prescriptions for pain cream in order to trigger a payout from TRICARE, the nation’s insurance for veterans.  A pharmacy promoter paid recruiters to find TRICARE beneficiaries, regardless of whether they needed the drugs, and then paid others to get medical professionals, including Jay May, to rubber stamp prescriptions for TRICARE beneficiaries.

          TRICARE paid over $12 million for compounded drugs prescribed through this scheme. Evidence at trial indicated that May wrote 226 prescriptions over the course of ten months, for which TRICARE paid $4.63 million. All but one of those prescriptions were supplied by drug sales representatives, Glenn Hudson and Derek Clifton, both of whom have pleaded guilty in the scheme, and directed to prescribers, May and a nurse practitioner named Donna Crowder, who has also pleaded guilty. May accepted cash bribes totaling nearly $15,000 and signed off on the prescriptions without consulting patients and without determining whether or not the prescription was needed.

          One recruiter hosted a meeting at Fisher Armory in North Little Rock. At that meeting, he signed people up for the drugs and offered to pay them $1,000. Thirteen of those patients were routed to Dr. May, who signed each prescription, and this group alone cost TRICARE $370,000. The conspirators learned that reimbursements from TRICARE might fall in May 2015, so April was the last opportunity to profit from the program. In the last ten days of April 2015, May signed 59 prescriptions, for which TRICARE paid $1.4M. During a single 9-week period at the height of the scheme, May deposited $9,925 cash; an FBI forensic accountant testified this was more cash than he deposited in 2014 and 2016 combined.

          “TRICARE is dedicated to serving our veterans, military members, and their families,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James Dawson. “Dr. May displayed a lack of integrity by defrauding millions from our nation’s military insurer and lying to our Agents in an effort to conceal his crimes. The FBI is committed to working alongside our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect our service members and their loved ones from corrupt medical professionals like Dr. May.”

          “Dr. May engaged in a kickback scheme that undermined federal health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “This verdict is a testament to strong law enforcement partnerships committed to holding physicians accountable for providing quality care to beneficiaries of these programs,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Miranda Bennett.

          The statutory penalties for May’s convictions are: wire fraud, mail fraud, and falsifying records, not more than 20 years imprisonment; violation of the anti-kickback statute, not more than 10 years imprisonment; and conspiracy and making false statements, not more than five years imprisonment. In addition to any sentence imposed, May will also serve an added four years for convictions on two counts of aggravated identity theft. All offenses of conviction include a potential penalty of not more than a $250,000 fine and not more than three years of supervised release.

          The investigation was conducted by the FBI and HHS-OIG. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Morgan and Stephanie Mazzanti.           

    # # #

    This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Winnie Ho concludes Paris visit

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho concluded her visit to Paris, France, yesterday by meeting a representative of a social housing association, a renowned urban planner and government officials there.

     

    In the morning, Ms Ho met a representative of CDC Habitat, a social housing association in France, to learn more about the mode of operation, development strategies, and challenges of social housing there. She also devoted time to highlight Hong Kong’s situation and the various housing initiatives being implemented by the Housing Bureau.

     

    Ms Ho then visited an integrated residential and commercial community comprising social housing, which was transformed from the Olympic Athletes’ Village, to learn about sustainable urban development.

     

    While meeting a renowned urban planner, IAE Paris Sorbonne Business School Associate Professor Carlos Moreno, Ms Ho shared her vision and thoughts on sustainable urban planning and design.

     

    Prof Moreno put forward the urban planning concept of the “15-minute city”, which aims to enable residents in a community to meet their daily needs for food, clothing, housing and transport within a 15-minute walking or cycling distance and enhance environmental sustainability.

     

    Ms Ho pointed out that this coincides with the planning concept of the Housing Authority’s new public housing estates and cited Queen’s Hill Estate as an example, demonstrating the planning of a resident-oriented, self-sufficient community that embraces cultural heritage and blends with nature to create a sustainable community. Prof Moreno expressed his wish to have the opportunity to visit Hong Kong in the future.

     

    In the evening, Ms Ho met Advisor to the Mayor on housing, urban planning, architecture, land development Renaud Paque, and Director of Housing & Habitat Doan Lebel to exchange views on public housing policies and experiences on sustainable urbanisation and urban planning concepts.

     

    Concluding the trip, Ms Ho stated that this visit tied in with the Housing Bureau’s Housing•I&T initiative this year, introducing the latest developments of advanced technology companies from Hong Kong and the Mainland in the areas of construction technologies, public housing, green building, etc, as well as demonstrating to the world the application of technologies such as Modular Integrated Construction and construction robots that help enhance construction efficiency and safety.

     

    The housing chief emphasised that the Government will actively make reference to overseas experiences on decarbonisation and energy-saving technologies, and fully capitalise on Hong Kong’s unique advantages, reinforce connectivity, and play the role as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder”.

     

    “I expect that the two cities will maintain liaison and strengthen exchanges in areas such as innovative building technologies, public housing construction, green buildings, well-being communities, and enhancing the housing ladder to give new impetus to public housing construction,” Ms Ho added.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian Man Charged with Making Extortionate Threats to Publicize Stolen Data Obtained by Unlawful Computer Intrusion

    Source: US FBI

    Newark, N.J. – A citizen and resident of Brazil was charged with making extortionate threats to publicize data stolen from the Brazilian subsidiary of a New Jersey company, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Junior Barros De Oliveira, 29, of Curitiba, Brazil was charged with four counts of extortionate threats involving information obtained from protected computers in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1030(a)(7)(B) and four counts of threatening communications in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(d) in an indictment unsealed today in Newark federal court.

    According to the Indictment:

    In March 2020, De Oliveira gained unauthorized access and exceeded authorized access to the computer systems of Victim 1-Brazil, the Brazilian subsidiary of a New Jersey company.  Exploiting this access, De Oliveira obtained confidential customer information relating to approximately 300,000 customers of Victim 1-Brazil.  In September 2020, De Oliveira began contacting U.S. representatives of Victim 1, including its CEO, in an attempt to extort money from Victim 1-Brazil.  De Oliveira demanded over approximately $3,000,000 in Bitcoin in exchange for keeping the stolen data confidential and not publicizing it.

    Each of the four counts of making extortionate threats in relation to information obtained from protected computers carry a maximum prison term of 5 years, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the value of any gain or loss, whichever is greater.  Each of the four counts of threatening communications carry a maximum prison term of 2 years, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the value of any gain or loss, whichever is greater.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”)’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Malagold of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Man Charged with Firearms and Drug Trafficking Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man has been indicted for firearms and narcotics offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Raishaun Lofton, 30, of Newark, New Jersey, was charged by indictment with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  He appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Almonte in Newark federal court and was detained.

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

    On February 22, 2024, during an investigation, police officers recovered from Lofton a privately made firearm with no serial number, nine rounds of 9mm ammunition, 81 glassine envelopes containing fentanyl, and plastic jugs commonly used to distribute illegal drugs.  On April 22, 2024, video surveillance footage depicted Lofton firing a different firearm into the air during an argument.  One of the bullets from the firearm that Lofton shot entered a nearby living room where a family with two children was watching a movie.  During the subsequent investigation, law enforcement recovered the firearm that Lofton had fired.

    The two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.  The count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.  The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to the sentence imposed on the other counts, a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, and police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, with the investigation that led to the charges.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

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

    Defense counsel: Tatiana Nnaji, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Convicted Felon Admits Drug Trafficking and Possession of Firearms, Including Two Assault Rifles

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted distributing cocaine, possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, and possessing three firearms, including two assault rifles with high capacity magazines, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Azmar Carter, a/k/a “Bizzy,” 32, of East Orange, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to a superseding information charging him with two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.

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

    In 2021, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking organization that operates primarily in and around Orange, New Jersey and distributes narcotics throughout Essex County. During the investigation, Carter distributed cocaine to law enforcement in May 2021 and in July 2021. Subsequently, on August 18, 2021, law enforcement searched Carter’s residence and car in East Orange, New Jersey and recovered the following items: one Draco AK 47 rifle; one Smith and Wesson AR rifle; one .40 caliber pistol; ninety-four rounds of associated ammunition; a distribution quantity of heroin and cocaine; and approximately $7,177.00.

    The drug trafficking offenses carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million.  The possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted a felon offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.  Sentencing is scheduled for April 30, 2024.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; members of the Orange Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Todd Warren, Chief Vincent Vitiello and Captain Brian Mooney; members of the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Giacomo Sacca and Police Director Earl J. Graves; members of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis Bindi; member of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda and Chief of Police Sharonda Morris; and the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrests.

    This case is part of Operation Orange, which is a part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, the Orange Police Department and the Irvington Police Department.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

    Defense counsel: Christopher D. Adams, Esq.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Springfield Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Repeatedly Possessing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US FBI

    EUGENE, Ore.—A Springfield, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for repeatedly possessing and distributing photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

    Randy Lee Cook, 43, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison and a life term of supervised release.

    According to court documents, in 2006, Cook was convicted of state child pornography charges in Missouri and served a significant prison sentence for sending child sexual abuse material to a minor, engaging in sexual chats with the minor, and then engaging in additional sexual chats with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a minor and propositioning the decoy minor for sex. Following his release from prison, Cook was required to register as a sex offender.

    In the summer of 2020 and spring of 2021, investigators learned that Cook had resumed distributing child sexual abuse material online, this time using Kik Messenger, an instant messaging mobile application. Investigators traced multiple Kik accounts to Cook and learned he was residing in Springfield. On June 11, 2021, investigators executed search warrants on Cook’s residence, truck, and person. Cook’s phone was found to contain approximately 194 images and 63 videos depicting child sexual abuse.

    In July 2021, Cook was charged by criminal complaint with possessing and distributing child pornography and arrested. On July 20, 2023, a federal grand jury in Eugene indicted him on the same charges.

    In December 2023, while Cook’s case was being litigated, an FBI task force officer in Louisiana investigating an unrelated matter began conversing with an individual on Kik who was later determined to be Cook. In conversations online with the officer, Cook claimed to have engaged in sex acts with children and sent the agent an explicit video of a child. On December 14, 2023, Cook was arrested a second time when he was leaving his Springfield residence to plead guilty in federal court.

    On January 24, 2024, Cook pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Eugene Resident Agency with assistance from the FBI New Orleans Field Office, Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Shreveport Police Department. It was prosecuted by William McLaren, Marco Boccato, and Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

    Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

    Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jersey City Gang Member Charged with Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering and Weapons Offense for Role in Shooting

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rutgers neighborhood street gang operating in the area of Triangle Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, is charged for his role in shooting rival gang members, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Micah Reid, aka “Nips,” 33, of Jersey City is charged by complaint with one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and one count of discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence.  Reid made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was detained.

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

    Reid is a high-ranking member and associate of the Rutgers neighborhood street gang, which operates in the area of Triangle Park in Jersey City.  The gang has historically engaged in retaliatory acts of violence against rival neighborhood street gangs operating in the area of the Salem Lafayette Apartments and the area of Wilkinson Avenue, Ocean Avenue, Martin Luther King Drive, and Wegman Parkway.  

    On October 1, 2023, Reid, driving a stolen vehicle, shot at members and associates of rival street gangs who were exiting a nightclub on Culver Avenue in Jersey City.  In total, six individual suffered gunshot wounds.  Law enforcement later recovered the firearm used in the shooting from Reid’s residence while executing a search warrant.  

    Reid faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the violent crime in aid of racketeering charge, and a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison on the firearm offense, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed.  Both offenses carry a maximum fine of $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited investigators of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the charges.

    This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City.  As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community.  The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Thompson of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Plea in Fatal DUI Case

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man entered a guilty plea to one count of involuntary manslaughter stemming from a fatal car crash in 2024.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, on September 22, 2024, Irvin Virgil Wauneka, Jr., 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, having consumed approximately half a pint of Jim Beam whiskey. Jane Doe was a passenger in the vehicle. Wauneka‘s impaired driving resulted in a head-on collision with another motor vehicle. Tragically, Jane Doe suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

    At sentencing, Wauneka faces up to eight years, followed by three years of supervised release.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Trussville Man Charged in Multi-Million-Dollar Kickback and Health Care Fraud Case

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Another individual has been charged in a series of related cases involving multi-million-dollar health care fraud conspiracies, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles. 

    A federal grand jury yesterday week returned a five-count indictment against John Alan Robson, 40, of Trussville, on charges of health care fraud conspiracy, kickback conspiracy, and kickbacks. According to the indictment, Robson was a sales rep who marketed to doctors’ offices various health care products and services, including prescription drugs from specialty pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME), and electro-diagnostic testing. Robson was paid fees for the prescriptions, DME, and tests he generated from doctors. From at least 2014 through 2018, Robson allegedly conspired with others to pay and receive kickbacks to induce medical providers to issue medically unnecessary prescriptions and order medically unnecessary goods and services, which were then billed to Medicare and other health insurers.

    One of those services was electro-diagnostic testing provided by a Huntsville-based electro-diagnostic testing company called QBR, or Diagnostic Referral Community. Robson received per-patient payments from QBR for inducing medical providers to order tests from QBR. According to the indictment, medical providers received payments from QBR too; the payments were disguised as hourly payments for the ordering physician’s time and staff’s time, but in reality they were per-patient kickbacks.

    The case against Robson is related to several other cases that have resulted in convictions in the last year. Dr. Eric Beck, 64, of Huntsville, pleaded guilty last year to health care fraud conspiracy for his role in the QBR scheme. John Hornbuckle, 53, of Huntsville, pleaded guilty to health care fraud and kickback conspiracy offenses for his role, as QBR’s CEO, in orchestrating the fraud. James Ewing Ray, 52, of Gadsden, pleaded guilty to health care fraud and kickback conspiracy for his role as a sales rep who marketed QBR’s scheme to medical practices and received kickbacks per test ordered.

    Early last year, a jury convicted Dr. Mark Murphy, 65, and his wife Jennifer Murphy, 66, both of Lewisburg, Tennessee, of drug distribution, fraud, and kickback crimes. The Murphys operated North Alabama Pain Services, which closed its Decatur and Madison offices in early 2017. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Murphys took kickbacks from QBR of more than a million dollars. In return, Dr. Murphy ordered electro-diagnostic tests from QBR for his patients, regardless of whether there was a medical need for those tests. Dr. Murphy also pre-signed prescriptions for expensive specialty topical creams, sprays, and patches, which patients then received whether they wanted the products or not. Before the Murphys went to trial, a co-defendant, Brian Bowman, 42, of Gadsden, pleaded guilty to health care fraud conspiracy. According to Bowman’s plea agreement, Bowman marketed QBR’s electro-diagnostic testing to medical providers, and was paid a fee for each test they ordered. Bowman received nearly a million dollars in fees from QBR. Bowman also marketed high-reimbursing specialty prescription drugs to the Murphys and other providers and received payments for the prescriptions he generated.

    Beck, Hornbuckle, Ray, Mark Murphy, Jennifer Murphy, and Bowman are all awaiting sentencing. Other co-conspirators have already been sentenced.

    The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit health care fraud is ten years in prison; the maximum penalty for conspiracy to receive kickbacks is five years in prison; each kickback count also carries up to ten years.

    The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.B. Ward and Don Long are prosecuting it. 

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pain Clinic Owners Sentenced for Unlawfully Distributing Opioids and Multi-Million-Dollar Health Care Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A judge sentenced a Tennessee physician and his wife yesterday for unlawfully distributing opioids and defrauding insurers through their now-shuttered Alabama clinics.  

    Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Mark Murphy, 66, and his wife, Jennifer Murphy, 66, both of Lewisburg, each to twenty years in prison for conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit health care fraud, along with various substantive counts related to the same, and conspiring to defraud the United States and receiving kickbacks. 

    “Dr. Murphy and his wife preyed on countless vulnerable patients and stole tens of millions of dollars from Medicare and other taxpayer-funded health insurance programs,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona.  “Our office will continue to prosecute drug dealers and health care fraudsters to the full extent of the law.” 

    “The abuse of prescription drugs, especially opioids, is a serious problem in our communities,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James. “All too often, this abuse leads to addiction, shattered lives, and even death.  For the health and safety of our citizens, DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to target those who illegally distribute these potentially dangerous drugs.  We hope that the sentences in this case serve as a reminder to anyone who might illegally divert pharmaceuticals that they will be held accountable for the harm they cause.”

    “Mark and Jennifer Murphy learned today that unlawfully distributing controlled substances, committing health care fraud, and receiving kickbacks comes with hefty legal consequences,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Their conviction today serves as a lesson to others who think no one is paying attention.”

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mark Murphy and Jennifer Murphy owned and operated North Alabama Pain Services (NAPS), which closed its Decatur and Madison offices in early 2017.  Mark Murphy was the sole doctor at the two locations, and the evidence at trial showed that some patients went months or years without seeing him during their monthly office visits, even though they continued to get opioid prescriptions that he had pre-signed.  Over the approximately five-year period leading up to the clinic closing its Alabama locations, the evidence at sentencing showed, Murphy wrote prescriptions for more than ten million opioid pills, including millions of oxycodone 30 mg tablets.  During the same five-year period, Murphy and his wife Jennifer, who helped run the clinics, ordered tens of millions of dollars of unnecessary items and services that were paid by taxpayer-funded and private insurance programs. The Murphys received kickbacks for those orders and prescriptions.  In all, Medicare, TRICARE, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama were billed more than $280 million as a result of the fraud and kickback schemes, and paid more than $50 million.  Mark Murphy and Jennifer Murphy were each ordered to pay more than $50 million in restitution. Jennifer Murphy was also convicted of tax-related charges for underreporting clinic income.

    Also yesterday, co-conspirator, Christie Rollins, 52, of Petersburg, Tennessee, was sentenced to twenty-four months in prison for her role in selling medically unnecessary durable medical equipment and expensive topical creams at NAPS.  Rollins agreed to pay restitution of more than $564,000.

    Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama; Special Agent in Charge Bradford L. Byerly of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples of the FBI Birmingham Division; Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Tamela E. Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Atlanta Region made the announcement.

    FBI, HHS-OIG, IRS-CI and DEA investigated the case.

    Assistant Chief Jillian Willis and Trial Attorney Emily Gurskis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward of the Northern District of Alabama prosecuted the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 90 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing more than 105 million pills. The ARPO Strike Force is part of the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, which since March 2007 has charged more than 4,200 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $19 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Hope Man Sentenced for His Role in Multi-Million-Dollar Kickback and Health Care Fraud Cases

    Source: US FBI

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal judge has sentenced another individual charged in a series of related cases involving multi-million-dollar health care fraud conspiracies, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles. 

    Last Friday, Chief United States District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced John Hornbuckle, 53, of New Hope, to 80 months in prison. In November 2022, Hornbuckle pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks. Between 2012 and 2018, Hornbuckle owned QBR. According to the plea agreement in Hornbuckle’s case, QBR billed insurers millions of dollars for electro-diagnostic testing that its technicians performed, regardless of whether there was a medical need for them. Hornbuckle caused QBR to pay medical providers a per-patient fee for the tests they ordered from QBR that were reimbursed by insurers, including Medicare and other government health care programs. The payments were disguised as hourly payments for the provider’s time and the time of the provider’s staff, but the provider was actually paid a fee per patient who received a test. Insurance programs paid more than nine million dollars for the medically unnecessary tests that QBR paid doctors to order.

    Hornbuckle was also ordered to pay $9,192,005.20 in restitution, a fine of $250,000, and forfeiture of $176,449.19.

    The case against Hornbuckle is related to several other cases that have resulted in convictions in the last year. Dr. Mark Murphy, 66, and his wife Jennifer Murphy, 66, both of Lewisburg, Tennessee, were sentenced last week. Brian Bowman, 41, of Gadsden, has pleaded guilty to health care fraud conspiracy. According to Bowman’s plea agreement, Bowman marketed QBR’s electro-diagnostic testing to medical providers, and was paid a fee for each test they ordered. Bowman received nearly a million dollars in fees from QBR. James Ewing Ray, 52, of Gadsden, has pleaded guilty to health care fraud and kickback conspiracy for his role as a sales rep who marketed QBR’s scheme to medical practices and received kickbacks per test ordered. John Alan Robson, 40, of Trussville, was indicted last month on charges of health care fraud conspiracy, kickback conspiracy, and kickbacks. According to his indictment, Robson was a sales rep who marketed to doctors’ offices various health care products and services, including prescription drugs from specialty pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME), and electro-diagnostic testing. Robson was paid fees for the prescriptions, DME, and tests he generated from doctors.

    Brian Bowman and James Ray are awaiting sentencing.

    The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the cases.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.B. Ward and Don Long prosecuted the cases.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Seven Indicted for Role in Prison-Based Phone Scam and Paying Bribes to Corrections Officers at the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal indictment unsealed yesterday charges seven individuals for their participation in a prison-based telephone scam and conspiring to smuggle cell phones, controlled substances, and other contraband to inmates at the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility (Donaldson) in Bessemer, Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis. 

    A seventeen-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Keith Devon Perry, aka “Keep Paper,” 30, of Anniston, Kierro Deandrew Nelson, aka “10K,” 32, of Montgomery, Shedrick Romon Johnson, aka, “Cett,” 43, of Montgomery, Deangelo Lamon Russell, aka “Dee,” 31, of Anniston, Desmond Arterrio Nelson, aka “Dez,” 35, of Montgomery, and Aleshia Nelson,” aka “Leshia,” 30, of Montgomery, with conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, using a facility in interstate commerce in furtherance of an unlawful activity, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Perry, Kierro Nelson, Johnson, and Brantley Glen Wheatley, aka “Queen B,” 29, of Tuscaloosa, are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Perry, Johnson, and Wheatley are charged with wire fraud. Perry and Wheatley are charged with aggravated identity theft. Perry, Kierro Nelson, Johnson, Wheatley, and Russell are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    The defendants include current and former inmates at Donaldson, as well as family members of two inmates. The charges stem from a larger investigation into fraud and corruption at Donaldson that has to date resulted in nine additional individuals being charged. Those individuals include Wilson Brian Clemons, Ricardo Poole, Sr., Kortney Jovan Simon, Otis Lee Bowers, Terry Ray Bradshaw, Rennita Renee Perry, Kiara Reshell Anderson, Ricardo Poole, Jr., and Rhonda Thompson Poole.

    According to the indictment, between July 2021 and February 2022, the defendants used contraband cell phones, social engineering techniques, and spoofing technology to trick retailers into transferring them funds under fraudulent pretenses. The proceeds of these telephone scams were then used to, among other things, finance the purchase of controlled substances and to pay bribes to corrections officers at Donaldson.

    The charges of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and use of a facility in interstate commerce in furtherance of illegal activity both carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison The charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.

    The U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Canter and John M. Hundscheid are prosecuting the case. The Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have assisted in the investigation.

    An indictment contains only charges. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Medical Billing Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Newcombe, age 40, of Plattsburgh, New York, pled guilty today to health care fraud. 

    United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), New York Regional Office, made the announcement.

    Newcombe admitted that from approximately April 2020 through April 2023, he acted as the office manager and health care claims biller for two physicians’ practices in Plattsburgh through a company that he formed called SJ Healthcare Management Services, LLC (SJHMS).  SJHMS charged a fixed monthly fee under which Newcombe performed various management, administrative, and billing services for the practices.  He admitted that he submitted false and fraudulent claims to public and private insurers on behalf of those practices for services that, in some instances, were never provided and, in other instances, were provided at lower reimbursement rates than the amounts billed.  For example, Newcombe admitted that he submitted claims to insurers for medical procedures that were purportedly performed by a provider on him but which, in fact, never occurred. 

    Newcombe is scheduled for sentencing on February 28, 2025.  He faces up to 20 years in prison and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

    The FBI and HHS investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Adam J. Katz are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Anchorage Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Heroin Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Kindred sentenced an Anchorage man on April 19, 2023, to 10 years and 5 months imprisonment followed by eight years of supervised release for distributing heroin.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jason McAnulty, aka “Snoop,” 40, distributed approximately 126 grams of heroin to a law enforcement source during two undercover operations in June 2020, netting himself $6,300.  Law enforcement began investigating McAnulty after learning that he was a source of heroin supply in the Anchorage area. In July 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at McAnulty’s residence where they found more than $34,000 cash and other distribution contraband. An Alaska jury convicted McAnulty of the heroin distribution following a five-day trial in March 2022. 

    McAnulty was previously convicted in 2004 for first-degree robbery, a serious violent felony, that mandated a minimum 10-year prison sentence. The United States also presented evidence of McAnulty’s extensive and violent criminal history at the sentencing hearing in support of the sentence, including McAnulty’s 2015 federal conviction for attempted witness tampering in another federal criminal trial.

    “Dangerous opiates such as heroin pose an ongoing threat to communities throughout Alaska,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska.  “This sentence serves as a reminder that we will prosecute and hold accountable those who are harming our communities, and with our law enforcement partners, will persist in our disruption of heroin trafficking operations in this district.”

    “McAnulty supported the opioid and heroin epidemic through his illegal drug distribution activities, posing a significant threat to communities in Alaska,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI and the Anchorage Police Department will continue working together to hold drug traffickers accountable, and to stop the flow of deadly drugs into our communities.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD), in support of Alaska’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Tran and Stephan Collins prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Alaska’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). HIDTA was established in 2018 to enhance and coordinate efforts among local state and federal law enforcement agencies, providing equipment, technology and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of Alaska.

    ###

    usao/ak/23-028

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Haines Man Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    JUNEAU – A Haines man was sentenced today to 2 years in prison and 5 years of supervised release for drug conspiracy.

    According to court documents, Fredrick Daniel Folletti, 63, of Haines, Alaska pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy involving the transportation of 79.67 grams of actual methamphetamine from Washington state to Haines, Alaska. Folletti facilitated and arranged the travel of a drug courier located in Washington to acquire methamphetamine to deliver it to Folletti in Haines, Alaska.

    “Drug trafficking has a disproportionate effect in small rural communities in Southeast Alaska,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker, District of Alaska. “This sentence serves as a reminder that we will prosecute and hold accountable those who are harming our communities, and with our law enforcement partners, will persist in the disruption of narcotics into this district.”

    U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.

    The Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Honors Anchorage Community Leader with National Award

    Source: US FBI

    On May 5, FBI Director Christopher Wray presented Josie Heyano with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for her service to the people of Alaska. Heyano has made significant contributions not only as an on-site clinical provider at a shelter for youth experiencing homelessness, but also in her tireless efforts to combat human trafficking. 

    The FBI established the DCLA in 1990 to publicly acknowledge the achievements of those working to make a difference in their communities through the promotion of education and the prevention of crime and violence. The FBI’s 56 field offices select the recipients annually for this honor.

    During the May 5 ceremony, Director Wray told the recipients: “Like the 38,000 employees of the FBI, you don’t do what you do for fame—and certainly not for fortune. You do it out of kindness, out of compassion for others, out of a hope and a dream for safer communities … to leave your towns and cities better places than when you got there.  And that’s how I’ve defined success here within our organization, too. Success to me is if everyone leaves the FBI a better place than they found it.”

    Using a collaborative stakeholder approach, Heyano’s human trafficking awareness and response efforts are aimed at the enhancement of data collection across services and disciplines, training opportunities, identification of barriers to screen and identify victims, and gaps in services. She has not only enhanced law enforcement intelligence, collaboration, and training, but also provided essential support to victims of human trafficking, while working to bring justice to those responsible for their exploitation. 

    “It is an honor to receive this award, to serve my community and to work alongside so many fiercely compassionate people,” Heyano said. “Thank you to the FBI for this humbling recognition and to my colleagues, clients and family for their wisdom and support.”

    “FBI Anchorage is honored to recognize Ms. Heyano for her extraordinary efforts serving vulnerable populations in Alaska, where her contributions have enhanced the FBI’s mission of justice and victim support,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Donald W. Lee II of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Through her advocacy and human trafficking response efforts, she has made a lasting impact on our community.”

    Director Wray hosted the 2022 DCLA winners in a special ceremony at FBI Headquarters on May 5 emphasizing the importance of partnerships in keeping our shared communities safe. These partnerships—as exemplified by the breadth of the work by the DCLA recipients—have led to a host of crime prevention programs that protect the most vulnerable in our communities, educate families and businesses about cyber threats, and work to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. Learn more about the DCLA program, the FBI’s general outreach efforts, and the Anchorage Field Office online.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • PM Modi inaugurates Rising North East Investors Summit 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rising North East Investors Summit 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today, reaffirming the government’s commitment to the holistic development of the North Eastern region. Addressing a gathering of dignitaries, industry leaders, and stakeholders, the Prime Minister expressed pride and confidence in the region’s vibrant future.
     
    Welcoming participants to the summit, the Prime Minister recalled the recently held Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav at the same venue, saying that today’s event is not just a meeting of minds but a celebration of investment and opportunity in the Northeast.
     
    Highlighting the enthusiastic participation of industry leaders, PM Modi praised the collaborative efforts of ministries and state governments in creating an investor-friendly environment. “The presence of so many industry leaders reflects the growing interest in the Northeast’s potential,” he said, extending his best wishes to all stakeholders involved.
     
    Describing India as the world’s most diverse country, the Prime Minister said that the Northeast represents the most diverse part of this diversity. He underlined the region’s strengths across sectors—trade, tradition, textiles, and tourism—and identified it as a hub of bio-economy, bamboo, tea, petroleum, sports, skill development, eco-tourism, organic products, and energy.
     
    Referring to the Northeast as Ashtalakshmi, symbolising prosperity and opportunity, he said that each Northeastern state is now asserting itself as ready for investment and leadership.
     
    Underscoring the strategic importance of Eastern India in the mission to build a Viksit Bharat (Developed India), the Prime Minister said, “For us, EAST is not just a direction—it is a vision: Empower, Act, Strengthen, and Transform. This is the guiding framework of our policy for Eastern India.”
     
    The Prime Minister also highlighted the transformation witnessed in the Northeast over the past 11 years. He stressed that this progress is not confined to statistical achievements but is visible in real, on-ground development. He said the government’s engagement with the region goes beyond policy—it is rooted in an emotional connection with its people.
     
    “Infrastructure projects in the region are not just about roads and bridges; they are about emotional connectivity,” he said.
     
    He further stated that the government’s transition from a “Look East” to an “Act East” policy has brought tangible results. “The Northeast was once seen as a frontier region; today, it is emerging as a front-runner in India’s growth story,” the Prime Minister concluded.
     
    The Rising North East Investors Summit 2025 is a two-day event being held on May 23 and 24. The agenda for the two-day summit includes ministerial sessions, Business-to-Government (B2G) and Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings, and a dedicated exhibition zone. 
     
    Key sectors identified for focused investment promotion include Tourism and Hospitality, Agro-Food Processing and allied industries, Textiles, Handloom and Handicrafts, Healthcare, Education and Skill Development, IT and IT-enabled Services, Infrastructure and Logistics, Energy, as well as Entertainment and Sports.

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Economists launch free toolkit to help thyroid sufferers stay in work Workers suffering from thyroid conditions can get help to reclaim their professional lives through a new free toolkit which provides practical advice for them and their employers.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Posing serious implications for the physical, mental and emotional life of those affected, thyroid conditions put patients at a greater risk of experiencing long-term sick leave and impaired working ability.

    Workers suffering from thyroid conditions can get help to reclaim their professional lives through a new free toolkit which provides practical advice for them and their employers.
    Thyroid disorders affect millions of people worldwide. In the UK, one in 20 people have a thyroid problem, with women disproportionately impacted. Posing serious implications for the physical, mental and emotional life of those affected, thyroid conditions put patients at a greater risk of experiencing long-term sick leave and impaired working ability.
    Beyond a physical and emotional toll, the conditions often come with hidden consequences for careers and workplace engagement.
    Launched to mark World Thyroid Day on May 25, the new Thyroid Workplace Toolkit is believed to be the first of its kind, supporting both employees and employers/line managers though evidence-based insights and practical resources.
    Developed by researchers at the University of Aberdeen’s Business School with input from national charity the Thyroid Trust, the toolkit is now being made openly available. A large local authority in England has already agreed to adopt it.
    “The effects of thyroid dysfunctions don’t stop at the doctor’s door, they extend into the workplace, influencing productivity, career progression and overall wellbeing. Many employees struggle silently, unsure of how to communicate their needs or seek adjustments that could help them overcome the challenges posed by the condition,” said Professor Catia Montagna of the University’s Centre for Labour Market Research.
    “Our toolkit is designed to bridge this gap by fostering awareness, encouraging open conversations and providing practical solutions to support those living with thyroid conditions at work.”

    We’re proud to have collaborated with the University of Aberdeen Business School and others to develop this much needed Workplace Toolkit which we believe will make a real difference to both employees and employers, as well as educational settings.” Louise Sellar, Director at The Thyroid Trust

    It is built around three objectives: to raise awareness and educate both employers and employees about how the condition can impact work performance and wellbeing; to empower open communications and help foster an environment where health conversations are welcomed and supported; and to provide a range of practical workplace adjustments that employers can implement.
    “Understanding thyroid disease and its impact on employees is essential for fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace. By offering reasonable adjustments, cultivating a culture of empathy, and promoting overall wellbeing, employers can empower individuals with thyroid conditions to thrive both personally and professionally,” added Centre director Professor Alexandros Zangelidis.
    “This toolkit aims to help with this, improving employees’ morale and engagement, reducing sick leave and enhancing productivity and performance.”
    Louise Sellar, Director at The Thyroid Trust, said: “We’re proud to have collaborated with the University of Aberdeen Business School and others to develop this much needed Workplace Toolkit which we believe will make a real difference to both employees and employers, as well as educational settings.
    “Thyroid disease is often an invisible chronic illness, and many patients struggle with feeling isolated or misunderstood. Symptoms can be easily dismissed and people often don’t know how to talk to their employer for fear of being judged or even losing their job. This leaves too many without the support they need to stay well and contribute fully at work.
    “This toolkit provides a vital bridge-helping to open up those conversations, raise awareness and empower patients to remain active, engaged and productive in the workplace. It’s a critical step forward in ensuring those living with thyroid disease are better supported at work and beyond.
    “We hope this resource encourages more understanding, compassion and flexibility – because when patients are supported properly, everyone benefits.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –