NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Security: Colorado Man Sentenced to 22 Years for Kidnapping Employee from Michael Bloomberg’s Ranch

    Source: US FBI

    CHEYENNE⎯ U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced Joseph Beecher, 51, of Craig, Colorado to 264 months in federal prison with five years of supervised release to follow, for the kidnapping of a woman from Michael Bloomberg’s ranch in February 2022.

    Beecher was convicted of kidnapping, carjacking, using/carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and transportation of stolen firearms following a three-day trial that ended on Aug. 28 with a guilty verdict.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Beecher lived and worked at an apartment complex in Craig, Colorado. In the early morning hours of Feb. 2, 2022, Beecher was informed by his employer that his services were no longer needed. Beecher broke into his employer’s home and stole two firearms, including a Bushmaster AR-style rifle. Beecher then drove to a ranch in Colorado owned by Michael Bloomberg, intent on killing Mr. Bloomberg, but finding only a female employee present on the property. Beecher took the woman hostage at gunpoint and forced her to drive him to various locations to locate and kill another media mogul in Colorado. Unable to find his second target, Beecher eventually forced the woman at gunpoint to drive him to the Stage Coach Motel in Cheyenne, where Beecher could rest and figure out his next criminal act. In the early morning hours of February 3, 2022, SWAT officers with the Cheyenne Police Department rescued the woman and arrested Beecher at the motel. The woman was physically unharmed.

    Beecher was indicted on March 17, 2022, and pleaded not guilty on March 21, 2022. The FBI, Cheyenne Police Department, Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and the Craig Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Vierbuchen prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction

    strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN

    Case No. 22-CR-00028

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Men Charged with Offenses Related to the Sex Trafficking of Minors in Danbury

    Source: US FBI

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Danbury Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour today announced that the following four individuals have been charged by federal criminal complaint with offenses related to the sex trafficking of minors:

    • OSWALDO ORDONEZ-ORTEGA, 39, of Danbury
    • MARCO ROBLES, 40, a citizen of Ecuador residing in Brookfield
    • EDWIN QUILLI-TACURI, 40, a citizen of Ecuador residing in Danbury
    • BRYAN ISMAEL VASQUEZ-SALINAS, 23, a citizen of Ecuador residing in Danbury

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in February 2025, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and Danbury Police began investigating a Danbury-based organization believed to be involved in the sex trafficking of minors.  On March 11, 2025, after seeing a communication on a WhatsApp messaging account advertising the sale of two 15-year-old females for sexual encounters, investigators executed a state warrant at a residence in Danbury, found a 15-year-old female victim and a 16-year-old female victim, and arrested Ordonez-Ortega, Robles, Quilli-Tacuri, Vasquez-Salinas, and a fifth individual.  Quilli-Tacuri was located in a locked bedroom with the 15-year-old victim, and the fifth individual was found in a locked bedroom with the 16-year-old victim.  Ordonez-Ortega and Vasquez-Salinas were found together in the kitchen, and Robles was stopped after attempting to leave the area in his vehicle.

    It is alleged that the minor victims were briefly interviewed by law enforcement and Connecticut Department of Children and Families investigators before being transported to a local hospital for medical care and evaluation.  The investigation, which has also included analysis of cell phones seized at the time of the defendants’ arrests, revealed that Ordonez-Ortega coordinated the transportation of the minor victims to Danbury, made appointments with Robles, Quilli-Tacuri, Vasquez-Salinas, and others to engage in sexual activity with the minors, and received payment from the men, a portion of which he returned to the minors.  Ordonez-Ortega scheduled 13 men to engage in sexual activity with the 15-year-old victim, and 11 men to engage in sexual activity with the 16-year-old victim, on March 10 and 11, 2025, in Danbury.

    It is further alleged that Robles caused physical injury to the 15-year-old victim during his sexual encounter on March 11.

    Each of the four defendants is charged with sex trafficking of children, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

    In addition, Ordonez-Ortega and Vasquez-Salinas are charged with attempted sex trafficking of children and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children.  Ordonez-Ortega is also charged with coercion and enticement of minors to engage in sexual activity, and with transportation of minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

    Robles and Quilli-Tacuri were arrested on the federal charges yesterday.  They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and currently are detained.  Ordonez-Ortega, who is in state custody, and Vasquez-Salinas, who is in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, will be presented in federal court at a later date.

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

    This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Danbury Police Department, with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Brookfield Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Cummings and Mary G. Vitale.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Danbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Third Member of Multi-State Gas Pump Skimming Device and Fuel Theft Ring Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges

    Source: US FBI

    Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Deyvis Hernandez (37, Miami) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud. Hernandez faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud count, up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy count, and payment of restitution to the victims he and his co-defendants defrauded. No sentencing date has been set.

    According to court documents, Hernandez and his co-conspirators worked together to install skimmers on gas pumps, including gas stations in Alabama, Louisiana, and Northern Florida. The conspirators used the skimmers to illegally obtain credit and debit card account numbers involved with the purchase of fuel by customers at the gas pump. Using the account numbers stolen by the skimmers, they subsequently made counterfeit credit and debit cards and then, used them to purchase large amounts of diesel fuel.

    During the conspiracy the conspirators drove vehicles that contained a fuel bladder system. This system allowed the conspirators to fake pumping gas into the vehicle’s gas tank when in fact the diesel fuel was being pumped into the fuel bladder system. Analysis by law enforcement of fuel purchases, vehicle tracker data, gas station video surveillance, and real time surveillance of the conspirators determined that the conspirators drove to multiple gas stations throughout Northern Florida. After obtaining the gas, the conspirators offloaded the stolen fuel into 9,500-gallon tanker trucks at a fuel yard. The tanker trucks were arranged in part by Hernandez who was part owner of a gas station in south Florida. Hernandez coordinated the sale of the stolen diesel fuel to locations designated by him to include in south Florida. 

    Deonelky Tabares Cid (36, Tampa) previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud, six counts of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Luis Edel Trujillo Pena (29, Miami) previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. No sentencing date has been set for either defendant.

    Co-defendants Luis Ernesto Vigil Ochoa (32, Miami) and Isvaldo Guerra Perdomo (38, Jacksonville) are scheduled for trial in May 2025.

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

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Financier Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Family Member Out of $8.4 Million

    Source: US FBI

    MIAMI – A former financier previously disciplined by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission pled guilty today in the Southern District of Florida to defrauding his elderly family member out of approximately $8.4 million.

    According to court documents, Brett Thomas Graham, 61, began assisting his family member after she became a widow in approximately 2017. In approximately November 2018, Graham assisted her with retaining a financial advisor headquartered in New York, New York. In approximately February 2019, the family member sold a townhouse in New York, New York, for approximately $9 million. In approximately September 2019, Graham began transferring money from her accounts into his own checking account.  Graham spent the money on himself.  In approximately December 2020, Graham assumed the role of the family member’s power of attorney, by which he was obligated to act in her best interest.  Graham used the opportunity to continue his scheme to defraud.

    In one instance, in December 2020, Graham asked the financial advisor for an additional $250,000, writing that the money was needed for the family member’s “higher medical & care expenses.” After receiving the money, Graham spent it on himself. In another instance, in November 2022, Graham asked that the financial advisor make an additional $400,000 available, writing that the funds were necessary for “[a]mazing [investment] opps…” After receiving the money, Graham spent over $300,000 on his credit card, art, travel, and rent.

    Law enforcement was able to seize approximately $2 million worth of jewelry and art purchased with fraud proceeds.

    Graham’s sentencing is scheduled to take place before Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks on September 16.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Demirci for the Southern District of Florida handled asset forfeiture.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20103.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Sex Trafficking Charges and Witness Tampering

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A North Las Vegas resident who recruited his victims over social media pleaded guilty Thursday to 10 federal charges related to child sex trafficking and exploitation.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in April 2017 through December 2017, Jacques Anton Lanier, also known as “John Dupree,” coerced and solicited nine girls under the age of 18 years old to engage in sexual activities with him for money and drugs. Lanier engaged in commercial sex acts with at least four of the girls. He also requested and received sexual images from some of the victims and took a sexually explicit image of at least one victim constituting child pornography. Lanier traveled to California and engaged in sex acts with a victim.

    In 2018, while Lanier was in custody pending related criminal charges, he tampered with one of the victims through intimidation and threats, and persuaded that victim to evade legal process, refrain from testifying, and prevent communication between the victim and law enforcement regarding federal offenses.

    Lanier pleaded guilty to four counts of coercion and enticement; four counts of sex trafficking of children; one count of sexual exploitation of children; and one count of tampering with a witness, victim or informant.

    United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro scheduled sentencing for March 27, 2024. Lanier faces the maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by the FBI, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Bianca R. Pucci and David Kiebler are prosecuting the case.

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

    Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or https://report.cybertip.org.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Las Vegas Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During January 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: US FBI

               WASHINGTON — A Las Vegas man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including for assaulting law enforcement during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

               Mario Gonzalez, 51, of Las Vegas, Nevada, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In addition to the felonies, Gonzalez is charged with misdemeanor offenses of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

               Gonzalez was arrested on Jan. 8, 2024, by the FBI in Las Vegas and made his initial appearance in the District of Nevada.

               According to allegations contained in court documents, Gonzalez traveled from Las Vegas to Washington, D.C., and was present among a mob of rioters illegally assembled on Capitol grounds near the Peace Monument circle on Jan. 6, 2021. Gonzalez then approached the Lower West Terrace and entered the northern scaffolding around the Inauguration stage, where police attempted to prevent rioters from gaining access to the steps leading up to the Upper West Terrace. As the rioters succeeded in pushing the police line back and up the stairs, Gonzalez filmed the altercation with police and took selfie-style recordings of himself using his cell phone.

               Court documents say that Gonzalez then came out of the scaffolding carrying a fire extinguisher and proceeded to spray the extinguisher in the direction of the police line that held the crowd at bay. Police then deployed a chemical riot control agent in the direction of Gonzalez, which caused him to drop the fire extinguisher and retreat into the crowd.

               This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.

               This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Las Vegas and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.

               In the 36 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,265 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

               Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Hudson County Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing a Firearm and an Extended Magazine

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County man has been indicted for a firearms offense, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Richard Sharp, 25, of Bayonne, New Jersey and known on social media as “Famous Richard,” is charged with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. He was arrested earlier today and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court and was detained.

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

    On July 4, 2024, law enforcement responded to reports of an incident at a gas station in Bayonne, New Jersey. The investigation revealed that during an altercation at the gas station, Sharp had brandished a firearm with an extended magazine and threatened to shoot other people who were at the gas station. Several days later, Sharp posted a video on social media showing him dancing while holding a firearm equipped with an extended magazine.

    Subsequently, on July 12, 2024, following a judicially authorized search of Sharp’s residence and vehicle, law enforcement recovering a loaded Beretta M9 semi-automatic handgun with a defaced serial number and an extended magazine that contained approximately 24 rounds of ammunition.

    The count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition is punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Division under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Driscoll, with the investigation. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez and the Bayonne Police Department under the direction of Police Chief Robert Geisler.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the Narcotics/OCDETF 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: Areeb Salim, Esq. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mercer County Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearms, Fentanyl, and Cocaine

    Source: US FBI

    TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged with illegally possessing firearms and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

    Jose Colon-Matos, 33, of Trenton, is charged by complaint with one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of two firearms, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He made his initial appearance on January 6, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025.

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

    On May 15, 2024, following an investigation into narcotics activity in Hamilton Township in Mercer County, law enforcement officers conducted a court-ordered search of an apartment used by Colon-Matos during which they recovered from a safe in the apartment two loaded firearms, including one with an obliterated serial number, distribution quantities of suspected fentanyl and cocaine, and approximately $9,000.00 in United States currency. The narcotics were subsequently tested by the New Jersey State Police forensic laboratory, which returned positive results for fentanyl and cocaine.

    The charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm carries a potential maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a 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 Brian Driscoll in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Hamilton Township Police Division, under the direction of Chief Kenneth R. DeBoskey, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, for their assistance in the investigation.

    The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

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

    Defense counsel: Andrea G. Aldana, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Office of the Federal Public Defender.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Inmate Sentenced to Additional 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    CAMDEN, N.J. – A federal inmate serving a ten-year sentence for possessing child pornography was sentenced today to an additional ten years in prison for possessing images and videos of child sexual abuse while incarcerated on his prior conviction, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Daniel Baldwin, 33, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.  U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams imposed the sentence today.

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

    Baldwin was convicted in 2018 of possessing child pornography and sentenced to ten years imprisonment.  In June 2022, while serving his sentence at a federal correctional institution in New Jersey, corrections officers found a SD card hidden in Daniel Baldwin’s clothing.  A subsequent search of the SD card revealed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Baldwin to seven years of supervised release.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Driscoll, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.  He also thanked FCI Fort Dix staff for their assistance in the investigation.

    The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bergen County Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for possession of heroin with intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Dawan A. Brown, 37, of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin.  Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence in Newark federal court.

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

    Since at least January 2022, law enforcement had investigated drug trafficking activity in the District of New Jersey, to include in and around Harrison, New Jersey.  During the investigation, law enforcement officers learned that Dawan Brown, a/k/a “DB,” distributes narcotics in New Jersey.  

    Through investigation, law enforcement officers learned that Brown packaged and distributed large amounts of heroin from an apartment in a building located in Harrison, New Jersey.  On June 14, 2022, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the Harrison apartment and at Brown’s residence located in Cliffside Park, New Jersey.  From the apartment in Harrison, officers recovered approximately two kilograms of narcotics, suspected to contain amounts of heroin and fentanyl; drug paraphernalia, including a ledger, a safe, scales, a coffee and spice grinder, ink pads, stamps, Ziplock bags, vacuum bags and a vacuum bag sealer machine, razor blades, glassine envelopes and strainers; and approximately $34,000 that was contained within the safe along with some of the suspected heroin and fentanyl.  From the residence in Cliffside Park, officers recovered approximately $169,000, five cell phones, safety deposit keys, and various jewelry including diamond necklaces, gold watches, and a gold ring.  Law enforcement officers also recovered approximately $225,000 from safety deposit boxes that were associated with Brown.

    As part of his plea agreement, Brown agreed to forfeit $436,615.95, the proceeds from the narcotics trafficking.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Brown to four years of supervised release.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J Driscoll Newark; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; Harrison Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Strumolo; and Cliffside Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief Marc Marano, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.  He also thanked the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the Bloomfield Police Department, the Newark Police Department, Irvington Police Department, Hillsborough Police Department, and the Fort Lee Police Department.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Frazer of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dong Joo Lee of the Cybercrime Unit, in Newark.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Announce Five-Count Indictment in Violent Crime Spree on Navajo Nation

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Rydell Happy for his alleged involvement in a violent crime spree on April 24, 2024. Happy, who was already in custody awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge, now faces charges for first degree murder, two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence and discharging said firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

    According to court documents, on April 24, 2024, Happy, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly shot John Doe in the head with a revolver and then repeatedly beat his head with a baseball bat, resulting in Doe’s death.

    The indictment further alleges that on the same day, Happy assaulted Jane Doe with a revolver and discharged the firearm during the incident.

    The indictment further alleges that Happy, who was previously convicted of domestic violence, is prohibited from possessing firearms.

    If convicted of the current charges, Happy faces a mandatory life sentence or death for the first-degree murder charge, and 10 to 15 years for the other charges.

    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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.

    This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.  The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of Indigenous victims and their families.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s New Cargo Drone Makes First Flight

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) — Caihong-YH1000, one of China’s new cargo UAVs, has successfully completed its maiden flight, marking another advance in unmanned logistics.

    The Caihong-YH1000 aircraft-type transport drone, developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), is designed for general-purpose flights at medium altitudes with the ability to take off and land from a short strip, and is also suitable for use in complex environments.

    The dual-motor configuration allows the drone to take off and land on roads, hard ground, and grass surfaces. The drone can even take off and land on water surfaces using additional float attachments or on snow using ski attachments.

    The range of this drone is 1,500 km, the load capacity is 1,200 kg. Its maximum operating altitude reaches 8,000 meters, and the flight duration is 10 hours.

    The drone has different loading options, allowing for cargo to be loaded into the nose and dropped mid-flight from the bottom of the body. Additionally, a 6-kilowatt onboard power source allows for specialized operations.

    In the future, the Caihong-YH1000 can be used to deliver goods to hard-to-reach areas in the central and western parts of the country. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU students win student track of National Technological Olympiad

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Students had to propose their own solution to a case on creating a water consumption management system in a residential area of a “smart city”, taking into account the elimination of drinking water losses during its transportation to the consumer.

    The Novosibirsk team, consisting of two NSU and two NSTU students, beat students from Tomsk Polytechnic University, Skoltech, Moscow Aviation Institute, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Higher School of Economics, Innopolis University, and Izhevsk State Technical University named after M.T. Kalashnikov in the final competition.

    Team composition:

    — Daria Kolomnikova, 1st year master’s student Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of NSU,

    — Ilya Merzlyakov, 1st year master’s student Faculty of Information Technology NSU,

    — Igor Uchanov, Novosibirsk State Technical University,

    — Maxim Nerlikh, Novosibirsk State Technical University.

    — Our team has been participating in the NTO finals in the Smart City profile for many years, since school days. For many participating teams, this has already become a tradition, so the competition for first place has always been very serious. And now, after several years of winning prizes, we finally achieved our goal and took first place. We experienced a storm of emotions: joy for the victory, sadness that we might not return as participants, respect for our rivals who became our friends, and enormous gratitude to the profile organizers.

    I was especially pleased that the organizers paid attention to the problem of insufficient involvement of female students in the Olympiad movement in the field of IT, and presented me with an award for “courage” to participate not for the first time in an all-male team of six teams, – shared her impressions Daria Kolomnikova.

    The Smart City profile implies the concept of integrating information and communication technologies and the Internet of Things to improve the quality of life and well-being of the city’s population. This is the digitalization of all services, measurement and control of parameters in the city infrastructure, predictive diagnostics and management based on data analytics.

    — Every year, the organizers come up with new tasks related to the automation of the city infrastructure. This year was no exception, and we solved the problem of modeling and automating water consumption and water supply. In the water consumption task, it was important to make a full-fledged service where the user can get all the statistics on consumption, payment and leaks in his apartment. At the same time, the statistics were based on real data obtained from our model. In addition, the smart city concept pays much attention to saving resources and conscious consumption, so it was necessary to implement a limitation of water supply depending on user consumption, — added Daria.

    In this way, the finalists contribute to the construction of the digital city of the future with their projects.

    — The algorithms developed by the finalists in the urban water supply management systems can be modified and scaled for operation in a real urban environment. This will not only allow you to monitor your water consumption in real time, but also significantly save water resources and your own finances, — said Alexander Zarnitsyn, profile developer, senior lecturer in the electronic engineering department of the TPU School of Non-Destructive Testing and Safety.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • White House ‘MAHA’ report calls out food, chemicals impact on children’s health

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A commission led by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday issued a report that said processed food, chemicals, stress and overprescription of medications and vaccines may be factors behind chronic illness in American children.

    The report, from the commission named after the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, social movement aligned with Kennedy, is focused on what he says is a national crisis of increasing rates of childhood obesity, diabetes, cancer, mental health disorders, allergies and neurodevelopmental conditions like autism.

    “MAHA is hot,” President Donald Trump said during a press event. “We will not allow our public health system to be captured by the very industries it’s supposed to oversee.”

    Kennedy said there was consensus among the commission’s members to prioritize what he called the ultra-processed food crisis and to work to improve the food American children eat.

    The report also highlighted studies linking health disorders in humans and animals to the weed killers glyphosate and atrazine, but did not call for specific regulatory changes or restrictions on pesticides used in farming. It said the chemicals should be further researched.

    It criticized the U.S. approach to vaccines in children, saying European children are recommended to receive fewer. He called for study of the impact of vaccines on childhood chronic disease and of vaccine injuries.

    Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, has for many years pushed debunked theories about the safety of vaccines contrary to scientific evidence. As head of the agency, he has overseen cuts of about 20,000 of 80,000 employees due to layoffs and departures.

    Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food and health watchdog, said the report recycles longtime concerns of Kennedy, from vaccines to seed oils.

    “To the extent that they come up with good ideas, they’re going to run into the self-inflicted wound of their own decimation of the federal workforce. Many of their better ideas will not be doable,” Lurie said.

    Many of the MAHA activists that surround Kennedy were present in Washington for the release of the report, which they largely applauded as a vindication of their work.

    But, one such activist, Kelly Ryerson, who campaigns against the use of glyphosate-based pesticides, called the report “very cautious on the subject of pesticides,” adding that she’d like to see more Environmental Protection Agency action on the topic.

    Bayer BAYGn.DE, which is involved in thousands of lawsuits surrounding its glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, said some details around pesticides in the report were not “fact based.”

    “We believe a fact and data-driven approach with robust science that follows international gold standards is necessary to support these important initiatives,” Bayer said.

    As an environmental lawyer, Kennedy was associated with three lawsuits related to Roundup, which is owned by Bayer after its acquisition of Monsanto.

    ULTRAPROCESSED FOOD

    The food industry has said that additives in packaged food have been thoroughly reviewed by regulators and help it remain shelf stable.

    The American Soybean Association was critical of the report, which they said was “drafted entirely behind closed doors” and inaccurately suggests that pesticides and soy oils contribute to negative health outcomes.

    “We’re discouraging people from consuming heart-healthy oils and driving them to instead use fats that will make them less healthy and cost them more in the process,” said ASA Director Alan Meadows, a soybean farmer.

    Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, told Reuters the report was “a devastating critique of what’s happened to America’s children.”

    But she said, “to deal with the root causes of the conditions detailed here, this administration will have to take on Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Agriculture, Big Chemical, and get coal-burning plants to clean up their emissions. A lot of this is counter to the MAGA agenda, and the decimation of federal agencies can’t help.”

    The report called for enhanced surveillance and safety research into drugs and childhood health outcomes and clinical studies comparing whole-food to processed-food diets in children.

    The definition of ultra-processed food is hotly debated, while the report describes it as industrially manufactured products.

    The report says that core products of so-called “Big Food”, which typically references companies such as Kraft Heinz KHC.O, Nestle NESN.S and PepsiCo PEP.O, are ultra-processed.

    Kraft Heinz manufactures Heinz Ketchup and Kraft mac & cheese, Nestle produces frozen pizzas and dinners under the Stouffer’s and Lean Cuisine brands, while PepsiCo owns Frito-Lay, a salty snacks business.

    The report also cites infant formula as an ultra-processed food that is concerning.

    FARM LOBBY PRESSURE

    Thursday’s report will be followed by policy prescriptions due in August. Trump signed an executive order in February establishing the commission whose members include Kennedy, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, other cabinet members and senior White House officials.

    Before the report’s publication, farm lobby groups had warned that criticizing specific farm practices could impede collaboration on the administration’s health agenda and put food production at risk.

    According to a source familiar with the matter, the lobby groups had strongly pressured the administration to not mention pesticides in the report.

    EPA head Lee Zeldin said on a call with reporters that farmers are key partners in enacting the MAHA agenda and that any changes to pesticide regulations would need careful consideration.

    REUTERS

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Civil Disorder and Assaulting Federal Officers

    Source: US FBI

    ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that JohnMichael Santiago, 25, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of civil disorder and assaulting a federal officer, was sentenced to serve 33 months by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that on September 4, 2020, following the release of information by the Rochester Police Department (RPD) regarding the death of Daniel Prude, a group of protesters damaged property and turned over tables at two restaurants in Rochester, causing numerous patrons to leave. During the evening of September 5, 2020, Santiago was part of a group of approximately 1,500 protesters that gathered at Broad Street and Exchange Boulevard, about a block north of RPD headquarters, where they blocked all lanes of traffic on nearby streets. Over the next few hours, some protesters hurled rocks, bottles, lit fireworks, and other objects at police officers in the area. Some also shined flashlights and pointed lasers at officers. Protesters were repeatedly asked to move onto the sidewalks and leave the area or be subject to arrest. Many disregarded the requests, remained in the streets, and continued to block traffic. Santiago threw an ignited firework in the direction of a line of uniformed RPD officers, which detonated in the immediate vicinity of the officers. Santiago was not arrested that night, but was later interviewed by law enforcement about the incident. Santiago admitted that he attended the protests, brought fireworks to the protests, and threw an ignited mortar-style firework at police officers.

    While in custody at the Livingston County Jail, after being charged with civil disorder, Santiago assaulted two corrections officers, throwing a hard plastic cup at one, and striking the other in the face with his fist.  Officers began to wrestle Santiago to secure him, during which one officer suffered contusions and a concussion, and a second suffered a back injury.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the United States Marshall’s Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Lending Companies Out of Millions of Dollars with Dozens of Stolen Identities

    Source: US FBI

    ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Paul Paredes, 53, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that since 2013, Paredes has owned J&E Business Consulting LLC, which provides services to client businesses, including acting as a broker between the credit card processing companies and smaller retail businesses. Small businesses provide J&E with their financial information, such as the owner’s identifying information, including driver’s license, social security number, and email, as well as bank account information.

    Between April 2019, and August 2023, Paredes submitted hundreds of fraudulent financing applications to dozens of lenders under the identities of his business customers (victims), for goods and services allegedly provided by Paredes, with the funds payable to bank accounts controlled by Paredes. These financing agreements were prepared in the names if victims, using their personal information, and without their knowledge, consent, or authorization. After a financing agreement was approved, money from the victim lender was deposited into one of numerous bank accounts controlled by Paredes, who used the money he obtained from the scheme to fund his personal expenses, pay salaries and operating expenses, or to make payments to victim lenders to avoid detection of the fraudulent loans. By making those payments to the victim lenders, Paredes was able to continue making similar fraudulent financing agreements with multiple victim lenders without discovery. To further avoid detection, on occasions when victims received communications from victim lenders about the fraudulent financing agreements, Paredes misled them about the purpose of the communications and told them he would handle it.

    Paredes used the identity of at least 63 individuals to defraud at least 23 victim lenders, utilizing at least 12 different bank accounts and moving the money he obtained from the scheme throughout different accounts. Paredes submitted false loan applications from Rochester, NY, to the out-of-state lenders located throughout the country, including in New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Washington, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Colorado, and Minnesota. The total loss amount is at least $3,500,000.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, and the New York State Department of Financial Services-Criminal Investigation Bureau, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris.

    Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Wolford.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI’s Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team, Part 2

    Source: US FBI

    Training

    Making it through tryouts is just the beginning of the USERT journey—the next step is to “turn qualifying candidates into USERT divers,” said Hudson. “So, you did your recreational diving, but what we’re doing is definitely not recreational diving.”

    Trainees go through USERT Basic, an intense two-week certification course that’s held once a year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. USERT Basic includes instruction in:

    • Dry suit diving
    • Underwater navigation
    • Full-face mask diving
    • Dive helmets
    • Rescue diving
    • Surface-supplied air
    • Boat diving
    • Emergency oxygen administration
    • Public safety diving
    • Deep diving

    “You start in the dry suit and in the standard AGA facemask and learn the different search techniques we use,” explained Hudson. “As the course goes on, we introduce new equipment and scenarios.

    “For example, you’ll have the dry suit and the AGA, but you’ll be learning emergency procedures. Then we start adding metal detectors and then move to surface air supply systems. We also cover things like how to lift a car underwater. When you’re done, you’ll pretty much have touched on and learned every basic piece of equipment we use.”

    On the final day of training, USERT stages weapons in a Miami canal, where the trainees must successfully retrieve them. “It’s a dirty environment like they’re going to face once they’re on a real job,” explained Hudson, who also noted that criminals tend to dispose of evidence in places that aren’t easy to search. “We put divers to work. We have one instructor running the dive supervisor role, but the rest of the positions are covered by the trainees. They have to unload and set up the gear, conduct their dive, find the weapons we’ve thrown in, and then break everything down and clean it.”

    In addition to these physical and tactical skillsets, Hudson stressed that it’s also important for USERT divers to stay calm under pressure and problem solve: “As you dive in water where there’s zero visibility, sometimes issues come up, and keeping calm and not panicking is the key to staying safe.”

    Throughout their careers with USERT, divers have opportunities to learn new skills, including courses in boat driving, SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging), and ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicles). Training is also provided to refresh skills and to prepare the team for specific diving environments in conjunction with their assignments—which could range from how to dive under ice to how to dive and swim through fast-moving currents.

    “They’re perishable skills, so you need to keep training,” said Hudson.

    Meet the Agent: Supervisory Special Agent and USERT Program Manager Brian Hudson

    Diving is what I’ve been doing for a while—I’ve been diving since about 2001 when I got certified in PADI, and I worked at a dive shop in college.

    I joined the Bureau in 2011. My first office was Miami. Even though I didn’t join the Bureau to become a diver, it was lucky that my first office was Miami because that’s one of the four field offices that has a dive team [USERT]. I wanted a collateral duty and diving was something I enjoyed doing, so it was right up my alley to take the skillsets I had from diving and apply them to my work. It was an opportunity to “do what you love.” The option to dive with the FBI was awesome.

    I stayed on as a diver until about 2019 and then spent about two years as a USERT training coordinator. In 2021, I became the USERT program manager. When it comes to managing USERT, I have myself and two other supervisory special agents. We also have a forensic operational specialist who works with us. We manage the budget and act as the focal point for when field offices have requests for jobs—they send the requests to us and then we assign the teams and program training to prepare the divers.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI’s Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team, Part 3

    Source: US FBI

    Despite the usual pitch-black environment they work in, divers rarely use lights below the surface because particulate matter churned up from walking on the bottom diffuses any light. Instead, divers often rely on intelligence gathered during the initial dive, as well as metal detectors and sonar equipment—usually controlled from the surface—to locate and direct them toward evidence and other items they’re searching for.

    Sonar, short for “sound navigation and ranging,” is a technique that uses sound waves to locate objects. It is useful for exploring and mapping bodies of water because sound waves travel farther in the water than radar and light waves. “As items go up in size, the areas that need to be searched get bigger, and the initial intelligence about the site may not be quite as concise,” said Hudson, who explained that sonar systems are especially useful in these scenarios.  

    USERT also uses remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which both collect images and other data underwater, as well as investigate areas that are too dangerous for divers.  

    As divers find items to recover, they often place smaller objects in airtight containers and then carry them back up to the surface. 

    But if items are over 15 pounds, divers use lift bags. Smaller lift bags look similar to parachute-shaped balloons that divers can inflate underwater and attach to the items that need to be raised to the surface. Divers can inflate these bags using either a regulator or a low-pressure inflator hose. This allows the diver to adjust the buoyancy of the lift bag and to safely control the ascent. Larger lift bags can raise objects as large and heavy as 2,000-pound vehicles.
     
    Upon collecting all the items at the scene, USERT follows chain of custody guidelines. Each agency—whether the FBI or a local law enforcement department—follows its own rigorous processes. Most items are sent to a lab for further examination. Depending on the amount of time spent underwater, lab technicians can then gather information as detailed as cell phone data or DNA samples.  

    USERT: Tools of the Trade

    Peer into the Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team (USERT) toolbox to see how everyday items and specialized equipment help the team process a scene.

    See more

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USERT: Tools of the Trade

    Source: US FBI

    Light and Camera System

    Lights and recording functions are controlled from the surface, and high-definition images are displayed on surface monitors. However, divers rarely use lights below the surface because particulate matter churned up from walking on the bottom diffuses any light.

    Metal Detectors

    Different sizes of underwater metal detectors allow divers to locate large and small objects.

    Lift Bags

    Divers are prohibited from lifting anything above 15 pounds by themselves. Lift bags inflate to lift objects as large and heavy as 2,000-pound vehicles. Bags are inflated either by divers or, for larger items, by surface-supplied air.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wilver Villegas-Palomino Added to FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List

    Source: US FBI

    The ELN uses proceeds from Villegas-Palomino’s drug trafficking enterprise to fund terrorist attacks, launch sabotage operations, buy political influence, and engage in other malign activities designed to destabilize government institutions and subvert U.S. national security and law enforcement interests in the region. 

    A federal arrest warrant was issued for Villegas-Palomino in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, on February 13, 2020, after he was charged with narcoterrorism, international cocaine distribution conspiracy, and international cocaine distribution. 

    “Villegas-Palomino continues to present a grave threat to the community through his cocaine and narcoterrorist empire,” said FBI Supervisory Special Agent Nick Zarro, who is overseeing the investigation out of the FBI Houston Field Office. “Cocaine produced in Villegas-Palomino’s laboratories ultimately ends up on U.S. streets, plaguing local communities and driving spikes in violent crime.” 

    The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a federal drug enforcement program overseen by the U.S. Attorney General and the Department of Justice, has named Villegas-Palomino a consolidated priority organization target (CPOT), which is reserved for those involved in the most significant international drug trafficking operations affecting the United States. 

    Zarro hopes the poster and publicity will move hesitant associates to come forward with tips. “Continued publicity of Villegas-Palomino’s status on this list will disrupt his ability to travel abroad, restrict his ability to meet with international drug trafficking associates, and hamper his ability to recruit new members—and will generate leads and intelligence for law enforcement,” he said.

    Villegas-Palomino is 41 years old and has black hair and brown eyes. He is between 5’7” and 5’9” tall and weighs about 190 pounds. He is a Colombian national and speaks Spanish. Aliases include Carlos El Puerco (“Carlos the Hog”), El Puerco, Wilver Villegas, and Wilver Palomino. 

    If you have any information concerning Villegas-Palomino, please contact the FBI via WhatsApp (neither a government-operated nor government-controlled platform) at (281) 630-0330. You can also contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Victim Specialists Support American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

    Source: US FBI

    How long have you worked with AI/AN populations?

    I’ve lived in the Aberdeen community since 2009, and I love it here. I’ve had the privilege of working with the AI/AN populations since I started victim services in 2011.

    In my work with the FBI, I cover the Lake Traverse and Standing Rock South Dakota side reservations. Our office puts in a lot of miles. The communities we cover are, on average, two to three hours away.

    What challenges do you face in working with AI/AN victims that you may not face elsewhere?

    The lack of resources is, by far, my biggest challenge. The reservations are very rural, so they don’t have the resources that you see in bigger towns. My car is stocked with toiletries, clothing, diapers, blankets, gloves, etc., that I can access when needed.

    On the reservations, there’s a lack of trauma-informed counseling options. With many of the cases I work, people have to travel anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours one way to see a counselor that specializes in trauma. This is not sustainable due to costs, limited transportation, and weather.

    Another big challenge is the lack of foster homes and shelters, as well as the ability to keep these placements confidential. This can create a barrier for victims who want to leave their situations but fear the perpetrators will be able to find them.

    What do you wish people knew about working as a VS in the FBI?

    Being a victim specialist can be the most challenging but, more importantly, the most rewarding job. I think some people have the notion that the AI/AN populations do not want our help, but that could not be farther from the truth, in my experience. Everyone I have met is so excited to see there is help, support, resources, and justice for the things that have been done to them. I’m reminded every day of how I am so blessed, and it helps me want to give more to provide hope that they can get through this.

    What’s the best part of being a VS?

    The best moment in my job is seeing a victim realize they are strong, courageous, and a survivor. This happens in many ways. For example, I worked with a young victim who initially said she couldn’t testify at trial with the defendant there. Not only did she do an amazing job at testifying, which helped the jury convict the defendant, but she stood and read her victim impact statement at the sentencing hearing. The hug I received after that hearing is something I will never forget.

    I also worked with a mom who had endured years of domestic violence and then found out her husband was abusing their daughter. Those were truly their darkest days, but the transformation I have seen in them is truly amazing. The daughter received a kindness award at school and has improved her grades and attendance. The mother has kept stable employment and secured a home for their family to continue to heal and grow.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation SpecTor Targets Darknet Markets

    Source: US FBI

    To get the word out about the prevailing dangers, the JCODE team embarked on an effort this spring called Operation ProtecTor. This effort involved reaching out to individuals whose identities were discovered during search warrant and arrest operations of prolific vendors. The FBI sent leads to each of its field offices to work with partner agencies. Agents then drove to subjects’ homes, knocked on their doors, and let them know that law enforcement was aware of what they had been doing—and that the safest thing to do was to stop.

    “No matter what somebody is telling you, you really don’t know what’s in it,” said Andrew Innocenti, a supervisory special agent who leads a JCODE squad in the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. He said the drugs—or the precursor ingredients they’re made of—can change hands frequently as they travel from the darknet to the doorstep.

    “When these pills are created and shipped around the country, they are being resold in some instances to people in high school, people at universities, people on social media,” he said. “And by that point, you’re diluting the message of what this actually is or is purporting to be. When the messaging gets changed over time, from drug trafficker to darknet vendor, to reseller, to the local high school kid who’s handing them out, who knows what you might be taking? And so that’s where the danger lies.”

    Operation SpecTor is the fifth coordinated law enforcement action since the JCODE team was established in 2018. In remarks at a May 2 press conference in Washington, D.C., Attorney General Merrick Garland said the recent operation represents the most funds seized and the highest number of arrests in any coordinated international action led by the Justice Department against drug traffickers on the darknet.

    “Our message to criminals on the dark web is this: You can try to hide in the furthest reaches of the internet, but the Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for your crimes,” Garland said.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts Meeting of the Western District Health Care Fraud Working Group

    Source: US FBI

    Multi-Agency Partnership Continues Efforts to Combat Health Care Fraud and Protect Taxpayer Dollars

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today the annual meeting of the Western District’s Health Care Fraud Working Group, a partnership of federal and state agencies focused on combating health care fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars in the Western District of North Carolina.

    The working group comprises investigators, analysts, auditors, and attorneys from state and federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the North Carolina Attorney General’s Medicaid Investigations Division, the North Carolina Department of Insurance, the South Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division, and the Office of Personnel Management.

    At today’s meeting, U.S. Attorney King reaffirmed the importance of collaboration among the partner agencies and recognized their contributions.

    “Health care fraud undermines public trust, exploits vulnerable patients, and siphons billions from taxpayer-funded programs,” said U.S. Attorney King. “By combining our expertise and resources we can detect, dismantle, and prosecute health care fraud schemes and protect vital government programs that so many North Carolinians rely upon for their health care needs. I am grateful to our partner agencies for their dedication to protect our health care system and hold perpetrators accountable.”

    The Health Care Fraud Working Group’s mission is to detect health care fraud through coordinated investigations, information sharing, identification of existing and emerging schemes, and case development. This includes uncovering schemes of fraudulent billing, COVID-19-related fraud, kickback schemes, and fraud targeting government health care programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE. The working group also focuses on fraud committed by both corporate entities and individuals, including hospitals, telemedicine companies and providers, nursing home chains, pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers, durable medical equipment suppliers, physicians, therapists, and affiliated health care professionals.

    If you suspect Medicare or Medicaid fraud, please report it by phone at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), or via email at HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov.

    To report Medicaid fraud in North Carolina, call the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division at 919-881-2320 or fill out an online complaint form.

    TRICARE fraud can be reported here.

    Fraud against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system can be reported at www.vaoig.gov/hotline.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Carolina Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Offenses During January 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: US FBI

                WASHINGTON – A North Carolina man was sentenced to prison today after he was previously convicted of assaulting law enforcement other offenses during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                Brett Alan Rotella, also known as Brett Ostrander, 35, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss to 38 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

                A federal jury previously found Rotella guilty of three felony offenses, including obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder, two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, and several misdemeanors.

                According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, on Jan. 6, 2021, at approximately 2:24 p.m., Rotella was identified among a crowd of rioters amassed on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., wearing distinctive clothing that included a red skull cap, a black sleeveless puffy vest over a red sleeveless shirt, and white or gray long shorts. He carried a long pole with at least two flags affixed to it at various points during the day.

                According to police body-worn camera footage, just minutes after his arrival at the West Font, Rotella approached a police barricade and forcibly pushed it toward a Metropolitan Police Department officer, while shouting inflammatory remarks.

                At approximately 2:33 p.m., as the police line on the West Plaza became overwhelmed and was forced to retreat, Rotella was observed taking charge of a group of rioters, directing their movements by periodically signaling with his hand to “hold” and leading them up the southwest stairs toward the Capitol.

                Video footage from the Lower West Terrace showed that at approximately 2:40 p.m., Rotella followed retreating officers into the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement that day. Inside the Tunnel, as officers attempted to hold back the rioters, Rotella continued his advance, even after pepper balls containing chemical irritant were fired at him.

                Evidence during the trial showed that the mob, including Rotella, breached the Capitol entrance at the Tunnel by smashing the glass pane of one of the locked doors and forcing the doors open. CCTV and body-worn camera footage depicted Rotella entering the Tunnel and joining others in a concerted effort to physically assault police officers inside. Inside the Tunnel, Rotella pushed against police shields and attempted to leverage his body to push through the police line and into the building.

                Rotella left the Tunnel at approximately 2:55 p.m., but remained in the vicinity for approximately ninety more minutes, joining a large crowd that repeatedly surged against the police line. Further video evidence depicted Rotella counting down and leading a coordinated push by the mob against the officers.

                Rotella was later observed grabbing a large orange ladder and handing it toward the front of the crowd in an apparent attempt to use it against the officers. Video footage showed Rotella pushing the ladder into the Tunnel and pushing against other rioters near him in an effort to collectively breach the police line.

                The FBI arrested Rotella on Aug. 29, 2023, in Mooresville, North Carolina.

                This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina.

                This case was investigated by the FBI’s Charlotte and Washington Field Offices, which identified Rotella as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #82 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                In the 47 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,572 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

                Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Raleigh Man Who Fled From Police with ‘Ghost Gun’ Sentenced to Eight Years

    Source: US FBI

    RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced to 96 months in prison after fleeing from the police and discarding a “ghost gun”.  On May 22, 2024, Treyvion Maleke Sutton pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, on December 8, 2023, Sutton, 20, fled from Raleigh police officers on foot after officers attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which he was a passenger. While running from officers, Sutton discarded a loaded, unserialized “ghost gun” with an extended magazine. Sutton, who has prior felony convictions for common law robbery, assault by strangulation, discharge of a weapon into occupied property, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and battery of an unborn child, was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

    A privately made firearm is often called a “ghost gun” because it is not marked with a serial number and therefore is far more difficult for law enforcement to trace if they are used to commit crimes. These firearms can be made from scratch, or they can be assembled from weapon parts kits, including “buy-build-shoot” kits, which are weapon part kits with pre-manufactured, dissembled, complete firearms (a firearm in a box).

    The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.

    Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Nokes  prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-24-D-RN.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Zoe Mafia Family, Other Gang Members Convicted on Firearms and Narcotics Charges in South Florida Federal Court

    Source: US FBI

    MIAMI – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, ATF Miami, and Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), in collaboration with other federal and local law enforcement agencies, secured federal convictions and prison sentences against 18 members of violent South Florida street gangs – including Zoe Mafia Family (ZMF), the 3rd World gang, and several sects of the Bloods gang.

    The joint operation involved charges of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine trafficking; carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and felon in possession of a firearm. It led to the recovery of 23 firearms, three kilograms of fentanyl, and seven kilograms of cocaine, as well as methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and marijuana.

    The defendants, former residents of South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties) were convicted and sentenced to prison terms as follows: 

    Andre Allen, 37, was sentenced to 120 months for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl (22-cr-20190);

    David Brown,41, was sentenced to 151 months for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl (22-cr-60177);

    Tirell Caldwell,26, was sentenced to 57 months for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (22-cr-60220);

    Johnnie Gibson,51, was sentenced to 175 months for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine (23-cr-60205); 

    Brionne Griffin,35, was sentenced to 60 months for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, and methamphetamine (22-cr-60082);

    Joseph Johnson, Jr.,46, was sentenced to 120 months for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl (23-cr-60131);

    Timothy Neil Lewis, Jr.,26, was sentenced to 60 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (22-cr-60083);

    Makinson Moise,35, was sentenced to 248 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine base (23-cr-60004);

    Arnicious Odom,48, was sentenced to 30 months for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine (23-cr-60205);

    Wendy Previl,33, was sentenced to 120 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl (23-cr-60089); 

    Joshua Robinson,38, was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (24-cr-60132);

    Robert Roseme,28, was sentenced to 42 months for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl (23-cr-60089); 

    Nolan Setoute,43, was sentenced to 12 months for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon (22-cr-60124);

    Terrance Stanley,40, was sentenced to 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (22-cr-60120);

    Dorshawn Tate,20, was sentenced to 8 months for possession with intent to distribute alprazolam (23-cr-60051);

    British Wilkerson,42, was sentenced to 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (22-cr-60125);

    Byron Felecio Williams, Jr.,40, was sentenced to 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (22-cr-80136); and

    Kevin Williams,31, was sentenced to 18 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (24-cr-60132).

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon Mallory of the ATF Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office announced the results of the operation.

    This case was investigated by ATF Miami and Broward Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from DEA Miami, HSI Miami, and FBI Miami.

    Southern District of Florida Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Brown and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCormack prosecuted these cases.

    Several of the defendants, are associated with Zoe Mafia Family (ZMF), a South Florida Haitian street gang.

    Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department designated two Haitian gangs (Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Indiana Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Embezzling Nearly $1.2 Million From Employer

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Christina Robinson, 52, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today, and pleaded guilty to wire fraud for embezzling nearly $1.2 million from her employer, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to filed plea documents and the hearing, from September 2013 to April 2023, Robinson engaged in a scheme to defraud a Charlotte-based company by abusing her position as the company’s controller to embezzle nearly $1.2 million in company funds. During the scheme, Robinson misused her position and access to the company’s bank accounts to carry out the scheme by moving the embezzled funds and withdrawing them in cash. To conceal the theft and to remain undetected, Robison made materially false and misleading accounting entries in the company’s books and records. As Robinson admitted in court today, she used some of the embezzled funds to pay for personal expenses, including more than $330,000 in purchases, over $324,000 in credit card payments, more than $80,000 in loan payments, over $40,000 in mortgage payments, and more than $35,000 in car payments.

    Robinson was released on bond following the plea hearing. At sentencing, she faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the wire fraud charge. A sentencing date has not been set.

    The FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Arrested on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During January 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: US FBI

                 WASHINGTON — An Ohio man was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his alleged conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                 David Valentine, 46, of Wilmington, Ohio, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony charge of civil disorder. In addition to the felony, Valentine is charged with misdemeanor offenses of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful, knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of government business or official functions and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds.

                 Valentine was arrested on Aug. 22, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and he made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

                 According to court documents, Valentine was identified within the restricted grounds of the U.S. Capitol building at around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, near a line of police officers and bike-rack barricades preventing rioters from advancing toward the U.S. Capitol building. At about 1:40 p.m., rioters carried and passed a large metal-framed “Trump 2020” sign toward the police line.

                 It is alleged that when the sign reached the police line, Valentine joined the rioters who pushed the sign against the police officers. It is alleged that Valentine reached for the sign with his right hand and pushed the sign. The rioters used the large sign as a battering ram against the officers who were holding the line and attempted to breach the bike-rack barricades while the officers were attacked with the large sign.

                 Later, Valentine was identified on the West Plaza of Capitol grounds and was seen entering a lower part of the Inaugural stage within the West Plaza. Valentine then allegedly climbed into an area that appeared to be under construction and seemed to cut some wires with a folding knife.

                 At about 2:30 p.m., members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) retreated to an area inside the archway of the U.S. Capitol building’s Lower West Terrace Doors, referred to as the Tunnel. The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th.  There, rioters massed in front of the Tunnel and attacked police officers, pushing in a collective effort to overwhelm the police officers guarding this entrance to the building. Valentine was present outside the Tunnel.

                 At approximately 5:00 p.m., rioters collectively pushed against the police officers in the Tunnel, and Valentine allegedly joined the group, placing his hand against the back of the rioter in front of him before being repelled by a chemical irritant.

                 This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

                 The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Cincinnati and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                 In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

                 Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Members of Violent Third World Mob Gang Guilty of Trafficking More Than 1,000 Kilograms of Marijuana

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted two members of the Third World Mob gang with conspiring to traffic more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana. Third World Mob is a violent criminal organization in Columbus.

    After an 8-day trial before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr., jurors deliberated for less than six hours before finding Klegewerges Abate, 35, and Abubakarr Savage, 34, both of Columbus, guilty on all counts.

    Abate, who is also known as “Bells,” “Robell” and “Sosa,” was convicted of conspiring to traffic at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, firearms offenses, and wire fraud related to illegally obtaining COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.

    Savage was charged with and convicted of conspiring to distribute at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Savage is also known as “Sav” and “Savdripp.”

    According to court documents and trial testimony, Third World Mob members brought hundreds of pounds of marijuana into Ohio from other states like California and Georgia to sell in central Ohio. They used U-Haul trucks and rental cars to move the drugs.  Coconspirators used rental houses or houses leased or owned in other individuals’ names as “stash houses” or “trap houses” to facilitate the drug trafficking and to store significant amounts of cash from the drug proceeds.

    For example, in August 2019, Abate and others possessed a suitcase with approximately $940,000 in cash in it in a house on Phlox Avenue in Blacklick.

    During a November 2022 search of a residence on Chapel Stone Road in Blacklick, law enforcement officials found Abate and two of his co-conspirators, along with more than 700 kilograms of marijuana and three firearms.

    Third World Mob leaders and members used violence and the threat of violence to maintain authority over their drug trafficking.

    Surveillance video presented at trial showed Abate, a convicted felon, shooting a man at a restaurant in Columbus. Jurors also heard testimony about numerous shootings, a pistol-whipping, and other acts of intimidation.

    Abate was also convicted of wire fraud for falsely applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, fraudulently claiming that he had been a self-employed landscaper during the time he trafficked drugs.

    In total, seven members of the Third World Mob have been charged federally since 2021. Fellow member Menelik Solomon pleaded guilty in November 2023 and was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison. Coconspirator Teddy Asefa entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and wire fraud just prior to trial. Another defendant stood trial with Abate and Savage and was acquitted of the single obstruction of justice charge against him.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the verdict. U.S. Attorney Parker recognized the assistance from the Columbus, Whitehall and Tucson, Arizona, police departments and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and S. Courter Shimeall represented the United States in this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Cincinnati Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Missing Teen

    Source: US FBI

    CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in federal court here today to 162 months in prison for sex trafficking a missing teen girl.

    As part of his conviction, Payton Jamar Brown, 26, was ordered to pay nearly $58,000 in restitution to the minor victim and forfeit his home on Niagara Street in Cincinnati. Proceeds of the sale of his forfeited home will be paid to Brown’s victim as restitution.

    According to court documents, from June until October 2022 and again in February 2023, Brown sex trafficked the teenaged girl.

    Brown met the victim online and began a relationship with her. The victim began to reside with Brown, who created prostitution advertisements of her. Brown would transport the victim to hotels for prostitution dates that he had arranged. Brown arranged at least 40 prostitution dates in this timeframe and collected the proceeds from the victim.

    In October 2022, Colerain police officers responded to Brown’s residence and recovered the victim, who was subsequently taken to a juvenile facility in another state.

    In February 2023, the juvenile escaped the facility and messaged Brown on Instagram to pick her up. Brown drove interstate to pick up the victim and her friend and bring them to his residence. Brown again created a prostitution advertisement of the victim and arranged sexual encounters with other men for money.

    Throughout his time with the victim, Brown would regularly engage in sex acts with the minor and record those acts with a cell phone. He would then sell the photos and videos to others online.

    Brown was arrested by the FBI in February 2023. He pleaded guilty in October 2023.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III; and members of the Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations (RECI) task force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.

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